HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-10-20 CorrespondenceMarian Karr 5e()
From:
Misty Rebik <misty@cwjiowa.org>
Sent:
Thursday, October 08, 2015 5:09 PM
To:
Council
Cc:
Susan Mims
Subject:
Research support for raising the min. wage
Attachments:
City -Minimum -Wage -Recent -Trends -Economic -Evidence (002).pdf; 150930-minwage-JC-
bgd.pdf
Dear Iowa City City Council,
In response to the conversation in your work session on Tuesday, I've compiled some useful links that show
analysis done on raising the wage in other communities and in our own.
Attached is a document published by National Employment Law Project (HELP), "City Minimum Wage Laws:
Recent Trends and Economic Evidence" summarizing evidence from available studies of local increases around
the country. And, I've attached the one -pager from the Iowa Policy Project analyzing the impact of the local
increase to 510.10.
Here is a list of other useful links:
-Center for Economic and Policy Research, "The Wage and Employment Impact of Minimum -Wage Laws in
Three Cities"
htti)://www.cepr.net/documents/publications/min-wage-2011-03.pd
-Berkeley Institute for Research on Labor and Employment, "Minimum Wage Effects Across State Borders"
http://www.irle.berkeley.edu/workingpgpers/157-07.t)d
-University of New Mexico Bureau of Business and Economic Research, "Measuring the Employment Impacts
of the Living Wage Ordinance in Santa Fe"
https://bber.unm.edu/pubs/EmplovmentLivingWaeeAnalvsis.pdf
It's apparently too soon for economists to have enough data to fully assess Seattle's incremental increases, but
these two articles have been widely cited with regard to anecdotal impact of the much quicker jump directly to
$15 that was implemented last year in nearby SeaTac:
httos://www.washin2tonvost.com/opinions/dana-milbank-no-calamitv-vet-as-seatac-wash-adiusts-to-15-
minimum-wage/2014/09/05/dl2ba922-3503-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea storms
http://www.seattletimes.com/seattle-news/15-wage-floor-slowly-takes-hold-in-seatac/
I hope you'll review these studies, and continue to stand strong with workers in Iowa City by supporting the
new Johnson County Minimum Wage Ordinance.
Best regards,
Misty Rebik
Misty Rebik
Executive Director
Center for Worker Justice
(319)594-7593
mistvCa,cwi Iowa. org
Follow us on Facebook:
www.facebook.com/centerforworkgrjusticeofeastemiowa
NATIONAL
EMPLOYMENT
LAW
PROJECT
Minimum Wage Basics
FACT SHEET I SEPTEMBER 2015
City Minimum Wage Laws:
Recent Trends and Economic Evidence
NELP's Minimum Wage Basics series sheds light on key issues related to the minimum
wage, drawing on the latest research and campaign developments.
Introduction
While the U.S. economy continues to see steady growth and an improvement in the jobless
rate, wages have been flat or falling for much of the labor force. This dynamic has prompted
a record number of municipal leaders to tackle this problem locally with city minimum wage
ordinances that substantially raise the wage floor for low -paid workers in their communi-
ties. Equally significant, cities today are calling for higher minimum wages than ever before.
With wage levels of $15 per hour or more, these new measures go beyond simply catching up
the minimum wage for inflation; they begin to raise pay broadly across the bottom of local
economies.
This fact sheet provides an overview of recent trends in local minimum wage ordinances,
paying particular attention to how businesses have adjusted to the implementation of local
wage increases over time. Overall, the economic evidence indicates that local minimum
wages have proven to be effective tools for raising pay and improving job quality without
reducing employment or encouraging businesses to leave cities.
Local Minimum Wages Have Become Mainstream Policy Tools
In Diverse Cities Across the Country
Over the past year, an unprecedented number of cities and counties have moved to adopt
higher local minimum wages. In addition, cities are proposing substantially higher wage
levels than in past years (see Table 1). Indicative of this new wave of action around local mini-
mum wages was the U.S. Conference of Mayors' `Cities of Opportunity Task Force: which in
August 2014 endorsed higher city minimum wages as key tools for fighting income inequality
at the local level.'
NELP I NATIONAL EMPLOYMENT LAW PROJECT 175 MAIDEN LANE SUITE 601 [NEW YbRK NY 10038
Table 1. Local Minimum Wage Ordinances
in the U.S.
Passed In 2003
Minimum Wage
Santa Fe, NM
$10.84
San Francisco, CA
$12.25
Passed in 2012
Minimum Wage
Albuquerque, NM
$8.75
San Jose, CA
$10.30
Passed in 2013
Minimum Wage
Bernalillo County, NM
$8.65
Washington, DC
$11.50 (by 2016)
Montgomery County, MD
$11.50 (by 2017)
Prince George's County, MD
$11.50 (by 2017)
SeaTac, WA
$15.24
Passed in 2014
Minimum Wage
Las Cruces, NM
$10.10 (by 2019)
Santa Fe County, NM
$10.84
Mountain View, CA
$10.30 (by July 2015)
Sunnyvale, CA
$10.30
San Diego, CA
$11.50 (by 2017)'
Oakland, CA
$12.25
Berkeley, CA
$12.53 (by 2016)
Richmond, CA
$13.00 (by 2018)
Louisville, KY
$9.00 (by 2017)
Chicago, IL
$13.00 (by 2019)
San Francisco, CA
$15.00 (by 2018)
Seattle, WA
$15.00 (by 2018-21)
Passed In 2015
Minimum Wage
Emeryville, CA
$15.00 (by 2018)
Los Angeles, CA
$15.00 (by 2020-21)
Portland, ME
$10.68 (by 2017)
Kansas City, MO
$13.00 (by 2020)
Birmingham, AL
$10.10 (by 2017)
St. Louis, MO
$11.00 (by 2018)
Palo Alto, CA
$11.00 (by 2016)
Johnson County, IA
$10.10 (by 2017)
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
Table 1. Local Minimum Wage Ordinances
in the U.S.
Current Proposals
ProRate
Tacoma, WA
$15.00
Olympia, WA
$15.00
Davis, CA
$15.00
Sacramento, CA
$15.00
Lexington, KY
$10.10 (by 2017)
St. Louis, MO
$15 (by 2020)
Kansas City, MO
$15 (by 2020)
Washington, DC
$15.00 (by 2020)
New York, NY
$15.00
Portland, ME
$15.00
Pasadena, CA
$15.00
McCall, ID
$10.25 (by 2017)
Palo Alto, CA
$15.00 (by 2018)
'San Diego increase awaits review by voters in 2016
The Distinct Role of Local Minimum
Local minimum wages offer several distinct advantages that differentiate these policies from
state or federal minimum wage laws:
• They allow higher -cost cities to set minimum wage rates that better correspond to higher
local living costs;
• They allow localities in states where the legislature is slow to raise the minimum wage to
address the problem on their own;
• They provide avenues for demonstrating the feasibility of substantially higher minimum
wages, and pursuing key reforms such as annual inflation indexing and higher tipped -
minimum wages, which are less commonly adopted at the state level.
How Have Businesses Responded to Recently Adopted
City Minimum Wages?
"Interviews with San Jose workers, businesses, and industry officials show it has improved
the lives of affected employees while imposing minimal costs on employers'
- USA Today, "In San Jose, Higher Minimum Wage Pays Benefits' (June 14, 2014)2
"Fast-food hiring in the region accelerated once the higher wage was in place. By early this
year, the pace of employment gains in the San Jose area beat the improvement in the entire
state of California."
- Wall Street Journal, "What Happened to Fast -Food Workers When San Jose Raised the
Minimum Wage? Hold the Layoffs" (April 9, 2014)'
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
"Those who opposed the $15 wage in SeaTac and Seattle admit there has been no calamity
so far."
- Washington Post, "No Calamity Yet as SeaTac, WA, Adjusts to $iS Minimum Wage"
(September 5, 2014)4
"For all the political uproar it caused, SeaTac's closely watched experiment with a $15 mini-
mum wage has not created a large chain reaction of lost jobs and higher prices..."
- Seattle Times, "$15 Wage Floor Slowly Takes Hold in SeaTac" (June 13,2014)s
Small Businesses Favor Citywide Minimum Wages to
Match Local Costs of Living
As more cities consider local minimum wages, opinion research has begun to examine
the views of employers on such measures. Polling and interviews with individual business
owners have shown that employers find that the statewide minimum wage is often insuf-
ficient to reflect local living costs and support cities' adopting higher local minimum wages.
For an example from New York, see Figure 1.
Do you agree or disagree that cities
and counties In New York should have
the ability to determine their own
minimum wage rates above the level
of the state minimum wage?
Source: Small Business Majorry. 2014
34%
Agree
■ Disagree
The Economic Evidence Shows That City Minimum Wages Boost
Earnings Without Reducing Employment
Economic evidence indicates that the higher city minimum wages enacted in U.S. cities to
date have boosted earnings without slowing job growth or causing business relocations.
These findings are consistent with the bulk of modern research on higher state minimum
wages, which has generally found no statistically significant evidence of job losses resulting
from minimum wage increases passed over the last 20 years in the United States.
This is partly because the bulk of the low-wage positions affected by city minimum wages are
in fields such as restaurants, retail, building services, home health care, and child care - jobs
that serve city -based customers such as residents, office workers, and tourists at city
locations.
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
As a result, most cannot practically be moved by their employers to locations outside of
the city while still retaining their customer bases.
Table 2 below summarizes the most rigorous research examining the employment impact of
minimum wage increases at the local level. The studies below pay particular attention to the
experience of minimum wage increases in Santa Fe and San Francisco, which have had local
minimum wages in place for over a decade now and offer the most complete picture of how
businesses in low-wage sectors have adjusted to higher wage floors.
Table 2. Summary of Economic Research
Study
on Citywide Minimum
Year Published
Wages
Cities Studied Summary of Findings
"The Wage and Employment Impact
2011
San Francisco, CA
"The results for fast food, food ser -
of Minimum -Wage Laws In Three
Santa Fe, NM
vices, retail, and low-wage establish -
Cities"'
Washington, DCa
ments... support the view that
citywide minimum wages can raise
Center for Economic and Policy
the earnings of low-wage workers,
Research
without a discernible Impact on their
employment..."
"When Mandates Work: Raising Labor
2014
San Francisco, CA
This book -length study of San Fran -
Standards at the Local Level"'
cisco's minimum wage, living wage,
University of California -Berkeley
health care, and paid sick leave laws,
which collectively raised the compen-
sation of low-wage workers 80 percent
higher than the federal minimum
wage, found that these laws raised
pay without costingjobs. Researchers
found that from 2004 to 2011, priva-
tesector employment grew by 5.6
percent in San Francisco but fell by 4.4
percent in other Bay Area counties
that did not have a higher local wage.
Among food -service workers, who are
more likely to be affected by minimum
wage laws, employment grew 17.7
percent in San Francisco, faster than
In the other Bay Area counties. San
Francisco employers absorbed the
higher costs through a combination of
reduced employee turnover and im-
proved customer service and worker
productivity.
"The Economic Effects of a Citywide
2007
San Francisco, CA
"We find that the San Francisco wage
Minimum Wage"10
floor policy Increased pay significantly
at affected restaurants.... We do not
University of California -Berkeley
detect any increased rate of business
closure or employment loss among
treated restaurants; this finding is
robust across a variety of alternative
specifications and control subsam-
ples."
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
Table 2. Summary of Economic Research
"Measuring the Employment Impacts
on Citywicle Minimum
2006
Wages
Santa Fe, NM
"Overall, this analysis found that
of the Living Wage Ordinance in
the living wage had no discernible
Santa Fe, New Mexico"n
Impact on employment per firm, and
that Santa Fe actually did better than
University of New Mexico,
Albuquerque in terms of employment
Bureau of Business and Economic
changes"
Research
"Minimum Wage Effects Across
2010
288 pairs of contiguous
Taking advantage of the fact that
State Borders: Estimates Using
U.S. counties with
a record number of states raised
Contiguous Counties"
differing minimum wage
their minimum wages in the 1990s
rates at any point
and 2000s, this widely cited study
University of California -Berkeley,
between 1990 and
compares employment levels among
University of Massachusetts-
2006
every pair of neighboring U.S. counties
Amherst, and University of North
that had differing minimum wage
Carolina -Chapel Hill"
rates at any point between 1990 and
2006 and finds that higher minimum
wages did not reduce employment.
This is a particularly Important finding
regarding the Impact of higher
minimum wages at the local level, as
the county -level analysis found no evi-
dence of businesses crossing borders
or reducing employment in response
to higher minimum wages.
Endnotes
1. -Cities of0pportunity Task Force Commitment to Action.* U.S. Conference of Mayors. August 2014, available at:
htt /Iw l n em/o&ce f the mayor/news/39714/Cities op=nunity-task-force-commitment-action#/0
2. 'In San Jose. Higher Minimum Wage Pays Benefits,"Paul Davidson, USAToday, June 14,2014, available at:
http-//wwwusatod vcomisturv/money/business/2014/06/14/minimum-wage-san-lose/99kB679/
3. -What Happened to Fast -Food Workers When Sart Jose Raised the Minimum Wage? Hold the Layoffs"Eric Morath,
Wall Street Journal, April 9,2014, available at: httD-//bl s'com/ omits/2014/04/09/whathappened-to-
fast f d -work s-when-sa = e -raised -the -min' -wage/
4. No Calamity Yet as SeaTac, WA, Adjusts to $13 Minimum Wage,"Dana Milbank, Washington Post, September
S. 2014, availalable at: http-11wwwwashi tonpo t com /opinions/d a-milb k-no-calamity-vet-as-seatac-
wa h "usts-to-l5-minimum- aee/2014/09/05/d12ba922-3503-11e4-9e92-0899b306bbea storv.html
S. "$15 Wage Slowly Takes Hold in SeaTac,"Amy Martinez, SeattleTimes, June 3,2014, available at: htt
seattletimes com/html/localnews/2022905775 seatacomplxmLhtml
6. "Newyork Small Businesses Support Higher Minimum Wages for Cities and Counties,"Small Business Majority,
Opinion Poll, April 2014, available at: htt // iN llb it / ll -b -research
downloads/042114-Nm-York-Minimum--WI
ee-P 11 dP
7. John Schmitt and David Rolnick, The Wage and Employment Impact of Minimum Wage Laws In Three Cities
(March 2011), available ath-//wwwce et/docu is/publ" tins/min-wage-2011-03.odf.
8. Study finds that the minimum wage increase implemented In Washington. DC, in 1993 was too small to raise
wages in fast-food, food services, retail, and other low -Wage establishments. The citywide increase therefore does
not allow the authors to draw conclusions about the employment effects of citywide minimum wages for DC.
9. Michael Reich, Ken Jacobs and Miranda Dietz (ads.), When Mandates Work: Raising Labor Standards at the
Local Level, University of California Press (2014), available at http-//irle berkelev edu/publications/wben-
mandateswork/•'San Francisco's Higher Minimum Wage Hasn't Hurt the Economy," Business Week (January 22,
2014), available at http//t wbu' essweek om/articl /20140122/san-franc-hleher- inlmum- -
hasnth urt-th-economv:'S.F. praised as model for U.S. on increasing minimum wage; SF Gate (January 28, 2014),
available at httc//wwwsfgatecQm/politics/ rticle/S-F- aised-as-model-for-U-S-on-increasing-5183378.uhp
10. Michael Reich, ArindraPt Dube, and Suresh Naidu,"The Economic Effects of a Citywide Minimum
Wage; University of California -Berkeley, (2007), available at: http://www irle berkelev edu/ewed/wp/
economicimpacts 07.Ddf
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
11. 12. University of New Mexico, Bureau of Business and Economic Research. "Measuring the Employment Impacts
of the Living Wage Ordinance in Santa Fe, New Mexico," (June 30.2006), available at: http-//bber.unm.edu/pubs/
EmplovatentLivingWaReAnalys1fi.tal
12. Michael Reich, Arindmpt Dube,andT. William Lester,"MinimumWage Effects Across State Borders; Review of
Economics and Statistics (2010): 945-964, available at: htt -// ' leb k 1 d / king /157-07 df
NELP I TITLE OF FACT SHEET I DATE
September 2015
RAISING THE MINIMUM WAGE
What is the Johnson County Impact of a $10.10 Minimum Wage?
At least 10,000 low-wage workers stand to get a pay raise by the time the Johnson County minimum
wage is increased to $10.10 in 2017. That would translate into millions in additional annual income.
Much of that would be spent in Johnson County at local retail and service businesses, which in tum
would need more work hours to handle the increased business.
About 40,000 wage-eamers in Johnson County work in the private sector, including nonprofits. About
10,100 of those workers, or 25 percent, would stand to benefit directly from a minimum wage rising
to $10.10 by 2017.1 This is a conservative estimate; due to uncertainty that the local wage would apply
to state or federal employees, our analysis does not include public employees.
Many workers not covered by the minimum wage would also benefit, in two ways. Employers may
increase the wages of those earning a little above the new minimum wage in order to maintain wage
parity within the firm, or to successfully compete in the labor market. Second, wages of public -sector
workers not covered by the local minimum wage law may be raised to keep and attract such workers in
competition with private sector employers. The percentages below should be taken as a minimum effect.
Women are disproportionately represented in lower -wage jobs, so it is no surprise that nearly 56
percent of those benefiting from the county minimum wage would be women. More surprising, perhaps,
is that nearly a fifth would be over the age of 40, while only 22 percent would be under age 20. Only
about 1 in 5 of the beneficiaries work fewer than 20 hours per week; 42 percent work full time (35+
hours per week). Over 1 in 5 beneficiaries (22 percent) are parents; almost 1 in 4 are persons of color.
Characteristics
19% 10% 55 -plus
o
20%
Assoc. degree
of Those
Part time 40 to 54
or higher
Benefiting from
a$10.10 6
Sod college,
Wage
40%
Mid time
313%
noMinimum
in Johnson
" 20 to 39
County: Gender,
High school
Age, Education ' ,
and Hours Female
42%
Worked
Full timethan
<age 20
r
high school
Source: Analysis of Current Population Survey Data 2010-2012 by the Economic Policy Institute
1 Estimates based on American Community Survey wage data for 2010-2012; workers benefiting are assumed to be earning a wage less
than $10.10 per hour by 2017 if their wages rise by inflation rates projected by the Congressional Budget Office. A local minimum wage
would affect all those working in Johnson County, regardless of residency, but estimates predict 94 percent would be Johnson residents.
Marian Karr
From:
Susan Mims
Sent:
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 10:22 AM
To:
Marian Karr
Subject:
FW: Minimum Wage action by the City Council of Iowa City
For packet.
Susan Mims
Mayor Pro Tem
City of Iowa City, City Council
From: jon Sewell [mailto:tcjon@yahoo.com]
Sent: Tuesday, October 13, 2015 8:53 AM
To: Kingsley Botchway; Terry Dickens; Rick Dobyns; Matt Hayek; Susan Mims; Michelle Payne; Jim Throgmorton
Subject: Minimum Wage action by the City Council of Iowa City
My name is Jon Sewell and I'm the owner of D.P. Dough on 519 E Washington. Prior to opening my store in
November of 2013 1 worked in Hospital Administration around the country for roughly 30 years. During that
time I also served on numerous boards for organizations providing services related to domestic violence
prevention, Altzheimer's research and care, river restoration and downtown development. I've also served on
both the planning commission and zoning board for Leelanau County Michigan.
In the past thirty five years I can't recall ever personally, or professionally, making a decision of the magnitude
as the council did last week regarding local minimum wage laws without extensive analysis and involvement of
the constituents impacted by the decision. I had a chance to look at the resumes of the board members and
was very impressed by the backgrounds of all of you folks which made me wonder how you could made a
decision with such a profound impact on the local community with (please correct me if I'm wrong) little or no
understanding of the outcome on your constituents? Forgive me if I'm wrong, but I couldn't find minutes for
the meeting on line and am only going by the published news reports. If you did have some analysis that
assisted you with this decision I would appreciate some guidance as to how I might find it.
Was there a sense of urgency that drove the decision? It appears every other city in Johnson County has
decided to defer to the State minimum wage laws, at least until they have time to fully understand the impact
on their local citizens. My understanding is that the University will also be paying at State minimum wage
levels. What information'led the council to act in a manner contrary to all of those other cities as well as the
University?
I appreciate that School Boards, Planning Commisions/Zoning Boards and City Councils are some of the most
necessary and thankless positions that one can serve on (I can tell you stories) so I tried to soften this
communication as much as I could, but based on everything I was able to glean from the news, you folks made
a decision that will be very detrimental to much of your business community (including non profits) as well as
the citizens who patronize them without any analysis to justify it. Make no mistake, businesses will cease to
exist and prices will increase as a result of your vote. Do you believe that you gave sufficient consideration to
the impact on those owners who will go out of business or the consumers who will ultimately subsidize this
action through higher prices?
I would be happy to buy any of you a calzone (should the council bylaws allow it) if you would like to stop by
my store (I'm only a block away from the city offices) and provide some background to that vote that I may be
missing. I would also be happy to volunteer my time should you be including small business owners in any
future analysis the council may perform on this matter.
Thank you all for the time you spend away from your jobs and families to help the residents of Iowa City.
Jon Sewell
Owner of D.P. Dough
Marian Karr
From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox@mac.com>
Sent: Tuesday, October 20, 2015 1:29 PM
To: Council; Tom Markus
Subject: Wage Increase
Councilors:
Would one of you -- perhaps Matt -- please tell me what non -profits are worried about being able to meet their
budgets?
I would also like to know what small businesses spoke before the Council when this matter was on the agenda?
How can a city economic impact analysis mean anything until the wage increase has been in effect for a year at
a minimum?
I'm sorry to take up your time with this, but I do not have a TV and do not watch the Council meetings. I just
know it's been repeated several times by the Mayor that non -profits and some small businesses are worried.
Frankly, I don't see the concern about implementation. Instead of paying $7.25 on or after November 2, can't
people paying salaries just pay $8.10/hour? Please help.
Carol deProsse
Marian Karr
From:
Marian Karr
Sent:
Tuesday, October 13, 2015 4:57 PM
To:
Marian Karr
Subject:
FW: Neighborhood issues
From: Scott Hamlin and Ros Hayslett <hamlin101(i�centurvlink.net>
Date: October 3, 2015 at 5:42:02 PM CDT
To: <council(a,iowa-citv.org>
Subject: Neighborhood issues
I currently live at 1902 Grantwood St. Over the last, lets say, 5 years the City of Iowa City has
let this neighborhood deteriorate into a ghetto. Just today I got into it with two youths and trust
me I am being really nice saying that. The next time I am confronted by people like this it will
not end the way it did today.
I have friends that work for this City. I was told they have to go to sensitivity training because a
police officer beat up a kid at the rec center. I saw that video. That kid did not follow a direct
order. That kid should have been arrested along with the idiot who was filming it. But this is the
way this city is anymore. Lets protect certain classes so we don't look bad. Well guess what
you look bad. In the last few weeks we have called the police about our neighbors who live
directly next door. One was they were smoking pot. This happens on a regular basis. The
police drove by but no one got out to investigate or come talk to us. These people constantly
park across the sidewalk. That is against the law. Nothing has been done. They park the wrong
way on the street. That is against the law. Nothing is done. I am tired of nothing being done
and this is what will start to happen around here.
1. Police will start to patrol this area and write tickets for every infraction they come
across. This includes parking across the sidewalks, jaywalking, walking in the street (yes that
was added to city code a few years ago)
2. When we call police they will come within 5 minutes and will investigate.
3. The City will start putting section 8 housing in other neighborhoods. We are tired of our
property values dropping. You buy a house as an investment. It is to bad that the City gets to
dictate how your property values go because they don't want certain types of people in their
neighborhood. Maybe you need to take the sensitivity training.
4. The City will start doing something about all the people renting their houses because they
can't sell them because the City has ruined the neighborhood.
Yeah I am mad right now and don't excuse this email because of it. You will start to do
something. I will start to see police down my street every half hour. Like I said, if this is not
addressed we will have problems. I am sick and tired of people who ruin my American dream
because they are afraid they might upset someone else. You better start worrying about the
people you are upsetting.
Scott Hamlin
Marian Karr
5e(3)
From: Rod Sullivan <rodsullivan@mchsi.com>
Sent: Wednesday, October 07, 2015 8:19 AM
To: Council
Subject: Transparency
Dear Council:
I heard you talk about "transparency" the other night in a meeting that was not recorded. I would urge you to make
several changes that would all greatly increase transparency.
Following are just a few:
1.) Hold informal meetings immediately after formal meetings. The way things work now, informal meetings are
held immediately prior to formal meetings. Informal meetings are critical - this is where city staff make their
recommendations, 99% of which are followed. So under the current system, items are introduced and voted upon on
the same evening. If a council member wanted to do her own research, there is no opportunity. If the public wanted to
weigh in, there is no opportunity. By reversing this order, the public gets two weeks to weigh in, and the council gets
two weeks to hear from folks. This CAN be done; Johnson County does it now.
2.) Broadcast informal meetings. We already noted that these meetings are really where information is shared and
decisions are made. This process SHOULD be as public as possible. So why not put it on TV for all to see? The only reason
I've ever been given is that councilors will not want to appear uninformed, so they won't ask questions. That may be the
single worst reason I have ever been given for any policy, but there you go. Again, this CAN be done; Johnson County
does it now.
3.) Allow public discussion at informal meetings. Contrary to what council members and staff would have you
believe, there is no legal prohibition on public comment at these meetings. The council can set any parameters on public
comment it wishes. The council can determine the number of speakers, length of time each speaks, total comment time
- it can do anything it wishes. The law allows many different approaches. You CAN allow public comment. Again, this
CAN be done; Johnson County does it now.
There is no compelling reason for the way Iowa City currently handles these matters. All three of these procedures
are the classic 3that is the way we've always done it.' That is not a good enough reason for skirting democracy.
Each of these simple changes is cheap, efficient, and friendlier toward democracy. None would require anything beyond
a vote of the council.
Sincerely,
Rod Sullivan
2326 E. Court St.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Marian Karr 5e(4)
From: m.j.kelly <m.j. kelly@earthlink. net>
Sent: Wednesday, October 14, 2015 2:33 PM
To: Council; Jim Throgmorton; Kingsley Botchway; Michelle Payne; Rick Dobyns; Susan Mims;
Terry Dickens; Matt Hayek
Subject: Racist Remarks in Public by Councilmember Payne
Dear Mayor and Councilmembers
I am writing to express my very strong concerns regarding Councilmember Payne's use of the term "coloured
people" during the September 30, 2015, Iowa City Council Social and Economic Justice Candidate Forum.
Please view time code 41:40 of the public video of the forum, which is available on-line.
I sent her an email five days ago (reproduced below), but I have received no response to date.
Therefore, I am appealing to you, her colleagues in Iowa City governance, to right this wrong, since she seems
to be uninterested in doing so herself. Please join me in speaking out against racism during your next meeting.
Thank you for your consideration of this important request.
Respectfully yours, Melyssa Jo Kelly
From: Melyssa Jo Kelly <rnj.kelly@earthlink.net> [Edit Address Book]
To: michelle-payne@iowa-city.org
Subject: Re-election
Date: Oct 9, 2015 9:50 AM
Good morning Councilmember,
I was stunned to hear you say th words, "coloured people"
justice candidate
forum last night. Please consider making a public apology
media.
As white peoples,
whenever we do ha
Thank you for your
Melyssa Jo Kelly
Actress & Activist
Melyssa 10 Kelly
in th video of th IC social
via local newspapers and social
we need to publicly take responsibility and promise to try to do better
harm to People of Colour by word or by deed.
consideration of my reauesr__
Actress & Activist
415.828.8131
m. i. kelt y0earth/ink, net
-Ix 5��(,Z�)
Marian Karr
From: Michelle Payne <mlpayne.322@gmail.com>
Sent: Thursday, October 15, 2015 2:42 PM
To: Marian Karr
Subject: Statement of Apology
Marian,
Could you put this in the late handouts for Monday's meeting and also send to
The Gazette
The Press Citizen
The Daily Iowan
The Coalition for Racial Justice
The Center for Worker Justice
KXIC Radio
TO: Open letter to the Iowa City Council and the Public
FROM: Michelle Payne, City Council member
Subject: Statement of apology
At the Social and Economic Justice candidate forum held onSeptember 30th at Kirkwood Community
College on the Iowa City campus, I responded to a question.
The question read: "What are the causes of racial disparities in Iowa City's policies of adults and youth?
What, besides training, can be done to ensure that city staff members, including police, do not discriminate or act
with racial bias? "
In responding to this question, I said in part: "Maybe if you were white and had some black friends you'd get
more insight into how coloured people...I shouldn't say it that way; how black people think about our
community leaders. " I recognized as quickly as I spoke that the words "coloured people" was an offensive term
and immediately attempted to rephrase the comment. The purpose of this letter is to offer my sincere apology
for the use of this term. In making a point about racial disparity I misspoke in a way that was contrary to the
very point I was trying to make regarding open and honest conversations about the very things that divide
us, but should not.
Again, I apologize and ask that you not let my ill chosen words define me.
Thank you!
Michelle
r 10-20-15
•,�,-,ice.®r CITY OF IOWA CITY 5e(5)
MEMORANDUM
Date: October 8th, 2015
To: City Clerk
From: Darian Nagle-Gamm, Trafficgi ering Planner
Re: Item for the October 20th, 2015 City Council meeting; Installation of 4 on -street metered
parking spaces and establishment of parking meter terms on the south side of the 100
block of East Harrison Street. Establishment of 2 AM — 6 AM TOW AWAY ZONE for the
spaces.
As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council
of the following action
Action:
Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (10,17), Install on -street metered parking spaces H101E, H103E,
H105E, and H107E on the south side of the 100 block of East Harrison Street. Meters will have
2 hour terms at 75 cents per hour. Establish a 2 AM — 6 AM TOW AWAY ZONE for the
spaces.
Comment:
This action is being taken at the request of the Transportation Services department to provide
additional metered short-term on -street parking in Riverfront Crossings.
cc: Chris O'Brien
Mark Fay
'-4,.-- 111 -sir CITY OF IOWA CITY 5";e(6)
®l�e MEMORANDUM
Date: October 5, 2015
To: City Clerk
From: Darian Nagle-Gamm; Traffic Engineering Planner
Re: Item for October 20, 2015 City Council meeting: Installation of (1) STOP sign on the
southwest corner of the Kennedy Parkway and Camp Cardinal Boulevard
intersection.
As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council
of the following action:
Action:
Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (5), Install (1) STOP sign on the southwest corner of Kennedy
Parkway at the intersection of Camp Cardinal Boulevard.
Comment:
This action is being taken to establish right-of-way for the west leg of the intersection as
Kennedy Parkway was recently extended west of Camp Cardinal Boulevard.