HomeMy WebLinkAbout2015-11-30 CorrespondenceWorking Draft 11/30/15
From JIm Throgmorton
Strategic Plan Focus Areas
This Strategic Plan intends to foster a more INCLUSIVE,
JUST, and SUSTAINABLE Iowa City
Complete committed economic development activities, and initiate
new ones
• Make good progress toward completing committed activities for:
• Towncrest
• Iowa City Marketplace and the First Avenue Retail Corridor. Consider the
possibility of creating a new Self Sustaining Municipal Improvement
District (SSMID) for the IC Marketplace and immediate environs.
• Moss Ridge Campus and Northgate
• The Gateway Project
• Development agreements that have already been adopted.
• Undertake new initiatives:
• Explore with the ICCSD, Kirkwood CC, Iowa Works, and others the
feasibility of creating an industrial arts/crafts facility in the southeastern part
of the city.
• Identify a substantial and achievable 2030 goal for reducing city-wide
carbon emissions and, with the help of a new Ad Hoc Climate Change
Advisory Committee, identify the best means of attaining the carbon
reduction goal. This might include partnering with MidAmerican, ICCSD,
and private businesses to develop a rooftop solar initiative that places solar
panels on the extensive array of low- to no -pitch rooftops in the city.
• Facilitate construction of at least one architecturally notable "Net Zero"
carbon emitting building within the next two years, and request proposals
for a solar energy power purchase agreement on at least one municipal
building.
• Raise Iowa City's bicycle -friendly status from Silver to Gold.
• Partner with local foods theme businesses to determine how City
government can effectively market and grow a local foods economy.
• Modify the City Council's criteria and process for reviewing/approving
possible TIFs.
Continue improving the urban core
• Work with private property owners to renovate historic buildings and ensure
that new buildings are complementary in mass, scale, and character with
their contexts.
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• Continue collaborating effectively with the U of Iowa, the Downtown
District, locally owned businesses, and arts/culture organizations, while also
enhancing the sustainability and social justice components of their efforts.
• Assist the U of Iowa's and ICAD's new MERGE project on the Ped Mall.
• Make observable progress toward completing the Downtown Streetscape
Plan.
• Transform Jefferson, Market, Gilbert, and Burlington Sts into safer, more
accessible, and more pedestrian/bicycle-friendly streets.
• Work with private developers to fulfill the Downtown and Riverfront
Crossings Master Plan.
• Temper the maximum allowable building heights and density bonuses
specified in the Riverfront Crossings District's Form Based Code.
• Make significant progress toward developing the new Riverfront Crossings
Park.
Incrementally thicken and improve older core neighborhoods, and
enable construction of sustainable new neighborhoods
• Older core neighborhoods:
• Significantly improve existing streets, sidewalks, ADA compliant curb
ramps, streetscapes, and neighborhood parks.
• Provide additional financial assistance for incrementally improving owner -
occupied residential buildings.
• Consider expanding the UniverCity program.
• Ensure that new developments enhance Iowa City's "sense of place" and
enjoy community support by being complementary in mass, scale and
character with their surrounding contexts.
• Consider extending the Form Based Code concept to selected parts of core
neighborhoods.
• Ensure that apartment buildings include adequate recycling facilities.
• Sustainable new neighborhoods:
• Ensure that new neighborhoods on the periphery of the existing city are
designed to include (or be within easy walking distance of) neighborhood
parks and schools, public transit stops, and a diversity of uses and housing
types/costs. This might be achieved by using the Form Based Code concept.
• Consider amending the City's annexation policy to ensure that new
residential developments include a specified percentage of affordable units.
Make measurable progress toward achieving social justice and racial
equity
• Create new programs and financial incentives that will significantly increase the
supply of housing that regular working people (especially cost -burdened
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households) can afford. This would include, but not be limited to, adopting an
inclusionary housing ordinance for the Riverfront Crossings District.
• Modify the Affordable Housing Location Model to permit the development of
government -assisted affordable rental units in more parts of the city.
• As called for in the City's most recent Equity Report, make significant and
measurable progress over 3 to 5 years toward reducing race -related disparities in
youth arrests, traffic stops/arrests, and adult arrests.
• Make significant and measurable progress toward increasing racial equity in
education/training and household income.
• Enhance the Police Department's ability to informally deescalate situations
involving youth in neighborhoods, recreational facilities, and school settings.
This might be achieved by creating two new full-time community assistant
positions, neither of which would be staffed by sworn law enforcement officers
and one of which would be staffed by a woman.
• Explore possible joint -use agreements with the School District to strengthen
neighborhood identity and provide social and recreational opportunities,
especially for lower-income youth.
• Explore innovative means of providing lower-income residents with off -hour
transportation access to employment centers, and increase the availability of
shelters for users of public transit.
Keep City government on a solid financial foundation
• Maintain City government's financial strength and stability in light of state
property tax reform, and maintain the City's Aaa bond rating.
• Explore with neighboring jurisdictions, the local legislative delegation, and the
public the desirability and feasibility of adopting a 1% Local Option Sales Tax.
Improve policy-making capacity, intergovernmental relations, and
communications/marketing efforts
• Create new institutional structures that improve the City Council's ability to: (1)
interact with diverse publics, (2) consider possible revisions to City policies and
assess the effectiveness of existing programs, and (3) improve relations with
elected representatives of other governmental entities in the area.
• Significantly improve the Council's and the staff's ability to discuss TIF, the
Budget, and the CIP with diverse publics.
• Consider televising Council work sessions.
• Continue and improve Council listening posts.
• Continue to improve the staff's ability to provide better customer service and
coordination of communications.