Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-19 TranscriptionPage 1 ITEM 1. CALL TO ORDER. Throgmorton: So I'd like to let everybody... well first of all I'd like to welcome all of you to, uh, Iowa City's City Council meeting and to City Hall. It's great to see all of you on this bitterly cold night. Brave souls all of you! I'd also like to let anybody's interested in Item 6, the Housing... pertaining to the Housing Choice Voucher. We're not going to take any action on that item tonight. The item will be rescheduled for the February 2" d, uh, Council meeting. So, if you're here for that item then that's all. Please feel free to take offl This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 2 ITEM 2. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS PRESENTED OR AMENDED Throgmorton: So I think ... how do you want me to do this, Marian? We're gonna pull three items. Karr: We're gonna have one motion. I believe discussed at your work session — one motion to adopt the Consent Calendar with separate consideration of 2d(1), 2d(11), and 2d(13). Mims: So moved. Botchway: Thought we were okay with 2d(11). Mims: But he's got changes to the language. Botchway: Okay! That's ... okay, Throgmorton: Is there a second? Thomas: Second. Throgmorton: So moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Discussion? No discussion. Roll call. Okay, so do we have a motion pertaining to Item 2d(1)? ITEM 2d(1) PRAIRIE HILL FINAL OPD — RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE MAYOR TO EXECUTE A DEVELOPER'S AGREEMENT AND EASEMENT AGREEMENTS, AND ACCEPTING THE DEDICATION THEREOF, ASSOCIATED WITH THE FINAL PLANNED DEVELOPMENT OVERLAY (OPD) PLAN FOR PRAIRIE HILL, IOWA CITY, IOWA. Mims: So moved. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Okay, discussion — Item 2d(1). That pertains to ... make sure I have it in front of me. This pertains to Prairie Hill final, oh ... OPD, um ... uh... overlay plan developed. I'll just read it. (reads Item 2d(1) Uh, we pulled this because John Thomas had to recuse himself, having previously participated in processes pertaining to that development. So, I don't ... let's see, is there a motion on the (both talking) Mims: Move approval. Throgmorton: Yeah, moved, uh (several talking) is there a second? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 3 Karr: Mims and Botchway is on the (both talking) Throgmorton: ... already done, so, um ... any discussion about this item? No discussion. Roll call. Dilkes: I just wanted to make one note that we handed out a new one and the construction drawings have not yet been approved by the City Engineer, but we're going to go ahead and approve it, uh, subject to that approval. (several talking) Throgmorton: So noted. Roll call. Where's John? Come on back in, John! Uh, is there a motion pertaining to 2d(11)? That's the legis .... 2016 legislative priorities. ITEM 2d(11) 2016 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES — ESTABLISHING THE CITY'S 2016 LEGISLATIVE PRIORITIES Thomas: I would like to make a motion to approve, uh, and to adopt, uh, with the following amendment to the ... last sentence under the, um, heading 'Infra ... increase infrastructure funding that supports a diverse transportation network.' Uh (mumbled) last sentence should read (clears throat) uh, 'Diversification measures include pedestrian, bicycle, and public transit accommodations, as well as regional passenger rail.' Throgmorton: Is there a second? Dickens: Second. Throgmorton: Seconded, uh... moved by Thomas, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call. Motion approved 7-0. Okay. Is there a motion pertaining to Item 2d(13)? ITEM 2d(13) ICDD FUNDRAISING - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE CITY MANAGER TO EXECUTE AN AGREEMENT WITH THE IOWA CITY DOWNTOWN DISTRICT FOR FUNDRAISING EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH THE ART WORK PORTION OF THE NORTH PEDESTRIAN MALL IMPROVEMENT PROJECT AT A NOT TO EXCEED COST OF $50,000 Mims: Move approval. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Okay, moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Let me read the, uh, the res, uh, the item. I should have done that initially. (reads Item 2d(I3) So, moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 4 Mims: Well ... we had some discussion about this at the work session, and I made the comment or suggestion that potentially we could, uh... set this up so that we could get kind of repaid for this money. Um, in talking with Nancy Bird from the Downtown District, between the work session and the formal session, um, it's clear that that really is not a possibility. The ... the way those contracts are written and with professional fundraisers, you cannot basically ask them to raise money to pay themselves. Um, so it sounds like the suggestion that I made is not particularly a viable suggestion. Having said that, urn ... I know there's concern with the amount of money. Um, I share that concern; however, I think we have to look really carefully at, you know, a process that was put in place, you know, a year, year and a half ago or more. Jim, you were an integral part of this process, of, um, selecting an artist who then, you know, came up with the ... the, uh, proposed art piece for this area. Um, and so I think ... I think we have to be really careful about going down a path, asking people to be involved in these processes and laying things out and ... and doing these things, and then ... kind of at the I I"' hour saying, oh, time out! We don't want to ... we don't want to continue this process. Um, and I think we knew going into this that we were asking for, um, a significant piece of art. We didn't necessarily know an exact dollar amount. We didn't know the exact amount that it would cause, uh, cost for fundraising, but certainly this was significant. Um, and given that, and also given in ... in talking with Nancy, the fact that these contracts can be written so that we don't pay all this money up front. There can be benchmarks basically in the contract if the ... if the fundraiser is not successful in raising the money. They don't get all of the money that ... that is laid out here. Um ... I am going to support this. I think we're so far down that path, if we pull the plug on this now ... uh, I think that really questions our commitment in terms of asking people to get involved in processes with the City in the future. Botchway: I would concur as well. You know I think, again, I brought that up during the work session and, uh, it was something that, um, I feel like ... you know, um ... as we ... it's one of those kind of things that I always talk about in multiple, uh... uh, resolutions, motions, whatever the case may be, around process and making sure that we are clear about the process, and I felt like, at least for me, the process was very clear, um, going forward. And I, I mean, I felt some un ... uncomfortableness around it when we talked about it, but I even feel more uncomfortable now, um ... in thinking about it, and obviously hearing some of the conversation during the work session, um, that, you know ... the process is what it is. I think if, you know, going forward if we want to have discussions about, you know, how we can change a process, I'm, you know, interested in doing that, but uh, at this time I'm supportive of this proposal. Thomas: Well I, as I mentioned in the work session, uh, you know, I have complete respect for the process and people who were involved in it. Um, at the same time I would say that as City Council, our responsibility is to look at the, how these ... these actions and ... and initiatives that are taken through, in this case a ... a committee to select an art piece, um, that then has to go through the filter of the budget in terms This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 5 of how we ... how are we going to pay for this. That, you know, that may not have been ... uh, as ... as significant a consideration of the committee, as it is to City Council. And I ... I certainly think in part this concern has been brought home to me because we're in the midst of budget discussions and so I become... extremely... extremely sensitive to the question of...how does one... improvement or action that we might take with respect to the budget measure up to another item that we're considering in terms of the budget, and ... I did spend some time over the weekend looking at the budget for the downtown streetscape pro ... program, which I think needs to be looked at holistically, you know, and unfortunately we look at it as ... the Washington project, the north end of the ped mall project, and so on and so forth. I view that as one project, the streetscape improvement plan, and what I'm seeing (clears throat) is ... with the ... the budgets that we see in our five-year CIP, the ... the estimates for these projects are exceeding what was in the master plan. And so that's... that's why I'm so concerned with how we ... move forward on ... on any aspect of the streetscape master plan, that we ... we really need to look at that holistically in terms of the overall cost of doing those improvements. Throgmorton: So ... so where does that lead you, John? Thomas: That leads me to ... to, wanting to defer with ... with the purpose being that, um... this consideration as it relates to the streetscape master plan needs to be looked at within that context, uh, specifically. Throgmorton: Okay. Others? Cole: Well I'm ... I'm not in favor of this. I think we're being asked to make some very tough choices. Um, we've received very clear message that we have tough budget times and I think that requires us to make tough choices. And when I look at this particular project, I think about wants and needs. It ... it, we all want a beautiful ped mall, and I'm not commenting on particular about this particular project, the merits of the lens or not. What I'm talking about is in particular the funding mechanism. Uh, we're being asked to consider a $50,000 appropriation to catalyze a $500,000 private fundraising project, which of course I like, but I do not think it's a good use of public tax dollars to use, um, I don't think that the public, you know, and the ... the. big sales pitch on this has been that it's ... it's gonna be 100% privately fandraised. Um, I know that there is a process but this is part of the process, and I think once we engage in a path, I don't think we have to stay on that path. Our role is to look at the budget and determine whether we need to modify. So I'm not in favor and I vote no for this particular project to the extent we have to make that decision tonight. (mumbled) appropriation. Taylor: I would go along with John and Rockne on ... on deferring this. Uh, I just ... I ... do have respect for previous Council and their decision and understand the process you went through, and especially just....attending a few meetings that I have since January and being on the Council, understand the thought process that has to go through the decisions you make, um, but I ... I keep looking at this and wondering This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 6 how ... this fits into the strategic plan that we've been spending so much time in trying to figure out, uh, what we want the, uh, the City to stand for, and I...just don't see how it fits in there. Botchway: Well and ... kind of a quick comment. Um, cause I want to make sure that we're ... we're talking about the same thing. You know, there was a Council process initially but I'm more focused on the community process because, I mean, and Geoff, I don't know if you want to speak to that a little bit since, uh, your participation or Jim, um, cause I wasn't a part of that, uh, process but ... that's my concern. Um, I ... I totally agree with looking at different things, maybe from a Council perspective, um, but as far as there being kind of a community process and then now saying that, you know, um ... uh, that process didn't necessarily yield what, um, we wanted it to yield. We'll do something differently. That kind of gives me pause, but ... (both talking) Dickens: I guess I'm gonna ... to, uh, follow Susan and support this. I think that, uh, if we do use the benchmarks and then the contract where it is (mumbled) that we don't put all the money upfront, that it's based on ... how the fundraising goes, that this was a project that's, uh, been in the works for ... uh, I think it was 2014 that we did set something in motion, but it's been in ... been, uh, going on since closer to 2012, the ... the whole downtown scape, so I'd like to see it continue on the path it's going. Throgmorton: Okay well I should express my views. It's true that I, as Susan said, I was ... have been involved in both the streetscape design committee and the process of selecting the preferred artist for this particular project. Absolutely true and I've talked about that publicly. However, I wasn't ... I was not aware until late last week that we would be asking to commit funds for fundraising. For ... for me that's new information. Also my sense is that ... in the current news media context, it's very hard for members of the general public to know that particular topics are coming up for our consideration, even though ... it's true! We've had a lengthy process, uh, but there's not been that much coverage about it. And especially on this particular point, which has to do with providing funds for fundraising. And ... and lastly, it's my ... my sense is that, uh, there ... I ... I don't feel any strong sense of urgency to act immediately on this particular proposal. So what I would prefer to do, what I would recommend, is that we defer action on this for two weeks, till our next ... or three, I don't know, to our next meeting on February the 2nd, uh, and give people a chance to weigh in if they have particular views, strongly for the project or strongly against it, and what I would really love to see is for people to ... if they feel very strongly that the project is ... is ... is a beautiful project. The proposed project is a beautiful one, deserves support. I wish they would come and say exactly why they think it's a great project. Be very clear about its merits, and if somebody's' strongly opposed, to do exactly the same thing — come in and say why they think it's not a good project, and that goes for the funding well. You know, why would it be smart for the City to commit $50,000 to help raise funds for the project, or why it's not a good idea, you know? But I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 7 think we owe it to the general public to give them ... at least another two weeks or whatever the time period is, uh... to consider what's at hand here and to let us know what their, uh, opinions are. So, that's what I would recommend is that we defer to our next meeting and then ... focus on this topic and make a decision. So I... Dilkes: Just need a motion if that's what you want to do. Throgmorton: So ... we already have a motion on the floor. Dilkes: Motion to defer. Throgmorton: But there's already a motion on the floor. Karr: So you can either withdraw the motion, or you could do a motion ... you could vote this one one way or the other or you could ... do a motion to defer. Dilkes: It sounds to me like what you're talking about wanting to do is defer it, so someone needs to move to defer, get a second, and then you can (mumbled) Throgmorton: Okay, so do I hear a motion to defer? Thomas: I'll move that, uh, we defer to our next Council meeting on February 2°d Cole: Second. Throgmorton: Okay, move to, uh, move to defer, uh... uh, presented by Thomas and seconded by Cole. Discussion on that motion? Mims: I'm just concerned that we're ... we're starting down this path ... um ... I am all in favor of as much public input and everything as we can get. Where I become concerned is the minute we get something on our agenda that is ... um ... that, it's been publicly noticed. It ... it is out there, and that Councilors are maybe a little bit uncomfortable about which way they want to go, we've gotta take more time and wait for more public input when I think people have had that opportunity. Um .... the people who maybe are going to know more about it than already knew about it, or maybe the people in this room, um, the packets are out there. It seems to me that sometimes it ... it's a case of putting your finger up in the air and seeing which way the wind is blowing to decide which way Councilors want to make their decision. Um, and I think ... I think we have to, we've been elected. It's a representative democracy. Um ... and we have to be willing to make those decisions. Um, I'm not saying there aren't times that things are worth deferring, um, but I think we've gotta be very careful that as we go forward we're not simply always deferring so we can get more public input, more public input, what is really, uh... a concern about the decisions we are trying to make, and also what This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 8 does that do to the various projects, um, and procedures and timelines, uh, when you're doing those deferrals. Cole: You know, to that point, Susan, I think, you know, Jim is really one of the most detail oriented people that I know, very thorough, enormous amount of trust in him, and (mumbled) the fact that Jim didn't know I ... I think does give me concern, and I think that that's something that I think reflects that the ... possibly the public doesn't know. Um, I don't view this as a process of putting our finger up to the wind and sort of seeing which way the public, um, is going to vote and then ... and then reflect accordingly, but I think input is important and my particular concern is the $50,000 appropriation. So I'm in voting ... I'm in favor of deferring for two weeks, allow more public input, and we can make our decision at that pi ... at that time. Botchway: And see, that's where again I would disagree and agree with Susan, I mean, again, the process has been laid out. Um, you know ... I ... I guess, you know, from this standpoint I would disagree with the motion that's on the table and, you know, I guess then I would bring up that whenever there is a..another situation where we may have something that we need to, uh, or I feel like there may be something that we need to vet a little more from a process standpoint, then I think that we're gonna ... we're gonna get ourselves into a situation where we're continually, you know, asking for, um, more information when, you know, this ... it's almost been a year. I mean I don't ... and maybe ... maybe that doesn't mean much for some and I ... I totally appreciate that, but ... um, and I, again, I understand, Jim, your point about, you know, not necessarily knowing about this piece of it, but, you know, the interesting thing is Rockne brought up a good point, I mean, you... basically said the funding of the particular piece (mumbled) $500,000 from, you know, private funds, I mean ... that's a substantial cost compared to the $50,000 that we're going to designate for a fundraiser, and so, you know, your argument actually helped me kind of feel really comfortable about my kind of moving forward, so, um, you know, I've kind of made my peace but, you know, I guess we can just move on. Throgmorton: Anyone else? Roll call. Dilkes: It's a motion. All in favor. Throgmorton: All in favor ... and then the motion is to defer to February 2nd (several talking) All in favor say aye. All opposed say aye. Who is counting? Karr: I believe it's 4-3. (several talking) Throgmorton: Okay, so, uh, the motion to defer, uh, passes 4-3. Karr: With Mims, Dickens, and Dob ... Mims, Dickens, and Botchway (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 9 Botchway: (laughs) Geez! Karr: Sorry! Mims, Dickens, and Botchway (laughter) in the (both talking) Throgmorton: Okay, so two week deferral. All right, so ... are we back to the Consent Calendar or we already passed that? Karr: Can I have a motion to accept correspondence on 2d(13), please. Botchway: So moved. Dickens: Second. Throgmorton: Motion, uh, by Kingsley Botchway and seconded by Dickens. All in favor say aye. All opposed. Motion passes. All right, are we movin' on to (both talking) Karr: Item 3! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 10 ITEM 3. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA) Throgmorton: This pertains to any item that's not on the, uh, published agenda, please come forward and speak. Good evening, how are you tonight? Salih: (mumbled) Throgmorton: Please state your name. Salih: My name is Mazahir Salih. Um, I'm the Vice President of the Center for Worker Justice and uh, also the Secretary for the Sudanese Women and Children Group. Uh... today I came just to like to thank all the ... (mumbled) Council Members, uh, for their previous support and I hope you continue to support the minimum wage until the end, which is, uh, the first of January, 2017, which is gonna be 10.10 and I wish you continue to support that. And also we had a coalition of faith -based leaders sign a petition in support of the minimum wage, and we would like to use a few minutes of your time so they can read the petitions and to make a few comments as why the (mumbled) support of (mumbled) and I'm going to introduce Pastor Allen to come and, you know, read the (mumbled) Thanks! Throgmorton: Thank you. (both talking) Allen: I would like to say good evening to the Council, uh, my name is Vincent Allen. I am the Pastor of the Kingdom Center and I am here, along with a few of my clergy, uh, friends and portions of our congregation, and we are here to, uh, read you our inter ... inter -faith statement on the rising... raising of the minimum wage, which I believe... you may have already have a copy. (clears throat) I'm going to do this, um, I would like all of those that are here in support of the minimum wage increase ... I would like for you to stand with me, uh, while I read this letter, to let you know as a community that we are asking your continued support in this, uh, measure. All those who are in favor, I know there's some standing in the back ... as I read this. (reads petition) Thank you! Throgmorton: Thank you (several responding) Karr: Motion to accept petition. Botchway: So moved. Mims: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. All in favor say aye. Okay. Smith: Good evening. My name's Ant ... Pastor Anthony Smith. I'm with New Creations International Church and I too, uh, am here in support of...of the, uh, minimum wage increase. One ... and I want, first of all I want to thank you all for allowing it This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 11 to ... allowing it to come, uh, to come into effect. Wanted to talk to you just for a minute about the effects that it has ... that it has had on the faith ... on the faith community and ... and our community. The ... the, uh, raising the minimum wage is ... is allowing ... it is helping many of the people that are working two and three, uh, two and three jobs. Uh, it is helping the quality of life for those people who are .... who are working. Many of these peop... many of the people that are working, uh, that are working at minimum wage are working two jobs, and they're not ... and they're not ... and they don't have time, they don't even have time to spend time with their children. And... and... and... and once they leave one job, go to another job, there's no time, there's no quality of life, and so ... with you all keeping this ... keeping this in effect, you're in ... you're helping the quality of life. You're also helping to ... to stimulate, uh, the family growth, and this is what's ... what is very important for us. In the faith community we believe in family. Family's important. And ... and in order for ... and in order for the families to grow, it takes mom and it takes dad to be there at the same time. Uh, w ... while they are working two jobs, they, uh, families are not able to be together and ... and now this -this ... this will in turn have a .... a lasting effect where our kids get in trouble. They're not being attended to well. They're not being in school. They're not getting the help with their homework. But when ... when you're allowing this to go ... to come to pass, now you're... you're at least giving the parents the opportunity to be with their ... to be with their children and not working several, uh, several jobs just to make ends meet. So we thank you. We thank you for keeping this in effect and ... and we ask you to ... to allow it to go. We know that this is ... this is just a starting point. Even when we get to the ... to the $10.10 an hour, it really is not enough. But we thank you for put ... for allowing this to go into process. Throgmorton: Thank you. Jameel: Good evening, everyone. My name is Ghada Jameel. Um, I'm (mumbled) from, uh, CWJ. Uh, I'm working in daycare, uh, I used to have $7.25 by hour. Now $8.20. I feel happiness now. Is ... is little, but I feel happiness. Before I (mumbled) but now my check is full from money I can do something better than, uh, Fused to have. Um ... (mumbled) understand the minimum wage for (mumbled) uh, what make for them ... make their life happy, um, I keep telling my friend, uh...we are ready to (mumbled) push our second, uh, minimum wage. Uh, I'm (mumbled) uh, to very ... uh, I'm waiting for, uh, May to coming very fast to take the second stage, and I'm not, uh, patient 2000, uh, 2017 to get the $10. I hope if you change your mind and make it $15. (laughter) Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Miss Jameel! Nusser: Good evening. I'm Bill Nusser and I, uh, own Hands Jewelers downtown. I'm the fourth generation owner, and uh, I am on the board of the Iowa City Downtown District and (clears throat) excuse me! I've been on the, uh... uh, the selection committee for the public art. I'm on the Public Art Advisory Committee and I was on the selection committee for the artist for this particular project on the ped This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 12 mall, and uh, about which we're discussing the ... the possibility of the City supporting the fundraising effort. And ... there is a general conception, not just up here but in ... in letters in the paper that ... that, uh, the chance for public input was not, um ... was something that didn't exist and (clears throat) excuse me! There have been many chances for public input that have started from the beginning of the... we start ... from the beginning of the time we started talking about the downtown streetscape redesign. Um, at that time art was determined to be a public priority, and was included in that, and um, in the request for ... on the RFQ for the ... for, uh, finding, uh, landscape architects or urban architects for the street, to design the ... the changes in the streetscape of downtown, um, it was a ... a component was included for a consultant, uh, to work directly with the ... the, uh, designers, and the artists, who, um, for them to coordinate together as part of the downtown streetscape plan. Um, the ... in fact the ... when Genus which was the contractor who was selected to design the downtown, when they were selected, um ... uh, the contract specified that there was money set aside for, um ... uh... um ... working with the artists as part of the project, making sure that the artist and the ... and the redesign of the ... the, um..uh, of the ped mall were going to be, uh, copacetic, so to speak. The Public Art Advisory Committee was introduced to this... this... the... the initial concept was introduced in 2014, in spring of 2014. Um, the RFQs that were sent out, uh, were ... um, reviewed by the Public Art Committee, uh, in July of 2014. Um, the formation of the artist selection committee was done in September of 2014. Um, and ... and (mumbled) with which, uh, members representing the general public, the public art committee, the University of Iowa Museum, the City Council, and local artists, uh, were included in this committee. Um ... the selection of three final candidates to interview, uh, was announced, um, in the fall of 2004, and all of these events were ... were publicized, were ... were put out to the public at that time. They were, um, they were, uh, they all had press releases associated with them. Uh, the City's social media included them. Direct contact with the local art committee, um, and uh, representatives were involved in this; uh, press coverage occurred in all ... for all of these activities. Uh, as well as all of the streetscape activities were included, a" public art component for which people were universally favorable. Um, the artists ... we interviewed artists in November and early December. Those were all publicized and ... and some of you people actually went to, uh, to some of these. The selection committee selected Cecil Balmond, um, the design process occurred, uh, in, uh, and a design which you know as The Lens, uh... uh, happened and there was ... at that time, when that was presented to the public, public input was ... was solicited again through major media and through social media. Um, and ... and, so we've actually entered into a contract or we're in the process of entering into a contract with Balmond. Um, we ... we've contracted with the ... the streetscape design people. Uh, we have formed a fundraising committee. Um, we've actually raised commitments for funds already and ... and um, and it ... it's, and we became very aware that without a professional assistance, fundraising for this was ... we, it wasn't the big amounts that were the problem. It was small amounts and ... and this is something, uh, something that we wanted everybody in the city to be able to be a part of it. It was important to us the whole time for this This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 13 to be an inclusive, uh, event, an inclusive project, um ... and that everybody be capable of being informed, and uh, and A ... uh, so I'm ... I'm a little bit of a loss when... when... when more time is needed to learn about these things and ... because, when the earlier attention wasn't paid to them, and I ... and I don't know what we could have done to have made it more clear that this was happening, and ... and um, and I know you're talking about the lack of knowledge of the $50,000, but I know that that was included in the ... in a number of the meetings too and it's possible that ... that the meetings didn't, uh, weren't attended by ... you know, by me or by you or by whatever, and, uh, but that ... but none of this has been secretive. None of this has been, uh, there's not been an attempt to hide anything, and ... and ... and uh, in fact I think we tried to be so inclusive in this and so it's a little frustrating to sit here and ... and be talking about some fundamental decisions that have really gone by in two weeks, and so, um, as ... as, uh, one of the people largely involved with the fundraising for this, my concern is that it....it...time is of the essence, that we have other, uh, especially arts' fundraising projects coming up. There's the funding for the, public funding for the ... or private funding for the, uh, Art Museum, University Art Museum is ... is gearing up right now and ... and uh, we want to be able to raise the money for this before there are too many other things going on. The School of Music, Hancher, all of these things, and ... and uh... uh, we had a good start going and to be sort of thwarted from this effort right now, urn ... uh, it ... it's feeling like this ... like we're, uh, the commitment from the Council's being ... that there's a certain amount of reneging going on on this, that on ... on things that we've only done with your approval so far. So, um, I just wanted to present that opinion. I appreciate what your discussion is and will be, um, but I want you to be aware that there has been a tremendous amount of...of, um, in ... of at least in ... inviting all of you to be part of the public discourse about this, throughout the whole process and urn ... I ... I hate to reinvent the wheel. So, with that, welcome to all of you and thanks for letting me talk. Throgmorton: Thank you, Bill. Eleanor, may I ask you a question, please? Uh, hearing Bill speak alerts me to the fact that I committed a faux paus by not inviting public discussion on that particular topic. Uh, I would like to encourage, unless you tell me this is wrong, uh, I would like to encourage any person, any member of the public that wants to speak to that particular topic to do so now, along with others who want to talk about any other topic that's not on the agenda. Dilkes: I think that's appropriate. Dieterle: I'm Caroline Dieterle. Uh, Walnut Street, Iowa City. Um, it's been my experience in what I've seen happen that if you need a professional fundraiser to raise funds, then the cause for which, uh, funds are being raised is not particularly popular with the rank and file. So that smaller donors, uh, would prefer to, uh, contribute to one or the other many good causes and opportunities that there are for that. Um ... at the beginning when I read about this project, urn ... I was a little appalled at the price tag of $500,000. Um, because if you sink that amount of money into something, it makes it particularly difficult then to remove it. If you This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 14 decide later that you don't want it. And the earlier news media, uh, seemed to be always emphasizing that the City was not going to put any money into this. It was going to be totally a private fundraising effort. And as much as I didn't really like the idea ... of probably a few large donors, um, determining what was going to be a centerpiece in our town by this method, um, at least I consoled myself that the City wasn't going to be putting any money in it. So when I found out that, uh, and it was only rather laterally here in the last week or two that it was going to be on the agenda here, it was in the last few days actually, that you were going to be voting on whether to spend $50,000 for a fundraising effort for this, that I thought, 'Well, that's it! I ... I guess I'll have to say something (laughs) else about this.' Um, I think a lot of people will probably be feeling like me, a little aghast, uh, at this when we consider ... the amount of time that the Council had to take and the ... and the Board of Supervisors as well to come up with enough funds for example the wet shelter, to keep people from freezing to death. Um, and as you know, the Crisis Center is beleaguered. It doesn't have enough funds. It doesn't have enough money. The, um, Free Medical Clinic and the Free Dental Clinic are also overwhelmed with people because the economy is not recovered as we had all hoped, as much or as fast, and we have more and more people who are needing more and more. I was very glad that you supported the minimum wage hike. But as one of the speakers pointed out, uh, it isn't sufficient. I mean, we have a lot of poor people that are going to be asking for public services and I would rather, the taxpayer, I would far rather see my money or my portion of that $50,000 going to anyone of the causes that I mentioned. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you. Would anyone else care to speak? Nusser: I'd like to just ... make another remark about this, and I ... and I... Throgmorton: Say your name again, Bill, please. Nusser: I'm Bill Nusser. Sorry! And, uh, I respect Caroline Dieterle. I ... I appreciate her voice in this community and um, but I don't think....it'd be nice if we could all tell people how to spend their money but we can't do that. I mean, there are people that have projects that ... that they're very interested in and ... and I have to emphasize that ... that public art was ... was, uh, was a stated priority by the public, uh, early on and all throughout this project and ... and um, and I don't know whether it's this particular artist isn't ... is, they don't like this particular artist or what, but ... but um, it's the public's desire to have a piece of art in this particular space and uh, and, uh, it's been stated often and ... and ... and, uh, with every opportunity that people had to make it, so ... thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Bill. Byler: Name's Peter Byler, um, I apologize because I didn't jump up either when you were actually doing the Consent agenda, but I came to actually talk about something you've already passed, but I'll howl into the wind for a second. Um, I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 15 wanted to talk about Item 2d(9), which was the National Development Council, uh, agreement that was part of the Consent Calendar, which is an $80,000 expenditure, um ... you know, this is ...this is a contract, uh, that has near complete opacity, uh, you ... you can't, if you read this contract, uh, the National Development Council, when they do these, uh, analyses for us, are not required to give us any part of the analysis. They give us basically a three-page letter, um, so we're spending $80,000 on something we may use one time during the year. We may use it 10 times. Um ... you know, at the HCDC meeting on Thursday night we're going to be divvying up money with a scalpel, and I don't mean to make the same point that ... that was already made, but ... uh, you know, funding's very tight and ... and ... and $80,000 could go a long way in some different... different ways. So my ... my concerns with this, I know it's already done, but first of all just the amount. For $80,000 we could hire someone, like Dennis could hire someone to be on staff and do these analyses and do additional work for $80,000. My second, uh, comment or complaint is just the quality of the analyses and the fact that they're not released to us. You know, Tom Jackson's a very nice guy. When I ask him for the analyses, he always says, 'Well the staffll give it to you if they want you to see it.' But when I ask staff, they say, 'We don't get the numbers. We just get the letter, the same letter that's in the public record,' uh, which often has arithmetic and logical errors in it, um, but perhaps the ... the most intriguing thing is these analyses have consistently been wrong, because you know it's often bragged about, and I don't want to pick on any particular developers because I ... you know, Iowa City's booming and that's great, but you know, when these TIF deals get paid off a decade early, that's great for the City because our exposure is limited, but that means the initial analysis was wrong. That means the project was much more profitable than what they thought it was going to be. But, again, we just re -upped for another year at $80,000, so maybe next year at this time I'll get up in time, and uh, maybe we can reconsider that. Thanks for your time. Throgmorton: Thank you, Peter. Anyone else care to speak? Porter: Hello, everyone. Throgmorton: Hi there! Porter: Royceann Porter, 136 Appanoose Court, Iowa City. I wasn't going to say anything (laughs) but that's unusual. Throgmorton: Incidentally, great event last... yesterday morning. Porter: Thank you, sir! That's the one reason I'm up here, that's why I felt that I should say something. I just wanted to say, uh, thank you for the stride that we are making here in Iowa City. Um, I just feel like we are ... we have come a long way. There are things happening in our city for our community and it has been for all people. Um, the MLK Day of Service yesterday that we celebrated was, um, the theme was now is the time to make real the promises of democracy. And that was This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 16 from Dr. King's speech in 1963, which was 53 years ago. So, as we stride forward, I ask that we continue to, um, go forth with the positive things that we have been doing. I'm really pleased with what has been done. I'm really pleased with the Board of Supervisor and City Council who stood behind minim... minimum wage, and um, I just wanted to get up here and say that, uh, I'm very pleased with what's going on in our community and I just thank god that we're all able to work together. Throgmorton: Thank you. Anyone else care to speak? On any topic ... that's not on the formal meeting agenda. All right, hearing none we'll move on to Item 4, Planning and Zoning Matters. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 17 ITEM 4. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS ITEM 4c CENTRAL BUSINESS SUPPORT (CB -5) CODE AMENDMENT — ORDINANCE AMENDING TITLE 14, ZONING CODE, SECTION 4B- 4A- 7, TO ALLOW RESIDENTIAL USES ON THE GROUND -LEVEL FLOOR IN THE CENTRAL BUSINESS SUPPORT (CB -5) ZONE IN THE AREA BOUNDED BY GILBERT STREET, VAN BUREN STREET, BURLINGTON STREET AND THE MID -BLOCK ALLEY SOUTH OF JEFFERSON STREET, PROVIDED CERTAIN FORM -BASED ZONING STANDARDS ARE MET. (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Botchway: Move second consideration. Dickens: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Cole: I'd just like to comment. I did vote no last time and I'm going to also likely vote no tonight as well. Um ... as I said in the previous, uh, meeting that we had, I think we do need to really re-evaluate, uh, what we're doing on our first floor commercial development. Um, I'm not sure that completely giving up on commercial uses as it's currently constituted as the right thing to do. I understand this is for this particular area, um, but I do think it raises a larger question, and I think I'm not convinced in this particular area, given its location on Iowa, uh, that it's the prudent thing to do, at least as it's proposed here. Throgmorton: Further discussion? Hearing none, roll call. Motion... passes. What, I mean not passes (mumbled) the motion passes 6-1, right? That's what it was. Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 18 ITEM 4d REZONING CITY HALL PARKING AREA — ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY REZONING .98 ACRE LOCATED SOUTH OF IOWA AVENUE BETWEEN GILBERT STREET AND VAN BUREN STREETS FROM NEIGHBORHOOD PUBLIC (P-1) TO CENTRAL BUSINESS SUPPORT (CB -5) (REZ15-00022). (SECOND CONSIDERATION) Mims: Move second consideration. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Thomas: I'll (clears throat) I'll just briefly mention. There was a staff, uh, memo regarding some of the questions I rose ... raised, uh... at our last meeting, and it...it does appear that we may have a ... an opportunity to shift the sidewalk on Iowa Avenue, um ... part of the reason for that is the trees along that side of Iowa Avenue are ash trees so, um (laughs) you know it's unfortunately .... in ... in this sense, um, maybe it's fortunate in the long run rather than the short run, um, we ... we will be loosing those ash trees. I ... I would say that what, because that's City property, public right-of-way, um, I would say that, you know, we have an opportunity really to very carefully evaluate this as the building begins to be constructed, to determine precisely where we want that sidewalk to be. So there isn't really any rush. The building will go first. And then we can assess the, uh, the conditions. I just wanted to bring it to everyone's attention that I ... I think the relationship of the sidewalk to the townhouses is very important. Uh, there was a mention that ... there was a, and I don't recall the dimension at, uh, the ... um, Peninsula development, which has townhouses, uh, the ... it's, I think it's really important to remember that that's in the Peninsula district, not on Iowa Avenue next to the downtown, and that's... that's precisely the ... the issue. You know, we are ... on the ... on the border in a transition from our downtown, so I think we need to be very careful in thinking about that setback. Throgmorton: I'm wondering if, uh, John Yapp might like to address us briefly, uh, Council Member Thomas just referred to some recommendations that you made in a recent memo. Could you briefly, concisely summarize the recommendations? Yapp: Sure. John Yapp, uh, Development Services office. Um, after the Council meeting a couple weeks ago, uh, I went out on the site with Zach Hall, the, uh, Superintendent of Parks and Forestry. Uh, the current sidewalk on Iowa Avenue is 5 -feet wide and there's about 14 -feet in between the sidewalk and the street. Uh, the larger trees along that frontage are ash trees, uh, which I did not realize until reviewing the property with, uh, Mr. Hall. Uh, I agree there is an opportunity to shift the sidewalk a little bit closer to the street to create more separation, uh, between the sidewalk and the proposed building. Uh, Zach recommended not shifting it much closer than about 12 -feet to ... to maintain a nice width for, uh, future street trees, uh, in that location. That said, that is something This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 19 that can be determined ... uh, down the road near the end of any construction project, uh, on that property. The rezoning you're considering tonight is just on the parking lot property, not for the public right-of-way. Throgmorton: Thank you. Yapp: Thank you. Throgmorton: Okay, any further discussion? Hearing none, roll call. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 20 ITEM 4e REZONING 600 BLOCK OF S. DUBUQUE STREET — ORDINANCE CONDITIONALLY REZONING APPROXIMATELY 1.03 ACRES OF PROPERTY FROM COMMUNITY COMMERCIAL (CC -2) ZONE TO RIVERFRONT CROSSINGS - CENTRAL CROSSINGS (RFC - CX) ZONE LOCATED AT 602, 604, 608, 610, 614, 620, 628 SOUTH DUBUQUE STREET. (REZ15-00020) (PASS AND ADOPT) Cole: I'm going to recuse myself per the previous conflict. Throgmorton: Yep! Mims: Move adoption. Dickens: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Dickens. Discussion? Dickens: Just a good project! Mims: Yeah, glad to see it going forward. I like the design and the open space between the buildings. Throgmorton: Some really fine adjustments were made in the design, which I...1, pleased me. Any further discussion? Roll call. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 21 ITEM 4g VACATING AIR RIGHTS OVER ALLEY — ORDINANCE VACATING AIR RIGHTS ABOVE PUBLIC RIGHT-OF-WAY IN NORTH -SOUTH ALLEY BETWEEN HARRISON AND PRENTISS STREETS. (VAC15-00005) (PASS AND ADOPT) Throgmorton: This again is a motion to defer to February the 2nd Botchway: So moved. Mims: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims ... uh, moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims, uh... uh, so uh... discussion? Why are we deferring to February 2nd? Dilkes: Because we need to let the conveyance catch up to the vacation. Um, we don't want to vacate it until we've got the, um....we've got the conveyance approved, and so you set a public hearing on the conveyance on the Consent Calendar and ... the next time we'll finish up with both, just like we've done today on the Kum n' Go. Throgmorton: Right. Okay. Good deal! All right, uh, no further discussion? Roll call. Karr: Voice vote. Throgmorton: Voice vote, that's right, cause we're deferring. Uh, all in favor say aye. All opposed. Motion passes 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 22 ITEM 5. 2016 WASHINGTON STREET STREETSCAPE PROJECT, CLINTON STREET TO LINN STREET — APPROVING PLANS, SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 2016 WASHINGTON STREET STREETSCAPE PROJECT - CLINTON STREET TO LINN STREET, 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. 1. PUBLIC HEARING Throgmorton: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Public hearing is now open. Who wants to speak first? Fruin: If...if we could start we'd like to give a staff presentation on the project. Urn ... and I'll start as the, uh, presentation's being cued up here. You know it's not uncommon that the items on your agendas, uh, they ... they typically take several months of behind -the -scenes work before they're ready for your consideration. In this particular cl... case, it's actually been several years of work that have got us to this point, so this is a ... a real milestone in terms of, uh, our downtown streetscape efforts over the last several years. Um, actually the... the... the plan roots back to the Riverfront Crossings plan. When we did the Riverfront Crossings master plan and the downtown plan at the same time, one of the recommendations that came out of that, uh, report was to do a ... a detailed streetscape plan, and so we went down that path, starting really in late 2012. Um, and as you know, we did the master plan, uh, in 2013. Council adopted that in 2014. Uh, since that time we've been working on several different initiatives, uh, but the highest priority initiative has been Washington Street, and it's been the highest priority, uh, because of some of the ... the fundamental, um, utility work that needs to be done. If you recall, in 2013 we had a major water main break on Washington Street and you'll see some photos of that here in a few minutes to remind you of...of what that looked like. Um, and that's really what's driving this, but it's not only the water main. It's private utilities and other utility improvements, as well as when you look above ground, uh, the ... the condition of sidewalk and uh, light poles and things of that nature. Um, so tonight we are going to give you an overview of the project from both a design standpoint and from a construction phasing standpoint. Um ... although there's been several years of public discussion, um, you know, I can't sit here in front of you today and tell you there's 100% agreement on the details. Uh, whether we're talkin' the design details or the, uh, construction phasing details. I imagine tonight you'll hear, uh, some concerns with ... with either, or both, of those. Um, but I feel really good about where we stand now. I think we've ... we've struck a really good balance, uh, both in terms of the .... the design and the, uh, construction phasing, and so ... here to walk you through that tonight are two of the members of our design team. We have Angie Coyier from Genus Landscape Architects and Steve Noack from MMS Engineers, and they've been workin' on this project for several years. Again, they will, uh, walk you This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 23 through. It's probably going to be about a ... a 10 to 15 -minute presentation, which is a little longer than usual, but given the ... the size and scope of this project, we thought that was appropriate. Throgmorton: Hi, Angie! Coyier: Good evening and thank you for your time. My name is Angie Coyier. I'm a landscape architect with Genus Landscape Architects and Project Manager on the job. I'm going to step you through the planning history and summarize the design, and then I'll turn it over to our, uh, team civil engineer, Steve Noack, with MMS Consultants, um, who will step through construction phasing and then open it up for questions. Um, as a quick reminder, the two block study area is Washington, of course, from Clinton on the west to Linn on the east. There's been an extensive outreach effort with this effort as Geoff hinted at. Um, dating from 2013 when the design team, um, worked on the ... downtown and pedestrian streetskep ... streetscape plan update. The project benefited from stakeholder input. We met with the Summer of the Arts folks, Iowa City Downtown District, as well as the University of Iowa representatives. With that phase we had three public meetings and asked the public to actually vote on diser ... different design alternative streetscape layouts, uh, the family of wayfinding identity elements, um ... and ... and hardscape and site amenities. They, the public was also asked and afforded the opportunity to provide ongoing feedback via the project web site. The team came and observed use during, um, the Iowa Arts Festival, as well as during the busy home football weekend. As Geoff mentioned, the plan was adopted by the Council in 2014, and then we transitioned into schematic design phase for Dubuque street, Washington Street, and the pedestrian mall. Again, reaching out to the public and asking for their review and comment on design progress, as well as al ... design alternatives. With the current phase design development and construction documentation in 2015, we kicked off that phase with a pre -design and information gathering workshop, uh, held another public open house, offered design progress and updates, and then most recently in December we had a second open house with the business owners and then mid- December actually went business -by -business owner down the street, um, reaching out to them to talk through access and ways to mitigate the construction impacts. All reflected very carefully within the CD package. Geoff alluded to the reasons why this project is needed. You can see the slide, the, uh, photographs from the 2013 12 -inch water main break, which as you know caused major disruption in the downtown core, with water seeping into a number of different businesses. The project is also needed, um, to address some of the, uh, required structural repairs to the ... to the vaults, that extend about 14 -feet into the public right-of-way. There is a need to replace the vault access doors and also address pedestrian accessibility. The curb ramps currently do not meet current ADA standards and there's a ... some heaving of the surfacing and paving. The, um, light poles and other site amenities are showing signs of corrosion and are in a state of disrepair. As part of the project in the analysis phase the design team brought on a certified arborist, Gary Johnson from the University of Minnesota whose, um, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 24 area of focus is urban tree health and um, preservation of trees during construction activities. Gary came and evaluated each tree, looking at a number of different characteristics of the tree and color -coded each tree 'appropriate for preservation,' 'requires more care,' or'should be removed.' Since this, um, overall evaluation was prepared, Gary has also consulted and offered recommendations on specific trees that are going to be impacted by the required construction. The improvements consist of new sustainable LED lighting, um, the design also has successfully achieved a consistent parking type across the two -block study area, and increased the number of available spaces in the two -block study area. The pedestrian realm is enhanced with wider sidewalks, um, and again, bringing those curb ramps up to current standards. Um, there are utility upgrades, the water mains, storm s ... sewer, traffic signalization, pedestrian signalization, um, conduit for future broad... broadband and also a number of private utility upgrades. The pedestrian travel path has become more consistent with the curbside outdoor cafes. Um, we're also enlarging all of the planting areas to promote long-term tree health, and where we do have new trees, we are achieving greater, um, tree and plant diversity. The electrical system is enhanced and expanded. Each planting area has a power pedestal and each light pole has also a power receptacle so Washington Street can better support the events, but also add another layer of specialty lighting. So in summary, we're increasing parking by eight spaces, increasing bicycle parking by 12. There are six vaults that will see structural repair, um, all of the vaults will have new waterproofing membrane and then at the sidewalk level we're having all new heavy-duty, um, traffic rated access hatches. Recycling stations will be introduced, um, for a total of six, and again, as you can see with the summary, we're increasing seating, increasing the number of trees to provide a consistent strong tree canopy, and then, um, have ... we're introducing all new paving, concrete sidewalks and concrete streets. As you know, in a ... in a very affordable, durable, uh, low -maintenance material, but introducing some design gestures, um, still quite affordable with the intricately colored concrete bands, which contextually we're pulling from Iowa Avenue and also establish a nice pedestrian rhythm to the expanse of sidewalk, and then we heard ... as we heard during the public input meeting, there was a desire to extend the character and the vocabulary of the pedestrian mall into the surrounding streetscape, so we're bringing the unit pavers into the streets at the ... at the crosswalks. There are three, um, wayfinding kiosks pro ... proposed as part of the project. Um, again, this was the concept that was approved by the public during master plan in SD phase. Um, it is the metal fabric with welcome translated into different languages, and the image actually on the far right is from the mock-up that was fabricated at the end of 2015. Again, for public review and comment when it was on display at the Senior Center. Um, this slide, uh, depicts the, uh, proposed site furnishings, um ... durable metal strap benches, recycling, trash, and then the lower left shows the proposed counter, uh, public seating at the transformer in west block. Um, the typical streetscape section for the west block, um, shows I 1 1/2 -foot wide travel lanes, reduced from the existing 13 -feet in width. Um, 9 -feet parallel parking, um, an increase in the, uh, pedestrian zone of 2 -feet, and then again just as a reminder, what you can see in plan, the, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 25 um ... sidewalks extend at the intersection, effectively reducing that pedestrian crossing distance at each of the intersections to 23 -feet. So the west block summary again. Generous sidewalks, concentrated bicycle parking areas, enlarged planting areas, minimum size at 10 -feet by 10 -feet, and then public seating at the transformer west block for those grab and ... grab and go restaurants. A summary to the typical streetscape section east block. Again, same 11 1/2 -foot wide travel lane, 9 -foot parallel parking, um, pedestrian zone increases both sides of the street, um, generous, uh, more generous on the south side of the street where the small performances and demonstrations at Englert can be supported, um, for small gathering. Again, enlarged planting areas and concentrated bicycle parking. So next steps, um ... if the project is approved we go into the five-week bid period with a tentatively scheduled pi ... pre-bid conference for those contractors, um, interested in attending, which could in ... include a review of the vaults requiring structural repair. Um, bid opening last week of February, March 1 approval to let with mobilization in March, um, anticipated construction period April through October. And with that I'll turn it over to more detailed construction phasing presentation by Steve. Noack: Thank you, Angie. Throgmorton: Welcome, Steve! Noack: Thank you. Again, my name is Steve Noack. I'm an Engineer with MMS Consultants here in Iowa City and I'm going to walk through the, uh, phasing, proposed phasing of the project based on input we received from ... from the public business owners, uh, discussion amongst the, uh, technical committee that was formed for this project, and then the direction and choices made by City staff. What we have, uh, it's divided into two basic phases. Phase one is the 100 or west block of Washington Street, and includes the Clinton Street intersection and the Dubuque Street intersection. Um, it's proposed to have an early start date of April 11th, with a substantial completion date of July 23rd. Um ... there's an incentive and disincentive in the contract documents of $3,000 ... or of $1,000 per day, with a maximum incentive of $10,000. Um, some of the, uh ... restraints that the contractor will have is no work on the streetscape on either phase on the Friday before a football game at 5:00 through the next Monday morning. So that it'll minimize impact during those important games. Um, phase two is, uh, substantial completion date is September 30 , with an incentive... and, or disincentive of $3,000 per day, with a maximum incentive of $4,000 ... or $45,000. Uh, and the definition of sub... substantially complete for this project would be that, um, the... it's... it's available for full operation. Parking is available. Sidewalks are open. Businesses can, uh... operate under normal conditions. Um, possibly the ... the trees and plantings wouldn't be in yet, but importantly everything's opened up. Some of the general phasing conditions and guidelines, uh, we want to maintain, uh, pedestrian access as much as possible and so we've got a ... an 8 - foot minimum pedestrian access on each side of the street, adjacent to the buildings, that'll be maintained for as long as possible, up until it's time to tear that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 26 out and do the sidewalk paving or vault repairs. Um, business and property owners will be given two notifications, uh, both about a couple weeks before and then 48 hours before there'll be any disruption, uh, right at their ... at their building, uh, or place of business. And then, uh, contractor provides access for deliveries and trash removal, and you'll see in some future slides a little more detail on that. Uh, we have an accommodation and impact mitigation, uh, scenario for each one of the addresses, looked at alternate access, um, things like that, that ... that the contractor can use. Uh, and we looked at various dates that were important to the ... to the business owners, the City, and the community. Uh, U.S. Olympic team trials April 8th through 10th, Summer of the Arts, uh, Iowa Jazz ... Iowa City Jazz Festival, Iowa Soul Festival, um, and ... put mitigation measures in places for those also. Uh, looked at the University of Iowa calendar, holidays and other events. (mumbled) Old Capitol Criterium which uses, uh, the Washington Street route as part of...of their, uh, race. Looking at a little more detail, uh, phase one A is, uh, would be the ... the work, um, from 8 -feet from the building face on one side to nominally 8 -feet on the other. Uh, you'll notice that access to the vaults, which are the ... the square, uh, items on the ... on the, uh, drawing, uh, is maintained. Again, an April 11 th early start date, and then phase one in its entirety has a substantial completion date of July 23rd. While phase one is ongoing, phase one B can be, uh, worked on. Uh, that has a May 2nd early start date and that's to accommodate the Old Capitol Criterium and they accommodated the project by, uh, re-routing their race, um, and we accommodated their race by leaving that intersection open until after the event, and by allowing the, uh... pedestrian, uh, spectators and such to, uh, to have that full use at the intersection. Um, also for ... for the Clinton Street intersection, the June 30th through July 6th, the Jazz Festival, July 4th weekend, uh, it's required that the ... the intersection be open and full ... fully functionable, um, functioning. Uh, that may mean some temporary patching or something in place, but uh... all lanes will be open at that time. And then also it's required that three crosswalks remain open at all times so that people don't get shunted to one side of the street and not be able to get back and utilize the ... the businesses along that stretch. While phase one A is ongoing, uh, phase one C, which uh... wouldn't necessarily have to be done after the Clinton Street intersection, but it's the Dubuque Street intersection, and it has an April 11th early start date, and again the ... the July 23rd substantial completion, um ... there ... that intersection needs to be fully functional, um, during the Iowa Arts Festival ... so that traffic can go through there. Um, the other... another restriction is ... we don't want both of those intersections closed at the same time, or lanes shut down, at the same time. Just to maintain the ... the ability of traffic to flow through the downtown area. And then phase one D is the, uh, Jefferson Building vault. Uh, and ... that has an April 4th early start date, and that would be only for any interior type work, and the Jefferson vault, uh, is going to be a ... a significant project in and of itself. Um, the condition of it was ... was not as ... as good as perhaps everyone thought, um, and so that'll be a pretty significant undertaking. Uh, the ... the consultant that did the structural work on that estimated that to be about 11 weeks total. Um, done in phases, and one of the restrictions on the contractor is that they ... they can't have both the Washington Street side and the pedestrian This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 27 mall side open and torn up at the same time. And during the ... the work, east -west pedestrian access has to be maintained on Washington Street on the south side of the street. If that means a ... a temporary boardwalk out into the ... the phase one construction area for a while, that ... that's what it means. Uh, they'll also need to provide bridging or other types of methods to get to the businesses and the access, uh, provide access to Momma's Deli, Subway, the actual Jefferson Building. And then the final phase one item is the sidewalk paving, and at that time the ... what triggers the start of that is, uh, phase one A is complete, all utilities have been placed, conduit, lighting, um, irrigation system — everything they could possibly get done while maintaining that minimum 8 -foot side along each side of the street. Um, at that point the, uh, the contractor will likely work in a stepwise fac... uh, fashion, uh, tearing out and replacing that last 8 -foot of sidewalk. Um ... the ... the east -west pedestrian access needs to be maintained at all times on both sides of the street. And... there... there will be, um ... limited instances of where a business won't have access. For instance at Mr. Nusser's building, that front door is the only access and ... at some point concrete needs to cure and so there's been coordination with Mr. Nusser and others that just have that single point of access to look at days that they would prefer ... to be, not prefer to be shut down, but ... oppose less being shut down those days, um, and ... and we would expect possibly two to three days. Some of it's weather -dependent. Um, move to ... phase two, uh, what triggers the start of phase two would be the completion of phase one, and so that would be ... mid to late July, hopefully. Um, again, it starts out with all the possible work that can be done, uh... between the ... the, uh, out in the street area with the utilities, um, having that done. You'll notice the, uh... area in front of the Englert, for a stretch either side, uh, is bumped out. That's bumped out approximately 25 -feet and that line corresponds with the existing back of curb of the angle parking so that sidewalk cafes, space in front of the Englert Theater can be maintained for as long as possible during this phase of construction. And we have a September 30th substantial completion date in the contract documents for this section. Phase two B would be the south sidewalk, um ... there are I believe three businesses on the ... the north side, and the bank. Um, and so we... after discussion with City staff and others, we put in the constraint that the south side sidewalk needs to be completed first, and so the ... the south side would be phase two B. The completion of that would, uh, trigger phase two C, which would be the north side sidewalk. And then finally, phase two D would be the Linn Street intersection area. And the final completion date is set at October 21St and that would be final cleanup, plantings, punchlist items, things like that, but from that September 30th date through that three week period everything would b up and running. Mostly normal! And I think... Angie... couple more (mumbled) Coyier: (mumbled) ...end of the presentation. Throgmorton: Thanks to both of you. Uh, Geoff, do you have anything you want to add? Fruin: No. We're able to answer any questions that you may have. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 28 Throgmorton: Yeah, okay, so, uh... questions from the Council for Angie and Steve? Botchway: Quick question. Marian, this is going to be in, uh, correspondence, it's going to be part of our (both talking) Karr: Yes, we'll archive the Power Point. Botchway: Um, there was just a quick typo, um, I believe when you started talking, um, sir ...Steve! I just wanted to make sure cause I wasn't sure (laughs) when you said it. Um ... it says, uh... if you go back to your slide, when you first started. I think it says 2106 and you know ... (several talking) Yeah. (laughter) So just want to make sure cause you know people might not necessarily have seen the meeting and, you know ... (both talking) Noack: We'll get that fixed! (laughter and several talking) Botchway: Um, the other question I have, I guess, is, um, I know you talked about consideration for the Iowa home football games. Um, but in ... that's three days for each game, correct? Noack: Well the ... in general the contractor won't be working on Sundays. Botchway: Okay! Noack: And ... so the Saturday there would be no operations, and then to preserve the evening dining hours for people coming in to town that evening, we selected 5:00. Botchway: Okay. Fruin: That was a pretty... pretty loud and clear from the business community, at least many of the businesses, that those ... those games are really important for them and really set the tone for the, um, you know, for the entire year perhaps for them, so um, we're ... we tried to make some accommodations to, um ... uh... you know ... provide the best atmosphere we can, given the nature of the construction that'll be going on. Thomas: I that, um, Cedar Rapids in their downtown plan has ... is, um, evaluating (clears throat) whether it's possible to remove traffic signals in certain intersections. And so I just wanted to ask if at ... Dubuque and Washington, and Linn and This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 29 Washington, uh... yeah, Linn and Washington if Af that was ever considered or looked at or evaluated. Noack: The Dubuque and Washington intersection was considered more than the ... the Linn and Washington intersection, and it was discussed, uh, at least once, maybe twice, at our technical committee meetings, and ... uh... it was brought up that, uh, I believe the traffic, uh... JCCOG (several talking) yeah, um, had looked at that a few years ago and ... and there wasn't a lot of support for a ... for a four-way or three-way stop at that time. People wanted the ... the signalization there. Throgmorton: I ... I'd like to ask you a question, Steve. Uh, when you were speaking about the Jefferson Hotel vaults, my ears ... sort of started getting a little bit warm, you know, cause ... with major projects there's always the risk of significant over -runs because unexpected stuff is found, right? So I'm hoping and expecting that y'all have looked at that very carefully and you have a pretty clear ... good clear sense about what the risk of that are, and I'm kind of hoping that the risk are not significant. Of...of significant cost over -runs, kind of manifesting themselves. Noack: Um, I believe that the ... the actual costs, expect for, uh, the ... the, um, half of the waterproofing membrane and .... half of a vault access door, which the Jefferson Building does not have, um, is participated with ... by the City, whereas the cost of any structural repairs inside, is the responsibility of the building owner, and I think that's according to all the, uh... um, vault agreements that ... that the City entered into with the vault owners several ... late 90s I believe. Fruin: That's correct. Um, really that serves a private benefit, those vaults do. Um, and uh, so we've ... we've put that cost onto the, uh, property owners, um, with the exception, as Steve mentioned, for the waterproofing and the vault doors. Um, which were ... we've agreed to split 50/50. So ... there very well may be cost over- runs on that vault, but that would be the, University of Iowa's responsibility. Throgmorton: Okay. Any other questions? I think I need to ask another one. Uh... I've heard some people basically wonder whether there are ways in which the total cost of this project could be ... um, reduced. I don't know, like 10% or whatever, some... some ... some number. And I ... I'm pretty sure I know the answer to this, but uh... do either of you, or you Geoff, see any opportunities for ... modest, um ... I don't know, changes in the project that would reduce its costs by some reasonable amount? I know it's a general question, but I think you get the gist of it. Fruin: Well I would say it's ... it's of the utmost importance to take care of that foundational work, as I like to call it, so I wouldn't skimp on the utility side of things. Um, traffic signals that sort of thing. Um, I think if you wanted to ... to cut costs you look at some of the above -ground treatments and ... and you could go as small as the trash cans and look at we're putting in the ... the solar compactors, the big bellies that you see out in the pedestrian mall that we piloted this year. Um, you know, those recycling trash units are ... are, I don't know, $5,000, $6,000 a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 30 piece. They're expensive, and they have a lot of benefits to them. They ... they save on maintenance costs and, uh, all ... there's a number of benefits, but we could buy a traditional trash can like you see out there on Washington Street for ... I don't know, $750 or so. Um, so you can get down to that level of detail if you wanted, but the other things that, you know, we've looked at over the course of this project are the... the... the use of uni-pavers, for example. At one point we had the pedestrian mall bleeding out into the entire intersection, so the entire Dubuque and Washington intersection was all brick and that's one that we eventually said, no, let's ... let's cut there and let's leave the ... the brick intersections and ... but you know you could take the brick intersections out and save a ... a ... a nominal amount of money there. Um ... but 1, you know, I characterize this as a fairly minimalistic type of streetscape and that's kind of what we were going for. There's a lot of money in the ... you know, in the planting areas and the tree canopy. We feel that's really important, but when you get down into the details of the cost opinion, you're really looking at paving is what's driving it. Underground utilities and paving. So that's my perspective. Angie and Steve may have some other thoughts. Coyier: I really agree with you, Geoff. It is a fairly minimalistic approach, you know, we're looking at, um, concrete sidewalks and concrete street, and only using uni- pavers at the cross... crosswalks to make a safer pedestrian environment. We're doing a ... a pretty basic bench, um ... you know, our tree sizes aren't going in overly oversized. They're pretty typical streetscape size. You know, sized to be healthy at planting and, um, survive in an urban core environment. So we haven't, um ... I feel like we've kept it pretty basic, and yet a very strong design. We feel really good about the design, as well. Fruin: John, uh, you mentioned before the difference from the master plan cost opinion to ... to where we're at now and I don't recall what the master plan opinion was, but the ... you know, one of the primary reasons that this project has ... has grown is because we've increased the scope. Uh, at the master plan phase we did not plan on doing the Clinton intersection or the Linn intersection. We ... we were literally going to stop where the sidewalk ends on both, and then after we got into the details and looked at the utilities and the traffic signalization, we decided to ... to take in those two intersections, which added quite a bit. So, um ... you know, that's certainly something we could look at or cutting those out, but we really felt that, you know, if you've got the contractor mobilized, if you look at the condition of the pavement and, um, the ... the traffic signals, it's best just to get in and do it all. Thomas: Well actually, Geoff, on that matter the ... in looking at the master plan, the estimate was, um ... for both blocks $4.5 million. So, you know, if you deduct the vault work and um ... you do have some alternates already in there, my estimate was you're around $243,000 over and maybe there was a change in the ... the actual area. So, yeah, in terms of consistency with the master plan, I think this is a pretty good project. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 31 Cole: There's a lot that I like about this project, but I was wondering, Geoff, if you could comment on the difference in price if we were just to do the utility repair on the water main, um, the utility upgrades, and then the full renovation. I mean I agree that there's a certain logic to going and doing the full street renovation, but w ... what would it cost if we were just to repair the, um ... utilities, the water main? Fruin: I ... I really couldn't give you that answer. What ... what I could tell you is when you get in and you go the utilities and you think about the individual connections into each business, and in some cases multiple connections into each business. So, uh, for example, uh, a business may have a ... a water line for the commercial use, a water line for fire suppression, and then maybe another one for ... for residential uses above. When you start to look at that and you think of the individual properties and how narrow they really are, um, what you'll find is ... (laughs) when you have to make that connection into the buildings, you're tearing up the bulk of the sidewalk anyway, so (both talking) Cole: ...gonna have to do the (both talking) Fruin: ...patchwork sidewalk and a patchwork street at the end of the day, um, I really don't think that there is a good (both talking) Cole: Okay, that's what I want to know. Throgmorton: Okay! Angie, Steve, thank you very much. Would any member of the public care to address this topic? (mumbled) Bird: I'm Nancy Bird with the Iowa City Downtown District. Um, first I'd like to publicly congratulate Mayor Throgmorton, and uh, welcome new City Council Members and thank Council Members who've served Iowa City well for recent... in recent years. We've always enjoyed a really good relationship with Council and with staff, and we certainly appreciate your time on this project. Um, I thought the presentation was good and that it demonstrates the complexity of all the things that are going on downtown. Um, I also like to ... one of the things that isn't really brought up here, but.the importance of the buildings that are downtown and the older buildings, especially, how these kinds of projects encourage and incentivize property owners to upgrade, which is always challenging. A ... a good example is a property that was purchased by Mark Gingsberg. He found out he was ... he thought he was buying four walls. He really was only buying three (laughter) You know? So these kinds of things are really, really, um, they deter others from ... touching the walls and they need to be upgraded for fiber and other things that are coming through, so ... um, thank you to staff and ... and Genus Landscape who have done a phenomenal job with the ... with the planning, and I do agree that it is a minimalist approach. Uh, an expensive project today is going to be more expensive tomorrow, and those are the times that we're in. Um, so while I want to make sure and, um, let you know that we're absolutely in support of this major and significant investment downtown, it's been 18 years since this type of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 32 investment has occurred downtown. Um, you will be hearing, for the new ... new Council Members, the number of people that come to Council every week to talk about tripping hazards, how it's not ADA -accessible — these are challenges, they're not wrong, they're right, and it's time to make these, um, these investments. So, uh, the Downtown District is very supportive and ... and thanks... thanks the City. Um, but at the same time we also feel like there's a few costs even though these... I know we're talking about, you know, being careful with the budget. There's a few costs that we feel like have been left out, and it really deals with the construction mitigation. And, you know, we've talked to staff quite a bit about this, these are challenging. They're trying very hard to keep costs at a ... at something that's uh... that they can, they have an estimate right now. They don't know what these bids'll come back to. At the same time, we really feel like mitigation for the construction impacts is ... is as critical as the investment itself. These businesses, some of them, are looking at 50% decrease of revenue next year. So what if someone came to you and said, you know, I'm sorry your income next year is 50%. I mean what are you going to tell your merchants? Your employees? You know, where do you reduce your inventory. It's a major shift. So there's a little bit of panic and ... and concern out there, and I'm sure a number of them are here and they'll talk to you about that. So in that vein, I'd like to ... to speak to a few,.um, what we feel are very reasonable mitigation measures that we'd like you to consider as part of the project costs, irregardless of what the bids come back to be. Um ... uh, and also to ... I want to list off the precedents that we have. In other communities that also ask, not ask for these mitigation measures but they're included in the project costs. So excuse the long list of other communities, but this gets to my point. Um, Alexandria, Austin, Boise, Cedar Rapids, Chicago, Cincinnati, Cleveland, Des Moines, Eau Claire, Fort Worth, Grand Rapids, Green Bay, Kansas City, Lincoln, Madison, Marshfield, Minneapolis, Minona, Monroe, Osceola, uh, Portland, Princeton, Raleigh, Sacramento, Salt Lake City, San Jose, Seattle, Stevens Point, Toledo, Trinton, and on and on, um, that we can point to where other communities have included these costs. So right now just to get to the point, there are four, um, there are four points we'd like to make. Um, we submitted a proposal on construction mitigation we thought that would be helpful. Um, many of them were denied and they think in large part because of the concern for costs, but we still think it's something that ... that this is your decision to make. Number one, community messaging and construng ... construction fencing support. Nobody wants a chainlink fence in front of the business when this occurring on Washington Street, and an artful, um ... uh, fencing program is something we think is important. If not, you know, it's critical. The community messaging that goes with this. This is the advertising that goes out to say, hey, downtown is still open for business. There's a real fear that when, um, the ... patrons of these businesses change their habits, like oh, it's such a mess downtown. We're gonna change where we go. That those behaviors stick and they don't come back. So that communication, messaging and incentivizing them through business, what they'll do, to encourage their patrons to continue to come downtown. It's really important. So we're advocating, and we priced out, um, cost associated with that, which are roughly This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 33 $18,000, and we're working with Tom Sagrin, whom many of you may know, that's done some really amazing, uh..um, public art murals, to help support that public fencing piece. We would also like the City to commit to a dedicated, um, City staff with decision-making authority and strong interpersonal skills, um, to the project, uh, to be on ... on hand, on the street, to be the go-between, the general contractor of businesses. So that there's always someone there that can really help with that. I think that communication piece is vital for people who are .... who may be frustrated. It'll be a great way to ... to break down any issues and relieve stress on the businesses. So the ... that's the second piece. The third is parking. We feel it's really important that within the bid that we instruct the construction employees to park, uh, personal vehicles off-site, not on hooded street meters, and this happens sometimes. You may not hear about it, but our businesses are constantly saying, hey, this employee of the general contractor's been sitting on this spot for a long time and we want to make sure that the general contractor knows that their employees need to park off-site and not downtown and other little places. Um ... the other is that we would like assistance with parking. Um, parking is already a perception that there's a big challenge with it downtown. We want to make sure that the ... that the businesses on the front line, so to speak, on Washington Street have an opportunity to buy discounted 50% parking chips, that they can give to their ... to their, um. ... uh, patrons so they can continue to keep coming back to those stores, and we ... we agree. We talked about this beforehand with, um, staff that the ... the merchants have to have some skin to the game and help provide that parking cost, but at the same time, a break would be really helpful. Um ... and then last, direct assistance by way of grants or some sort of relief. There is precedence for this, whether a grant or loans, where there's a merchant that is in trouble with their rent because their revenue expectations are so off, that there is a method, um, that they can go to the City and ask for direct assistance to get them through the construction impact period. We, um, initially when we looked at this we thought about $35,000 for the entire street. That affords, um, if needed, um, and the bids are ... come in where we think they might that a couple thousand dollars, um, as a ... as a loan or a grant even to these businesses, to help them through this construction season, where we're like in the survive modes that we can thrive later, but I think it's really important. So we estimated about $35,000 on ... on that direct assistance and I ... I want to bring up that I've heard mostly that ... you know, one of the reasons that cities ... or cities in general shouldn't do this is because of the precedence that it sets. And I really, I have a fundamental problem with that, where there have been businesses that have been impacted in the past in Iowa City by construction im... um, projects on First. Um, the Sueppel's Flowers and you've heard of other businesses probably, but that we don't make decisions based on what has happened in the past, but like was that the right ... it's the right thing to do to help and assist these businesses get through, not say we can't do it for the precedence it sets, but to make a better precedent moving forward, and these costs are not ... they're not huge in the, you know, overall, um, package of the project itself. Um, but they go a long way when it comes to the actual businesses staying put, because as soon as these businesses start turning over, that's your gentrification element. Those are the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 34 things that ... so if you care about these things now, it makes a big impact later. Um, so with that, I think that's all I've got, but I really appreciate your support. Um, I also appreciate all the work staff has done. I think it's a phenomenal project. We just want to mot ... move through it and ... and, um, you'll hear from other businesses here specific impacts of their businesses. It's very important. So thank you very much. Throgmorton: Thank you, Nancy. Etre: My name is George Etre. I own Takanami Restaurant. I own Formosa Restaurant. I own Giovanni's Restaurant, and I'm one of the owners of the Iowa Chop House, which is white ... right on Washington Street. Um, first off I want to let you know that I think this is a great project and I think that it's ... it's needed. Um, a couple of points that ... that kind of got me riled up was the ... the public opinion that staff has been taking, um, I don't feel like our voices have been heard. I think the District put together a letter to send to the City staff with nine ... asks or, um ... things that they could do, and ... and all nine were denied. So ... it's always great when people listen to you, but if they're not doing anything about it, it ... it's kind of pointless. Um, so ... the ... the biggest question I have is I know this project needs to be done, uh, I know every business has different times they want to be open. For us, and I'm mostly speaking for the Iowa Chophouse as a restaurant, it's the fall, and it's football season. I would say we make probably 40% of our ... of our sales for the whole year during football season. We're coming off ...it might not be a pretty Rose Bowl, but we're coming off a Rose Bowl team and a top ... Top 10 team and that momentum carries into the season. The schedule is ... is ... is well laid out, and not having a patio or ... or access like that is ... is ... it's death to businesses, and ... and Nancy mentioned something about businesses dropping 50%. We can't drop 5%. You know, the restaurant business is ... it's paper -thin as it begins ... as ... as you get going. Now our taxes aren't going to drop 50%. Our landlord's income isn't going to drop 50%. But our sales are going to go down 50%. So that means we have to lay people off. We have to shuffle people around, and it ... it's a dramatic effect on the businesses. The questions... that I always ask, and I haven't really gotten quite an answer yet is ... if we did the whole ... right now it's phased into two sections. If we did the whole section at once, because I do believe it ... a lot of this work does need to get done, how much money is saved and how much time is saved? I assume it probably costs more to lay twice as much, to lay concrete and then stop and then three months later lay more concrete and do all those things. If the whole street was shut down, kind of like a bandaid. You kind of rip it off and the pain is shorter ... it might be more of a pain, but at least it's shorter in that window and so the summer time, I think towards the end of summer, is where everybody's probably a little slower, no matter what kind of business you have. So ... no one ever really answered me that or ... or got into that, about how much money would be saved, how much time would be saved if we condense it into ... into one project and just knocked it out as quickly as possible. Um ... the other potential thing, and I know we can't go on what -ifs, but there is some momentum with Jefferson ... um, historic This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 35 building, hotel gettin' sold and... redeveloped. And if we finish with all this, and businesses slowly, slowly get back on their feet, well then we have another huge development coming and we have to shut down and ... and knock the street down for it. So ... I agree that this stuff needs to be done, but... sometimes with these City projects, you know, I kind of call it the 95-5. The first 95% of this thing goes at 5 -miles -per -hour. You know, I've been at every single one of these meetings and they have great pictures, but they don't ... we don't know the budget, we don't know the timelines, and then the last 5% of the project goes at 95 -miles -an -hour, and then that's when everybody has to start making decisions, but ... I haven't gotten a ... any kind of presentation on marketing or things that, you know, with our patio, that we can do with the construction, or any ideas the City has for us to help increase ... not increase business, but just keep business, and ... this stuffs gonna happen in three, four months. I mean, we do our social media posts six months out. (mumbled) for anything let alone, uh, huge momentum shift of business and we dealt at Takanami, we dealt with Bruegger's being burnt down and I can tell ya, when people change the way they walk and they change... they're creatures of habit, what they look at, it takes years and years to get them back. It's not just a thing where you kind of just say, oh we're open and everybody kind of beats down the door. So it's not just the ... effect of the construction. It's the after-effect that we're gonna deal with, and for us as a restaurant it's probably going to lead into November, December which are slowest times anyways. So we're gettin' our busiest times taken away and then we're opening and dealing with the hardship of coming back through our slowest times. So if there is any potential of combining the project and trying to get it all done as quickly as possible, I would love to see those options. And ... thank you for your time! Throgmorton: Thank you, George. Cronbaugh: Thank you, everyone. My name is Tara Cronbaugh, I'm the Java House and the Heirloom Salad, and I'm also the owner of the Paul Helen Building, which is on the east Washington Street. I want to say thank you to Nancy. I know she's been working diligently as well as the ... the team, and they've all heard my bark. I have also been at all of the meetings and I would like to second George. I'm not quite sure that, um, they have all listened to our comments. Um ... l, uh, want to throw a couple numbers at you. Um, after 23 years I've never been to a Council meeting, so ... believe it or not I don't actually bark all too much, but ... urn ... (clears throat) on George's note, um, 37,143 was the number in August. That was the number of patrons that we served. Um, 47,831 is the number we served in October. So, as you can tell, that's a 22% difference on the number of guests that we serve in the month of October. I didn't even give you the number in September, but it's somewhere in the middle. Um, I only share these with you to demonstrate the extreme difference in our guest counts. Um, I'm fairly fortunate because I have eight other locations to help sustain me. Um, Chop House, Quinton's, India Cafe, in addition to Java House, Heirloom Salad are all on east Washington Street. I'm gonna presume, I can't guarantee, that October is also some of their busiest months of the year. We just pulled the calendar. There's four home football This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 36 games in September. And um, we're at the University of Iowa, we're in a downtown community at the University. We all opened our companies in a university community, banked on the University schedule. So I just to reiterate that our block is three-quarters restaurants. We are food -dependent. We're on a University schedule for income. We're not retail. Yes we have a couple of retail stores, but we're also not shopping. We're not dependent on December. I'm not here to marvel over my guest counts. Don't really care about that anymore, but I wanted to help any..understand that September and October are our most two crucial months of the year. They are the livelihood for all of us here. So as the football seasons come upon this, I want to remind you that we use those two months to help sustain our crappy August and our horrible January, and I know the other companies do that as well. So we depend on those two months. So... might I ask you to consider that. Is it prudent for the u ... for you all to consider that as we consider our schedule for this construction project? June, July ... I'm all for this construction project. I'm not gonna disagree with renovating downtown Iowa City. But I ask you to consider the month of construction. While I realize October's not necessarily considered in this construction project, I fear the construction timeline is going to go over. I've done five University projects. They all go over, and this one is outside. So let me reiterate. I'm in support of the project. We all are. All of us will support it. I just have you consider three items. First and foremost, is there a consideration to consider doing east and west at two different times? For example, if we see that the project is going t be delayed, can we set something that says, hey, if we're delayed, we're gonna consider doing the west or the east, dependent... well, right now it's east, maybe that gets postponed to 2017 if we're not at a substantial proportion. Say ... July 1 Sc we're not where we want, we all know we flood. We all know there's tornadoes. Something could happen, and we know there's going to be penalties that will be released because of unforeseen events, because I guarantee it's going to be our block that's going to pay the price of these unforeseen events. It's gonna get pushed into October and then we're really doomed. So is there consideration to doing east and west ... 2016 and 2017? And the reason I ask that is, we could easily go in year 2017, not be rushed. Weather's unpredictable. Too many scenarios of 'what if.' Water lines can break. I guarantee you when they get underneath the ground, they're gonna find many unforeseen things down there, and with the construction industry, they're gonna have products, materials that they're not gonna be able to find. Oop, we're waitin' on this; we're waitin' on this. I've seen it with every University location I've been in. Contractors are waitin' on this to come from Minnesota. Last but not least you mentioned that they're gonna have penalties. Those contractors, I guarantee, are going to build those penalties into their budget, and if they get a little extra money in the end, that'll be kudos for them. Something to consider. Second of all, the staging areas — I think Nancy mentioned it, for parking. Just to consider an extra incentive to consider the different ends of the blocks to get in a lane open and give the contractors incentives to open up say one lane of traffic. Could that be an incentive to the contractors to ... have a reward or incentive to open up one lane of traffic early, rather than the whole street. Our particular block doesn't have as many vaults. So maybe there's the possibility of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 37 having an incentives that way. We have different needs than the say the west end of Washington Street. Um, again, maybe one lane can open up ... 45 days into the project, rather than the full two months or three months. So ... second consideration, um, one of the things to think about when I consider that is we have a lot of quick -in, quick -out and my ... my average consumer comes five days a week. So the parking situation will be very, very crucial for us. We've got, in the morning, right across the street, all of our parking and I don't have just a lunch person that comes. Heirloom Salad Company will probably not be affected nearly as much as Java House. A majority of my guests come every day of the week, or five, six days a week, and they do. Many of them park, um, I don't have the luxury of having an illegal parking lot that my competition does around the... around the corner, and having quick -in and quick -out. So therefore we're gonna be losing parking and the access to park for the entire time. So the parking's going to be big for people like myself for quick -in, quick -out. Throgmorton: Tara, excuse me. You ... we normally limit, um ... (both talking) discussion to five minutes and you're already over seven minutes. Cronbaugh: Okay! I have 30 second? Throgmorton: Sure! Cronbaugh: Okay. Thank you. All right! Last, um ... my last request is not related to the construction itself, but the plans for parking, um, for the renovation itself. Just a consideration. Um, Pancheros, Jimmy John's, Coldstone, Java House, Heirloom are all companies that potentially don't sit down. Is there a consideration for doing meters that are I0 -minutes, that restart? Um, none of our parking plans have that. There's a lot of, um, businesses in downtown Iowa City that people want to get out of their car, go in, and go back to their car. Our particular block, we are losing our parking. The additional... the additional is the other end of the street. So is there a consideration to have similar to IMU, where you park your vehicle. The meters restart and there's no consideration for ... there's many of us in that... Pan... Pancheros, they all park there, across the street, and would there be some consideration for that? So, I apologize for overtaking the time. All right, that's it! (both talking) Thank you very much! Throgmorton: ... important topic. Thank you. Cronbaugh: Yep! Throgmorton: Anybody else? Rorris: Hi, guys! I'm Brian Rorris. I'm here on behalf of Quinton's. Uh, I just wanted to go on record, uh, ask for you guys to consider as well potentially doing the phase This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 38 all at once. Um, we feel there might be money to be saved if we were to shorten the time of construction and ... we're in the same boat as George, Tara — September, October is absolutely crucial to our business. We need it. Having some... blocking it (mumbled) traffic we rely on it completely. I just want to be on -board. Throgmorton: Could you say your name again, please? Rorris: My name is Brian Rorris (both talking) and I severely hate public speaking. (laughter) Neades: Good evening, my name's Rebecca Neades. I'm VP of Public Policy at the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, and I just want to, um, thank you for your commitment to downtown into this project. I know that ... I've been here a few years, and I've seen, um, your commitment to Towncrest, to the Eastside Market Place, to Pepperwood Plaza, and, um, I can't tell you how many people come downtown Iowa City. Um, we show it off to visiting professors and people we're trying to recruit to companies, and just to people visiting the community, and I think it's important that we ... we reinvest in this wonderful asset that we have. Um, I want to reiterate a couple things that Nancy Bird mentioned from the Downtown District and that is, um, this is a scary time for small businesses, who invest their livelihoods in, um, trying to provide a service or a ... a business. Um, and community messaging is ... is something that you could do that would go a long way. Um, you could do that through PSAs, through, um, advertising, the fencing idea is a great idea, um .... we also really like the idea of a dedicated staff person or a point person at the City that is up to speed with the project. So if there's a concern or something going on between the contractor and the business owner, they have someone that they can call, instead of calling 10 different staff people. The person they know. - Maybe someone that's always up to speed. Um, and lastly, parking. Um, it's something that we receive calls on and I'm sure you do from time to time. Um, and we're blessed to have a lot of people coming downtown, but it is critical that we encourage, um, construction and the contractors, um, and some of the service their employees to park elsewhere. So whether that we're ... we're directing them to ramps or wherever you decide to have a staging area, um, I think those things are all important, but ... again, thank you for your time and effort and energy, um ... to this project. Throgmorton: Thank you, Rebecca. Kubby: Evening, nice to see you all up there! Um, my name is Karen Kubby and I own a business at 220 E. Washington Street, Beadology Iowa, and of course it's panic time so there's a lot of us thinking just about our future, but uh, I don't know that I could articulate any better what the ... four points that Nancy asked you to think about, and I guess I wanted to come up here to specifically ask you to direct staff, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 39 uh, towards those four points and to have that discussion tonight before you vote on the contract. Thanks! Throgmorton: Thank you, Karen. Anybody else? Okay, seeing none I guess I'll close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) 2. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION Mims: Move the resolution. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Cole: (mumbled) (clears throat) ...this mitigation issue, Eleanor, is that something we can take up tonight or would that be required for a separate meeting? Um, it seems to me to be two separate issues. I would say my initial impression is is that I am supportive of the mitigation efforts. Is that something we can discuss tonight? Dilkes: I think you can discuss it. Cole: Okay. Okay, well I guess I ... the two things that really jumped out at me were the parking and the ... the financial mitigation. Um, I do think that this is a public project, but I think it's really important that we look at how the City can, um, compensate for some of the losses, and I am supportive of that. Um, I do think that we should look at it as a precedent for when we do these sorts of projects and that we need to basically build that cost that we may be, um, assisting the businesses with into the ... the bidding process and our cost estimates. So I'm supportive of that. Botchway: I have a couple of questions for, um ... the groups associated with the project and maybe for Geoff as well. Um, there....kind of a couple of questions, um, mentioned by George. I think it ... yeah, George. Um, around um ... how much money would be saved to do it all at once. I mean, that's ... I was initially, you know, I guess I wasn't paying too much attention, unfortunately, to the overall, um, completion of the project, and I was trying to do quick math as far as the amount of home games that would be affected and um ... I'm assuming that there was some consideration of that, and so I guess I just, for me, would kind of want to a ... a explanation. Noack: Again I'm Steve Noack with MMS here in Iowa City, and we did take into consideration the ... the football games, um, against what time would be necessary to do the work, and if you noticed the September 30th is before the, um, I believe it's Northwestern homecoming... home, Big 10 opener. Um, there ... then there's, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 40 going backwards in time, I believe there's a week and an away game, and then it's, uh, backwards again to North Dakota State University, backwards I think Iowa State on the 10th, and then the ... uh, first game a week before. Urn ... I think it would be difficult to push back much farther. I think it...it takes into consideration that ... that two week gap there where there is not a Saturday game here in town. Um, it sets that completion date before the ... the home game on October 1 St. Um, that was the ... the thinking behind that, whether or not that ... that can be changed, certainly it...it can be changed. Botchway: Well, yeah, that's one part but I guess the other part is the entire project of being done all at once (both talking) Noack: ...all at once. Urn ... what, uh... uh, Tara had said about the, uh, being able to take a look at how things are going, there are a lot of unknowns. There are old utilities. The records on where water services are are from ... some from the 20s, um, there is the ... the ... a good chance that we're going to run into things that we don't know are out there. By doing it in two phases, if things are not going well, we don't have everything torn up and I believe we could pause then and if it is into August ... early September with the first phase, be able to postpone construction then. Um, if we go in and start demolition and everything's torn up, I believe we're ... we're more committed at that point to continuing. So... Fruin: And just to ... to expound on that a little bit, the ... we ... when we looked at closing the two -block area down and ... and um, we ... we ... we gave that some consideration, but you ... you're closing the Dubuque intersection down too the entire time. The ... the two-phase approach allows you to keep Dubuque open, uh, for the balance... for the most, uh, the balance of the project. When you close that Dubuque down, you've really extended the project closure all the way to Iowa Avenue from a vehicular standpoint, because you've got a deadend street now and so we thought the overall impact to the business community, um, was ... was much more significant than doing it in this two-phase approach. Generally speaking, urn ... if you close the ... the entire project area down and you give it to the contractor, it'll get done quicker and it'll get done cheaper. Um, but ... there's a... there's a larger cost that we consider too when we look at phasing, and that goes with every project. I mean, we ... we look at the First Avenue grade separation or you look at gateway project, some of the larger projects, we could give that entire project area to the ... to the contractor and route people a number of different ways through our community, but it ... it's a balance that you have to strike and we, as a staff, we feel good about this balance. Obviously you... you're hearing concerns, very valid concerns too, urn ... um, it's a ... it's a tough ... it's a tough balance. Throgmorton: Geoff, could you say somethin' uh... uh, in response to the question about doing half of it in one summer and the other half (both talking) Cole: ...ask that. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 41 Throgmorton: ... in the second summer. Fruin: Um ... (clears throat) I don't know if we put a number, a cost number to that, um, but ... but there's mobilization costs, um, that ... that you incur. Um, and so when a ... when a contractor's able to knock it out in a ... in one construction season, um, it's going to be, um, it's going to be somewhat cheaper, um, but uh, Steve or Angie, I don't know did you ... (mumbled) ever put any numbers to that? In terms of doin' a phase, one in 16 and two in 17? Noack: Um, we didn't put specific numbers to that. Uh, there was a discussion about having disruption over two construction seasons versus just one, also that -that came into play with deciding to have the ... the project specification, plans and specifications, um, designed for one full construction season. Botchway: My only, uh, kind of not necessarily issue but I guess what I'm thinking about is, you know, if you run into that situation where you see some unknowns, um, that was kind of discussed from a concern as well, and then you're, you know, you're running up against September, um, where you kind of overrun where you're supposed to be done already with phase one and on to phase two, um, you know, I ... I feel like that's a plan B situation, where, you know, we kind of need to know those numbers, just in case it doesn't happen, um, where if we do have that consideration from a timeline perspective, um, we kind of know ahead of time. If that makes sense. Fruin: Well that's, I mean, if. ... if we're gonna change course mid ... mid (mumbled) so for example, I think you're saying a phase one, if there's some uncer ... unforeseen problems with phase one and it bleeds into August and it looks like, you know, we're not going to get to the east block until September, October, November, can we say timeout at that point and delay. I think that's a discussion we have with the contractor at the time, and ... and see what those implications are. It's not too uncommon to have to delay portions of a project to another construction season. Dickens: Would that be in the negotiation stage with the contractor or in the bid (both talking) Fruin: Yeah, I might ask for some backup, from Public Works on this, on how that would typically work if we were runnin' ,um, runnin' late on a ... a particular phase. Knoche: (laughter) I ... I think, you know, typically the way that that would be handled ... Ron Knoche, Public Works Director. Um, the ... the way that that would be handled would be through change order, uh, with the contractor to determine, you know, what impacts there would be to their work and the timeframe, uh, you know, of their contract, uh, and then also what the timing of the materials that they've purchased. So I..I think that we would, you know, be looking at a change order situation, um, by having to delay their work, um, from one season to another. Um ... some of that may be mitigated, you know, if...if they're the cause This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 42 of that, um, you know, that ... there may be a little bit more negotiating power there, um, but if it's ... just that we're gettin' cold feet, that we ... we wouldn't have very good negotiating power at that point. Botchway: My other question for consideration is, um, and maybe this was discussed is flipping the phases of the project. How that... Throgmorton: West, east you mean? Botchway: Yeah. Fruin: Yeah, we ... we went through that, um ... scenario as well. As ... as you can imagine, I think you could go down business by business on all these blocks and they'd have a different preference on ... on when the construction would take place in front of -in front of their property. So, I think from just the technical standpoint, it made much more sense to work in ... in what we've laid out here. Um, can it be done the other way? Yes it can be, but um ... again, you're going to ... that's going to, I think, make some businesses happy if you flipped it, and others are going to be in front of ya, you know, at the next meeting saying, you know, that ... that's not in our best interest. So... Cole: If we authorize this tonight, does this require us to agree upon the phase one or phase two, or is that something we can decide at a later time? Fruin: Well, this is just putting the project up to bid. Cole: Okay. Fruin: So the ... this isn't even the final approval. We'll come back to you with the bids and you'll have to accept or reject the bids. Um, there is always, you know, the ... the possibility that the contractor's going to come with a different phasing idea and (both talking) say, hey, we could ... we could approach this a little differently or ... um ... you know, we think we can save some dollars or some time by doing X, Y, and Z differently. So there is some of that negotiation that takes place. Dilkes: I ... I don't ... I'd like Ron to comment (both talking) Knoche: Yeah, I mean, if...if we're gonna be looking at changing the ... the phasing and we want the phasing changed, then I think that it all has to be addressed by an addendum before the contractor bids on the project. Anything that's done after the contract's awarded is ... is a change order situation. Um, you know, so ... so at that point you ... you lose your negotiating power. You know, the ... they have to competitively bid that and... and.... then we know what, you know, basically what we're doing right now is we're telling them the project that we want built and how we want it built, and they're gonna tell us what the cost is. Then we can award to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 43 the lowest responsible bidder and ... and move forward. Um, you know, and if they want to come back to us at that point and say, you know what, hey, we ... we've value engineered this and we feel that we can do it better, and we can do it at a lesser value, then we do a change order at that point, and we move forward with the project. But I think (both talking) Dilkes: That's because of the public bidding (several talking) You say this is what we want you to bid on, everybody bids on the same thing and ... they give us a bid. We can't then say ... well no, we change our mind. We want this (several talking) Fruin: No, I'm suggesting that the contractor may have different ideas on how to approach it, and that would be ... for us to negotiate. Dilkes: Right, but then we don't have any negotiating power (several talking) Knoche: Tonight if...if we move forward with the plans and specs, as they are ... as they have been developed, and ... and we feel that we need to change something, we can ... we can do an addendum, prior to the bids being accepted, and you know, so I mean we ... if we ... if we approve the plans and specs as they are ... have been prepared, we still have the ability to do an addendum. And ... and change the phasing, if that's the power of the Council (both talking) Cole: ...complicated to do alternate bids or is that just too complicated? Like you wold do a ... a bid for phase one, phase two all at the same time, and a bid phase one, phase two and ... and, in 016, 017. Is that too complicated or... Knoche: I ... I think that that would be too complicated. Cole: Okay. Dilkes: As ... right now, the bids that you were asking ... or the ... the project specifications we're asking you to approve are on file in the Clerk's office. If we want to make significant changes to those, then ... we need to change those before you send it out to bid. Cole: Okay. Dickens: I guess I think that ... part that was brought up about communication's very important, having a strong lead person on there, and....having everyone on the, that two -block area, know who they can go to and who they can talk to or ... that they can work as a team. I think everyone needs... everyone agrees this is going to be a great project for downtown. Uh... parking is ... is a very big concern. I don't know if we've talked to Chris O'Brien at all about this, you know, the half-price parking. I know the first hour is free and how that would impact the City budget. I ... I think that's a concern there. Uh, keeping the alleys open during this time, I think it's very important. Uh, being on the Paratransit Committee, I think getting This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 44 people to where they need to be and not having those blocked, whether you go to a one-way so everybody's going the same way and they can park to one side, so you're not having traffic coming at each other, that uh.. just a consideration. I don't know that alleys have been considered, but....uh, getting people that need to get closer to certain areas, I think, should be a concern. Um ... and bus and shop, maybe push the bus and shop a little more too because we haven't really considered with all the parking that's going to be torn up with more construction people if they can park off-site or in the ramps, having more people come by bus. Uh, I was showing, uh, Kingsley. This is a paper from 1985 and it was mainly (several talking) new shopping center planned in Coral Ridge. Iowa City area growth tops in the state again. But there's an ad in here ... that was kind of interesting and it took place right behind us here. It says , 'Good grief! They closed the street,' and it's right behind us here when ... when they closed, uh, Van Buren Street between the Civic Center and New Pioneer, and the Salvation Army was actually located in that building at that time, and it was just a little ad that's telling people you can still get to us. So you know ... we can all do that ourselves. We can have the City help us, uh, social media, uh... my store's going to be affected. I'm ... I'm on that, and I checked with, uh, our City Attorney. You know, we're looking at privately doing some advertising ourself to try to help everybody else on the block and ... and that's what we all have to do. We're gonna all have to pitch in. It's not going to be easy. I don't know that personally we can cut anybody for expenses, uh, we're .... we're as small as we've ever been in our probably 60 -some year history of the store, so, uh... we're gonna do the best we can with the amount of money we have and ... and hopefully make it through it. Throgmorton: (both talking) ...comments. Thomas: I have, um, a couple of things. Uh (clears throat) as I ... I think I mentioned, when we're going through the budget procedure, you know, and ... and looking at slides for the various projects, uh, this one came up (clears throat) and I had some comment about ... how, um ... you know, with each project, how can we value engineer the project to ... maximize the benefit and ... and keep the cost at a minimum. And the, um, the sidewalks in that slide were something that came to mind as one ... one element where that would ... would apply. Um ... one ... one thought I have is I'm ... I'm sympathetic to a number of the mitigation proposals, as well. Uh (clears throat) so one ... one thought I'm having is, okay, um ... we come up with a strategy to reduce the project costs, such as, um ... delete the pavers in the crosswalks and just ... standard concrete as they are now, uh, and any other changes where we feel we're keeping the ... the content of the project while... reducing the scope, reducing possibly the duration of the project, keep it simple, um .... because that clearly seems to be the other issue, is the schedule on this thing. We don't want it (laughs) and ... and the fact that we have a schedule that has to fit with the ... the ebb and flow of the life of the downtown, and I am concerned working in a historic area. It's like working on a old house. Things can ... can go south on you. And so I was ... I was very receptive to the idea of perhaps we phase this in two projects, uh, so that we're not committing ourselves to two full blocks of what This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 45 is my favorite street in the downtown, and I could ... it could cause some ... some long-term damage. So, so one thought I was having was, you know, if we can reduce the ... the capital costs and take those savings and apply them to the mitigations, uh, with a scope to be determined, but I ... I would start with the crosswalks, um ... that ... that would be one strategy I would propose to ... to try to keep the project within the budget that we've established, more or less, while still trying to address the mitigations and schedule. Throgmorton: Other comments? Mims: Well I think this, you know, would agree with the business owners and staff that I think this is, you know, a really ... a really good project and a lot of aspects of it are desperately needed in terms of the infrastructure. Um, we've talked and saw pictures of the water main break, um, two or three years ago and how much that shut down businesses and ... and slowed things down on that street. So there's a lot there that needs to be done and ... you know, as we've talked, it makes sense to do, you know, all your sidewalks and all your streets and all your stuff at the same time in terms of efficiencies and cost, etc. Um, I'm really concerned and I ... I guess because of the timing and, you know, we're in Iowa. We only have a certain limited of time for construction season, um ... again, of the businesses that are going to be more directly impacted by phase two and as you've said, you know ... the University schedule. Students come back at the end of August, you know, football games, etc. Um, having said that, I ... and how far we are down this path, I'm not ready to say spread it over two years because we're so far down, but what I think we have to work really, really hard to do is ... to help all of the businesses, but maybe even more so those in the second phasing area who may have the bigger impact because of the timing and the calendar and etc., and higher percentage maybe of, uh, restaurants... to really work with them on the requests in terms of mitigation. Urn ... in terms of communication, social market... social media, and marketing, urn .... making those areas more attractive, urn ... I don't know what we can do, I mean, I think all we can do if we get to that point of things getting pushed back is we have to try to work with the contractor and see if we can push it to the second year. I realize that at that point, we don't have any negotiating power. And that really concerns me, because ... it really concerns me as to how detrimental that could be to those businesses in that area. Um... Taylor: And that's my concern. Nancy quoted the figure of like it could be a 50% reduction in ... in revenue for some of these businesses and that's very alarming, and we certainly don't want to lose any of them downtown. We want to keep them there. So, and ... and then the figure she quoted ... it's a drop in the bucket compared to the major cost of the project, like $18,000 for messaging and $35,000 perhaps for direct assistance or ... or grant relief, and that certainly doesn't seem like a lot, uh, to help these businesses out. I ... I think that would be a really important part of the project. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 46 Mims: Eleanor, from a legal standpoint, and I'm not ready to make any kind of specific proposal at this point. From a legal standpoint, what ... and maybe a combination of Geoff and Eleanor, what kind of restrictions do we have on, um, financial assistance to individual businesses? I mean, what... what... what kind of justification, what kind of steps would we have to go through ... um... Dilkes: I think you have the discretion to do that. Um ... it ... it, just like we do, you know, economic development grants and grants for if...if you would chose to, that this would be an appropriate situation to provide assistance to the businesses, I think that's within your discretion to do. Mims: Okay. Dilkes: Um ... I do ... I do have a concern when it comes to negotiating... property acquisitions on other projects, what kind of precedence that sets, and I think you just need to go into that with your eyes open that ... you may receive more requests for that kind of assistance, and ... and likely it would be justified by this, if you choose to do that. But I think you have the authority to do it. Mims: Okay. Fruin: One of the things ... if you go down that path, we have to consider, um, well, a couple .... I ... I think you are really trying to direct policy for not just this project but a lot of things going forward, and ... and maybe some that are ongoing now. At least you're going to get those requests. So I mean this has much, much greater implications than just this project here tonight. Um, if you want to get into the point where you're doing grants or ... or, um ... you know, rebates, whatever you want to call 'em, to ... to ... to businesses or property owners that's affected, it ... sure it can be done. Um, it may be fairly complicated when you look at is it a business that rents? Is it a business that owns the building? Um, what's the ownership structure? Um, how ... how is that all, you know, are we going to base it on who pays the property taxes, are we going to base it on, um ... uh, you know, a ... a loss of income that's proven to us. There's... there's just a myriad of different ways that we could .... we could explore that. Um ... personally, um ... what I feel is ... is more, a more appropriate role for the City to take if you're looking at the mitigation, um, requests would be the other three, um, the fencing and the communications and ... and frankly for us, uh, I think it's better that you ... you give those dollars to the business district itself and let it determine how best to use it — if it's art on the fence that's great. If it's advertisements in the local, um, media, that's fine too. Um, parking — um, the ... the parking. I ... I'm not personally supportive of giving additional hours of free parking, uh, to the businesses because I think that, uh, that ... there's lots of opportunity for, uh, abuse and ... and the City ends up paying for that. If those, uh... um, free validations are, um ... uh, used. They're passed along to other businesses; they're not used in the way you're intending them to use, but if the ... but if a business wants to have some skin in the game and split that 50150, can our parking fund handle it? Yes, uh, we'd have to think about, you This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 47 know, do we put a cap on the number of validations or, um, you know, are we just willing to take that on. In the grand scheme of the parking budget, it's not going to be a whole lot. It wouldn't set us back. It wouldn't necessarily, uh, delay a project or anything like that. It'd be fairly small. So, that, uh... uh, that would be another one. The communications, um, you know, we know that this project is gonna require great... greater communications than most of our ... our Public Works efforts and uh, we have some ideas on how that may be done. Um, it may not be done through a dedicated staff person, um, but if you, you know, want to instruct us to go down that route, that can be done either with a contract employee or an existing employee or a ... or a new temporary hire, something of that nature. So, uh, all those things, um, I think are ... in the... are... are probably better suited for a role that the City can play than a ... than a tax rebate or direct financial assistance because I...I just see that as being incredibly complex and, um, it'll complicate a lot of future projects (both talking) Cole: ...decide that tonight, do we? I mean in terms of the mitigation. We can vote on this project and then a subsequent time address those, cause I ... it strikes me as a very thoughtful targeted approach that we can consider at a later time. Throgmorton: So on that point, I ... I'd like to (clears throat) say a few words about this. I ... I'm fully prepared to support this, uh, project and support the motion that's on the floor. Uh, but I do believe, and it's ... the evidence I think is pretty clear that we need to provide some assistance to affected property owner ... or affected business owners, uh, but we can't do it all at once, or I can't ... we can't do everything that, uh, folks want. Uh, partly because there's significant positive externalities associated with this project, for the businesses. I mean, it's being done for a reason, right? So over the longer run, two, three, four, five years, uh, we should expect to see benefits accruing to the businesses along Washington Street. That's certainly part of the hope, isn't it? And for downtown as a whole. So anyhow, what I would suggest, uh, you know, what I'd recommend is that we ... we vote on the motion, uh... but also, um ... uh, after we do that, instruct the, uh, staff to, uh, come back to us with a set of recommendations that move in the direction that the business owners are recommending, uh, but don't go all the way. You know ... I'd sort of prioritize things is what I'm saying. So like the community marketing thing seems to me to be a clearly good thing to do and wouldn't not ... would not be terribly expensive. Uh, and there, so, you know, what's the sequence? It's the biggest bang for the buck kind of measures. So that's what I would suggest. So, you know, we have a motion on the floor. If everybody's... spoken enough we could vote on the motion and then see ... go from there. Thomas: I guess, you know, in the conversation here, some of these ... some of these issues could affect the, you know, the plans and specifications. Are you suggesting that, um, in other words say the phasing or the ... creating of additional bid alter... alternates to ... (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 48 Throgmorton: I think, uh, Geoff has addressed those, uh, topics and I think, you know, part of what I'm trying to say here is I have a great deal of faith in Geoff s abilities and ... and I know he's been honchoing this project for what, two years, Geoff? So he knows it inside out (both talking) and I know he's worked very carefully with Genus Landscapes, because.... partly because I've been on the streetscape design committee, uh, or was back when it was (mumbled) So I want to kind of express that, uh, trust, uh, in a man ... clearly manifest way, while also responding to the concerns that the business owners have expressed. Botchway: Okay, one last question and I guess statement to, um, what you proposed. Um, is there any reason why it's April 11m. Fruin: Olympic trials and on the 10`" and, uh.... when we did that four years ago, we had the A-6 Van Fest on Washington Street, so we ... we closed down Washington for a ... a two or three-day weekend festival, and we imagine that they'll want to do the same. So we wanted to accommodate that and then get started. We ... we originally, before ... um, not to get too far off track, but um, in December when we approached the businesses, we originally, um, had a May 16`h start date, after commencement, and then because of a lot of the same concerns you heard tonight, we ended up dialing that back a month so that we ... we can hopefully preserve, uh, the month of October for them. Botchway: So it was a pushback from, you know, November up to October? Fruin: Yeah (both talking) We ... after that meeting we changed the phasing to start a month earlier and hopefully complete a month earlier. Throgmorton: Okay, there's a motion on the floor. Botchway: Last point to (mumbled) My only issue is also with the, um, you know, the direction of staff as far as looking at these recommendations, I mean, um, the marketing costs as well, um, as we think about the process and what you're going to come back to us with, you know, thinking about the ramifications, um, of people, you know, on First Avenue asking the same questions, as far as whether or not we'd help with marketing and some other things, and so I ... I guess I just think of that as a precedent thing as well. Throgmorton: Okay. Roll call. Motion carries 7-0. Thank you! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 49 ITEM 10. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION Throgmorton: So we had discussed the possibility of returning to our work session items, to clean that up, at this moment, so ... seems like a reasonable thing to do. So if I remember rightly we were ... where were we? We were at ... Joint Meeting Agenda Items. Joint Meeting Agenda Items: Throgmorton: So that ... friends, that's what we're going to do right now is return to the work session that we were unable to finish, but we're continuing... we're still in the formal meeting. Karr: Okay we're not going ... we're not going to adjourn to work session. We're going to (both talking) Throgmorton: We're just gonna (both talking) Karr: ...under Council Time we're going to discuss the other items. Throgmorton: Yes. Thank you. All right, so ... does anybody have any particular ideas about items that could be included in ... in what, next Monday's joint cities meeting? Karr: And just to call attention to ... to, uh, Tracy in North Liberty, uh, sent a draft agenda that's in your hard copy late handouts tonight of what she has thus far. You might want to take a look at that, see what's on there, and then we can revise it to include items we may want to add. It was a hard copy this evening. (several talking) That's it! Joint meeting and it's labeled draft. Throgmorton: Okay, got it. Thanks. Mims: I think there's plenty there already. Throgmorton: Yeah, looks to me like there's plenty there. My sense is we don't need to add anything. Anybody disagree? Thomas: No, I don't. Mims: Not if we want to get done! Karr: No additions? Okay! Throgmorton: All right, so, uh, moving on ... Information Packet discussion, January 7t` packet. Botchway: Oh, on the strategic plan work session document, my name's misspelled. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 50 Throgmorton: Oh, oh! Botchway: On the front page it says... Karr: I'm sorry, which one, Kingsley? Botchway: ...the front page of the strategic planning report. It says Botchaway. Mims: Close enough! (laughter) Botchway: ...lot of different iterations! (laughter) Throgmorton: Had my name spelled about a hundred different ways over the years. Anything else on, uh, the January 7 Info Packet? Mims: There's just a lot of really interesting stuff in here, I mean (laughs) the STAR community rating system. I think, you know, if people have an interest in the sustainability and this goes well beyond what a lot of people think of in terms of sustainability. Um ... so there's a lot of information, I mean, their whole... there's 130 pages here, um, on that, which I think is really interesting. I think the, um ... article from the City Manager from diversity programs and how they tend to fail, um ... so I think .... I just always encourage people to ... kind of sign up for the emails that things are ... that have been posted and it's pretty easy to download these things, if you use a computer at all, and with the way the outline is set up in these, you can just flip through what the major topics are and decide if there's something that you really want to read, and it's a great way to kind of keep informed about some of the things that we're doing, but also just some of the information that we're getting. Botchway: Well and the phone too, I mean, it's ... it's pretty, I mean, it's pretty good (mumbled) The one thing I want to bring up, cause Susan mentioned it around some of the articles. IP 12, um, some of the discussion around IP 12. Throgmorton: And what's that topic? Botchway: It's the, uh, just an article, Branstad open to collecting data on police stops. Throgmorton: Yeah. Botchway: We already do some of that and so the one point that I wanted to bring up was kind of the rhetoric that we use or language we use, um, around uh.... our police force. I believe that there's change kind of talked about in here that they're moving more towards a guardian model, um, in training. I just hope that we, um, change (mumbled) the only reason I mention that from (mumbled) standpoint is that I know a couple times we've talked about the strategic planning session, um, para -military, and I know that ... you know, technically our police are, but as we This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 51 move forward, you know, kind of thinking about how we can not maybe use that language, cause it has... some... some negative connotation to it. (mumbled) Mims: Well, I think related to that ... they hired a new director of the Police Academy in the State of Iowa, and I think she is very much ... (both talking) aware and changing some of that messaging, of getting back to the real protect and serve (both talking) Botchway: Exactly! Mims: ...emphasis in the training. (several talking) Throgmorton: On IP 15, quarterly financial summary for the period ending September 30, 2015 — uh, when I read that I thought, you know, I'd really like to see the punchline at the start of those reports. So that I don't have to read the whole thing (laughter) you know, frankly there's a lot there! It's important, I understand that, but I ... I want to know, you know, an abstract, basically. What's important. Is there any important trend or event or whatever, uh, that has occurred in that quarter that we really need to know about. I want it really clear, in boldface if you will. Otherwise I want to know things are going just fine! Mims: Then maybe just go to the conclusion! (laughter) Throgmorton: Well, could be (several talking and laughing) at the start so I don't (several talking) Mims: Then you just go to the next one and you back up one page and there's (several talking and laughing) Botchway: Couple quick comments about IP 13 and 14. IP 13, um, you know, really good event. Um, at multiple locations. Um .... you know, I think Orville and (mumbled) a phenomenal job and it sounded like they're ... they weren't prepared (laughs) to do it, so that was actually, uh, very interesting as well. And then the Black Workers Conference, um, I'll be honest with ya; I didn't, um, I guess think too much about it, um, but going there and ... I was a little bit late, um, I got ... I got to hear from Professor (mumbled) about employment law and some other things, and I think it was just a great... great (several talking) Cole: I agree, it was really well done. (both talking) Really well done! Throgmorton: Okay, anything else on January 7t'9 Botchway: Oh, last one (mumbled) sorry! IP20. I appreciate, uh, Susan putting that in the packet. (mumbled) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 52 Throgmorton: Okay, uh, January 14th Info Packet. While you all are looking I want to draw attention to IP11, the Council listening posts. Uh, we got a January 13`" memo from Stefanie Bowers and Marian, Marian Karr, uh, identifying several possible locations for listening posts. I think they're really good suggestions, so ... um, at some point I guess we'll have to figure out which ones to do next, but I ... I appreciate (both talking) Karr: We'd like to begin to advertise and get back in a cycle again. Throgmorton: Yep. Karr: So perhaps the next work session we could put it on and (both talking) Throgmorton: Yeah. Karr: ...talk about it and get ... okay? Throgmorton: Good idea! Okay. Others? Mims: Just lots of good reading! (laughs) Taylor: It was a lot of reading. Throgmorton: All right. I don't hear anything. So, next topic, Council time. I guess we could start with Rockne. Council Time: Cole: Um, oh, the only thing that I wanted to bring up is I can't make KXIC meeting on February I Oa' because (mumbled) oral argument for that date. So, um, can I switch with anyone (both talking) Dickens: ...February I0''. (both talking) Wednesday? Cole: Uh, yeah, I believe so. It's ... (several talking) Dickens: I don't need to switch. I'll just do ... (both talking) Cole: ...February 10th at 8:00, I think. For KXIC. Karr: February 10`", okay. Cole: Thanks, Terry! Karr: And ... okay. There's no switch. It's just a sub. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 53 Dickens: I'll just do it. Throgmorton: Terry: Dickens: Oh, uh... uh, I ran into, uh, Councilman Rockne Cole on Saturday night after work, uh, we took advantage of, uh, Iowa City's newest, and only, brew pub (laughter) in Iowa City and I just want to welcome him (both talking) Cole: Well I went there because of you, you know (both talking and laughing) Dickens: Well just to welcome him to the neighborhood, uh, it's a father/son that's opening it up. It's, uh, it's well worth people just walking over and saying (several talking) A grand opening's coming up. They have four brews right now and they're hoping to have seven by the end of next week, so ... it's very nice to (several talking) It is on the corner of Washington and Van Buren, right behind us (laughter) That's it! Throgmorton: Kingsley? Botchway: For me,' just to reiterate that I though ... that like a lot of the MLK Day activities were fun, engaging; got a chance to, uh, hear Dr. Michael Hill at the last engagement, um, it was very inspiring. I was, uh, very impressed by his presentation, um, around ... uh, the events in Memphis, leading up to Dr. King's death, and so I don't know if it's taped, if you get an opportunity... or just to talk to him, um, again, it was one of my rare opportunities to meet the man. It was really interesting. One of the other concerns, one of the other things I wanted to bring up is just a concern around the minimum wage increase. Um, I know that we were supportive and you know to go through, but I just kind of get ... I'm gettin' some information about people not necessarily being aware of all of the effects. I don't know who that falls on. You know, I know that the County initially proposed the wage increase, but I guess since we are in, you know, agreement of going forward, I just want to make sure if there's any additional information, maybe in water bills or other correspondence that we can give out about not only, um, the, um, the fact of when the dates are for the minimum wage increase, but then who to complain to, um, about, um, that issue, because like I said, I've received a couple comments around, again, some folks not necessarily thinking that it affects them, if, uh, they're a church or some other things and I just want to make sure we're clear on the matter. Dilkes: I think the complaints should be directed, if there are any, to the County Attorney. Botchway: The County Attorney, okay. (both talking) Okay. So some type of communication, I don't know how. I just wanted to kind of throw that out there. Throgmorton: Susan? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 54 Mims: Just, uh, encourage people to stay safe in this cold weather. I guess we've had a little bit of a heat wave here in the last day or two, uh, not sure how long it's going to last. Um, we still have a number of meetings coming up to finish our strategic planning and budgeting, and encourage people to, um ... you know, pay attention to those and take part and give us some feedback, and just related to the cold weather, uh, sometimes things that people don't think about is make sure they keep their pets safe and ... hopefully have them inside. Throgmorton: John? Thomas: Nothing for me. Taylor: I heard on the news, um, we all know that there's an iconic John's Grocery in Iowa City. I'd like to congratulate them. I heard that they, uh, did ... really a large job of, uh, remodeling and they're having a ... their grand re -opening this Thursday, so I would encourage folks to continue to patronize them and see what they've done inside. Botchway: Give a time? Taylor: Uh, 4:00 P.M. We have a meeting that evening, but ... (several talking) Thomas: Guess I will add on the matter of restaurants. While I regret for Oxford's sake (several talking) pretty excited about that! (laughter and several talking) Throgmorton: Okay, folks, my turn! First of all I'd like to welcome Pauline to her first official formal meeting and work session. It's great to see you here. (several talking) ... these ... these meetings and ... I look forward to seeing many more. I also want to agree with Kingsley's comments about, uh, Dr. King's, uh, Day, yesterday, and the events that you and I both went to, and you went to others, but ... the two we went to were just terrific. Uh, I also want to report that I had a very good meeting with Mayor Corbett of Cedar Rapids, uh, several days ago. Uh, he was here, you know, kind of talking about ... things that are on his mind and ... but it was pleasing to meet him and talk through some of that. Lastly, I want to make a suggestion with regard to Council time at work sessions in the future. Uh, all ... all of us are members of various committee of some kind or another, so this would ... the Council time would be a good moment to report back... anything, you know, just say, you know, I went to a meeting of the City of Literature, or whatever, and ... they did one important thing, whatever it might be. Just to give us a sense of how things are going in these other outfits, or other committees, that we're a part of. Okay! That's it for me. So now, boy, I know we have a couple other topics to address, but maybe we could hear from Geoff and... Fruin: Nothing from me. Meeting Schedule: This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 55 Throgmorton: And Eleanor and Marian. Okay. All right, so uh, I know we got the sequence a little... unusual pattern here, but ... how bout our meeting schedule. I want to bring up one point that Marian and I talked to this morning. I'm wondering if we can push our March 15th meeting back one week to March the 22nd because March 15th is in the middle of spring break for the K through 12 schools and for the University. And some of us probably won't ... don't wanna be here ... that week. So ... does that work? March 22nd instead of the 15th? (several talking) Karr: I'm sorry? Botchway: (mumbled) Mims: Kingsley can't make it, because of the School Board. Botchway: ...School Board meeting. Throgmorton: Well maybe there's another time. All ... I ... I should be more explicit. My wife and I have already made plans to be out of town, because I wasn't really keyed into the fact that March the 15th was in the middle of the spring break. So ... but it ... but beyond me (both talking) Karr: Are you going to be gone Monday the 21St, as well, or you're gone the week? Throgmorton: Yeah, the week. Karr: Okay (both talking) Monday the 21St (both talking) Throgmorton: Well I'll be gone the week of the ... the 15th (both talking) Karr: ...but I'm saying Kingsley... can you do the 21St if Tuesday's the School Board. Do we want our ... our formal meeting of the 15th, which is a Tuesday, to go to Monday the 21 st? Botchway: Thought you said you couldn't do that. Karr: No, my question was misleading. He's gone the spring break week, which is the 14 ... the week of the 14th Throgmorton: That's a great idea but I ... I know of a complication, uh, with Tom's assistance and the University, some people over there, I've invited a speaker to be here and to be speaking, uh... in public that evening. (several talking) Yeah, on the 21St. It's already kind of set up. Karr: So the 23`d? (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 56 Throgmorton: 23rd works for me. Karr: So should we tentatively... we'll take a look at it, um, we can discuss it at staff (several talking) Okay I'll do that tonight, and then I'll ... we'll talk about it at staff tomorrow. So we're looking now at...at rescheduling Tuesday the 15th, regular formal, to Wednesday the 23rd, special formal. Dickens: That doesn't affect any, um ... final budget... Karr: No, we'd have to be done by then. For ... for the budget. Dickens: (several talking) ...March (mumbled) Karr: It will affect the, uh, public hearing on the City Assessor's budget you just set. Mims: That's what I was just going to ask, if (mumbled) public hearings. Karr: The public hearing on the City Assessor's budget you just set tonight for the 16th. I can get a hold of Brad but ... I don't know how that... you... you would not have to be here, but Council would have... Dilkes: (mumbled) Kingsley couldn't... Karr: The Council would have to come twice is what I'm saying (several talking) Throgmorton: Well see if that is the other alternative. Where I'm just not here and, Kingsley, you're running (several talking) Karr: And not move it at all ... because of the Conference Board you'd hold your regular formal meeting the same evening. (several talking) Botchway: Well and if we ... and if we don't change it, we'd have to reconvene the Conference Board? Karr: I don't know, I'd have to check with Brad, but I would... presumably so. Dilkes: I think that's... Karr: You set it for that, tonight (several talking) Mims: ...the 15th, right? Karr: 15th, sorry, yeah. (several talking) Throgmorton: Well I certainly trust Kingsley to be able to... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 57 Karr: ...do the conference and the regular, so ... keep, retain the regular formal on that, on the 16th (several talking) On the 15th as well? Botchway: Wait a minute, I thought that we just talked about doing the ... that on the 23rd and then doing (both talking) Karr: That was the question, then when we remembered that we had the Conference Board anyway, we have to come to do the Conference Board public hearing and approving the budget ... that night. So the question then came up, I believe, as long as you're coming ... and there's six of you, do you wish to do the formal that night as well. Throgmorton: So another possibility ... is ... is to do the Conference Board meeting with me not being present... Karr: Yes. Throgmorton: .... and to do the 20 ... the meeting on the 23rd... Karr: Yes. Throgmorton: ... I think we're doin' it right now. Karr: So now ... okay, so we are back to the Conference Board on the 15th and ... the special formal on the 23rd. Yes. Pending Work Session Topics: Throgmorton: Yeah. So let's see if that ... yeah. (several talking) Works for me! (several talking) All right. We have, uh, two quick, uh, other items. One is pending work session topics, and ... I want to make a suggestion. Let's see ... uh, Geoff, uh... um, well, I don't know Geoff. We're gonna have to schedule a work session, uh, to discuss how to proceed with regard to a search for a City Manager, and ... other steps associated with that. Uh... I don't know who should be in charge of setting (both talking) Karr: I will. Throgmorton:... we need to do it. Karr: I'll do it. But I also think we're waiting for a memo. Tom ... um, had ... is, I know Tom is working, got a memo as well. Um ... so we might want to take a look at that memo and do some research as well. To get ... right, were you planning on doing that at ... when did you wish to do that? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 58 Throgmorton: Well I don't have a date in mind, but uh, just backing up from that (mumbled) you gave me in relation to the previous search that we did that resulted in Tom being appointed, uh, we'd like to, you know, get this accomplished by ... October... November the I" at the latest, or something like that! We haven't talked about it. We gotta figure it out jointly. Karr: Right. Okay. Dilkes: I think we can pull the material together and be in touch. Throgmorton: Okay. Good deal. Okay, anything else with regard to pending work session topics? Thomas: Uh, one ... one potential topic would be having a, uh, discussion of the ... the downtown streetscape plan, in terms of, you know, looking at that with respect to its ... the schedule for it, the pieces, kind of a ... in part a reporting on where we are and where things will be going, as well as, um ... discussions of, you know, design standards and ... and things of that sort. Throgmorton: Wonder if I could ... state that a little bit differently, John? Thomas: Okay. Throgmorton: Um, three ... three of us are new to the Council, and haven't really gone through that whole process having to do with ... with the development of the streetscape plan and its components and all that. Maybe we could have a briefing that focuses on that, and in particular questions could be asked, pertaining to it, if...if needed. Cole: That sounds good. Botchway: Only quick question I have is you aren't saying like (mumbled) next work session or something like that. You're saying it can be further out? Cause I know we talked about, um ... I know we talked about some things as far as being something that we wanted to get back from our priorities standpoint right away. Thomas: I guess the only ... my only re ... my response to that in part would be, um ... you know, the ... I don't know what the status is on certain projects that are ... uh... you know, earlier on in the ... in the, um, five-year plan, so in terms of...having an opportunity to discuss those and ... and understand where they are at this particular time, and having, you know, like tonight we talked a lot about a project which was basically ready to go out to bid. You know, if we have an opportunity to discuss projects when they're still in design development, it's a lot easier to ... you know, initiate that change without affecting the schedule or having to backtrack and... we consider how the, you know, the projects have been scoped and ... phased and what have you. So... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016. Page 59 Cole: Is this for our Thursday night discussion? Thomas: No. The, you know, an item that, uh, for future work sessions. Fruin: I could certainly provide an overview of the plan itself and really there's, um .... two major projects, other than the one we talked about today, that are at somewhat advanced design stages and that's the pedestrian mall, uh, and Dubuque Street. Um, of those two, only one are in your proposed CIP. We ... Dubuque Street is not in your five-year CIP that ... that you're still considering. The ped mall, as you know, is. Thomas: What about Burlington? Those inter... Fruin: There are no funds for Burlington in there. I think that was a high priority street, but has not made it into the priority of the capital plan. Throgmorton: You referring to the intersection? Thomas: There were intersections, correct? Fruin: Oh, okay! I'm sorry. I thought you were talking about the larger streetscape. Yes, the ... the Burlington intersections at Madison and at Clinton are (both talking) Thomas: Because those will tie in eventually to the... Fruin: Correct, but it's not a ... it's not a linear corridor type of project. It's just a ... the intersections themselves. Upcoming Community Events / Council Invitations: Throgmorton: Okay, uh, last item, upcoming community events, Council invitations. I'll announce one thing, I guess. Uh, Thursday night we will be discussing the last elements of our strategic plan and then relating them to the budget. I'm looking forward to ... okay! That should be it! Mims: Move to adjourn. Thomas: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Discussion? Hearing none... Karr: All those in favor. Throgmorton: All those in favor say aye. Opposed. We're closed! (bangs gavel) Thank you! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular formal meeting of January 19, 2016.