HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-11 TranscriptionPage I
Council Present: Botchway, Cole, Dickens, Mims, Taylor (electronically), Thomas,
Throgmorton
Staff Present: Markus, Fruin, Dilkes, Karr, Bockenstedt, Havel, Knoche, Schaul, Tharp,
O'Brien, Boothroy, Yapp, Ralston, Andrew, Korpel, Grier, Hightshoe
Wrap Up:
Throgmorton/ Okay, well why don't we begin, uh, our budget work session on January 11.
Monday. Pauline, you're there, right?
Taylor/ Yes, I'm here. Thank you.
Throgmorton/ I hope you're feelin' better.
Taylor/ Little bit each day. Thanks!
Throgmorton/ Excellent! Okay. So ... it's my understanding that the first item on the agenda is
to ... review Saturday's, uh, work session discussion about the budget. So ... I think I'll just
open it up and see if any particular Council Members want to provide some feedback to
the staff that might be helpful in terms of modifying the budget, and saying that, uh, Tom
is aware that we have not yet completed our work, uh, our ... uh... uh, strategic plan
discussion. So ... we're not fully in a position to completely fixate on what we really want
to see changed, but we have general ideas. So .... if you have specific ideas you want to
introduce now in response to Saturday's discussion, this is a good time to do it!
Cole/ I don't have any specific ideas at this point. Um, frankly because, urn ... yesterday I took the
afternoon off and went to the Hawks women basketball game. Um ... so didn't have the
time to do the proposals that I wanted to. The main thing I was just interested is we
talked briefly about the question of process for increases or decreases in the budget, and I
think I wanted to make sure that the proposals that we were spending time on, we weren't
redup ... duplicating, uh, existing successful programs. Um .... and so ... if...if maybe
Tom ... maybe not now but just sort of going forward, what you think would be a
productive process for us to propose an increase or a decrease. I don't see any major
changes, um, but I ... I would like to see a few tweaks. So what would you think would be
the best process in terms of if there were a proposal, cause frankly to this point we have
not really received, uh, a process for how we change it.
Markus/ Well, the ... the process is really you. Um...
Cole/ Well, yeah!
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Markus/ ... it ... the deliberation occurs at this table and if there's individual ideas that any
individual Councilor has, for ... an increase, for a new approach, for ... you need to kind of
vet that with the Council Members...
Cole/ Okay.
Markus/ ...at the table. The ... the point, I'll make a couple points! It seems to me you have to be
careful. Look, you guys are all out on the campaign trail. You heard a lot of ideas.
People are going to approach you about their particular programs. That's normal stuff.
What you have to be careful of is not to convey the idea that ... you've given your vote
away before it comes to the table, and it's deliberated. And -you've heard the public
comments. I mean, we've got ahearing process to go through with this. Having said
that, some of the specific items, I think two in particular that you raised, uh, one that Jim
and I spoke about earlier, which is more I think likely to come out during the strategic
plan process is another opportunity to vet those ... those items, and what I would say to
you is ... if the Council can count to four on any particular item, and ... says, you know, I'd
like ... we'd like to consider that. We're not ready to, you know, really refine the, you
know, a vendor or refine a specific approach, then the staff can come back with a
proposed amendment that suggests a general category. We can plug some money for that
particular item, um ... and then from that point, you know, it's included in the budget and
then we'll have direction to proceed from there to actually vet the idea, come up with a
detailed process to actually figure out who the vendor or what the scope ... should be first
before we even go out and talk to the vendors. I think what you want to do is make
sure ... that you do not get ahead of yourself on those types -of things because one of the
things I heard... from... both sides is this whole transparency issue. And so ... process is
important, but ... at the end of the day, the process is right here. Right? You guys
decide ... what you want to accomplish. You ask me how to get that into the document.
We'll tell you. You get to four votes; it'll be there; we'll accomplish it. It's that simple!
It's ... don't make more of it than there is!
Throgmorton/ Let me provide an example, perhaps. As a candidate, one of the things I
emphasized was the, uh, importance of developing a clear plan for reducing carbon
emissions over a period of time and by some... substantive amount. Uh, and you and I
have talked about that a little bit, Tom...
Markus/ Right!
Throgmorton/ ...and I ... I said something like ... I'd love to see, you know, a ... a significant
investment in some photovoltaic project, and you said, well, you know, how bout
rethinking that a little bit, Jim, and saying something like ... Tom, I would like to see
$100,000 invested in a project that will significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Markus/ Exactly!
Throgmorton/ Uh, and ... and which would leave the staff with considerable flexibility in terms of
identifying that project, but it would achieve the larger goal that I personally had in mind.
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And if other Council Members agreed with that, then I'd say let's put that in the budget.
$100,000 to significantly reduce carbon emissions.
Markus/ And so ... and so in that regard, then what would we do? One course of action that might
happen as a result of that is we'd put out an invitation asking... vendors. We'd solicit, you
know, we'd send it to specific vendors. We would put it out publicly that we're interested
in, you know, a carbon emission reduction, and we're trying to achieve the ... the
maximum reduction at the most efficient cost. See what you get for ideas, and then based
on those ideas maybe what you do is select one. You write a scope of work, and
you ... you do a process. That to me ... is something where you're... you're achieving
your ... your stated goal, and you're doing it in a prudent way with the public's dollars. I
don't know how you can lose going forward in that (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...to take (mumbled) next step, you said it's important to count to four. So I just
made a suggestion, uh, about including that particular item into our budget. So, I wonder
if there's support for that. Now ... I think this is an appropriate moment.
Markus/ You can do it now!
Throgmorton/ So ... (both talking)
Markus/ ....have that conversation.
Throgmorton/ You know, and we'll come back (several talking) We'll come back to this when
we see the revised budget, correct?
Markus/ And you'll have to vet this with the public at that point. We'll have a public hearing.
Throgmorton/ Right!
Cole/ And will staff, I mean ... I guess what I was thinking is ... is in terms of was I was thinking
about how I'd like to make a proposal, is that I sort of come up with a ... with just a page or
less draft, in terms of what I'd like to do. Um, you know, reference a particular page of
the budget. I sit down with you. You identify the pertinent staff person that should vet
the proposal, and then we could bring it back before... because I think the other thing is
too is (mumbled) spinning our wheels either. Um, you know, uh, especially for previous
Council Members that, you know, know written branch, every single department in the
City of Iowa City, that is going to be a learning process for us, but back to your point,
Tom. I think from our perspective, totally get where you're coming from, but what I don't
want to see is .... is that we have a process where ... we don't feel like ... the election
mattered in terms of implementation, in terms of the issues that we did campaign on. So
I think that's the balance that I'm trying to reach in my own ... in my own mind, but I also
want to make sure that when we do these proposals, we're either, you know, we're not
duplicating, uh, possible existing initiatives, and so I think we need to do our own due
diligence so we don't have too much sort of thinking out loud on the Council table. So
for example, that proposal, Jim, that sounds good to me, but it ... I think it's hard for us to
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make informed choices until we get that vetted through staff, and then get a proposal that
we can then ... then work with. What ... what would the timeline be, in terms of...(sighs)
um ... this sort of tweaking process, modification process?
Markus/ Well, we have to have a budget approved by .... um ... first part of March.
So .... you .... you don't have that much time left. That's why my suggestion back to Jim
was ... I think it's ... I think it's a worthwhile goal. I don't have a problem with that
suggestion at all. But what I was trying to get Jim to do ... was take some of the specific
parameters out of it and create more latitude. I mean, if...if the goal is carbon emissions
reduction, you (laughs) you know, solar arrays is just ... but one opportunity to achieve
that, and it may not ... it may be a very visible one. It may be....but it seems to me that
after you've done that, somebody's gonna raise the question. So how much did that cost
ya? Okay? And so, what's the carbon emission reduction? Okay, so....how is that
measured? Outputs of carbon, right? So then what did each carbon output cost you?
Somebody's going to ask that question. Well, didn't you consider this? Did you consider
this? So .... and part of what you talked about as well was process. Lot of places say
process is as important as the end product. You know ... I think end product ultimately is
really the important part, but process is really key to getting you there. So ... you know,
like the local foods initiative that you want to talk about. If there's support for that sort of
thing, I don't think we can get to the point where we refine all of that kind of detail before
we get to the budget, but I can put a placeholder in the budget for you, okay? I can
allocate some dollars, only to be spent after we do develop the process to how to get
there. There's just not enough time between now and the time, especially with strategic
plan. We need to get those things taken care of. The bigger pictures. The details I can
work in later. So...
Cole/ Yeah, and just to be clear, I'm not talking about major modifications. I mean...
Markus/ I get that!
Cole/ So, okay. I (both talking)
Markus/ (both talking)
Cole/ I don't think I want this just to sort of be ... you know, no modification at all either (both
talking)
Markus/ No, and I don't expect that! That's okay!
Cole/ Yeah.
Markus/ But here's... here's what I'd say, you know, so ... so I have a carbon emission reduction
goal that someone wants to propose to the rest of the Council. And I can have direction
where .... if you direct me to come back with a, you know, an inclusive part of the budget
and how I would go about suggesting that to you, we'll do that. If you want a luc... local
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foods kind of, uh, initiative, um ... give me that direction. I'll come back with a provision
in the budget, you know, it's ... it's not gonna be a million dollars! It's gonna (both talking)
Cole/ Yeah, no! Exactly (both talking)
Markus/ ...but then we do the process after it's in the budget. The budget doesn't get spent dime
one until July I St! Okay? So then after I've got it in there, I know that I have four
Councilors that at least have enough interest to do this, to incorporate it in the document,
then we go into the whole refining of the actual process on how to solicit and get the best
proposal that meets the objective.
Cole/ Okay.
Dickens/ So we have had a policy that ... three people have to agree to a thing before we send it to
you to have all that information, because it takes a lot of time if we're all just throwin'
things at ya. You try to talk to everybody, email 'em or talk to 'em, see what the sense of
the rest of the Council is, and if we get ... it used to be three. I don't, you know, four votes
passes it, but three votes shows enough interest in the Council to move forward on
something too, so ... we've been doing that since I've started six years ago, so...
Markus/ So ... to Jim's point, to what the communication was before, if there's interest in pursuing
a project that would achieve a carbon emissions goal, if I were directed to come back
with a specific to include that in the budget, you could give me that direction. I would
come back with ... you know, the general item. A line item in terms of, you know, the
amount of money. I'd put that in the document, or I'd come back with a recommendation
to include it in the document, and then the Council could vote on that as a part of it. If
there was a local foods initiative, and I don't see that costing tens of thousands of dollars,
but if there was some interest in going that direction, I could incorporate an ... an item, in a
recommendation back to you, and then put it that way, and then get into the more
specifics... further down the road.
Cole/ And we can do the modification after the budget is certified, or is that... essentially iron
clad, cause I think that's what it gets down to is ... (both talking) if we're talking some
flexibility later on, (mumbled) the budget (both talking)
Markus/ We do ... we do have the ability to amend the document.
Cole/ (both talking) ...willy nilly. Yeah (both talking)
Markus/ ...but I'd (clears throat) but I would tell you if you have these initiatives, I'd rather see
you tell me what those are so I can at least plug those ideas into the document so that I
have a head start with staff to start thinking about how we would roll those out, okay, and
incorporate those into a plan to move forward (both talking)
Cole/ Okay. That's fine.
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Markus/ And so ... I would not ... if you have an idea, I'd share it with the ... the whole Council. You
know, kick it around, we'll interact with you as a staff, and we'll try and help you refine
something to go in the document. I would not ... if you have an idea, I would not
encourage you just to wait (mumbled) the document's passed, and then keep comin' back
with amendments.
Cole/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ Rockne, could you tell us very, very briefly, without going in ... into detail, what
your idea is, and then I know Susan was wanting to say some (both talking)
Cole/ Well there's.... there's two different things. One I think is relative small, and this is
something where you want to get that feedback from staff, as well as from you, Tom.
Um, one of the things that came up in the conversation yesterday was what I view to be
vast efforts to ensure that we have adequate minorities in our ... or we increase the number
of minority law enforcement officers that we have. Um, so one of the things I was
thinking about is that ... how much travel are we doing to other high, uh, intensity or areas
with diverse populations? Uh, what ... what (mumbled) come up ... what came up on
Saturday was that there's, you know, we go to the law enforcement academy. Um,
and ... didn't seem to be, at least didn't seem to confirm to me that there was a lot of travel
to other parts of the country to ensure that we have adequate numbers, because, uh, one
of the things I do not want to have happen is that we sort of throw up our hands and say,
you know, I think we need to do everything possible to take reasonable efforts. So, in
answer to Jim's question, do we need to increase the travel budget by say $10,000, so we
can ensure that the Police Chief has the tools and resources necessary to make that trip
to ... to Atlanta, Georgia. To make that trip to Chicago. But, that's something that I
wanted to vet with you, because you may say, hey, we already do trips to A, B, and C
locations, already. We don't need to. Um, but if we're not doing that, I want to make
sure he has the resources so that he can do that, cause that's a critical issue for me. So
that'd be the first thing. The second thing...
Throgmorton/ So I think we hear that idea and we don't need to process it in great detail right
here and right now.
Cole/ Yeah. So that (mumbled) type of thing I wanted to vet those details before, so that ... and
we can have more productive (both talking)
Markus/ I can tell ya... my reaction to that immediately, and I ... I don't necessarily believe that's
going to result in the goal you want to achieve.
Cole/ Well .... that's part of the process (both talking)
Markus/ And here's why, um ... because you have to have ... the officer who has an interest... first
off, to go out on a recruiting mission, you're usually out there saying, 'I have this
opportunity.'
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Cole/ Uh huh.
Markus/ Okay? But we don't necessarily control our own destiny in terms of the opportunity.
Because they have to go through the testing process.
Cole/ Yep.
Markus/ They have to ... so just to go out to a diverse population and suggest ... you should
consider movin' to Iowa City or the state of Iowa.
Cole/ Yeah.
Markus/ That's not necessarily going to get you there, and by the way, we have officers traveling
all over the country for all sorts of reasons. We're going down to San Antonio for the
CIT...
Cole/ (both talking)
Markus/ ...uh, alternative, um ... discretionary, um ... sentencing and ... and um, you know, where
you end up in the judicial system. Uh, so I'm not sure that just adding to the travel budget
gets you where you want to go at all.
Cole/ That's why I think I want to be able to then make these proposals....get that internal
feedback (mumbled) (both talking)
Markus/ ...do that that's fine. Send 'em to me.
Cole/ No, no ... yeah.
Throgmorton/ What was the other idea?
Cole/ Well the other thing I want to really do is is you know, uh, is this question of...sort of
accelerating our non -profits. I want to try to develop, um, essentially a non-profit match
for a non-profit community, dollar for dollar. I've talked a number of different times and
I liked what Tom did with 1105. Uh, and so I really think that for a limited amount ... and
I know we had talked about there was that $50,000 allocation, uh, that we're gonna sort of
build up. I think an endowment was the intention.
Markus/ That's exactly what it is (both talking)
Cole/ ....but I really wanted to evaluate what ways we can accelerate our non-profit, uh, partners'
fundraising efforts, along the model that you developed with 1105, um, but again, I want
to make sure that we're vetting these prior to the time that ... uh, we ... we get this over here
because, uh, you know, we need to be able to make those propose more specifically and
so, not super -prepared for that at this point, but that's ... in terms of this process, that's why
I want to be able to bring it to ... Tom (both talking)
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Markus/ That item, I would say to you that that probably doesn't fit the same category as the
emission reduction or the (both talking) I'd say that's probably a work session discussion
as to what we should be doin' with that. Um, because..quite frankly, there is not enough
resources to get ... to take care of all of those demands. And if you recall on the 1105, it
was a ... a .... it was a mission -specific kind of program, and I liked the non-profit model in
having them ... take care of some of what would traditionally be things that would default
to the municipal or the county government for taking care of. So ... I like that model and
so I'm more inclined to help in that regard because I think they do a very efficient job of
it. One of the things I really want to caution you about, and I've heard this in other parts
of the country, is a proliferation of non -profits.
Cole/ No, that's true.
Markus/ And what...
Mims/ We already have that.
Markus/ Yeah, and what you want ... yeah, and in fact there's been some admission that we've got
that situation now, and so ... again, you know, the 1105 was a consolidation, which to me
was another thing that really fit well for us supporting that sort of thing, and I
think ... maybe, you know, we want to look in that regard to what is the scope of work that
we're trying to get them to accomplish. What are they actually achieving? You know,
before we go down that path. I think that's more a work session discussion, engage with
the non -profits, talk to 'em, um...
Cole/ Yeah because there'd be an ... the staff ultimately would make the decision as to how that
would be administered, monitored, um ... fimds granted, that sort of thing.
Markus/ Yeah, well we'd make recommendations. Ultimately it's the Council's decision.
Throgmorton/ Okay, we need to get some other voices into this conversation. Susan, I know you
had something you wanted to say.
Mims/ Yeah, one of my ... I guess what I would be interested in having us decide on up front, um,
before we get too many new ideas and ... and proposals on the floor, is are we committed
to ... agreeing with the staff recommendation in terms of the overall budget and the tax
levy rate. In other words, are we willing to commit as a Council that if we add things to
this budget that we're gonna be ... we're gonna find things that are going to come out, or
are we going to increase the budget and not accept, uh, the staff recommendation of the
10 -cent levy reduction, because I think that's crucial.
Throgmorton/ Seems to me that's an important point which we should discuss, but I ... I wonder if
there are other ideas that people want to get out on the table.
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Thomas/ Well (clears throat) I did spend some time (laughs) over the last few days looking at the
question of the strategic plan, and um ... trying to come up with a framework basically
for ... for how to think about that, with ... with an eye especially toward how do we
synthesize it with the STAR rating system, which I think is a very good concept,
especially if we integrate it with... whatever we agree to in terms of the strategic plan
because the STAR rating system is somewhat generic concept. Iowa City has its own
issues, which I think our strategic plan have, uh, been helpful identifying. So ... so
with ... with the strategic plan, STAR rating system coming together in a ... in an integrated
system ... you know, I developed over the weekend a certain list of items that I felt might
flow from that in terms of...the strategic plan action items, but as we've said before, I
don't want to be the guy at your door knocking saying, 'Please support me on this
particular issue.' I'd really like to go through the strategic plan, uh, with the ... with the
layers of the strategic plan goals and the objectives that flow from the STAR rating
system, which then lead to the idea of, 'Here are some action plans that support the goals
and objections... and objectives we've just agreed to.' Uh, some may have budgetary
concerns and considerations, others may not, um ... but I'm very reluctant to sort of throw
out an idea without it being framed within ... the strategic plan. Uh, because that's... that's
where the justification comes from. I, you know, I agree with you, Tom. I think it's risky
to get into line item discussions without understanding ... the ... those issues in the more
comprehensive framework. The other comment I would make, you know, there was a
very brief discussion of how the budget as it stands now reflected strategic plan
initiatives, and ... and I looked at those and I ... I feel we may need to make some distinction
between what I would call, uh... in a sense business as usual' measures, uh, and strategic
plan measures. Um, for example, uh, I'm, you know, please to see that there is a ... a Parks
(mumbled) ADA improvement line. I'm pleased to see that there's a curb ramp budget
that's been doubled. But ... you know, the ADA has been around 25 years. So ... so in my
view, this is a deferred capital project we're talking about. It's not something that I would
say was ... I had in mind on the campaign trail as ... as a strategic plan initiative. It's
certainly something we need to do. Um, I support... support it, but whether it's a strategic
plan initiative, I think, is a question in my mind. So I....you know, that ... that's neither in
a way here nor there, but I just want to be clear that I don't view certain items, as listed,
as related to the strategic plan should necessarily be thought of in that ... in those terms.
Urn... strategic planning seems to be a very specific, uh, more, you know, action -oriented
issues related to the ... the needs of a specific moment rather than something that's kind of
related to, well, we have an ADA mandate. It's a civil rights issue. We need to bring
our ... our facilities in compliance, and ... and so that in my view is something
that... that... you know, really should have been done a long time ago. And I'm happy to
see that we're doing it now, but I don't view it as a strategic plan item.
Throgmorton/ Well I'd ... I'd want to say that the way I imagined things is that we would go
through the strategic plan process and identify this Council's priorities, and that the staff
would then use ... that new strategic plan to propose revisions to the budget, and to the
capital improvements program, as necessary. (both talking)
Markus/ I think that's one element of...of adding or changing it, and I think that's a critical one
and I think your comments are very thoughtful. I would just say to you, John, that ... I
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don't think, um ... you know, in terms of...of...of identifying particular projects in the
budget, I don't think they necessarily have to be time -sensitive to actually match with the
strategic objective. Um ... I would tell you across the country I doubt if anybody is 10)%
compliant with the ADA. Now I'm sure somebody's going to write me in 10 minutes and
tell me, 'Yes, this place is,' but .... what I would say to you is, if it meets the objective, it
meets the objective. It doesn't have to be just a recent idea to be able to meet the
objective, and I think it's just a category and you can discern whether, you know, this is a
new item or not. Um...
Thomas/ Yeah, I ... it's ... it's not that critical (both talking)
Markus/ Yeah!
Thomas/ ...but I don't want to pad this notion of the strategic plan with some items which, uh, I
think if you were to ask someone, you know, what are the urgent ... if you're ... say go
through a SWOT analysis of Iowa City, which I think in a way the ... you know, strengths,
weaknesses, threats, opportunities, that, you know ... people would (clicks fingers)
immediately think, 'Gosh, you know, we ... we really need to address that curb ramp issue.'
Of course the disabled community would ... would certainly (laughs)
Markus/ Where you been?
Thomas/ Yeah, but I think ... you know, there's ... I made my point I think that that's (both talking)
Markus/ I thought your comments ... I liked your comments about ... uh, the comparison between
the strategic plan and the, uh...
Throgmorton/ STAR.
Markus/ STAR program, my brain's not functioning right now. The STAR program, because
they kind of overlap, you know, a little bit in terms of (both talking)
Thomas/ They do!
Markus/ ...interconnected. (both talking)
Thomas/ I think we can re .... they can re -enforce one another.
Markus/ Absolutely!
Thomas/ Uh, the ... the STAR I think is a good baseline approach toward a very comprehensive
understanding of where our strengths are and where our weaknesses are, and then the
strategic plan in my view is a supplement to that, you know, highlighting certain aspects
of the STAR system, and bringing other issues that the STAR system really couldn't ... you
know, articulate very well because Iowa City is a unique place!
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Markus/ I wanted to mention to you, when I started here ... five -plus years ago, I came out before I
started (mumbled) a SWOT analysis with all the department heads and all of the, um,
Council Members, and we took that information and that was used as part of the ... the,
um, infusion into the first strategic plan process, which kind of led to the process for
strategic planning. So...
Throgmorton/ So we need to ... to hear from Kingsley, Pauline, and Terry.
Taylor/ This is Pauline. I ... I keep hearing in the back of my head, I think it was Susan that said
this the other day that we have unlimited demands with limited resources. I kind of keep
trying to keep that in mind but ... um ... on the lines of what John was talking about, a high
priority for me, uh (mumbled) is the infrastructure in our city, and that includes the curb
cuts as well as the streets, uh, because we kept talking about the (mumbled) the city, the
walkability of the city, and just the condition the roads in general, and I think that ... that's
going to be a high priority for me is looking at those budget items and ... and I think the
curb cuts are important because that does make it more, uh, walkable, not only for
handicapped but even seniors that are trying to ... to get places and (mumbled) look at
some of the curb cuts downtown that are already bad and they're in very poor shape, a lot
of 'em. That's all I have to say.
Throgmorton/ Right.
Dickens/ I guess I kind of fall in line with John a little bit on this, that until we get ... to that point
where we got our strategic plan that a lot of this ... there's so many things that are set that
we don't have a whole lot of play with, and we have to pick the ones that we're gonna
look at and see what we can ... move money here and there, and ... and we've done it before.
I know ... I was the one that suggested we bump up the ... the ramp, that we were only doing
50,000 every other year and...
Throgmorton/ Right.
Dickens/ ...decided to double that and it's from being on the paratransit and working with those
people on a regular basis and you see the need there, and ... that's kinda how you look at it
is each of us has different areas that we're probably a little better at than others
and ... when we get to that strategic plan, that's where we should bring out ... what areas we
think are the best. We do represent the whole city, not just an area, I mean even if you're
a District Councilman, you're representing the whole city, so ... it makes it a little tougher,
cause you ... where you live is a lot of the things you see, so ... I think as we get into the
strategic plan that there will be some ... some variances here, but there are certain things
that there's not a whole lot of...play with, because you're required by law to have certain
amounts put into certain areas. So ... I ... (mumbled) Thursday night as being very
important to (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I do too! Kingsley?
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Botchway/ Yeah, I mean I would agree as well. First and foremost, I want to, you know, in
review of fast Saturday's work session, I want to thank City staff. I ... every time I guess
I'm a part of the approach or part of going through that session, I feel like I learn
something more. Um, it is a ... it's interesting document to have to go through. Um, and I
appreciate, you know, Dennis and all City staffs, you know, attention to detail in all the
things that you put into it because I mean like I said, you know, I'm ... if I'm looking at
this, you know, this was a focus on kind of the debt service part ... analysis of and I
appreciate Dennis' thoughts on that and also Tom's, you know, kudos to Dennis as far as
being that debt service guy, and so we don't have to necessarily worry about it too much,
but that's what I first want to say, just kind of overall based on Saturday's work session. I
think I agree with Terry, as well as John, as well as, um, Jim about, you know, waiting.
You know, I think we're, you know ... I think there's a lot of good things that we ... we can
do. I think that, um, our Thursday meeting is very important because even though I think
we have a good strategic plan, um, document that we're looking at based on the copy that
I think was sent out to everyone, um, there's still a lot of questions that I have, I mean, as
far ... as far as what items we're gonna to focus on. I mean Tom and I just recently had a
conversation, um, about, you know, making sure that we're not trying to, you
know ... solve every single issue and every single problem, and I think we need to focus,
um, our ideas and our strengths on couple particular issues, um, and then kind of move
forward. If not, we're ... we're not gonna have anything manageable, or anything done
within six months, a year, whatever the case may be, and so I really feel like a lot of the
discussion needs to happen on Thursday, once we do see some of the issues, maybe
around your, um, discussion around putting $100,000 towards, um, carbon emission.
Then I think we move forward, cause it's in line with what we've all agreed to from a
tra ... strategic plan standpoint. However, I will say with Susan's question is an apt one
from the standpoint of looking at, um ... we have to make a decision and that ... that is an
important decision because if we are, I mean, as I was hearing people I was just thinking
of, you know, 100,000, 50,000, 10,000, I mean, maybe another 10,000, I mean, things are
starting to add up in my mind and are we just increasing the budget or are we going to be
willing to take some things out, as stud ... as Susan pro ... as Susan just mentioned, and so...
I thought that was what we were going to have the conversation about right now, because
if...if that's the case, and maybe this happens after the strategic planning session, um, we
have to be clear, I mean I think that's... that's the part that I'm really kind of worried about
because, um, we do have limited resources, as Pauline said, and I don't want to ... I don't
want to seem like the City's an open checkbook. I'm not saying that anybody's saying
that right now. I just ... the way we were talking it just seemed like we had money
everywhere. If that was the case there's (both talking)
Cole/ No I can commit to Susan's point. I think Susan brings up a good one. I think it's very
important that we communicate to the public that we are careful stewards to the tax
dollars and I think we start with a commitment to keep the levy where it is. ... sol ...I
would agree with that, but what I think my point is, is that I'm feeling like a very passive
participant. Uh, I ... I have not had an individual opportunity to make any proposals, to
make any suggestions, and I think that's what we're elected to do is provide oversight to
the budget.
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Botchway/ Agreed, and I think that ... that would happen in line with our strategic planning
discussion on Thursday night (both talking)
Cole/ Yep!
Botchway/ I mean that's where I feel comfortable, but again, it's up to ... the rest of the folks here.
Throgmorton/ So, Tom, a few minutes ago I ... I suggested a process, uh, which started with us
adopting a new strategic plan and then the staff coming back to us with proposed
amendments to the draft budget and CIP, uh, that seemed reasonable from a staff point of
view, but also respond to the priorities indicated by the Council in the new strategic plan.
Does that sound to you like a reasonable process?
Markus/ Yeah, it sounds very reasonable. Geoff, you have any comment?
Fruin/ Well, just (mumbled) keep in mind the March deadline. So, you know, straterc planning,
I think decisions have to be made on Thursday or the subsequent January 19 work
session, cause ... you gotta backtrack from that March date. So, um ... we'll just have to ... to
keep that in mind as we have those discussions. If we get too far down the path, it's
going to be hard to amend the budget in time (several talking)
Dickens/ ...public, once you get your preliminary budget? Is there a requirement?
Markus/ Go ahead, Dennis.
Bockenstedt/ There's a publication notice requirement, um, before the budget... public hearing of
the budget, and I believe that's (mumbled) late February where we have to publish that
notification.
Dickens/ So it isn't like 30 days or 45 days, it's...
Bockenstedt/ It's like 10 days. (both talking)
Thomas/ I like Tom's suggestion of the placeholders. I think that's a way we can ... try to meet
schedule, meet budget, and ... provide some flexibility... as we move forward.
Throgmorton/ Are we agreed then about that process and I think it's been a very stimulating
discussion so far about, uh, various ways of thinking about particular items and how to
put a cap on the whole thing. And so. So, okay! We can move forward. (several
talking) So...
Bockenstedt/ I'm sorry, Jim, the date set for the approval of the (mumbled) to publish the notice
is February 16t'.
Markus/ And the date of the hearing.
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Bockenstedt/ And the date of the hearing is March 1St
Markus/ So you could kick the hearing over if you wanted to, after you know, if you needed
more time.
Karr/ If you do that, you'll have to have a special meeting, cause you're meeting the 1St and your
next meeting's scheduled the 150'. It has to be adopted by the 15th.
Throgmorton/ Right!
Botchway/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, we might be able to do that. I think it will be a challenge to ... to complete
that process in one sitting Thursday. We will shoot for it. If we can do it, we'll do it, and
if we can't, we're gonna have to have ano... a follow-up meeting to complete that process.
We'll see how that goes. All right, uh, why don't we turn things over to ... Ron, are you
going to begin? Going through the CIP? Are we going to begin with the Airport?
(noises in background)
CIP (pg 483):
Knoche/ So, uh... (both talking)
Throgmorton/ (mumbled)
Knoche/ ...we have, uh, so what we're going to talk about today is the 2016 through 2000...2020
capital improvement program. Um, that starts on page 483 of your budget book. Uh, we
have 102 projects in the program, and 78 projects on the unfunded list. So, we're not
gonna go through all of those. We'll go through the 102 projects, uh, that are in the
funded years. Um, this year we will go through all of 'em. In the past we've maybe not
in ... included some of the projects that were ongoing, but uh, everything that's listed in the
book you'll see a slide on today. Um, I'll let Dennis talk about the ... the CIP program...
calendar.
Bockenstedt/ And I'll just ... before I get too far into this, I'll mention that in your ... if you have
your budget book with you, that the capital improvement section begins on page 483.
And then as we get into each individual project, uh, there's actually a project table of
contents on page 499. So as ... a department presents or a project comes up, you can ... if
you cannot find that particular page in the detail, you can look at that table of contents to
find that project. Um, the calendar, the ... the CIP is kind of a separate process from the
budget process; however, those two are integrated together, uh, before its presentation to
the City Council in December. Um, in September, early September, we distribute
instructions and forms to the departments. Uh, we also distribute the prior year capital
improvement program, uh, which they review, uh, through September they complete
forms and at the end of September they submit those into the Finance department. Uh,
once we receive those forms, uh, we begin to compile those and we integrate those into
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the prior year's, uh, program, uh, and pull together all those projects. We start to identify
funding sources and potential funding sources, and then in October there's two separate
meetings, uh, that a CIP Committee gets together and they review that. (mumbled) first
time, we take that back, we refine it, um, we get back together, they review it again, and
that's just to discuss those projects, how they inter -relate to one another, how they inter-
relate to what's going on in the private sector and ... and the other agencies, such as the
University and the School District. Um, and then at the end of October, uh, we try to
more or less finalize that to as much degree as possible, as we get into the operating
budget. Uh, the operating budget process really takes place through October and
November. And then in December we bring that capital improvement program and ... and
merge it in together with the operating budget, and occasionally there's some tweaks
depending on what has happened in the operating budget on that ... on that side of it. Um,
so that's the ... the process in general and ... if you have any questions about that process, I
can ... I can answer them for you. Um, this is just a ... a, uh, program or a budget by ... or a
CIP by division. You can see that the Streets is by far the largest category, where the
City has spent its capital improvement dollar. Um, and that includes a combination of,
uh, state, federal grants, uh, road use taxes, uh, and general obligation bonds. Uh, Transit
here is the second largest piece, but that's, uh, a little misrepresented because there is
a ... a .... a $20 million facility in the fifth year of the program that kind of inflates its, uh,
proportionate share of the ... of the CIP dollars. If you take that out you can see it would
shrink, uh, considerably. Um, then of course Parks, uh, is the next largest piece, uh, and
then, uh, other Public Works, which is like storm water improvements and ... and uh,
improvements of that nature. So that kind of gives you a visual representation, uh, of the
CIP dollar.
Knoche/ Um, so what we'll do, uh, you know, in the overall summary of things, so we'll go
through Airport projects. There will be six Airport projects that we'll hear about, uh, we
have two Finance projects, uh, three Fire projects, two Library projects, uh, four
Neighborhood Development Services projects, uh, 25 Parks projects, uh, one Police
project, 55 Public Works, and uh, eight projects for Transportation and Resource
Management, and then we have nine projects that are on the'on the radar' section. Uh,
basically those are projects that are ... that are either identified in the unfunded list or, uh,
there's one project there that..that is a newer project that isn't on the unfunded list. So
these are the ones that, um, did not, uh, make it into the funded, uh, as far as
recommended, uh, but are ones that, uh, we want to make you aware of, because more
than likely we'll hear about 'em within the next year. So, Dennis, um, wait, there's a few
more piece... there's a Finance piece there, Dennis.
Bockenstedt/ This is more or less the same, uh, here's a CIP by year, uh, graph and it's... fairly
usual to see larger, more expenditures in that first year of the program, and gradually
decline. Um, in this instance, uh, the first couple of years are ... are much increased
because of the gateway project. Such a large project over multiple years, that ... that really
inflates the overall dollars in those first couple of years. Um, like I said, it's normal that
you have a gradual decline. As it gets further out it's harder to predict what projects will
take place, and then that year 2020, as I mentioned, is that, uh, the ... the Transportation
facility replacement. So that kind of inflates that figure up, and then we know that there's
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some major, uh, Street projects, um (mumbled) that year, such as American Legion Road,
um, and the Mel ... Melrose Avenue. Um, by funding source, uh, this just shows you, uh,
how those projects are being paid for. And you can see the general obligation bonds is
the, uh, the number one funding source there, and that's ... we do an annual bond issue and
you'll see that as we move along through this spring. Um, this process is kind of the
beginning of that bond issue process, is you decide what's going to be funded. Um, you
know, federal grants is a large piece, and of course there's some local option sales tax, uh,
dollars that we still have on hand from the, uh, for the gateway project that's been
unspent. And then as you get down to road use and waste water (mumbled) the next
largest pieces of funding. And now I'll turn it over to Mike!
Airport pgs. 502-506):
Tharp/ Good afternoon again!
Throgmorton/ Hi, Mike!
Tharp/ The, uh, Airport capital improvement projects are funded primarily through two different
means. The federal government and the State, uh, DOT. The federal government, when
we get a .... a project that they participate in, uh, they take care of 90% of the costs. The
State, depending on the project type, can cover anywhere from 70 to 85%. Um, without
those fundings, these projects don't go forward and then the local match is a combination
of that general levy support fund, uh, transfer that ... that, uh, we get, as well as some
Airport cash that we have on hand. Uh, the first project up is the apron reconstruction
connecting taxiway.
Karr/ Mike, do you have the page?
Tharp/ Uh, 502 (both talking)
Karr/ 502 is where it starts.
Tharp/ Sorry! Uh.... the apron reconstruction, this is a project that's been, uh, kind of on the
books for a little while. Um, gets shifted around based on some different priorities, but
what it's going to do is expand our aircraft parking area. As you can see by the picture,
when we have some large events at the, uh, Airport, we do have, uh, issues with parking,
not only for a larger aircraft that have to be on pavement. Otherwise they sink into the
ground and can't move anymore, uh, to some security issues where they get far enough
away from the terminal that we can't actively get to 'em in a ... in a quick manner. Uh, if
you can see on the top right of that picture, there's actually a couple ... a couple of aircraft
far on our ... our decommissioned runway. Um ... so that's... that's that project. This is an
FAA project, so this was one of those that would, uh, be 90% covered by, uh, the FAA.
The other projects vary... are... are recent projects. Um, 3461 and 3462 are .... we ... we
anticipate going after State grant funds for. Um ... uh, the pavement rehab is a ... a smaller
piece of the rehab system that, uh, takes care of the pavement right next to the terminal
building. That's one of our last pieces of original pavement from the 1950s when the
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Airport was originally paved. Uh, the hangar A door replacement, what we'd like to do is
take the doors from the building and replace them. Right now they currently are a ... a
counterweight pulley door, and we'd update them to some electric models. 3464, 65, and
66 are all kind of, uh, a domino projects. Uh, this is coming from the ... the master plan
update that we're about to finish and send to the FAA for approval. Uh, what it will do is
change the...the aircraft that the 7-25 runway is designed for. Um ... and allows us to get,
uh, longer landing distance designations from it. Right now the landing distance
calculation is about 4,300 feet. By changing the design category, we can get, uh, and
doing these three projects, we can get up to 5,100 feet for declared, uh, landing distance.
Throgmorton/ Any questions for Mike? (several talking)
Botchway/ ...real quick, um ... on, uh.... A3464, just talks about operating (mumbled; noises in
background) Says it on a couple of others as well. Can you just explain that just a little
bit?
Tharp/ Say that again, I'm sorry!
Botchway/ The operating impact is negligible on 3464 and 3465.
Tharp/ Yeah, with the ... the category we're not really, um ... all we have to do is ... is repaint and do
some remarking, so the ... the physical assets are already there, and we're already taking
care of 'em.
Botchway/ Thanks!
Cole/ And just one quick thing, just as an overview. Tom's done a really good job of identifying
a concept or proportionality in terms of seeking funding sources from other
municipalities that may benefit from our service. Um, where are we in that in terms of
getting the other municipalities to contribute to a service that really benefits the metro
region as a whole?
Tharp/ Well, that's... that's a whole other (clears throat) excuse me! That's a whole other
conversation, um ... there are different methods of...of managing the Airport, whether it's
an Airport Commission, Airport Authority. Um, Cedar Rapids, the ... the Cedar Rapids
Airport Commission a couple of years ago did look at a regionalized Airport Authority.
Um, what it does for Iowa City can be mixed. You have to give up some ... some local
control of...of that in terms of being able to wrap in other jurisdictions. Um ... and so right
now as it is, it's still, uh, kind of 100% funded by the ... the Iowa City tax base.
Cole/ Okay. Thank you.
Throgmorton/ No other questions? Thank you, Mike.
Tharp/ Thank you!
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Finance pg 507):
Bockenstedt/ Um, I'm going to talk about the Finance department's projects. There's only, uh,
two projects, uh, in the budget and one is ... is kind of an annual placeholder that we put in
there. Um, the intention was to set aside funds to do certain, uh, like roof, boiler,
uh... repair and maintenance projects on City Hall that come up from time to time. Um,
and so right now there's not a specific project that's been allocated, but just rather a
funding source for our placeholder in the event that a project is needed. Um ... G4722,
these are all on page 507, is the phone system replacement. Uh, the phone system that we
have is ... is .... really a little ... getting to be a little technologically outdated and ... uh.....the
phone system itself I believe is about 12 years old and replacement of parts and
maintaining it is getting more and more difficult. Uh, so the intention is to go into a
planning phase this year and replace that next year, and this will be funded through our
internal service fund, uh, through their operations as they've collected fees over the years
for the phone system. Uh, next looks like the Fire department!
Throgmorton/ Well that was easy! (laughter)
Bockenstedt/ If there's any questions I'll...
Fire (pgs. 508-510):
Grier/ Good afternoon!
Throgmorton/ Hello, Chief!
Grier/ I think I have three projects, right? (mumbled) Excellent! Fire apparatus replacement
project; in 2017 we have, uh... an engine replacement; at 2018 a fire safety house
replacement. We've had the fire safety house for a number of years. We've just been
able to maintain it, so we've ... last couple times we've kicked this out a couple more years.
Our hope is that we'll be able to, uh, maintain it through 18. And then in 19 we have
another engine replacement for $895,000 as well. We do have a replacement schedule —
nine years front line and seven year reserve status. Uh, the next two, the fire/polices
storage facility relocation. Right now we are renting some property through December of
16. We have a lease with an option for another year. This ... this money would allow us to
build something that, uh, Police and Fire could share for, uh, storage of extra materials. I
don't know if the cops would want to put their evidence in there. I don't think that's the
case. I think there's more vehicle storage for them as well. But this, uh, we do have the
option for the third year on the lease, but this is, uh, something that would be beneficial if
we could get it in ... in the city. Uh, the fire training center relocation, the money that's
said in there, that's for construction of a ... a tower/prop materials that we could use within
the jurisdiction as well, so... Have any questions I'd be happy to answer 'em.
Throgmorton/ If I remember the material, um ... uh, accurately enough, Chief, uh... I ... I seem to
recall reading that ... that the ... that the fire training facility would be smaller than what
was .... than what was discussed before?
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Page 19
Grier/ Correct! (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...less expensive and so on, so could you talk about that just a little bit?
Grier/ Sure. I think my ... my initial proposal a couple years ago was a rather extensive, uh...
training center, police facility that we would all use. This one would make the storage
facility that we would both use and then the cost associated with the training center itself
would be a smaller tower and, uh, some pavement area for use of, uh, props.
Throgmorton/ Would this eliminate need, the need to go up to, uh... uh, Coralville to the ... to the
training?
Grier/ It would reduce our time going to Coralville for sure. They ... they will have a lot more
props than we would have, so we still might make occasion to go over there, but as the
City Manager mentioned, it is a regional center that we can use. We just have to have a
little forethought and planning to schedule it with them.
Throgmorton /Okay. Other questions for the Chief?
Grier/ Thank you!
Throgmorton/ Thank you.
Library (ns;s. 511-512):
Knoche/ So, in regards to the two Library projects that start on page 511, uh, the first project is
the bookmobile. This is a ... a project, a 2017 project, $250,000, uh, to purchase a
bookmobile. I believe, uh, Susan, uh, spoke about that during her operating budget
meeting, um, a little bit and then the second project for the Library is just, uh, upgrading
the HVAC controls. Um, this is a project that's, uh, currently ongoing. Um, $55,000, uh,
in 2016, and that will, uh, bring it up to date so that they would be able to do a lot more
as far as the controls remotely if needed, um, during ... during the day. So...
Neighborhood and Development Services (pgs. 513-516):
Boothroy/Uh, this one is the ... for the Riverfront Crossing development neighborhood, uh,
there ... the money that's in this area is primarily a placeholder for small, uh... upgrades to
streetscape and other types of, uh... um, amenities that would be, uh, in that particular
neighborhood. Uh, we recognize that as we plan this neighborhood going forward, there
will be additional costs that will be significantly more than the amount that's shown in the
CIP, so it's primarily a placeholder for future projects. Uh, this particular project is one
that ... a site that we've been trying to get, uh, redeveloped for several years. We now have
a developer who's interested in putting in ... affordable rental housing for seniors. There's
41 units. Uh, they're, uh, using urban renewal funds from the Towncrest Redevelopment
Area. It's located on Williams Street. If you've been out there, you would see that we've
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Page 20
redone Williams Street and really have improved the streetscape along here. It would be
nice to see, uh, them get their tax credits so that this project can go forward. Uh, I
wanted to mention again because I ... we talked about this before in terms of the ... of the
affordable units, but 12 of the units are at or below 40% area median income, and 20 of
the units are at 60% or below. So those are significantly affordable and, uh, five of the
units then, uh... uh, are at or below 30%. So, uh... most of these units are ... are significantly
affordable for, uh, low-income, uh, elderly families and it's a good project. So we won't
know until March of this year whether or not it gets its funding from the State. If it
doesn't get its funding from the State, then the $600,000 would be...it would stay in the
Towncrest redevelopment funds and be used for other projects. Uh, this ... we have
money, um...
Karr/ Doug? Excuse me! For Pauline at home who doesn't have the benefit of these, could you
either give the page or the number, G4720...
Boothroy/ I'm sorry!
Karr/ ...so she can follow along at home.
Boothroy/ This is about permitting in the cloud and I know Pauline's in the cloud, uh, on this day
today as well. Uh, G4720, uh, we're putting money in the budget to upgrade our, uh, land
use tracking system. It's called Permit Plan. It was originally, uh, purchased in
19 ... before we went live with it, 1992, uh, and it's been upgraded several times, but
it's ... it's beginning to show age, um, and we'd like to, uh, begin .... what we're doing is
we're trying to fund ahead so that when we get ready to replace it in a couple of years
we'll have the money and it won't be such a shock to the system.
Throgmorton/ So it's kinda like a succession plan for the software.
Boothroy/ (laughs) Yes it is! Not related to me at all, Jim! (laughter) Uh, and...
Markus/ I feel your pain!
Boothroy/ (laughs) Yeah, and then this is, uh, a continuation of...the remodeling, uh, we did a
remodeling project this year on the second level, where we brought Planning and ... and
Building/Housing and uh, Neighborhood Services together on one level. This is in the
lower level, uh, where the Department of...Housing Inspection Services was located. Uh,
this is primarily going to be, uh, MPO, Economic Development, uh, and as you can see, a
major conference room, uh... uh.... at the bottom of the screen, um ... and hopefully that'll
get started next year.
Parks (ngs. 517-531):
Fruin/ Okay, I'm going to walk you through Parks. Dennis, can I ask for your assistance?
Throgmorton/ Hold on, Geoffl (several talking)
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Botchway/ ....question around, um, E4514. I didn't know to stop you then or ... wait till the end.
Um, around ... (both talking)
Boothroy/ ...not sure which one that ....which one was it again?
Botchway/ Towncrest Area Redevelopment.
Boothroy/ Okay, yeah, Towncrest.
Botchway/ We've been seeing a lot of literature, you know, especially over the last two years
around, you know, the ... the really, for lack of a better word, sweet spot as far as
affordable housing being 80% of the median income. Is there any reason why, you know,
that particular... analysis wasn't used in regards to these buildings? Or these units?
Boothroy/ I'm not s ... it's below 80%. I'm not sure what your question is.
Botchway/ These are ... this is 60% of...
Boothroy/ Or less. So they're more affordable than 80%.
Botchway/ Never mind!
Boothroy/ Okay! (several talking)
Fruin/ That, uh, that's probably driven by ... partly the funding source. And ... and ... non -local
funding sources.
Throgmorton/ Thanks, Doug.
Fruin/ Okay, so I'm going to walk you through, uh, the Parks projects as Dennis' assistance here,
and uh, we are going to start on page 517 and this first slide has two projects, uh, lumped
in there together. The first one is, uh, R4130, that's our annual maintenance line item.
Um, I like to think of this as just the routine maintenance that comes up. These are
small .... typ... typically small dollar items. It could be replacement of something that's
broken. Um, a repair of a shelter, those types of things that we don't necessarily plan on,
uh, in any given year, but we know that, uh, there will be things that come up that need to
be addressed. The second project there, the Parks annual ADA accessibility line is new
to the budget. Uh, and we are suggesting $25,000 a year, uh, to help, uh, make our parks
more accessible. The first line .... the first year of this funding would be used, uh, to ... uh,
actually compile a plan. So probably to bring on an ADA specialist to ... to do an
inventory of our parks and to compile a list of projects and help us prioritize those
projects. You'd actually see work being facilitated then in the second year of the line.
Throgmorton/ Geoff, I'd just like to say I'm happy to see that line being added.
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Page 22
Thomas/ I am too!
Fruin/ Frauenholtz-Miller Park development, uh, near St. Pat's, uh, Parish on the east side of
town, uh, is something that has been hanging around the CIP for, uh, a number of years.
It still remains in an out -year in our recommendation to you, and we have that in 2019.
There is a concept plan that has been developed; however, it's been several years since
that was developed and ... and the neighborhood's grown around that site, so we would
anticipate that we would have to, uh, at a minimum go through some sort of update to this
plan before we pursue those improvements. Next, uh, still on 518 is the Riverfront
Crossings, uh, Park development and we covered a little bit of this in, uh, the operating
budget discussion on Saturday, um, but what we're really looking at here is funds that are
supplementing the flood mitigation dollars from the State. Uh, so this coming year we
have to do creek bank stabilization, uh, and the estab... and establish a wetland, uh, at the
park, and that's going to be our main focus, uh, as we move forward right now. Any
additional funds, uh, that, uh, are in this line item, um, would be used for planning
purposes or maybe some ... some small amenities to make the grounds more accessible,
but they certainly don't represent a full build -out of this park.
Dickens/ Demolition come out of last year's budget or was that a separate...
Fruin/ Uh... demolition, I don't know where we took that technically out of.
Bockenstedt/ Yeah, there was a ... a State sales tax mitigation grant and so we did an internal loan
from the sewer fund from the demolition of the sewer plant, and um, through the growth
in sales tax dollars locally, uh, those are being reimbursed to the City to repay that loan
and ... and that is what paid for the, uh, demolition of the plant and is also paying for the
creation of the wetlands.
Dickens/ Thank you.
Throgmorton/ So, with regard to .... to the Riverfront Crossings Park, uh, I'm really struck by how
close Highway 6 now seems, uh, given the fact that the admin building's been torn down.
That's ... it's like it's a stone's throw away (mumbled) way it feels.
Fruin/ I agree with ya!
Mims/ Geoff (clears throat) Excuse me! What do we project as the overall budget for
developing this park?
Fruin/ Well...
Mims/ Do we have an idea?
Fruin/ Yeah, we did some preliminary master planning and I don't know where that number
landed. Um, you know, this is the type of park where it would not be difficult to spend
$10 to $20 million.
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Mims/ Okay.
Fruin/ Um, but it...it certainly doesn't need to be that expensive either. Um ... I'd have to go back
and look at what that preliminary plan, what ... what the cost estimates were, but um,
you're... you're at least looking at several million dollars; something on the scale of Terry
Trueblood would probably be a realistic comp.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, it doesn't have to be done all at once either (both talking)
Fruin/ That's correct. And ... and we wouldn't necessarily, you know, certainly recommend or ... or
envision it all being done at once. Uh, we're doing some advanced planning this year
with ... with phase one of the project and uh... uh, you know, I think we'll ... we'll start to
develop a phasing plan. Um, from ... from my point of view, I think the ... the most
important thing are to take care of the foundational improvements, which we're doing
with phase one, at least partly, and that's the ... the, uh, Ralston Creek, um, stabilization.
We know we need to get in, do the same thing on the Iowa River side, and to me before
ya start puttin' up shelters and restrooms or amphitheaters or whatever else we can dream
that might go in there, you really have to take care of those foundational type
improvements and ... and that starts with the river.
Dickens/ Should there be a placeholder for 18, 19, and 20 then? 500,000 or is it something that
would (both talking)
Fruin/ We had in last year's budget we had three years of $500,000 recommended to you.
Because of some of the other changes that ... that we're recommending, we dropped out
one of the 500,000. Um, I think as we move along with phase one and we get some of
the advanced planning done, we'll have plenty of time this summer and fall to take
another fresh look at it. Um, that also ... has the benefit of we'll know what the gateway
project comes in ... and Washington Street and some of these large ticket items, but once
we get the bids on those, it...it influences a lot of what we can do in..in the out -years for
some of these other projects.
Mims/ I would just certainly encourage the Council and staff to look at this in terms of...I know
we've got a big issue of getting City Carton moved, which eventually will happen, and
that will make that whole area, um, much more attractive, um, and developable, but I see
this as also a huge economic development project, and not simply a Parks and Rec
department ... uh, project, and so I ... and I know staff looks at this way, but I think
with ... with careful thought as we go forward, um ... looking at putting more money into
this sooner if we can balance it with other things to also help jumpstart some of the
economic development on the south side of Riverfront Crossings would be ... a good thing.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I ... I agree with Susan on that.
Fruin/ The City Park cabin restoration, these two cabins are located in Upper City Park and last
year these were budgeted for, uh, replacement or refurbishment I should say in 2018. Uh,
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due to the conditions of the cabins, we are, um, recommending that that be accelerated to
2016. So that'd be undertaken this year. Um, these are both on the National Register.
They, um, are to the point now where they're not usable. We actually haven't
programmed in these cabins since 2009. Um, and they were relocated to Upper Park,
Upper City Park back in, uh 1918 and they've been functioning in that capacity until
2009. So, we have a ... a set of plans in place, uh, to refurbish those. We're prepared to do
that this year and we think we should go ahead with that, um ... otherwise I'm not sure
they'll make it through too many more winters. Uh, City Park, uh, pool cabana shelters,
this is the addition of...of two, um, cabana shelters that, uh, were part of the, uh, master
plan when the pool was redone a couple of years ago and unfortunately the bids came in a
little high and this is something that we ... we, uh... uh, scaled out at that time, so this is
placing those two back in there. Um ... very popular, uh, potentially for birthday parties
and other gatherings of that nature.
Mims/ Geoff, I get frequent comments from people, Iowa City residents, about our pool facilities
versus those of some of our neighbors. And the fact that they actually find it much more
attractive to go there and some ... for day passes I don't think they have to pay anymore
than residents of those communities do. I know this is a huge, huge ticket item to ... you
know really rebuild this and add, you know, slides and ... you know, all the other kinds of
amenities that some of these neighboring communities have at their pools. Um, I ... I
would be interested, I don't know if staff ...if the rest of Council is, at some point — and
not for this budget year that we're doing now — and I don't know how much Parks and
Rec Commission has looked at this and just said, you know, it's just so outrageously
expensive and we can't do it, but seeing a plan of how we could do a complete
refurbishing of this and really upgrading it, and along with that what kind of, urn ... and I
don't know if you can do it with a project like this, if there's any kind of private
fundraising or anything like that that we could get to help, but ... when you look at our
pool versus the other community pools in the area...
Fruin/ It's a product of its time (both talking)
Mims/ Yeah, we don't... compare very well anymore (laughs)
Fruin/ Yeah, you know we ... we have a very traditional pool. The other, uh, newer facilities in
the area are more of the family aquatic center, um, types of models and ... um, as you
could probably imagine, our staff has dreamed up all kinds of things that we could do,
and so we could present some of those concepts to you. I think that has been a point of
discussion, uh, at the, um, Parks Commission before. Upper City Park is a ... is a
challenging location, um, just in that if you're going to do a ... a large expansion to the
pool, it's going to mean a lot of trees, um, that come down too, and ... and so, but there are
some ways to ... to potentially add on and create that more of an aquatic center type of feel.
Um, I know a lot of pools of this vintage have expanded into major splash pads, not
necessarily the neighborhood splash pads that you see at Wetherby, um, and other places
that we've ... we've done those, but something that would be more of a ... attraction, uh, an
all -day type of event. So, urn ... we can certainly look deeper into that.
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Throgmorton/ (both talking)
Taylor/ (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Go ahead, Pauline!
Taylor/ ...any decrease in revenue over the years in comparison to like since Coralville revamped
theirs to more of an aquatic center, versus, uh, amount coming in at City Park?
Fruin/ I don't know what the ... the two revenue, you know, what the two, urn ... proformas would
look like side-by-side. I ... I can tell ya most if not all municipal, uh, pool operations lose
money. Uh, they're... that's a reason that, uh, we're in this business and the private sector's
not in this business. So, urn ... you know .... it ... I don't imagine at the end of the day the
profit/loss looks a whole lot different because those facilities are much more expensive to
maintain, um, so I wouldn't even be surprised if, from a profit standpoint, we're ... we're
maybe better off than they are, but it's a ... it's just a different offering.
Taylor/ (mumbled)
Markus/ It has to do with the age too. If they're still trying to, you know, amortize debt on a
facility, you know, that ... that number's going to look very different in terms of what their
obligations are. I would guess we .... we don't have any debt on any of this right now.
Fruin/ That's correct.
Botchway/ I was simply going to state that I would agree, I mean, I don't think the comments
have been frequently coming to me until like, you know, this last year, cause my son in
looking for places to have more, you know, family engagements or fun engagements
around the pool, but it is an area of concern, um, not just for, you know, um, that ... but
just also access, I mean, um, when you talk about location, um, that's something that has
been talked about as well, I mean, it's in that location that ... I think people appreciate that,
but if you were to kind of think a bit from a concept standpoint, you know, are there other
areas that wouldn't cut down as many trees, I mean ... would we be looking at ... I don't
think Susan was particularly alluding to this, but maybe a ... another area, um, for a pool,
and again, I know the cost will be astronomical, but I would just be interested to see what
(mumbled) and again, in particular that ... making sure that the trees were (both talking)
Fruin/ Yeah, we ... we have three pools for the community. A ... a community of our size is ... is
quite a ... quite a few, so, uh, before we would go onto the fourth, I'd strongly recommend
looking at one of those existing three, and um ... just -just to give you some order of
magnitude, uh, page 585 is ... is the unfunded list for ... for Parks and Rec, and item 61
there, uh, talks about aquatic enhancements to City Park, so you can see that we have
been thinking about these, and we've penciled in a number of 4.5 million. Um, obviously
that can go up or down considering what type of amenities you want to include in that
type of project.
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Throgmorton/ So I want to quickly toss in my two -cents worth. Uh, maybe there's a, um
(mumbled) an age difference here, but IA really like City Park, and I ... think we have to
think long and hard about spending six or more million dollars for a new, um, pool there,
or anywhere else, when we could be spending that money for some other purpose. That
said, I have no idea whatsoever how the broad public of Iowa City feels about this
particular point. None whatsoever. So...
Thomas/ Well fortunately there's a Parks master plan update coming up, so I think that would be
the opportunity to in effect do a strategic plan for the Parks and Recreation system,
identifying, you know, needs and where there are gaps in service and so forth.
Fruin/ You're gonna have a new Parks ... you have a new Parks and Rec Director (both talking)
bring a lot more expertise than I'm bringing to the table right now (laughs) so, um, she's
gonna have some good insight for ya.
Thomas/ My ... my, I mean, I love City Park. I haven't gone to the pool. I haven't actually used it,
but I love the setting for it. I think it's a beautiful, unique setting there. (several talking
and laughing) You know, maybe in that regard, I mean, pools are very expensive.
So ... the fact that North Liberty has one. Great! We can use that and, uh, they ... they lose,
you know, they're very expensive to maintain.
Dickens/ Well, people drive to these water parks.
Thomas/ Yeah!
Dickens/ I mean ... people even from our location will drive to Dubuque or the...
Mims/ Waterloo area.
Dickens/ Waterloo area to these ... these major water parks, so you're gonna lose some of those
anyway, so ... you know, if we can operate'em without a major cost, I'd be interested in
looking at that, but making'em... you know, the Taj Mahal of...of water parks, I don't
know that we can afford that.
Throgmorton/ So, Terry, we can't glide over too quickly what you said about meeting your wife.
Were you a handsome lifeguard or something at the time?
Dickens/ No! I was lucky to be able to float! (laughter) Not a great swimmer!
Fruin/ Okay, keeping us moving, R4189 is our Emerald Ash Borer response plan. This is
$75,000 a year, uh, for all five years. We would imagine that this would continue beyond
five years to maybe 10 or 15 years. It's really to facilitate the removal and replanting of
our estimated 2,000 ash trees, uh, that we have that are the public's responsibility.
Pheasant Hill Park renovation, uh, this is a project where we have some open space funds
that are set to expire in a couple of years. Um, it's, uh, one of the last playground areas
that we have that still uses sand as a base, uh, so, uh, this would be a refurbishment of
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that playground area. Uh, Pheasant Hill Park is located on the east side, uh, with access
off of Green Mountain. Happy Hollow, uh, shelter and bathroom upgrades, uh, another,
um ... uh, smaller neighborhood park project here. You can see the combined
shelter/restroom structure there. Um ... we are moving away from these combined
structures and ... and this is one that is in need of replacement. Uh, so this is, uh, $150,000
to meet those needs.
Thomas/ Geoff, on ... on that particular project, um, I would be interested first in terms of the
shelter replacement, that it goes to a neighborhood discussion, and uh... I ... I would also be
interested in seeing if it ... other park improvements at Happy Hollow, uh, could be
brought into that discussion as well.
Fruin/ The ... the 150 is really, um, an amount to address that, so (both talking) beyond that we
would have to increase the budget for that project, and with all these neighborhood
projects, um, we will do neighborhood outreach beforehand, um, so you're seein' that
on ... on Pheasant Hill and then here with Happy Hollow as well.
Dickens/ Cause you do have like Miller-Frauenholtz, it's been ... getting pushed back and that area
is really growing (mumbled) All there is is a garbage can that I ... at least I was able to
secure a garbage can there, so ... kinda hate to see putting money on ones that we already
have structures that they do need some replacement, but we also have a park that's
designated there that has got nothing for (mumbled) keeps getting pushed back year after
year, so ... I think we need to balance that a (both talking)
Thomas/ Well I ... maybe in terms of the overall City budget we might be able to (both talking)
Dickens/ ...yeah...
Thomas/ ...pull money from some other location.
Dickens/ I played at Happy Hollow many years too, so it's ... it's a great park there.
Fruin/ Moving to 522 ... page 522 in your budget, uh, the Ashton House patio improvement
project. This is 100% grant -funded through the State REAP program. Uh, this was really
spearheaded by Project Green and uh, they will lead the design and construction of the
improvements, uh, which it's an expanded, uh, paved area in the rear, a new pergola, and
uh, landscaping, uh, which will make the, uh, property even more attractive for ... for
private rentals. Intra -city bike trails is a reoccurring line that you'll see in the CIP. This
is really maintenance and small expansions of our trail network, um, consistent with our
trail master plan. Hickory Hill trail design and development, uh, this is one that is, uh,
a ... a carry-over from last year's CIP. We have just brought on a consultant on -board to
help us with a new master plan for Hickory Hill Park and uh, we expect that, uh, there'll
be a number of, uh, projects identified, mostly bridge and ... and uh, trail improvements.
So through the planning process this year we'll have a good idea of what those projects
are, and then you'll see that we have three years of funding at $200,000 to address
whatever that master park ... that master plan produces.
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Throgmorton/ Geoff, on this point, a friend of mine who's been an avid user of the park
and's.... (mumbled) lot of energy toward it over the years has told me that, uh, there's
significant problems with the bridges within the park. I haven't walked 'em recently so I
don't know personally, but I understand that's the case.
Fruin/ Yeah, I think there's... there's still at least one ... Ron, you want to mention the flood update.
Knoche/ So we had a ... we had one bridge that was washed out in 2013, not tec... not basically
washed out but it was pushed downstream. So it's still in usable fashion. It's an old, uh,
power pole or telephone pole bridge. Uh, we're in the process now working with
Schumaker, Holland to get a replacement for that bridge, uh, and that we'll also work
with the master plan group just to make sure that we ... we have it sited in the right spot
and, uh, and move it forward, and I believe there... there's two projects left, uh, from that
flood event, or that ... that natural disaster, uh, to get things finished up, uh, through
FEMA, so...
Throgmorton/ Yeah, good deal!
Fruin/ So a few things in the works, and then these resources will provide some additional help
in gettin' us to where we need to be. Highway 1 sidewalk/trail, this is, uh, the second
phase of a project that we undertook a couple years ago with that ... with that trail. This
would take the extension, uh, all the way from Sunset where we left it to Mormon Trek,
and I think provides a really nice connection if we, uh... um, when we end up completing
the Mormon Trek Road diet and bike lane project, um, really makes a nice connection
north/south and then east/west along these two major arterials, or highway in this case.
Page 524 of your budget is the sustainable roadway vegetation management program,
again an annual funding line. Um, we are experimenting right now with some natural
plantings that, uh... uh, could help us move to more no -mow areas along trails and
roadways, uh, so our ... our Parks department, again, is, um, experimenting with what the
best approach would be and they have, um, a funding line here to help them, uh, along
their way. Waterworks Park boat ramp, uh, this is a picture of the existing parking lot at
Waterworks Prairie Park, and um, we are going to look at the feasibility of establishing a
boat ramp in this location. There's currently not one available on this side of the dam,
and we occasionally get requests from the public to, uh, have a location for a ... for a boat
ramp. So this is out a few years. It gives us some time to ... to look at what that might
look like here, but this seems like a natural area for it, given that there's already a lot of
pavement in place at this location. Willow Creek, Kiwanis Park improvements, we are
currently underway with phase one of the project, which is, uh, trail enhancements and
some, uh, backstops for the ... the ball diamonds out there. Uh... this, uh, particular line
will fund two more years at $150,000 a year to complete the master plan that we
undertook. That will include stabilization, um, of the, uh, creek and also a new, uh,
shelter, um, restroom, uh, there at Willow Creek, and a new playground at Willow Creek.
This is the Robert A. Lee Rec Center phase two improvements line, R4329. Uh, this is
looking at improvements to the lower level, uh, and uh, pictured here is the gym, the, uh,
basketball hoops, uh, need to be replaced, the acoustic paneling in the gym,
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refurbishment of the floor, really working within the existing footprint there, but uh,
modernizing it and ... and taking, uh, care of some deferred maintenance. It also stretches
out into the lobby, uh, where we have our front desk, customer service desk, and there'll
be some enhancements out there. Um, $4330 is an annual funding line that we have, um,
just to take care of miscellaneous needs at our rec centers. They, uh, are 50 years and,
uh.... uh, over 20 years old, and so you can imagine there's a lot of, uh, maintenance items
that ... that need to be, uh, taken care of. Um, this is also a line where we, um, continue to
work on, uh, the, um .... ADA plan that we had done for these two facilities several years
ago, so those... facilities were both reviewed by an ADA specialist and we have a ... a list
of projects that they identified and we use this, uh, line item to chip away at those. This
is a picture of Alexander Elementary and the gym within. Uh, you compare that gym to
the picture a couple slides ago and you can see this is more of what, uh, a ... a modern
gym, uh, looks like. Um, we set aside $750,000 for, uh, the expansion of Alexander gym,
and a 28E is pending. Uh, that'll come before you at some point, uh, this coming year.
We can joint program out of this space with the School District, and the money in the
budget for 2017 anticipates a similar arrangement at the new Hoover, uh, Elementary
School location.
Thomas/ Geoff, on that particular issue I know you and I have talked about ... you know, the
potential for 28E agreements on other school sites.
Fruin/ Yeah.
Thomas/ And, uh, I didn't see in the five-year plan any ... any plans, other than to do ... Alexander
and the ... the new east elementary, so I just wanted to ask ... that five-year plan can always
be amended to...
Fruin/ Oh absolutely! The ... these capital improvement plans change every year when they come
before the Council, and uh, it'll just, you know, as we're in communication with the
School District on their, uh, facility plan, I think particularly after they resolved the ... the
referendum question here in a couple of years, we'll know exactly where they're going to
be investing their dollars. We've expressed to them an interest in exploring these types of
partnerships, not only at new schools, but some of the existing schools. Uh, sometimes
that's challenged by the amount of land, uh, that we have or the types of projects that
they're pursuing at those older schools, but they know we have an interest. We see great
values in these neighborhood facilities, and frankly for ... for $750,000, we gain quite a bit,
um, when it comes to programming opportunities.
Throgmorton/ Would you elaborate on that a little bit, Geoff? What really do we gain from the
750...
Fruin/ We ... we get the ability, first, uh, more space so we can accommodate more groups. Um,
second they're geographically centered in different areas of the community, uh, so we can
access, uh, people easier. Urn ... uh, it's just... it's.... from a financial, um, standpoint, the
one-time capital expense as opposed to owning a new facility, you know, if we were
going to go and look at a ... a new rec center on the ... on the south side, you're talking a
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multi-million dollar investment and then hundreds of thousands of dollars every year
in ... in maintenance and utilities and operation. So by just expanding what was going to
be there already, um, it's a much more sustainable financial model for us. So I think it's
both more space to do, uh, to meet the needs, uh, to program locally within the
neighborhoods, and then ... to make sure we can sustain 'ern financially.
Markus/ I think, you know, the other thing I would say is that ... even though the School District is
taxing over the entire district, um, kinda this partnership opens up facilities that otherwise
would be probably dark on certain evenings and certainly on weekends and I think as
time goes on, you might see these more turn into more neighborhood type center type
facilities, not just for recreation.
Throgmorton/ I think that's ... (both talking) ...what I'm trying to get at really.
Markus/ ...I think that ... I think that's something that could evolve over time, um ... but it's just, I
mean, you've already got a parking lot there, right? So ... if you were to build your own
facility, you'd have to build parking. You'd have to do all the other things that you
typically do. So ... I think this is just a better management and investment in ... in resources
that already exist and not double up on'em. So...
Thomas/ Yeah, I would say too that it's ... it's, um, a reflection of the fact that we don't, in my
view in Iowa City, have the same safety issues that other cities may have where, uh, a
school district may say we just simply... won't... are unwilling to risk opening up our
facility to the general public. So, I know in San Francisco this ... this concept would only
be possible in certain parts of the city.
Markus/ Sure.
Thomas/ So this is a great, I think a great concept of in effect multi -use, you know, we've been
pro... promoting this idea of multi -use, mixed use, uh, you know, I would include
additionally the idea of, um, the park area, the .... you know, the school sites are not well,
in my view, designed as outdoor spaces. They're very minimal, you know, they mow and
then they move on, and so ... in those neighborhoods where we don't have adequate park
facilities, aside from indoor facilities, I think there's some potential there as well.
Markus/ I just think that ... that kind of comment and you know the eventual use of maybe
neighborhood, I think is while John points out the difference between here and San
Francisco, I would point out that these concepts are way more advanced in other places as
well, and so ... this is kinda the, I think, the minimal. I think we could go even further
with this kind of collaboration, and in ... in Alexander, did they ... how many acres did they
actually purchase down there? Do you remember, John? Is it ... I mean it's substantially
more than I think...
Thomas/ ...16 acres (both talking)
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Markus/ ...what they needed, so there is the potential to use those grounds for other uses as well,
and... eventually as we evolve these conversations, hopefully it leads to much better uses
of...the same tax dollars. You know, just because it has a different name (mumbled)
where it comes from.
Fruin/ Yeah we ... we certainly are in ... have had those conversations with School officials, um, for
the ... the property outside of the, you know, the gym. Uh, we've ... we've talked about, uh,
running programs in there, in their park space too, so I (both talking)
Markus/ And they seem open to that?
Fruin/ They are very open to it, yeah. And ... and you know, I don't think you'll see us
recommend this type of partnership with every school that ... that they're renovating. Um,
you know, for us if we can get them in key geographic locations, we've got south ... we're
lookin' at, um going east, uh, we'd love to look at something at Weber or Horn on the
west side, and perhaps, uh... in a core area downtown, uh, that would serve the ... the north
and core areas of...of Iowa City. So ... we have to be a little bit strategic and opportunistic
at the same time, depending on what they're doing. This is a facilities maintenance
project, upgrading BAS controls. This is, um ... uh, an initiative that's probably in year
two or three, going through all of our facilities and trying to modernize the controls to ... to
maximize, um ... uh, our ability to ... to cut down on energy use and ... and just be smart, uh,
operators of the different buildings. So the funding line here includes updated controls at
both rec centers and City Hall. Uh, this is a project that was recently completed. Uh,
you'll see a new partition there on the ... on the screen that was placed in the Mercer,
uh... um, Park Aquatic Center there. This is, uh, the Procter and Gamble room, if you're
familiar with that, uh, facility. Uh, so that was actually a completed project ... as of couple
weeks ago. Another project at, uh, Robert A. Lee Center, um, outside of this entrance
here — this is the Gilbert Street entrance, the upper level there has a waiting area and staff,
uh, area, uh, and we have some ideas on how we can convert that to a more usable space
for the public. So those plans are ... are being refined, um ... and this project is, well,
scheduled for 2017, uh, could slow down and ... and get bumped in future years if we go
through that park master planning process. The next two projects, uh, page 530 and 530
respectively, um, deal with the pedestrian mall. The first one is R4339, Black Hawk
Mini Park, uh, and you see the latest renderings of the design. We have taken design all
the way through the, um ... uh, design detail stage, so really what's left is the production of
construction documents for this particular part, uh, project. This phase, um, right now we
envision, um .... uh, starting at ... from the alley behind the Park ... the Park at 201 building
and working its way towards Washington Street. You'll see the, uh, proposed Balmond
art piece, uh, located there. Um, that, um, is not part of this project in terms of, you
know, what the budget holds for it. It's a 500... estimated to be a $500,000 piece that
would be privately fundraised for, and uh, we're going to be talking to you about that on
your ... uh, next Council agenda, which is January 19th, uh, about a .... a fundraising, uh,
partnership with the Downtown District. The east -west wing, uh, pedestrian mall
reconstruction, um, this would be ... um, penciled in for 2019 and uh, really tackles
the ... the remainder of the pedestrian mall. Um, now I want to stress, while Washington
Street was a complete reconstruction, this is not a complete reconstruction of the ped
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mall. This is, um, targeting areas where we know we have some maintenance issues and
um, trying to, uh, trying to address those issues in a ... in a comprehensive fashion. So, uh,
many of the planters, many of the trees and ... and that sort of thing stay where they are.
Uh, but where you see depressions in the brick and, um, other maintenance items, those
are ... those are being addressed here, and then of course there's upgraded amenities that
are, uh, associated with it as well. Uh, two of these pictures show an updated stage, um,
amenity, uh, that, uh, is ... is .... is part of the plan.
Throgmorton/ Before you go on, Geoff, uh, I ... I think I need to say that, uh, one of the things I'm
struck by is that this five-year CIP has roughly $15 million in it for downtown projects,
uh, including the two intersection reconstructions, Washington Street, ped mall, and
Black Hawk Mini Park, and back when I was on the streetscape design committee, one of
the things I said ... many times I think was that one of my concerns is that from a public
point of view, it appears as though we're investing a lot of money in the downtown and
not enough in other neighborhoods. Now it's very clear (laughs) lot of money's being
invested in other parts of the city, but there certainly, uh... uh, significant portions of our
population that don't ... that feel like none of the money's comin' their way, to put it in sort
of crude terms. Uh, so I think this is something we need to talk about, and this is
probably not the precise moment to do that, uh, but I'm just conscious of that tension.
Fruin/ I certainly understand your ... your point there. One item I'd urge you to consider with that
is ... is I think when you look at where we're investing our dollars as a city, uh, while we
present a five-year plan to ya, I think you have to look much longer period, uh, that that.
Um, you know we've spent, you know, with the First Avenue grade separation, Lower
Muscatine, and Sycamore improvements, uh, $15, $20 million pretty easily, in one small
area of the community there. We don't expect to have to go back there and do, you know,
and work on those streets for 20, 30, 40 years hopefully, and ... and ideally the ... the same,
the same as downtown. When we do Washington Street, I certainly hope that we're not
there reconstructing that street again in ... in 15 or 20 years. So, um ... I ... I completely
understand where you're comin' from. You did, uh, state that numerous times in the
committee meetings and we've tried to be sensitive to this. One of the changes from last
year's budget to this year's budget is we ... we dropped Dubuque Street, uh, reconstruction
from last year's CIP and we're not recommending that be within the five-year. That has
slipped to the unfunded. And that's partly because there were priorities in other parts of
the community that ... that we identified at the staff level. So we try to be cognizant of
that, but we also recog.... we have to take a look at...at least where we feel those dollars
are most impactful.
Throgmorton/ With regard to the point I raised, uh, this I think is an instance where that 3-D GIS
capability that we discussed on Saturday, uh, could play a significant role, because then
it's all about visualizing where the money's being spent, where revenue's being generated
and so on.
Thomas/ Well I think the other thing I would add is, you know, if people ... and I'm sure there are
concerns about what about my needs, you know, that ... that there's some understanding
that in the long-term ... you know, that those are ... have been identified and that there is a
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plan to address them. I think ... I think that can help. It's like waiting for the bus without
knowing when it's coming, you know. You get anxious! (laughs) So...
Dickens/There's a lot of tax dollars generated in that University impact area too, so...
Fruin/ That's right.
Throgmorton/ Right, yeah. Of course.
Mims/ Terry, I was thinking the same thing because to me it comes back to the comment Tom
made the other day. When you brought up the GIS thing, John, of that could be really
good, but depending upon how you divide everything up, you could also end up in a
situation with certain areas of the community saying, wait a minute! Look at the
percentage of tax dollars that are coming from us and look at the percentage of tax dollars
we're getting back. So it's ... it can, I think (both talking)
Dickens/ Kinda like Iowa versus the U.S.
Mims/ I mean it's ... it's gonna be kind of...it could end up being somewhat of a double-edged
sword, but I think it still is beneficial to have it ... to have that information. So...
Fruin/ Creekside Park redevelopment is on the bottom of page 531. This is recommended to be
funded in 2017. Up this is, uh, a park, um, that uh.... has a number of aging facilities, and
on top of that, uh, we, uh, plan to acquire a couple of, um, homes in this area that are
adjacent to the park from our, uh, with some State buyout funds that we've applied for
and ... and we're in the process of working through that. So we'll have an expanded park
area. I think it's important that, um, we do a new master plan at this park, uh, involve the
neighborhood, and then have some resources to ... to carry that out. As we look at this
park now, we kinda scratch our head internally. With the parks, uh, I know the Park staff
does. Most of the amenities are located in the most flood prone areas of the park, so, um
I think we just need to take a step back and re -imagine what this park can and should be.
Dickens/ Cause upstream... water retention affected this at all or .... I know it flooded just a couple
years ago.
Fruin/ Yeah, I don't know, Ron, if you're ... if you have any comments on that. I don't know the
history of the flooding in this park too well .... too well.
Knoche/ I ... I think the, you know, the addition of the detention basins, uh, upstream has helped,
you know, obviously in Hickory Hill Park. Um, one of the issues here is just the
condi .... uh the conveyance issues with the bridges in the area, and so, uh, F Street, uh,
water runs over there quite a bit and uh, and with that it...it pushes it back into the park.
Police (pg 532):
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Knoche/ All right, for the Police project, uh, basically it's ... it's just a ... it's a maintenance project,
um, that's on page 532. Um, we have, uh, flooring replacement and cabinet replacement.
Uh, you can see the cabinets aren't in very good pla... condition in the photo and uh,
there's some issues with the carpeting. That's identified as a 2018 project, $129,890. All
right. Um, want me to keep continuing or want to take a break? Keep going? All right!
Public Works (,pgs. 533-574):
Knoche/ Uh... (several talking and laughing) Yeah, it's kinda... kinda (mumbled) Come on up
(mumbled) All right, so .... uh, in regards to the Public Works projects, uh, I can ... yeah.
Um. So we have, uh, the first project is ... starts on page 534. Um, it's annual ... I'm wrong!
It starts on 533! Um, is the Normandy Drive storm sewer replacement project. Um, this
is, uh, down on Normandy Drive. We have a storm sewer that needs to be replaced, uh,
out to the Iowa River. Um, t his structure here, uh we're looking at rebuilding it, allowing
for a temporary pump to be put in, and uh... um, just in regards to the flood ... uh, flood
fighting, as needed. Uh, the way the elevations work out in this area, we ... we can keep
up to 100 -year floor event out of Normandy Drive, um, so this just would ... would help us
be able to .... to fight that in a ... in a more efficient manner than what we do now. Um...
Mims/ Ron, will that have a backflow?
Knoche/ It will, yep. So what... basically we'll build it as a pump structure, um, and ... the, a
gate ... a gate valve on it, open normally, closed during flood fighting.
Mims/ Okay.
Knoche/Um, on Stevens Drive is, uh, a ... another structure. We have a structure that sits, uh,
further back, um .... in ... in regards closer to Sand Lake, and um, we ... we had ... we
temp ... we set ... we currently set up temporary pumps and pump out during large flood
events. Um, we have, uh, we can rebuild that structure and, uh, we have... what's... what's
kinda driving, uh, both these projects — part of it is .... is maintaining existing
infrastructure, uh, but we do have pumps left over from the demolition of the north plant,
the waste water plant, to be able to ... to, um, locate at these places. Um ... for the first time
you're seeing an annual storm water improvements, uh, line item. Uh, $240,000 a year.
This had ... or in the past has been located in the operating budget, so it was ... it was taken
care of there. Um, this just brings it to the forefront. So, um, as ... as you see with the
issues that we come up across, uh, we have aging, uh, intake issues, um, the ... what you
see here is the die that's used to,um, identify where the leaks are ... are occurring at.
That's ... it's not, uh... uh, antifreeze comin' in there (laughter) Um, the ... we have
a ... what ... what we try to do in Iowa City is ... is convert our graded intakes to, uh, open,
curb (mumbled) curb opening inlets, uh, just to relief some of the maintenance issues
that come up with leaves, uh, blocking these, uh, and then we have conversions of drains
(mumbled) storm sewer systems and then just upgrading, uh, existing storm sewer
systems, uh, throughout the network. Um ... and with regards to, uh, M3632, Lower
Muscatine area storm sewer improvements — um, obviously we just did a major upgrade
in this area. The ... what we couldn't address with those is the, uh, the lack of storm sewer
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and the lack of storm water conveyance within the ... the older neighborhood. Uh, so what
we've identified here is a project, um, that is a $750,000 project to go through and add
storm sewer, uh, onto the exiting system that we have, uh, to, uh, better convey that water
in that area. Um ... page 535 is the vehicle wash system, uh, we have, uh, this is a picture
of the current, uh, facility that we have at the Riverside Drive location. Um, this would
be taking, uh, and building a new facility over at the Public Works' site, uh, at Napoleon
Lane and uh, Gilbert Street. Uh, just a......a project that we had originally, um, budgeted
in previous years. Uh, the ... the budget that we had, uh, did not, um, meet the needs that
we had as far as the ... the facility that we needed to build, uh, this is a $1.1 million. Um,
in ... in regards to, um, basically what we're doing at the Public Works site, uh, we're
currently in the process of doing a master plan, uh, for the ... for the whole complex. Um,
that ... that master plan, uh, basically is looking at, uh, everything south of Napoleon Lane
and to the west of Gilbert Street. So, uh, you know, we had the foresight, uh, and ... and
with some previous Public Works' directors to ... to purchase a majority of that location.
Uh, there is a smaller, uh, commercial, uh, commercially zoned, uh, property at the
corner of the inter....at the corner of the intersection of Gilbert and ... and uh, south Gilbert
Street. Uh, what we ... what we're doing right now in that master plan is identifying
whether or not we can, uh, fit all the needs on the site that we have, basically converting
to a munic... a municipal campus, or whether we need to look at the purchase of...of that
corner lot also to be able to meet all of our needs. Um, the project P3959, um, is ... is kind
of the initial shot at ... at, uh, consolidating and building a building ... and locating a
building, uh, down there for us to, um relocate off of the Riverside Drive location. Um,
you know that ... that municipal campus right now as it's framing up, uh, if we can fit
everybody's needs on it would be Streets, uh, Water, uh, Transit, uh, Police/Fire ... Police
and Fire, uh, storage, and also the potential relocation or build... building of the new Fire
training center there. Um, and then we already have on that site, you know, salt storage
and we have the Animal Shelter located on that site. So it's ... it's really, um, I ... coming
out to be a .... a, really a municipal campus for us.
Dickens/ How much do we spend on rent right now with all the other facilities that we're using in
the ... in the meantime?
Knoche/ I believe what we ... what we spent right now is $13,000 a year, um, and that's ... and that's
basically, uh, running the two buildings that we have at the Fairgrounds. Um, and then
just, you know ... there's additional, uh, work and ... and dollars that go into that, just
moving stuff around to get stuff indoors and move stuff outdoors as needed. Uh, the
P3974, uh, page 537 is the Riverside Drive pedestrian tunnel project. So, um, this would
be, um ... uh, boring, or you know, boring a pedestrian tunnel underneath the Iowa
Interstate Railroad, uh, embankment, uh, along Riverside Drive. Uh, this project really is
starting to become a ... a higher priority for us, obviously, as the Hannick prop.... project is
moving forward, uh, at the old ... the old Dodge dealership site. Um, that project is, uh,
$1.5 million. We have, uh, done the feasibility study and the ... the feasibility study is, um,
coming back as a good, uh, as we can do it. It was, uh... uh, a lot of research went into it
and a lot of historical documents were pulled out to make sure that we weren't going to
drill into something that we didn't want to in regards to that embankment. Uh, P3976, uh,
the Idyllwild storm water drainage diversion. Um, this would, uh, be, um ... taking ... the
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larger drainage area that comes in to the north of Foster Road, uh, and going to an open
flow or enclosed flow structure out to the Iowa River. Um, right now what occurs with
the drainage that comes off of north of Foster is it actually goes through the detention
basin system at Idyllwild. Um ... the ... the neighborhood itself is looking at some potential
projects to help their flood fighting capabilities. Um, what we would be looking at with
this project is, um, not necessarily diverting all the flow from that, cause obviously, uh,
there's going to be some need to have flow in their deten... in their ponds, um, but in the
larger events, being able to take it directly to the river versus having them having to
pump it or ... or, you know, work through another... another project of that nature.
Uh... page 538 is the Iowa City gateway project. Uh, this, uh, this project is, um ... is ... is,
you know, well underway. We have, uh... uh, the plans completed. We have property
acquisition ongoing. Uh, this project is, uh, framing up at this point in time to be the
largest capital project we'll ... we'll undertake in the history of Iowa City. Uh, the project
itself, uh, total project is identified at $59 million. Um, this project, uh, in ... in previous
budgets what you'd seen, um, is the ... the gateway project. There's a Park Road three-
laning project, and a ... a sanitary sewer project that went along with that. Um, so it's, uh,
you know, as we raise ... as we raise the road, uh, to the 100 -year event and beyond, um, it,
uh... we're really looking at upgrading the whole corridor in regards to utilities that are
there — water, sewer, storm sewer. Uh, we're also working with the private utilities, uh,
Mid American Energy is currently undertaking a boring project to take their overhead
power, uh, un ... you know, underneath the (clears throat) excuse me, underneath the Iowa
River and uh, and taking it through City Park, and .... and setting up along that piece. Um,
so that as we, uh, undertake this project in ... in this summer, allowing us to move forward
in a expeditious manner and not have the, um, obstacles in our way, as .... as we move
forward on that.
Havel/ All right, continuing on, S3814, uh, this is our annual traffic signal project, um, and what
this does, this looks ... this is a way to either construct new traffic signals or perhaps
replace, uh, older traffic signals. Um, a lot of times this goes along with other projects
where we would look at replacing traffic signals or the need for, uh, additional traffic
signals. S3816 is our traffic calming project, and this goes along with our traffic calming
program. Uh, this is a way that residents can request traffic calming measures, and
there's a process that they would go through to see if they qualify, uh, if they do then they
are involved in the process to select, uh, measures that they think would work best for
them, and then there's finally a survey process to see if, uh, in fact the neighborhood is in
support of it, and this is a .... the program that would be used to ... to pay for those
improvements. Uh, the ... speed humps are ... are typically something that would come out
of this project. See, next we have 53821, and this is our overwidth paving and sidewalk
program, uh, this is $25,000 annually that looks at ... basically the upcharge, uh, for wider
pavement and wider sidewalks, uh, if there's areas where perhaps a developer's putting in
pavement and is required to put in say a 28 -foot pavement width and the City would, uh,
request they put in 31 -foot, then we would pay for that additional 3 -foot of additional
with out of this program. Uh, similarly with the sidewalks, if the ... we're looking at
putting in a 5 -foot walk and we requested an 8 -foot walk, then that additional width
would be paid for, uh, out of this program as well. 53822, this is our curb ramp and
ADA, uh, project, and this is, uh, $100,000 annually. And what this does is it looks at
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replacing or ... um, installing new curb ramps in locations, um, and again, this ... this really
looks at areas that are lacking curb ramps, uh, or areas where maybe slopes are ... are out
of tolerance so they're too steep, or ... in areas where perhaps there's ramps but there's no
other truncated domes, which are the ... the red panel that you see there in the picture, um,
so this is just, again, a way to have that program annually to make those improvements.
Uh, 53823 is ... is the brick street repairs. Uh, this is $20,000 annually and really this is
meant to be a ... a spot repair. Um, so it....with that dollar amount you're really looking at
small areas that are ... are in need of repair, uh, anything that would be extensive repairs
would be ... would come out of another project. Um, so this is really just kind of looking
at specific areas that are, um, in bad shape, but would be much smaller in nature. S3824,
this is our annual pavement rehabilitation and this is ... is part of our ... our larger, uh,
pavement maintenance program. Um, and really what this focuses on is a number of
things. Uh, this is really where our ... our asphalt overlay, our PCC patching, um, crack
sealing, other kind of maintenance, uh, operations come out of. Uh, and with this we
look at a ... a number of factors when we're -we're determining sites that are selected, uh,
among those things are pavement condition, volumes, um, location.... within the city as
well as, uh, the number of complaints that we receive for, uh, any given section, um, so...
again, uh... moving on, 53826, this is our underground electrical facilities and what this
does, this ... looks at locations where, uh, typically utilities are going to be moved, whether
it's part of a project or a development, um, often it's electrical is ... is the one that is
usually, uh, included in this project. Um, and it would be situations where they're
required to move their facilities, and rather than have them move them to another location
above ground within the right-of-way, we would look at them going underground, and
uh, typically in that situation we pay for the upcharge, urn ... so rather than moving to
another location aerial, then we would pay for the additional charge to go underground.
53827, uh, this is our annual complete streets improvements. Uh, this is ... this is a new
one. I think it starts funding in 2017, um, and this is $250,000 a year and what this is is
kind of a placeholder for, uh, complete streets projects that ... that come up throughout the
year. Um ... what we'd be looking at would be probably... something a little smaller in
scale. Obviously your $250,000, you're not going to get a complete reconstruction, uh,
but it'd be something like a road diet, uh, perhaps some pedestrian facilities, um, maybe
some signal upgrades, that kind of thing. 53828, our sidewalk infill program, and this is
$100,000 every other year, so odd years and what this aims to do is ... is really install
sidewalk ... in locations throughout the city where there isn't sidewalk existing. And it
really focuses on areas that maybe would be gaps in sidewalks, so it would be connecting
two existing sections, um, and again, really just making a ... a more cohesive network and
folks in those areas where maybe there's maybe there's just a small gap in the system. So
it would be kind of a ... a bigger bang for your buck, uh, for again making the... connecting
it to the larger system overall. 53830, our alley assessment project. This is $181,000
every other year, uh, on the even years, and what this is is kind of a placeholder. If
there's residents that are looking to have, uh ... improvements made to their alley, and what
this does, it allows for the City to kind of design and construct those improvements, and
then basically assessment the cost back to the adjacent property owners. S3834, the
Burlington/Madison intersection improvements, uh, this is scheduled in 2017. This is a
project that was looking at medians on Burlington Street, um, as well as intersection
improvements and pedestrian facility improvements at the intersection. Um, it's been put
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on hold for a little bit, uh, for ... for other projects in the area, as well as completion of the
downtown traffic modeling project. Um, so as we move forward with this, um, likely it
would include, um, some consideration for on -street bike facilities, as well as, uh,
potentially including road diet on Madison Street, or other, uh, lane configuration.
R3839, this is the Foster Road extension. So this looks at extending Foster Road, um,
east to Dubuque, over to Prairie du Chien. Uh, this is the location that, uh, has been
around for a little bit. The desire has been for this to be kind of development driven.
Um, but there's also the understanding that this is an important east -west connector, um,
and certainly would help traffic circulation in the area. Um, you can see here on the map
that the ... the alignment's been laid out, uh, a lot of the utilities — water main, sewer — has
been installed. So a lot of the work's already been done, uh, but this would look to install
the roadway and sidewalk in ... in this location.
Dickens/ I know we had a developer looking at this and ... talking about taking some of the dirt
from that area to ... instead of hauling it from way out of town, use it for the north
Dubuque project. Has any more .... been looked into that area?
Knoche/ The ... the issue that came up with the proposal, uh, from the developer was, uh, our
sensitive areas ordinance and uh, it would basically have been in direct violation of that,
and so the ... with the gateway project, we ... we started looking at bringing fill in from the
Landfill.
Dickens/ Okay. Thanks!
Fruin/ We've ... we've had a number of people come in about dev... with development ideas about
this property, uh, probably four or five and so I would guess that .... just based on that
alone in the next couple of years you'll see some private development proposal come
before ya.
Havel/ Moving on, 53840, uh, the Burlington and Clinton Street, uh, intersection improvements.
This one has ... has been scheduled, I think it was originally maybe scheduled in 2015
even. Um, it's been on hold a little bit, with all the construction that's been going on in the
area. But what it will look to do is install new water main along Clinton Street, basically
from Burlington down to Court. Um, in addition, it will look at reconfiguring the lanes,
adding some turn lanes, um, on Clinton Street there at Burlington, as well as, uh,
provisions for future bike lanes on Clinton Street. Um ... again, this one's kinda been put
on hold and right now we're in the process of, we've gone through some of the design
work. We're nearing final design, but really trying to figure out how to coordinate with
the ... the other construction projects in the area with the Art Museum and the ... and the
School of Music. 53843, uh, this is $20,000 a year for our annual railroad crossings, uh,
maintenance program, and basically what this does is this helps to provide for the City
match to be, uh... when included in a federal program for making improvements at the
railroad crossings. So, uh, again, this is kind of an as -needed thing where, um, you know
if there are crossings that are in poor condition, this would be a way to ... to make those
improvements. Uh, unfortunately with the demand for the program, uh, it often takes
quite a while to ... to work our way up the list. 53849, uh, this is the brick street
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reconstruction for Davenport and Fairchild. Um, this is ... uh, a million dollars in 2016,
and it would really look at that area there, immediately east of Dubuque Street. Um, I
don't know if any of you have driven on Davenport Street. That block is in, uh, really,
really rough shape, uh, and this would include not only the ... the brick street
reconstruction (mumbled) but would also include utility work, um, in the area as well.
Thomas/ So this is Davenport and Fairchild from Dubuque to Linn Street or ... what's (both
talking)
Havel/ It would be that first block (both talking) Yep. 53854, this is American Legion Road,
uh, reconstruction from Scott Boulevard to Taft Avenue. And this is, uh, about $7.8
million, and it's scheduled for design in 2019 and construction in 2020, and what this
looks at doing, it would be a complete reconstruction, uh, upgrading from a rural section
to an urban section, um, as well as new storm sewer, urn ... it will also ... is, right now is
planned to include a roundabout at American Legion Road and Scott Boulevard.
Urn ... again, it hasn't been finalized. We've done a functional design just to kind of make
sure that things would work. It looks like it would, um, so ... again, with the final design
likely scheduled in 2019 and construction in 2020.
Cole/ Are you looking to widen the street or ... what are you looking to do there? You said a more
of an urban design (both talking)
Havel/ Yeah, so I think what we'd looked at was 12 -foot lanes with, uh, bike lanes in each
direction.
Cole/ Okay.
Havel/ And then I guess one other thing I wanted to point out for this, with the new school out
there, we're also looking at, uh, pedestrian underpass that would occur, uh, near the
school, so that pedestrians would be able to travel underneath the roadway rather than
having to cross at grade.
Mims/ I'm assuming the roundabout, the tentative roundabout is going to be designed to, um, for
semis as well, cause there is semi traffic (both talking)
Havel/ Correct! That is one of the... definitely one of the factors that we've asked the consultants
to take a look at from the very beginning. 53868, this is the four -lane to three -lane
conversion on Mormon Trek. Um, this was scheduled, or is scheduled for 2016. We've
actually just had our kick-off meeting for ... uh, the traffic analysis for this site. Um, and
they'll also be working on the design for the project. Um, it's ... about $1.15 million, and
that includes not only the road diet as far as the ... the pave ... but it also will include the
right turn lane at ... or on Mormon Trek at Benton Street, as well as new signals. I think
there's three new signals that would go in this stretch as well to help accommodate that.
53871 is the First Avenue grade separation project. This is a project that started
construction last year. Um, the plan is to hopefully have that completed in the fall of
2016. Um, we've had some delays with, uh, utilities and the railroad, um, but they're
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startin' to get movin' on construction, so the hope is that it would be complete by the end
of 2016. Uh, just as a reminder, this includes obviously grade separation, so there'd be a
railroad bridge, an overpass, uh, as well as complete reconstruction of First Avenue and
utility work, uh, retaining walls, sidewalks, all that as well. 53910, this is $50,000 a year
for the annual bridge maintenance and repair. Um, we have ... uh, a program that does
regular inspection of...of bridges, and so this is a way to help make improvements,
uh... based on the results of those inspections. Um, and again, it's just kinda the annual
maintenance. 53921, this is interstate 80 aesthetic improvements, and this is,
uh... $300,000 and it has design in 2016 and construction in 2017. What this would look
to do, uh, I guess the picture's a little misleading, showing mainline I-80. Really what
this would look at would be the Dubuque Street and Dodge Street interchanges, looking
at making some aesthetic and landscaping improvements at those interchanges, um, to
help kind of break up all the pavement and impervious surface, um, and the goal is that
with the first year with the design would be to take that design and then apply for
additional funding. S3932, LED street light replacement, uh, this is $75,000 a year and it
really looks at replacing the existing, uh, City street light system, replacing the actual
lights within those ... within that system, uh, really looking at a reduction in energy and
maintenance costs. S3933, the ... the Myrtle and Riverside intersection signalization
project. This is scheduled for 2017 and what this would do is to look at, uh, constructing
a new traffic signal at this intersection. It would also include pedestrian facilities and
the ... the thought is that it would be tied into the pedestrian tunnel, but kind of create, uh,
a new pedestrian facilities for that block and ... and really tie into the larger system.
Mims/ Pedestrian -wise we're still going to have an issue though going north. From Myrtle. I
mean, that's University property (both talking)
Havel/ On the west side, correct.
Mims/ ...west side.
Havel/ Yes!
Cole/ And just one very quick thing. Um, you had talked several times about pedestrian tunnel
proposals. Um, wh... what is the general cost difference between a tunnel versus a ... a
bridge, can you just comment generally on that? How much more difficult is the
engineering work on, as you tunnel under? Is that even possible in a short response?
Havel/ Well I .... I guess the short answer really depends on the situation, I mean, there's a lot of
factors that go into it. Um ... you know, a lot of it really has to do with how quick you can
get up and down, um, you know, if you're talkin' a railroad, obviously you have to go a
lot further back to get ... to go up or down, uh, you know, you're talkin' pedestrian. For
the ... the underpass under, uh, American Legion Road, for example, if you're already
going to be in there doing construction and it's a pedestrian tunnel, you can do it a, uh,
quite a bit cheaper (both talking)
Cole/ ...specific to the individual project (both talking)
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Havel/ Exactly.
Cole/ ...couple times and I just wanted clarification. Thanks!
Havel/ Sure!
Throgmorton/ Rockne's question does make me think about (clears throat) past proposals to build
an overpass, uh, above Highway 6, near the Broadway neighborhood. Uh, this dates
back, what? Maybe 10 years or more, I think. Uh, has that topic been considered any
time in the past, I don't know, five years that you've been here, Tom?
Markus/ Not to any great extent. You know, I think there's been casual conversations about it.
The problem is, especially with, uh, pedestrian bridges, at least in my experience, is
that... when the choice is obvious (laughs) they're gonna, pedestrians are gonna go right
across the easiest course, and ... the other problem with tunnels is ... is, uh, the perceived
safety issue of tunnels, especially with kids. So ... you know, that ... that, this both would
have to go through a lot of vetting before you'd ... you'd get that done, I think. Um, I just
look at up and down 6, um ... any of those highway stretches, you know ... to get to a center
collection point that made sense, you know, first off where you would put it, and then get
people to actually go out of their way when the shortest way is right across. I question
how ... how functional it would (both talking)
Throgmorton/ That all makes sense, but I do wonder whether there're, um, reasonable ways to
make it much more attractive and safer to cross Highway 6, as a pedestrian (both talking)
Markus/ I'd look at those alternatives first (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I mean I've, I know I've tried to walk it before. I've ridden my bike across
that ... that road before. It's ... it's not the greatest thing to do!
Dickens/ Probably the worst is Gilbert Street and Highway 6 (several talking) ...cause of all the
turning lanes and the amount of traffic coming off Gilbert there. That seems to be the
worst.
Throgmorton/ I think that ... that, uh, really merits some attention.
Havel/ 53934, this is McCollister Boulevard and this is the ... the section, um, that would extend it
from where it currently ends, just east of south Gilbert Street and that would extend it
over to Sycamore Street, and would tie into, uh, an existing roundabout that was
constructed as part of the Sycamore Street project. This is, uh, approximately a $3.4
million project with design scheduled in 2018 and construction in 2019. Um, obviously
again, there would be some development potential along this stretch, but it also provides
a ... an important east -west connection, um, that would be more convenient for users
certainly. We've already seen some cut -through traffic in this area, so I think it's certainly
something that would be, uh, an important connection.
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Dickens/ What's the long-range for the rest of it going all the way to Highway 6? Is that within
the next five or 10 years or...
Fruin/ There's nothing else in the ... in the CIP. I think we would just ... have to almost wait for
development to ... to help us carry that through, but this is one of the projects that I
mentioned before when we were talking about downtown and we bumped Dubuque out
because there were other priorities. This is a ... a big ticket item, but as we went through
the South District planning effort, and we heard from residents and property owners
about east to west connections and the importance of, uh, creating a better transportation
network in there, those are the discussions that really pushed us to get that ... get this
project in the plan this year. But ... long-term to get it, uh, you know, all the way carried
out ... I think 10 years would be aggressive, honestly, to get that done.
Havel/ 53935, this is the Prentiss Street bridge replacement. Uh, and this is scheduled for design
in 17 and construction in 18. This is about a $1.15 million project and what it would look
at doing is replacement of the existing, uh, triple CMP culverts and the bridge that you
can see there in the picture. Uh, obviously this is somethin' that's not in great shape. You
can see some of the holes in the ... the CMP culverts, as well as some of the deformation,
um, there on the bottom right. The ... latest bridge inspection reports have recommended
posting this for ... I believe it was 20 -ton weight limit. So, um, obviously there's
some ... some known deficiencies there, um, and it's certainly in need of replacement.
S3936, uh, Melrose Avenue improvements. This is a joint project between the City and
the County. Um, it's approximately a $4 million project, with design in 2019 and
construction in 2020. Um, overall this would look at reconstructing Melrose and IWV
between, uh, Hebl and basically Highway 218, um, with the thought being that the
County would be responsible for roughly the west third, uh, between Hebl and Hurt
Road, um, the City and County would look at, uh, kind of a ... a split for that middle third,
and then the City would be responsible for the east third, um, really looking at that
Slothower to, uh, Highway 218 section. S3937, uh, this is the four -lane to three -lane
conversion on First Avenue, and this really focuses on the section from Mall Drive to
Highway 6. Um, some of you may remember that the section that's part of the First
Avenue grade separation project, so from Mall up to Bradford is already planned to be a
three -lane section, so this would really look at extending that three -lane section, with bike
lanes, down to Highway 6. S3938, this is the Washington Street reconstruction, uh, this
is about $5.3 million for 2016 and this would look at, uh, a complete reconstruction of
Washington Street from Clinton Street to Linn Street, uh, again, this would be building
face to building face. It would be new street, sidewalk, uh, utilities, uh, street lighting —
pretty much you name it, it's in there. Um, and so ... again, kind of a complete
reconstruction of this area. V3101, this is the annual sewer main replacement and uh, this
is about $500,000 annually, and what this looks to do is basically just make
improvements or, uh, repairs to the ... sewer system. Uh, this looks at ... basically spot
repairs, some digging down on the sewer, replacing sections where there may be damage.
It also includes our sewer lining, um, which we've done more in ... in recent years, which
is, uh, a little less intrusive, so it doesn't require the excavation and other related work.
Um, so that's certainly something that has been a part of this project as well. V3141, uh,
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this is the sludge bio -solid to dewatering equipment and replacement. Uh, this really is
kind of a ... a, really just a maintenance project. It'll be replacement of the existing
equipment that is, uh, reaching the end of its useful life and is just in need of replacement.
Cole/ Just one very quick comment. Um, obviously this is an area which most Councilors have
no technical expertise whatsoever and how do you go about the process for evaluating
replacement of something like the sludge replacement? Is there a standard schedule that
you just ... or is it more of an ad hoc determination as to, you know, it's looking a little
aged. Very quickly, what ... what's that process like?
Havel/ I imagine it has more to do with a ... a maintenance factor. You know, it's like a lot of
things, it gets to the point where it becomes either, uh, more expensive, more difficult,
uh, you run into a situation where it's harder to get parts, um ... it's an old enough model
that they aren't really, um, repairing it beyond what's really critically necessary to keep it
operating (both talking)
Cole/ Thanks!
Havel/ V3143, this is the backup generator and electrical system upgrade. Uh, this is $3.5
million in year 2019 and what this looks to do is replacement and upgrade of the existing
backup generator. Um, it will also make improvements to the electrical system, um,
down at the south waste water plant. Um ... currently with the existing generator, it isn't
sufficient to run the entire plant. Um, it certainly can do, um, critical operations, but if it
were to go to generator power, there would be certain things that would have to be shut
down or rotated, um, to maintain operations. Um, this .... so the upgrade would basically
increase the capacity, um, that would be down there for generator use. It also, as I
mentioned, would be increase ... or upgrades to the electrical system, um, there's a number
of electrical feeds down at the south waste water plant and so this would increase the
safety, um, with... emergency operations down there at the site, as well as doing some
floodproofing. V3144, the waste water clarifier repairs. Again, this is pretty much just a
maintenance project, um, there's, uh, some of the clarifiers are in need of some repairs
and maintenance and just due to the dollar amount it falls into a CIP project. V3145, the
Scott Boulevard trunk sewer. This is approximately a $2 million project with design in
2017 and uh, construction in 2018. What this would do is extend the existing trunk
sewer, um, you can kind of see it down here in the ... the bottom left corner here. There's
existing, uh, trunk sewer that's down in that area. It would just extend that, um, basically
from down there in the area of the railroad and Scott Boulevard intersection to the
northeast, uh, up near ... the new school that would be going on ... in up here in this area,
and what that would do is it would extend the trunk sewer up to the existing pump station
that's located just north of American Legion Road, um, and would help to make that
obsolete so we could get rid of that pump station and allow for gravity flow of sewer in
this area. Uh, with the ... the construction of the school, as well as future development in
this area, it .... it's just something that's going to become necessary.
Cole/ One quick question. You're referring to the new Hoover School. Have we quantified
what's the total amount of dollars that we are planning on spending for capital
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improvements associated with the, um, Iowa City's contribution to the new Hoover
School project?
Havel/ So as far as total ... I guess infrastructure improvements, I don't know that we've... figured
that out completely. I do know that as far as the roadway improvements, there's been, uh,
a figure that's been used for, um, those and ... and that was used to determine the fee that
the School District would pay, and so that would be mostly for the street. I don't know
that the sewer was included in that.
Cole/ ...and I think that number would be helpful if we could get that at some point when you get
the chance. Thanks!
Throgmorton/ I ... I agree, so it's not just one person asking for it.
Markus/ Do we have three? (several responding)
Mims/ No, I think as we talk about (both talking)
Cole/ Relevant information!
Mims/ ...their cost sharing (both talking)
Markus/ And I ... I would say to you though ... there is an initial cost in improvement that's going to
occur, but then you saw where eventually that roadway would be upgraded to an urban
section. The school kind of helps encourage that because the expectation is that the
property surrounding this school will be much more attractive for development purposes
and you start to encourage that sort of development. To the north of the road, um, there
is significant, um ... development already in Windsor, but ... when you add that school there,
they tend to be an attractor; that's exactly what's happening with Alexander. We're gettin'
a lot of interest in the Alexander area, so... You know, you could ... it depends on how
you parse costs or...
Cole/ Well and I think it's just helpful information, in terms of (both talking)
Markus/ Sure!
Knoche/ And I think the difference between this project and the Sycamore Street reconstruction
is, you know, Sycamore was not necessarily a ... a standard roadway, where here the
asphalt overlay that's on this roadway is not at the end of its useful life. That's why this
project gets pushed out, you know, beyond the opening day of...of the new Hoover,
whereas Alexander the push was to get the roadway in because there were ... their access
was off of a chip seal, so I mean (both talking)
Cole/ Okay.
Knoche/ ...it's kind of the difference between the ... the natures of the locations.
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Cole/ Okay! Thank you.
Bockenstedt/ And also mention for the, uh, the trunk sewer (mumbled) there'll be a connection
fee district created around this sewer. So as development occurs, those developers would
pay into ... help pay for that trunk sewer.
Throgmorton/ Excellent!
Knoche/ So it'd be a tap -on fee project, similar to what we have on the ... on the west side of town.
All right, um, so ... uh, we have, uh, the water projects, have these kind of put together on
two, uh, two slides. Um ... one thing that's (both talking)
Throgmorton/ (mumbled) Thank you! (unable to hear person responding away from mic)
Knoche/ ...one of the things that's a little different in the way the water annual projects are ... are
budgeted and the waste water projects are budgeted is annual. The water projects used to
be in one big annual project, and now we've kind of split 'em up, uh, per ... per project.
Uh, so the... starting on page 562, um, the first, uh, project that we have is, uh, 3212,
which is the First Avenue water main replacement. Uh, this is a ... a piece of water main
along ... around the Friendship area where we've had a ... a few main breaks there, uh, that
have been significant in nature. So this is a 2018 project to replace that water main in
that area, and also um .... eliminate some duplicative water main that we have in ... in that
piece. Um ... 3213 is the ground storage reservoir VFD upgrades. Uh, this is, uh, kind of
an energy efficiency, uh, project for us. Um, the ... it allows for better, um ... operation of
the pumps at the ground storage reservoirs.
Throgmorton/ I give up! What's a VFD?
Knoche/ A variable frequency drive, and also versus it being on or off, you have the ability to
ramp up and have it be...at different energy usage. Uh, projet 3214 is a maintenance
project at the waste water ... at the water plant. It's basically just, uh, sealing the building.
Um ... this is one just because of the overall nature of the ... of the 2016 projects, it ended up
being (mumbled) a small project at $27,000. Uh, 3216 is the Spruce Street, uh, water
main replacement. Um ... $217,000 in 2019. Uh... project 3221 is, um, a ... aquifer storage
and recovery project. Um, we will be looking at the potential of, uh, treating water,
injecting it into the aquifer to be able to pull it back out for future use. Um, this is a
2019, uh, design; 2020, um ... construction. Um, this is one that's ... it's still in the
feasibility stage, uh, so it's one that we're ... we're lookin' at in that out year. Um, project
3222 is the Dill Street water main replacement. Uh... 3223 is the Douglass Street,
Douglass Court water main replacement. Um, this one is scheduled for 2016, uh, well
into the design process. Uh, we have already had our neighborhood meeting with these
folks. Um, the ... what a ... what this will do, uh, we'll obviously replace the water main.
Um, one of the things that ... that we've noticed with our ... with our system is that 1950s
vintage of water main, uh, 40s, 50s, 60s is ... is not a very good year for water main
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unfortunately, so urn .... we've ... we're having significant issues with mains of that ... of that
era, so, uh, this falls right in ... in that era. And uh (both talking)
Fruin/ Ron, real briefly, do you want to mention the complete streets...
Knoche/ I will!
Fruin/ ...impact on that.
Knoche/ Definitely! So, um, one ... one of the ... one of the things that is not in this area is, uh,
sidewalks. So with this project, as we put the water main in, we're looking at also putting
sidewalks in the neighborhood, uh, from a complete streets standpoint. So, uh... uh, some
neighbors... well, the maj... the neighbors that we met with, uh, aren't happy to have
sidewalks to maintain, um, but uh... it's, uh, it's definitely needed in the neighborhood, and
it's ... has been identified, um, you know, through some, uh... uh, planning proc... projects
that have gone on in the area, um, you know, and that's ... that planning process that went
on was the driver for the sidewalk additions on Hudson and Miller, so it's ... it's kinda, you
know, looking at those areas.
Fruin/ And re ... if I could just jump on that real quick. Um ... you know this is an area that we've
invested in heavily through the UniverCity program. There's, uh... uh, some affordable
housing, um, in this area in terms of just where the market rate, um, prices are. Um,
we've invested heavily on the sidewalks and on ... on Miller and Orchard, and then
Highway 1, 6, as we talked about previously. So we really see this is one that fits our,
when we look at our complete streets policy, this is one that... that... that fits it very well,
um, but ... there is going to be neighborhood opposition. Ron mentioned that some ... some
people are concerned, uh, whether it's additional maintenance or unfortunately trees that
have to be removed, um, these things are ... are never easy to go in and retrofit.
Neighborhoods are not easy to retrofit, so um ... it's somethin' that, uh, Ron and his staff
are ... are working through now, but when we look at our investment in the surrounding
infrastructure, in the housing in this area, uh, we really think it makes sense to make the
neighborhood more accessible, and to do that really need sidewalks.
Knoche/ Uh, page 569, uh... project 3224 is the Lee Street and Highwood Street water main
replacement. Um ... that's ... that's scheduled for 2020. Um ... project 3225 is the water
treatment plant filter #6 build out. So, um ... we ... we have, um, filters that, uh, or one ... one
bay that we have not built out yet, uh, because we haven't had the need, uh, based on the
capacity of the plant. Um, so this is actually building that filter out, and then also, um,
looking at doing some replacement of the materials that are in the other filters, uh, at the
water plant. Uh, 3226 is, uh... basically our SCADA system, it's a water plant computer
control systems upgrade. Um, you know this ... this project is probably been identified as
one of the ... the biggest risks that we have as far as, um ... uh, in our system, the water
system, uh, the SCADA system is old, um, and just needs to be updated, um, and uh,
we'll have some redundancy in the system to ... to prevent any major, uh, shutdowns of the
plant. Uh, project 3300 is the Bradford Drive water main replacement. Um, this is, uh,
basically at, right by Southeast Junior High. Uh, we have some main replacement and
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also some insulation of new main, uh, along that street. Uh, project 3301, uh, page 573 is
the Herbert Hoover water booster pump station. Uh, as ... as we've seen development
occurring on the east side of town, uh, we are also, uh, seeing issues with being able to
maintain pressure, uh, in our system, on the ... on the extremities. So, the way that our
system currently is set up, uh, all the pressure starts at the water plant, and it ... it's, you
know, we bump the pressure up and it goes from there. Um, as we get to the, kind of the
extremities of our system, it le ... it, um, puts us in a position where, um, there's concern of
being able to maintain pressures high enough to maintain fire flows. Uh, so as .... as we
have redevelopment occurring along Herbert Hoover Highway, um, we've looked at the
potential of, uh, putting a booster pump station out there to help, um, raise those issues.
Um, another thing that we're also looking at currently is, um, the potential of zoning our
water system, such that the pres... so basically building pressure zones into the ... into our
system, which, um, would basic ... be inserting some valves within the system and then
using the ground source reservoir pumps to pressurize the system. Um, which ... may, um,
alleviate the need for this project. We're just not quite certain yet based on the ... the
modeling that needs to be done to see, uh, in this.
Throgmorton/ Ron, uh, if this project does go forward, will there be cost recovery as ... as was
described earlier with regard to the sewage ... (both talking)
Knoche/ I think that ... that's somethin' we could definitely look at as ... as we develop the project.
Urn...it....it would, uh, it would definitely have a .... an area that it would, um, you know,
basically have an affected area, uh, and there would be a value to that area. So we
could ... we could definitely look at it as a tap -on (mumbled) project. Let's see here, um,
project 3302 and then 3303, uh, both are, uh, replace... water main replacements — Giblin
Drive water main and the Sixth Avenue water main replacements. Urn ... Giblin Drive is
2017 and the Sixth Avenue, uh, water main is 2020. That's the Public Works' projects!
Throgmorton/ Any questions for Ron? We just heard a great deal there, right? (laughs)
Cole/ Well I ... related to what Jim was talking about, um ... as you are making the assessments in
terms of the, um, new developments that we're engaging in, have we done the financial
analysis to ensure that the property taxes that are generated by these projects will be
sufficient to recover the long-term costs and upkeep associated with these new
developments. That's been a key issue, I think, as cities try to work on their budgets is
are they making those projections, cause what my concern is, is as we push farther and
farther out, great to have that growth. It's great to get that initial run-in on the revenue,
but are we ensuring that we have adequate property taxes to ... that's generated by that
growth to cover these new infrastructures that we're providing for the new development?
Is that analysis done?
Knoche/ From the infrastructure standpoint, as we look at things, um, you know, the developers
are ... are providing the infrastructure, um, you know, as they build new developments.
Um, and ... we do look at, from the standpoint of system -wide, do we have, uh, capacity
available to us to provide those services, um, and then obviously over time, you know,
what's within the system is recovered from the users and, um, both through water and
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wastewater fees. Um ... you know, in ... in regards to, um, you know, when we come up
with like the booster project that we've come up with, um, you know ... it's not, we're not
saying at this point in time that we can't provide the ... the service that's necessary. But
there's concern that as, you know, the development does occur more in this area, that
there would be a concern, and so that's why this project's been identified, as far as the
booster project.
Cole/ And the only other very quick observation that I have is is ... I'm (clears throat) I'm seeing a
lot of proposals for new growth. I think that's great. The community has to provide new
area and growth for the residents, um, but that's happening simultaneously with my own
observations of severely deteriorating infrastructure on our inner core streets. As you
make that decision as to, you know, which new investments you're gonna make on the
outer core, is that coupled with an assessment as to the needs on the ... on the streets of the
inner core. I'll give you a very specific example. Washington right now is in terrible
shape. It's full of potholes. That's a heavily biked trail, or I'm sorry, street on a daily
basis. How does that process look at, and what efforts have you made to identify our
inner core streets, Washington in particular. I'm not seeing that as .... at least in terms of
proposals.
Knoche/ And you know where ... where that project itself would fall under would be the pavement
maintenance projects. So ... so you may not see a specific project called out, uh, for that
one. It falls in the overall pavement management program. Um, and .... and as we talked
on Saturday, that's ... you know, as ... as we look at the streets through the, you know, the
pavement condition index issues ... (mumbled) identified to (mumbled) index, and then
also are identified with other, um, utility projects that go on in those corridors. You
know, that's ... we ... we, that's how we ... that's how we would prioritize those.
Cole/ Just quick, what is the annal budget for the pavement improvement?
Knoche/ We ... $1.5 million.
Cole/ Okay.
Knoche/ So it's $1.5 million on that piece, but then there's... there's other pieces coupled with that.
So, you know, as ... as we have water main breaks that come up, as we have, uh... uh, ADA
curb ramp projects, um, water main issues, sanitary sewer issues, and then there's also in
the operating budget of the Streets division, there's also patching that goes on in that
budget.
Cole/ Thank you.
Fruin/ Ron, with regards to Washington Street, uh, did we do some pavement patching on
Washington last year, around Lemme?
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Knoche/ We did. So Washington Street out, uh, in the Lemme area, you know, we did a pretty
sizable patching project in that area last year. Um, to help, uh, address some of the
issues, um, of...of that pavement.
Throgmorton/ Rockne, I think you posed two important questions and they're ones that we need
to return to in our discussion, uh, once staffs finished making their presentations, and
maybe subsequently. Any other questions for Ron? Pauline, are you still with us?
Taylor/ Yes I am!
Throgmorton/ Hi, just checkin' in!
Taylor/ Thanks!
Throgmorton/ I was afraid you got disconnected.
Taylor/ Nope!
Throgmorton/ Okay, we're turnin' to Chris! Transportation, Resource Management.
Transportation and Resource Management pgs. 576-580):
O'Brien/ Okay, the Transportation, Resource Management starts on page 576, um, and we'll start
with the Landfill surveillance cameras. Uh, so what this project, there's a couple pieces
to this. One, um, it gets us eyes on our working face, that we're able to observe from
anywhere within our facility, but uh, a component of this will be an infrared, uh, piece
that will, uh, also have software that gives us alarms. So if there, if we do note, uh, or if
there are attempts that start to arise, whether it be on the working face or as vehicles are
coming into our facility, we'll get notifications to that and it gives us just another tool in
order to help prevent situations from arising, um, that could be detrimental to the
Landfill. Um ... and that's a, sorry, that's a 2016 project for $83,000 is what we have for
that. Uh, the next project, which is also on 576, is the Landfill gas collection system
expansion. Um ... picture on the left you'll see is actually the flare that we actually just
installed a couple weeks ago. We put a new flare in. That's not necessarily part of this
project, but it all ties into the, kinda the health of our overall well field that the ... at the
Landfill and it's something that we, um ... that ... that certainly needs addressed. Um, some
of our, uh... our cells that were ... were built in 95, 96, um, have to have permanent wells
installed in it, so that project, uh, is also a 2016 project and that's for 950,000 and the
basis of that project, uh, is to get a vertical well infrastructure in for the ... that are
permanent wells for extracting gas out of the deteriorating trash that will then ... we take
over to our flare, um, so that it's not A) coming up out of the ground, B) uh, migrating to
other parts or out of the Landfill. So it's part of our overall gas collection system for the
Landfill.
Throgmorton/ Chris, when you say gas you're referring to methane (both talking)
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O'Brien/ Methane, correct (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...which is a ... a really severe greenhouse gas.
O'Brien/ Correct.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so um ... and, uh... flaring that gas really dramatically reduces the carbon, uh,
component as well (both talking)
O'Brien/ Correct, yeah there (both talking) there have been other projects that we've had
proposed. Obviously with the amount of gas that we ... turn out at the Landfill, it would be
nice to have a usable ... a way to use that energy.
Throgmorton/ Right.
O'Brien/ Um, we've had ... multiple people, or multiple entities, approach us about utilization of
that ... of that gas that has just not panned out. Uh, the University being one who's
approached us on multiple occasions for projects, um ... there was also a greenhouse that
had looked to...to build a greenhouse kinda in the area and utilize our gas to help with
their ... their heating and cooling of their facility. Uh, they ended up actually relocating,
or ... or building their facility in another jurisdiction. So, um ... we just haven't had a viable
project come to us in order to utilize that. Now, uh, one of the things that Ron had
mentioned as far as the Public Works is a facility upgrade, uh, and relocation. Well, the
Landfill also, which you'll see later, has some buildings that need upgraded, and we feel
that that time as those projects come on and those buildings are upgraded would be a
good time to start looking into utilizing that gas for not only, uh... that portion, the new
buildings, but also a way to tie in our existing buildings (mumbled) utilize those ... that as
an energy source, rather than flaring it off.
Throgmorton/ As a form of district heating I suppose, right?
O'Brien/ Uh huh. Um ... speaking of the next project, which is on page 577, uh, it's a 2017
project, uh, for $800,000, and that's a placeholder. We've .... we've got a firm that we're
working with to ... to give us some concepts of what it would look like, but that's to
replace, um, our shop buildings, which are buildings A and B, and ... and those are both
pictured here. Uh, currently we ... well, our current equipment we can barely ... some of it
we can barely get into our facility to cover, and some of it we can't get in at all. Uh, and
the ... and the new, uh, with that new compactor that we just bought and a new, uh, dozer
that we jut bought, totaling about $1.2 million that we can't even house in our shop
facilities, um, in order to protect 'em, so ... the upgrade of these facilities serves both as a,
uh, to keep that equipment covered and to be able to properly, um, maintain those ones,
uh, to have a covered facility for us to perform our maintenance on those facilities. So,
um ... storage capacity, obviously, is something we ... we're lookin' at as well and we show
in one of the buildings, um, storage of our ... ult... ulterior cover, or alternative cover for
our ... our face of our Landfill, but uh, it would help us (mumbled) storage of our
equipment, as well as, uh, other items that we have at our facility. Uh, parking facility
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restoration and repair, that's, uh, we had a big project that we just did this year, uh, the
Dubuque Street probably got the most notoriety for it as far as the amount of concrete
work that we did. Um ... next year, this upcoming year's project, the majority of it'll be at
the Capitol Street facility. Uh, and a lot of that will be surface coatings. There's not as
much concrete work to do there. Uh, but surface coatings, um, control joints, um, and
then some welds between our, um .... our structured Ts in that facility in order to maintain
the structure. Um, this will be an ongoing project and you'll see money in this every year
probably from here on out of these first three years are going to be substantially higher,
and then you'll see it start to tier off into the 200, $100,000 range, um, hopefully once we
get through these initial rounds of, uh, all have substantial work and you'll see it about
every seven to eight years. You'll see kind of the ... the uptick as your concrete starts to
deteriorate a little more and you have to do more concrete work. Um, oop, sorry, so
yeah, that's an ongoing project. $400,000 will be the next two years, and then 300, 200,
100 following. Uh, the parking facility and enforcement automation. That's been a
project that we've kind of had going for a long time in different phases. Uh, the phase
that this refers to is a ... is in 2018, uh, and that'll be Chauncey Swan, um ... kind of
upgrading the equipment in there and look..depending on what types of
develop... developments we get in that area, we'll determine the type of equipment we put
in there and how we have to ... structure that equipment in order to, uh, better manage the
parking that we have in that area. So whether that's gates, whether that's different types
of other equipment in that facility, um ... that's what that .... that placeholder's for for 2018.
Uh... T3017, which is on 578 is the Capitol and Dubuque Street facade improvements.
Currently what's in there it's design money for the Capitol Street facility at $150,000
for ... for 2016. Uh, we're actually in the process of...of getting into that design and what's
the impetus behind this project is with all of the development going on around it, we
kinda touched on this at the meeting on Saturday, uh, with the ... the Art Museum and the
School of Music, is a way to upgrade that facility in a way, um, so you can see the picture
of it in the top left-hand corner, uh, but a way to upgrade the appearance of that facility
without detr... taking away from the other buildings there, so ... that's what that project is
for. Once we get kind of a ... a better idea of what that, the construction part of that project
will be, we'll come back to Council with ... with some concepts for that and talk about
what the construction of that project will be. Uh, T3055, which is on page 579, is the
Transit facility relocation. This is the one that continually is in the ... is in the budget and
continually is pushed to the last year, but as we ... uh, try to look at ways to secure funding
for that. It's estimated at a $20 million project and ... and Ron kinda touched on it when he
talked about the Public Works' facility. Uh, currently the Transit facility is a portion of
that site, um, that there's... there's certainly space for ... we think there's space for it.
They're going through that ... that part of it right now to outline what all the facilities
would look like in that, the current space we have. Um, 20 million may not be the
number. Some of the discussions we've had have showed that it...it potentially could be
lower than that. Uh, that there's some ways that we've ... we've looked at in order to, uh,
jointly utilize space between the other divisions within the City to better maximize,
um ... the space that we have, and have some efficiencies in some of the operations. So,
uh, we'll know a little bit more as we get a little bit further into that. Uh, 3059, uh, is on
page 580 and this has money in both 16 and 17, uh, for bus shelter replacement and
expansion. Uh, so we have several that have ... have outlived their useful life that we're
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looking to upgrade, as well as, uh, some ... some that we want to put in as additional bus
shelters throughout the community. Um ... one of the things that we're lookin' at is an
upgraded design, the one ... kinda the upper left-hand corner is what we currently have.
Uh, we're lookin' at some ... some different options that ... that give us some different,
whether it be lighting, potentially heating options for those facilities, in order to provide a
little bit better, uh, shelter than we ... we currently have, which are very, very basic,
without any additional amenities.
Dickens/ ...they be solar or...
O'Brien/ They'd be s ... well .... the majority of (mumbled) be presumed to be a solar lighting for
the lighting. If you start getting into heating sources, that I'm not sure. You might have
to actually have those powered, so... That's it for Transportation and Resource
Management. Questions?
Throgmorton/ Any questions?
O'Brien/ Thank you!
Throgmorton/ Thank you, Chris! So, Dennis, are you going to run us through these, uh, 'on the
radar' projects or (both talking) or Ron (several talking)
On the Radar (pg 581
Knoche/ There we go! All right, so ... as I mentioned earlier, the ... we have nine projects that we
have on the radar. Um, the ... these actually... eight of the nine come from the unfunded,
uh, list. Uh, the unfunded list actually starts on page 581 in the budget book. Um, the
first project is, uh, unfunded #12. It's the Gilbert Street, Highway 6 intersection, uh, left
turn lane, uh, project. This is one, uh, that we have basically a final design on. Uh, one
that, uh... uh, we had federal funding for, uh, number of years ago and uh... because of
some concerns from the neighbors, we ... we walked away from that project. But this, uh,
as we see Riverfront Crossings, uh... uh, being a ... a prime development area for us, uh, we
do feel that, uh, this project is one that ... that could come back to the ... to the forefront, uh,
for us. Um, north is to the right on this ... on this slide. Uh, Hills Bank, uh... Pleasant
Valley, uh, is ... is here to the... that... that, guess it'd be northwest corner, but uh, this is,
uh... as we see the redevelopment occurring in that area, it's one that we can definitely see
coming forward. Uh... Peninsula secondary road... Peninsula secondary access road, uh,
this is unfunded project #20. Um, this is a project that is, in the future as development
occurs, um, we ... we see the, you know, the secondary access occurring up through the
Forest View, uh, mobile home park. Um, we have, uh... a tentative location for a
emergency road if needed. Um, if we do have a flooding event prior to that project
occurring, um, we're ... we're still in the process of negotiating that easement, uh, with the
Cole Farm ... the Cole family, but, uh... we do have, uh, it's just one that we did want to
bring to your attention. Uh, Iowa River Trail, Benton to Sturgis Park, unfunded #43.
Um, you know, this project, uh... this was the original alignment of the Iowa River Trail,
um ... and then, uh, based on some discussions that occurred, it actually, uh, moved to the
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east side of the river, down to Napoleon Park. Uh, we've had some discussion of a
redevelopment project, um, where the Mum's Tavern was, uh, with that project it,
um ... it ... if that redevelopment project occurs, it kinda drives this project to the forefront,
cause we'll have some improvements that need to occur, uh, along the riverbank, if that's
where we do want the trail to ... to occur. Um ... kind of, uh, to ... to go on the question that
Rockne had asked earlier in regards to developments and do we look at what the costs are
to the community as far as developments occur. Um, the ... the Carson Farm is, uh, south
of Rohret Road and west of Highway 218. Um, that area, um, is ... is ... the family has
come in and asked about redeveloping, uh, that ... that area. The ... the major issue, uh, is a
sanitary sewer that needs to occur along Abbey Lane. Uh, basically it's an extension of
the sewer from, uh, Kiwanis Park to the west. Uh, that's a roughly $2 million investment,
uh, and then a part of that, the planning for this area, there was a regional storm water
basin that was identified, uh, and that's unfunded #49. Uh, this is one that ... you know,
as ... as developers are looking harder at this area, um, the Council could hear from them in
regards to wanting to have some investments made, uh, in the area.
Markus/ And eventually another fire station. So, what you have to ... (both talking) you know, the
question that came up earlier, I think to me, is about tipping points, as well, because... I'll
give you an example. Like a water system. If you're using a water system and all of a
sudden you get to the point where you need to build another piece of infrastructure — a
tower or a ground reservoir, a pumping station — you get kicked into that level, you just
redistributed all that cost to the users of the water system. So, some of this stuff is ... is all
about timing in terms of the evolution, you know, evolving community, before people
really see that kind of impact. And then the other part of it, of course, is you can make
yourself crazy trying to (mumbled) cost, um, on these things, and ... and you know, in a
city in general those costs get distributed across ... you know, anything that's ... in property
tax, anything that's taxable, and we have a lot of tax exempt properties, um, that use
services and use, um, and so ... you gotta be careful how you really think through all of
that in terms of not everything that gets built in this town pays for itself. In fact I'm
looking for a rebate because I didn't call the Police last year once. I didn't call the Fire
department once (laughs) I didn't send any kids to the schools, so I want a rebate on my
taxes! My point being that obviously I get benefit from all of those things, whether I'm a
direct user or not. There's indirect benefit as well.
Cole/ But I think it's a relevant question, maybe the strategic session plan, in terms of deciding to
make new investments what the long-term obligations are going to be. I think that's the
(both talking)
Markus/ ...which is exactly the point I was making to you about this specific piece of property,
and jumping into that before you've used up your infrastructure capacity to some
percentage level ... and moving out, which was kinda my point when I first moved here
about getting development to occur where you have infrastructure in place or
redevelopment to occur, instead of...tacking on more infrastructure and only using small
percentages of that infrastructure until it fills out, and the fact is you're competing with
yourself. I mean we have both a very urban environment and a suburban environment in
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this town, and so ... they're kind of -competing and, yeah, exactly. You need to get to
some balance on those things.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, this project or possible project makes me think of the Comprehensive Plan
and I, frankly, do not remember what our Comp Plan says about this site, and I know
we're not going to go into detail about that now because it's an inappropriate moment...
Markus/ Right.
Throgmorton/ ...but, I ... I do think about the Comprehensive Plan and then I think about, well...
how good is the Comprehensive Plan for that part of the city, if in fact this site is in the
Comp Plan. I don't know. I mean, we'd have to revisit that.
Fruin/ Uh, two park projects that I'm gonna just put on the radar for ya. This is the latest, uh,
reiteration of the Lower City Park master plan, uh, stress this is not a complete plan. It
has not been, uh, finalized nor presented to the Parks Commission, um, but essentially
what you're seeing here is the beginnings of a re -imagination of City Park, recognizing,
uh, kind of the new reality that we have with some of the nuisance flooding that occurs
on a more regular basis. Um, you're seeing, uh, roughly, you know, what we're trying to
do is ... is separate the park into two areas. Very much a passive, natural area closest along
the river. You see a lot of the amenities pulling away from the river, and you could
imagine, uh, a ... a very, uh, unmanicured, uh, type of environment. Still have trails
and ... and passive areas for people to enjoy, but more of a natural setting, and then, uh,
kind of a concentration of the, uh, existing amenities with maybe one or two new, uh,
amenities, uh, examine ... or, uh, imagined closer to the, uh, the -the south there on the ... the
bluffs of the Upper City Park area. So, this is somethin' that's still be worked on and
will ... will be presented to the Commission, Parks Commission that is, uh probably within
the next two to three months.
Throgmorton/ I ... I noticed it does not include, uh, the part farther to the west, uh ... stretching
along the river where we bought out a whole bunch of houses and ... and we've got that,
uh, what do ya call it, uh...
Thomas/ Parkview Terrace?
Throgmorton/ Lantern effect, you know, the ... with some ... some houses still being there and then
a whole bunch of vacant land and then another house and so on. But that's ... I thought that
was going to be included in the...
Fruin/ Well, uh, you know, when we look at the future of that area, before we really get into that,
um, you're gonna have a lot more buyouts to get in, uh, to get in and ... and accomplish,
and ... and we hope that we can chip away with that over time. Then there's the removal of
the infrastructure, uh, but you'll also have the federal restrictions on what you can do with
that property, um, and we ... we can't, um, really use it as, uh, traditional parkland. Yeah, I
would say it's going to be more of a, um ... passive area, like you'll see depicted along the
river there. Um, we haven't imagined what that trail network might look like through that
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area, frankly because.... we're decades off from actually gettin' in there and doin' it,
but ... but I know our staff is ... is thinkin' about how that might look, uh, the anchor of the
Ashton House on the other side I think provides a lot of opportunities, but ... um, at the
rate of...at the rate we're going with the buyouts, it's just going to take a long time.
Markus/ And so this is a ... another example of an area to kind of pay attention to and think about
in terms of paying its way. So you have ... what I call broken dental work, you know,
from a, you know, looking at it from the street side, right? You have a house here and
then two lots, and then another house and so forth all the way through. But more
importantly, you have a infrastructure serving that area ... that probably is twice built for
what needs to be there.
Thomas/ Oh yeah!
Markus/ And so now you've got roads, you've got water, sewer, sidewalks in a subdivision
setting that's serving, what? 25% of the population that it served previously when it was
fully (both talking)
Thomas/ And the pattern of open space is very problematic because (both talking)
Markus/ ...yeah, exactly!
Thomas/ ...so....
Markus/ And you have a lot of pressure, quite frankly, from the neighbors, you know, to get in
there and do something, and fix it this way and it's like ... you know ... you can spend a lot
of money on something like that, only to have to kind of go back and ... and re -imagine
and redevelop that area once you get the houses out, as Geoff is talking about, cause
you're gonna want to go in there and remove some of that, or cap off some of that
infrastructure, cause it...it just doesn't serve the purpose, but you're gonna have some
people with long-term holdouts, and the ... the ratio of cost per unit is going to just
continue to escalate until we clear the whole area out. That's... that's... that's the, that's our
version in one little neighborhood of what happened to Detroit.
Fruin/ We do have a .... a....a, kind of a landscaping plan for that area. (mumbled) Earthview
Environmental did put together some plans and we've slowly worked on implementation
of those. As ... as you can imagine, um ... some of it's been received very well and
others... other, uh, folks in the neighborhood aren't so happy with the way that
we've ... we've treated that area. So, um ... you know, one person's beautiful prairie is
another person's pile of weeds, and ... and that's some of the issues that we're dealing with
down there right now.
Cole/ What's going to happen to the Riverside structure?
Fruin/ The Riverside structure is ... is, um, is in this plan remains in place. Um, very happy ... if
you didn't catch the news, Riverside Theater does plan to come back to Lower City Park
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this year, after a two-year hiatus. Um, and uh... they really, uh, stepped up in this plan,
uh, worked with us and said yes, we want to be here! Let's figure out a way to ... to make
the park a little bit more resilient. We understand there may be years where, um ... you
know, the ... the level of flooding is such that we can't do that, but they're gonna... they're
gonna really focus on their plan B, which they didn't have in past years. They didn't
really have a good plan B, and that ... and that, uh really hurt their attendance and ... and
ensuring their revenue stream. So, um, we feel like the stage can be kept in place and
its ... its, uh, if you see that larger lawn circle there to the ... to the right of the park, um,
just ... uh, yeah, thank you, Ron. Urn ... the little ... the little brown circle there, closer to
Upper City Park is the existing festival stage, and you see kind of a great lawn being built
around it. Um, the Riverside Theater folks really feel like the theater can be much
more ... the experience can be much more than just the theater itself, that you can have,
um, you know, all -day celebrations out there and then turn in to the evening performance,
and we have a lot of, um, groups that come to us that want kind of that great lawn type of
atmosphere, uh, for ... for structured events and just for the informal drop-in, so, um, that's
been incorporated into the master plan.
Thomas/ I like the, where it ... (mumbled)
Fruin/ This is the East Side Sports Complex, uh, improvement project. We are currently
undertaking a master plan of this area and ... and uh, what you see depicted on the screen
are the three parcels, uh, that ... that the City owns, uh, that we bought for industrial
purposes, and what we're focused on is the 73 -acres to the north of the railroad tracks.
So this project does not include the 54 -acre parcel that you see, nor the 46 -acre parcel
that you see. Um, again, this is along Taft Avenue, north of the tracks, if you are to
continue along Taft Avenue, you'd eventually run into American Legion Road, and
roughly the site of the new ... the new Hoover, uh, School there. Um, as I mentioned on
Saturday, as we relooked at this area after the school site was selected, we really just felt
that industrial use was ... was going to be inappropriate here and provide a ... a fairly harsh
transition into, uh, the ... the school neighborhood setting. So, uh, we ... we are looking to,
uh, utilize these 73 -acres, uh, to accommodate, um ... uh, future needs for our ... our
ballfields, both existing programming and ... and new programming. Um, I can tell you
there's been considerable interest in the planning phase, particularly from the different
interest groups, whether it's baseball or soccer, rugby, cricket. We've had a number of
different people engaged that have provided input into this. Um, unlike the City Park
master plan, I don't have a rendering to show you because we're not at that stage, um, of
the ... of the planning yet. I believe in late January we will be receiving our first concept
rendering from the consultants that we brought on to help us with this.
Cole/ We're looking at a ... is a $15 to $20 million project? Is that...
Fruin/ Uh, there's no price tag to it yet because we haven't, you know, determined what the mix
of fields, uh, will be. I threw out that number on Saturday just in thinking about other
complexes (both talking) you know, when it's fully built out, I wouldn't be surprised if
that was the price tag, but a lot of it's going to depend on, um ... what we decide to put out
there.
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Cole/ Very quickly, the feeling is that the ballfields to the south, um, near Sand Lake are
inadequate for the soccer?
Fruin/ Um, there's... there's a few different pressures going on. One with the Lower City Park
project we're looking at reducing the number of fields from eight to six, and that's part of
returning more of the land to the ... to the river. Uh, hopefully making those fields more
usable than they are today. So there's a pressure on ... on baseball there. Baseball already,
uh, there's... there's more demand than supply in the region, um, and folks have a hard
time finding, um, the ... the fields. Softball at Napoleon, they've pretty well taken care of.
We don't see a whole lot of need for growth there, even when we're lookin' out 10, 15
years, we think softball's pretty taken care of. Uh, likewise soccer is pretty well taken
care of at Kickers. However, it's likely that the next sewer plant expansion, and that
could be 20, 30, 40 years down the road. It just depends on how our community grows,
will likely have to be onto the Kickers complex, and so a portion of that Kickers complex
will be taken up down the road. We want to make sure when we're doing long-term
planning like that, that we're thoughtful and ... and potentially reserve some area for ... for
soccer in the future. So, you know, it's one of those examples of we might determine that
we need four soccer fields here, uh, or whatever that number may be. But, we don't
envision that need to really show up for many years, and so when I throw out that $15 to
$20 million price tag, understand I ... I don't think you'll see a recommenta...
recommendation for that kind of funding upfront. Um, we'll look at those sports, uh, and
recreation opportunities that are really demanded now and try to phase it in a way so
maybe you'll see baseball and cricket, or rugby, show up first, uh, flag football fields,
those things where we know we're fairly short on fields right now. (several talking)
Markus/ ...those fields that are down there at Kickers right now are guests, okay, on ... on the
sewer plant's property for future expansion, and so in the interim its a good use, but ... at
some point, you know, the priority's going to move back and ... and so that's where the
funding all came from, so...
Cole/ And I just wasn't aware that that was going to be taken over (both talking)
Markus/ ...and the other thing is, you know, if we had our druthers we'd probably have this more
centrally focused, but this kind of facility tends to be more of a regional drive-in type of
facility where you have competing teams coming in to compete with our club teams
and ... others that come in to ... to play here, but ... as Geoff indicates, that's kind of a long-
term kind of arrangement. The other thing I would tell you is, there is a crossing ... can
you point that out? On there?
Dickens/ This is a really old picture. Doesn't show the spur and (several talking)
Knoche/ ...doesn't have the improvements to the industrial park on it.
Markus/ But no, where the road ... show where the ... yeah, that's right. That's where it is, right in
there. So there's... there's possibilities for other ... types of uses to, you know, potentially
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be carved off and some of that property used, you know, for a taxable purpose, but ... we
looked at that site and knowing what's gonna happen likely to the north, we really
thought that's, you know, a likely space to ... to be considered, especially because we just
haven't had any real viable interest in manufacturing there at all.
Dickens/ There's no improvements that have been done to the 73 -acres? There's no (both
talking)
Markus/ Just the crossing (several talking)
Knoche/ ...and sanitary sewer's been extended through it.
Dickens/ Has been.
Fruin/ The other thing we're workin' through right now, um, the Iowa Department of
Transportation, uh, through their planning for the long-term rail corridor through here,the
Chicago to Omaha, they've identified this area, uh, where they might need a couple of
additional tracks for ... for pull -off and storage and whatnot, so that 73 -acres that you see,
um, that could realistically shrink, um, as they look to obtain some more right-of-way for
that future planning, and we want to make sure that we don't do anything with this park
that would, um ... be yet another obstacle in us, you know, realizing that corridor.
Throgmorton/ Okay, Ron, you have what, four or five other projects on the radar?
Knoche/ We have three more.
Throgmorton/ Three!
Knoche/ So, unfunded 69 is just riverbank stabilization. So, uh, you know we have some areas
in town where, you know, after the last, uh, major event we've ... we've seen some, uh,
some bank erosion, and so it's just kind of a general project that as ... as funding sources
come available to us, we'll look at doing. This, the lower picture that's here is actually,
uh, at the Sturgis corner. Um, that's ... the area where the river, Iowa River Trail extension
would go on that ... on that west bank of the river. So, um, there... there'll be some need to
do some stabilization in the future. Uh, Riverside Drive redevelopment is unfunded 72.
Um, the ... 70 and 71 also kind of pertain to this. So we do from time to time get interest
in ... in the corner of redevelopment, uh, of our site, uh, so that's.. just to bring that one up,
and then uh, one that is not on the unfunded list is the Scott Boulevard and First Avenue
intersections, uh, ACT, uh, main campus entrance, uh, is to the north there. Uh, this is,
uh, gone through some preliminary studies and, uh, a likely location for a roundabout,
and uh, the ... the potential, uh, impact is $750 to $800,000. Um, the ... the goal, or the...
what's been, uh, identified here is the ability to put a roundabout in and not really impact
the major investment that ACT put into their entrance, uh, to the north side of First
Avenue. Or ... north side of Scott Boulevard.
Dickens/ Lot of traffic backed up there (both talking)
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Knoche/ Definitely!
Throgmorton/ Okay, so ... so we should consider whether to take a short break. I know not many
people have gotten up since we started, uh, I would suggest we do take a five minute
break. Any objections? (several talking) All right.
Karr/ Pauline, I can call you back.
Taylor/ You want to? All right.
(BREAK)
Throgmorton/ Well, excellent presentations. Thank you, Ron. Thank you, Dennis. Thank
you ... all the other staff people who spoke. Jason, Chris, Mike, everybody else.
Dickens/ Nice, it was all in order (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, yeah! It was very easy to follow, and there's clearly, uh... a pretty
significant array of projects (laughs) in the works! Uh, and ... and there's no doubt a great
deal, uh, work lies behind each of the projects that we're looking at and .... they've been,
uh, supported and uh, placed into the CIP by previous Councils and ... there's a lot of work
that went into that, as well. So ... it's important to recognize that. But ... here we are! Uh,
do people have questions they want to ask or ... uh, reactions to any particular projects,
um ... this is a moment to begin.
Mims/ I would just say ... in years past there's been a couple times I know I've, you know, made
suggestions. I ... I pushed for the sidewalk along Highway 6 and stuff to get moved up a
year or two earlier for that connec... connectivity, but I think what's really ... what I found
in looking through this one and listening today, and thinking, okay, is this ... is this where I
want to be, you know, in terms of capital improvement projects. What I think we all have
to think about is kind of what you just said, Jim. The complexity of putting this together
in terms of how much work can our staff handle in any given year, what are the funding
sources, how much bonding do we want to do, what projects make sense to do together
because of efficiencies that you get in doing them that way, um ... I think makes it ... really
difficult and complicated to sit up here and say ... oh, you know, I want project #73 this
year instead of such and such. Not that I discourage people from making those
suggestions, but I think we have to be .... understanding of the incredible amount of
thought and analysis that staff has already put into that in terms of...what they see as
priorities, in terms of protecting our infrastructure, um, and ... and again, getting those
efficiencies, matching it with funding that, you know, that Dennis is so good at, so...
other than that, I have no comments cause .... I feel (both talking)
Dickens/ Do these unfunded projects, did you score those as well, cause I noticed on every other
project that we're pretty much gonna go with with our CIP, there's like a score (mumbled)
do these get scored or do they...
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Bockenstedt/ Some of them have been scored, but the majority have not. The ... the ones that are
in there have sheets that were filled out and submitted, and as we're moving forward if
they submit a project that's unfunded, they've completed that sheet, but we didn't go back
to all these unfunded projects and ... and rescore and fill out ... (both talking)
Dickens/ ...limited on how much, especially some of these are very large projects, that are...
Throgmorton/ The unfunded project's list reminded me of our pending work session list. In the
sense that things tend to accumulate, right and there's gotta be a moment ... I don't' know if
y'all have done this, but there's gotta be a moment when one goes back and reflects and
says, you know, we really ought to drop like 32 out of these ... 32 of these 79 or whatever
there, projects there are in the unfunded project's list, uh, to ... to cull ... cull out the, you
know, the wheat from the chafe or whatever the metaphor (both talking)
Mims/ I'm not sure how you get rid of these, Jim.
Throgmorton/ I don't know but you know....
Mims/ ...these are bridges, these are roads, these are ... this is, I see this as very different than our
work session (laughs) because, I mean, I look at an awful lot of these and if you start
takin' 'em out, we're gonna be ... we're gonna have bridges falling down. We're gonna
have water mains breaking. We're gonna....I mean (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Well, okay ... fair enough. So to take, you know, it is ... they deserve reconsideration
anyhow (both talking)
Taylor/ (mumbled) priorities again (mumbled) you know the swimming pool thing. That's not as
important as Susan mentioned the roads and bridges. Of course the infrastructure is
really important, more important than (mumbled) You really have to set your priorities
with those unfunded also.
Mims/ Yep!
Bockenstedt/ There is some review of that unfunded list every year, that ... that each department or
division will review those and ... and remove or add to those. So it isn't just ignored from
year to year. Um...
Throgmorton/ But I want to raise a larger question and then I actually will shut up and ... give
other people a chance to speak. Uh, it ... though it's very clear that this CIP is consistent
with the previous Council's priorities and that there's a great deal of work that lies behind
these, just as Susan articulated, uh, it contains little that I would describe as being
designed to improve social justice and racial equity, to improve older core
neighborhoods, or to reduce carbon emissions substantially. That concerns me, and yet I
fully understand how hard it is to say'Change this, change that!' Suddenly you think
things are going to get changed. It just doesn't happen that way. But I do ... would, I
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would like to find ways to incorporate some projects that move in the directions I just
articulated... preferably with somethin' in the first year, maybe that's not really possible,
but definitely in the ... in the ... in the out years, because, Tom, it's like the metaphor you
use ... have used many times in our conversations about ... city government being kinda like
a big ocean liner. You ... you use the term battleship. That big ocean liner, spin the wheel
all you want to the right or left and that thing's gonna keep goin' straight ahead ... for
leagues and leagues and leagues. Nonetheless, you have to .... you have to steer the ship.
So, we need to find a way to do that and this is one key part of it.
Cole/ (mumbled) one issue related to social justice. Um, one of the things on the Cole property
for Forest View, um, before we get into authorizing anything in connection with that, I
really would like an update as to where we are with the relocation efforts for the
residents. Um, obviously you're never probably going to get a 100% of every resident for
buy -in, um, and obviously there's private property rights. So the private property owner's
entitled to do what the private property can do, consistent with existing zoning and
funding, um, and I think you see preliminary work that there could be some good
proactive efforts that have been taken, um ... but what efforts, where are we in terms of the
relocation efforts for the residents, uh what' s the update on that, cause we only can
control what the Council control in terms of...terms of infrastructure. Where are we as
far as that goes?
Markus/ Well (clears throat) we have dealt with, um, actually we have a chair in the conference
room that we've designated the Eddie Cole chair (laughter) We've had more, um,
developer proposals from that property and ... potential associated developers. I don't
think ... we've seen Ed now for a month and a half, at least at my level. Um ... and what I
would tell you is we've made it imminently clear that they have to address the relocation
effort, and ... if you think about it, when it comes to ... uh, an issue of whether we're gonna
have any incentives, um ... quite frankly they would be tied into that. Now the last
developer we talked to, um, with Ed and uh, his spouse, um, he, um ... trying to think of
his name. Um ... Justin Doyle. He's used to dealing with relocation issues in terms of, uh,
development projects. He operates out of Des Moines, and um, he has a relative that
does that kind of work.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Markus/ They were going to bring her into the team, uh, they were going to talk to .... uh, the
Center for Worker Justice, um, so that Misty is (both talking) communicates back with
the community quite a bit, has that, you know, connection, but ... I haven't heard from
them for some time. John, you have any other update?
Yapp/ No I don't. It's ... it's been ... since last fall, since we had our last comprehensive discussion
with, uh, Ed Cole and his latest development team, and at that time ... we made it very
clear that ... uh, communication to the residents during this process, uh, and relocation
assistance was of paramount importance before we moved forward with considering any
more concepts.
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Markus/ So now the other part of this, okay, these development projects are never simple. And
um ... Ed actually went out and purchased the adjoining properties, so now you have a
continuous linkage for the, uh, Foster alternative, right? And so ... don't be surprised if
there isn't, you know, a negotiation that involves, uh, the Foster Road alternative, the
relocation issues, and all of that then gets mixed into a discussion about if there's going to
be incentives and all of that, but we made it .... as John said, imminently clear that ... you're
gonna have to deal with that issue. Now, one thing I would note that ... that could be done
over a period of time. And I think they recognize that. Um, you know, there was
question about, well, if you run this alternative road, are there relocations that are,
urn ... that have to occur because of the relocation? It's ... it's our view that you could have
the al ... the Foster alternative, um, without any relocations at this particular time. Um...
but they understand, okay, that that's a pressure point for us because they understand that
the whole Peninsula neighborhood, okay, wants that alternative and every spring that
issue comes up and creates a pressure point, which will come back to obviously staff, but
clearly also the City Council. So ... there ... there's that going on. But .... until somebody is
willing to ... you know ... present a development and go through that process, it's hard for us
to ... to negotiate that out, and I've always felt that it was best to ... do the Foster... alternative
as a part of the development, uh, agreement, not wait for the development, but as a part of
that whole arrangement, cause ... if you're gonna put that road in there, if you're gonna
designate that right-of-way, it makes sense that that be in a location that becomes the, a
permanent road at some point anyway. So ... to just go in and build infrastructure, even for
an alternative road, and then to have to tear it all out would seem to me to be a waste of a
lot of public funds.
Cole/ Yeah.
Markus/ And I think he has it. I think he's cleared some of the area for the roadway. So ... that's
going on, but ... these are all parts of that whole discussion. It's not unlike... trying to get
my orientation, uh, the property next door. You know, there's... there's the church
involved. There's the developer trying to acquire it. There's City property. There's a fire
station project. There's a, uh, save the church and figure out an alternative use. There's
parking issues. There's housing issues. There's affordable housing issues. There's all,
you know, office iss.... so ... this stuff gets, you know, there's lots of...there's a big matrix
to all these types of development projects. Clearly there is one of'em there, but he took
care of the land assembly, which is usually a big challenge in terms of development.
Dickens/ I look at them, you talk about the core neighborhoods we're spending like a million
dollars on brick reconstruction. I think that's the biggest amount that I've ever seen (both
talking)
Throgmorton/ ...maybe that's not the smartest thing to do.
Dickens/ You know, it's in an area that ... I mean it's very historic (both talking)
Throgmorton/ I know! It's my neighborhood.
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Dickens/ My grandfather probably put some of those bricks in, cause he worked for the City.
He drove a land grader and ... you see those bricks turn up all over Iowa City that, you
know, have been ... and pulled out of different projects and the alley assessment, is that
ever used? The ... the alley assessment. I know it's there every year but it doesn't...
Markus/ No, and people have been reluctant to do it and I...
Dickens/ Cause that's a lot in the older neighborhoods is, I mean, you don't see many ... well,
you're starting to see more alleys come back in ... in, uh, the Peninsula (both talking)
Markus/ ...but I ... I would say to you I think we're going to have to revisit that and do some
hybrid of assessment (mumbled) public participation to make that (both talking)
Dickens/ There's some alleys that are just really in bad shape.
Markus/ They're disastrous! Yeah.
Thomas/ Yeah, I would echo, uh, you know, Jim ... Jim's comments, Rockne's earlier comments,
and Susan's comments. This is a very complicated process (laughs) I mean ... um...
and ... and what you know, couple of issues that arise out of it for me would be the equity
issue, you know, how are we addressing equity? Are we, uh, you know we have
hundreds of needs that ... that the capital plan and the budget are trying to address, and
how you weigh those in terms of equity is extremely difficult. Um, and I think again, I ... I
would hope the strategic plan might help us with ... with that regard. I know ... uh... Jim and
I have talked about...it...it jumped out at me, the alley, uh, the brick reconstruction
projects. I'd have to go look at....at the condition of Fair... Fairfield and um ... Davenport.
Um...
Dickens/ ...rough! (several talking)
Mims/ I look at those as traffic calming measures! (several talking)
Thomas/ ...I live on a brick street, Brown Street, which is not in great condition. Um...
Dickens/ ...winter those get in really, I mean, those are very tough to grade.
Thomas/ But you know what I found interesting about the brick streets is ... now if the condition
on Brown were an asphalt street, we'd be going nuts. But the fact is it's a brick street, so
you end up with the ... the surface undulates and does all kinds of crazy things, but the ... the
surface is not deteriorating really. It's just ... it's almost like a ... swells on a ... on a lake.
Throgmorton/ Right.
Thomas/ Um ... so in that respect, I don't know that I would say, yeah, Brown is, you know,
unacceptable in its current condition. And, so ... you know ... it is something I would want
to ask about if we might ... and it ... and it gets contingent again on well, what are the
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utilities? What's the condition of the utilities underground, because that's the other issue.
But, uh, in terms of the way I was looking at .... the strategic plan as it pertains to my
particular area, I would say there may be higher priorities. Urn ... and so that plays out all
over the city, and I ... Tom, I hear what you're saying on ... the ... the question of does
peripheral low density growth pay for itself. I understand that, you know, it's ... it's hard to
make... that... that argument that it has to simply just pay for itself, but in fact that's a much
larger issue. Um, but at the same time, you know, I ... I look at the infrastructure
conditions of the city as it stands right now, and it seems we're in a really deep hole. And
so I'm ... I'm not clear that building more peripheral growth, which we know has a more...
per ... per unit of development cost with respect to infrastructure than the core does. So
my question would be, how does that dig us out of the hole? You know, I think the ... the
issue that we're facing is we do need more growth, uh... we already have the
infrastructure, because we don't have those costs associated with it. I get one th... one
thought that this leads me to is ... is the use of the local option sales tax, that it, you know,
I'm sensing that if I ... when I look at the budget and I look at the capital expenditures and
the percentage of that that's going toward street... street work, that, um, there's... there
seems to be a disproportionality there, at least with respect just to our, you know, how
much is allocated toward ... you know, the ... that infrastructure cost, and does it need to be
supplemented in some way, and it seems to me that ... the local option sales tax might be a
consideration, urn ... and I would also think that this issue is, if we're facing this issue,
certainly Coralville and North Liberty are facing it, because they don't have ... that core
that we have, which actually we can build the growth and ... and value, uh, in our
downtown core. That's what's unique about Iowa City. I don't know that North Liberty
has the ... the potential of a core that can over time increase in value. So, I ... I would think
they are going to be facing this issue, and in terms of...the ... the concept of the local
option sales tax, perhaps that's ... could be part of the conversation that we ... cause I don't
know that North Liberty is having this conversation, or Coralville, that, uh, they may be
facing in the long-term some ... some issues with respect to being able to maintain their
infrastructure.
Dickens/ I know we tried to do that in ... put in affordable housing with that one -cent sales tax.
Thomas/ Uh huh.
Dickens/ But (mumbled) I'd like to see us try it. I don't know what the time limit, but I think we
should do it again, because that's one area that we can, and other cities are ... we're one of
the few cities I think you said that does not do a (both talking)
Markus/ ...one of two metro (both talking)
Thomas/ ...Cedar Rapids, I think, is 100% on streets. You know, I ... I, you know, again just off
the top of my head thinking some percentage toward affordable housing, but the bulk
going toward infrastructure, which would then .... the other aspect of this is that it
would ... it would seem to me it would free up our CIP to be put toward what I would
consider more quality of life issues, so we ... we can improve, um, you know, our park
system, our streetscapes, uh, and ... and do it not necessarily in a piecemeal way, but in a
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more comprehensive ... way so that, you know, when we do a project, people go, hey, have
you been down to the Riverside Park? You know? Um ... so ... so questions of equity
and ... and how ... you know, the ... the (mumbled) our infrastructure is obligating us, uh, in
terms of the CIP is a concern of mine and ... how we answer that question in terms of
verifying that, um ... we ... we can pay for it, you know, is ... is one that I don't have an
answer to, but I .... I'm not willing to just simply accept the fact that well, yeah, sure, uh...
you know, certain kinds of development don't pay for itself, but in the big picture,
everything's fine when I'm not seeing we seem to have the funds to ... to deal with the
existing conditions, uh, that are in ... in, are such that we actually do need to look at them
but we're ending up deferring on those because we have these other obligations.
Mims/ The other thing I would add to what ... what you said, John, and what Tom has said in
terms of, you know, those ... the more suburban developments and the core development.
You know I mean I agree entirely in terms of looking at, you know, what are the costs?
What are the costs of those infrastructure? What are the maintenance costs of...in those
peripheral areas versus the core area ... but along with that I think we have to be very
careful that we don't get ourselves in a situation where it looks like we are, um ... basically
putting an embargo on development. Because what that will do is it'll drive developers to
the neighboring communities, it will limit our housing stock, and it will make the housing
in this community even less affordable. Because we'll have ... you know, more demand
than we have supply. I totally agree in terms of, you know, how do we ... how do we do
these developments and make them ... more sustainable, um ... make them ... cover a higher
percentage of the cost of that infrastructure, not only in the development stage but
ongoing, but I do ... I just throw that out because I don't want anybody to start thinking
about, oh, let's just stop allowing development on the periphery of the city. Because I
think that'd be a huge mistake.
Thomas/ And that's one thing, you know, looking ahead to the strategic plan is ... is that I would
like us to discuss, and that is ... the ... the approaching new development on the edge with,
uh, using a form -based code concept as the basis for that development, creating more
walkable, less auto -dependent communities where we could perhaps have a better
integration of...uh, density, you know, so that it's ... you have some conventional...
subdivision type development, but you also supplement that with higher density
development, that's centered on the amenities of that ... that area, so that you're living in a
place that has higher density, just like our ... our downtown core. You know, you
have ... you place your higher densities where there are amenities, which offset the higher
density. Uh, so ... so that seems to me ... would be one way that, you know, peripheral
development could be more sustain ... you know, more sustainable, not only in terms of the
environmental issues ... and the ... the equity issues, but also reduce our costs, you know, in
terms of the infrastructure.
Throgmorton/ I agree with Susan's concern and with John's response. So have to probe that.
Kingsley, Pauline ... Rockne, I don't know if ya...
Botchway/ To be honest with ya, I think a lot of its been said, uh, you know, in ... I think going
back to Susan's point, you know, that's some of the issues that, you know, I'm concerned
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with as well as we're talking about peripheral development, along those lines, because
you know the .... the thought is ... the thought is that, um, at least my thought is is that some
of the development that we do have around the core neighborhoods is just not affordable,
and um if I could ... if we saw an increase in that because we were, you know, I think the
apt term was used — embargo — I would have some issues with that, and so I think
there's.... there's a lot of questions that we have around, um ... where we go next. Um, that
being said, you know I think when you were bringing up the million dollars, as far as
whether or not that is, um, something that we can look at maybe putting other places, I
would agree. You know, I would actually, you know, that's an interesting point because,
you know, as Susan alluded to as far as it being traffic calming, I would, you know, be
somebody who is the person that drives those roadways in a way that it would be traffic
calming, um, and so ... and, but you're right about the deterioration of the streets aren't the
same as being some of the, you know, other ... all the major roadways as far as asphalt and
some other things, and so I would be ... I would be interested in looking at that particular
area as far as something we could, you know, change some things around, and maybe
incorporate some of the things that we talked about from a strategic planning standpoint.
The other thing is is there's a couple of different things that ... I want to know kind of again
the timeline in discussing, one of those being again ... um, R4333, the Library bookmobile.
I thought Rockne brought some good points up last, um, it wasn't last night. Saturday,
um, around whether or not that's a feasible project, um, if we can't, you know, if we
haven't ... or I can't say we haven't. Maybe there needs to be some more vetting done as
far as whether or not, you know ... we can look at, you know, leaning on some of the non-
profits, and this kinda talks ... this kinda speaks to your acceleration of non -profits as well.
It's almost doing it at the same time. This ... that being the only project, I feel like ... needs
to maybe take a closer ... maybe a closer look from a vetting standpoint, um, but ... I think
we have some questions around exactly what we need ... gonna need to focus on from a
strategic planning standpoint, because I think that the more and more I hear us talk... I'm
not saying we're all over the place by any means cause I think we all have our particular
issues that we're trying to address, we're just gonna need to hone in on some things, um,
pretty seriously, and I think, you know, if...again, if we're gonna look at that $1 million or
some other places as, um, areas of need, you know, I think it goes back to Susan's
question, I mean, are we gonna ... are we looking at this to adopt and then, you know,
possibly take some items out, cause that's what it sounds like we're having that discussion
around.
Mims/ The other ... I want to follow up with that, Kingsley, just for a second because, Ron (sighs)
I recall, and I don't know if this is correct, in our discussions over the past few years
about these brick streets, there was also ... is there a concern that if we start putting some
oft these off, we ... they get so bad that we really should just take 'em out and ... and go
concrete. Was ... were we looking at saying, you know what, we really need to stay on top
of these in a certain cycle, other wise the costs are going to be much higher? Am I...
Knoche/ I ... I don't recall that discussion.
Mims/ Okay! Okay!
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Knoche/ I mean what we do right now is that reconstruction project is ... is we d remove the
pavement completely.
Mims/ Right!
Knoche/ Put a concrete street down and brick veneer on top.
Mims/ And we're doing a million because we want to do a whole block or two blocks or
whatever at the time.
Knoche/ It ends up being like four blocks or six blocks on this project. Yes.
Mims/ Okay. Okay. That was my only concern. I want to make sure that if we do seriously
discuss taking that million dollars out this year that we are not ... just going to increase,
significantly increase our costs ... down the road. If we're going to keep these brick streets,
then ... we need to think carefully about when and how they're redone.
Thomas/ Right. They ... they seem to fall under the category that Tom was mentioning the other
day, which is that they're in bad condition. I'm not sure they're going to get much worse,
uh... (laughs) and so, um ... and the, I would just add to that, that as I ... as I mentioned, in an
interesting way, the brick paving, uh, distracts from the fact that they're in the condition
they're in.
Mims/ I think people are more accepting because they're brick.
Thomas/ Right. So you ... you notice the brick and ... and that surface material is not delaminating
in the way that, uh, asphalt delaminates, so it...it doesn't seem like, my god, the street is
just in horrible condition in ... in that regard.
Knoche/ In ... in regards to that project, I ... I think the Davenport Street piece of that is ... is a
necessity. Um, there's some underlying storm sewer, utility issues in that ... in those
blocks that I ... we do need to do that one, sooner than later.
Markus/ Is water and sewer an issue?
Knoche/ The ... the water is new, new main in that area within the last 10 years, but ... but the storm
sewer itself is ... is, has some major issues, and I think, John if you go out and drive that
piece of Davenport (both talking) that piece of Davenport is ... is in very poor shape.
Thomas/ ...as, with a number of these projects, you know I would ... (mumbled) time issue here
but, uh, is value engineer. You know, what is it that we really need to do now, and
what ... do we, can we defer...
Knoche/ Understand.
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Thomas. ...and I would say the same thing with the downtown projects, and ... and uh, you know,
we were seeing the images on the ... on the screen as we were going through these
projects, and just as an example, and you know, I don't know the details of all the details
on that project, but I noticed the ... the special paving in the crosswalks. Now my
observation on that issue is ... and again, it's sort of couched with the sense that ... we
obviously don't have enough money to cover all our needs, so ... I'm ... I'm not clear on the
value, the return on investment, of putting a special paving material in the street where
we know it's going to be subject to deterioration. I mean if you look at the brick in some
of the crosswalks downtown now, they're in poor condition. So ... how can we scope these
projects so we really are getting a ... a clear return on ... on our investment and not gilding
the lily.
Cole/ Well one of the things that I've mentioned to Tom is one thing I want to emphasize to staff,
as well as the public, you know, we're going to be pragmatic on these issues. I mean,
you're in a process of getting to know us in terms of our underlying philosophy. Um, the
Washington Street project, it looks really good. I'm gonna... support it, because I think it's
something that we need to have that infrastructure, we need to, um, get started on it.
There's a ton of work and that's one of the things where we are 99% of the way there.
Um, for my purposes though, um, if we were starting from square one, I would want to
probably more looking at the fundamental infrastructure and not have such a, sort of a
fancy redevelopment, but I'm going to support it. Um, like I mentioned to Tom in terms
of the budget review process, um, I would like to make some changes, but ... if we get to a
process where at least in my view we haven't made adequate progress I think the need for
certainty I think will trump some of the individual preferences of Council Members. So
that's going to be my philosophy, but I do think going forward, uh, whether it's in March
or April, that we ... that we have this work session and we each sort of outline what our
philosophies are. Um, I don't think it's any secret ... John, Jim, I don't know about
Kingsley... everyone else is, but you know, I generally believe in more of the old
fashioned, traditional, new urbanist type developments. So I think at some point it'd be
good for us to do that, so then we're not surprised 18 months down along the road where
you're surprised by that, and one final comment, um, I really want to avoid if we can, um,
this notion of growth versus no growth. Um, I think it's a red herring. Um, we are all
wanting growth. I think I would identify two new projects that I think are definitely in
the right direction. The Blackstone example, that's on the northeast side of town. I
commend staff in terms of how they did that. I think that's an example of a new
development, higher density, commercial, um, and of course the Peninsula. Uh, that's
more of a new urbanist concept as well. I'm not saying that's a prerequisite for
everything. We rep ... we represent 73,000 people. People are going to have different
preferences, so we will be practical — at least I will be in understanding it — not everyone
is going to support our view and we'll be practical along those lines. Um, but ... I think
that we ... we can grow in a way, and I think we've shown it with examples in the
community where we've done new projects, and get the types of densities that we would
like. I think in terms of the development of the new projects, yes there's an upfront cost a
developer pays. Um, but ultimately we have the long-term liability, and ... and I think
that's something that we really have to be very careful about, um, as we think about these
projects, and the final point would be, um, we do live in a time a sort of budget shortfall,
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but my initial impression is is that I see a lot of gold-plated infrastructure here that we're
going to support, while there's certain parts that are really struggling, and I think there is
absolutely an equity issue that we need to identify, that if we're looking at building new
while the old crumbles, that's a problem, and I think we need to make sure that we get
that balance right.
Dickens/ Do we have a (several talking) Do we have an inventory of in -fill properties, you know
that are sitting empty that...
Markus/ Well there is an inventory. I don't know how specifically they're identified.
Dickens/ Because ... (both talking)
Markus/ There's a number of properties that are, you know, that ... the one that always comes to
my mind is the area between Dubuque and ... and Prairie du Chien, um ... it's just ... it just
obviously, you know, there. The ... (both talking)
Dickens/ North Governor Street there that was ... (both talking)
Markus/ ...the south part of town, um, all of those have infrastructure, and I think that those are
things that we want to focus on and ... you know, I ... I can tell you we struggled mightily
with the Moss Development. Um, and I think it was..it would have been just as easy to
say we're not doing this as it did to do it. It was a real 50/50 proposition, for exactly the
reasons you're talking about. Because I think there's areas down in the core, you know,
uh south of Burlington that certainly ... you know, I would rather see, you know,
redeveloped into something to turn that area around, uh, before I would a ... you know,
necessarily thought that was ... you know, and you can get into these arguments that you
need ... you know, all of these things, and...
Cole/ (mumbled) question of allocation.
Markus/ And it really ... it really comes down to, you know, choices.
Cole/ Uh huh!
Markus/ And ... that's why, those are difficult conversations, and I agree they're going to be on
occasion interpreted as you being anti -growth, okay? I don't think it has to be portrayed
that way. I think you have to talk and express about making decisions that are smarter for
the ... the community in the long -run, and I think they actually are smarter decisions,
uh... I'm actually an advocate for new urbanist type of development as well, and I think
some of that density, um ... trade-off gets masked pretty well in a new urbanist kind of
environment to begin with, which is really nothing more than neo -traditional
development. It goes ... it harkens back to development that occurred in the 20s and 30s to
begin with, um...
Thomas/ It was how development was done before zoning. (several talking)
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Throgmorton/ Hold on. Before we go any farther down this road, I want to give Pauline a
chance to speak. She's not had an opportunity. Pauline, do you have thoughts about, uh,
the priorities and you know, responses to the CIP presentations?
Taylor/ (mumbled) and thanks to everybody for the presentations. There's certainly a lot of
things out there. Uh, and I don't mean to beat a dead horse, but uh, as far as development
I'm not against development, but I think the question came up about, uh, how it ... in the
long-term affects the city and budget, and I, my concerns are particularly for like fire and
safety, if we keep building farther and farther out, on the outskirts of the city, uh,
that ... that really places a demand on our fire and safety department, that are already
concerned about their response time, and then also, uh, as far as even (mumbled) We
would probably have to, uh, get more equipment, another truck .... a .... a recycling truck,
and ... and uh, trash pickup vehicle and perhaps personnel to staff those areas. So I
think ... I think those are very real concerns and then just maintenance of the roads
and ... and uh, clearing... clearing snow, those kinds of things. I think, uh, you have to look
at the whole picture, and also as far as I think Kingsley brought up the affordable
housing, uh, part of it. I mean, how many more of the 250 ... to $250,000 homes do we
need, uh, which, uh, I was really very pleased to, um, hear about the Towncrest area and
those homes, and those homes being, uh, really made affordable. I'm very pleased with
that project and I would really be behind, uh, all .... all of those, uh... uh, issues around that
project. But I ... I am concerned about the newer building, uh, further out on the outskirts
of town.
Throgmorton/ Thank you, Pauline. So, I ... I wanted to introduce... John! I'm sorry, you were
going to respond briefly.
Yapp/ No, that's fine.
Dickens/ Did you have an inventory (mumbled)
Yapp/ We can provide one.
Dickens/ Well, if there's enough people that are interested (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Sure, we need three, right? (several talking)
Mims/ ....ton of time, it'd be interesting.
Yapp/ No, and you'll see there are not that many infill properties. Um, most .... most properties
that can be developed in the older parts of town have been developed. Uh, but there are a
few properties, few larger properties that I would characterize as infill.
Throgmorton/ Well, this is where the ... the word 'thickening' can come into play, which John has
used before (several talking)
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Mims/ Is that actually used in urban planning or...
Throgmorton/ It is seeing increasing use over the past few years. Right?
Mims/ Well when we talk about transparency...
Throgmorton/ Yeah.
Mims/ I would encourage using verbiage that the general public can understand and know what
we're talking about.
Throgmorton/ I agree completely. (several talking)
Mims/ ...thickening is not one of (several talking)
Dickens/ ...just me! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ (both talking)
Mims/ I think increasing density or...
Thomas/ Well it does give a ... it's trying ... and I understand what you're saying, but ... but the, uh, I
think the reason for the use of that word is that it's suggesting, uh... the notion of
incrementalism. So that you're thickening, it's ... it's not transformative. If you're just
thickening the density, rather than going from single-family to six -story buildings say.
So it's .... you're not, you know, you're developing in a way just like, uh, a person might
develop, right? You don't go from being 3 -years -old to being 15 -years -old and so you
mature over time, uh.... and each step of the way there's a sense of, you know, where
you've just been and where you're going, without there being that ... that radical leap. So
that's where the thickening comes from, but... urn... maybe now that you better understand
what I'm saying (laughs)
Mims/ No, and I ... and I do now, and I did after the strategic plan. I just ... as .... as a new Council,
we maybe have more and more of these kinds of conversations (several talking) I just
think it would be helpful, you know, we've all talked about transparency and to have the
public understand what it actually is we're saying and trying to do, that we ... try to use
verbiage that is more likely to be understood by ... the regular public. That's all!
Throgmorton; Was that clear enough, John? (laughter)
Yapp/ Yes it was. The ... the only thing I'd ad, uh, with the concept of increasing densities is...
uh, we also have a strong historic preservation ... uh, in Iowa City, uh, with the most
historic properties designated of any city in the state. Uh... and so that's a policy ... that
may be in contrast with the idea of...uh, increasing densities, but that's something we can
work through and dialogue.
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Throgmorton/ Good enough! All right, I wanted to mention two things, uh, that are consistent
with ... what I said right at the start with regard to social equity ... I'm sorry, social justice
and racial equity. Uh... I don't see anything other than the Williams Street project in this
CIP that pertains to affordable housing. I'm guessing there have been conversations on
that point, but I don't see any ... projects, of any kind, that address that. So .... I would like
to see a ... at least one project envisioned, uh, that would involve capital expenditure,
somehow (laughs) I don't know how, right? I'm just trying to present a broad brush thing
here. That addresses the pressing need to provide, make sure that more affordable
housing is provided in this city.
Dickens/ Public/private or...
Throgmorton/Well, we've ... yes, probably, yeah. I'm not imaging that, you know, Iowa City
would buy a big piece of land by itself, build some large complex, and then own the
property (laughs) and own all the units and, you know, I'm not envisioning that.
Mims/ Jim, I guess my question would be ... is it ... I guess what I would want to look at is not just
the capital improvement program but our overall budget.
Throgmorton/ Sure.
Mims/ What, you know, what's our ... what's our impact overall in terms of our strategies and the
money we're spending and the partnering we're doing with, um ... Johnson County, you
know, Trust and um ... Housing Fellowship and ... and all those other providers. To me it's
not....to me it's not important that it's in the CIP. It's ... it kinda goes back to Tom's
comment when Rockne was talking about process and ... and how to add or delete from the
budget, and Tom's comment was .... focus on telling us what it is you want to accomplish
and let the staff kind of look at figuring out how we might tweak the budget or put things
in that would help accomplish those things, if the majority of the Council wants to
accomplish them. So to me .... it's not saying well, gee, you know, we've spent the last
four hours going through the CIP, and I don't really find much in here for affordable
housing. To me it's more about....overall, holistically how were we
addressing... addressing affording housing, cause I'm not really sure ... and staff, tell me if
you think I'm wrong, but I'm not sure CIP is where we really want or should be
addressing it (several talking)
Markus/ Well I (clears throat)
Mims/ When you look at funding sources, etc.
Markus/ Yeah, you know when I look at those issues, what I try to do is ... match revenue streams
with projects, right? And so ... you know, the whole issues of affordable housing probably
really heated up a year and a half plus ago, and you know, to the point where we started
to strategize what ... how do we infuse affordable housing into this community. And you'll
recall parts of the conversation were about ... um ... it's not just a city issue, it's a regional
issue and ... and it seemed like that kinda stalled the ... uh, real potential of anything ever
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happening in terms of affordable housing because some of our neighbors have been
pretty adamant that they don't view that as a priority, let alone responsibility that they
have. So .... again, trying to match revenue streams to ... what I heard was a priority, not
just of this Council, but actually of the previous Council. So what we did is we said let's
develop this inclusionary zoning, but even before we did that, we said let's extract
development... from development... 10% of their units as they come in, if they're gonna
use any kind of incentive that we have. And so ... that is public money, Jim. Because if
you're using an incentive, that's a TIF, that's a diversion of money that would have
otherwise come to us, gone to the County, or gone to the Schools. It's now coming here
to meet that objective. Then we said ... well, let's try inclusionary zoning in the ... in the
River Crossings District. I know that the ... the effort was, you know, try and get this to be
a regional issue. We kinda said well let's just take the River Crossings area and pass a
requirement that the ... that they have inclusionary zoning, you know, under certain
parameters. Size of units and things ... or size of development. So that's underway. Of
course then we found that you can't have rent control. So we kinda had to take a different
tact on that whole inclusionary ordinance approach. So ... I think we are moving in that
direction. That doesn't necessarily show up in CIP, but it is public money that is going to
affordable housing, and so as these developments come in, if they're going to use
a ... a ... an incentive, they're going to be required to come up with affordable housing. Now
what I think might happen is you may see some people just steer away entirely from the
incentive approach... because of that.
Throgmorton/ So, I ... I need to be clear about my own values on this. I believe that we should be
investing either through the budget or through the CIP more funds to increase the supply
of housing that regular working people should afford ... can afford.
Markus/ Okay, so what does that look like, Jim? Tell me that.
Throgmorton/ Well...
Markus/ Do you want us to build housing stock and sell it, or do you want us to build housing
stock and rent it? Because... because if you're asking me to plug this kind of money in,
why would we do it in a public/private relationship when we already have ... a policy in
place that creates that same thing using public money through the incentive process. So
now why would we just take general property tax dollars and do it that way, because
when you use TIF ... guess what's happening? We're balancing the table as to the
distortion of who has the primary TIFers and guess what? They're helping us provide
that! If I use the argument, right, that ... they're puttin' this burden on me by doing all of
these ... these TIF projects in these other jurisdictions, which I really believe they are, the
counter -balance is ... if we use it, to build affordable housing, then everybody's
participating in that cost!
Throgmorton/ Tom ... I noticed that you just flipped things on me. Because I expressed a value, a
political value, as an elected official. My own expression of that, and you're asking me to
figure out how to accomplish that.
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Markus/ Yeah!
Throgmorton/ Yeah!
Markus/ I think I am accomplishing ... that's my real point! I think I am addressing that. I think
that does match your value, and ... I ... because of you comment about CIP, my thought is
that you're asking me to budget money for us to do affordable housing, when I think
we're already moving down that path, using public dollars. It just doesn't show up as a ... a
CIP project.
Throgmorton/ It's an important topic anyhow. I wanted to get that out there. The ... the other
thing I wanted to mention, it's the only other thing I'll say, uh, has to do with, um, a
proposal I know I floated, and Tom, you and I have talked about it some, having to do
with something that Phil Hemingway has discussed before, uh, as a candidate for the
School Board, and basically involves ... uh ... constructing or providing, uh, something like
an industrial arts/crafts facility for basically lower, well for anybody but probably for
lower income people, uh, and ... and that's, when I first heard Phil talk about that, I thought
that sounds like a great idea, and ... you know, so I've ... I have suggested it during the
election process, and I know you and I have talked about it a little bit, Tom.
Markus/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ So I'd like to put that out there, you know, possibly there's a reasonable ... um...
um ... project to invest some CIP money into.
Thomas/ In terms of the affordable housing, and you know, Jim and I have talked about this
quite a bit (clears throat) uh, at least at this point, my feeling is is, uh... where I would start
the ... the emphasis in terms of affordable housing would be how can we create the space
for affordable housing. So ... you know, we already have the exclusionary ... or
inclusionary (laughs) zoning (several talking) concept for Riverfront Crossings. Uh, I
think it would be interesting exploring from a regulatory standpoint how can we increase
the, uh, percentage of affordable housing in new development, and there've been some
discussions on that, and then I ... in fact, you know, we talked about the size of Alexander
School. Uh, I would be interested in having a conversation with the School District and
ask if they would, you know, and I haven't looked at the site down there. I don't know
how it's laid out, what the feasibility of this might be, but perhaps some of that land, if it
is in effect, um ... surplus, could be put toward affordable housing. Uh... and I've also done
quite a bit of thought in terms of how, uh, the central neighborhoods could be adapted to
create, uh, more... housing, both of a diverse and affordable nature, through the
application of what's referred to as the 'missing middle' concept. You know, where you
have on the one end, and I'll try to explain this to you (laughs) so you have single-family
on the one end, and then you have say three to four-story, uh, urban development on the
other end. Traditionally cities would see duplexes, quadraplexes, a whole range of
building types, um ... in that missing middle, between single-family detached and ... more
urban core type of housing. Uh, it's possible through, again, a form -based code approach
to ... to find space for that in Iowa City. I think there's a great potential for that to occur,
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um, our lot sizes are such that I think it would lend itself to it. The ... the basic form of the
core of Iowa City in ... in the single-family neighborhoods, which already to some degree
have seen this missing middle, could see more of it. Uh, so I ... I think, I feel there are a
number of strategies we could use without putting capital money necessarily, but to try to
create the market for these things to happen as development occurs and to try to
incentivize that.
Markus/ In ... in fact I like the form -based code approach because I can tell you that ... I think there
is some question as to imagination from the private side, when we get to, um, developing
some of these, and I see ... I see repetition in product everywhere (several talking) and
quite frankly, the imagination part probably needs to be challenged, and I think that
happens to some degree with the form -based approach. So ... I think there is some
opportunities to use that, you know, in some of our core neighborhoods to a greater
extent to...to achieve some of those things, and ... that's just my comfort level. Um ... Jim
and I had a discussion, um ... at this table where the suggestion was made that we buy
property and we look at these things, and I'm just not ... I don't want to be on the private
side of this stuff. I don't mind partnering. I don't mind extracting from the private side or
requiring it. I just ... I don't know that that's really the role I feel comfortable with this, an
administrator.
Thomas/ Well I, yeah my feeling is how could we incentivize the market?
Markus/ To do it!
Thomas/ To do it.
Markus/ Yeah.
Thomas/ That's... that's, it's a simple question with many answers, but I do think, you know, Iowa
City's positioned to accomplish that, so I ... I feel that's something really worthwhile
exploring.
Cole/ Can I just say one thing too, um .... I .... I just really want to make clear too to the
development community, you know, my day job as a lawyer. Law has this principle of
we abhor applying new rules retroactively. Um, so I ... I, we are going to be very careful if
we have this new vision or maybe a course correction, cause I think there probably will
be a little bit of a course correction going into the future, um, that that's at least my
intention is that that's going to be prospective, um .... you know, we don't want to be
essentially, you know, Lucy pulling out the football from Charlie Brown just as he's
about to kick it. Um, so I, again, for those projects where we've gotten a long way, we're
going to be ... I think for example of the cottages' location. Um, that was a 6-0 vote, I
recused myself. Um, I likely would have supported that, uh, because we are so far along
the way on that and we have to move on on certain issues. So that's going to be my
philosophy going forward, but that said .... I think if we're a year from now, um, we need
to have these development discussions where we outline that vision consistent with the
Comp Plan, and if we're still seeing these things, then I think there's really less of a
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surprise there that we're not likely... likely not going to support some of the ... the concepts,
uh, but that's on us to clearly articulate what types of projects we're likely to support.
Throgmorton/ Okay, folks! Very stimulating discussion. Thank you, and following hard on the
heels of a terrific presentation by our staff. I don't know that we are in a position to give
you any clear direction, I mean, I ... I think you've heard some clear values being
expressed. I ... I think it's correct to say that there are ... at least four people, counting
Pauline, who support those values. Tell me if I'm not being clear enough. Uh, and ... and,
but...
Mims/ No you're not.
Throgmorton/ All right. So I'm ... yeah. Right.
Mims/ Because when I kind of heard earlier on was people felt we couldn't give clear direction
till we got through the strategic plan discussion on Thursday.
Cole/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ You're right. (several talking)
Mims/ So ... to me .... we kind of need to get through that, and then hopefully at the end of the
meeting on Thursday, give more firm instruction to staff if there's things that we really
want to see changed in this budget. (several talking)
Botchway/ Yeah and that's actually... that was going to be my (mumbled) talk about that point. I
don't know if anybody's agreed or not agreed to do anything at this point. I think that,
um ... presentation from staff has given us the CIP. Um, I think one thing we did talk
about was the $1 million, that's a possibility to kind of put a bug in Tom's ear, and
obviously Tom's ear, as far as, you know, maybe looking at something that, you know,
could ... be different from a ... a spending standpoint, but other than that, um, I guess I want
to make sure that when we talk about it on Thursday, as far as expressing our values and
what we feel like going forward, um, that be the place, one, and then two, talk about the
process as well, because I think that ... I mean we have a ... we have a ... discussion, or we
need to have a discussion around process because you know for me ... a lot of the things
that we're talking about ... could be easily kind of discussed, from that strategic planning
standpoint, here, Tom, here are our values, here's some ideas, go forth and figure out how
you should do this in a ... in an effective city manager way. I think that's what we've done
before and it's been really effective, and so I think similarly along those lines we should
work towards that, um, going forward, and so ... that's where I'm at and I think that ... I
think we're at a good place, but again, I want to thank staff for the presentation as well,
because I think it was ... it was very, um ... uh... you know, intricate, detailed, because
uh... easy to follow was (laughs) (several talking)
Mims/ Yeah, it was in order this time (several talking)
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Botchway/ It was good! It was good and I was able to flip back and forth, um (several talking)
so it was good. It was really good.
Mims/ If I could just make two really quick last comments. I think ... I really think we need to
come in Thursday prepared to ... make a decision, and I really think at the beginning of the
discussion, um, or maybe at the beginning of the discussion after we finish strategic plan,
is are we committed to keeping the 10 -cent reduction in the tax levy that staff has
proposed. Because I do think that drives then our further discussion. Are we willing to
commit to that, and secondly, um, Rockne has brought this up in different kind of aspects
as we've gone along. I think we have to be .... really cognizant of the ability in this
community to utilize non -profits, and I do not want to see us as a city start taking on all
kinds of things that maybe we could still do, maybe it'll take us an extra year because
what we do in that year is we start partnering with and ... spending more time exploring
and ... and building up the capability of some of our non -profits. I'll give you a really
quick example. When .... when (coughing, unable to hear speaker) last summer, I was
there at the grand opening and I was talking to John (can't hear) who's their outreach
person, and you'll probably be surprised to hear this, Rockne, but I was talking to him
about the idea what I would love to see if like on a lot of our school grounds,
greenhouses, okay? And talking about, you know, public partner privateship.....public
partner private... public private partnerships — excuse me! The first words out of John's
mouth were ... don't let the City do it! He said we will donate to non -profits. We will not
donate to cities. So I think there's those kinds of things that, you know, are great ideas
from, you know, whether it's the local food movement or whatever those things are,
that ... I understand we're looking at a course correction, but in doing so ... let's also take
advantage of the people in this community and the non -profits, because we have a lot of
people if you come up with good ideas and a good organization, they will put their
money into it and let's try and extract that money before we put it on the back of the
taxpayers, especially with the property tax changes we have coming down the line. So,
those are the last ideas I have.
Throgmorton/ Good point! Anything else need to be said?
Markus/ I just want to point out (both talking)
Cole/ (mumbled)
Markus/ ...point out, and along with what Susan said, just...just think about the comparison
between the Englert Theater and the theater down in the city of Coralville. Coralville
owns that theater. The Englert is a non-profit operation, which ... which we contribute to.
And it ... it's a ... (laughs) it's a huge win for all of us! I mean, you have all these folks that
have this passion for theater and that venue, and they contribute their dollars and we help
out as well, and quite frankly I'd rather have that relationship with, you know, it's the
same with the ... the movie house, um...
Mims/ Film Scene.
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Markus/ We're contributing to Riverside, uh, we even helped out, um ... what's the newspaper?
Um...
Mims/ Little Village.
Markus/ Little Village! So, those are all things that ... you know, if there's a ... if there's a tie-in
back to us, that that is a much better fiscal model, I think, in the long run than us trying to
own and do everything. So ... I like the idea of working with the ... the non -profits.
Cole/ And I think people are going to be surprised that there's a lot more room for agreement
than what people think. I think people heard about us talking about the social, at least
from my perspective, social justice is critical to my core, but how we achieve that, there's
various ways to achieve that, aside from expanding government. So this'll be a lot more
commonality than you think.
Throgmorton/ Okay, excellent discussion! Thank you, everybody. Thank you, staff. Uh, I
know you've been here quite a while and you've had to listen to this, so (several talking)
Thank you very much! We are adjourned!
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