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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2016-01-16 TranscriptionPage 1 Council Present: Botchway, Cole, Dickens, Mims, Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton Staff Present: Fruin, Dulek, Grier, Hightshoe, Yapp, Andrew, Korpel, Rackis, Craig, Karr, Bockenstedt, Howard, Knoche, Boothroy, Seydell-Johnson, Laverman, Havel Others Present: Neal (UISG) Questions from Council re Agenda Items: Throgmorton/ First topic on our, uh, agenda is questions from Council about agenda items. Any questions about agenda items? ITEM 5e(3) PROPOSED FY2017 OPERATING BUDGET AND CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN - RESOLUTION SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING ON MARCH 1, 2016 TO DISCUSS THE PROPOSED FY2017 OPERATING BUDGET, THE PROPOSED THREE-YEAR FINANCIAL PLAN FOR FY2016 - 2018, AND THE FIVE-YEAR CAPITAL IMPROVEMENT PLAN 2016 — 2020 Thomas/ One question I had regarded the, um ... on the Consent Calendar, the, uh, Item 5e(3), where we ... we have the, uh, proposed fiscal year 2017 operating budget and capital improvement plan. If we were to, uh... when ... when is, when would be the appropriate time to propose additional amendments? Would that be...at that meeting on March Vt9 Throgmorton/ You mean to, uh, the fiscal year 2017 budget... Thomas/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ ...and CIP? Uh, I think they should be brought up this evening. Correct, Geoff? Why don't you go through a little bit what you and I talked about. Fruin/ Sure, and ... and Dennis, please, uh, jump in if I misstate anything. Um, what cannot be adjusted after this meeting is the tax levy. Urn ... so you can, uh, make decisions after, you know, at the ... at the meeting when the budget's adopted, but it cannot ... um, increase the tax levy. You could drop the tax levy if you want further, but ... if you're going to suggest spending that will, um, increase that levy, that should be done tonight and staff will need that direction tonight so that we can publish appropriate notice. Thomas/ So with that being the case then, um ... we ... sounds like we may need to pull that item from the Consent Calendar. (mumbled) Throgmorton/ Yeah (mumbled) but we should discuss it here. Thomas/ Yeah, but that's what I'm... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 2 Throgmorton/ So do you have particular suggestions? Thomas/ Well the one ... the one suggestion, and it does .... relate to the ... the levy would be the question of funding... Library staff and there was ... there was some correspondence on that, which sounded like ... with respect to this fiscal year, the ... the actual amount would be less than we had initially been discussing and I guess depending on when we would set... the clock in terms of that staff person, um, you know, it could be under $30,000 a year. Fruin/ Well we ... what we recommend as staff is that you budget for the entire position for the fiscal year. And that way the tax levy's adjusted on the FYI budget and it doesn't have to be partially adjusted this year for that purpose, and then, uh... uh, partially ejec... uh, adjusted next year. So .... we fully acknowledge that it's a, uh, position that won't be filled on July 1St, if it's approved. Um, but I think the ... the appropriate thing to do would be to budget for the full position. We have a number of conservative bug... budgeting practices that help us, um ... attain the financial condition that we have and I ... I think it's prudent to do that. Thomas/ Okay. Throgmorton/ I ... I'm thinking about your initial suggestion to pull it from the Consent Calendar. My sense is that we don't really need to do that. We need to decide in the work session what to do with regard to that topic, if...if there's clear majority support for doing what you're suggesting. Thomas/ Right. Throgmorton/ Then we would just instruct the staff that that's... that's what we want to do. So, uh, I need to hear from other people about this. Taylor/ I've got question (mumbled) does that include the whole idea of the bookmobile service or are you just talking funding for the staffing? Thomas/ Well they're tied together. Taylor/ Okay, cause I ... I would like to continue discussion about the, uh, funding for the book- mobile itself, including the staffing that. Throgmorton/ Well the (both talking) Taylor/ As far as revisiting the discussion on that and the vote that we took regarding (both talking) Throgmorton/ I guess I'm not following you there, Pauline. We ... we already have, uh, funding for the bookmobile itself in the capital improvements program. What I think is at This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 3 question here is whether we want to fund staffing for the bookmobile, you know, in other words, revisit the topic that we ... as we discussed during our last meeting. So... Taylor/ I would be okay with that. Throgmorton/ So I ... I think I'm hearin' two people (both talking) Cole/ I'm supportive of that, as well. Um ... um, you know, the bookmobile's been an issue that we sort of zigged and zagged a little bit on, but yeah, I am supportive of the budget recommendation for the staffing position. Um, so yeah, I am in support of that. Throgmorton/ Uh, Terry, Kingsley, Susan? Mims/ Well I was one that had initiated saying that I thought we should wait a year and ask for more ... work between the Library and non -profits, um, and we had a majority at the time that agreed to that. Um ... to let them do ... I'm a big proponent of both public/private partnerships. And we had majority that agreed on that when I requested that we pull that so that we could keep the levy down the 10 -cents that the staff had originally proposed. So ... I'm ... I would like to stay that way. Botchway/ And just to be clear, Geoff. Um ... you know, with the... inclusion of the bookmobile in the capital, um ... improvement's budget, it will be that 10 -cent increase. I mean, that's what we're talking about right now. Fruin/ (several talking) The levy increase is not tied to the capital improvement. Uh, that will be GO bond issue. The levy is ... is going to be impacted by the staffing. So what (several talking) I think the issue before you is, do you want to have the tax levy at 10 -cents and ... and no...no staffing for the bookmobile, or urn ... uh, 7 -cents, and have staffing for the bookmobile. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I ... I think maybe I'd state that just a little bit differently, I mean, the ... the reduction in the.... the.... the overall tax levy (both talking) Fruin/ That's correct, yeah. Throgmorton/ ...would be decreased by 7 -cents instead of by 10 -cents. Fruin/ Thank you for that, yes. That's right. Botchway/ Yeah, I mean (clears throat) I think I said this at the last meeting as well, um, not to say that I haven't been persuaded by a lot of different comments that have come from, uh, different folks from the Library community and some other folks as well, but ... I ... I just felt uncomfortable with, um, moving the levy in that way and I wanted to stay with the reduction of 10 -cents instead of the reduction of 7 -cents. Um, I still think there's some discussion that ... can still happen, um, with, uh....at least the one group that was brought to the attention by Rockne and I think (mumbled) reached out as well, um, just had a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 4 conversation with 'em as far as what they could provide, and so ... um, I still feel like there's a way to figure out, um, what the most cost-efficient manner of handling this is, uh, with still providing a great service to, um, our residents, but, um ... so that being said, I'm sticking with what I previously said before. Dickens/ Since I missed most of that discussion, I would tend to lean toward keeping the levy as low as possible, so... Throgmorton/ Well, uh... last meeting, you know it's interesting being... participating in our work session discussions. Uh... and I'll tell ya how I was responding to the last one. The topic came up right at the start of the work session discussion. My sense was that we had to decide on the budget that night, and I wanted to make sure that we didn't get stuck somehow by processing, uh... uh, the budget, uh, material we had in front of us. And I ... I've taken this, uh... I've decided to kind of be the last person to speak on these things, so I can get a sense of how others are ... are, uh, thinking, and at that time, there were three votes opposed ... to, uh, well, in favor of getting... opposed to keeping it in, uh, the budget, and two in favor, and I thought if I vote in favor, that will result in a 3-3 split, which could lead to an impasse that would chew up a whole bunch of time, which I thought we did not have. So in the spirit of moving things along, trying to come to resolution on that topic, and therefore on the budget as a whole, I voted in favor. That said, I wanted to vote ... for keeping it in the ... in the levy. So, that's what I would vote for tonight. So, I support the idea of having ... uh, a funding, uh, person, that staff position for the bookmobile and with the consequent effect on the tax levy. Thomas/ I concur with Jim. My ... my position hasn't changed. I would ... I would like to see the staff position. Botchway/ I guess for me (clears throat) at least for me, I mean, I know that, Rockne, you had a communication with a individual ... I don't know whether or not similar communication will go out because I'm assuming we wouldn't necessarily provide additional funding for non-profit to do the exact same service (mumbled) and so ... I don't know how that communication will go forward. Um, then on top of that ... I mean, I ... I still, um, am interested in, um, how this, uh, speaks to, um, you know, what it looks like from a community standpoint. I know there has been communication as far as what (mumbled) look like, but ... I .... I just have some questions. Urn ... and uh, you know, I have no problem with the Library. I love the Library for many different reasons and I've said that publicly many different times, but I .... I just want to make sure that, um, at least I knew from when I was talking ... I can't remember the person's name. That's why I keep looking at you (both talking) Cassidy, yeah! Um, exactly where, urn ... what kind of neighborhoods they were going to hit, so I felt, you know, very comfortable as far as having that discussion, um, and continuing on that discussion to wait a year, to kind of, you know, talk about what that may came ... come from, but urn ... I just hope we can have the same discussion or ... I'm just hoping the Library can bring that to the table for at least my ... my questions (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 5 Cole/ And ... and I want to sort of clarify that too, because I was the one that brought up the original concept of the (mumbled) Library, that particular non-profit. I think they're a fantastic service. I'm very encouraged by the work they do. Um, although I have been persuaded that it's really an apples and oranges type service, um, that they ... they provide great funding, um, I think they provide great events, but they provide a different type of service than I think what the Library is going to ... is going to supply. Um, so that's sort of why I think we sort of got a little bit into this either/or dynamic, and that's not what I intended. So I'll accept responsibility for that. Um, I did not want a situation where support for one would lead to not supporting the other. I do hope though that the Library and Antelope can work in close partnership. I think the Library's provided an excellent role in terms of working with non -profits, with the City of Literature, uh, with the Writer's House. So I like that concept and I'd like to push that going forward. So ... that's where I was coming from on that. But I did not want the support for one, uh, to really lead to a reduction in the other. I think they are different services, and so, uh, I think we need to focus on the Library funding request and what they're asking for, and I think it does meet a lot of the City's objectives in terms of improving literacy and increasing access, throughout the city, because it is a barrier for people to get downtown. So, that's sort of why I've supplied that little bit of extended explanation on that. (clears throat) But I am supportive of the request as made by the Library to fund the staffing position for the, uh, bookmobile. Mims/ Well I'll just comment again, I mean, you know like Kingsley said — I think all of us unequivocally support the Library. I mean I .... there's no question there. My point is I think the need for us to look at ... as much as we can public/private partnerships, and while maybe the two organizations are doing some things a little bit differently right now, you know, that doesn't mean that there can't be some work together on those kinds of things. To me, the staff presented us with a ... a really good budget that decreased our levy by 10 - cents, you know, you'll probably get sick of hearing me say it, but keep harping on the fact that we're just barely getting started into the changes in the property tax reform that the State Legislature put in place in 2013 that's going to make our budget tighter and tighter as we go forward. And so to take advantage of decreases that we can get in the levy now is just going to give us some protection going forward, when we may absolutely have to increase it simply to keep up with just absolutely necessary services within the City. Uh, the other thing that ... that is becoming a growing concern is when you look at those property tax changes, and you look at potential reduction of development within the community, um, the only way we can keep adding positions without increasing the levy is if we increase our tax base. Um ... and so ... you know, there's a lot of concern out there right now, quite frankly with the new Council and where ... where we're going. We've got developers ... I have heard from them personally. I know attorneys who've heard from them in closings, uh, talking about where this Council is headed in terms of development, and if they chose not to come forward with proposals and we don't get the growth in our tax base, um ... we're gonna be in tough ro... tough spot down the road and so ... I ... we had lots of other departments that I'm sure made the pitch to the City Manager's office to increase their staff, and ... they were probably turned down. I mean, our Parks and Rec could certainly use more staff. Um ... and not to necessarily pick them out over others, but we definitely need more staff in different areas. The Library comes to us under a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 6 different legal organization because of State law, and ... you know, quite frankly, I find that a little bit frustrating that ... because of that, they are getting, you know, more consideration from this Council, um, than others. They ... and I, I mean, I'm not criticizing the Library. They do a great job and I ... and I appreciate everything they do and I agree that anything we can do to improve literacy is important. Urn ... but I don't think people are necessarily looking at the big picture, um, on this when you look at the long haul. So I will not support it. Throgmorton/ A reasonable warning. Thank you! Any other discussion on this particular topic? Looks to me like we have four votes so ... Geoff. Fruin/ We have our direction. ITEM 5d(1) GENERAL QUARTERS, PART TWO — RESOLUTION APPROVING FINAL PLAT (SUB15-00029) ITEM 5d(2) GENERAL QUARTERS, PART THREE — RESOLUTION APPROVING FINAL PLAT (SUB16-00001) ITEM 5d(3) MOSS RIDGE PHASE 1— RESOLUTION APPROVING FINAL PLAT (SUB15-00032) Throgmorton/ Yes. Okay. Thank you! Uh... are there other agenda items? I ... I'd like to bring up one. Uh, with regard to Items ... I guess 5d(1), (2), and (3), which have to do with approving final plats. Doesn't really matter which one we're talking about. Sue, I wonder if you ... we have two new Council Members, uh, who have no direct experience with regard to rezoning and platting and preliminary plats and final plats and all that. Could you very briefly ... uh, de ... explain for our Council what the difference is between preliminary and final plats, and what the Council's discretion is with regard to final plats? Dulek/ Sure, but I ... I think maybe the first part of your question, that is the process, perhaps is somewhat more familiar with ... starting from the P&Z standpoint. Karen, do you want to ... do you mind just ... first one? Or John, I'm sorry! And in terms of discretion, sure, I'll add that at the end, unless you want to, John, but I ... I ... I don't want to misspeak. Yapp/ Sure! Uh, John Yapp, Development Services. Uh... the beginning of a process for a development proposal typically begins with a rezoning and a preliminary plat. And it...it is at that stage, uh, that the Planning and Zoning Commission and City Council and staff and the developer, uh, enter into... discussions and public meetings about the ... the zoning of the development, the density, the style, where the roads will be, the sidewalks, the open space, uh, all ... all the, uh, factors that go into a development. Once a zoning and a preliminary plat is approved, uh, the final stage is a final plat. Uh... a final plat as long as it is consistent with the approved preliminary plat and the rezoning, uh, there is not much discretion on the part of, uh, either staff or the City Council. So our role is really to ensure that it is consistent with the approved preliminary plat. The effect of a si... of a final plat is really so individual lots can be recorded and then bought and sold. Uh... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 7 those lots, the lots in the final plat are then recorded with the, uh, Johnson County Recorder's Office and then can be bought and sold. Uh, the other ... the, uh, detailed construction documents and legal documents, uh, for the creation of individual lots is part of that final plat that are reviewed by, uh, Engineering and Legal staff, respectively. Sue, did I miss anything? Dulek/ Um ... no. I ... but I do think that ... that John said it is key, that you won't see the ... part of the ... the final plat and what they refer to as the 'legal documents' there will also include the legal opinion of the developer's attorney, making sure that in fact (mumbled) developer does own all the property, there aren't any liens, anything that the City is required to be done up until now is good to go. So, if tomorrow for example you want to purchase that lot in one of these subdivisions, everything has ... has been completed. So that is ... that is the key in the final step, whereas it's all front -loaded, as ... as John indicated. Throgmorton/ Great! Thanks to both of you. Yapp/ Thank you. Throgmorton/ Other agenda items? I'm not hearing any. I think we need to move on to our strategic plan. So let's move to that! Part of our work session. So, Simon's gonna help us do this, and uh... Geoff, you and I talked about this. So why don't you explain how we're gonna proceed. Review Strateaic Plan Draft RP # 4 Info Packet of # 2/111: Fruin/ (clears throat) Well, what was in your Information Packet was the beginning of what will be the quarterly reports that you get to show, uh, how we're measuring our progress, uh, with your priorities. There's a lot of...other things in that report that I think will ... will make it too busy for us to work off of tonight. So what we did is we took the same, uh, seven priority areas and all the, uh, Council identified actions and we put 'em in a cleaner Word document here. So what I thought we could do tonight is start with the seven focus areas, uh, see if we can get Council agreement on those, and then as time permits, go through each one and look at the different, uh... uh, policies and action items that you, um, have developed to make sure that you're okay with the language that we're using. Um, our hope would be that we can finish tonight and that on the March 1St agenda we can present you with a resolution to formally adopt the strategic plan. Throgmorton/ Good ... good deal! I think we can do this. So let's just focus our minds and attention on this. What I'm going to do is move through each specific line. If you have suggestions about any one, you know, each of the lines that I go through, speak out. We'll see how ... what our agreement is and ... you'll enter changes, right? Andrew/ Yup! And we'll have, uh, track changes on, so you'll be able to see what it was and what it's changed to. If I don't get anything right as I'm typing, please interrupt me. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 8 Throgmorton/ Okay! With regard to the very opening sentence, I personally think that, uh, the measuring progress toward should be deleted and the words 'this strategic plan intends to foster' inserted. It's no big deal. I'm not gonna put a lot of weight on it, but ... so ... so the ... the way I would suggest it is 'this strategic plan intends to foster a more inclusive, just, and sustainable Iowa City.' It's intentional. So... Botchway/ Sounds good! Cole/ I'd agree with that, Jim. Taylor/ I do too. Throgmorton/ No big deal. Okay. So, did you get all that, Simon? Andrew/ I think so. Throgmorton/ This strategic plan intends to foster ... a more inclusive. (several talking) Yeah, that's where it is. Okay. So the first line ... so the key question is do we want to retain these verbs (laughs) or not. I mean, in terms of just being consistent. Uh... obviously I'd prefer that, but... Cole/ I think we should, because I think it suggests action, and I think that's what we want to try to do, is to actually achieve these rather than just have them be words, so I think that's a good point. We should leave the verbs in. Thomas/ The only one I ... I would throw out, uh.... a suggestion would be on the 'build a vibrant and walkable urban core' to say instead 'achieve a vibrant and workable ... or walkable urban core.' Throgmorton/ But you're okay with the idea of using verbs, huh? Thomas/ Yeah! Throgmorton/ Yeah. Uh, I am too. (mumbled) that's three. (several talking) One, two, three. Okay. So there's four. Okay, uh, so ... with regard to the first sentence then. So you ... you can see that all those verbs remain, except we might change one of 'em, or maybe others here. So, first line, uh, 'develop a strong and resilient local economy.' Mims/ I don't like the word 'develop.' It says to me that ... we don't have that, and I think we have a lot of parts of that already. Um, we may need to, you know, improve upon it and strengthen it, urn ... but .... it sounds like we're starting at ground zero when you say 'develop,' and I don't think we're at ground zero by any stretch of the imagination when you look at our local economy. Throgmorton/ Would you like .... word like 'maintain?' This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 9 Mims/ Well, I don't know that I like 'maintain' because I think that says that we don't have any room (mumbled) for improvement, and I think we do have room for improvement. Um, I mean we've got 'enhance' on number five, but I think 'enhance' is ... you know, would be a good verb there. (several talking) Yeah. Throgmorton/ 'Promote?' Cole/ 'Promote' is a good verb (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...good with that? (several talking) 'Promote.' Next line...'build a vibrant...' No you wanted 'achieved,' didn't ya, John? Thomas/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Yeah. So (several talking) anyhow...'achieve' or 'build a vibrant and walkable urban core.' Mims/ The only problem I have with'achieve' is...you know, what ... what is the actual measure of it and ... do we ... do we have the capability staff -wise and financially to 'achieve' that within supposedly the two years of this strategic plan. Is it ... is it su... is it suggesting... reaching an end point that we may ... not reasonably be able to meet within two years, and sets our ... I'm particularly concerned and you'll hear me say more about this later, I'm particularly concerned about setting our staff up for failure ... with how we word things and how much we have in here, and I don't want to do that. Throgmorton/ Yeah, good question. I see it as being directional, not ... an end point. Thomas/ (several talking) ...see it kind of aspirational (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah. Move in this direction. Taylor/ Do you like the word 'encourage?' 'Encourage a vibrant and walkable urbanT Mims/ To me that's better than 'achieve.' Throgmorton/ John, what... Thomas/ I'm okay with 'encourage.' Neal/ I like 'encourage' as well. Throgmorton/ (several talking and laughing) Okay, so 'encourage.' Persuaded! (laughter) Okay, let's see, the next one...'create healthy neighborhoods.' I want to make a suggestion about that. Uh, my suggestion is...'foster healthy neighborhoods throughout these... throughout the city.' 'Foster healthy neighborhoods throughout the city.' That means every neighborhood. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 10 Botchway/ Sounds good! Thomas/ Okay with me (several talking) Cole/ Sure. Dickens/ (several talking) ...we're not really creating, we're... developing and making sure that everybody's included (both talking) Throgmorton/ Right, I wanted to... Dickens/ ...inclusive. Throgmorton/ Wanted to get away from that idea that we're (several talking) Yeah. Dickens/ Some of it's already created. Andrew/ Sorry, what was the first word again? (several responding) Throgmorton/ 'Foster healthy neighborhoods throughout the city.' Cole/ Agreed! Throgmorton/ Okay, think we have four for that. Um, so I think the next one was ... we were, well....'maintain a solid foundation,' financial foundation. I'm ... I'm good with that. (several talking) The next one, uh, 'enhance community engagement and inter- governmental relations.' Likewise, I personally am good with that. Cole/ I like that. (several responding) Throgmorton/ Fact I'm fine with the, uh, all the rest. Cole/ Yep! Botchway/ Oh, no! Wait, wait, wait! Throgmorton/ No? Botchway/ Don't like two 'promotes.' Sorry! Throgmorton/ Oh! (both talking) Taylor/ Where's two 'promotes?' Dickens/ First one's (mumbled) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 11 Mims/ I don't see a problem with two 'promotes,' personally. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'm ... (several talking and laughing) All right, so ... and we're okay with 'advance social justice and racial equity' as well? (several responding) Okay. Good deal! Cole/ You said 'equity' as opposed to 'equality.' Botchway/ Oh, 'equity,' yeah! (several talking) Throgmorton/ Oh, right! It should be (several talking) cause everything else is about equity. Cole/ Yep! Throgmorton/ So that, yeah, that word should be changed to 'equity.' Okay. Can you move to the next one, which is all the sub -headings under ... under the...'strong and resilient local economy.' I'll just go line by line, right? I won't read 'em. First line. Mims/ Well, here's where I ... I guess I'm just gonna jump in on a little bit different tangent, Jim, at this point, because it's not any particular one that I disagree with, okay? When I read through and re -read and triple -read through this, I ... I don't find a particular action item in here that I disagree with, okay? I think they're all really good. I think if I counted right, and I think maybe City Manager Tom Markus said this one night. In these seven areas I think we've got 36 action items. Throgmorton/ Pretty close. Mims/ Okay. I think that's too many. I think it is too aggressive, um, I think with our City Manager leaving and as he talked about being understaffed in the City Manager's office and that's the area that will lead an awful lot of this. I think it's really important that we find some ways to pair down some of these, to really prioritize what's in here, um, and... and I don't know if staff is comfortable with giving us any... feedback in terms of the time commitment they see on some of these, um, and ... and what that means, but as I said before, one of the last things that I want to do ... going forward, and particularly with the transition that we're going to have, is to set our staff up for failure, and I think this is so aggressive and some of these things are going to be so time-consuming, that I'm afraid that's what we're doing. Um ... and so, again, I can't necessarily pick one out and say, oh, I don't like this one. That's not the case. I think they're all good ideas. But I really think we need to try and prioritize what are the most important ones, um, based on some of the time commitment and narrow down what we have under these seven topics. Throgmorton/ It's a good point. Uh, Geoff and I have talked about this at length. Also Tom and I have talked about it. It's very clear we're gonna have ... as a Council, we're gonna have to give some priorities, if we stick with what we have here. We're gonna have to convey some priorities to the staff about which one of the, uh, key elements we want them to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 12 move ahead on most, uh, propitiously. So... so we could try to delete all sorts of things right here and now. I personally do not favor that, but we are going to have to give priority direction as we move along. Cole/ No, and I think we can achieve these. I mean, certain of these we're already in the process of doing. Reviewing the City's tax increment finance policy. If you look at proactively seeking opportunities to facilitate development and interstate entryways. There's already projects in the works on that. Working closely with the City of Iowa City ... er, the School District, Kirkwood Community College. I mean a lot of these things we're already in the process of doing — the Riverfront Crossings plan, um ... you know, these are goals for us to, uh, shoot for and I ... I think that we should stick that with that, but as Jim said, I do think we need to prioritize at some point and sort of highlight the most important ones, but I would like to leave it in. We've already spent a lot of work on this, and I think we should stick with it. Thomas/ Yeah, I tend to agree with that. I ... I think it's helpful to have ... these bullet points... there. They may, you know, I agree they need ... they'll need prioritization, first of all. Uh, at the same time I think it's helpful to have them there. Some of these may, as Rockne said, in my mind are almost reminders of some of the things that we're already engaged in. Um, so they're... they're helpful in that regard, and ... and so ... and others may not be, um ... may not translate to ... to a significant initiative, but uh, I think it's useful at this point to still have them in there. Throgmorton/ Pauline? Terry? Kingsley? Taylor/ It seems like we had slimmed down quite a bit initially from ... from the list that we had, and these seemed to be condensed. Some of 'ern seem very similar and maybe would be able to be reworded, um, so that there ... there aren't so many, but I agree with Rockne. They ... they all have importance and maybe we could order them in ... in what we believed to be the level of importance. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I don't think we're going to be able to do that tonight (both talking) Taylor/ ...tonight, no. Throgmorton/ (both talking) we will have to give guidance to the staff. Taylor/ Right. Dickens/ I guess I would go ahead and accept it as we've written it, because we did spend quite a bit of time over the last several.... several meetings. I do agree with Susan that there is a lot in here and looking through some of 'em, uh, work sessions we're already ... I think we're televising those now (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, we are. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 13 Dickens/ ...that can almost (both talking) Throgmorton/ As we speak! Dickens/ ...already be taken off. Uh, yeah, but tritor... prioritizing these is very important, I think, and we may need to go even section by section and spread it out over ... over a period of time, cause we're gonna have other things to do with the City Manager, things like that, so... Throgmorton/ So ... so on that point, uh, Tom made a suggestion that I found valuable, uh, in one of the conversations he and I had, and the suggestion was that we each identify five ... of these ... 36 or whatever that we would really like to see accomplished within our ... this two- year term, so that we can point to it and say, 'oh, we did that, we feel good about that.' We can't do that right now, but that'd be pretty, uh, pretty helpful, sort of, uh.... heuristic I think is a word for it, uh, to help us figure out what to -how to proceed with regard to identifying further priorit... priorities. Okay, well I think we have a sense that we would like to retain, uh... the elements and maybe refine them slightly. So, the first one having to do with identifying... and the local food economy. Any changes proposed on that? Cole/ Well (mumbled) said that we already liked the seven that are there, or are we gonna go line by line? Throgmorton/ Good idea! Okay, so I ... I would like to suggest two ... changes in three lines, but otherwise retain the whole. So on the second line, I would suggest that we insert the words 'and consider amending' right after the word 'review.' So 'review and consider amending the ... the TIF policy.' It doesn't mean we will amend it. Dickens/ That ... that would be my question. We're reviewing it and then we should decide then if we plan on amending it, cause I think reviewing has to come first. So... Throgmorton/ Definitely has to come first. Botchway/ I'm fine with the language. It's reasonable. Throgmorton/ What I'm suggesting or what's there? (several talking) Taylor/ Right, I am too. Throgmorton/ Okay. Uh, on ... one, two, three, four, on the fifth line, about 'work closely with,' after the name 'Iowa Works,' I would insert the words 'labor organizations' comma. Cole/ That's an excellent idea. Taylor/ I like that. Thomas/ Good! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 14 Cole/ Cause I know that a lot of the labor unions really want to work on apprenticeship programs (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah! There's a lot of support for (both talking) Cole/ ...very well with that. Throgmorton/ And it, yeah, it's a ... it's just another, uh (both talking) Dickens/ (mumbled) (laughter) Throgmorton/ On ... the last ... no, sorry, next to last, 'develop programs.' That .... that line. Dickens/ (mumbled) Throgmorton/ I would ... I'd like to combine those last two. So ... how to say this? Here ... here's what I would suggest we do is have ... have it read, have the last two lines read 'develop programs aimed to enhance ... small business development and retention,' and ... develop a program to, oh god, that's not right! I'm sorry! Oh, no, never mind. 'Develop programs enhancing, sorry, develop programs enhancing small business development and retention, and... supporting small business development and employment opportunities for minorities.' So that... Mims/ Seems like we've got that small business development in there twice. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'm trying to (both talking) Mims/ ....my thought when I read through (several talking) Thomas/ My suggestion (both talking) Mims/ ...redundancy in there. Thomas/ ...suggestion was on the last one, to ... uh...'develop a program to support employment opportunities for minorities,' since we covered the... Dickens/ Business (mumbled) Thomas/ ...business development in the first.. just, the one just prior. Dickens/ Just delete this whole (mumbled) Mims/ My only question is do we get into legal issues on ... something so narrowly focused in the last one. I mean... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 15 Cole/ What if we said 'diverse communities,' as opposed to 'minorities?' What ... what do people think about that, so the diverse communities seems to encompass minorities, but it's not quite as... Throgmorton/ For diverse communities. Cole/ For diverse communities. I don't think anyone would complain about that. Botchway/ So what about'develop programs aimed to enhance small business development and retention, with a focus on opportunities for minorities?' Thomas/ Could you repeat that? Botchway/ Just the first line, 'develop programs aimed to enhance small business development and retention, with a focus of opportunities for minorities.' Taylor/ Is that two separate ideas though, with the one (mumbled) to encourage more small business in Iowa City and the other is ... the diverse populations? Botchway/ I mean some of it was, but I think that it's still ... a part of the, I mean I remember the first prong being about, you know, overall small business development because I think I ... I believe it was around the conversation as I was talking about, you know, the SSMID and um, doing that in different, um, communities so to speak within Iowa City, but then that last part was separate because I think then I talked about leveraging our community partners to, um .... help us, um, present or provide more opportunities for minorities from small buz... business development standpoint and employment standpoint, um, but ... to me, and I think, you know, Susan mentioned, we have small business development in there twice. I don't necessarily think that you won't ... you couldn't do the same thing within the first framework. I think that that's what (coughing, unable to hear speaker) focus on it, just to make sure you're paying attention to it as you're going through those different things. Throgmorton/ Could, uh, Rockne suggested using what, diverse (both talking) Cole/ Diverse communities. Throgmorton/ ...instead of minorities. Cole/ Minorities. Botchway/You know, that's one of those things where I see where you're going, Rockne, and I think it kind of speaks to Susan's concerns about the legality of it. But I guess for me it's about being very clear as far as our expectations in that way, and so I don't ... we're not tying, I mean, to your concern, Susan, which is an avid concern. We're not tying anything to that. We're just saying that we're ... we're going to develop something with the focus, but doesn't necessarily mean that it will be ... um, we're trying to meet any type of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 16 goal or, um, or something along those lines. But I think that has fallen under, at least (mumbled) professional job (laughs) as far as leg... illegality issues, but, urn ... that's, yeah, I think ... that's my point, Rockne, I guess to that question (both talking) Cole/ ...obviously I'm supportive of the concept, but unfortunately we have had, you know, nationally a ... quite a different discussion on this, and um, but I'd be comfortable leaving it in and say, hey, let's do the right thing and, I mean, do you think it would be different in terms of focus if we use 'diverse communities' as opposed to 'minority,' Kingsley? Botchway/ I just look at (both talking) Cole/ ...would your preference be? Botchway/ I look at it from the framework if...somebody's just reading this ... I look at it from the framework if somebody's just reading this particular document, what they would view from viewing that, and ... I mean I guess you can get the same type of understanding from 'diverse communities,' but I don't think it provides the same emphasis (both talking) Cole/ ...I'm comfortable leaving that in then. Dickens/ Just get rid of the small business (mumbled) Cole/ Yeah. Botchway/ Yeah. Dickens/ And just go straight from 'develop program' to 'support employment opportunities.' Cole/ Yeah, yeah. Cause I would imagine the programs that we'd be working with would be closely coordinated with federal and State programs, which probably the legalities of that would be, um, fleshed out before they'd come our way anyway. Botchway/ If not I'll just blame Simon! Cole/ Yeah, yeah, exactly! Throgmorton/ So what the proposed language is 'develop programs to support employment opportunities for minorities?' Is that what I'm hearing? (several responding) Andrew/ Two separate bullet points? Throgmorton/ One. I mean (both talking) Botchway/ Say that one more time? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 17 Throgmorton/ 'Develop ... develop, uh, programs to support ... um, employment opportunities for minorities.' Botchway/ No, I was saying use the first line, 'develop programs aimed to enhance small business development and retention, with a focus on minorities.' The reason why I say that is because I still think it's important for us to look at different, uh, economic development or small business development within different communities in Iowa City. So I don't want to take off ...I don't want to lose the focus on that. Urn ... but I... Dickens/ (mumbled) Throgmorton/ I'm okay with that. (several talking) Dickens/ ...get rid of that. Throgmorton/ I'm ... I'm okay with that, and delete the last senten... uh, the last bulleted item. Botchway/ The issue that I have though it's ... it's not just employment opportunities. It's actually like entrepreneurial opportunities through small business development. Taylor/ You want minorities to be encouraged to develop businesses. Botchway/ (mumbled) ...with a focus on minorities. Throgmorton/ To say ... say it again so Simon can... Botchway/ So just delete that line. There we go. Andre/ Like that? Botchway/ Yep! Taylor/ On minorities or the minority population or... Botchway/ You know what, change to 'diverse communities.' Never mind! (several talking) I feel like I am. As soon as I write it (mumbled) or as soon as I saw it on the screen I changed my mind. Just put 'diverse communities.' To your point! (mumbled) Mims/ But I hear your point also, Kingsley, in terms of, urn ... sometimes you dilute the language, and you got to be careful there too, so I ... I hear what you're saying there. Throgmorton/ Okay, can we move on to the next ... policy area. Um, I have suggestions but I should refrain from speaking for a minute here and see if others have specific suggestions. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 18 Mims/ On the first one ... you know, again until we get into doing something... you know, it's hard to know what that really entails, but ... um, when you talk about, you know, 'protecting historic residential, commercial buildings and provide for their restoration.' That ... kind of concerns me, I mean, I think that's something that you really have to look at, case by case, and you know, what's the dollar amount and what's the benefit and ... and what other players can you bring into it, and to ... and to put that quite so strongly that ... as if we as a city with tax dollars are going to provide for the restoration, um ... I'm not comfortable with that. Throgmorton/ How bout 'facilitate' instead of'provideT Mims/ You know and then you have... differences of opinion sometimes of whether they're worth preserving, um ... and so ... depending on who's doing the preserving and whose dime is doing it. Cole/ Well (mumbled) say 'support historic preservation efforts,' and the last clause instead of 'provide,' because support you could support the Downtown District, you could support private groups doing it, you could support the City doing it, if we have the funds (both talking) Mims/ Sure! Cole/ Okay. Mims/ Lot of different ways you can support, I would agree (both talking) Throgmorton/ Say the language again (several talking) Cole/ ...'support historic preservation efforts.' Throgmorton/ That's it? Cole/ Yeah! Mims/ I think that's good. (several talking) Dickens/ You done good! (several talking) Throgmorton/ I would like to insert a new bulleted item, at...at the start of this, because I think it's crucial for the whole. Uh, and this item actually appears later on in our document, so it would be deleted later on. And ... and the language is 'consider...' I'll just say it quickly, um, 'consider creating a new City Council committee with a focus on sustainable built environment.' We have that ... we combined two things ... at the end of the document. So I'm just saying pull one of 'em out and put it in here, because it really pertains to ... this vibrant, urban core stuff. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 19 Mims/ See and I'm not ... really ready to go in that direction until we have a better idea how this whole STAR community rating thing is going to work, and ... and the integration of that with our whole strategic plan, and .... and the STAR committee and everything. Throgmorton/ Yeah, uh, this doesn't commit us to doing it. It says 'consider creating,' and ... and of course I support the idea (laughs) of creating it, but it ... but it still (both talking) Cole/ I think it makes more sense in that particular ... in the ... in the core neighborhood section, cause you're right, we could reject it and say that we don't want to do it. We're not committing ourselves to it, correct. Botchway/ Right, the only ... I mean, the only question that I have is (mumbled) Man! I can't relax up here now! (laughs) The only question I have is ... can you go up to the next one? Not, sorry! Does it need to be under that, I mean I support it. I guess I just don't know whether or not it needs to be under that heading. That's more of a question, Jim, than ... (mumbled) Throgmorton/ Yeah, I...it...it probably could go in either (both talking) Botchway/ Okay, so it doesn't matter to me (both talking) Throgmorton/ This one was the thinner of the categories, so I thought put it here. Cole/ Yeah, I think that makes sense. Thomas/ Yeah, in that regard I think it ... yeah, I mean it seems like it could fall possibly under (both talking) Throgmorton/ Okay, so ... Simon, can you cut that and ... put it up (several talking) Taylor/ Can we incorporate what Susan's discussing as that phrase is about incorporating the STAR, um ... ideas and... Throgmorton/ I don't... it's clear we're gonna be considering the STAR communities stuff, uh... Cole/ But that's for the sustainability section, as I see it, not to the vibrant, walkable urban core. Mims/ Before we get any further ... is that second bullet, I guess I thought I was hearing Rockne say.. just replace the whole bullet with 'support historic preservation efforts.' Throgmorton/ What were you saying, Rockne? Cole/ Well I was supporting the actual clause... instead of a'provide (both talking) Mims/ ...restoration... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 20 Cole/ ...support historic preservation efforts, yeah. Mims/ Okay! Okay! Not sure .... (both talking) Botchway/ Is there (both talking) Mims/ ....how we protect 'ern then. Throgmorton/ Well ... we ... we can by action if we choose to, but ... you know, we're not... committing ourselves to protecting any particular building at this point. Mims/ Yeah, but ... see I thought what he was saying was just, you know, support historic preservation efforts as the whole bullet, which I think works really well, because there's lots of, like you said, there's lots of ways we can support. We can support through, you know, encouraging the designation. We can, you know, initiate it ourselves. We can put tax dollars into it potentially. Um ... the minute to me you put the word 'protect' in there, it...it is a sense of...action beyond which maybe we would want to go on a particular case. Again, I think the historic preservation needs to be done on a case-by-case ... I think ... I think we have that belief that it's important overall. Um ... so I'm not comfortable with the way the second one is ... written. I don't know about everybody else. Throgmorton/ I ... I support it the way it is. Cole/ Yeah, I do too. Botchway/ I actually would agree you could remove it and still have the same weight. Throgmorton/ Remove what? Botchway/ Remove the 'protect historic residential, commercial buildings,' and just have 'support historic preservation efforts.' Dickens/ That's more of an action. Botchway/ Cause to be honest with you, it seems redundant. From a standpoint of...by supporting 'ern you could be protecting 'em, you could be providing for, you could do a lot of different things (both talking) Throgmorton/ A lot of historic preservation's not just about individual buildings, but about neighborhoods. So... Taylor/ Right, yeah I ... I would agree, and in fact I agree with Susan. I thought he meant just le ... have it support historic preservation efforts, which I think that's more global and says a lot more than just protecting. Dickens/ I would agree ... delete the first part and just keep the second. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 21 Mims/ So take out the first part, Terry? (several talking) Throgmorton/ Pauline, are you supporting doing that, taking that first part out? Taylor/ Right, cause I'm a little uncomfortable with the 'protect' part too as far as how people would see what we mean, what we would do to protect, but I think supporting could include protecting. Throgmorton/ I think I hear four people in favor of 'support historic preservation efforts.' Are there other suggestions with regard to this category? Well, all right, so I...I have two more suggestions. With regard to the ... the one that starts with the words 'initiate public dialogue,' uh, I think that's pretty vague, so I think we need to ... bring some clarity to it. So I would suggest this...just listen as I read and...'initiate public dialogue about the meaning and importance ... of a walkable urban neighborhood, and how to achieve it.' So, this would involve inserting the words'and importance,' after 'meaning.' The word 'urban' after the word 'walkable,' and the words 'and how to achieve it' at the very end. Cause as it is, it's just really vague. You know, in ... initiating public dialogue about the meaning of a walkable neighborhood. Dickens/ When I think urban, I think more the downtown area, but I ... and I think that it should be inclusive of all the neighborhoods, if we're looking to maybe add commercial spaces in some of these new neighborhoods. I don't consider them quite as urban. I consider those more, you know, the pocket neighborhoods that we've talked about, so I think you're pigeon -holing it a little bit by saying 'urban' in there. Mims/ That's a good point, Terry. I hadn't thought about that. Thomas/ It's ... it is listed under'urban core.' This is one of the problems. We have two categories... Dickens/ Right! Thomas/ ...overlapped to some degree, but urn ... I don't know that we need to say 'urban' cause it's already listed under 'urban core.' Dickens/ It's under the 'urban core,' so just leave that out and the rest of it sounds... Throgmorton/ Okay, so ... I think I hear support for that. Did ... did you get the words? Andrew/ I'll need the (both talking) Throgmorton/ ....and at the end ... the words 'and how to achieve it.' Cole/ I would support those changes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 22 Throgmorton/ Me too! Taylor/ I do (several talking) Throgmorton/ Okay, so, uh, I had one other suggestion on this category. Dickens/ (mumbled) (laughter) Throgmorton/ If there are four votes (several talking) shut 'em down! (laughter) Uh, the suggestion is to add the following bulleted item. Let me just read it so you hear it, and then maybe go back over it. 'Ensure that new buildings are complementary in mass, scale, and character with their context.' Cole/ Would that be similar to essentially a form -based code analysis, or would that be separate, Jim? Throgmorton/ Well, it's, uh.... it's sort of in that direction. Dickens/ Isn't that already being (both talking) being done in some (both talking) already? Throgmorton/ ...it comes up later on. Yeah. The form -based code of it comes up later on for ... a neighborhood out in the city. Mims/ I'm not comfortable with it. I ... here's, I mean ... let me put it this way. I could see that for the near north side, okay? Where, you know, you've got a lot of single-family homes, and you don't want a developer buying two or three adjacent homes and tearing'em down and putting up some massive apartment building. Totally agree with you there! Okay, my concern comes, let's say, with ... Riverfront Crossings or other areas where we might be doing things that we haven't been doing in this community before, and we might have development proposals for high-rises, okay? What ... what then is the "context" and is that mass and scale based on what you're saying... working there? So I ... I'm not comfortable with it. Throgmorton/ I hear your point. Mims/ I totally would agree ... on near north side. Cause I've even talked to Tom and ... and (both talking) Dickens/ ...historic district anyway (both talking) Mims/ Well, and Matt and I had talked about is, you know, there some way of doing some things there to keep bigger (both talking) Throgmorton/ How .... how bout this, I mean I get your point and I agree, so ... I'll toss out one possible change. So ... in, uh, again, just hear the language. 'Ensure that new buildings in This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 23 existing neighborhoods ... are complementary in mass, scale, and character with their context.' Mims/ But how do you define 'existing neighborhoods?' Is the Riverfront Crossings not an existing neighborhood? Dickens/ (mumbled) Mims/ Right, it is, so .... (several talking) Yeah, I'm ... I'm not comfortable with it. I mean I hear what you're saying (both talking) Thomas/ ...used again (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, what ... what, the language I suggested, and I clearly hear that some ... some are opposed to this ... not opposed but (both talking) Mims/ Just have concerns! Throgmorton/ Yeah. What I was suggesting was 'ensure that new buildings in existing neighborhoods are complementary in mass, scale, and character with their context.' Mims/ The other thing is I'm not sure... well ... I ... I think it ... I think it requires looking at zoning issues... Cole/ ...a Comp Plan issue (both talking) Mims/ Yeah, I don't see it as a strategic plan issue (both talking) Cole/ ...good protection in the Comp Plan and one thing I would like to do is really review, in the future when we're talking about aspirational language in the Comp Plan, how much weight we place upon that, but ... that strikes me as a separate discussion, although obviously I'm supportive of the concept. Um... Botchway/ Yeah (both talking) Cole/ Comp Plan's already pretty good! Mims/ Yeah. Botchway/ And I would agree, as well, I mean I'm supportive of the concept, but I ... I ... I shouldn't say fear. I have concerns that, um, once in writing, if we do ... deviate, um, for whatever reason. There could be a reason. Then we'll be, you know, hold to task for the fact that we had it in our strategic plan. Throgmorton/ Okay! My ... my plane just (laughter and several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 24 Cole/ But I liked the concept (several talking) Taylor/ I also liked the concept (several talking) You don't want a whole mix of like 20 -story and a two-story and a purple building and a blue building and ... uh, so I like the concept (several talking) Throgmorton/ Okay, are there any other ... any other suggestions for this category? Cole/ It's great! Throgmorton/ Okay, moving on to ... the healthy neighborhoods category. Uh, any specific suggestions? Mims/ I know the first one says 'consider,' um ... but I, I mean, I just have a concern with that because ... and I guess if it stays in, which it probably will, I think it's something that we have to be incredibly, incredibly careful of. Botchway/ Is ... would you ... would you be okay with'review and consider amending?' Kind of similar to the language we had before? Mims/ My concern is ... is the direction that I've heard from people ... you know, in doing this has ... that we may end up down a path that's going to really hurt our development. You're going to see development going to the neighboring cities. Um .... but my sense is this Council's gonna review this as ... but I wouldn't personally. Throgmorton/ I would like to sug... uh, suggest a couple small changes at the very end of that particular bulleted item. Uh, and instead of...instead of the end reading 'residential areas,' have the end read 'new residential/mixed-use areas.' So it's clear we're talking about new stuff... and... and not, uh... not sort of anywhere. Botchway/ I would agree. Cole/ I'd support that, Jim. Thomas/ I think it's ... it's, you know, we have 'consider' in there. We're not ... we're not saying 'adopt.' (laughs) Throgmorton/ So, Simon, are you hearing the particular words. So 'new' and then, yeah, 'residential/mixed-use.' Dickens/ I don't know if I like the 'new' in there because you hate to not have affordable housing possibilities (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, but this is about the annexation policy. So it has to (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 25 Dickens/ ...have to be out in the new area. (mumbled) not gonna annex! (several talking) Well, University Heights! (laughter and several talking) Cole/ ...in terms of the annexation. Throgmorton/ Ye ... yeah, because... Mims/ Why even put it in ... why even put in what the area is? If you're annexing, you're going to be looking at the zoning and stuff related to that annexation anyways, so ... I mean, it ... if you're truly going to consider this, you're going to have to ... you're going to have to write an annexation policy... that... that adapts ... that considers where you're annexing and what it's adjacent to. If what you're annexing is adjacent to our industrial park, with the intent that it's going to be used for industrial use because all of a sudden we finally have some things out there, you're not going to put affordable housing in it. So ... to me you don't need to add ... you don't even need the 'in residential areas' or 'in residential/mixed-use areas,' you know, if you consider amending the City's annexation policy, uh... to require the provision of affordable housing, I would assume any amending of that policy would take into account ... what that annexed land was adjacent to. Fruin/ Staff would, you know, when we get to that point, and this ... this is an item that's actually on your pending list already, but when it gets to that point, we'll help guide ya through the language, and I think we know that the intent is that if there are residential units being offered that there's an affordable housing, uh, component to that. So ... I wouldn't get too hung up in the ... in the language here, um, just like we are with inclusionary zoning — we'll guide you through the ... the language of the policy. Cole/ I think I like leaving it in. Throgmorton/ Um, me too. I ... I thought I heard (several talking) Okay. Uh, any other suggestions in this category? Thomas/ See, on the third bullet, um ... I would suggest, uh, just saying 'develop strategies to diversify the, uh, diversify the membership of neighborhood associations' and delete 'and centers,' which...to me was somewhat unclear. Uh, we could add a second bullet, which would be, uh, 'develop strategies to promote the formation of strong neighborhood centers.' Uh, you know, as ... as a separate item, but ... but having it as, um, 'membership of neighborhood association and centers,' um...was not clear to me. Taylor/ I agree with John on that, cause it seems like it's two separate ideas, because like the neighborhood associations, say the Brown Street Neighborhood, versus, uh, the Pheasant Ridge Center are ... are two different concepts. Botchway/ John, can you say the last part of what you just said? Thomas/ 'Develop strategies to promote the formation of strong neighborhood centers.' This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 26 Botchway/ Can we just say 'develop strategies to diversify the membership of neighborhood associations and promote,' whatever you just said. Cole/'Strong neighborhood centers.' Thomas/ And promote strong neighborhood centers? (several talking) Dulek/ Just keep in mind the centers are private. The City has no control over those. (several talking) Thomas/ Well it's not meant ... at least my intent with use of the word 'center' is not public/private. Just that there is a place within every neighborhood that is a focal place. Taylor/ A gathering place. (several talking) Mims/ I think that's confusing, when you have neighborhood centers like Broadway Neighborhood Center, Pheasant Ridge Neighborhood Center. I ... I think the use of 'centers' in that context could be very confusing. Thomas/ Uh, gathering center, gathering places would be one option. Mims/ See again, I guess I get confused. What, I mean what are you talking about? We've ... we've got neighborhood parks. We've got the schools that neighborhoods use. We're not gonna go out and put up buildings for the neighborhoods to gather in. So I ... I'm confused. I'm honestly confused about how you mean it in terms of what we might even do, and so ... from that point I'm not comfortable with it being in there. Throgmorton/ Well I guess the... this... this really gets ... gets to the heart of, uh, the whole idea of what a 'walkable urban core' would be like, what strong viable neighborhoods are like, and in part that involves having 'neighborhood centers' that one can walk to or ride a bike to, uh, like out at, uh, Blackstone area... purchase things that you want or do things you want to do, uh, that ... and that's all fine... ultimately a matter of good, physical design. So ... I ... I see the point. It seems to me we want to diversify the membership of neighborhood associations, definitely want to do that. But we could strengthen ... uh... neighborhood centers, as well. I ... I'm not gonna put a lot of weight on that myself, but if, you know, you got good language, John, to suggest (both talking) Dickens/ And promote neighborhood centers. Mims/ See I don't... without more definition, I don't like neighborhood centers because we're already using those formally (both talking) Dickens/ (mumbled) Mims/ Right. (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 27 Botchway/ ...I don't like that, um ... language (mumbled) I mean... Cole/ Let's just leave it as it is. Throgmorton/ How ... how bout instead of the words 'and centers,' insert the words 'and strengthen neighborhood gathering places?' Botchway/ I don't like the words 'gathering places.' I mean I just think that ... (several talking) Throgmorton/ ...going to have to drop the words 'and centers' it seems to me. And just stick with the neighborhood ... the membership diversification. Botchway/ Well because I think it goes beyond that, I mean I think that when you're talking about diversifying in different places, as you're talking about different centers, um, you know, it goes beyond just the neighborhood associations, because you know ... correct me if I'm wrong, but the ... the Downtown District is, um, within itself not necessarily a neighborhood association, I mean, you could say that, but I see it as a 'center' and they have a very strong voice (both talking) Thomas/ As Jim said, they're a physical place component to having, you know, a neighborhood association is an organization and then the ... this notion of 'center' has to do with physical place. Mims/ But then I think if we look at the last bullet, I mean, it says 'substantially improve public spaces... through improvements to sidewalks, curb cuts, parks, and streetscapes.' I mean ... how is that different than... Thomas/ Well for example, um ... then this is sort of getting down the road with this ... this item, but ... schools, for example, could be much stronger, um, centers within neighborhood communities, uh, if they were... promoted in that way, uh, which is being done in other cities. I was just reading about that today. So... Mims/ And those are public spaces too. For us. I mean, I ... I hear what you're saying, John. I just ... I don't... Thomas/ (mumbled) ...yeah, the...okay. It's, um ... it's (several talking) I'm okay with centers in that (laughs) maybe the .... if people aren't clear on it, we just promote dialogue on it, um, through the process of...engaging in that bullet point. Mims/ Yeah, I would not keep 'and centers' in there cause I think it's confusing. Throgmorton/ I think (both talking) Neal/ I find it confusing as well. Having the 'and centers.' This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 28 Thomas/ Well 'and centers,' I think neighborhood centers is ... is ... it's important to qualify centers but um ... anyway. Taylor/ Do we need ... when you're talking about diversifying membership, when we originally talked about this was it more like encouraging more neighborhoods to have their associations (mumbled) more of a community feel (both talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, I understood it (both talking) Pauline, I ... I understood that to mean, uh, doing what we can to ensure that neighborhoods, uh, associations included renters as well as homeowners, and ... other people who live and work in the area, so that the ... the membership of the neighborhood associations really re ... reflected the diversity, whatever it is, the diversity of the neighborhood itself. That's what I understood by diversify, doing what we can to diversify, um, membership of neighborhood associations. Botchway/ I just don't think it's addressing the next point. To me substantially improve public spaces through improvements to sidewalks, curb cuts, parking, streetscapes ... doesn't speak to ... um ... neighborhood centers as John's kind of, um ... described. I mean I think those are two different things. For me that's more of a .... I don't know. Thomas/ Well, perhaps... perhaps to try to just move this forward, we could modify, which I'd already done. The following bullet item, which I'll just read this, see what everyone thinks. 'Substantially improve access and use of public spaces through improvements to sidewalks, streetscapes, parks, and schools.' Throgmorton/ I like the language. Can you say it again, please? Thomas/ Uh, substantially improve access and use of public spaces through improvements to sidewalks, streetscapes, parks, and schools. Throgmorton/ I like the language. I don't know about the rest of you. Cole/ I do too. I support it. (several talking) Taylor/ I think that (both talking) Botchway/ ...doesn't make sense to the, what you're talking about, John. I mean ... to me it just means providing access to those public spaces, but I thought we were going to do more to promote (both talking) Thomas/ Well the use (both talking) it's access and use, so that the two are emphasized. Botchway/ Okay. Never mind. Throgmorton/ Make sure Simon's gettin' the language there, John. Thomas/ Yeah. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 29 Throgmorton/ Okay, with regard to the bullet item before it, I tell ya what my gut feeling is. There's a lot of learning we all need to be engaged in somehow with regard to the design points, the physical design points, that are being implied by all this, and we can't do it now. We just spin our wheels and ... but we've set up a process for, uh, achieving some ... some collective learning. So ... and you know, coming to a shared understanding and that kind of stuff, so ... I ... I don't think we need to spend any more time on ... this particular part. Okay? So, movin' on, Simon! Botchway/ Wait, so remove centers? Thomas/ We take out 'and centers' then on the, urn... Throgmorton/ I'd say take it out. (several talking) I see personally nothing to change in this. Botchway/ I didn't ... the only thing I said the 'be attentive.' Um .... (mumbled) the third bullet point, 'be attentive (mumbled) (noises in background) Mims/ My .... my point, yeah, my point on that is ... I don't know if there will be changes coming, but there has .... and ... and if you wanted to ask Dennis, I mean, there have been changes in their criteria over the last year or two, and that was where some of the cities in Iowa lost their triple-A bond rating, was not necessarily because they had done anything differently or worse or wrong, but simply because the changes to those criteria put them on a lower part of the scale, and so they lost their triple-A bond rating. So my point with that was... that our staff needs to be attentive to ... what Moody's is doing and if they are changing any of their rating criteria to make sure that ... you know, we're up on that and we can be as proactive as possible so that we don't get blindsided by any of those changes (both talking) that was my point. Botchway/ ...actually agree. I think the issue was with the....'be attentive' was ... if there was a word — I didn't have one, it's just more of a concern (both talking) Mims/ Monitor? Botchway/ To provide more weight. Mims/ Yeah, mon ... monitor potential changes. Botchway/ Okay. That was ... I just wanted to make sure (both talking) like, you know, I mean, pay attention but... Mims/ Yeah, maybe monitor potential changes to Moody's rating criteria. Botchway/ Just to provide more weight... Mims/ Sure! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 30 Botchway/ ...cause it is ... you make a good point as far as it being something that lot of cities lost and want to make sure we're paying (several talking) Throgmorton/ Monitor potential changes to Moody's... to, yeah. Yeah, is that right, Susan? Mims/ Yeah, I think so. Yeah. Cole/ And this may be implicit in this, but what about efforts to reduce outstanding City debt. Um, you know, obviously we .... we have a relatively decent debt situation, but I ... I think we really need to look and monitor sort of how much owe, and consistently monitor that. Is that something that's implicit within the triple-A? I guess I would like to say, um... Mims/ We have debt policies. Cole/ Yeah. Mims/ I mean in our ... in our financial policies (both talking) Throgmorton/ We're in very good shape (both talking) Mims/ We're in very, very good shape. Throgmorton/ Yeah, if we were in bad shape I'd say yeah we gotta stick a bulleted item in here. Cole/ Okay. Mims/ Yeah, I don't think we do. I think the ... the policies that we have in terms of how much of our tax levy can be for the debt levy and, you know, there's a number of other ... pieces to it. If you go back and ... and read in the budget document, uh, part of the City Manager's transmittal letter, I think that summarized a lot of that in there and if it wasn't in the transmittal letter, it was in the ... there were different parts of the budget were talked about our debt policy and stuff, which I think are ... are really strong, and so I don't think we need anything in the strategic plan. Throgmorton/ I agree. Cole/ Okay. Thomas/ There was one item that I ... was considering on ... on, under this heading, and that was... and it relates to the question of...getting an understanding, making sure we have a clear understanding of what our liabilities are with respect to ... you know, it could be ... all of our, you know, all of our... facilities that the City owns and maintains. You know, the operating and capital costs, which can be quite broad. Uh, I was initially thinking of...of just emphasizing the need to assess the cost to maintain our city streets, which I feel is something that, um, you know, we kind of talked about during the ... budget period. Um... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 31 and it...it does concern me. I mean (laughs) I see streets in my neighborhood, uh, that I ... I kind of begin to wonder when is this on the capital plan (laughs) uh, and you know, I ... I was hearing... Mims/ It's traffic calming, remember? (laughter) Thomas/ That's right! (laughs) Not ... not my brick street! I'm okay with my brick street. It's ... it's the asphalt street (laughter) just to the south, uh... Throgmorton/ You're only kidding, right? Thomas/ (laughs) But, um ... you know, I ... I've heard sort of chatter, you know, on the social media on the condition of the city streets, and ... and maybe, Geoff, you could tell me that, look, we have a ... a pavement management system in place. We know what their condition is. We know what the cost to .... to repair and renovate the streets. We've got it under control. I just don't know that (laughs) Fruin/ Yeah, well ... we....we can provide you that information. We can go through and .... and give you an assessment of the road conditions and give you some estimates on what it would cost to get everything up to a certain level. I think we went through some of that exercise when we were considering LOST a few years ago, because a good ... a major component was ... of...of that proposal was for roads, uh, certainly you've seen Cedar Rapids do that. So that's all ... that's something we can provide. I will say regarding your comment, um, on the chatter, this time of year you're gonna hear a lot of chatter about the roads, and we recognize it, but it's ... full-blown pothole season right now and it's only going to get worse before it gets better. So this is .... this is a tough time of year for road conditions. Hopefully, you know, once the asphalt plants get up and working, we can fix the streets up and that chatter will subside a little bit. Mims/ I think you raise a really good point, John. I don't know that we need it in the strategic plan. I would say that I think our staff does a really good job. I think during budget they ... um, I don't know if it was Ron Knoche brought in the map of all the streets and the color -coding of what, you know, percentage they were at in terms of good, poor, fair, you know, etc. So, um, I think it's a really important thing that ... that is being kept track of, so we kind of know where we're at and ... the increase in the gas tax has helped us somewhat there with the road use tax money we're getting, but .... um, I don't know that we need it in the strategic plan but I think ... making sure that staff is paying attention to that is really important, and I think they are. Fruin/ One thing to ... to (mumbled) and I can't remember off the top of my head what the LOST proposal was for roads. Um, I was thinking maybe 50% or so. Mims/ I think so. Fruin/ Um, so that would be roughly $5 million, um, a year and we ... we still said at that time that, that's really ... it's not going to get us caught all the way up, but looking over a 10 year This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 32 period, to put that number in perspective, this year we were pretty proud to come to you and say we've doubled our street resurfacing line, and that went to $1.5 million as a total. So, the mountain to climb is large when it comes to our roads, and I don't want to give any false impressions that you're gonna see, um ... you know, drastic improvement over the next few years. Again, we're proud that we're able to double that, thanks in part to the, um, road use tax increase at the State level, but .... we've got a long way to go and we're workin' internally to figure out ways that we can divert more money over to roads, but, you know, there's some stiff competition for resources right now. Throgmorton/ Yeah it's a good point, John. I don't know that there's support for adding particular language though. Uh, nothing else under this category? Movin' on! I ... I want to suggest two things. With regard to the first, the words'weigh in,' just the words'weigh in.' Mims/ Yeah. Throgmorton/ Yeah, so I would suggest the following language. 'Exert timely and appropriate influence.' It says the same thing. Mims/ Uh.... I'm not even sure I like the word 'influence.' It ... I think it ... I think some people could see that as sounding heavy-handed. I know that's not how you mean it necessarily, but um ... yeah, I know, but... sometimes people just take that word, influence, and ... um... Thomas/ I have dis... discussed with ICCSD (mumbled) opportunities to promote the successful passage of the 2017 bond referendum. Cole/ You know, I like Jim's (both talking) Go ahead, Pauline! Go ahead. Mims/ It was me! Cole/ (both talking) Mims/ The only thing I would say about that, John, is ... I would not ... I would not want to put language in this strategic plan that, urn ... already assumes and commits us to supporting that, when we don't know exactly what's going to be in it. I mean, we know what their master plan says now, and we know what is 'supposed to be in it,' but if they ... if the Iowa City School District were to make significant changes to it such that a lot of that money was not going to be reinvested in our older schools, like it ... like the master plan says now, I'm not sure as a City Council we would want to support that bond referendum. Cole/ I agree with ya, Susan! (laughter) (several talking) We should be neutral, uh, because I think that these ... it's a very big political issue that we're all gonna face, and we maybe come out in favor, uh, as a Council. We may individually come, I mean, so I think we should just do the ... I like the'weigh in,' because it suggests a process, um, but I think at this point we should remain neutral, because in terms of what is in that strategic, uh, bond ... there's a lot of issues for the community to discuss at this particular time, and I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 33 think the original language was support and we had actually pulled back to the more neutral, um, because of the big issues that the community faces. Um ... so I think that reserves us the flexibility to (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...discussion is why I suggested the language'exert timely and appropriate influence' cause it doesn't mean ... we know what we're gonna do. We don't know for sure what they're gonna do. So we're gonna try to effect what they do, in whatever appropriate way we think is necessary. Andrew/ Does the word 'input' work? Provide timely and appropriate input? Cole/ Yeah, I like that. (several talking) Throgmorton/ ...addresses Susan's concern, yes. Yeah. Cole/ I agree with Simon. Mims/ That sounds good! Dickens/ That's why you get the big bucks! (laughter) Throgmorton/ All right. I had one other suggestion. I ... I think that the third category is ... for me it's pretty much meaningless. So ... I suggest deleting it and ... and changing the last bulleted item to read as follows. 'Significantly improve the Council's and the staff s ability to engage with diverse populations on complex or controversial topics.' Botchway/ Sounds good (several talking) Throgmorton/ So all right, let me get some ... be clear about the language, Simon, so uh... after the words 'ability to,' delete the next three words. Insert the word 'engage.' Botchway/ Or, not and. Throgmorton/ Uh, I'll have to read it in a second. And then after the word 'populations,' insert the words 'on complex or ... or controversial topics.' Botchway/ Good memory though! (mumbled) my team next time we're playin'! Throgmorton/ Yeah, there ya go! Andrew/ And then deleting the third? Throgmorton/ Yes! Botchway/ Um, should we delete the second? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 34 Cole/ Yeah, I was going to say (both talking) Throgmorton/ No! No! No! No! Don't because...you know why? (several talking) Because we can point to it as something we accomplished! (several talking) Fruin/ I think you added one earlier in there! Cole/ Oh (several talking and laughing) Throgmorton/ Are we done with this topic? Dickens/ Yeah! Taylor/ I like that! Throgmorton/ All right. 'Promoting environmental sustainability.' Any suggestions about it? Cole/ You know, the ... in looking at this particular issue, I think this is an important issue obviously for everyone, um, but I really want to ... have language that talks about us proactively engaging our community partners in sustainability efforts, and I think of like a Backyard Abundance, you know, the work that Jeff Biggers is doing, other groups, um ... you know, they're doing some great work and I think in terms of our strategic plan, I don't view it as necessarily a ... um, burden on the ... on the City, and I think we need to proactively engage our non -profits in our sustainability efforts, and it doesn't seem like that particular ... uh... bullet item is there. So 'collaborate with community non -profits to promote sustainability efforts.' And I think that's important, cause it's not already there, and I think that if we're talking about decision making and staff, we, you know, they may get approached by various community groups and I think they need to say, hey, well look, this isn't part of our current strategic plan. It may be as simple as, you know, working in the public parks or those sorts of things, but ... I think we need to have something in there that we're ... we are partnering and collaborating with non -profits, and community groups to support sustainability efforts. Throgmorton/ Simon, maybe you could type some language and ... and then we'll decide what we want to do with it. (several talking) Dickens/ The plastic bag policy ... you know, incorporated into that area there because it's ... that's one of the groups... Cole/ Yeah. Dickens/ ...that's workin' on it, that you could do groups such as... Botchway/ I would agree, eliminate that one ... or .... what you're talking about (both talking) Dickens/ Incorporate it into the other. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 35 Throgmorton/ Rockne (several talking) Mims/ Yeah, and you wouldn't have to by ... specifically pulling it out and pointing it out. My question would be ... you know, if we're gonna add one, do you want to restrict it just to non -profits? I mean... Cole/ Or other community groups. I think we'd just say collaborate with non -profits or other community groups to (both talking) Mims/ Or entities ... (both talking) I'm talkin' private. I'm talkin' the School District. I'm talkin' the University. Um... Botchway/ That's a good point (several talking) Cole/ Community partners (mumbled) there ya go again! (several talking) Yeah, so collaborate with community partners on sustainability efforts, and I think that's .... and it's vague enough that I don't think again we're putting the ... the onus on staff, but we are saying that that's an aspirational goal. Dickens/ (mumbled) plastic bag policy in there or ... does that fall under... Cole/ I think we should, because I think that's a particular policy. We're sort of (both talking) Mims/ ...they'll be here pretty soon I'm sure (several talking) Dickens/ I just didn't know if we wanted to (several talking) Throgmorton/ Any other suggestions on this? I ... I have one I want to suggest. Uh... uh, it's not an addition. It's a modification to the last .... to the ad hoc climate change thing. Uh, and ... again, please just bear with me as I say this. 'Set a substantive and achievable goal for reducing city-wide carbon emissions by 2030,' and 'create an ad hoc climate change response task force, potentially under the umbrella STAR Communities Committee, to devise a cost-effective strategy for achieving the goal.' Now, I....I'll explain. What ... what I'm advocating here is that we define the goal. And then ... assign the task of figuring out how to achieve this goal to this ad hoc climate change task force. Instead of having the ad hoc climate task force define the goal for us. That's the main distinction I'm making. So ... you know, I ... I can restate all this so that Simon can type it, but I ... I just wonder whether you agree. Cole/ I support that because I think ultimately you're talking about greenhouse gas reductions. I think it's the legislative body that sets the target, um, in terms of what we want to achieve, and I think the task force with those marching orders then tries to figure out a cost-effective way to make that happen. I think what we don't want to have happen is that we have a ... a committee, we say we're doing a really good job, there's no measurable This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 36 progress, and I think that's something that Kingsley's often brought up — measuring with data what the goals are. Botchway/ So I would agree as well. My only language change ... would be to remove the 'potentially under umbrella of STAR Communities Committee.' Mims/ Why? Botchway/ Cause I'm not sure, I mean, to be honest with you I can't remember exactly why it was in there. I mean I know why we talked about it, but ... it, I mean, we could potentially say it to any of the bullet points, cause we were talking about making STAR communities kind of our measurable, you know, umbrella for a lot of different things. I don't know why we specifically spell it out here. Um... Mims/ I think because there's a lot of the different things under that STAR community rating that ... that are related to this, as well as a lot of other things, and the idea of not having... multiple overlapping committees as much as we can possibly avoid, and so I think that's why we put it in here, as potentially coming underneath, um ... the umbrella of the STAR Communities Committee. Doesn't say it will be ... but it potentially will be, I think just depending on ... I mean, just depending on how we organize all of that. Throgmorton/ So I take your point, but I ... given the fact that the word 'potentially' isn't in there, I'm okay with it. Cole/ Could Simon maybe type up what you would propose then? Throgmorton/ Yeah, so ... let me, uh, take a shot at it here, Simon. Um, 'set ... sorry. 'Set a substantive and achievable goal ... for achieving, uh, sorry, for reducing city-wide carbon emissions ... by 2030, (several talking) Yeah! Botchway/ Like (mumbled) Throgmorton/ And ... and, uh, so where are we, uh, so we got comma and create, and ad hoc climate change response task force. So the... Botchway/ I don't think (mumbled) Throgmorton/ Yeah, so some cut and pasting could be done here, I don't know. Where are we? Urn ... task force, potentially... that whole ... that whole cause, 'potentially under an umbrella STAR committee... Communities Committee.' Uh, I guess there's a comma...'to devise a cost-effective strategy for achieving the goal.' Yeah, that's what I'm suggesting. Cole/ I think that looks great, Jim. Taylor/ I like that! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 37 Throgmorton/ All right. Any other suggestions under sustainability? Okay, moving on to our last category. See, we're gonna change the word 'equity' to equali... to 'equity,' right? (mumbled) (laughs) All right, here the third bulleted item is the one we pulled the sustainable built environment out of, so ... it would read 'consider creating a new City Council committee with a focus on social justice and racial equity.' Cole/ I think that's great! Throgmorton/ Let's see ... uh... I ... I see one typo, in the last bulleted item. The preposition 'if should be 'of.' On the top line. Oh, well, it is 'of.' Fruin/ I think we caught that when we (several talking) document. Throgmorton/ Never mind! Other people have suggestions? Botchway/ Yeah, the only one that I was looking at was the last one. I guess I should have brought this up, but um ... removing the last one and tying it into the ... the second heading, cause we said 'encourage divers...' I just don't remember why we said 'encourage diverse housing types.' I think I was in agreement with the point ... at the time we were talking about price points for a variety of income levels. We're talking about building a vibrant, walkable urban core, and putting the, um, affordable housing under that particular heading. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I..I thought this properly belongs in this category because it's about social justice, and racial equity. It's not only about racial equity. So my own personal sense is that ... social justice is, uh, I'm sorry, the affordability of housing is a crucial part of social justice. That's why I personally favor having it here. Botchway/ I would agree, I just ... I just think it (mumbled) away from one and put it in another. Throgmorton/ Is there support for doing what Kingsley suggests? Cole/ I think we should leave it here. Thomas/ It's okay where it is. Taylor/ I agree, as far as social justice. Throgmorton/ All right. So we'll leave it where it is. Are there any other suggestions with regard to this category? Or any of the items in it? I don't hear any. Seems to me we're done. With that. (noises in background) Let's see .... all right, so we're gonna move on. Information Packet. We have, uh, probably eight minutes or thereabouts. Information Packet Discussion [February 4,111: This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 38 Cole/ I guess I had a question on, um, February 4h Information Packet. Uh, Item ... I think it's Item 3, uh, relating to the historic preservation issue. Geoff, could you update ... I think the first question I'd just like to know is this a reviewable issue by Council, or is this something that is solely within the discretion of staff. If the former, I would like to review it. If the latter, obviously then we can't review it, but I frankly do not like the way this was handled, um... Mims/ Which one are you referring to? Cole/ It's February 4t`, Item #3, the February 1 memo relating to the UniverCity program, 1025 E. Burlington Street update. Um ... to the extent that we have the authority to review it, I would like to, and I think that that was a suggestion actually that Mr. Markus, or Tom had made to Alicia Trimble. Um (mumbled) littler overview on this, or can we review it? I..I frankly don't like the way it was handled. I don't know if Geoff can give us an update (mumbled) on that. Fruin/ Sure. I would ask probably Tracy or Stan to come up and just let us know what the status of the ... the bid, uh, process is, where we're at with the renovations. Hightshoe/ Um, much like all of our UniverCity homes, we will be taking up the, a public bid for the work at 2015 Burlington. Cole/ Okay. Fruin/ Has that been ... has that been done yet? Hightshoe/ We're working on it now. Fruin/ Okay. Hightshoe/ So it'll be coming to you for a public bid because it'll be over $62,000. Fruin/ Okay. So then you ... you have the opportunity... if we ... if we proceed right now, um, eventually on a Council agenda you'll be asked to approve an award to renovate, to make renovations to the house. So if the Council does not want us to go down that path, and you want us to pursue other sale opportunities, now would be an appropriate time to give us that direction, or at least tell us to hold off on the ... on preparing the bid package for the property. Cole/ Well, I would like to further ... my point is is that I would like to further promote collaboration with the ... with the Friends of Historic Preservation. The reason why it was offered to them in the first place is my understanding is that it ended up being a little bit of a money pit, um, and so that's one of the reasons why they explored that in the first instance. Um, my understanding, there was a discussion that was had and then initially they settled on $100,000 and then was increased to 115. I think we really need to partner with our historic preservation groups to ... to really make sure that we maintain this quality This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 39 housing stock, and also, um, promote historic preservation. So I would like to review it, and I'd like to direct the staff, uh, to promote any further discussions with the Friends of Historic Preservation, cause I don't like the way that this was handled. Fruin/ Let ... let me jump in on that, because our ... our goal is to ... to maintain and protect the housing, just as you said. Cole/ Yeah. Fruin/ I don't think our actions are contrary to that goal. Um, two, we reached out to the Friends of Historic Preservation cause we were interested in that collaboration too. We reached out and ... and we explored the possibility. At a staff level we determined that the partnership was a little too costly for us, urn ... now certainly you can give us direction that you're willing to, um ... contribute, uh, that kind of investment into that partnership. At a staff level we didn't feel comfortable with that. This memo was placed in the public in part to make you aware of it because there was some conversations with, um, individual Council Members, so we wanted to make the Council as a whole familiar with the issue. Um, so you can give us that ... that direction now, but ... with respect to the process and the goals, um, for ... for the housing, um ... I'm not sure ... I guess I'd like clarity when you say you don't like how that was handled (both talking) Cole/ The last paragraph it says, um, that essentially the lowest offer that staff had offered was $100,000, and when the Director of Friends of Historic Preservation went to discuss that, it was immediately increased up to 115,000, without in my view adequate explanation as to why it was increased $15,000 during the course of an effort. Hightshoe/ (both talking) I was the one. Actually it was ... you know, it was never an offer for 100,000. Cole/ Okay. Hightshoe/ We talked to Friends of Historic Preservation and when they submitted their offer for 77,000. that would have been 107,000 subsidy for one home. So that means that would have to come back to Council and ask for another 57,000 to .... to accept that offer. So when my email back to, um, Friends of Historic Preservation, I was just trying to illicit ... that their offer was so much lower than what I ... we would probably even consider coming back to you, cause even at 100,000 I would have to come back to City Manager or the Council and ask for another 30,000 subsidy for just one home. So I was just trying to illustrate the difference of their offer from even what the lowest what I would come back to you to ask for. So it was never an offer of what we were going to sell the property for. I was just trying to illustrate... it was just so huge that we had to go forward and rehab it ourself, because we asked the Assessor at that point then to give us comparable homes, in decent condition, along Muscatine, Burlington, that we could sell the home. The value came back a lot higher than we originally thought, so then the amount of money that we could invest, based on what the Assessor thought we could sell it for for... comparable properties, we could invest 75,000 and be within the same This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 40 parameters that the UniverCity had set out. So without coming back to you and asking for additional money or subsidy, while still preserving that house, and rehabbing it to the standards that are ... that's in within the conservation district. So that's .... so the 100,000 was never an offer to them. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I ... I personally fully favor the idea of partnering... partnering with, uh, Friends of Historic Preservation, uh, but there are obviously cost implications associated with, uh, this particular building. So I'm ... I'm not prepared at this moment to say ... do it differently, staff, you know. Or make a different decision. Uh, I ... I think, uh, staff is ... Tracy in particular, has done everything she can to make sure that she's acting consistently with what she understands our City policy in general to be. So ... if there's ... if there's support from others to ... revisit this particular issue more carefully, you know, when we really have some time to go into it, uh, I ... wouldn't object to that, but... Mims/ I would ... I'm in favor of the staff going ahead as is and following the UniverCity, uh, process that they've done. I think, you know, it's an unfortunate situation. It's ... it's costing us more than we would like on these houses, but ... and I agree, when we can partner with non -profits, that's fantastic, but if it's going to cost us a lot more to partner with them and really not get any different end result, then ... bidding it out or doing it ourself and still selling it so it's owned, you know, single-family home and owner - occupied, why would we partner with them and have it cost the taxpayer more money when the end result's the same thing. Botchway/ I would agree, and I really ... I would agree and I appreciate your, um, your explanation. That really helped me. I have a better sense of everything, so ... I would agree. Taylor/ It is confusing though, because you said you hadn't offered the 100,000, but in our notes it says the lowest offer staff would contemplate was 100,000. Hightshoe/ I put that in the email when I was telling ... when we got the 77,000, cause I wanted to give Historic Preservation just some idea about how much ... how much lower than what (mumbled) consider, but even at the 100,000, I would have still had to come back to the Council for permission, cause that would ... that was about 30,000 more than our $50,000 budget, so that would have been about a 80,000 subsidy. Cole/ Can we at least defer this so we can get additional information from Alicia Trimble on this? Mims/ I don't want to defer it. Cole/ Well that's my request. Mims/ Fine, and I'm responding I don't want to! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 41 Throgmorton/ If...if the building was going to be demolished and Friends of Historic Preservation had made an offer and we rejected it, I'd say... Cole/ All right! (mumbled) the votes. Throgmorton/ Okay, so ... movin' on, any other particular items? Hightshoe/ Is the direction to staff to continue with the bid (several talking) Okay. Mims/ I think we need to adjourn. Throgmorton/ (several talking) Council Time: Dickens/ Can I just bring one thing up since (both talking) Throgmorton/ Terry, one thing, Terry! (laughs) Dickens/ I just would like to revote on the Lens funding and see if there's enough support to put it back on the agenda. With a 3-3 tie, I watched ... all the public input. I've read everything. I was not able to call in. I did call in for the executive session (mumbled) so I would like to see if there's support to put it back on the agenda to vote. Mims/ I would (both talking) Dickens/ Not this ... this meeting, but for the future meeting. Throgmorton/ My gut feeling is that this ... we're gonna have to talk about this a little bit more and we don't have time to do it right now. So we'll have to revisit it right after our meeting. Dickens/ All right. Sounds good, but I just wanted to make sure that was (several talking) Throgmorton/ So we'll pick up on that point when we reconvene (several talking) Okay, so we're done with the work session for now. Take a break. RECESS TO FORMAL MEETING Throgmorton/ I think we were beginning to address... Terry's, uh, question about the Lens. So, Terry, would you revisit that please? Dickens/ Yeah, I'd just like to see what the temperature of the Council is to see if we could put that back on as a ... agenda item to vote on. Cause it was a 3-3 tie and I ... I have, uh, heard from a lot of community members that would really like to see ... some finality to is, rather than just being a 3-3 tie. So ... I'd like to put it back on. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 42 Mims/ Yeah, I'm supportive of it. Botchway/ (mumbled) Cole/ I am not supportive of it. I mean first I'd ask Sue, is there any policies on if you have a Council Member that's absent, cause I think the other thing that I ... sort of if I'm gone or another Council Member is gone, I mean, is that the precedent, that if we're gone and we don't like a result that we can reconsider it? Um ... do we have any policies in place on when you decide something there's absent Council Member on that? Dulek/ Well there's a couple of issues. There's the reconsideration under Robert's Rules. Cole/ Okay. Dulek/ But that's not what we're ... we're talking about here, so Robert's Rules are just your general. You have two specific provisions for agenda items. One, the City Charter allows the Mayor to put any item on the agenda. Um, then also back in 2002, Council, by an informal policy, said that three Council Members could place items, um, either on a work session or a formal session. So three Council Members here, uh, could put that on. Um, that's the policy to date. Certainly folks could ... you could change that policy. It is ... it is your policy. It's an informal policy, but that's how it's been for ... oh, about 14 years. Actually February 27a' of 2002, um ... is what it said. So ... um ... so.... Throgmorton/ So either I could put it on the agenda, the formal meeting agenda, or three Council Members could. I thought we were gonna have to do the motion to reconsider process. Okay. So... Karr/ Reconsideration is by a Member of the prevailing side. What Sue is saying is not. Dulek/ Cause it really wasn't a prevailing side. Right. Throgmorton/ Right. Okay. Yeah, uh, so Terry, you weren't here to ... to have heard the ambivalence I expressed, uh, because I feel considerably (both talking) Dickens/ I did watch the ... I watched ya sweat (laughter) Throgmorton/ Well yeah, absolutely! Um ... for (both talking) Dickens/ Much better on replay. You can (several talking and laughing) Throgmorton/ Yeah, uh, well ... I've had a ... an extensive conversation with Nancy Bird of the Downtown Association about this particular topic, and I've talked with Geoff about it some and ... I guess before that with Tom. And ... I, uh... think, you know, I've heard a lot of, uh... a lot of people have come to me and said 'thanks' for voting that thing down. So, you know, I didn't vote it down, but... nonetheless the Council did by a 3-3 vote. So I think it would be a mistake to immediately reconsider that vote, and ... and put it back on This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 43 the agenda and vote on it again at our next meeting. I strongly believe we need ... the supporters need to demonstrate that there's substantial community -wide support for ... uh... you know, the ... the main issue, which is the City funding $50,000 to ... to support the hiring of a fundraiser. Dickens/ Yes, that's where I would disagree. It's ... if we have enough Councilors to... Mims/ That's my question. (several talking) ...you agree? To put it back on? Dulek/ Excuse me, I don't want to interrupt but I'm going to interrupt. That is if three of you want to put it on, it goes on, and the discussion that you folks are having then would be on with members of the public coming here. So ... a little bit of...of explanation, but after that it's just three it goes on, so... Dickens/ That's ... (several talking) Throgmorton/ Yeah, there are three that clearly want to have it on. (several talking) Taylor/ So it would just be added to the agenda (several talking) next meeting or whenever it can fit in. Throgmorton/ Sorry, I ... I retract what I said. Should have held it. Okay. So there's that. Um... we should move ... let's see, the next one is ... uh... anybody else have anything on February... February 4 packet to bring up? Okay, I don't hear anything. February 11. KXIC, want to (both talking) Mims/ I'm sorry, I ... I didn't turn back fast enough. Yes, on the ... just on the Info Packet from the 4t', um, IP8, the Aid to Agencies that was done by, um, Housing Community Development Commission. So just ... that's a process that we put in place a few years ago. It used to actually come to the Council and we did all of that. We kind of off-loaded that to one of the commissions to do, um, I think it's very ... um ... challenging work, um ... it's, there's a lot of... Dickens/ Challenging for us! Mims/ Well it was! There's a lot of really, really good competition from the standpoint there are a lot of good agencies out there doing really good, great work, and there is just not enough money to go around, and so ... uh, I just really want to thank and commend the members of that commission for their time and effort in reviewing those applications and having I think probably some pretty difficult decisions and ... or difficult conversations and decisions, but thank them for that. Throgmorton/ Agreed! Okay, February 11. We ... I guess we could talk about KXIC, which is IP #5. I'm scheduled for tomorrow morning. Susan for the following Wednesday. At least with regard to the Wednesdays. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 44 Dickens/ Is spring break the 16th9 I can do that cause I'm gonna be in town. Karr/ Spring break is (both talking) Dickens/ Yeah, I'll do the ... March 16th. Karr/ The 16'. Thomas/ I could do April 6th Cole/ So what dates are open? Karr/ Um, March 2nd and 9th Cole/ Think I can do March 2`ha Karr/ March 2nd Dickens/ (mumbled) (several talking) Karr/ The 9th, Taylor. We've got the 2na, 9th, 16th ... March ... March 23rd. Botchway/ I can do the 23ra... I can do March 23rd Karr/ March 23rd. Throgmorton/ All right, so we've got... Mims/ Do you have the 30th or... Karr/ I do not have the 30th yet. Mims/ I'll take March 30th. Botchway/ Are we gonna finish March? Do we (both talking) Karr/ We have finished March. Mims/ Except for the Friday. Karr/ Except for the Friday, March 18th. Botchway/ Um, I think I can do (mumbled) Karr/ March 18th, Kingsley. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 45 Botchway/ No, put Terry there. (several talking and laughing) Cole/ What time was my March 2nd one? Is that 8:00? Karr/ That's at 8:00. (several talking) So we've got March 2nd, Cole; March 9th, Taylor; March 16th, Dickens; March 23rd, Botchway; 30 Mims; April 6th, Thomas; and the Friday, March 18th, Dickens. Botchway/ That all right, Terry? I was just kidding. Dickens/ No,I can do it. What ... what is that on (both talking) Karr/ That's, uh, 7:15. Botchway/ Let me take the 16th (several talking) Karr/ April 6th is 8:00. All the Wednesdays are 8:00 A.M. Botchway/ I'm gonna take, um, Terry's 16th. Karr/ And then you'll have back-to-back (several talking) Dickens/ I'm the Friday the 18th. Karr/ Yes! Okay, does anybody want to go farther than April 6th or April 1St, a Friday? (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...so far in the distant future. Karr/ Okay. Dickens/ I don't even buy green bananas cause I don't know I'm gonna be around (laughter) Throgmorton /Okay, anything else on the February 11 packet? Mims/ Uh, just since we're being televised now on our work session, in case people watch, IP7, we've got a open house for City Manager Tom Markus on Friday, March 4th, from 7:30 to 9:00 A.M. for people who are up bright and early. Um... Throgmorton/ Right here (both talking) Mims/ Yep, right here in City Hall. I mean there ... there were quite a few others. IP9, I thought the volunteers per capita was a nice feather in our cap, uh, for the city. Um, IP 12, a compact of mayors, again another sustainability, uh... project that we might want to get involved in. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 46 Throgmorton/ Could I pick up on that for a second, Susan? Mims/ Sure! Throgmorton/ Uh... Geoff, am ... was I reading correctly that the staff would like for the Council to direct me to sign the compact or... Fruin/ Yes, that's correct. Um, I think it just provides a good framework for where I think we're going and ... and what was solidified in the strategic planning effort tonight. So, um, we use the same software that ... that they use, um, and ... and by participating in their program, we can benchmark ourselves against other cities. So I think it...it makes a lot of sense. We still have complete flexibility in the path that we choose, so for staff it's a no-brainer, but ultimately it's your signature, Mayor, that needs to be on it. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'm very happy to sign it, but I just wanted to make sure the Council was on board with that. Cole/ Agree! Throgmorton/ All right, anything else? Fruin/ Like to make note of, uh, one upcoming, uh or ... or host of upcoming items in Info Packets. During your budget work sessions, there was probably a dozen or so items, questions that were raised by Council that we couldn't respond to on the spot, um, so we've made a list of those and ... and staff is working to give you a complete response. You may see memos and they may seem out of left field, um, so I just wanted to give you a heads up. If you see something, uh, you know, regarding City Park pool and the aquatic center, um, idea, it's all stemming from budget. We'll do our best to note ... to notice in the budget why we're bringing the item to ya, but ... um, you may be surprised at some of those topics. Throgmorton/ Okay, good deal. Mims/ I had two other real quick things; there's a lot in here. IP 15, the new sustainability newsletter that people can get, um, by going to the subscrip ... e -subscriptions on the Iowa City web site, so would encourage people to do that. And then, urn ... oh, I guess the other one's the employee potluck. (mumbled) Council Time: Throgmorton/ Okay. Council time? Rockne? Council time. Mims/ I think we just did that (both talking) Throgmorton/ Well I ... so I want to report to you about several meetings. So I met with Mayors Lundell and Nielsen, at ... at, over lunch, and spoke to members of the Iowa City Lions This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 47 Club at Waterfront Hyvee. Good meeting; good event. I'll be meeting with the Partnership for Alcohol Safety tomorrow and going to the Chamber's annual banquet, as several of you are. I was ... I was thinking about that actually. The, um, City feds... chili, potluck... Taylor/ Chili supper. Throgmorton/ Chili supper occurs the same night, at almost the same time, and I was thinking it would be good, uh, for a couple or three people to volunteer to go to the chili supper and the others to go to the Chamber's event. I'm gonna go to the Chamber's event (several talking) Well, if you can do both, do both, right? Cole/ I'll go to the chili supper, and I had confirmed on the, uh, Chamber event. So have we paid a registration fee? How much was that? Karr/ I don't remember. Andrew/ It's part of our annual (several talking) Karr/ We have a table. Andrew/ We have a table of eight, and we've provided them with eight names. Cole/Okay. Throgmorton/ I just want to make sure we ... we kind of attend both, as a ... as Council Members. Mims/ What was the other one, Jim? (several talking) Who's sponsoring? (several talking) Cole/ So, yeah, I think I'll go to the City Fest event, but that's at 6:00. Taylor/ I'll, of course, be going to that also. Throgmorton/ Okay, I wanted to mention, uh, just a few other meetings, uh, Susan and I are going to be meeting with Chris Lynch and Brian Kersling, uh, next week. Uh, Kingsley, Tom, Geoff, and I will be meeting with President Harreld, uh, on the 23rd, and Kingsley and I are going to attend the Cedar Rapids' Mayor's State of the City speech on the 241h So ... that's that. Anybody else have any Council time? Pending Work Session Tonics: Throgmorton/ All right, uh, meeting schedule. Pending work session topics, um ... I noticed that, uh, we added two topics to the pending list — review the downtown streetscape master plan and uh, the permanent city manager thing. So I should report that I'm going to be meeting with Marian and Eleanor on Friday to talk about just the process, should we conclude that we want to move in that direction, and I've had a good conversation with This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016. Page 48 Geoff, uh, there's no need to go into details right here and right now, but uh, one of the things he and I agreed upon was that we would decide not more than three months after the ... the date he's appointed interim city manager, whether we intend to proceed with, uh, a full search. Did I state that correctly? I think I did. Okay. So I just wanted to make sure everybody was on board, or understood that. All right, uh.... is there anything I'm ... scrolling down to see if there's anything else, uh, to be touched on. Boy, it's a good thing Harry's not here. I get the feeling I'm speaking too softly here. I guess that's it. Is there anything else we're supposed to touch on? I don't think so. Looks to me like we're done. Okay! So much for the work session tonight. Thank you all for... Mims/ Move to adjourn. Cole/ One final thing (several talking) the public hearing on the budget's going to be March 1St Karr/ 1 St Cole/ So when people want to comment on that, that would be the opportunity (mumbled) Nothing further. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of February 16, 2016.