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ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS
ITEM 2b Start By Believing Day — April 6
Throgmorton: I'm going to move out front and read some proclamations. (mumbled) All right,
the first proclamation (starts to read proclamation; both talking)
Karr: Mr. Mayor ... I'm so sorry! But if you'd like to go in the middle... are you going in
the Fair Housing Month proclamation?
Throgmorton: Uhhhh, I thought I was doing the one (both talking)
Karr: Start By Believing. Okay, start By Believing. I'm going to introduce the people
who will come up. For ... as you read it, and you can present it to them and they'll
go back here. Okay?
Throgmorton: So this is Start ... the Start by Believing Day.
Karr: Okay, Pam Terrill is representing Johnson County Sexual Assault Response
Team. (applause)
Throgmorton: Okay. (reads proclamation) Congratulations! (applause)
Terrill: I just wanted to say thank you very much for the proclamation. Uh, the Johnson
County Sexual Assault Response Team thanks you for supporting this. The
Johnson County Sexual Assault Response Team is, uh, consists of four law
enforcement agencies in our area — Iowa City, Coralville, Johnson County
Sheriffs Department, and the University Police Department, and also North
Liberty, sorry! So five, and uh, the Rape Victim Advocacy Program, RVAP,
the... emergency room personnel at both University Hospital and Mercy Hospital,
sexual assault nurses, uh, who are specially trained nurses to work with victims
who have been sexually assaulted, and the Johnson County Attorney's Office. So
all of us meet regularly and are here as a support for victims who have been, uh,
traumatized sexually, sexual violence, sexual assault, and I do just want to say
that it really is true that a victim of sexual assault will probably go to their friend
or family member first before they would ever go to an outside person. So it's
very important for all of us to know that, uh, it's important to support that person,
to say that you're sorry that happened to them, uh, that you're glad that they were
able to disclose it, and send them on their way to get help through our VAP, the
police, or the hospital. So thank you!
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS
ITEM 2a Fair Housing Month — April
Throgmorton: Okay, the next proclamation is for Fair Housing Month.
Karr: And here to accept the proclamation representing the Iowa City Area Realtors
Association is Terri Morrow and Shaner Magalhaes. Closer? (laughter) Oh!
Throgmorton: We tried (several talking and laughing) All right. (reads proclamation)
(applause)
Morrow: I just want to say on behalf of the Iowa City Area Association of Realtors we
appreciate Iowa City's continuing commitment to fair housing. Thank you!
(applause)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS
ITEM 2d Health Care Decisions Day — April 16
Karr: Here to represent the Director of Honoring Your Decisions Jane Dohrmann, and
she has other introductions she will make during her comments.
Throgmorton: How are you, Jane? Hi! Thanks, Hi! Hi, good to see you. Hi! All right, you
ready? (reads proclamation) There you go! (applause)
Dohrmann: Honoring Your Wishes is a program under the leadership of Iowa City Hospice
and a community -wide advisory board. Our mission is to promote a community-
wide advance care planning process in which individual's healthcare preferences
are discussed, documented, and honored by friends, family, and the healthcare
community. We have more than 40 community partners, including hospitals, the
Senior Center, not-for-profit organizations, businesses, long-term care
organizations, and faith communities. We also have developed regional and state-
wide partnerships, and I have with me today Margaret Reese from the Mercy
Hospital Foundation; Sarah Myers, US Bank; and Grace Matthews, University of
Iowa Healthcare. Our proclamation, um, is a part of the national Healthcare
Decisions Day movement; um, the theme is 'It's never too early until it's too late,'
and we want to thank you, um, for this opportunity and your support. Thank you.
(applause)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS
ITEM 2c Keep Iowa Beautiful Month — April
Throgmorton: All right our fourth proclamation for this evening is Keep Iowa Beautiful Month.
Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is Jeff Davidson, representing Keep Iowa
Beautiful.
Throgmorton: Jeff!
Dickens: (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Great to see you! (unable to hear response) Jeff used to work for the City of
Iowa City for ... how many years, Jeff? (unable to hear response) 34 years!
So ... (reads proclamation) Here you go, Jeff! (applause)
Davidson: Thank you, Mr. Mayor and Members of the City Council. It's great to be back at
City Hall! Uh, as a State affiliate of Keep America Beautiful, the core mission of
Keep Iowa Beautiful is simple. Strengthen Iowa communities through
community beautification, community development, and economic development.
In particular, the small towns and rural communities that are the backbone of this
gray state ... great state. I encourage you to check out our web site,
keepiowabeautiful.com, to learn more about our mission and how you can
become part of it. Thank you very much! (applause)
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regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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ITEM 3. STUDENT LEADERSHIP AWARDS
ITEM 3a Lucas Elementary
Karr: Item 3a is the Student Leadership Awards and we have students from Lucas
Elementary. If you'd like to join us up front!
Throgmorton: How ya doin'? What's your name? (unable to hear response) Ethan! What's
your name? (unable to hear response) Jake! Nice to see you. What's your
name? (unable to hear response) (mumbled) All right! So we have some ... some
outstanding student leaders from Lucas Elementary and I imagine there are some
pretty proud parents in the room. I think I see some taking photographs as we
talk! (laughter) All right, so let me read, uh, the first ... and this is for Ethan, uh,
but I ... I'm gonna read it just one time and then I'll hand it to you and hand the
others to the other two... students. Okay? (reads Student Leadership Award) So,
Ethan (mumbled) And ... (applause) ... I think I ... I ... I'm doing these things
differently every week so I haven't developed a single rhythm yet. So the ... the,
um, next leadership award is exactly the same, but it's for Faith, Faith Reynolds.
So let me give this to you, Faith. (applause) And the last one, again, exactly the
same is for Jake Roth. (applause) So ... these three Outstanding Student Leaders
have brought short statements with them, I think. I hope that's the case! So, Jake,
you want to start cause you're right here? I'll hold the mic (mumbled)
Roth: Hello, my name is Jake Roth and first I would like to thank the City Council for
recognizing students and also myself for being outstanding citizens. Next I would
like to thank my family. I am proud of myself because of them. They set ... they
set such good examples for me and have guided me to always treat others
respectfully and kindly, to be a leader for my class. I love you so much. I would
also like to thank all of my teachers because they are truly amazing and make
such a difference in my life for me learning from them. My friends and peers are
also a part of this. They are all ... they also set a good example for me and also
help me through tough and easy times. You guys are amazing too. Lastly, I
would like to thank all the other people that helped ... that have helped me at times
and have made a difference in my life. Thank you so much. Jake Roth from
Lucas Elementary. (applause)
Throgmorton: All right! (applause) Those cheers! Okay, Ethan, you're next!
Goodrich: Thank you for this honor (mumbled) Student Citizenship Award. I believe I was
chosen because I try to live up to the Lucas motto, which is being respectful,
responsible, caring, and safe. I do that by helping neighbors with chores, like
ya... yard work, raking, um, shoveling, and ... mowing their lawns. I also do chores
around the house without being asked. And... especially (mumbled) Wednesdays
and Fridays, when my other brother is at pre -algebra, I ... look after my ... I look
after my little brother (laughs) and make sure he gets to school on time. I am also
very kind and respectful to my teachers and peers. Thank you for giving me this
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award and for the rest of this year and after, I'll continue to be a good and
respectful citizen. (applause)
Throgmorton: All right! (applause) (mumbled)
Reynolds: Hello, I am Faith Reynolds. In my community I participate in Girl Scout Troop
82 and I ... the things I do for it was made toys for the Animal Shelter. I went to
the Ronald McDonald House and made them ... dinner. At my church I do lots of
volunteering, but most of all I would not be here without these people, so thank
you — mom, dad, brother Riley, and friends Sophia, Natalie, and Myra. All my
aunts and uncles and my ... teachers, especially Kelsey Kenneger who helped me
with this speech. Finally, thank you to everyone I know for helping me try
harder. Thank you! (applause)
Throgmorton: Yeah! (applause) Okay, let's celebrate all three of our terrific student leaders!
(applause and cheers) So as the kids and parents are leaving I'd like to remind
you that we need to make sure it's possible to go out the doors, so please make
sure there's room ... right there.
Jim Knapp: I came for a different purpose but I'd like to encourage what ... the kids are talking
about and the people are talking about (mumbled)
Karr: Sir, we can't ... we can't (both talking)
Throgmorton: Please don't ... don't try to talk yet, because we're waiting for people to leave.
Knapp: Oh okay! (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Please!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
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ITEM 4. CONSIDER ADOPTION OF THE CONSENT CALENDAR AS
PRESENTED OR AMENDED
Throgmorton: All right, I think it's quieted down enough now, so we're gonna turn to Item #4,
Consider adoption of the Consent Calendar as presented or amended, and what
we're gonna do is ... um ... uh, pull Item 4d(8), which is ... has to do with domestic
violence. It's a resolution, uh, pertaining to domestic violence. We're gonna
consider that separately. So...
Mims: So moved. (both talking)
Botchway: Second (several talking)
Throgmorton: ... could I have a motion? A motion from, uh... from, uh, Susan Mims and a second
from Kingsley Botchway. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call. Now we need a
motion to approve Item 4d(8), Domestic Violence Resolution.
ITEM 4d(8) FREEDOM FROM DOMESTIC VIOLENCE - IOWA CITY
RESOLUTION TO RECOGNIZE FREEDOM FROM DOMESTIC
VIOLENCE AS A FUNDAMENTAL HUMAN RIGHT
Dickens: So moved.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by, uh, Dickens, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? And first we have
some people who are going to speak, correct? Maybe I should read one brief
statement here, um ... uh, Item 4d(8) is titled 'Freedom From Domestic Violence,'
Iowa City resolution to recognize freedom from domestic violence as a
fundamental human right.
Eglaine: Good evening! I'm Persephone Eglaine. I'm with the University of Iowa Legal
Clinic and we're here this evening with our client, the Domestic Violence
Intervention Program. We would like to thank the City Council for passing the
Iowa City resolution to recognize freedom from domestic violence as a
fundamental human right. Currently there is a national movement across the
nation to recognize freedom from domestic violence as a fundamental human
right and Iowa City just became the 27h city in the nation to recognize that right
and the first in Iowa. We believe, and we are glad that you agree, that Iowa City
is ready and it is time for them to become a leader in this movement, both
nationally and in the State of Iowa. This resolution was there to raise awareness
to the subject of domestic violence and also to reassure the citizens of Iowa City
that Iowa City is a community wherein we support victims of domestic violence.
We have gained huge support from the... organizations in the city to include the
Johnson County Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Johnson County Local
Homeless Coordinating Board, the Consultation of Religious Communities, the
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University of Iowa Center for Human Rights, and the Iowa City Human Rights
Commission. However... domestic violence can affect everyone in the community
— men, women, and children — and there's still stigma that is attached to that. We
hope that by adopting this resolution, Iowa City has helped alleviate that stigma
for Iowa City and we hope that other cities across Iowa will follow our lead. At
this time I would like to thank the Council and I would also like to introduce
Bronis Perteit, who is the Director of Client Advocacy Services at the Domestic
Violence Intervention Program.
Perteit: Good evening!
Throgmorton: Good evening.
Perteit: My name is Bronis Perteit and I'm the Director of Client Advocacy Services for
the Domestic Violence Intervention Program. First we would like to thank, um,
take this time to thank the, uh, City Council for adopting this resolution declaring
freedom from domestic violence a human right. We believe that every person
should be able to live a life free of fear and abuse from an intimate partngr.
According to national statistics, one in three women and one in four men will
experience some form of domestic violence in their lifetime. In 2015, the Iowa
City Police Department responded to over 602, um, calls related to domestic
incidences and the Police Department reported, uh, making 288 domestic violence
arrests. In 2014, DVIP provided services to 765 adult victims, as well as 363
children. We received 12,595 calls for assistance on our crisis line and we believe
that every victim of domestic violence deserves to be a part of a community that
will support them and will fight for them. We must stand together as a
community in order to prevent domestic violence. We are very proud today that
Iowa City is the first city in the State of Iowa to adopt a resolution of this kind,
um, and by doing this, our hope is that we are able to bring more awareness to this
issue, um, as well as getting other communities in this state, uh, to take similar
actions, and so again I want to take this time to say thank you for adopting this
resolution and our hope is that it renews our commitment as a community to end
domestic violence once and for all. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you! (applause) Anyone else want to speak to that? No? Okay.
Discussion among Council. Discussion? It's great to do it. Thank you. I'm glad
you came. Glad you proposed it in the first place! Roll call. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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ITEM 5. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA)
Throgmorton: I'd like, uh, anybody who wants to address any topic that's not on the agenda to
come forward and, uh... I have ... I think there are a lot of people who want to
speak, so I'd like to ask you to limit your comments to three minutes each. Not
more than three minutes. When three minutes are up, I'll ask you to stop. So...
because other people want to speak. And please state your name, uh, before you
speak.
Knapp: Um, my name is Jim Knapp and I came for a different purpose but after hearing
this... previous testimonies and declarations, I ... I feel compassion to ... support what
these people are doing and want to do. Uh, what I am ... do belong to is a club
called "Over the 70s" but we're passing on so we need to move it down to "Over
the 60s" and what I'd like to do is what we do, and it's help people with
disabilities or problems develop their talents and their skills so that they can
become more self -dependent and less... independent. Um ... I ... personally have
been in construction for over ... almost 50 years, I guess, and I would like to start a
program where I can train people with carpentry skills, with operating hand tools
and small saws and things like that, with concrete tools, and (mumbled) that they
will get into the point of being able to be employed and find jobs. Uh... Iowa City
would very ... really need more workers in this area once it gets expanded and we
start building more affordable housing. And, uh, to that respect I ... I would, if
anybody wants to contact me, I'm trying to straighten up my garage, which it
never had a vehicle in it because I've got so many tools and other stuff, but I
would be glad to work with young people and teach'em the carpentry skills or
teach 'em the project management skills or estimating or anything that I know,
which isn't a lot but ... thank you!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Jim! Who's next?
Karr: Mr. Knapp, you still want this handed out? Mr. Knapp, do you still want this
correspondence handed out?
Knapp: (away from mic) I'm sorry (mumbled)
Karr: Do ... do you want this correspondence handed out? (unable to hear response)
Okay. (unable to hear response) That's okay!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Jim. (unable to hear response) Good evening, Royceann!
Porter: Good evening! Royceann Porter,e 136 Appanoose Court. Um, the reason I'm
here is, uh, in regards to Rose Oak. Um, I wanted to start this out before the
people started comin' up, talkin' to you about this. Uh, there was a meeting called
last week. I wanted to put you up on everything from what I know. There was a
meeting called last Wednesday at Grant Wood School, um, in conjunction, um, I
was called by CWJ and it was supposed to be with CWJ, Iowa Legal Aid, and the
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Housing ... the Affordable Housing Coalition to come in, to listen to the stories,
and next steps. Um ... because of the urgency of hearing people saying that their
lease was up as of March 31 S`, they had gotten letters, no time to really get out of
there. They had received letters stating that if they had not been out by Thursday,
March 31 S`, Friday evictions were going to start. Now I sat here during the work
session I heard Doug Bur ... Boothroy give a great building plan, site plan,
everything, demolition. All that needs to be done over there. That needs to be
done. But there's a way that it needs to be done, because there are people. These
are human lives that live there. Uh, when they talked about different agencies and
the services, uh, getting together and talking on how they're going to help and
work with the people, adding more money. Chrissy got up and talked about the
(mumbled) housing program, that is awesome! None of these people have heard,
none of what was said today. None of these people know anything. None of
these tenants have been told which way to go. They don't know to go left or right.
These people are scared. They are really scared. So when we met on Thursday,
we went into management. We was just gonna go there, uh, when we got there
police had already been called on us.....stating that we were coming, we weren't
going to cause trouble, but that's not what we went there for. The purpose of us
going there was to ask to buy more time. Those people whose lease ended on
March 31 s`, all we asked was please, give them some more time. They have not
had enough time to find a place to stay. Everybody in the city of Iowa City know
affordable housing in Iowa City is what... obsolete. I mean so for you to sit and
say I'm gonna give somebody 30 days to move out ... no! That's unreasonable. So
the ... the one thing I want to read right quick .... I know, Jim, you said three
minutes, but I wanted to let you know everything that happened, and from what
we saw out there, um, we were able to go into ... they only wanted six of us in there
to do a conference call because the man, the new owner, was on the phone, and so
we end up ... he end up letting all the tenants in, which was about 40 tenants, a
couple of pastors, and myself. I did all the talking. My very first thing was, sir,
please ... slow down the process. Please, I said if you're not familiar with Iowa
City ... it's not very easy to find a place, and which ... Doug explained. They did
give the people a listing of apartments to go to. But these people that live in these
apartments are not even eligible. I worked at Shelter House. I've helped people
look for housing in this town. You got 45 days when you come into Shelter
House to look for a place to stay, to help these people, find 'em a place to stay.
Within those 45 days a lot of times we found housing but ... those people did not
qualify for the housing, either because of their backgrounds, background checks,
evictions on their backgrounds, some type of barrier. So, a lot of things, uh, that's
really getting me upset in this town is that everybody is hollering low rent
housing, low rent housing. The rent in Dolphin Lake, Rose Oak, Lakeside —
whatever they callin' themselves these days — is between $700 and $800. These
people are working two jobs, and they payin' this every month. Some of them
have been there for years, and for you to just give them a letter and say we're not
gonna renew your, uh, your agreement, your lease is unacceptable. It's unreal.
It's unfit. Where are we supposed to go? So I wanted to read this really quick.
Basic respect for Rose Oaks' residents. On March 30`", dozens of Rose Oaks'
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regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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residents joined together to create a list of demands that would establish basic
protections for the over 100 individuals and families whose lives are being thrown
into chaos by the changes at Rose Oaks. More time. We ask that so that dozens
of kids at Rose Oaks can finish their school year. They were told yes, you would
be able to keep your kids there. That was not true. We had two people who were
due out of there March 31" who had two kids in Grant Wood School that was told
that if they did not leave, they were gonna be evicted. So, we asked for more
time. So people have a chance at finding another direct option. Low income
housing is extremely hard to find here in Iowa City, and many people at Rose
Oaks face additional barriers — racial discrimination, low credit scores, prior
convictions, language barriers, and immigration related issues. Pushing people to
leave quickly means making a large number of families homeless. Let people
whose lease expired in March or April stay on a month-to-month basin ... basis.
He agreed to that, yet he kept saying he wanted to talk to individuals. So that's
what all these people here, they've been told by the owners everyone of 'em's
being told different things. None of 'em ha ... there is no set ... nothing in concrete.
Everybody is being told different things. They have given 'em some letters of
rec... letters of recommendation and not others, and these are people who owe zero
rent. They have no reason to be out. Uh...
Throgmorton: Royceann (both talking)
Porter: Yes, I'm going to hurry, Jim, but I just wanted to let you know. I'm ... I'm done!
I'm good!
Throgmorton: Okay (several talking)
Porter: Yes. You're gonna hear their stories and I have to say no more.
Throgmorton: Good deal! Thank you. (applause)
Horne: Hello!
Throgmorton: Hi!
Horne: How are you all? My name is Chantrice Horne, 2401 Highway 6 East, of course,
apartment 1807. I only ask that ... not that you stop the permit for them to
demolish, but delay it. Let them understand that we are a community. We work
every day, we pay our rent. We're not tryin' to stop what they want to do. They
want to change who they rent to, they're a business, they have the right, but what
they need to do is respect our livelihoods. Don't treat us like we're just numbers
on an apartment door. Treat us as if we live there! When you go home, you walk
into your living room, your dining room. Some of you all living rooms and
dining rooms are the size of our whole entire apartment. You walk into your
living room. If that was your only space, how would you want to be treated? If
you want to be treated with respect, then look at what we're going through and
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
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treat us the same way. You all like numbers. Well I got numbers for ya! They're
willing to give us our security deposits back, and if we move out by a certain
time, $500. Well, let me tell you what we're doin'. We work every day. Say 40
hours a week. Say you make $10 an hour. So you're bringing in on a monthly
basis $1,600. You pay $775 for rent. Light bill, 103; cable bill, 140. I have a
high school and middle school and elementary school kids. I have two phone
bills, $80. I pay $400 a month for food. So that leaves me with $102 a month to
figure out how do I get me and my children back and forth to school, back and
forth to work, but you want me to move in 30 days. So let's talk about the cost of
movin'. A truck is 150. If I fill out four applications at 35 a pop, I'm payin' $140
for application fees. Movin' supplies $60 cause I gotta put my stuff in something!
I'm not gonna put it in a garbage bag. It's going inside of a box! So now you
want me to get charged by the light company a fee to move, cable company a fee
to move, security deposit, first month's rent, possible two month's rent on the
security deposit because it depends on what my credit score is, but I work every
day. I pay my taxes. How is that fair? Who am I? So I'm nobody because I'm
not in the top ten percent of your income profile? So I'm nobody now! It's a
convenience. I live next door to my daughter. My daughter's husband's in the
Navy. I have a two-year-old granddaughter. This access so I can help her. I am a
parent! These are parents. These are people! We're not sayin' come in and save
us because we're savin' ourselves. We're sayin' do not allow them to come in and
build what you want to build and put us out where you wanna put us out in cause
we're nothing! We're tellin' you all, hey! Slow this permit down! If your job at
the end of the day is adopt policies that ensure health, safety, welfare of the
current, future inhabitants of the city, act like we're current inhabitants. That's all
I'm sayin', because if this happens to me, 10....10, 15 years down the line when I
raise my son, who has an IEP, who's graduating from City High School early,
who has a 2.8 GPA, who's going to Kirkwood, who gets a job, who gets a place,
who moves in somewhere and now he's the next generation to get put out. How
fair is that? There's a disabled man in the building, in the ... in the complex. He
went to find a place, and they want him to pay $2,350 to move. First month's
rent, double security. He has a dog. He went so far as to get his dog certified to
help him out, that maybe (mumbled) open doors for him and to get into another
place.
Throgmorton: (both talking)
Horne: ...dog is over 20 pounds.
Throgmorton: Pardon me, ma'am. I think there are many other people who would like to (both
talking)
Horne: There's a lot!
Throgmorton: Yeah, I (both talking)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
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Horne: Just slow down the permit! Give us time! That's all I'm asking for. You don't
have to save us. Give us time! You can allow that. (applause) Thank you.
Kelly: Hi, my name is Angela Kelly and I have five children. We have been residents at
Rose Oaks for about three years. They're not the best but we call it home. My
kids go to school in the area. They are tellin' us to pack our things and to be out
in 30 days. That is wrong on so many levels. They do not care that so many
families are going to be homeless, including my family. Thirty days is nowhere
near enough time to uproot so many people and put them in the streets. So I am
here telling you do not issue them permits and do not let them kick me and my
five children out in the streets, because issuin' them permits would do just that. I
really need you to give me an answer when I leave here today because I need to
know if we are going to be homeless or not. In closing I just want to say no
permits and do not make our families homeless. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Angela. (applause)
Chesler: Hi, I'm Connie Chesler. I'm the mother of four kids, one of my son in City, have
my baby in Grant Wood, and uh, I got 30 days to move, but I pay my rent for the
month of April and ... I'm tired of payin' application fees and they keep tellin' me
that my credit score and I got a criminal background but I ain't never been
evicted. I pay my rent. So ... I don't wanna move, but if I got to I got to. So ... so I
wish somebody can help us find a apartment or a house that we can afford
cause ... these apartments (mumbled) $900 for two bedroom and all utility, you got
to pay all utilities. (mumbled) income and you can't take care of your kids.
So ... I'm just askin' you, Mayor, all y'all (mumbled) help us out. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Connie. (applause) Good evening.
Mamona Kabahandelua:(difcult to understand) (interpreter relaying message) We want that
our rights as refugees, uh, are to be observed and respected. And we are ... we're
not English and we are low incomes. We are asking the office of the public
housing ... uh, could make a priority of our situation, that we judge is very serious
and unstable. We are, urn ... we are making alarm (mumbled) in front of everyone
(mumbled) good will and we're asking that you help us. We have families. We
have children in school. And when we can move ... if we move it would be a
problem for our kids. It's been a couple months that our brothers are here. Uh,
the apartment ... the company (mumbled) said that they reside in the apartment
building... although they already knew that they were about to demolish the
building. We are wondering why they were accepted to come into this apartment
building although they were ... people already knew that it would be demolished.
Uh, we are refugees. And this situation is reminding us of what we have been
living in our country. But we know that being in the United States ... uh, a country
that received us....and which allowed us to be (mumbled) We were thinking that
our problems would be resolved. And until now we've been convinced ... uh, it's
the reason why we've come with our (mumbled) We are hoping ... we are willing
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that ... (mumbled) you will find a solution for us. Thank you very much.
(applause)
Throgmorton: (mumbled)
Salih: (difficult to understand) My name is Mazahir Salih. I live in 2355 JessupCircle,
Iowa City. As President of the Center for Worker Justice, I represent hundreds of
low wage workers, uh, from like diversity (mumbled) and you know, um ... it's
really concern. I came here today and ... because I'm really concerned. At the
Center for Worker Justice, (mumbled) to seek like community, which is inclusive
community and you know like, um, justice, you know, in the community. And
I'm really concern about those resident because most of them are a member in the
Center for Worker Justice and (mumbled) situation. You know as a mother if I
put myself in their shoes, this is really frightening for me because I just move like
a year ago, you know (mumbled) and it took me four months to find a house.
This is really, you know, if you think about it, this is really bad. You need really
more time to (mumbled) I am here to request the City Council to start acting as
soon as possible in denying (mumbled) for redevelopment. I am sure you have
those (mumbled) so ... and you can do such action. Please ... at least give them
(mumbled) you know (mumbled) with the owner and with the owner (mumbled)
give them more time to find the housing and also a financial compensation to
relocate and (mumbled) they can (mumbled) give them the right to stay after they
build the new apartment with a fair price, and you know, the last thing I want to
say, look at those people. How often you see them here? Not a lot. You know
what kind of people come to the City Council. Most of these people, this is their
first time sitting in this hall. Please! Do it for them! Thank you so much.
(applause)
Throgmorton: Thank you (mumbled)
Rosenfels: (difficult to understand) I just wanted to say like...
Throgmorton: Could you say your name, please?
Rosenfels: My name is Jaia Rosenfels. I don't live there but, um, I just wanted to say like
I've tried to get housing in Iowa City (mumbled) and it's a human right (mumbled)
housing is a human right. This is untolerable. Iowa City presents itself as a
UNESCO City. How can ... how can you ... how can we (mumbled) Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) Good evening, Joy.
Beadleston: Hi, um, my name's Joy Beadleston. I've been gone for a while (laughs)
(mumbled) I'm back! Um, I did want to, uh, try to do this really quickly. I
wanted to thank City Council and Simon and ... and um, a lot of the people on the
Transit, uh, at ... working at the Iowa City Transit. Uh, I heard through the
grapevine that you approved $50,000 for new bus shelters and other money, uh,
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that's separate from this to repair bus shelters, which will help the community a
lot, especially on the southeast side where ... in the area where, um, a lot of people
are living out on the southeast side. There's a lot of bus shelters that are needed.
Um, another thing I was going to talk about was the Day of Caring, um, with the
University of Iowa, uh, the ... I'm glad that the Keep Iowa Beautiful's here cause
they're one of my biggest, um, things that I support. Um, keeping our city clean
and beautiful is really important to me, as many of you know, um, and the other
thing I wanted to talk about is another reason I've been gone is because I've been
severely harassed, um, in the place that I live, which might be considered a
middle class (laughs) um, apartment building. Um, near the south ... in the
southeast side, and I ... I'm disabled. I have a syndrome that is called Fibromyalgia
and other, uh, pain related... illnesses from, uh, a drunk driver that hit me not only
once, but I got hit by another one (laughs) I survived those but, um, every day I
get up is painful, but I continue to try to contribute to my community. Um...every
day (laughs) I ... I'm doing something and I have a ... a lot of things on my list, that I
went to a meeting at Lucky's, um, about Red Oak and I found that, uh, even
though I've been, uh, really unjustly harassed, I pay my rent every month just like
many of these people, um, from Red Oak have talked about, uh, and it's not right.
And what I'm seeing as I look for another place for my own well-being (laughs)
and peace, which I love, is it's not affordable, not for people that are here that
have worked, that are students. Really valuable people in our community that are
the backbone of our community, that work at the hospital and as you know, that
go to school, factories, um, all over our city and keep us going. We ... we're losing
people every day that are really valuable because they have to move to other
locations (laughs) and even if you look in Tiffin, North Liberty, in Coralville,
which a lot of people mentioned, they're not affordable anymore either because
our ... a lot of developers have gone into those cities and built really expensive
housing, um ... if you go to Autumn Park, even if it's a two-year waiting list. Just
to get in to Autumn Park. We ... we don't have enough affordable housing and we
need to have affordable housing when we build it, that is pleasant to live in, a
peaceful environment, and not what has been going on at Red Oak, Lakeside, all
these different people that have come in to run this place have been abusing these
people extremely. Their stories ... I beg the community to listen to them. They're
horrible, and we need to get lawyers and .... and all our community, we have a
great community for (both talking)
Throgmorton: Joy (both talking)
Beadleston: I will cut this short. Please get people to support... these... these people and myself
(laughs) actually. We need legal help, we need housing, uh, you know, and to
come together as a community. I know you guys can't take on the whole burden
(both talking) so thank you.
Throgmorton:... thank you. (applause)
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Minerva Marrero: (difficult to understand) (interpreter relaying message) It's a pleasure that
after a period of struggle I'm now a resident of (mumbled). The situation that my
brothers are experiencing in Rose Oaks is the same situation that I lived through
two and a half years ago. It remains the same company, Eagle Management, even
though it has changed its name twice and my reason for being here today is to call
your attention to resolve that situation. I believe that the fact that I'm not fluent in
English was one of the reasons that allowed them to discriminate against me at
Rose Oaks. I arrived from Puerto Rico two and a half years ago and
automatically my first place to live is that place. Um, I began to notice some poor
administration of that, uh, location, that locality, and I started to with those others
around me to express discontent. One of my first interventions with Channel 28,
um, where I describe the conditions, the appalling conditions under which I was
living and others around me were. The response I would get is that as a Puerto
Rican I would .... did not have the right to make these complaints, uh, whereas
these were things in the contract that I felt that I had the ... the right to bring to their
attention.
Throgmorton: Excuse me. I know there's more you'd want to say, but we ... we've already gone
three and a half minutes. Uh, could you please...
Marrero : Okay, uh ... (interpreter relaying message) Okay. (laughter) Okay, I was driven to
write to the Housing Department in Washington, D.C. and they're now looking
into the conditions at Rose Oaks. And I hope that justice will be brought to us
and to the other residents and that action would taken with respect to the situation.
Throgmorton: Thank you (several talking) (applause) (several talking)
Isabel Henriguez Aendons: Uh, hi, um, good ... good night, my name is Isabel Henriguez
Aendons. I am from Puerto Rico. I have lived (difficult to understand) Lakeside
apartment. The reason I am here because I am worry because we receive the
letter, and the letter said coming soon (mumbled) demolition the laundry area,
remove the (mumbled) I am worry about this situation because in the ... in the
letter we receive it said coming soon (mumbled)... coming soon we ... we are
starting demolition of the laundry. Where ... where supposed (mumbled) wash
their clothes (mumbled) April 18 (difficult to understand) the old building,
inclusive my building. (mumbled) I am scared because ... uh... there ... (mumbled)
(interpreter begins relaying message) She feels that this stressful situation can
affect her health, the fact that there's demolition being announced where she lives
and where she does her laundry. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) We normally stop at 8:00 P.M., at 8:00, for this public
discussion period. But I know there are many of you, it looks like there are many
of you who would still like to speak. With the Council's permission, I'd like to
extend this for another 15 minutes. (several talking) Yeah, okay, so please...
someone else care to speak?
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Massey: Thank you! Sam Massey, Pastor First Presbyterian Church. Some of my
parishioners live in the Rose Oak area. It was a place to start, to move up to other
housing, specifically Habitat Housing. I'm a preacher. I point out the obvious to
people. I get paid for that, so let me do so. In the Christian scriptures, uh, Jesus
says in my father's house are many mansions. The word for that in the Greek is
orcamentos. It means all in one household. We get the word economy and
ecumenical from it. What we realize from this is also something you realize in
the Hebrew scriptures, in the Muslim scriptures, and really all faith traditions that
the justice of God is always a justice of hospitality. Open hearted. Open
embrace. This I think is the issue which is at hand, and my personal opinion
being here eight years, Iowa City has struggled with a hospitality and justice
issue. Increasingly if you look at the index of the similarity, we are in the habit of
separating, segregating our folks, and whether a separation in my opinion, there is
devastation and that's exactly what is happening here. The, what is anticipated is
destroying a community. And I think this is probably the wrong way to go. I
don't think anything is advanced by, uh, approving this permit. I would
recommend leadership looks like turning this rascal down and then sitting down
with residents and the business people and perhaps Habitat and try to come up
with ... with various players to try to come up ... with a winning solution where
everybody profits, everybody makes money, everybody's empowered. I think
there are a few out there, I can imagine, and I would simply encourage you to take
that course. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Throgmorton: Thank you (both talking) (applause) Good evening.
Smith: Hi, I'm ... I'm Pastor Anthony Smith from New Creations International Church.
And I too have, uh... uh, parishioners that ... that, uh, that ... that live in this housing,
in this apartment complex. And, um ... uh, my concern is, uh, my concern is
how ... is how they've been ... how they're being treated. I don't think that this
treatment would be done to anyone that lived where I ... in my housing
development or in any of yours. Um, I don't believe that the ... I don't believe that
if...if this ... if this was happening on the other side of town, uh, and building a
complex that they wouldn't... they wouldn't take ... that these sort of actions would
not be taken. And I believe that they have, that we have ... that there should be a ... a
sense of morality ... not only ... not only, uh.... with the ... um ... with the people that
are ... that have bought the place, but with also the Council. And I believe in you
all. But I ... but I don't have ... I don't have ... I don't understand how anybody could
treat, uh, people that are working hard, people that are trying to make a living,
people that are living in substandard housing, and they're calling it home, cause it
is home. It's... it's... it's run down, yes it is. I think we all ... we all understand that.
But guess what? It's home. And ... and we as a city, as a community, we have to
come together and say we're gonna make sure that this is done decently and in
order. We as a community should be able to say that these people won't be ran
out, but they will ... that there will be a plan, a plan so that they can go and they can
be just as prosperous in their ... in their next ... in their next adventure in their next
home as they are at ... where they are right now. There has to be a plan, and
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we ... and we as a city have to come together, as ... and not run them out. Slow the
process down! The place probably does need to be ... needs to be tore down! And
something needs to be rebuilt. But these people need to be taken care of, and they
need to be taken care of in a ... in a ... in a moral way that ... that we as a city can say
we took care of them, they're ... they have been replaced, they have been been done
justice. That's all.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Anthony. (applause)
Fatima Elbadri: Hello, um, my name is Fatima and I'm a community member student, um, as
well as a multi-lingual advocate for, uh, women in the community. Um, and my
family's been in low income housing our whole life (mumbled) lived in Iowa City
for a while, and um, just seeing, um, everybody and the situations that they're
going through and the stresses that they're going through, I feel like, you know,
this is my family, these people ... these people are my family, and I feel like my
family is ... is ... is stress ... is always stressed out and is being treated some type of
way just because of, you know, different aspects of, um, class 'and.. and race and,
you know, backgrounds, and I feel like that the city ... I know Iowa City can do
better. I know we can do better as a community and I feel like ... we really, really
need to listen to folks who come out and talk about these, um, issues because
like ... like the pastor said that, you know, this is ... people ... these are people's homes
and whether, um, it seems like it to other people or not or people don't, you know,
look at, uh, folks in low income housing as, um ... worth anything. I know there is,
uh, a sister that was talking about how, um, she ... some of the first paper and the
paper that they got for alternatives, one of the first things was, um, to ... to tell
people to go to the Shelter, and I know that wouldn't happen in like high class,
like better housing areas in Iowa City, to already assume that folks are just ... are
gonna ... to just already deem them as some folks who are homeless and that just
tells a lot about the kind of rhetoric that, uh, comes with being in a low income,
um, housing complex, and I just really, really urge the City to please, please,
please maybe just not sign the permits until there is some kind of alternative, you
know, of listening to the residents of Rose Oaks. They've said that, you know,
they're not saying stop it, um, at this point, you know, but just like give ... some
kind of alternative or something, instead of just kind of having folks not know
what to do or where to go. So, yeah.
Throgmorton: Thank you (mumbled) (applause)
Bruce: Uh, my name is Matthew Bruce. I'm a student at the University of Iowa. I'm also
a member of Iowa Blac. (clears throat) Yesterday, uh, we had a community
meeting with a lot of residents at Rose Oaks and they described to us the situation
that they are living in and the situation they're going through now (clears throat)
and ... (laughs) I couldn't think of anything to say first but except, urn ... shame on
the City for this situation. I'm gonna let it sink in for a second. Um ... shame on
the City for letting this happen. This is absolutely inhumane, and somebody stood
up here and said that this was similar to the country that they're fleeing from.
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Page 19
That is what's going on. This ... this is third -world conditions that people are being
subjected to. Now you guys have the option today ... to either one (laughs) put a,
not maybe put an end to the injustice. I don't think that there can be an end put to
what these people are going through. But you can one, choose to at least decide
that you're not going to let it happen in your own conscience, or ... you can decide
to continue to be a part of a machine which ... chews people up and spits them out.
So I hope you guys make the right decision. (applause)
Throgmorton: Thank you, Matthew. (applause) Anyone else?
Luboroff: Hi there, I'm Helene Luboroff. I lived at, uh, Rose Oaks, used to be called
Lakeside, about 15 years ago for a short three months when we couldn't afford to
live any place else in Iowa City. Had to move out pretty quickly because the
black mold in our building was so bad my, uh, partner Tony couldn't breathe and
we had to keep taking him to the ER to get breathing treatments. We ended up
having to move to Lone Tree cause we couldn't afford to live in Iowa City any
more, so I spent five and a half years commuting my children back and forth to
the Iowa City School District and going to work, till we could afford to live in
Iowa City again. Um, and I would just like to say that ... you know ... granted Rose
Oaks definitely needs some work and a lot of those buildings do need to be torn
down, but these people do not need to be forced out onto the street with no place
to go. In this world if you have money, it protects you from situations like this.
Those of us who don't have money have representational democracy. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause)
Porter: Good evening, my name's Jasmine Porter. Um, I just want to say that basically
it's really hard trying to find housing here. I was a service provider for a year,
through Four Oaks, and now I work at the Neighborhood Center. Finding
housing for just basic housing where you can actually have a place to sit, have a
place to eat, have a plate at the table is hard to find. Whereas housing for campus,
$900, the University pays for it. Whereas if you have a family, someone that's
actually trying to be a part of the community, it's a lot harder to try to sustain
housing or even to try to get it. But, um ... like I said, I don't stay at Rose Oaks, but
at the end of the day I see some of the conditions that these people have to live in
and it's very ... it's very severe. But ... if you don't have to live in it you just turn the
other cheek, and I don't think that's right either. Thank you for your time.
(applause)
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) Anyone else?
O'Malley: My name's Keegan O'Malley. Uh, I live at 618 Fairchild. If you allow this to
become one more community that's gentrified, uh, I refuse to live in this
community, and I know plenty of folks (laughs) that will too. That's it.
(applause)
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Throgmorton: No one else? All right, uh, I would like to thank all of you for coming
tonight... for speaking your truth to us tonight, for speaking from your hearts. We
take the situation very, very seriously. We ... things have already been slowed
down and ... will be slowed down. We discussed this situation earlier tonight, three
hours ago, during our work session. We talked about it, uh, and ... along with two
or three other people, and we learned a lot about exactly what the situation is,
but ... but you've helped us understand the situation from your own personal points
of view. So especially want to thank you for doing that. We understand it's a
very difficult situation for you. I'm going to ask our Interim City Manager, Geoff
Fruin, to briefly summarize... what we ... what we learned during that, uh, work
session discussion and a couple or three key points that you would want to hear.
Geoff, can you help us out there?
Fruin: Sure. Um, a couple... couple of points I want to make clear. I think it's, uh,
something that, uh, I ... I heard through reoccurring comments here. One, I ... I think
we all recognize the need ... to upgrade this housing stock, uh, to make it decent
housing, uh, for the long-term, so, um, the ... the plans, uh, that are in front of the
City right now, I ... I think those are needed renovations, uh... uh, that the ... that
should take place, uh, here as soon as we can. That said, more importantly, we
hear from you. We know that, um, your lives, your neighbor's lives, your family's
lives are impacted, um, by the situation now, and we also need to come together
as a community to help you, uh, get through this difficult situation, and so there is
this timing issue. And I think it's really important, um ... uh... tonight, uh, for those
of you who are here, that we can establish maybe a common base of knowledge,
uh, so that we all know ... you know what we know, um, and ... and uh, at least
there's some certainty, uh, to ... to the extent that we can provide that, uh, for you.
So here's what we know. A site plan has been submitted to the City. Okay, a site
plan is essentially the company's, um, ideas, uh, for how they're going to change
the property going forward. Their goal is to renovate the entire property, um, and
have it completely renovated by the fall of 2017. Okay? When ... when
they ... when they say renovate, when we talk about renovating, it's a combination
of different approaches. They want to demolish some buildings. Other buildings
they just want to renovate. But, when I say renovate, it...it pretty much means
everybody has to be out, ripping out walls, um, and rebuilding what's inside.
You're keeping your ... your building envelope, the outside of the building the
same. You're doing everything, uh... uh, redoing everything on the interior. Very
extensive work. A site plan approval of...of this nature is not a decision that
becomes before the City Council, okay? The City code, which is essentially our
local laws, spells out how site plans are reviewed. Those site plans go through a
technical review process, and when I say technical I'm ... I mean we're looking at
things like how storm water is handled. Um, are the buildings, um, placed in ... in
the proper areas, is there enough parking, lighting, green space, uh, those types of
things. That is an ongoing analysis that we're going through right now. It's hard
to say exactly when that site plan will be approved, but once they meet those
acq ... requirements, our local code says that we shall approve it. Okay? And
again, that's not a City Council decision. That's something that our building
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Page 21
officials here will sign off on once, uh, they meet all those technical requirements.
Our best estimate right now is that ... it's at least several weeks away. We've been,
uh, having several weeks of discussions with the, uh, developers, the owners of
the property, and we ... we still feel they have a long way to go to meet those
requirements. So ... um ... I think to say it's several weeks away is ... is pretty
conservative. They've got a long ways to go to ... to meet our standards. So what
can they do now, and what do they have to ... what, um ... uh, will they have to wait
on site plan approval for. What they can do now is they can start to do the interior
demolition of certain buildings. So there are buildings that are vacant there, um,
there are buildings that are near vacant. They do not need City approval to go in
and remove walls and basically prepare for the rebuilding. They can't actually
start putting walls back in and plumbing and elec... electrical work until they get a
building permit, but if you see a dumpster show up on site and you see people
moving, uh, wall ... drywall and other things out, um, that can happen. What they
cannot do now is demolish the exterior of a building. They cannot take down a
structure without a demolition permit. They have not applied for a demolition
permit and a demolition permit cannot be issued until the site plan is approved.
So that's again at minimum several weeks away. What we're trying to focus on
now is ... is finding the best avenues forward to help you all through the housing
situation. What is the appropriate role for .... of the City? We have been talking
with local social service agencies that, uh, try to connect people with housing.
Um, we are prepared to ... uh, infuse existing local programs with additional City
dollars that can provide short-term rental assistance. Every day we are learning
more about the situation. We're learning more about, um, some of the hardships
that are being faced, and ... um, we'll ... we'll continue to try to stay engaged and to
determine the best ways that we can move forward and help. What the plan is
again right now is for ... uh, the City to try to contribute to a rapid rehousing
program that can help with short-term rental assistance for income qualified
households. What we need to do is just ... uh, put, uh, get final details coordinated
and then actually, uh, work with a provider to get someone on site so that they can
meet with you, understand your situation, and not only try to see if you fit with
that program, but make other connections in the community that can help you, uh,
find alternative housing, uh, right now. So ... going forward, I encourage you to
continue to engage with the management company. There was a management
representative here earlier at the ... at the meeting who expressed a willingness to
work with folks, to consider short-term extensions if need be, um ... we ... you need
to ... you need to continue to do that. Um, if you haven't done that, I'd certainly
urge you to do that. And then, uh, we will (yelling from audience)
Throgmorton: Thanks, Geoff. All right. Again, thank you all for coming.
Curington: Uh, Jim, that's not an answer!
Throgmorton: Could you say your name please?
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Curington: Venson S. Curington II, (difficult to understand) you know that. Jim, that's not an
answer. You will instruct your City Manager to give these people an answer.
You will instruct your City Manager to give these people an answer, Jim!
Throgmorton: I ... I (both talking)
Curington: At this time we didn't ... we didn't see not a sign say give these people time. We're
not about ... about to accommodate the oppression that's happening in Rose Oaks.
Accepting crumbs off a table! So stop this permit! Now any ... now all of you all
came under the Core 4. It's your opportunity to be the progressives that you said
that you're supposed to be! Now keep acting like people are ignorant! That was a
whole lot of malarkey! What you can do ... and the seven people up here is instruct
a City employee ... and you sittin' here givin' all these figures and shit like we don't
understand how this works! Now I sat here and I listened to people who were at
our meeting and several meetings, and some of y'all were at Rose Oaks, right, on
Thursday. We appreciated your presence and that was great! But now you are
playing games and you will not play games with my people. Now! You will
instruct your City Manager to stop this permit! Fu ... I am not done! I am not
done!
Throgmorton: Go ahead.
Curington: We don't have time to find some (difficult to understand, very angry) social
services. Right now people don't have places to live and where to go. Illegal
evictions are happening today! And -and ... and under your watch, people are
being illegally evicted ... from Rose Oaks. So any .... any type of business
development plan with whoever this (mumbled) I wish I could see them. I'll
know who you are soon. Whatever type of deal the City has with that is illegal in
and of itself. These people are illegally evicting people from their space. Now
I'm done! I'm going to be done and I'm going to yield. Now you need to figure
this out today, or people will not rest! We ... we don't have time for these weeks to
go by, where you continue to figure out a plan. Right now the plan is unjust and
you not doing something is unjust! (yelling from audience)
Throgmorton: Am I correct in understanding no one else would like to speak to this topic?
(unable to hear person speaking from audience) (several talking) (laughter) For
the record, no one is being evicted. (people speaking from audience) For the
record. (people yelling from audience) I believe ... (people speaking from
audience) I ... um ... I ... (mumbled) Sorry, I don't want to be in an argumentative
mode. Thank you very much for expressing your views. I understand many of
you are very (people yelling from audience) We're gonna move on to Item #6,
Planning and Zoning Matters.
Karr: Could I have a motion to accept correspondence?
Throgmorton: Is there a motion?
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Page 23
Mims: So moved.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Dickens. All in favor say aye. (person speaking
loudly from audience) I'm ... I'm not gonna go back and forth. (person speaking
from audience) If you want to speak you have to be over here. (several people
speaking from audience)
Kelly: Hi, my name is Angela Kelly (person speaking loudly from audience) and um, I
was just statin' the fact that we have to be out by the 30th. So waiting weeks to
find out if they're gonna get a permit or not, we could be homeless by the time we
find out if they're gonna be issued a permit or not. So that's why we're askin' that
you do not issue a permit. We have 30 days, and 30 days is not enough.
Throgmorton: Geoff ...would you please... contact the representative of the company that
currently owns Rose Oaks and share with him the need to contact each individual
renter to make sure they know when their lease expires and when they would have
to leave and be clear about adjustments that the owner is willing to take. There's
an answer. We're gonna move on.
Porter: Okay, I just want to tell you that we have contacted... the owners are telling the
City one thing, but they have not one time talked ... Jim, they haven't talked to
these people. They're tellin' you yes we're willing to do; yes we're willing to do;
but they're not! They have not. These people have not heard from anybody,
except us in the meetings... other than this, Jim, this is all they got! They haven't
heard. These people tellin', sayin' stuff, what they gonna do for the City, tellin'
the City what they gonna do, and how they gonna give 'em their deposits back,
along with an incentive of $500. It's not happenin', Jim! They're tellin' y'all one
thing and tellin' these... they're not even communicatin' with these people! There
has been no communication! So, please, all we askin' is to slow down the permit
so that until they sit down with the people. Not one person, one tenant at a time.
Sit down with all these people, every one of them deserve to have the
same... across the board, everybody. Not okay, we gonna let you do this and we
gonna let you do that. Everybody deserves the same across the board. There
should be ... they won't even meet with the people. They sayin' yes, we're
willing ... talkin' to the Affordable Housing Coalition. Talkin' with the Housing
Trust. They're sayin' yes, we're gonna do this; yes, we're not gonna put them out
because the kids are in school! But that's not true! People have been asked to
leave! People are leaving be ... the man sat here today and said 70...74 people will
be gone as of April the 30th. That's not true! They're not leavin' on their own!
Thirty-one had to be out by March 31 ", Jim! This is unacceptable! This is
people's lives. That's all we're sayin'! It's just to slow the permit down. I'm not
tryin' to be disrespectful to anyone, but this is so hurtful to me! If you got a
heart ... how can you just tell these people it's okay. This girl got five kids.
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She ... where she goin'? And then ... and the first thing on the paper that they gave
them, the first apartment on the apartment list that they gave 'em was to go to
Shelter House! You can go to Shelter House! As if that was an op ... that was an
opportunity to just go there! Oh, you can get into Shelter House! It don't... Shelter
House don't work like that! And why should I be payin' rent between $700 and
$800 a month be told ... to go from my home to go and stay in the Shelter? This
is ... this ain't right. I'm sorry! I'm not tryin' to disre... I'm not being disrespectful,
but I'm tellin' y'all, there has been no communication to these people, to these
families, from the owners! They're tellin' you one thing, but they're doin' another!
I'm done!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Royceann. So, Geoff, this is why I think it's really important to reach
out to the owner and have him connect with the individual renters who remain at
Rose Oaks.
Fruin: I understand.
Throgmorton: That ... that we can do. All right. (person speaking from audience)
Smith: ...not that....there needs to be more than just that. You need ... there needs to be
someone. These people need to know what's goin' on, and you don't know ... you
don't know what they goin' through, and ... and ... and a little deal and they tell you
one thing. I need ... I need to know that the City is going to be involved with this.
In the meetings with these people. Not ... not just call somebody up and you talk to
them, and ... it's over with. The City needs to be involved with the conversations
with these ... with these tenants. That has to happen. That has to happen. It
can't ... it can't, otherwise ... I know you're tired! But I'm ... I'm sorry. But... it's... but
that's gotta happen. Otherwise they're gonna... they're gonna... they're gonna tell
'em one thing, they're gonna ... to make you happy so they can get their permit, but
these people won't ... they won't have satisfaction. They won't be ... they won't be
(both talking)
Throgmorton: Anthony (both talking)
Smith: ...and I know it!
Throgmorton: We are ... we are taking this very seriously (both talking)
Smith: I know it but I just need ya to take it another step, seriously! I need you to be
involved. I need you ... we need you to be involved! You were involved at ... at,
during the ... I thank you for what you're doing! But I ... we .... we need you
involved.
Throgmorton: Agreed! So you know we've already moved beyond this particular topic. Uh...
you know we had a ... we had a ... an hour-long time when people were speaking,
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and ... and nobody wanted to speak anymore. What's on your mind right now? Be
short, please.
Gilbertson: I will! I heard Mr. Fruin say about the ... the folks at that place can do the internal
demolition and ... and essentially are evicting people through the process, but they
are not doing the external demolition and that our process, our City codes say that
we shall such and such when the technological stuff or when the logistics are ... are
good. Who can change the code if not the seven people here? You all have the
power to change that and I would like to see that, so that you can say if you are...
destroying, putting people into a cycle ... of poverty when ... of...of worse poverty...
we can say to them if you're going to be doing that to our people, to our citizens,
then you won't get a permit. You have to ... you have to be ethical in your process
and that doesn't mean demolishing the inside and moving people around like...
things that we move around. These are ... I care about these people.
Throgmorton: I understand.
Karr: Sir, could I have your name, please? (applause)
Throgmorton: Ma'am (both talking) we ... we need to stop! (both talking) We've heard
what... everybody's been saying (both talking)
Adetayo "Tayo" Oladele-Ajose: I didn't speak though so you didn't hear everyone's, um, idea.
Um (noises from audience) and with all due respect, I guess I'm confused with
this process, where we speak then you speak, because we keep talking about
having a conversation, but that's not how a conversation works, and I understand
that you need to regulate the way that you run these meetings, but I think this is a
very special case where you need to allow people to respond, because they feel
like your responses aren't proper responses to the manner. Like I
guess... take... if Amagine coming, being in their shoes. Truly imagine in their
shoes. Being (mumbled), being ... taken from a third -world country. My parents,
Nigerian immigrants. Try coming to America already on your own, no
connections. Then you find really shoddy housing, but you're willing to live with
it, and then beyond that you're evicted from the shoddy housing, and then you're
just being told you have a couple of weeks. That's not security. That's not the
security that we place in your hand when we voted for you. I vote ... I vote in local
elections, I volunteer with local elections, and I respect what all you guys do, but
right now all I see is... and I'm getting emotional because I ... I see my family
coming here and that happening to them. We just ... all (mumbled) all of my, um,
cousins, aunts and uncles, just got green cards and (mumbled) five different
families that we just brought into our home, but I see this happening to them as
soon as they leave, and I don't want to see that happen to my family. So when I
see these people, I see my family. Like being evicted, told that they should go to
a shelter, and I would never allow ... I would take them in if I could. I would,
but ... housing doesn't work that way. I'm a college kid, I can't do that, and I just
want to make sure you guys are taking this seriously, you know? Like taking it
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from your own perspectives. Cause... cause I get that being middle class you may
not understand exactly where they're coming from, but you've gotta try and see
from their perspective. If we come off like we're intense, or like we want answers
now it's because if they don't get answers now, then they're gonna be living on the
streets, with five kids! That's... that's... that shouldn't even be legal! That
shouldn't even be an option. I ... I could not imagine being a child and growing up
in a shelter or being told my next option is a shelter! So if we are coming off as
like disrespectful or shouting we want answers, it's not unwarranted! So I just
want to make sure that, um, one, this is a conversation. I understand that there's a
process, but sometimes the process needs to be paused long enough for true
conversation to occur. Um, and second, please take these people seriously. This
could be anyone at any point in time. You never know what happens in life. Life
happens. People end up homeless, so please don't make these people homeless,
you know? They haven't done anything to deserve that! Thank you!
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) All right. Thank you all! So we are going to move
on ... to ... to the rest of our meeting, which we have to do. Uh, and we're at Item 6.
Karr: Mr. Mayor (both talking) did we have a motion to accept ... we have a motion. Do
we have a voice vote (both talking)
Throgmorton: ... already passed it, I think. Seven to nothing. 7-0.
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ITEM 6. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS
ITEM 6a REZONING 716 N DUBUQUE STREET LANDMARK —
ORDINANCE REZONING PROPERTY LOCATED AT 716 NORTH
DUBUQUE STREET FROM HIGH DENSITY MULTI -FAMILY (RM -44)
ZONE TO IOWA CITY HISTORIC DISTRICT OVERLAY/ HIGH
DENSITY MULTIFAMILY (OHD / RM44) ZONE. (REZ16-00001)
1. PUBLIC HEARING
Throgmorton: Gonna open a public hearing. (bangs gavel) John Yapp! (both talking) ...take a
deep breath before you start talking!
Yapp: Sure!
Throgmorton: So before you start speaking, I should ask whether any of our Council Members
needs to disclose ex parte, uh, conversations. I ... I have nothing. (several
responding) No, apparently not. Okay! John!
Yapp: Uh, John Yapp, Development Services, uh, Division. Uh, the subject property for
this item is on Dubuque Street, north of Ronald Street. Uh, the property was
constructed as a fraternity house in 1931 in the, uh, Tudor ... Tudor revival, uh,
style architecture. Uh, it was a fraternity until about 1997 ... when it was purchased
for use as an assisted group living facility. Uh, it is a three-story structure with 21
bedrooms, two kitchens, shared bathrooms, uh, and shared laundry facilities. In
other words, fraternity style, uh, construction on the interior. Uh, recently the
property owner applied for a Board of Adjustment application for a parking
reduction. Uh, there are two parking spaces on site; uh, many, uh, structures
constructed in ... in that time period had very limited, uh, parking. The request for
the, uh, Board of Adjustment was to reduce the parking requirement to allow the
structure to be occupied with 21, uh, residents. There are 21 bedrooms. Uh, the
Board of Adjustment did approve that application with some conditions, uh,
regarding renovations, uh, to the structure and regarding ... and requiring that it be
designated as a Iowa City historic landmark. Uh, and that ... that is the request
before you tonight. Uh, the property is zoned RM -44 or high density multi-
family. Uh, fraternities are allowed, uh, in this zone. Uh, this is a map of the
Northside Historic District. Uh, the star is where this property is located, so it is
outside of the Northside Historic District. Uh, this is a picture of the property
from the late 1950s. Uh, another picture from 1980, uh, still occupied by a
fraternity at that time. And ... these are some pictures from, uh, earlier this winter
when we first received the application, and you'll see that the ... the exterior of the
structure has ... has not changed, uh, that much. The Historic Preservation
Commission, uh, reviewed this application and recommended approval, and the
Planning and Zoning Commission, uh, recommended approval. What the, uh,
historic landmark status, uh, does ... is require that any, uh, changes to the exterior
of the property are reviewed by the Historic Preservation Commission in order to
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ensure, uh, that it ma ... that it is maintained as a historic landmark. Be glad to take
any questions.
Throgmorton: Are there any questions for Mr. Yapp?
Mims: This might be for John and/or Eleanor. I noticed that the applicant has requested
expedited action.
Yapp: Yes, thank you (both talking)
Mims: ...normally we would not do that until the second reading, correct (both talking)
Yapp: That is ... that is normal practice, yes.
Mims: Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, John. Anyone else want to address this topic?
Nusser: Good evening. My name is Ross Nusser and I'm a realtor and partner at Urban
Acres Real Estate in Iowa City here. I'm also a board member of Successful
Living, the current owner and occupant of this house. Uh, Mr. Yapp did a very
good job of summarizing what's before you tonight, but I would like to be here to
answer any questions should you have any.
Throgmorton: Thanks! Any questions? (several talking) Yep! Anybody else want to speak to
this topic?
King: Good evening. I'm Mitch King. Um, I'm the gentleman going to purchase the
building at 716 N. Dubuque. Um, the reason why I asked to expedite the Council
meetings is the ... the lengthy process that making an historical landmark takes, and
some of the stipulations of this special exception is to have it done by August Is,
of occupancy. So that's the kind of timeline I as a renovation are running up
against and the longer, you know, I realize it's 15, 20 days but a lot can be done in
15 or 20 days in the renovation process. So that's why I asked for the, um, ex...
you know, the condensing of the meetings. If you have any questions on that I'd
be glad to ask ... answer'em.
Mims: Typically what we do is we don't condense on the first one. If there's not a lot of
controversy when it comes to the second reading in two weeks (both talking)
King: Yeah. (both talking) ....I heard that but it (both talking) yeah, it didn't hurt to
ask, to be honest (laughter) Yeah. So...
Mims: Okay. Thanks!
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Throgmorton: Okay. Thanks! Anyone else? All right, seeing no one else I'm going to close the
public hearing. (bangs gavel)
2. CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE (FIRST CONSIDERATION)
Mims: Move first consideration.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Dickens. Discussion?
Thomas: Well I'll be supporting this and I ... I wanted to give thanks to the process. There
are a lot of steps involved with this ... to the, uh, Historic Preservation, Board of
Adjustment, and the Planning and Zoning Commission, as well as ... uh, Canby
Property Management, uh... uh... thanks to all.
Throgmorton: I'm gonna make a couple short personal observations. I used to live ... I owned a
house directly behind this building for over 10 years. Actually I lived in one
directly behind it for ... about five or six years, and owned one right across the
street behind it. Uh, and was involved in the, uh, the re ... the rezoning or
whatever. The ... in 1997, when the building was initially converted back to that
use. So it's like, uh (laughs) old home week in a sense. But ... that has nothing to
do with the vote at all, so .... I guess I should ask for roll call.
Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Botchway: So moved!
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by ... Botchway and seconded by Dickens. Roll call. I'm sorry, voice vote!
Roll (laughs) all in favor say aye. All opposed. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 6. PLANNING AND ZONING MATTERS
ITEM 6c SOUTHGATE ADDITION, PART TWO — RESOLUTION
APPROVING PRELIMINARY PLAT (SUB16-00002)
Yapp: Uh, this ... this property you saw (several talking) Oh, I'm sorry!
Mims: Move the resolution.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. John!
Yapp: Sorry for interrupting! Uh, this property you saw, uh, several meetings ago in
connection with the Waterfront Drive, uh, vacation. Uh, what is before you
tonight is a preliminary plat. Uh, the property is zoned Community Commercial.
Essentially what the preliminary plat is doing is redrawing the property
boundaries, uh, within this commercial, uh, property. You had, uh, deferred final
consideration of the ... vacation of Waterfront Drive until the final plat, uh, for this
property is ready. Uh, tonight is just the preliminary plat. Uh, this image shows
and it's ... it's hard to read with all the lines on it, but the existing footprints of the
buildings on the property, this is the Los Portales restaurant and Carlos O'Kelly's
to the rear, uh, Waterfront Drive, uh, through the center of the property. Uh, what
is proposed is a new lot 1, uh, on the west side of the property, a new lot 2 in the
middle, and lot 3 where the Car -X Muffler Shop is would stay largely the same.
Uh, this is a ... a concept plan for the, uh, proposed new development which would
be a, uh, small grocery store on lot 1, a new, uh, Carlos O'Kelly's on lot 2, and,
uh, Car -X would stay the same on lot 3. Uh, this concept plan shows Waterfront
Drive, uh, having been vacated and the access points onto Gilbert Street, uh,
currently there are three, uh, being consolidated into one access point opposite the
Hills Bank, uh, access point. Uh, Planning and Zoning Commission
recommended approval and staff recommends approval.
Throgmorton: Thank you, John!
Yapp: Thank you.
Throgmorton: Any questions for John? I'll ask ya one! I know this is only preliminary plat but
do you think bike stalls will be part of this?
Yapp: Uh, bike parking is required, uh, under City code. I couldn't tell ya the number,
uh, but yes, there will be.
Throgmorton: Okay! Thanks.
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Taylor: I just have a quick question. So then Los Portales will no longer be in its location,
is that...
Yapp: That's correct. They would, uh... not be in this location.
Throgmorton: All right. So ... we have a motion on the floor, correct? (several responding) Any
further discussion... up here? Roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 7. ASPHALT RESURFACING PROJECT 2016 — APPROVING PLANS,
SPECIFICATIONS, FORM OF CONTRACT, AND ESTIMATE OF COST
FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE ASPHALT RESURFACING
PROJECT 2016, ESTABLISHING AMOUNT OF BID SECURITY TO
ACCOMPANY EACH BID, DIRECTING CITY CLERK TO PUBLISH
NOTICE TO BIDDERS, AND FIXING TIME AND PLACE FOR RECEIPT
OF BIDS
a. PUBLIC HEARING
Botchway: Move the resolution.
Mims: (several talking) ...public hearing.
Throgmorton: Open a public hearing. (bangs gavel) Ron Knoche!
Knoche: Good evening, Mr. Mayor and Council, um, Ron Knoche, Public Works Director.
Um, tonight you have before you our 2016 asphalt overlay program. Uh, wanted
to go over just a little bit first on kind of where we're at with our pavement
condition. Um, the ... the map before you, although a little small, is similar to a
map that we looked at during the budget session. Um, this is the most current
data that we have, 2015, uh, data. Um, this data is collected, um, every other year
by the DOT. Um, at no cost to the City. Uh, it ... urn, prior to 2013 we actually
paid for the local roads, um, federal aid had paid for the ... the federal aid eligible
routes but we had to pay for our own ... our own collection, and we've been
collecting the data since, uh, around the year 2000. So we have, uh, multiple
year's worth of data here. Urn ... for the ... for the, urn ... (speaking away from mic,
unable to hear) um ... so the... the... the pavement condition index, um, is a number
from zero to 100, 100 being the best, zero obviously being the worst. Um, our
current data, uh, as we see it today, our .... our pavement condition index average
for our city streets is about 54. So, um ... we're .... we're in an area, urn ... the ... the
recommendation that's out there in that 41 to 60, which we consider in the fair
range, urn ... is ... is about looking at one to five years worth of, um, life left in that
before we would be looking at doing some type of overlay or rehabilitation, um,
in those areas. So, um ... you know, we're ... we're behind, uh, with regards to, uh,
keeping up on our pavement maintenance. Urn ... the ... the pavement condition
index is .... is driven by multiple data points. Um, the .... the major data point is,
uh, the smoothness of the roadway. Um, but the vehicle that they go out and use
the data collection on actually counts cracks, uh, the faulting, um, and ... and then
also the roughness. So ... uh, there's mult... multiple pieces of information that go
into that. Uh, and, uh, you know, obviously on our lower, uh, speed roadways,
uh, maybe the smoothness isn't as important, um, but the ... the, looking at the data
in regards to the, um, cracks and ... and the condition that way does ... does, uh, have
an impact on our ... our system. Urn ... so with regards to..to where we're at today,
our, um .... uh, resurfacing will look at Oakcrest, Whiting Avenue, Ronald Street,
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um, Wade Street, and Brookside Drive. Uh, so as we ... we look at these streets
and we ... we prioritize, uh, where we're moving forward with, uh, you know,
we ... we look at the ... the pavement condition index map. Um, it's ... some of the...
the uniqueness about the ... the way the PCI is done is, uh, depending on which
way they drive the roadway, there may be ... different information that comes back
and so, um, for example the Ronald Street piece, uh, shows up in the fair
currently, uh, but in the previous map it was not fair. So, um, you know, so if
they .... if they drive eastbound instead of westbound, the ... the data point may be a
little bit different information. Um, but we ... we do look at the PCI map and we
also look at coordinating with other projects that we have going on or have had
going on. Um, so for example Wade Street, we did a water main replacement
project, uh, down there last year. Um, so we're looking at going in ... in and, you
know, cleaning up that corridor. Um, Oakcrest Street is one that ... that is, uh, in
fairly poor shape as far as ride goes. It's a PC, uh, street now — or Portland
cement concrete — um, and now (mumbled) actually have a sidewalk infill that
we're doing in that area. So ... so we have those coordination things that go on.
Um ... as ... as, um, was mentioned, our, um, estimate is about $1.177 million. Um,
we have, uh, about $1.5 million in the, um, pavement rehabilitation program, as
far as the budget goes. Uh, so what we'll.... you'll see coming before you later on
in the year will be some PC patching projects, uh, and then depending on the size
of the contracts, some, uh, asphalt, um, sealing and joint sealing projects. So, uh,
you know, from ... from what we have here, we have about 20 intersections that
we'll be doing with this project. So we'll have ADA, up upgrades on all those
curb ramps. Um, and you know, we're ... it's costing us roughly on the estimate
about $75,000 a block to .... to do the overlay portion.
Throgmorton: Any questions for Ron?
Mims: Yeah, I had two but you already answered one. That was how they measure
(laughter) how they measure the ... the ... and to get the scale. When you said we
have an average of 54, is ... I mean are we taking on like a per block or per mile
score and then averaging or how's that done?
Knoche: Yeah, so, um, it...it kind of...basically it's per block is the way that the ... the
averages are figured. Um, you know, we have 240 (mumbled) center -line miles
of roadway, you know, so , uh, and that's just center -line miles. So if it's a four -
lane road, um, it does count each, um, each northbound and southbound on those.
Um, but if it's a three -lane section, it's only counting, um, just ... just that one
center -line mile...
Mims: Okay.
Knoche: ...but, uh, yeah, so it's ... it's basically split up per block.
Mims: Per block. Okay. Thank you.
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Knoche: Yep.
Dickens: And what is the cost difference between chip seal and overlay and... and... the
projected life of the ... the material?
Knoche: Um ... you know, so uh... the, you know, the chip seal piece, really what we're
looking at there is, typically it was a gravel roadway that ... that we've just brought
up to gra ... you know, bring ... bring it up, just give it a hard surface, kind of a dust -
free surface. Urn ... of our program, a ... about $100,000 of this program will be
doing the chip seal piece. Um, the ... it is a ... the chip seal piece, um, in the ... I want
to say it was in the 80s. We quit doing chip seals on our asphalt overlays. Um,
one of the issues that we do have with the chip seals is it's fairly dusty for the...
about the first year of life ... on those.
Cole: What's the status of east College Street? That's a street with a lot of bikers on it,
um, when is that going to be redone? Is the, you know (both talking)
Knoche: I .... I don't .... I'm not for certain on that one. Um, you know, as ... as we ... as we,
uh, look at kind of the urban core streets, uh, you know, we'll have a priority on
those and ... and we'll definitely be looking at those, and ... and, um, keep in mind
we haven't been out doing a whole lot of potholing yet, uh, the asphalt will be
available....hot mixed asphalt will be available Monday. So we'll ... we'll be out
hitting that a little bit harder versus putting the cold patch in because that never
stays. (several talking)
Throgmorton: There are some pretty impressive potholes out there, aren't there? (several
talking) What ... what do ... what do you do when asphalt meets brick? I think
there's one intersection at Linn and Ronald Street that involves that kind of
intersection.
Knoche: Um, so ... so what they'll do is look at doing some ... either looking at ... depending on
kind of what the profile of the brick is, um, it may be a matter of just kind of
running out and ... and overlaying the brick itself, to a per ... to a certain portion or it
may be undercutting out where that brick interface is and just matching it. It ... it'll
depend on the situation.
Throgmorton:... not paving over the brick I guess.
Knoche: Just .... it .... maybe for a certain piece of it. Um, you know, just....just to be able
to get that smooth transition between the overlay piece and onto the brick.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Knoche: ...smoother transition I guess I should say. Brick is fairly bumpy on its own ,
so....
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Throgmorton: Thank you.
Knoche: Yep!
Thomas: Ron, one question I had was, um ... I've noticed, at least in ... in the north side, uh,
that the flow line of the gutter where the ramp crosses the flow line there's, uh, it's
not uncommon to see the water ponding in those locations. So you talked about
ADA upgrades at some of the intersections ... so I'm ... I'm assuming, I mean, that
ponding really kind of defeats the whole purpose, or much of the purpose, at least
when there's water there, of providing the accessible access. So, do you maintain
a flow line through there, so we won't see ponding when (both talking)
Throgmorton: We ... we do and you know, part of the issue that we have on some of the, you
know, the urban core, and ... and I'm sure we'll have some of this on the Ronald
Street piece, is you know there isn't intakes at all four corners of the intersection
to where we can kind of hold the water from actually flowing across the curb
ramp. Um, but that is something that we look at, you know, trying to maintain the
flow in that gutter so it's not ponding, you know, right at the curb ramp itself.
Throgmorton: Any other questions for Ron? Looks like you're going to get off nearly scot-free!
Thanks, Ron.
Knoche: Thank you.
Throgmorton: All right, is there a motion?
Mims: Need to close the public hearing.
Throgmorton: Oh! Thank you. (bangs gavel) Close the public hearing.
b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION
Botchway: Move first consideration ... or move consideration, move for resolution. Sorry!
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. Discussion? I should say, I own ... no, I
don't own. My wife owns a house on Ronald Street. Uh, I asked myself and then
our City Attorney whether I should recuse myself from this particular vote,
because there might be some slight increase in property value associated with the
repaving, but there's no evidence that that's the case. So, um ... after consultation
I've decided I ... I don't need to recuse myself. So I intend to vote.
Dickens: My grandparents own the land (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Roll call. Motion carries 7-0.
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ITEM 8. TRAFFIC CALMING
a. LANGENBERG AVENUE - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE
INSTALLATION OF SPEED HUMPS ON LANGENBERG AVENUE,
BETWEEN SOUTH SYCAMORE STREET AND COVERED WAGON
DRIVE
Mims: Move the resolution.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? I see Kent Ralston out
there.
Fruin: If I could jump in real quick. I just want to remind you the ... what we've, uh,
requested at the work session, uh, we're asking that you consider Item A tonight
but that you allow for a deferral indefinitely on B so that we can have further
consultation with the neighborhood.
Throgmorton: Right, so we'll vote on 'em separately, right? Yeah. Kent!
Ralston: Thank you! Uh, yeah, so Langenberg Avenue between south Sycamore and
Covered Wagon Drive have successfully completed the adopt -a -traffic calming
program for the City and in the mailback survey they had a 69% majority of
responding households in favor of the speed humps and staff is recommending
approval, and I'm happy to answer any questions that you might have.
Throgmorton: Any questions for Kent?
Cole: Other than probably neighbors observing that the cars are going by too fast, were
there any specific, uh, was anyone injured or anything like that or what generated
this conversation on the speed bumps for this particular (both talking)
Ralston: I think you hit it on the nail basically just that the neighborhood believed that
traffic was driving too fast, um, it's initiated by a petition. That's the way the
traffic calming process works. We receive the petition and then we subsequently,
uh, do a traffic study and they did meet the criteria, based on the 851' percentile
speed being over five miles per hour over the posted speed limit. So 30 mile per
hour in this case.
Taylor: Just a quick question on that then. So these kinds of things are generated, um,
more by like citizen complaints?
Ralston: Correct. The whole ... the whole idea behind the traffic calming program is that's a
neighborhood driven process. Yeah, the ... the City asks for a petition and that's
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what initiates the entire process, the traffic study, the public meeting that we hold,
and uh, so on.
Taylor: (mumbled)... had been some concern expressed by, uh, like the Fire Department as
far as rescue times and response times?
Ralston: Right, that's correct. There's a ... there's a, uh, email from the Fire Chief in your
packets and historically the ... the, all emergency responders will say that they do
not like traffic calming for obvious reasons, because it calms traffic but it also
takes them longer to get to locations, uh, but I will say that the Fire Chief, in
discussions I had, was much more concerned with Seventh Avenue than
Langenberg, and that's why as the City Manager had, uh, mentioned that we're
deferring on that item tonight, or asked for deferral on that item.
Botchway: I know that we talked about concerns as far as, you know, looking at our entire
traffic calming process. My only fear in this particular, um, situation is that, um,
we're doing this based on some of the concerns that were shared, kind of in a
finite amount of time, when there was construction being done on Sycamore
Street. Um, you know .... I guess do the traffic calming, or you yourself, take that
into account as now the street is open, whether or not that's still, you know, um,
cause of issues as far as, you know, that being increased speed on that avenue?
Ralston: Right, I don't think it would affect the speeds as much as it does the volumes, and
the way the traffic calming program works is it's an either/or. So you can meet
the criteria by the 85`h percentile speed, which they did in Langenberg's case, or
you can meet it by volume, and it's 500 ... has to exceed 500 vehicles a day for a
local or a thousand vehicles a day for a collector. So in this case, they met the
speeds and not the volume, so we weren't so concerned with the amount of cut -
through traffic they may have had. Uh, it may have affected speed slightly, but I
don't think it would have affected enough that, uh, they wouldn't have qualified.
Cole: And I learned a new term tonight — the traffic table. Um (laughter) learn
something new! When you identify the speed bumps, is there anything else, other
than the speed bump, uh, that would allow you to calm the traffic or is it just that's
pretty much the tool that's utilized?
Ralston: No, there are. It's a tool we use pretty often in Iowa City, um, but when we
hold... part of the process is that we have a public meeting. So we actually go out
to the neighborhood, uh, and we discuss with them what it is their problems are to
try and come up with the appropriate solution. Uh, on -street parking is one that
we typically ask, you know, in this case there is already on -street parking. There
just isn't enough of it to slow traffic. Uh, we talk about, uh, street trees. In the
past we've used chicanes, which are kind of a weaving pattern through a street.
Um, we've talked about rain gardens in the past. Uh, street trees, if I didn't
mention that already and ... and so forth. So there are a lot of different options, uh,
but the one that the City's found most effective are speed humps. It's actual phys
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...physical modification. Uh, we ask for spot enforcement from police, of course,
but that's a temporary measure. So ... that's the one that's typically used and most
effective.
Thomas: I have two questions. One ... uh, could you explain to those who aren't familiar
with the term 85th percentile what that means, and then two, uh, street trees are
considered to be a ... traffic calming feature and I ... I didn't go out to the street, but I
looked at it on Google streetview and it...at least when that streetview was taken
there seemed to be very few street trees.
Ralston: Right. Soto your first ... well, to your second question. There are very few street
trees because the street is very new.
Thomas: Uh huh.
Ralston: Um, and if there are street trees, they're not mature. So that ... that is true. Um,
and to answer your first question, the 85th percentile speed is the ... is the speed at
which 85% of drivers are at or below. So it often gets confused with averages.
We'll see, you know, we'll get some correspondence in packets and so forth that,
uh, I think confuse it with average speed, and that's not the case. It's actually 85t'
per... percentile (both talking)
Thomas: So are the street trees then on this street, uh, the City's responsibility to plant?
Ralston: Um, I think in the case ... if we were to use it for traffic calming, I ... under the
current program, it would be. Um ... to my knowledge we've never used street
trees, uh, through the traffic calming program (mumbled) traffic specifically.
Throgmorton: I went out there yesterday and had the opportunity to speak to some neighbors,
and was surprised to discover that, um, one pair of neighbors that I talked to have
lived there for 20 years. So the ... the eastern most block of Langenberg actually is
about 20 years old I guess, and actually there are substantial trees there now. But
you go past that and it's, you know...
Ralston: Right!
Throgmorton: ... new development land, but uh, I'm really wondering about, uh, McCollister. So
I ... I don't know, I can't remember our capital improvements program, I don't know
where McCollister fits in it, at all yet. I don't know if it's scheduled for a
particular year.
Ralston: I believe it's in FY 19.
Fruin: Yeah, that's correct.
Throgmorton: Yeah, I was thinking 18 or 19 (both talking)
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Fruin: ...that's the section to get over to Sycamore, yeah, which would be a relief valve
for Langenberg here.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Any other questions for Kent? All right, I gotta close the public hearing.
Did we already do that? (several responding) There is no public hearing. We're
gonna close Kent! (laughter)
Ralston: Thank you!
Throgmorton: All right. Discussion? I want to introduce a topic here. This is a perfect example
w ... what ... what's not walkable about some of our streets. The street's very wide —
I don't know what it ... how many ... Kent, how wide is..is it 40 feet, I don't know
what it is. 34?
Ralston: Is it Langenberg we're talking about?
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Ralston: 28 I believe.
Throgmorton: 28, okay. Thank you. It feels very wide (laughs) uh, and there are no trees on it
and ... it's de ... it's almost designed to have traffic go at 32 and 33 miles an hour.
Nonetheless, that's not the question at hand, so, uh, we need to focus on the actual
dis... topic before us. One thing I think is that having par ... cars on the street,
parking on the street, helps slow traffic down, especially if cars are on both sides
of the street, cause as a driver you think, hey, I don't have ... 14 -feet or whatever
width to ... to drive in. I've gotta slow it down so I don't hit a car! (laughs)
Cole: Oakland's a perfect example of that.
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Cole: ...Longfellow neighborhood.
Throgmorton: And ... and I think about McCollister, you know. Can....can the, uh, the speed
bumps be removed?
Ralston: They can, and that's a good question. As part of the traffic calming program, one
year after installation we go back and resurvey the neighborhood. We actually
conduct a ... the exact same traffic, or excuse me, traffic study and resurvey the
neighborhood, and if it does not have 65%, they can be removed ... at request of the
Council. Uh, I believe it's happened twice in the time I've been here in the last
decade or so. Uh, once was on Highland Avenue and once was on Fourth Avenue
south of Court. There were a few speed humps removed there.
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Throgmorton: Thanks!
Mims: Kent, I have a follow up question from Jim's comment. Talking about the width
of the street. I mean I'm assuming when we're doing some of these... they're done
at that width because they want on -street parking in the neighborhood, I mean,
we're trying to allow for that. I mean how wide do you have to go in order to
have on -street parking and still for two vehicles be able to get past each other
safely?
Ralston: Well, it's a good question. It depends on what kind of street we're talking about.
If we ... to the first question, it's in our subdivision code, is what ... it's in our
subdivision regulation is why that ... they're typically 25, 28, or 31. Those are
typically our local street, collector street, and arterial street standards.
Mims: Okay!
Ralston: Uh, wider if it's an arterial street with bike lanes and that sort of thing. Um, so
that is the root reason why these streets are the width they are. Uh, when we have
streets that are 25 -feet wide, which ... are few and far between, uh, newer streets
anyway, they are fewer and far between. Uh, that is limited to one side.
Mims: Okay (both talking)
Ralston: ...25 -feet wide. If it's 28, 31, or higher, uh, parking is allowed on both sides ... if
it's not an arterial street.
Mims: Okay. Thank you.
Ralston: Uh huh.
Throgmorton: Thanks, Kent. Okay, discussion?
Thomas: Well I agree with you, Jim. My preference in terms ... well first of all I would say
that traffic calming is important for the reasons you were just.. just mentioning,
that walkability is ... uh, particularly in a residential neighborhood, is probably
most ... I would say, there's no more important issue with respect to walkability
than the speed of traffic on a residential street. And so ... uh, bad things happen
when cars are going over 20 to 25 miles per hour. If you .... if you are hit by a
vehicle pass ... you know, driving at 30 miles or over 30 miles an hour, the chances
of serious injury go up by many multiples, uh, the quality of life diminishes. So
it's a very important issue that we're ... we're facing. I ... I would prefer ... uh... that
we ... we try to calm traffic through other means. I'm not particularly fond of...of
speed humps because... that's all they're for (laughs) They don't really enhance the
aesthetic of the street, um, there're issues that come up with respect to the fact that
it is a speed hump and some people... object to that effect. Uh... it's preferable for
me if...if traffic lane widths, speed, presence of on -street parking, an active
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streetscape with people walking about the neighborhood slowed ... uh, slow the
traffic down naturally. That's what happens in the downtown. People observe the
speed limit in the downtown. I think it's one of the few parts of Iowa City where
you see that. I don't think most people don't even know what the speed limit is in
the downtown. They just ... you drive at 20, which is what it is. Um ... however, uh,
I ... my observation is in residential neighborhoods, despite the fact that it's a 28 -
foot wide street, which if parked ... cars were to park on both sides, it would have
a ... a strong calming effect. There isn't much street parking, so ... it's in effect a
(mumbled) lane which is quite wide. Uh, so in situations like this, I think our
options are limited, uh, so I ... I will be supporting the speed humps. I think in
other locations I would hope we could find other solutions to that ... that issue.
Throgmorton: Here's the thing that puzzles me — uh, it's my understanding that the speed bumps
on Langenberg would cost $14 to ... what thousand dollars?
Ralston: They (both talking)
Throgmorton: ... to 20?
Ralston: They're roughly $3,000 apiece, depending on how many you have and how many
projects you have, but yes.
Throgmorton: yeah, and our budget is $25,000 per year?
Ralston: Per year, correct.
Throgmorton: For speed ... for traffic calming.
Ralston: Correct, the entire program.
Throgmorton: And there're already two other traffic calming activities scheduled, right?
Ralston: Correct.
Throgmorton: So we would not be able to get to it this year.
Ralston: I had a discussion with the Finance Director, uh, earlier this week and there are
excess funds from previous years that he has kept intact. So there should be
ample amount of funding, for all the projects that are currently, um, programmed,
as well as Langenberg.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Fruin: (both talking) ....the unused funds from year to year (several talking)
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Throgmorton: Okay, and the only ... then the other thing I was going to say is, uh, given the kind
of limits, does it make sense to install the speed bumps when McCollister's going
to be built in 2019? So it ... it's a three-year bumping, so to speak.
Fruin: Well I guess I would say, um ... we hope McCollister stays on the capital schedule,
but if...if you look back just one prior budget, McCollister wasn't even in our five-
year plan and it is ... those streets do move out in those years, three to five, um, I do
think there's enough pressure in that area that McCollister's going to have to be
built, but ... we could certainly revisit it when it is, uh, I do think that will provide a
relief valve and we can ... we can always revisit and remove these.
Dickens: And the citizens of that area have asked for it, so I guess...
Throgmorton: Yeah, they have.
Dickens: that's... that's the biggest (mumbled) Yeah, there's a lot of kids. My brother-in-
law lived there many years ago and it was full of kids, so ... so I think it's important
that we do it, even if it's for two or three years, if that protects one ... one person
that's... very important (several talking)
Taylor: ...fan of speed humps but from the sounds of the data that we got with the speed
that folks are going on there, with the increased number of kids in that area,
uh ... (mumbled) to be done.
Throgmorton: Okay. Any further discussion? Roll call.
Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Botchway: So moved.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Uh... moved by Taylor, seconded by Dickens. Uh...
Botchway: Or me, but....
Throgmorton: Oh, who was it, was it you?
Botchway: Yeah.
Throgmorton: Okay, uh, all in favor say aye? All opposed. Motion carries.
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ITEM 9. TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES (LIBER) — ORDINANCE
AMENDING TITLE 5, ENTITLED "BUSINESS AND LICENSE
REGULATIONS," BY ADDING A NEW CHAPTER 3, ENTITLED
"TRANSPORTATION NETWORK COMPANIES". (SECOND
CONSIDERATION)
Mims: Move second consideration.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? It could be somebody
who wants to address this topic, if need be. Uh, I don't see anybody. Discussion?
Mims: I think (several talking)
Throgmorton: I'm sorry! Roger, go ahead!
Knight: (speaking away from mic)
Throgmorton: It would have been a shame if, uh, we zipped right on past you while you were
way back there so...
Knight: I think this is ... a perfect example of one of those things that you just shouldn't
touch for ... dollars. Um ... do we need to bring up the Uber shooter? No? We...
and I mean kind of extra background checks? Isn't that. I don't know why Uber's
fightin' this, other than ... you know, it helps their pockets. It doesn't help this city.
It helps them. Any kind of regulations that ... you know, helps to save a citizen,
and like we were just ... you guys were just talkin' about. Hey, if it helps save
people ... it's good. Well, this is one that ... don't touch it. Deny it! Turn it down.
Say no. Not that Uber isn't welcome here. But they should ... have as many
background checks as you can. Because ... if you've done anything out there with
people, people can drive ya nuts! And ... this is one that you guys should really
turn down. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Roger. Anyone else care to address this topic? Adam!
Sullivan: My name's Adam Sullivan. I live here in Iowa City. Um, I just wanted to ask
you briefly, um, to support this measure. Um, I recall it was a little more than a
year ago that this Council, um, passed (clears throat) taxi cab regulations that
effectively outlawed Uber. Um, and I remember that, uh, it made it difficult for
Uber to operate here, uh, after that Uber decided not to operate at the time. Um, if
you remember months before that and actually a year before that there were a
string of taxi cab assaults, um, and part of the reason at the time for passing those
regulations was to protect folks, um, so I thought it was unfortunate that it made,
um, Iowa City unattractive to Uber because the issue was actually with the
traditional taxi cab companies. They didn't even know who was driving their
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cabs. Um, Uber's not like that. Um ... every driver is accounted for. Um, there are
issues with Uber. Um, as you know, violence has happened, uh, in business
transactions like that, but it's much more common in traditional taxi cab
companies. Um, I think this would, uh, enhance community safety and I, uh, I do
hope you'll not only, uh, pass this tonight, but also come up with a way ... I know
you, uh, City staff has been in touch with taxi cab companies. Um, if there's a
way that the good taxi cab companies, uh, can have their regulatory burden, uh,
lightened in some way, um, I think that would be great. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Adam. (applause)
Mazgaj: Uh, hello, my name's Dustin Mazgaj. I'm a University of Iowa student and a
cab ... a cab driver for Yellow Cab. Um, with the chauffeurs license, um, Uber can
hire people at age 19 and at Yellow Cab we have to wait until age 25. Well, all
the taxi cabs. Um, the vehicle inspections, they should be on a level playing field,
as well, and the Iowa City Police background checks, taxis ... they look for more
stuff. There's more strict requirements and there's been a lot of problems with the
industry in Iowa, and everywhere, in having those more strict requirements really
helps to keep people safer. Um ... Uber may seem like a really great idea. It's less
money and really beneficial, but it's having (mumbled) The problems keep
coming up with it, whether it's in the United States, whether it's in Iowa, or
whether it's in other countries, and right now I don't think we really understand all
the future problems that are going to happen, and we need to have a way to deal
with all those problems, and I also think it's wrong that when Uber doesn't get its
way sometimes, it just pulls out of somewhere and then ends up getting its way,
and I don't think Uber should be dictating what laws and what things are in place.
We need to have educated people like lawyers ... to make those decisions. Uh,
thank you for your time tonight.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) Anyone else?
Laskowski: My name's Joe Laskowski and I'm a driver for Marco's here in Iowa City. I want
to be clear — my concerns go far beyond the unfair competition between Uber and
local service industries. I believe that's just a distraction and just the tip of the
iceberg. We should be talking about Uber's aspirations to become a monopoly.
Their weakening of labor standards, safety of drivers and vehicles, discrimination
problems, and privacy concerns. I'd like to remind you folks of some of the
comments you made at the last meeting. I think, Rockne, you said ... an app
doesn't reinvent an industry. You're absolutely right. Uh, couple of you said
you're for it, but with reservations. I completely understand that. I think you said
that we need to be more like Austin. Well Google Austin. There's seven sexual
assault cases involving TNCs right now. I believe, Susan, you accused those
questioning this of being anti -competition. That couldn't be further from the
truth. And, Pauline, you said it sounds like apples to apples to you. Kudos!
You're absolutely right! All this app does is provide convenience... by taking the
place of a simple phone call to a dispatcher. That's all it does. So we're willing to
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give up our Iowa City values just for convenience? Uber knows exactly what
they're doing. They benefit from these arguments, and the resulting patchwork of
laws and local regulations that our community and communities around the world
have tried to put in place in order to allow them to operate. We'll be setting a
dangerous precedent — condoning and enabling that type of business to operate in
our community. A type of business that time and time again finds itself in
courtrooms around the world. You may create hoops for Uber to jump through,
but Uber prefers legal loopholes. So why are they allowed to operate in
questionable legal territory? Right now in New York City they are refusing a
review of their records, citing trade secrets. Everybody says they're ... the drivers
are accounted for. Sure, there's a digital record of that, but they don't want to
show that to the people in New York City, citing trade secrets. They've been
ordered to pay refunds to customers due to bait and switch price gouging, or surge
pricing, cancellation and other fees. The U.S. Department of Justice has weighed
in on Uber's handling of passengers with disabilities, noting that they are not
allowed to contract out their Americans With Disability Act responsibilities. This
of course refers to Uber's claim that they cannot tell their independent contractors
how to do their job. While a court in California has ruled that their drivers are in
fact employees, not independent contractors. Uber gets to enjoy all the benefits of
the independent contractor relationship while placing all the risks on their drivers,
whom they force to behave like employees through the feedback system. Yet
they claim they're not a transportation company. We don't need to comply with
public accommodations. Can't play that game! Let's call them an app -based
employment agency. They still need to follow the law. And these are just a few
examples of how they do business. My concern here is with the Uberfication of
our local economy. Now think about what that means. Five words: they don't
follow the law! We have a clear choice. We can either hold them accountable to
federal, state, and local laws and have them follow basic rules, or we can en...
enable them, and others that follow, to take advantage of the system and play by a
different set of rules. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Joe. (applause)
Bradley: Hello, I'm Roger Bradley. I'm the Manager of Yellow Cab of Iowa City. Um...
about this issue, saf...safety is still the issue here. Um ... I do believe that having
the Iowa City Police do the background check on the drivers is simply the safest
way to go about this. Um, there is a conflict of interest in having the company do
them, and make the decision about whether the driver should be driving for them.
This is all the more important because under this TNC ordinance that's ... that is
under second consideration here tonight, um, the driver issue is important
because ... the rules on the vehicles, the only thing that gets transmitted to the
customer is the license plate ... in the code ... in the ordinance. Uh, make, model,
color are not transmitted to the customer. At least they don't have to be. It's just
the license plate. So therefore... you know, the importance of having a good driver
that's been adequately vetted, uh, becomes ... you know, even more important.
Um, I agree with ... with Joe — the Austin, uh, example. Uh, we put something in
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the late packet, uh, Austin is actually considering, urn ... putting more regulations
on its ... on Uber-type TNC companies, uh, because they ... they actually gone down
this path. I think we should learn from this. I think we should realize, you know,
let's not make a big mistake and, you know, have ... these problems come up and
then we're going to be right back here starting over again. Um, at the last meeting
it was very clear there's a chauffeur license issue. Um .... the City Attorney said
that her opinion it's State law, they have to have it, uh, whereas the Uber
representative admitted that in three markets in Iowa they do not require it. So I
think it's all the more important that this Council, um, put something into the code
saying you must have it for your drivers .... in this (mumbled) operate in this town
you should have it. Um ... we had a meeting last Thursday with taxi ... with City
staff and taxi cab companies and we went over, you know, what could help ... ease
the disparity. Uh, the truth is, urn ... there are some things we can do. It really
doesn't go far enough, but not only does it not go far enough, um, realize that...
some of the regulations that we have to follow have already begun for the next
calendar year. Our company has already started inspecting vehicles... because we
have to have our license application in by May 1St. Um ... so if Af Af you pass this
ordinance and Uber comes to town, we've already expended all this ... all these
resources on getting our cars inspected, licensed, decaled, um.. just the paperwork
that I have to fill out, that sort of thing. So it's already kind of too late to make it
equal. Urn ... and there's other things that just simply aren't going to be equal. Um,
you know, I agree with the issue of records. This ordinance ... uh, requires that, uh,
a court order, warrant, or some such device like that is required to get record
information out of a company, a TNC company, and even then they have seven
days to comply. Whereas we have to ... be available 24/7 with our record
information, if the police need something. Um, I think that ... you know, that
should be, you know, that ... that should be much more equal than what it is. Um,
Section 2 in the ordinance... this was talked upon ... I don't want to repeat myself,
you know ... it is ... any more than I have to, but ... Section 2 where it says that TNCs
are not for -hire vehicle services. Um, totally ridiculous. Um, they actually are
(laughs) you know, by definition I would think. Uh, we tried to find out what the
source of that is. Uh, the impression I got coming out of Thursday's meeting was
that that language got put in there basically... because Uber asked for it. Urn ... I
happen to agree with Saturday's Press -Citizen editorial. There was one line that
basically, and I'm just going to paraphrase it, that basically said the popularity of a
company doesn't mean that they can just set their own rules, and I think that that's
a good example, that Section 2 is just a good example of...of what's really going
on here. Urn ... you know, I .... I wouldn't be surprised if Uber actually wrote a lot
of this language themselves and said this is what we're going to follow and
basically proverbially sticking a gun in our heads saying, you know, if you want
us to be there you're just gonna have to say yes! Urn ... so ... I, you know, I ... I think
you need to change the ordinance before its final adoption. Um ... certainly ... make
the background checks stiffer, make 'ern just like they are now. There's a reason
we are at this place now, it's because these ... we've fixed these problems. I think
last year we actually got it right, and I just hate to see it all dismantled now.
Thank you.
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Throgmorton: Thank you, Roger. (applause)
HerrIn: Hi, um, my name is Christina HerrIn and I actually don't have anything prepared,
but I just felt compelled to speak. Um, I'm a senior at the University of Iowa. I've
been here for five years now, so this is my fifth year. Um ... and two things I really
heard that were, um, highly addressed were safety and I think quality were the
two things. Um ... and I just wanted to touch on safety really quickly. Um, I don't
know if a lot of you know, um, of how Uber works. I'm sure you do, I'm sure
pretty aware, but ... um, as a female and as a college student, I've used Uber in
Orlando, D.C., Chicago, Des Moines, I mean I've used it probably 50 times and
I've never felt more safe in my life using Uber. Um, it's really, really great. I
heard a lot about, um, the fact that you only show license plate number, but when
I call for an Uber ride, I get a picture of who's picking me up, I get their cell
phone number, um, I always ... I don't ... I always get ... like I normally know what
car it is, what color the car is, um .... and right, a license plate number. Um, one
thing I love is that on my cell phone I can screen shot that and send it to my best
friend, my roommate, my mom so anyone knows exactly who I'm riding with.
Um, and I think that's a really cool aspect of Uber, that you don't get with cab
companies, because you're just getting into a car with a random stranger. So,
that's something that Uber has for safety, that not .... a cab company has never
given me that feeling of safety. Um, so I don't know ... um ... there's a lot of females
I know on campus, not just females — obviously lots of people — have felt unsafe
riding in cab companies, but having that be the only service provide us to get
home safely I think is really unfortunate and you're doing a disservice to, um,
community members and college students especially. Um, we're obviously a...
30,000 of us here and, um, the nightlife is ... there's a lot of people that go out, and
I think having Uber as a safe way to get home for people and it's less expensive,
it's more accountable. Like I said, I know exactly who's picking me up and I can
share that information with everyone. Um, also with Uber I'm allowed to skip
past that driver if I don't feel safe .... like if I ... there's information on there I don't
know, but another really cool thing is it's going to create so many jobs for
students. So my neighbor could be picking me up or my friend, and the, um, Uber
drivers, it's also great because they create their own time. So if they are, you
know, in between classes, it's a great opportunity for people to make money and I
think that's a really cool thing. So ... um....yeah, that's on like the safety aspect, I
guess, but then also on a quality, Uber is not a cab company. Um, it's so
innovative and so new, and the technology is amazing, and I think we should
utilize that and not be fearful of it, and in regards to Uber making its own
regulation and laws, I don't know the coding specifically but I would prefer, um...
to allow ... to allow Uber, I guess, to, um, operate in Iowa City because I've never
felt more safe, I guess, personally. I don't know, I didn't have anything prepared,
but yeah, I've never felt more safe riding, and I ... like I said, you can probably
check my Uber account. I've had 50 rides with them and ... and in regards to the
surcharges, it's great because sure, if at 2:00 A.M. there's a ton of people taking a
cab, I can wait or I can go earlier. There's a lot more choices you have, and you
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don't have that with cabs. You're stuck driving with someone you don't who it is
and that's your only ride. So ... um, yeah, I just think you should definitely support
Uber and we have ... um ... thousands of students that are aware of the situation and
completely support Uber. We ... been getting signatures since January and we'd
love to present those to you, of students, not just in Iowa City but all across Iowa
that are in full support of Uber, um, in regards to driving and taking rides from it.
So, as a consumer ... I know you heard from managers and cab drivers, but as a
consumer, um, and someone who actually purchases in the market, that's ... it's the
best service I've ever had for a ride ... riding, and yeah, so ... I guess that's all.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause)
Jesse Roling: Uh, hello, my name is Jesse, born and raised in Iowa City, lived here my entire
life. Currently a student at the University of Iowa. The proposal before us is not
about deferring values. I believe the common ground we can all agree upon is the
citizens deserve safe, dependable, and affordable transportation services. Jennifer
Mullen, a spokeswoman for Uber, had this to say about our existing ordinance
that allows Uber to operate here and I quote: It's unfortunate and ironic
considering the City Council is intending to make transportation safer in the city.
Jennifer's words were callous at best, a tone deaf remark which mocked the City
Council who is only trying to honor its citizens' values and safety. If Uber
representatives believe then that they held the ethical high ground on safety, then
surely Uber would have not had ... would have no argument and complied with our
lowly prerequisites on safety. Hypocritically they did. It was naive, insensitive,
and contradictive for Uber to behave derisively upon the best intentions of our
elected officials, yet balking at achievable safety guidelines. The reason Uber's
not here now is because Uber is holding out, because it is in their beset interest to
do so. Not ours. In an attempt to seek the optimal conditions to operate within,
which by doing so allows Uber to stack the entire deck of cards against its
competition by skirting around local safety regulations. Uber is in the
transportation business because they are a transportation business. Without
drivers and vehicles, their applications on smartphones would be meaningless.
I'm not a taxi driver. I'm not affiliated with anyone at Yellow Cab. However,
Yellow Cab's submitted terms for TNCs are completely justified and reflect our
values for safety transportation services. Yet due to selfish rhetoric, motivated by
agendas based on money, several local or ... area ocl... several local area
organizations have put our community's safety values on the proverbial chopping
block. I support safety, which means I support Uber being here! But only if the
proposed TNC criteria mirrors our taxi safety regulations because it is clearly
apples to apples. We owe this diligence to our community and to the taxi
companies who have endured decades of costs and guidelines that have helped
make Iowa City a place we all love and call home. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you. (applause) Anyone else?
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Neades: Good evening, Rebecca Neades, Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce. I'll be
brief because I don't need to repeat what I said at the last meeting, but two points I
would bring to your attention are one, this is ... this is, um ... a service that's being
asked for. We hear it all the time in our organization, and when I went back to
my office last week and ... and the people in my office heard me speak they said,
'You didn't tell 'em that we get calls every day!' So now I'm telling you! Um, the
other piece is ... that we're a business organization and ... as such, um, I have a lot of
communication with business people every day who have to innovate and change,
and look at the way they do business, and they have to do it differently today than
they had to do it 10 years ago, and I really appreciate companies, um,
transportation network companies, Airbnb, other types of innovative companies
that ... that look at what people want and respond to those needs. So ... if there are
ways that, you know, you go back..if there ... if you go back and look at taxi cab
ordinances and find that there are ways that you can lessen those regulations for
them, um, and still feel like you've met the basic need of keeping our community
safe, that's great. But I think that should be separate from, um, what Uber and,
um, Lyft and other companies want to do, which is provide a nice... another option
for people who ... who need to take transportation, um, at a very competitive rate
and in a safe, um, application. So thank you!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Rebecca. (applause)
Neal: My name's Nicole Neal, Student Rep. You all know who I am!
Throgmorton: (both talking) ...look familiar! (laughter)
Neal: Um, I just want to speak on behalf of the students and say that we are in support
of this. I've heard so many students talk about Uber and ... um, it's the biggest
request I've had actually. Last year when this came up for City Council, Evan and
I were a little leery about it. We weren't really sure, um ... what the outcome would
be and we actually were not in support of it and I think I made a huge mistake not
supporting it and now, um ... I hope you consider it tonight, and really remember
the students in this decision.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Nicki! (applause) Going once! Going twice! There ya go! (laughs)
Luboroff: (mumbled) (laughter) Hi, Helene Luboroff again. 1514 Spruce Street, Iowa City.
Uh, just want to hit back on my same points. Safety, safety, safety! Uh, no
reason Uber can't come to town. No reason Uber can't follow the same rules we
do. No reason Uber drivers can't be checked by our police department. No
reason Uber drivers can't have vehicle inspections. As a matter of fact, all
vehicles for hire should be inspected, not just the ones older than 10 years.
Brakes don't last 10 years. Sway bars, tie rod ends don't last 10 years. You know,
that ... that gives me no assurance, and the age of a vehicle does not equal safety.
Chauffeur licenses, another reason that they are very important that I have not yet
heard discussed is the difference with CDLs and non-commercial chauffeur's
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licenses. Uh, the regulations for alcohol consumption in the State of Iowa and
please correct me if I'm mistaken in my understanding. The lea ... the legal limit
for blood alcohol for driving in Iowa is below .08, unless you have a commercial
license or a chauffeur's license, in which case it is .00 when you are on duty, .04
at all other times. So even off duty, we are at half the legal limit of your standard,
average citizen, which I think... technically, could mean that an Uber driver who
isn't running the app, doesn't currently have a person in the vehicle at the moment,
if they do not have a chauffeur's license, could be driving around at .07 legally.
Not sure, but it's something to think about. Again, I see no reason why their
drivers shouldn't have chauffeur's licenses, background checks, vehicle
inspections. Thank you very much. It's been a long evening!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Helene. (applause) All right, I don't see anybody else who wants to
speak. Council discussion?
Botchway: I can start first. Um, I appreciate everybody sharing their concerns. I even
appreciate the Austin example, um, in ... um, and I also appreciate the fact that, you
know, it was brought up about the taxi cab situations. Um, when we're talking
about safety, that's been a main concern, so ... um, I ... I do want to make sure that as
we're talking about this ... it has become somewhat personal as I've been asking
people. Um, not too long ago one of my friends said they got assaulted by a cab
driver; um, there's been multiple people that have come up to me and talked about
some of the lewd names and derogatory names that they've been called, um, by
cab drivers. I don't necessarily think that's across the board by any means. Um, I
actually have many people who ... or I know many people that drive cabs and I
have a great amount of respect for what they do. Um, but it is concerning that as
we're talking about Uber, um, in this particular way, um, I still haven't heard
anything about the constant complaints that I get from families. I know that we
talked about low income families, as well, um, that haven't been addressed at all,
and frankly it makes me a little upset because we just had this conversation not
too long ago about the lack of affordable housing and how people, you know,
need help in that way, and then we still haven't talked about how, you know,
affordable transportation is necessary and something that, um, I know that Uber
has provided in other communities, um, and I believe it would be consistent, um,
here as well. Um ... one of the other things I do think is awkward and I'll leave it at
that is, um, been kind of the conversation around, um, how we ... how everyone's
very supportive now about the taxi cab regulations. I do believe I was on Council
at the time, and I don't believe that the ... the tenor of the conversations were
supportive of all.... supportive at all about the taxi cab regulations. So, I do
understand that things change within a year, and so that's where I feel like, you
know, while I ... within a year, I made the same, um ... uh, arguments, um, against
Uber, um, for you know ... safety I don't think ... well, safety was one of the
concerns as well as the insurance, and as well as, um, some of the other thoughts
or feelings around, um ... where this was going and whether or not it was even a
viable company, or would it be a viable company, in years to come. Um, that
being said, I've been persuaded by a litany of individuals and um ... I ... I get a little
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worrisome that, um, frankly, um, the talk or the discussion about the consumer
has, um, has really not been addressed at all. Um, again, I've just.... literally been,
you know, bombarded by countless people, not only people, um, that are, you
know, of my age and I ... I do feel I'm getting a little older now, um, but also
(several talking and laughing) but also of younger folks as well, and then I will
say that there is, uh, I wouldn't say a silent majority because they've actually
spoken to me, but ... you know, students who have consistently had complaints
about, um ... um, transportation issues in relation to, um, cab companies that, again,
has not been addressed, and so ... uh... I don't know ... I'm not saying I'm not wrong
about some issues, um, that are brought up, um ... and I ... I, actually I'm saying I'm
wrong in the past because of the issues that I ... I failed to see, um, moving
forward, but ... and while I do understand some of the concerns that have been
addressed by many people here ... I still feel supportive of moving forward with
this taxi cab company. Again, I think as Tom before he left, you know,
ordinances are consistently tweaked on a regular basis and changed based on what
happens, and that's what I think we did, um, the past year when it came to taxi cab
regulations, and so ... I think now ... (mumbled) different situation where we can
look at those different things and, um ... again, I guess I'll be supportive again
moving forward.
Mims: I will too. There's... there's always, you know, adjustments as you say, Kingsley,
that we can make in the future. I don't think either model is perfect. Um, there's
issues on both sides, but I think the ... the demand that we're seeing from across the
country and more and more cities doing it, and the demand that we're seeing from
our ... from our constituents here in this community, um, strong support from the
University of Iowa student contingent, um, I think we'll be back tweaking this at
some point, but I'm definitely going to continue to support it through these three
readings.
Dickens: This is a (clears throat) kind of tough when ... you know, you go with your gut and
it says it's not really... it's... it's the safety issue that bothers me a little bit, without
the background checks and the fact that a chauffeur license in the State of Iowa is
needed. It's one of those where 95% of the people you talk to want Uber. You
know, it's a popularity... and that ... that's very tough for me to vote that way. I ... but
I ... I've talked to so many people that are for it. Over a year and a half ago or
almost two years, I don't remember, when we first started talking Uber, they
backed out. It wasn't us ... that forced them out. They wanted certain things that
this city wouldn't give 'em. They've come back. There's been some give and take.
I ... I still think we're giving a lot more than we're ... that we're taking. So, uh, just
say riders beware! Urn ... whether you get into a cab or an Uber. You gotta be...
you gotta be careful. Uh, I have three grown daughters. I worry about 'em every
day. So ... um ... I guess the ... the biggest thing is ... I don't like being dictated to by a
company that comes into our town and say'we're gonna do this or we're not
gonna come,' and that's... that's been my biggest issue with Uber. But I will be
supporting it because of the number of people that have come and talked to me,
but that bugs me.
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Cole: What bothers me is this question of the chauffeur license, um, we're a country of
the rule of law, um, not people and ... I've received an opinion, and I think Eleanor
will confirm, that it's your opinion that ... uh, service for profit is subject to the
chauffeur, am I right on that?
Dilkes: My reading of the definition of chauffeur in the Iowa code is that an Uber driver
would be required to have a chauffeur's license, yes.
Cole: And so we don't have the power to exempt Uber under State law, do we?
Dilkes: No!
Cole: I mean so what ... what's gonna happen? I don't know, is the officer ... if he could
come up and testify, um, or I guess make a statement (several talking and
laughing) police officer (several talking and laughing) If...if we have a
circumstance where you're confronted with a ... with a Uber driver who does not
have ... a ... a chauffeur's license and you know that they're offering the service for
profit, what's your obligation, how are you going to train your officers on that
precise question?
Police Captain Kelsay: It would be a discretionary ticket. I mean, certainly it could be something
that could be written. It would actually be a high discretion, meaning that the
officer, the patrol officer would have a lot of discretion to decide how he or she
was going to handle it. It would be against the law like ... like any other traffic
violation, uh, it's not a moving violation. It does go to public safety, as do all
laws, but... enforcement wouldn't be automatic. I would expect it as a captain ... I
would expect it to be addressed, and ... it can be addressed through enforcement. It
could be addressed through education, uh, for example if I stopped a driver that
was an Uber driver for whatever reason, had contact with them, and they didn't
have one, if I thought my conversation with them corrected the... corrected that,
then that they would stop driving from Uber ... for Uber until they got the
chauffeur's license, then that really does what I need it to do. It modifies the
behavior. If on the other hand they wanted to argue with me about it and ... that I
didn't know what I was talking about, well then perhaps a judge can convince
them that ... that they need to have it. So in that case, again, my goal as the police
should be to modify the behavior, not necessarily write as many tickets as I could,
but it certainly would be a ticketable offense, uh, and that's true with any other
traffic violation also.
Cole: (laughs) And I guess that answers my question. I mean, I'm probably about ready
to be one of the most unpopular people in the city of Iowa City, but it's very hard
for me to countenance a ... an ordinance where we're allowing a knowing violation
of the law. I mean, is that (laughs) that seems like what ... what's happening here
and ... I mean is that what's happening? We don't have the authority to exempt
Uber drivers under the chauffeur, do we?
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Dilkes: I don't think that's what ... what's happening at all.
Cole: Okay.
Dilkes: The State law requires the driver to have a chauffeur's license. It doesn't matter
whether our ordinance requires them to have a chauffeur's license or not.
Mims: We don't always duplicate State law in our ordinances (both talking)
Cole: ...situation where we're encouraging people to get a ... an Uber license, and then
they'd be able to be ticketed under Iowa law.
Dilkes: And I would also say that the... the... the difference is that we don't, the City does
not ... does not, like it does with taxi cabs, determine whether the driver is
qualified. We're relying on the TNC to do that. The TNC is required to assure
that the ... the driver has a driver's license. Under the State code, a chauffeur's
license is a driver's license. It is not a commercial driver's license. It is a ... class D
driver's license.
Cole: Okay.
Dilkes: So I do not think there's a conflict between the State code and the City code.
Cole: But they could still get a ticket, correct?
Dilkes: They could (both talking)
Kelsay: I'm sorry. And I don't want (mumbled) what I said you to take they wouldn't get a
ticket. What I'm saying is it would be officer discretion. I would expect that
sometimes they would and sometimes they wouldn't. Again, police's role should
be to modify the behavior and to correct it moving forward, not just how many
tickets can they get that day. Uh... I would expec... I just don't want to promise you
that every time there's contact there would be a ticket, cause that ... that's probably
not true. It'll be somewhere in the middle.
Andrew: Really quickly on that topic. Uh, this is something, an issue that the State
Legislature's aware of. Um, there have been proposals, uh, recently, um, to
remove the chauffeur's license requirement from taxis as well. Um, so it wouldn't
apply to either traditional taxis or, um, TNCs, and it was communicated to us
through our lobbyists that the State DOT would be, uh, amenable to that change
as well. I don't, um, know what the prospects of this passing are, but it is an issue
that statewide is being looked at.
Throgmorton: Any further discussion?
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Taylor: Just another question for the officer. How would, um ... the officer that has
stopped this driver be aware that ... that this was an Uber driver?
Kelsay: In discussions with staff, that was one of the issues that we struggled with, or that
I struggled with. Uber is not, at least the way it's proposed here, will not be
marked vehicles. Uh, they won't be being hailed. Uh, really unless there was
something obvious, three people piling into the back seat of a vehicle when the
front seat's open, I mean something that maybe an officer would stop and check
that out, but more likely it would be the result of an accident, uh, result of some
other moving violation, or a violation that resulted in a traffic stop, or complaint
driven. There was something either the driver was complaining about the person
they were... transporting or the fare was comparing about... complaining about the
driver. And if any of those situations during conversation ... very likely could
come up. 'Sir, where you comin' from? Well I just picked these people up and
I'm takin' 'em over here,' I mean, it could come to the officer's attention, but it
isn't ... it would have to come out like that or the officer would have to think to
delve for it. Uh, we aren't going to modify our procedures where now at every
traffic stop we're asking the driver if they happen to be driving for Uber. I mean,
that's not going to happen. So, it wouldn't be obvious. It would have to come out
in conversation or as part of the investigation.
Mims: Quick question on the chauffeur's license.
Kelsay: Yes!
Mims: What's really required to get it?
Kelsay: Uh, you have to be older and I think one of the ... one of the people touched on it. I
don't know what the age requirements are (several talking)
Dilkes: I'm not sure you do. I was just ... I was, I have not actually looked at the specific
requirements, but I pulled up the DOT regs as I was sitting here and I think it's 18.
Kelsay: Okay. There's a different test for it.
Dilkes: There's a different test. I think the issue about age is, and .... and again, I've
looked online. I haven't checked the rules. Um ... I think that is wrapped up in the
insurance requirements (both talking)
Mims: That's what I wondered.
Dilkes: (both talking) ...is the age requirement.
Mims: So it's really just a written, different written test that they have to take?
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Kelsay: I don't know about ... I know there's a different written test. I don't know if there's
a different driving test, but I believe it's just different written test, unless you're
gettin' a chauffeur's license that is for a specific class of vehicles, things like that,
but for passenger carry I don't believe it's a different driving test. It's just a
written test.
Throgmorton: I ... I ... (both talking)
Dilkes: I think you have to drive the vehicle that you want to be licensed for. There's
different types of class D license.
Mims: Sure.
Dilkes: One is the for -hire. Others are types of vehicles.
Mims: Right.
Throgmorton: I can see that Helene knows the answer to this question. Would you come up,
please?
Luboroff: Sure!
Throgmorton: Be very brief, please.
Luboroff It's simply a matter (both talking)
Throgmorton: Say your name again (both talking)
Luboroff: Oh, Helene Luboroff. Um, you simply have to drive with an examiner. Um, I
don't know what they do for the actual commercial driver's licenses, as you
pointed out, chauffeur's is ... this is a non-commercial license, but yeah. You do
have to drive with an examiner.
Mims: Thank you.
Luboroff: You're welcome. (several talking)
Cole: ...maybe you can answer the question (several talking)
Carroll: It's my understanding (both talking)
Throgmorton: Would you say your name, please?
Carroll: Uh, Clay Carroll, um ... uh, with Uber Technologies. Um, it's my understanding
that if you can pass the background check that we have, um, the only difference
that you have to do, the..the only things you have to actually satisfy to actually get
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the license are pay $8.00 per year and take an eye exam, and the eye exam's
actually the same eye exam that you would take to be ... to get your regular
operator's license. Now ... um ... and I say pass a background check. That's an
important distinction, um, to what the lady just said because, uh, depending on
moving violations, um, there is a potential requirement to take, um, an additional
driving test, but if you pass our background check, you'd be clean enough that you
wouldn't have to ... satisfy that requirement, so there'd be actually no driving test
required. If that's helpful.
Mims: Thank you.
Kelsay: One of the speakers did talk about it also, there are then different... the alcohol, for
example, is a good example. I mean there are different, and I think it would apply
to chauffeur's license, when you are in service, but need to double check that.
The per se limit is ... for a normal license is a .08 blood alcohol concentration, but
as you move into the various classes of license, and I need to double check on the
chauffeur's, but typically if you are working in ... and it might just be commercial
motor (both talking)
Dilkes: I think it might be just the commercial, but we'd have to check that (both talking)
Kelsay: But there are typically additional restrictions that go with it also.
Mims: Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thanks! Any further discussion?
Thomas: I'll just mention that, you know, when we considered this, uh.... the first
consideration, and I looked at other ordinances, I was seeing that, uh, it appeared
to me that other cities had negotiated ordinances with more regulations with
respect to public safety, um, more regulations with respect to how ... the ordinance
would require the TNC to provide, uh, surcharges for public benefits, a whole
range of things, and ... and you know, wasn't till we came to the meeting that I
began to understand that this was the final offer of Uber and, uh, it was a'take it
or leave it' offer. So, I don't know that those who support the TNCs understand
that, that there are other cities with strong ... what I would consider to be stronger
ordinances, with respect to how TNCs are allowed to operate. But Iowa City was
not able to negotiate... those, that language into the ordinance. Uh, so we as a
Council are left ... I ... I would almost want to say to you, those who support it,
you're looking at us and I would ask you to ask Uber to improve the language,
you know, look into ... uh, advancing issues of public safety and ... and others. Uh,
but ... but that's not where we are at this time. Um ... there is clearly the demand for
the service. Uh, it's a very fluid, regulatory environment and I do expect that it
will change, uh, but for now this is what ... we could negotiate, uh, with respect to
the ordinance.
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Taylor: I ... I also have heard plenty of support of Uber and, you know, why can't we have
Uber here, but I kind of have the same, uh, concerns John does. I mean, even as
close as Des Moines has a lot stricter, uh, regulations on it, for Uber, including
requiring the chauffeur's license, which of course as we've discussed.... we've
drawn that out I think a little too long, uh, and Susan said we can always revisit
this ordinance, but ... we're already revisiting it from ... I wasn't on the Council
previously and didn't even realize it had been visited before. So here ... here you
folks are again looking at it again, per demand of Uber. Uh, because uh... Uber
seems to think they can make their own rules and I ... I do have issues with that.
Uh, so this is a difficult decision and usually, uh, when I'm in doubt I would
say ... say no, uh, but because of the demand, um, I'm kind of feeling pressured
to ... to .... say, uh, yes, but I ... I, it's with reservations, uh, because I don't
think ... new restaurants come into town and we don't let them, uh, change the
health regulations, you know, but here we are letting Uber make its own
regulations and I just don't think that's right.
Throginorton: Any further discussion? Roll call. Motion carries 5-2, with Thomas
and ... (mumbled) (applause) Taylor and Cole in the negative.
Karr: Motion to accept correspondence.
Botchway: So moved.
Dickens: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved and ... by Botchway, seconded by Dickens. Uh, all in favor say aye. All
opposed. Motion carries.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.
Page 58
ITEM 12. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION
Throgmorton: Rockne!
Cole: (mumbled)
Dickens: We're right in the middle of Mission Creek. So, uh, if you have tickets, great. If
you don't, you may be out of luck for some of the shows, but, uh, we have a full
week going on, ending up Sunday night. So ... if you get a chance to go to ... there's
a lot of free things going on. There's a lot of food. There's, uh, literature, great
music, uh... and ... (mumbled) (several talking) I've heard that ... at, uh, The Pines on
Friday night when we went to that concert that, uh, Andre had just become a
father. So hopefully that's true and I'm not just hearing rumors, so (laughter and
several talking)
Botchway: Nothing after Terry! (laughter)
Mims: Nothing.
Thomas: April 13`t', uh, Wednesday, uh, Jay Walljasper will be doing two talks actually,
um, one at 3:30 at Old Capitol Museum on ... the notion of the Commons, All We
Share, and then at 5:30 he will be at the Senior Center speaking about the 25
Ways to Create Strong Community, so he's a former... University of Iowa student.
Throgmorton: Writers Workshop too (both talking)
Thomas: Writers Workshop (several talking) (unable to hear person speaking from
audience) Um ... two, oh, at the Senior Center, 25 Ways to Create Strong
Community.
Taylor: Uh, Thursday, April 280' at 12:30 on the ped mall, uh, there'll be a ... a Workers'
Memorial Day event, uh, co-sponsored by the Iowa City Federation of Labor, the
University of Iowa Labor Center, and the Center for Worker Justice. It's an
annual event where they, uh, honor those workers who have died on the job and
it's always very, uh, sombering to hear the number. One is too many, but it can
vary from 15 to 30. But it's a great event and it's ... all public are welcome.
Throgmorton: All right, I'll mention two things. Johnson County Livable for All event will take
place on Saturday, April 16th from 11:00 A.M. to 2:00 P.M. in the County Health
and Human Services Building on south Dubuque Street, and the other is ... not to
be outdone by Terry, who likes to go to the Englert and listen to good music ... I
had great fun attending the Lone Bellow and their performance at the Englert on
March 29a'. They were terrific, even though my wife and daughter don't agree.
(laughter) They're just wrong about this. (laughter) So bravo to the Lone Bellow
and to Andre and Katy and everybody at the Englert.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of April 5, 2016.