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Home My WebLink About2016-06-06 TranscriptionPage 1 ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS AND SPECIAL RESOLUTION ITEM 2a IC Compassion Day — June 8 Throgmorton: So, welcome to all of you, uh, to your City Hall. It's great to see all of you. It's been a gorgeous day. I hope things are going pretty well in general for everybody here, and uh, it's a real pleasure to see all of you present in the room. Uh, we have a couple proclamations that I'm going to read and then, uh, we'll move on to other items of business. So Item #2, Proclamations and Special, uh, Resolution. First proclamation (reads proclamation) Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is IC Compassion Executive Director Teresa Stecker. (applause) Throgmorton: (mumbled) Great to see you! (both talking) You want to have a photo taken? Stecker: Yeah! Throgmorton: Yeah, so are you going to look that way (mumbled) Okay! (several talking) Fabulous! Are you going to say something to us or...you don't have to! It's up to you! (laughter) Stecker: (laughing) Well it is my honor to be here and I'm very grateful. In fact I think I have some volunteers in the mix here of tonight, and so we're grateful to serve the community, but mostly I'm .... I'm grateful for those who have, um, made this possible, for us to be here 10 years. Our volunteers, our donors, um, people who have supported us and so we hope for another 10 years of...of impacting the east side of Iowa City. Thank you! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 2 ITEM 2. PROCLAMATIONS AND SPECIAL RESOLUTION ITEM 2b Inspire Iowa Day — June 15 ITEM 2b(1) TEMPORARY RENAMING OF CLINTON STREET - RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING THE TEMPORARY CEREMONIAL RENAMING OF CLINTON STREET IN CONJUNCTION WITH THE UNIVERSITY OF IOWA'S CELEBRATION OF FLOOD RECOVERY EFFORTS Throgmorton: I'm going to read the second proclamation and then we're going to move directly into Item 2b(1), which I will read about in just a second. So ... pardon me while I change glasses. Make it easier on myself! (reads proclamation) (applause) Okay, so I'll turn to the, uh, the item and we'll have a motion to approve and things like that, and then ask Rod Lelmertz to come up and speak. So Item 2b(1), temporary renaming of Clinton Street. It's a resolution authorizing the temporary ceremonial renaming of Clinton Street in conjunction with the University of Iowa's celebration of flood recovery efforts. Mims: Move the resolution. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Kingsley. Dis ... discussion? It's a good thing to do! Roll call. Rod, could you come up, please? Karr: Here to accept the proclamation is Rod Lehnertz, University's Senior Vice President for Finance and Operations. (applause) Lehnertz: Mayor Throgmorton and the, uh, Iowa City City Council, uh, thank you, and ... and thank you to all who have served in your roles, uh, over the last eight years, and to leadership of. ... of Iowa City in, uh, being a partner, before certainly 2008, but especially, uh, that summer when we became a community that had no borders, uh, the University, the communities that host. The University came together to try to protect against those tragic floods. In the eight years that have occurred since, and all of the work by hundreds, as you say hundreds and thousands, to, uh, persevere through what was at the time the fifth largest natural disaster in U.S. history, and this is a summer for us to celebrate the recovery of our campus, yes, but I think as a community, because Iowa City means so much and is so much a part of the University in our experience, as you mentioned, a summer of, uh, inspiration and uh, the efforts by the University to enable moments of inspiration in our ... in our buildings, on our campus, and in the community with our students, faculty, and staff. Uh, we also invite, uh, the citizens of Iowa City, the community, the University community as well to celebrate with us on this eighth anniversary on June 15a', uh, as we will open up the Pentacrest for a celebratory anniversary event, uh, recognizing the recovery from the 2008 flood. That will be This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 3 10:30 to 2:00 on the Pentacrest. We will have refreshments, music, speakers, urn ... uh, some door prizes that include tickets to things, uh, as special as Hancher and Kinnick Stadium. So, we invite all to join us as we celebrate this, uh, milestone in our community and then our University as we recover from the 2008 flood. Thank you so much! (applause) Throgmorton: Okay! Thank you, Rod. So we can return ... we can tum to Item #3, Consider Adoption of the Consent Calendar as Presented or Amended. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 4 ITEM 4. COMMUNITY COMMENT (ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA) [UNTIL 8 PM] Throgmorton: This concerns items that are not on the formal meeting agenda, and this will go, uh, at the most till 8:00 P.M. Uh, I would like to ask you to keep your comments to five minutes or less because it could well be that there are a large number of people who want to speak. So, please, anybody who wants to address us on any item that's not on the formal meeting agenda. Walters: I'm Jim Walters. I live at 1033 E. Washington Street. Uh, every community has dirty little secrets and our community is no exception. Urn ... in ... in .... a lot of people consider Iowa City a very liberal community. Um, it's not always been thus. Um, in the run up to the Civil War, uh, Iowa City was indeed considered among Iowa City communities, uh, a hot bed of pro -slavery sentiment. Uh, on one visit to Iowa City, John Brown, uh, was forced to flee in the night from a pro - slavery lynch mob, uh, under .... that was organized under the aegis of local law enforcement. Uh, he fled to the relatively safety of Cedar County, our next door neighbor, where he was welcomed by, uh, a stronger, uh, community that believed in abolition and, uh, the preservation of the Union. Um ... throughout my lifetime, a ... another dirty little secret of our community is the disregard and disdain, uh, our larger community holds for lower income people. Uh... my father, my late father, served two terms on the Johnson County Planning and Zoning Commission. And I remember him telling me once, and this was a man who built one of the houses we lived in and remodeled to others, I remember him telling me ... that the purpose of zoning was mostly to keep poor people from building their own houses. Um... and in my lifetime, I have watched as area after area of housing that was available to low-income individuals has been rezoned, redeveloped, and ... these people have been forced, uh, to seek other remedies and other housing. Uh, we ... we talk ... we talk for ever and ever in my entire lifetime about affordable housing in this community, and we've done absolutely nothing except to continually destroy it. Uh, I'm not going to go into the details of what's going on at Rose Oaks or Pheasant Ridge or Forest View. I think you're going to hear plenty of that from people who will follow me. (mumbled) in the last election, the Council changed because ... it was a Council that had a complete and total disregard for my neighborhood, which is immediately adjacent to this building. People on the Council had no concern or consideration for the opinions of the people in my neighborhood. In fact, they refused to acknowledge that we had concerns. And as a result, some of those people were voted off the Council, and I hope the remainder of those people will be voted off in the next election. I would ask that in regard to what's taking place at Forest View ... which you read about in the paper in a totally, totally spurious report, and you'll find out more about that tonight as well. I hope that the current Council can summon the courage to come up with four, or more, preferably all seven of you can come up with the courage to say that what's going on at Forest View is unacceptable. To paraphrase the late Nancy Reagan, all you have to do is just say no! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 5 Marcela Hurtado:(speaking through a translator) My name is Marcella Hurtado and I have lived at Forest View for 12 years. We've been hearing comments about the possible redevelopment of Forest View for a long time. For the same reason, we've been trying to organize for a long time so that residents would have a voice in the decisions. So for example last year, we all joined together and met with Ed Cole and said you know what, we want to have a voice in ... in the decisions that you're making about Forest View. So he said at that time, you know what, I've had a lot of offers but I don't have any, um, plans to sell and I'll give you at least a year advance notice before I do. But the truth is that a lot of residents at Forest View found out, um, through the newspaper about the sale. And I received a ... a dislocation notice, um, that I have to leave within 60 days last week. In the note it doesn't give any reasons for my eviction. I'm a person who always pays the rent on time, who always, um, follows the rules. What they're really doing is intimidating people. In fact last year when I was handing out leaflets, um, to involve residents in the ... in the meetings earlier, um, at 10:00 at night the Cole's came to my house to knock on my door to tell me that what I was doing was really bad. So what we're asking for is that, um, the City send a strong message to the Coles that they stop intimidating people, um (speaking Spanish to resident) and that they stop, um .... (speaking Spanish to resident) that they stop threatening that they're gonna call the police on people, which they did last week. We're more than 150 trailers there and we want to have a seat at the table, a seat together with the owners and the City and the residents. The plan that ... the early plan that I've seen that showed up in the newspaper, um, looks so beautiful. But there are lots of things that are in the shadows. For example, I'm not in the plan. So if they're evicting me who knows my rights and I'm a community leader, what happens to other people who aren't as confident and don't know their rights, who are just being, um, you know kicked out sort of quietly in the shadows. So we want a seat at the table, um, and all the decisions about Forest View. We want complete transparency, um, about all the discussions that are happening with the City and ... in regard to Forest View. And obviously that the harassment stops. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Marcella. (applause) Ballinger: Good evening. Throgmorton: Good evening! Ballinger: We're residents of Rose Oaks. March of this year... Throgmorton: Pardon me, could you say your name please (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 6 Ballinger: Madonna. Madonna Ballinger. I'm sorry, sir! This is Angela Kelly and Clifton Kelly. March of this year I moved into Rose Oaks. I signed a lease for a year. Two weeks later we got notices saying it's been sold. I immediately called the office and I said why would you continue to rent apartments when you know the building has been sold. Oh, we knew nothing of it! Honey, $12 million deals do not go down over coffee. They don't! Somebody knew something. We are what you call poverty families. I work every day. I hold down two jobs. I'm 52 years old. I want to be apart of this community. I've been here 16 years. When I first moved here, Iowa City was so full of compassion for poverty-stricken people. There was so much help available. There was so much understanding. Now we've been asked to leave, we've been evicted, regardless to the terms. But, where do we go from here? She was given till this evening to leave. I'm given till Friday. What do we do? Where do we go? Who's to help us? Where do we get the money to lodge ourselves? We both found apartments; until August 1St they won't be ready. So now we're displaced for two months. What do we do now? Who helps these people? As this gentleman pointed out, it's going to take somebody larger than us. Somebody that has the say to say, hey, these families need help. Stop! What's going on? I mean ... we don't know what to do! I ... I really don't! I ... I'm not against re ... redeveloping. If that's what people want to do, fine! But ... the least they could have done was given us ... until our time was up to move into our apartments. I work in that same community. I've been with the same company two years. I clean for a living. I'm a supervisor for Midwest Janitorial. I've been supervising cleaning crews at Oral-B for two years. I walk to work every day. Now I may possibly have to go somewhere where ... I don't have a vehicle! What am I gonna do? How am I gonna get to work? And the people that bought this place, I know I'm not gonna say they're bad. I'm not gonna say it's wrong to buy a place and redevelop it. You have to think of the families that are there though. You know? Like Thursday we got a notice that Thursday there won't be any water for half a day. How we supposed to do that? They're not handing out cases of water. People have children, people have animals. What do we do now? Who's going to help us now? Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Madonna. (applause) Kelly: Hey, my name's Clifton Kelly and I live in Rose Oaks and I went down there trying to pay my rent. Uh, they wouldn't take the money. Like three days later we got a letter sayin' they was goin' to court. We went to court, tryin' to give them money in full. They wouldn't accept it, so we got .... we got to get out today and we don't have nowhere to go. We have five kids. We have nowhere to go. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Clifton. (applause) Margarita Baltazar:(speaking through a translator) Good afternoon.... good evening, my name is Margarita Baltazar and I've been living in Forest View for, um, eight or nine years. I have a daughter. Um, my daughter is going to turn five years old. I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 7 come here before you to, um, to lay out, uh, the issue I see. Um, as my, uh, as my friend Marcella said, a year ago we had a meeting with the owner and we trusted him. So we believed him that we would get one -year's notice before there was a sale at Rose Oaks ... at Forest View, and uh, and now we find out that the sale is done! Many of, uh, my neighbors found out through the newspaper. Others found out from us because we were handing out, um, leaflets at, uh, at Forest View. After we handed out papers about the sale, the owners went trailer by trailer telling people that that was all a lie. I had to take two evenings to make sure that I covered, um, all the trailers in the area that I had agreed to, um, to leaflet with ... with the information. Together with my friend Patricia. So on Friday I was finishing up handing out flyers and the owner, the owner's daughter came to me and said what is it that you're handing out and why are you handing things out? So I told her it's because there were so many questions in existence. She said I need to see that paper, and so I handed her the paper. So she said these things are lies and you're in trouble. She said I'm going to call the police on you. So I said if you're going to call the police I'll wait for you in my trailer, #63 I said. I returned to my house and I was there with, uh, with my friend Patricia and my daughter when ... when the owner's father came with an interpreter and I recorded what was said. I think it's all documented. What I come to ask is that, um, we send the owners a message that they need to stop the intimidation and harassment because we're people and we deserve respect. Um, we want trans... transparency. We want them to tell the truth. Um .... it's sold, but what's going to happen to us? What's going to happen to the people with children? What's going to happen to the senior citizens there? So, um, and we want the Council and the City to, um, I'm sorry ... we want the City to publicize what's happening so that we know, and so we're not just taken by surprise one night, like the people at Lakeside, um, you know, cause then what happens to all the children? What happens to families? And if they make a decision, if they decide to make it commercial, that we know well in advance our trailers can't move. Um, and, um ... (speaking Spanish to resident) and we don't have money to invest in a .... in a brand new trailer or in a ... or in another trailer. They need to speak with fall transparency because some things are being said to some people and other things are being said to other people, and you know, why behave this way? Why not just be clear with everyone? We know that they want to construct some houses, some apartments, and ... but we're not going to be able to afford houses and apartments because those are going to be more expensive. When you give permissions for, uh, companies to build, to redevelop, think about the people who are living there who, um, don't have the means, who are living little by little, who live every day with ... with very little. Throgmorton: Excuse me, if I could interrupt for just a second. I know translation is taking place and that requires extra time (translator speaking Spanish to resident) Baltazar: Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you! (applause) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 8 Flores: Thanks to everyone for this five minutes. Throgmorton: Pardon me, could you say your name, please? Flores: Oh yes! I'm sorry! My name is Roberto Flores. Throgmorton: Thank you. Flores: Okay, I moved to Iowa City when I lost my house in Columbus Junction, Iowa, when the economy went down. Okay? And here in Iowa City, uh, was beautiful at that time, but now everything is about money. Money and money! It's okay, uh (mumbled) development, but what about the people? Nobody see what is concerning about the people. It's everything about money, power, and money. And they don't care about nothing else. All I want to ask you is to think what is fair, justice, and clear. Cause since I moved to Iowa City, I didn't ... I hear a lot of rumors about selling, a new development, oh, they gonna build a .... hotel. Okay! Gas station. Okay! A restaurant open 24 hours, times 365 days. That's a lot of money coming into Iowa City. And if it (mumbled) is number one (mumbled) residential and they gonna change it to, uh, commercial? You guys got the power to say yes and no, and there's a lot of money involved here, but we are (mumbled) push out. They say they gonna move only 140....110 trailers, we're 140. 150. Uh... it's going to be free. I don't think so! One way or the other, they're gonna try to come out with some money. In which way.... since I move to Iowa City, every year $10. Next year, $10. Next year, $10, except this year we didn't get any raise on the rent. Why? I don't know. Maybe they try to be nice. But, yeah! But the point is, everything is money, money, money. On the other hand, what about raising the minimum wage? Always ... all the companies complain. I don't know, but the point is, we always are the one left over, and it's not about money. Let's put it this way, it's going to be hard this question to you guys put it in my shoes, what you going to do? I'm sorry, um, we're not here to discuss this. We are here to hear you. Well, one of my proposal is, I mean, I cannot make any money! Why? Because I pay taxes. I pay child support, and what is left, less than $200 a week! Now that I'm not working and I went to apply for my benefits, it's going to kick in in two weeks, plus taxes minus, uh, child support, it's going to be less than $110 a week. What I'm gonna do? I'm a very responsible tenant and anything, but now I'm (mumbled) happen with me! I lost my house in Columbus Junction after 14 years. Now I'm going to lose my trailer, and if we're going to be relocated, is going to be on my shoulder and extra money, extra payment, I cannot afford anything else. I can hardly make it to pay my ... my car payment and my insurance, and you guys got the solution? I spoke with two guys, hey, how come the City ... I said, how come the City (claps) yeah, we gonna change from residential to commercial and we gonna relocate all these people and ... a new project, new houses, low income pay, cause I pay $310 and it's hard for me to make it every month. It's really hard. And not only me, there's a lot of people behind me with the same situation, and it's hard to you guys that don't This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 9 understand money talks, but what about to be fair, to be justice? Oh we believe in God! God trust. America. Love America. What about you guys? If the new company is going to buy, which is already ... in the hands of the new owners? What about you guys say, you know what, yeah we gonna change cause you gonna make money from that transaction. I mean, I'm sorry, transaction from residential to commercial, but what about us? If somebody's going to pay for all the movement, relocation and everything, should be the new owner. Something happened, remember, 20 years ago, but remember 20 years ago there wasn't too much Hispanic people or black people in Iowa City. I moved from Alaska, Anchorage, to Iowa City. I was in the two floods and to the little, uh, tornado touch.... Muscatine. I'm happy here in Iowa City. I'm happy in Iowa. But... enough is enough with the white people who want to make money and leftover whatever pennies to the other people is not fair. Thank you very much for (applause) Throgmorton: Thank you, Roberto. Hurtado: Hi, my name is Joshua Hurtado. Probably a lot of you guys have seen me on the news or probably on the newspaper. Well I just came here to tell you guys that it's unfair that you guys are kickin' out my family and probably.... well, I mean the Cole's are, and kickin' out .... what? Our family, and I think it's unfair because I've been livin' there for 12 years and that's the only place I can actually call home. Like special events have happened there, like when I was jumpin' on my bed and hit my head, uh, like ... or when my sister was born and brother were born, and that .... that trailer has a lot of memories and I don't think it's fair that a lot of people are, um, getting kicked out. I think you guys should talk to the Cole's and say, think about families first and then think about your money, and the rest that you guys care about, and ... I just came here to say it's unfair. And, my mom and my dad are right here, and they're supporting me in everything that I do, and I really care about them and I don't want anything to happen, cause so far (mumbled) about us (mumbled) and everything, and (mumbled) and they support and they care about us but some found out that they (mumbled) now they have to (mumbled) the money and what's going to happen in the next two months, etc., stuff... stuff, and also there's a park in my trailer court. It looks beautiful and all that, but I really can't go outside, and all the friends of mine that play soccer and it's a free space. They're supposed to play soccer, but one of the, uh, Ed Cole's brother's harassing `em and like screaming at `em saying you guys can't play here. Well, it's ... that's the place where they should play. It's the only place they can play and that's all. Throgmorton: Thank you, Josh! (applause) I know that Josh is a great student at...at Horace Mann Elementary because his friend Isabell told me that. Rodriguez: Um ... my name is, urn ... Yoni Rodriguez and I am also .... also a father (mumbled) and we are the family evicted from, uh.... Forest View and I feel like, uh, the brother from Cole is harassing me. He's tried to kicking out to get something like This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 10 something like (mumbled) with me and I tried to speak with him and his mom and his, uh, father stayed there that day we ... we had the issue there, and I say I feel like you are a (mumbled) and this is .... told me you are (mumbled), you want to kick out from here like... urn... this is .... this is all I can say right now, but I'm ... uh... looking at a place right now to live and we find it, but ... I also leave my job because we need to care my family right now ... right now, and I also father three kids right now, and we don't have the job right now. And this all I can say. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Johnny. (applause) Daly: My name's, uh, Dan Daly. Um, thank the Council for this opportunity to speak to you. Um ... like the first speaker on this topic, I've got a sort of long view of housing situation in our greater Iowa City area, the Johnson County area. Um, the demand is ... is very high for a number of reasons. Um, over the years, over the decades, we've seen one community of low income housing after another come under the bulldozers. I'm thinking back to times of urban renewal and quonset huts. Uh, there's not a lot of care for where are these people going to go. That needs to be the first thing considered before these... development projects go very far underway. I think we need to ... to back off and say, okay, well what are the effects on the people, the citizens of our community, living there now. The people who have a .... a right as much as anyone to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. And I hope that we will take the broader view, get a better spective and ... uh, bring to some sort of culmination all this talk about our desire to have affordable housing. Let's do something! Pick up these people! (applause) Gonzalez: (speaking through a translator) My name is Patricia Gonzalez. As ... as my friend Margarita said, we were out, um, handing out flyers when we, um, finished handing them out ... we, um, we finished handing them out and when we came back, we returned ... and we ran across the owner's daughter who told us he was going to call the police... she was going to call the police on us. I guess to scare us or ... I don't know what she's thinking. For one second I was scared, and then I thought, wait a minute! I'm not doing anything bad! So they're speaking with one way and another way to the people, in other words they're trying to scare them. Um, they're.... they're controlling the people in their own way. I've lived there for five .... for more than five years and I haven't had problems. I don't .... I don't have any troubles with people and I like living there. (applause) Throgmorton: Thank you, Patricia. Gonzalez: (speaking through a translator) Good afternoon, my name is Fidelina Gonzalez. I've been living in the trailers at Forest View for eight years. This makes me very nervous because I receive information from my friends about the sale, and then other information from the managers, and .... and it's different information. So we need respect and to be told the truth. Um, the owners say that we haven't sold the trailer park, and then we hear others say the sale has already happened, and people This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 11 need to be clear with us. We don't have a lot of money to find other places, and so if we're like Marcella and are suddenly given 60 days notice, um, we ... we don't ... we can't afford to move. That's all and thank you for giving us this time. (applause) Throgmorton: Thank you! Would anyone else care to speak? Matthew! Come on up! Pierce: Hi, I'm Matthew Pierce. Um, I think I'm probably well known to everybody on the Council. Um, I live at Finkbine Lane over on the west side. Um, I've also had my own problem with new ownership at my apartment complex. We were able to resolve it, um, in a mostly satisfactory manner. Um, I mean this is .... like I mean, from what I heard outside, they .... only certain people received eviction notices? I mean, is that not targeting? Is that something that is illegal? I ... I, as a paralegal student and as a hopeful law, uh, graduate in the future, I think that is definitely infringing on their rights. Um ... that ... it's .... it's obscene, uh, to target people, to target leaders that are known, uh, in the community. I mean these are powerful people. Like we have done great things with these people, these leaders, and ... to ... like try to sweep them under the rug and get them out, um, I mean, Forest... Forest View, I don't even know how long it's been there. It's probably been there for like, what, 50 years or something. It's, I mean, these trailers don't move anymore. They've like broken down to the point that they don't move. I mean, we know that mobile homes are not mobile. They move from the factory to where they sit and they've been there forever. They will not move. So, I don't understand how you can propose to move when they will collapse upon moving. Um ... it's ... it's unconscionable, I mean ... I mean like, you know, the Rose Oaks, the property owner's called College Properties 2. It's very clear that they want college student to come in, give them their money, and leave. I mean, that's... that's the goal! And ... and I just, it's un ... it's unconscionable. We have a community here. And, um, trailer parks as .... you know, they ... they are a really, really great close knit community. Um ... and .... and I feel that they ... you just can't evict these people. They have to live somewhere. And ... and, I know, I have faced this myselfl Um ... it's just .... it's just unconscionable. Again, I can't get over how audacious these people are in pushing out people who they think have less power than them. So ... (applause) Thank you! Eastham: My name's Charlie Eastham. I'm on the Board of the Center for Worker Justice. I'll talk very briefly about the stories you've heard about Rose Oaks and Forest View. Rose Oaks, uh, folks who've talked tonight... people from Rose Oaks who talked tonight have an immediate housing issue, which actually is resolvable quite easily, uh, in that they could stay where they are right now until they are able to move into the place that they have already, uh, arranged to move to. There's some financing that some people will need and the City can provide funds to help that. City does not have to be, uh, a factor or a co -enabler to the Rose Oaks' ownership in putting people out on the street. You don't have to do that. In terms of Forest View, you also don't have to allow the current owners to continue to intimidate people and retaliate and make it very difficult for them to participate in This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 12 rezone or not to rezone. Rezoning is a privilege, not a right. Everyone knows that. So you can use your rezoning authority, uh, to .... you can withhold your rezoning authority for the current owners and tell them that they simply have to stop retaliating and evicting people (mumbled) if they're going to proceed any further with their development plans. So you have plenty .... you have plenty of power available to you. Question is, do you have plenty of courage to use it. (applause) Hochstetler: I'll be real brief. My name is John Hochstetler. I live in rural Iowa City. I'm in favor of...of making sure that the, uh, the people that are ... that have been living at these two places have a place to live and um, and not put out in the streets and um, and by the immoral means that have been (mumbled) as far as how they've sold the ... sold the land, etc., um, like to leave you with one scripture, the love of money is the root of all sorts of evil. (applause) Throgmorton: (mumbled) Who else would like to speak? On this or any other topic ... that's not on the formal meeting agenda. Uh, no ma'am, not if, uh.... uh, if other people want to speak, they need to speak (several talking in background) Greg Hearns: Good evening, my name is Greg Hearna. I live at 2016 Weston Road in Iowa City here. (mumbled) one of the many national broadcasts, political broadcasts. I listen to Donald Trump and ... you know, I think to myself, you know, how absurd some of the things that he say, and people... don't generally think that way. Well, the way I feel now is the only difference between Donald Trump and what's happening here in Iowa City is that Donald Trump is not afraid to say what he thinks. When people sit back and allow things like this to happen ... I really don't understand... where their conscious is. I really don't understand... how they cannot be outraged by this. We always talk about redevelopment and building more hotels, more restaurants, things of that nature, but who gonna work in these places? I don't think anybody up here, sitting up front, is going to be working in these places. The people gonna be working in these places are the people that are being displaced. Since 2009, the great recession, we've seen people become... living in poverty at the rate of 150 million people. To a lot of people those are just statistics. To me, those are lives. Those are people that ... at some point... aren't going to be able to make it anymore. We don't have a middle class anymore. We have the rich and then there's the rest of us. A lot of you up here ran for office. Some of these same people out here knock doors, spoke to their families, their friends about helping get you elected. People who had never voted before, people who have never been registered to vote before. I want to know what do you tell those people. How do you explain to them that you helped me but now I'm not going to be here for you? I just want to know ... you know, when is this going to end? You know, with the influx of more lower income people and more people of color into Iowa City, I've seen Iowa City change quite a bit. (mumbled) tried to discourage people from moving here, you know, by harassment, disproportionate incarceration, and now the ultimate goal is to not This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 13 have any place for them to live. Somehow this has got to stop. Thank you. (applause) Throgmorton: (mumbled) (someone speaking from audience) I .... I don't know if anybody's capable of translating French. I can speak a little bit but I can't translate it. (someone speaking from audience) Well, a little bit but I can't translate. Yeah, if I could .... (someone speaking from audience) Hold on for one second, Robin, please. Uh, we've come to 8:00. Normally our process calls for us to stop public discussion at 8:00 P.M. I'd like to ask if anyone else wants to speak on this topic to please raise your hand so I can know whether anyone else wants to speak. One. I see ... is that, I'm sorry, did you .... no, all right. I see a total of two individuals here and one back there. That will be it. There ... we can come back to this later on after we go through the rest of our meeting, but for now, two people right here and you raised your hand. All right! Kabandelwa: (speaking through a translator) Good evening. We are from the Congo. Congolese. Residents of the United States. Throgmorton: And na... names please. Kabandelwa: (speaking through a translator) Mamona Kabandelwa. He's accompanied by his brother. I don't know if his brother speaks ... (several talking in background) This is his brother. They are all Congolese and they're residents of the United States. They live at Rose Oaks. They have a very serious problem... which concerns, uh, renting. There's the ultimatums to find other places to live, other residences, and it's been a long time that they've been looking for other places to live but they have not been able to find anything yet. Yeah, their ... their lease is almost over. And we have families. And they don't know where to go. They've expressed their concerns and their... their problems in front of, uh, the officials of the town. And they've asked for help ... because we're still refugees. And they have not yet learned or know the language well. And we have low incomes, we have low paying jobs. We've asked for a low cost housing but we've had no, uh, good responses yet. And every day they're receiving messages that they're looking for housing for them but at the ... this moment they don't know where to go with their children. And we've made calls for help to the authorities in Iowa City and we are hoping that you can put some kind of. ... your voice forward. You can, uh, help us. That you can find some public housing for us. (both talking) Yeah, we think that the .... the City is responsible to find us some housing and you have the means to find us some housing as soon as possible. And when we receive messages every day that we have to leave our housing, this trauma .... this traumatizes our children and they're scared. They don't know what they're going to do from one moment to the next. They are ... kind of feel deceived and feel like there... there's some hope that maybe you can help them find some housing. They need homes. Throgmorton: Excuse z -moi. Uh.... (speaking French) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 14 Kabandelwa: (speaking through a translator) Thank you. (applause) Throgmorton: Mercie. One young man over here. And please keep it brief because we've already extended our time. Shepherd: Hi, hello, my name is Eli Shepherd. Throgmorton: You look different, Eli! (laughs) Sorry! Shepherd: Uh, my name's Eli Shepherd, um, I'm a life-long resident of Iowa City. I live at 1009 Church Street. Um, and uh, I....1, uh, live in the neighborhood of Horace Mann, the same, uh, the same elementary school where Joshua who you heard speak earlier also goes, um, and uh, I'm a student at Grinnell College, um, and I just want to say that, um, I know, urn ... uh, where I'm living in the same neighborhood where, uh, friends and family, uh.... um, in the same neighborhood as Horace Mann where friends and family from around the community go and I, uh, having been through the public school system here, um, people all around the community, urn ... don't get the, uh, don't get the same, uh, sort of Iowa City experience that I've had. Um, and uh, that makes me very angry, um, I just want to say that, uh, I .... we all go to these ... we all go to the schools. We're all a part of this community, um, and it's absolutely ridiculous, um, if...if, uh, where I was living, if anywhere in my .... anywhere in my neighborhood, um, if...if this sort of nonsense was happening, if people were .... if we were being, uh.... uh, treated this way by the owners of our land, uh, if we were being given eviction notices, uh, retaliated against for organizing, all these things, uh, that would absolutely not fly. There would be an uproar, it would be done ... it would be taken care of in a second. Um, and it's ... it's about time that, uh, we, uh.... stop pretending like, uh, that's, um, acceptable to happen anywhere else in our community, um, and I've .... I know many of you personally, urn ... uh, I know many of the folks who have spoken here tonight, um, worked on some of your campaigns, um, and have worked with many of the people here, um, around many of these issues and I want to say that it's time to, uh, put these concerns first, urn ... uh, over.....time to put community over capital, especially in this case. So, thank you. (applause) Throgmorton: Okay, thanks to all of you who spoke. Thank you very much for sharing your stories with us. I want you to know that in our Council's point of view that intimidation and harassment is completely unacceptable. Uh... I ... I can't really say much more because this is not the right moment to do it, but I can tell you we were paying very close attention. I can tell you that....we, many of us do know many of you personally. We ... I can say I personally (mumbled) been paying very close attention to this situation in Forest View for five years and have connected with members of the Center for Worker Justice for five years, and I ... I want to assure you that I personally ... uh, will do what... everything I can to make sure that things ... uh, proceed in a fair way. And I can't go into more detail, and I know others probably would want to say something similar, so I'm not trying to take up This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 15 their, uh, their space, but uh... we can't really discuss it at this moment in time. I do want you .... I do want you to know we appreciate you coming in and sharing your stories with us so that we can hear them fust hand. So thank you. So we're gonna have to move on to the rest of our meeting, other items on our agenda. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 16 ITEM 7. PURCHASE AGREEMENT FOR CITY HALL NORTH PARKING LOT - RESOLUTION APPROVING PURCHASE AGREEMENT BY AND BETWEEN THE CITY OF IOWA CITY AND ASPEN VENTURES, LLC FOR THE CITY PROPERTY TO THE NORTH OF CITY HALL THAT IS CURRENTLY USED AS A PARKING LOT a. PUBLIC HEARING Throgmorton: Again, I'll open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) I don't know if any of our staff wants to speak to this topic. John, were you prepared to? Frain: I can just make a few comments. Uh, particularly, uh, for those viewing. Uh, this is a purchase agreement for the sale of the ... the City -owned parking lot, uh, north of City Hall here. Uh, there are a number of contingencies attached to this purchase agreement, the most significant of which is a .... a development agreement that would come before you. So this sets forth the ... the general terms and the specifics of the project would come back to you. You would have final say before this is executed. Taylor: I just had a quick question (both talking) Throgmorton:.... part of the public hearing, yeah. Taylor: As far as the parking now currently a lot of the City vehicles use that parking lot. Would those be designated in this parking ramp on an agreement basis or .... what would you do with those spaces? Frain: The spaces would be replaced, um ... uh, unsure whether at this time, you know, we would physically park them here or at Chauncey Swan but ... um, the idea is that there's no net loss to the City. Botchway: My other question is, um, I know that I .... I know that you said you're coming back before us as far as plans and specifications. Um, well I guess I'll wait. Never mind! Throgmorton: Anyone else need to speak with regard to this public hearing? If not, I'll close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) b. CONSIDER A RESOLUTION Dickens: Move the resolution. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Dickens, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 17 Cole: Can we ask a question now of Geoff? Throgmorton: Yeah! Cole: Okay. Um, this project looks good, I'm supportive of it, um, and so basically then if we were to get a TIF in the future then, that would be contemporaneous then with our consideration of the final transaction, is that what you're saying? Or ... or how will that work? Fruin: If ..if the developer is seeking tax increment financing, that would be outlined in the development agreement, which would come before you. Cole: Okay. Fruin: Uh, prior to this purchase agreement being, uh, finally executed. Uh, one of the reasons that we're, uh, proposing to move forward with a extension of the urban renewal area is that we may, uh, find it beneficial to use tax increment financing for the public portions of it. Be that the ... the fire station expansion and the parking deck. We don't know yet, we're not far enough along to have good concrete numbers. We just, uh, for ... on the TIF piece want to provide that flexibility, but ... um .... if the developer seeks tax increment financing, and it meets our policy, that would be in the development agreement. Cole: From what I can see so far, this looks like a good project and so I'm going to vote yes on this preliminary agreement. Throgmorton: Well, certainly something that's been in the works for quite some time and it's clearly connected to the.... Universalist Unitarian Church, I always get the sequence wrong, uh, and the preservation of that church, and .... and there's... well, and the fire station and all sorts of other things combined. So, uh.... it's a step that we need to take if we want to preserve the church and do some other things. All right, uh, any further discussion? Hearing none, roll call. Motion carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 18 ITEM 8. WORKFORCE HOUSING TAX CREDITS - RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION OF IOWA CITY SENIOR, LLC FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING TAX INCENTIVES PROGRAM FROM THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT SENIOR RENTAL HOUSING AT 1030-1070 WILLIAM STREET AND COMMITTING LOCAL FUNDS TO THE PROJECT Mims: Move the resolution. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Uh, is Tracy still in the room? Fruin: I was going to say a few introductory remarks, um, that will cover these next two items. Both of the next two items, uh, are requests to have the City support applications, uh, for the State workforce housing tax credit program, and this is a ... a fairly new program. They started taking applications for this in 2015 and it's a State program aimed at providing affordable and workforce housing, um, throughout the ... the State of Iowa. Uh, the way it works is it's first-come, first - serve for the developers. So if you meet the standard re ... uh.... uh, requirements of the program, and you have a resolution of support, with a minimum $1,000 match per unit, you essentially get in line with everybody else in the state and once the tax credits are used up, they're used up and you have to wait until next year. The, uh... uh, tax credit program, um, it's intended to provide, again, affordable and workforce housing. However, the manner in which it...it does so is different than how we typically discuss those items here and it's ... it's an important distinction. When we talk about affordable and workforce housing, uh, we typically, um, talk about that in terms of rental caps. We talk about a percent of area median income and ... and that's how it's determined whether it's affordable, workforce, or .... or neither of those too. For the State workforce housing tax, uh.... uh, credits, they simply look at the construction costs per unit. Okay? So instead of controlling rents, they control costs of construction per unit, and that's a cap of $200,000. In the first year, in 2015, uh, the City Council supported two applications. Uh, one was for the, uh.... a project on the site, uh.... uh, that you'll consider in your next item, 9, the Van Patten site, and then the second, uh, was for the, uh, Iowa City co -housing project, and Council, again, approved both of those applications. This first one, uh, here, Item 8, which is currently being, uh, on the ... on the floor here in front of you, uh, this is a project that you should all be familiar with. This is the Towncrest affordable housing, uh, project that's been talked about for a number of years. Uh.... the .... this project has already see ... received low income housing tax credits from the State. And the City has already pledged a match of $600 ... or a support of $600,000 to this project. Uh, they believe they are eligible for additional workforce housing tax credits and so, uh, the resolution that's before you. Because we've already committed $600,000, there are, uh, there's no additional need, uh, to ... to, uh, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 19 commit more dollars. So the 600's sufficient. That covers the $1,000 minimum per unit. And, uh, Tracy's here if you have detailed questions about the program or the project. Throgmorton: Does anybody have any questions, uh, for Tracy with regard to the Williams Street project? Okay, let's move ahead on it. So, um, we have ... do we have a motion? Yeah, I .... all right. Karr: (both talking) ...Botchway. Throgmorton: Any ... any further discussion? Roll call. Motion carries 7-0. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 20 ITEM 9. WORKFORCE HOUSING TAX CREDITS - RESOLUTION IN SUPPORT OF THE APPLICATION OF MONARCH LLC FOR THE WORKFORCE HOUSING TAX INCENTIVES PROGRAM FROM THE IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY TO CONSTRUCT RESIDENTIAL HOUSING AT 7 S. LINN STREET AND COMMITTING LOCAL FUNDS TO THE PROJECT Mims: Move the resolution. Botchway: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Uh, are there any people, uh, I don't know John or perhaps, uh, the developer, Kevin Monson, would ... who would like to speak about this? Or Geoff, sorry. Fruin: Is Kevin ... is, uh, Kevin's coming up to ... to speak about the project and show you some concepts. Again, just a little bit more, uh, detailed history on this one. Last year the Council approved a resolution of support for these same tax credits. At that project... at that time the project was a bit different. It was 12 stories as opposed to 14, and it sought a tax credit match for 16 of 26 units in the building. Uh, the request here before you is for a different project. Again, 14 stories, uh, with 72 units of housing and, uh, the developer is seeking a resolution of support for all 72 units. That would require a $72,000 match. Um, the property is already appropriately zoned, uh, for a ... a structure of...of this nature. Uh, so no rezoning is being requested and the developer has indicated, uh, to staff that, uh.... um, they do not plan to seek tax increment financing, uh, from the City. One of the issues, and this is detailed in your memo, that ... that would need to be worked out is parking. Obviously this is a very tight site and cannot accommodate parking. The current code allows for the, uh, buyout of parking. Uh, in this case it would take a....an exemption from the Board of Adjustment and uh.... uh, that process gives consideration to the, uh, historic landmark that is directly to the south of the building. Urn .... as part of the affordable housing action plan that'll come before you at the next meeting, staff is ... is going to be recommending that, uh.... uh, affordable housing projects, uh, be exempt from parking requirements in the Riverfront Crossing and in the downtown where there's, uh, an ability to walk to employment centers and ... and use transit. Urn.... presumably that, uh, recommendation would include any project that participates in, uh, this tax credit program. Again though, I want to, uh, I just want to make sure you're fully aware, when we talk about affordable housing and workforce housing locally, we talk rent caps. When we talk about the state's affordable, um, and workforce housing programs with these tax credits, they are not rental caps. They are construction cost caps, so there's a ... an important distinguishing, uh, factor there. With that I'll turn it over to Kevin. Throgmorton: Hi, Kevin! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 21 Monson: Hi! Kevin Monson, um, here to talk about 7, uh, which used to be the Van Patten House, which was, uh, as you saw by the staff mem ... memo lost in the fire that also, uh, took out the Bruegger's Bagel Bakery Shop. Um, since that time we've worked for about two and a half years with the land owners of Bruegger's, which was not Bruegger's, to acquire 17 feet of what used to be their lot, so that we could square off our building. It's, as you can see, a very small lot (laughs) to begin with and those 17 feet were very important to us to be able to develop a reasonable building on this site. So, a wish from day one, uh, and I have to, uh, introduce Joe Clark, uh, who's also a member of Monark LLC, uh, who's with me tonight; in the case you have any tough questions, I'll just send it over to Joe, and also with me tonight is Thomas Lasansky, uh, who so graciously offered up our idea for our sculptural, uh... piece on the north wall. So our goal from day one has been to be the most sustainable building that we could build, uh.... we started out with a goal of being net zero, which means we would create as much energy on the ... within the building as we use, but because of the unknowns of, uh, the site and the potential for a future building to shadow us, we have, um...placed our solar collection, our PV panels, only on the roof but.... needless to say, we're gonna use every method possible to make this a very, very efficient, uh, and LEED-certified building, uh, that, um, should hopefully set standards for, uh, we hope future building in downtown. Now our goal is to make these affordable for the workforce so that; urn .... people like my young staff who have recently graduated, who have some college debt, who don't really want to go into the student housing market, which they sometimes are forced to do right now, that they could actually afford to live within, uh, two blocks of the office and work here. Uh, and afford to live, uh, so the magic here is not that we're building cheaper than anybody else, but we're building smaller. And (mumbled) been a lot of press about building smaller, and um, so ... we're calling these micro - apartments. They're 300 -square feet for a studio and um, about 500 -square feet for a one -bedroom. So they're truly are designed for a single occupant, unlike our student housing, which, uh, really features multiple people to share the cost. We're really targeting and really want this to be affordable for the workforce who, uh, share so many jobs in our downtown. So, with that goal, um .... we are building .... uh, on a very small lot, but we're building I think smartly and because we have a historic building, the Yacht Club next to us, uh, we are able to stay five -feet off of the north wall of the Yacht Club which lets the Yacht Club really read as an architectural gem, and so unlike the code requires us to actually build right up to our property line, our permanent easements within our agreements with ... when this early in the age of the lot separation here, actually requires us to have a separation. So we think that's very good and very helpful, especially when we have this historic property next to us. So that's a very important aspect. Uh, we are, uh.... wanting to, uh, utilize that five -feet — you can see there — uh, to get access to moped parking and bike parking, alternative transportation rather than having cars. Obviously our lot is so small, we couldn't even begin to turn around a car if we wanted to have parking (laughs). We looked at Smart cars. Uh, that didn't work very well either, so ... you can see our first level is, um, retail/commercial. We have class -A office space on the second level, and then we This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 22 begin our micro -units. You can see the unit Bs are the 300 -square feet, uh, units, uh, utilizing a Murphy bed and a very compact layout, and then the one -bedrooms at either end. So very efficient layout allows us to make this happen. Now luckily we're not on Iowa Avenue because we wouldn't propose this building to be on Iowa Avenue because that could alter this view. If you look really closely at the left side of both, the, uh, parking ramp, the Clock Tower parking ramp, you can almost see our building peaking above, but this view corridor, a very important view corridor of Iowa Avenue is being maintained, and so .... I think it's very important that we let the Vogel House be kind of the modulator in scale here as we progress from Iowa Avenue. And out of views... this'll be the view as you would come into Iowa City on Dubuque Street, and there you have, uh, very subtly is three very important University of Iowa professors who have made a difference in our lives in so many ways. That would be Paul Engel, uh, that would be Thomas Lasansky's father Maur ... Mauricio, and James Van Allen, of course, who the building right across Iowa Avenue is named for. These people we want to, uh... kind of celebrate their careers and their gifts to not only Iowa but the world and so, uh, Thomas has been so glad to ... so happy to ... to come on board with us and make this happen. It was his idea. I can't take credit for it. It's his idea to have these three prominent professors who were actually friends, uh, and shared birthday parties together, and uh, were comrades in many ways. So, that's kind of an exciting way for us to .... to provide public art as part of this project. So with that, um, we're ... we're not asking for TIF. Uh, we're hoping that we can get in the queue with the, uh, State and be able to achieve funds through that program, which will allow us to make this happen. Uh, as part of our sustainability issue, it would seem like the wrong thing to do to say, oh, we've got a parking space next door if you need it. Uh, that really would go .... fly in the face of our sustainability, uh, and that's why we're building downtown and that's why we're building affordable. So, um, some day, uh, you don't have to have a car and, um, with our mopeds and with, um, public transportation, and even getting a, uh, car, uh, through the rental program that's now in town, uh (mumbled) spaces, uh, we can provide those needs. So we're excited about this. Uh.... we need your support of our application. Uh, no guarantees that we're going to be able to achieve funds from the State, but uh, we're anxious to get in the queue and hope to make this happen. So with that I'll open it up to any questions you might have. Botchway: (mumbled) So one of the things I was thinking about was you were talking about it being five -feet away from the, um .... side of the Yacht Club, you know, how is construction going to affect that, um, particular building? Monson: Well obviously we have to be very careful, urn. .... and uh, we've been neighbors to the Yacht Club for many years, and so, uh, we would intend to work very closely with the Yacht Club, uh, and certainly we have to ensure that no damage happens to that structure because that would be our responsibility. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 23 Botchway: Well I ... I understand that, but I'm more concerned about just closures based on the construction. I mean do you foresee that happening? And closures as far as, you know .... the entire street being blocked or something along those lines. Monson: No, we don't, uh.... uh, we're pretty familiar with, uh, building on very tight sites in Iowa City. Uh, just completing the School of Music, um .... we will have a tower crane buried within the building, and so all of our deliveries would happen, uh, on the street, but would not require the ... Linn Street to be closed. We would probably take just the parking lane, uh, and sometimes we may need, uh, a little more, but our envision is to do this, um, with, um ... Zero Energy panels from Coralville. So it would be stacked up very quickly and using another local product, um, to be very energy efficient, number one, but also be fairly speedy in its erection process. Botchway: So the other question I have is around kind of the LEED discussion. Monson: Right! Botchway: So, you know, frankly I .... I don't necessarily agree with, um, maybe going through the entire process cause I know that can be costly and I don't want to, you know, put that cost on the, um, the residents of the particular property, but ... you know, is there ... what are you thinking as far as the LEED compatibility so to speak. You know, not necessarily being .... one, that standard but not necessarily having to go through the process and so do you see it as a gold or platinum... Monson: Well, we're probably looking in the silver and gold category. Uh, certainly at the highest end of that if we could. Uh, no promises because as you know, part of the LEED certification is dealing with the construction itself, which is the contractor's purview as well. So, but it's, uh.... as you know we have, uh, designed many LEED, uh, projects in our community and throughout the state, including the first platinum project in the State of Iowa. Botchway: Last question. I know there's a lot of other people that want to talk. Um ... the other part ... that you discussed was that you said because of...I know that's kind of covering now, because of, um, another structure being built, and I'm assuming you mean the Chauncey, being built, you didn't necessarily feel like you had the ability to, um, put solar panels on this side of the building. Monson: It was actually more about, uh, the unknown future of the corner U.S. Bank lot, because that's .... we hope some day will be developed and not just a parking lot, so with that unknown, we really didn't want to pre judge what could happen on that site, but really, um ... when we ... came to the Council previously, we anticipated having a mix of housing, some workforce housing and some condominiums, some higher -end condominiums. But after thinking through that, and certainly with the Chauncey coming on board, we said why don't we give a view to everyone, that you don't have to be a condo owner to have the views that This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 24 currently just condo owners in high-end condos have. Why don't we open that view up to those, uh, who can't afford to buy a condo or can't afford to ... to spend that kind of money on housing. So, we made a pretty drastic change and said we're gonna do, um, workforce housing all the way to the top. And I think that opens up the window and I think it would be very exciting, uh, for a lot of people to have that, uh, opportunity, uh, for view and not just a ... oh, a condo owner. Cole: As I understand it though, there's no limitation on the income in terms of who can qualify to rent the unit and that's what distinguishes it from the traditional workforce. So for example, you could be a, you know, make $500,000 a year and theoretically you could apply for this unit and still qualify. Monson: The, um, the program is that, uh, there's no, uh, scale of rent. We're hoping to start our rents at $795. And as you go up higher in the building, they will escalate up slightly, uh, but because, uh, we can do that, not because we're asking for a TIF, which you probably would have to do in a normal situation, you'd have to ask for TIF funding to get your rents that low, but because we're... hopefully going to qualify for this program, and our units are smaller, and I think that's key to our future is we've got to live in smaller spaces, and live more efficiently, which follows in to our sustainability if we are heating and cooling smaller spaces, if we're using LED lighting, if we're using the most efficient heating and cooling system, we can do that, and so we can drop their total costs of living here to the very minimum we can, and that gives them the opportunity to live in new space, uh, with quite a view, and be a part of that. Uh, we're hoping ... we have small Juliet bala... balconies that, uh, we hope you could put a tomato plant on. We're hoping to also have some rooftop gardens under the solar panels that you could actually be a little more sustainable yet. So we're .... we haven't finished our design, uh.... and if we don't get a workforce housing, uh, certainly, uh, is a totally different game, and I don't know what that would look like, but ... uh, so that's our first gap ... step is seeing if we can get our application through and make this happen. Cole: When is that due? (both talking) Monson: It's any time ... it's opening up the next period ... the next period is opening up July lst, I believe. Is that right? Fruin: And that's first come, first served. Hightshoe: (unable to hear, away from mic) ...so until the .... they've allocated $20 million for tax credits and once that $20 million is ... is all allocated, then you won't be able ... so if they apply now and they get in, sorry! If they apply now and they're awarded credits, if there's any .... I called the State a few weeks ago, out of that $20 million everything was spoken for except for like $350,000. So what happens is you can get .... get in the queue, get awarded funds, and then you get that amount that you are ... and if there's not enough in that fiscal year, then you This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 25 get the remaining credit the next fiscal year, but it's important to get into the line to even be considered and get awarded the .... the credits. Throgmorton: Could, uh, Kevin, could I follow up on one of the questions that was asked a minute ago having to do with, uh, the residents of the .... of the building, once it's constructed. So I understand, tell me if I'm wrong, that ... that it's designed, uh, intended for young professionals and other individuals looking for smaller, more affordable, non -undergraduate housing in the downtown core. Monson: Right Throgmorton: I know that's the text that comes out of the staffs memo but, uh.. just wanted to make sure I was right. Monson: That's right. Throgmorton: Um ... is there anything in the workforce housing tax credit process that would prohibit any other person... from... seeking to rent in the building, you know, like me. Could I rent there? Monson: Right. Throgmorton: I mean not literally me but, you know. Monson: Yeah, I ... I don't know that there's any, um ... language in that program that permits this group and not that group. But, uh, it's something that we are thinking a lot about and want to have a very stringent application process, uh, so that we can't discriminate on anybody renting here. So we can say, well you're not ... in the workforce. You're not doing this, uh, we have to be very careful, uh, and uh, but uh, we will be looking for work history. We'll be looking for references. So we intend to do our application process very thoroughly. Um, will that mean that there might be a student living here? There very well could be a student, but our application process, we hope, without being discriminatory, will really target this to a, um ... a graduate or above, urn ... (mumbled) because these units are so small, they don't really, urn .... become very good party spots. You can't put too many people in that (laughs) size a space, so we're hoping that that's kind of a disincentive, uh, to, uh, as a student, but uh.... I really, the only tool we have right now is just be very, very careful about the application process. Throgmorton: Could I follow up on a particular point? Monson: Yes! Throgmorton: I think I heard you say that ... right now you anticipate that rents would start at $750 (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 26 Monson: $795, right. Throgmorton: Or 795, and probably go up as you go up (both talking) Monson: Right, as you go up in the building, correct. Throgmorton: Do you really mean market rate? That, I mean, in other words, supply and demand, that the ... that the rents would actually, over time, be a function of what the market will bear. Monson: Yeah, and I think Joe maybe can speak to that. We've done some research on just what is the .... the rates right now, uh, and, uh, maybe you could speak a little bit to that, Joe. Throgmorton: Hi, Joe! Clark: Hi, Joe Clark. So .... I guess what you're asking is is whether we're going to keep the rates at a price that ... that is market, whether (both talking) Throgmorton:.... we can't fix the rents, I understand that. Clark: Correct! Um, I think our intentions are to ... to start them out, I mean of course this is step one in this process. We ... we got a long ways to go here, but if we get to that point, I think our intentions are to start these at 795 and then as market goes up, i£..if rents go up 3% or whatever the market bears, um, we'll ... we'll follow that. Um, our one bedrooms start at a little higher rate, but the .... the studios start at 795. Um, the one bedrooms'll be in the .... the 1,200, 1,250 range, um .... and so those will .... and then as you go up to the higher levels, they will get to, uh, you know, get to .... a little bit more expensive, but they're.... they're far below ... when I take the averages of the rents of the units in downtown that, um, that are currently similar structured, um, we're far below other projects in downtown right now on ... on our rents to start out for sure. So .... does that answer your question? Throgmorton: Yeah, I think so! Thanks! Monson: And just to follow up on that, that's why we're doing this building, because we think there's the demand for this. Uh, I hope there's a demand for this. I'm planning on a demand for this, that this .... it's the niche that is not very well served right now in our community, especially in the heart of our community, where we are becoming more and more attractive to, uh, young professionals, uh, that are not students and that's one of our .... key issues, um, is after students graduate, they .... want to be in the professional circles. They've gone through the undergraduate. They don't want to relate necessarily to the undergraduate programs. They want to be in the young professional programs, and right now we don't have a very good situation for them to keep them and attract them, and I'm This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 27 being very kind of, uh, self-serving here because I have a lot of staff that I'd like to have close by and be able to afford something downtown. Cole: It's also right across from the Senior Center. Why wouldn't you target elderly residents as (noises on mic) great location to elderly, uh, for the Senior Center? Monson: Well certainly I think they would definitely go through our application process and sail right through. So, yeah! That would be perfect! That's ... that would be wonderful! Yeah, I think they would fit very well. Yeah. Thank you. Throgmorton: I .... I'd like to ask an architectural question, which... without going too deeply into it, cause you're the architect — I'm not! Monson: Okay! Throgmorton: Uh, but I understand that the Board of Adjustment.... would have to review the design of the building ... uh, to make sure, I ... I, Geoff, if I misstate this or, Tracy, if I misstate this let me know, to make sure that the .... the proposed building is sensitive and complementary to the building to the stol... to the south, the Yacht Club building. Uh, and ... and that there's ... that has to do with, um, harmonious rhythm and proportion of building elements along the street frontage, as do mass, scale, uh, and ... and the differences in mass and scale would be mitigated through facade articulation and upper story setbacks. Now you're not going to be able to do upper story setbacks, but when I look at this .... that image, which we can't see very well up there. You know, I see a 14 -story building next to a two and a half story building, and ... and then on the other side, a seven -story building. So there's ...questions that one might ask, if one were a member of the Board of Adjustment, and I'm not tellin' them how to think, but I do know what they are required to think about. So, um ... what's your thinking about... the... the terms I used, you know, ensuring that differences in mass and scale are mitigated through facade design, etc. Monson: Sure. I think one of the things that we ... we start with is we're not going to build a Yacht Club design for today. Um, that is a very, um .... significant building of its era and much as the Vogel House, uh, was designed to be a building of this century, uh, and um, this new building will be a building of today, not of yesterday. Uh, if you look at the .... if you kind of squint your eyes and look at the Yacht Club, it's really a three -parts. It has, uh, windows and it has then the central theme, and then it has windows. Uh, we have a similar three-part, uh... going with our windows, solid, windows, uh, and if you note, um, we don't start the residential until we are over the roof line of the Yacht Club. So we ... um ... because those would be actually, um, protruding, uh, which gives us a .... an interesting texture to the building. Uh, we're not going to replat... replace the little Juliet balconies that you see on the Yacht Club, but we do have Juliet balconies on our south. So we do them in somewhat of a more contemporary, but recalling some of the details and some of the patterns, uh, and our window, uh, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 28 actually when you ... this isn't the best view, but our windows are kind of similarly punched windows and a very solid wall, much as the south wall of the Yacht Club. So we're doing it in a much more contemporary way, but I think the most important thing for the Yacht Club is .... looking at it at street level is that you're going to see the entirety of that corner, which I think is so important that you see the edge of the building and that we don't have another building slamming into it, uh, that we can read the original architecture and the trim of the eaves and the cornices going up, and I think that's, uh, that's being sympathetic, uh, to that building, which probably we would have to ask for a variance, other than we've got a .... a situation which actually requires us to do that setback. Good question, thank you! Throgmorton: Thanks! Botchway: So I have another question about the residents, cause I know you talked about the fact that, you know, this is a little self-serving in that you're looking at folks, you know, that work within your company to live there. I'm assuming that you don't have enough individuals that are going to fill all these spaces... Monson: (laughing) No! Botchway: But ... but I am interested, I mean, so that to me is .... to be more blunt, I mean, that's a market analysis within your current framework. That's not necessarily a market analysis as far as the demand across the city, and I say that to say because I ... I'm assuming that, you know, you had the conversation with maybe some of your staffers and you talked about the fact that there wouldn't be parking. I guess I would not be interested in coming back before us, you know, over a quest for parking, if that was the case, because sounding like .... I mean it sounds like from a sustainability standpoint, you're saying there's no parking, but then as you look for individuals that are moving into these, um, places, you know, some of `em are going to have cars and so... Monson: Sure! Absolutely! Absolutely. Frain: So they would be .... they would be able to buy a permit, uh, independently of the development through.... through our system. Botchway: Okay. Throgmorton: So I'd like to follow up on that, and probably I need to ask Geoff this question, I think. I want to make sure I read the memo correctly, cause I don't always do this. Uh... it's my understanding that... according to current code, ordinarily you'd be ... you the developer, would be required to provide .... uh, one parking space for every two ... uh, units. Yeah, John can help with this. So, ordinarily one would be required to provide, uh, one parking space for every two units. But there can be a waiver, uh, that ... that equals $26,000 per space. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 29 Yapp: Uh, about 25,000. Throgmorton: (both talking) 25,000, which for 72 units .... uh, amounts to about $900,000. Yapp: That's correct. Throgmorton: So ordinarily one would expect that, uh, the developer would con ... if...if, would contribute $900,000 to I don't know ... our parking fund, wherever it goes. But, I understand that there's, if I read the memo correctly, uh, the ... the proposal is because this is workforce housing, to waive ... the requirement for parking spaces, and if I understand correctly, that constitutes a $900,000 subsidy. Do I understand correctly? Yapp: I think you do, except that we ... we are not asking you to waive any parking requirements tonight. That would be... Throgmorton: But it would be (both talking) Yapp: ....a subsequent City Council action, uh... but, yes, you are correct. Throgmorton: Yeah, so it'd be $900,000, plus $72,000 for the workforce... our contribution to the workforce... housing tax credit. Mims: But again, that's not what we're voting on (several talking) Throgmorton: No, I understand (several talking) but it's (both talking) Mims: Only voting on (both talking) Throgmorton: .... it's an implication concerning the future. So I just wanted to make sure I understood the facts of that situation. Fruin: Could I clarify one thing? Throgmorton: Sure. Fruin: The ... the developer certainly has the right to go through the Board of Adjustment process and .... and get the .... get the parking satisfied, um, with the current ... with the current code as it is, and you ... you know, the developer was just asked to explain how the building relates to the Yacht Club building. Throgmorton: Right. Fruin: And ... they can do that in front of the Board of Adjustment, make their ca ... make their case, and then there... comes before the City Council, and this building could This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 30 go forward assuming you have the resolution of support tonight. Um, the ... the affordable housing parking requirement, that is something that, you know, we had ... we had previously been talking about actually... in the Riverfront, uh, Crossings inclusionary zoning ordinance that will be before you, um, at your next meeting, there was already, uh, a movement afoot to waive parking requirements for affordable housing, in the Riverfront Crossings (both talking) Throgmorton: Right. Fruin: Next meeting we'll talk to you about expanding that, urn .... and the key component is is whether you will want to include the State workforce housing tax credit program in that expansion. Again, if you ... if you pull up the State web site, it's clear what the intention of the program is. It's to provide affordable housing, workforce housing, um, and while we define it differently locally, that's... that's the intent and so .... that would be a City Council decision to amend the code, to waive the parking requirement, and... and if you did that, then you are correct. They'd no longer have to buy out those parking spaces, because the intent of the affordable housing... code change would be to lower the cost for developers if they choose to provide affordable housing, so that would be off the books, so to speak. Throgmorton: Okey doke, uh.... that's helpful. Monson: If you recall .... I'm not sure, John, how many years ago we changed that ordinance, but ... uh, prior to this current ordinance, it was, uh... illegal (laughs) to provide parking in the Central Business District on any project that you would build, uh, is that two years ago? Three years ago? That we changed that? Yapp: Think it was more six or eight years ago. Uh, but ... what Kevin is referring to is, uh... previously, uh.... the City did not allow, uh, residential projects to provide parking in the downtown. Uh, in fact, you had to get a special exception in order to be allowed to even put parking, uh, on .... on your property. And the thought was that in the downtown area, uh, the important thing was not parking. It was, uh, buildings and commercial and residential spaces, and building close to the property lines, uh, for an urban environment. Uh, that code was changed in order to recognize that in order to attract longer-term residents downtown, it was important to have parking, uh, in place. So the code was amended to both require parking, uh, but also create an avenue for someone to buy out of that parking requirement, uh, with those funds going toward future centralized parking structures. Um, in recent years, uh, there's been more of an emphasis on, uh, sustainability, walkability, uh, and ... and .... the topic of parking is ... is coming up again. Throgmorton: Are there any other questions for John or for Kevin or Joe? I .... I think maybe somebody else would like to speak to this topic if it's all right with you (mumbled) it's normal, so .... two people, sorry! Yeah. Sorry, go ahead Genalie! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 31 Swaim: Hi, I'm Ginalie Swaim. I live at 1024 Woodlawn, which is seven blocks, uh, from Linn Street and the proposed Monark building, and um ... I can see that the developer is putting a lot of thought into that, as any new development in Iowa City should have a great deal of thought put into it, and I appreciate that. I think likewise the City Council should be putting a lot of thought into this because, um, as you suggested, there are implications, uh, for the future, not only in terms of this building, but other new development, and, urn... as someone who lives in the older neighborhood, I am wary of anything that does not require parking downtown because I fear that's going to put greater pressure on the older neighborhoods to the north and the east of, urn ... of ..of this area, and .... it doesn't seem fair that the older neighborhoods and streets should have to absorb parking. We know that we would love all those people to ride bicycles and walk to work. We know that's not going to be true. They are going to have cars. Some of `em .... many of `em are going to have cars. We're not the east coast, who lives without cars yet (laughs) Um, so somewhere their cars are going to go and if no parking is required downtown, um, I suspect some will be in my .... you know, closer to the older houses, which are already getting encroached upon. Um... and I think if, uh, as may happen in Riverside Crossings that no parking is required there for affordable housing, if that, um ... is expanded to downtown Iowa City, that will ... uh, create more of that pressure on the older neighborhoods. Um, I'm a little confused in terms of the staff memo regarding the design harmonizing with the, um, the Hohenschuh Building. Um ... maybe you could clarify it. If the developer acquired the tax credit, and got the waiver of parking requirements, is the developer still re ... urn ... required to have the design.... harmonizing to what ... to whatever aspect? Thank you. Throgmorton: (mumbled) Frain: So just to clarify, the tax credits do not, um, the tax credits and parking are two separate issues. So, um ... the .... the developer, if the support of the tax credits is granted tonight, the developer would, uh, be able by code right now to go to the Board of Adjustment and that's when that, uh, language that you referred to would apply. However, if the city code is agreeable to amending the parking code to waive it for affordable housing, then the relationship with the ... with the Yacht Club building is not considered. That's an automatic right granted then to anybody that's building affordable housing or .... the housing under this tax credit program. Byler: Um, Peter Byler. Um (clears throat) I'd like to speak in support of this project. I think I'm very pro -density, uh, in the downtown core. I think the developers are actually taking quite a risk with a kind of novel style of housing that, um, hopefully they can find a market for. Um .... I want to speak to two things. First of all I might have missed it in the memo, but you know, we're giving $72,000 to this if it's .... it it's approved, which I hope it is, and urn ... maybe I missed it, but I'm not sure where those funds come from. If there's a big enough slush to make that happen in the middle of a budget year, what .... I don't know how that works This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 32 and I'd be interested in knowing. Uh (mumbled) comment, um, L..I speak sometimes up here in favor of more transparency and I'm very glad that, uh, these developers are planning to pay all their property taxes, uh, throughout the life of the project, but here we have a 14 -story building with 72 kitchens and 72 bathrooms to outfit that is asking for $1 million from the State of Iowa, uh, and you know, depending on how you look at it, maybe another million dollars in the parking, sort of buy out, um ... so this project can apparently make it work with... with not, you know, certainly less than $2 million, maybe even $1 million of government incentive. Um, we have a building of similar height two blocks away that needed $14 million of government incentive for 25% fewer kitchens and fewer bathrooms and all the expensive stuff, so .... that's very confusing to me, and of course I can't learn any more about it because all of those financials are not thoughtfully redacted and entered into the record. The TIF calculations are completely opaque. So, I hope that you, uh, as ... I know you're doing some work on rethinking your TIF process, is I thought .... 1 hope that thoughtfully redacted financials in the public record will be a part of that, and again, I'm very glad that this project is ... isn't asking for that, and it'll be a not only huge benefit to the residents, but also to the tax base of the city. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Peter! So ... oh, sorry! Mark, go ahead! McCallum: Mark .... Mark McCallum, 113 S. Johnson Street. Um .... I want to...I really want to support a project like this. I ... I think it's long in coming and I ... I've written editorials about ... these type of projects 10 years ago (mumbled) apartments. I think it's a great idea. But I live on the park, and parking is a big issue and I think I've spoken to many of you about that since I've, uh, been on College Green Park for three years now, and I mean (mumbled) needs to be done with the outside residential areas surrounding downtown, because parking is a nightmare right now. So my biggest concern about this project is ... I mean, I have no problem with density. I have no problem with the building not having parking, but I don't think the City has a parking plan for the residential areas, and I think it's .... we're urban residential neighborhoods and we need parking meters. I want to pay so I can park in front of my house, because parking is so bad, and even when the students leave town, I mean, within seconds at 7:00 in the morning, as soon as someone leaves, someone else is .... is there, and ... and I (mumbled) financial perspective, I've always wondered why (mumbled) of my building I can see the Chauncey Swan (mumbled) Chauncey Swan is usually empty, but every curbside in front of my house is full. That's because it's free parking close to an urban area, and we really need to be looking at metering some of the residential areas. I would say all the way to Dodge Street in the areas ... and to the north, uh, surrounding downtown Iowa City. I mean, it's not just this project. The ... the Chauncey hasn't been built yet. I can't ... park in front of my house (mumbled) so I give my guests, you know, my ... the parking that I have available off-street. I use the Chauncey Swan ramp as my backup. So .... when the Chauncey's built, I think that's going to be, uh, zapped out. It looks like the (mumbled) project which I'm in support of. It's going to move a lot of City employees over to the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 33 Chauncey and so I'm (mumbled) There's a new building going on at the mental health center and all these things going on in the neighborhood, but nothing is being done about parking in the residential areas, and I think it's the time to talk about meters in these areas. And it would be a revenue source for the City (mumbled) could be used to finance (mumbled). It could be used in a number of ways. So I want to support this, but ... but I have a hard time supporting it because I know that's (mumbled) people potentially that are going to be looking for parking spots in front of my house. Thank you. Throgmorton: Thanks, Mark. Hi, Nancy. Carlson: Hi. I'm Nancy Carlson. I live at 1002 E. Jefferson, and I'm here ... I'm concerned about the height. Urn ... I don't understand why we have to have 14 stories. Uh, I rea... in listening to the architect tonight, he has really thought about this project and has really put a lot of time and effort into it. But ... this is a 14 -story building! I ... at one point I thought we were supposed to have our taller buildings on the corners, and in the middle of the blocks the buildings were supposed to be smaller! Uh, I feel that this is a town ... that most of us moved to because we liked the character of it, the feel of it, and now we keep trying to change that into ... into Chicago or some other big city. That's not where I ... that's not why I moved here! We had an election seven months ago. Two incumbents were defeated. Four people came in because a vast majority of people in Iowa City were very much concerned about the direction that we were going, especially with tall buildings. Now we're looking at a 14 -story building! So my question is ... for those people who ran for election in the fall ... I understood when I voted for you that we were going to go a different direction, that we were going to look at some of these things. And now this is before you! And my question is did I make a mistake in the fall when I voted for you? Thank you. Throgmorton: Thank you, Nancy. Alicia! Trimble: Hi, I'm Alicia Trimble. I'm the Director of Friends of Historic Preservation and I really didn't want to have to speak tonight. I have great respect for ... for Kevin and, um .... sorry, I cannot write and speak at the same time! (laughter) Um .... and my concern is, um, you know, okay, I don't like the design, but no one would expect me to like the design. Um, my concern is actually the kind of ..what we're talking about with the parking in the future, with waiving workforce parking when there is no cap on what workforce is in ... in Iowa City, and I think each and every one of you should know that in 2008, parking was changed because the downtown was being knocked down for student housing. So the parking was changed to prevent that from happening. I guarantee you if you can, you know .... if. ... if parking is permanently changed and it's ... the limit's $200,000 per unit, that any contractor in town can build units for $200,000, they won't be required to have parking, which means all but a few buildings downtown are up for the wrecking ball. They're more valuable as 14 -story student housing. Um, sol....I, when you take this into consideration, this isn't a comment on Kevin's This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 34 project, I just think I'm very, very concerned about the parking. If that goes away, our downtown goes away. Thank you. Burford: My name is Helen Burford. I live at 528 E. College. I think this is a very exciting concept. Um .... and I ... in a way I don't really want to lose it but I have two concerns. First is I want to underscore what Mark said. I live right next door to him. Um, our neighborhood is already under a lot of pressure, and one of the things he did not mention was, um, the Chauncey. That's also going to put more pressure on our neighborhood. Um .... in addition to any structures that are going up on Iowa Avenue. Um, I also believe that.... the.... even though we call it workforce housing and at $795 a month for this space, I do think that person is still going to have the wherewithal to have a .... an automobile. So ... the idea that Mark brought forward about having a plan for parking is very relevant. Throgmorton: No one else? All right, uh, well, discussion among the Council here? Mims: I'll start. Um .... first of all I think it's really, really important.... we've heard a lot of conversation tonight about a lot of different issues that are related to this project in one way or another, and I think they're all really important. I think the concerns about parking near the downtown are really important. I think, you know, we've talked about various things and I think as we go forward we're going to have to continue to make adjustments in our parking policies and/or putting more meters in further out from downtown to help residents, etc. But I think what's critically important for the Council tonight is to focus exactly on what we are voting for or against tonight. The only thing that is before us tonight is whether or not we will support the $72,000. In other words a $1,000 per unit so that the developers can qualify for the State workforce housing tax credits. Okay? I think it would be an absolute shame if we did not give that support so that they can get in the queue and qualify for that state tax money. Okay? There's, you know, lots of different arguments you can talk about, you know, is it affordable, the difference between the state regs and what we talk about in Iowa City, but the ability to leverage money out of a state program ... that is there and when we took a break between, you know, the work session and the formal, I went down and I asked Kevin specifically .... I asked him what the assessed value was. He didn't tell me that, but he told me what the tax bill was going to be, uh, which is actually where I was headed in asking for the assessment. And what they have been told by the City Assessor is they're looking at a minimum, and he actually said the number was significantly higher, but he told me at least $150 mill...excuse me, $150,000 (laughs) per year in tax revenues. With this not being TIF'd... okay, them paying 100% of those tax revenues to the City, to the School District, to the County .... six months worth of tax payments, we're getting our $72,000 back. To me this sounds like an incredibly good investment for the City. But I do agree with the folks that as we move forward and if the parking is waived by the Board of Adjustment, we do have to come back to parking for the whole downtown area. But that's not what's before us tonight. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 35 Throgmorton: Can I ask Geoff a question? Mims: I'm done! Throgmorton: Make sure I'm clear about something. Uh, if...if we approve, uh, support this resolution for the 72 housing tax credit units and so on, is there anything about that process that commits us to ... to supporting the building, if the state approves the 72 tax credit units? Frain: I'm not sure I ... not sure I follow your question, Mayor. Dickens: Are we required to have this building built if we accept this, basically. Frain: No! No, there's... there's no .... there's no requirement from the state. If they .... they could be awarded the funds and .... and not, for whatever reason, pursue the construction and there'd be no penalty to the City. If I'm understanding your question correctly. Throgmorton: I just want to make sure that, uh, a vote to support this... application for tax credits for 72 ... for 72 units does not by itself commit us to construction of the building. Frain: Well .... the.....the developer has an option that's on the .... books right now to buy out parking and seek out that exception, so this could .... this very well could (both talking) Throgmorton: .... clause. By .... I want to make sure doing ... taking that particular action would not commit us to ... uh, to the building, according to the State, that—that their processes, their housing tax credit thing .... I want to make sure that it...it by itself would not.... Frain: I'm not aware of any requirement. Tracy, are you .... I .... I would .... be shocked if there was anything like that. Throgmorton: All right. I thought I had heard something differently, uh, over the past several weeks, so I just wanted to clarify that. Okay. So (both talking) Taylor: ....misunderstand, was there an application for that State credit last year also for this same concept, but for a different size building? Monson: We had the Council's approval, but because they ran out of money we never put in our application, so we've .... we didn't go through the process, uh, and now we, of course, uh, that has changed so we want to, uh.... we believe the previous authorization is ... is null and void and we're going forward with this application. So .... um, by .... I need to say that we're hoping to do this without TIF funding, and the two things that allow us to do it without TIF funding is obviously this grant and also the other thing would be waiving the parking requirements for, uh, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 36 the workforce housing. Um, if either one of those doesn't come through, then we have to regroup. Taylor: (mumbled) had another question then (several talking) Hightshoe: Just to clarify, this is a resolution of support only. There's nothing binding between us and IEDA, so we do a resolution of support. Kevin as a developer submitting our resolution of support into the IEDA, so there's no contractual agreement between us and IEDA. Throgmorton: Okay. Hightshoe: Does that make.... Throgmorton: Okay, thanks! Taylor: (mumbled) resolution of support, if we're saying yes and it's for the 72,000, which means 72 units, does that mean that we've ... are approving, uh, that number of stories, that height of that building? Or .... could we say up to a certain amount of money, rather than the 72,000? Cole: It's already zoned at CB -10, correct, Geoff? Frain: Correct. (several talking) Taylor: Right, for that. But if I said yes to the 72 I'd .... it would be implied that I'm approving (mumbled) Never mind! I retract that! Botchway: Tracy, I have a question for you. Um, in this particular building, um, so since there's no workforce requirement, I might be totally off base here, I mean presumably could we have individuals coming through our program, our housing program, be in this building as well? (several talking) Hightshoe: You mean would the workforce housing program require any type of requirements? Botchway: Well and the workforce housing, um, program doesn't require any requirements and so I'm asking whether or not our, uh, program would. So our housing Section 8 program would. Hightshoe: Oh, you mean if a voucher holder could apply? Botchway: Correct. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 37 Hightshoe: They could apply. It would be based on their income, if they could afford their rent though. But their voucher is dependent upon their income level, so it all depends on the tenant's income. Dickens: I know we ... in our strategic plan we did talk about possibly doing permit parking as you go farther out from downtown. Not just metering. So I think we ... we really have to look at both, not just .... doing the .... the, uh, meters up to Dodge Street or whatever, but the neighborhood should have permits. I know you go.... when you go to Chicago or something like that, all the neighborhoods, you have to have a permit you can park in that area. So it helps cut down on .... people just parking anywhere. So .... I think that should be in combination with what we're looking at, but as far as what we're voting on tonight, I .... I (mumbled) a good step in the right direction for building on that .... it's a very narrow spot and it sat empty for quite a few years so it's ... it's going to be nice to see something built there. Botchway: Yeah, I would be supportive as well, um, I think this is the spot that I was kind of trying to allude to during the strategic planning session as being kind of an eyesore, and I'm glad to see there being, you know, substantial revenue being, you know, built here. Um, density, as Peter talked about, I think is, you know, uh, the potential is, you know, pretty good and I'm, you know, hopeful as well, I guess, from that standpoint, and as we think about, you know, the 20 -somethings and the graduates, um, it's something that we do need to consider, and I think frankly we're kind of behind the 8 -ball on it because, you know, larger, um, cities like Omaha. I think you were visiting Omaha, and they've totally revitalized their downtown, to speak to individuals that have graduated, one to live in the downtown area, um, greater density, a sustainability aspect of it, being able to walk, live and work, um, in the same place. Um .... I do think parking's a major concern. Um, it's unfortunate that .... I know that Susan's right, you know, we're considering the actual, um, building, and so I won't go into that concern, but I guess I will state, since you're both here, um, you know, working with the City on a plan towards that before it comes before us I think is going to be very important, um, because obviously you've heard some of the residents' concerns and you know, I myself have concerns, um, not only about the residential neighborhood parking, and I appreciate Terry for bringing up that point because, you know, I don't necessarily, um, agree with maybe meters, but permits are interesting, but just the overall parking downtown that again, you know, we consistently hear from folks, or at least I consistently hear from folks, that there's a lack of parking, and so even if we were not able to give that, you know, um .... even if we were, or excuse me, we're not going to give that extension and there would be parking in that parking ramp, then we have to consider some type of parking plan for the loss of parking, um, that would, you know, the shortage of parking for individuals that'd be coming to the downtown, and the more .... the, or increased complaints that we would receive because of that, but... again, I'm generally supportive, um .... again, that'd just be my only concern. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 38 Cole: At this point I'm not supportive of subsidy. I think the question is is are we signaling our support for this project or not, and I think with this imfor.... important first step we are signaling the support if we authorize this. Um, I have, uh, concerns about way the workforce is calculated. As far as I can tell it is not income -sensitive. So you could have somewhat of means, receive essentially a $72,000 subsidy from us, an additional million dollars of subsidy from the State. I think the State has its own policy; we have our own municipal policy, and our interest is looking after the best interests of the citizens of Iowa City. Um ... if in fact there's the market demand for this project, it's important to note as well that we cannot stop the project. It complies with the current zoning regulations, assuming it can meet its burden of proof to go through the Board of Adjustment, this project can go through, but the question for us is whether we as taxpayers are going to support $72,000 to commit to this. Now in terms of the parking discussion, um, the ... the theorist on that is Daniel Shoopy. I'm a Shoopista myself. Um, I actually have called for in various times revisiting this question of the parking in our downtown. I think there is an argument to be made that it is outdated. However, I think we need to make sure that when we evaluate our parking policy, that we're doing it as a whole, considering the downtown as a whole, rather than response to a particular project. That's the concern that I have is that we're making an enormous deviation based upon one particular project, and this is a major policy that affects the entire community, and finally reg... regarding the timing, um, you know, here we are yet again. We get a proposal on Thursday for the public to consider. I view that our bosses, the Councilors bosses, are the people of Iowa City, and they need more time to weigh in on these sorts of projects that deviate from well -accepted standards. So ... I'm not categorically ruling out that I would never vote for this again in the future, but I think one, we need to have good parking policy design downtown, um, and two, I think we need to revisit whether we want to support this sort of workforce housing that does not contain an income cap. That's concerning to me, and finally, I was young once my too. I love young people and I want to be welcoming to young people, but I'm concerned that we're not also marketing as well to our elderly population, who is right across the street from the Senior Center, and I think what kind of message does that send where we're not marketing it as well to our elderly population. So at least for now, I'm going to vote no because I think there's just too many concerns and questions that have been unanswered. Thomas: I had a four-hour conversation with, I think it was four hours, uh (laughs) time... time kinda flew, uh, talking with Kevin about a lot of issues on Saturday, and... and I do really appreciate the work that he's doing, uh, in Iowa City. My concerns with this project, I think, are more on a ..... on a general level, um, particularly with regard to the .... the notion, which is what this tax credit is for, uh, for workforce housing. And .... you know, this is one of the things Kevin and I talked about. The .... the elephant in the room in the greater downtown area, including the downtown, is the demand for student housing, and I'm not saying any .... any mechanism with this project to preclude students from living in the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 39 building, and so we have a project that the .... the premise of this, you know, the... submitting to the State for ... for the tax credits for workforce housing is that it would be providing workforce housing, and ... uh, I'm not convinced, especially insofar as we don't have any market analysis in terms of what actually is the demand for micro -housing serving the workforce population to support, um .... to support moving forward. I mean there were a number of comments made during.... during the ... the comments by .... by Kevin and others that we think there's demand. You know, if this were a .... a four-story micro -housing project in Riverfront Crossings with 20 units, I ... I think I might be willing to gamble that there is the demand, but this is a .... this is a large building in the downtown, and micro -housing is a relatively small niche within the housing market that .... I don't know that we have any .... any grasp whatsoever in terms of what the demand for this housing type is, and I'm .... I tend to be inclined to think it's actually, um, something that the students would favor. Um, I .... in the time I had to kind of look online, uh, colleges and universities are looking at micro -housing as a way of providing housing for their students, and it does seem to me to be a natural, uh, building type, uh, to serve students. Um, I think, uh... Alicia's comment about the waiving the off-street parking requirement, currently my understanding is we ... we waive parking requirements for historic buildings and ... and part of the reason for that is to .... to try to preserve.... what we have left of our historic fabric in the downtown. If we waive the off-street parking requirement, and I think this speaks to Rockne's point, there's a .... there is a relationship between the off-street parking requirement and our historic preservation efforts, and if we break that connection, uh, I .... I .... I'm concerned where this might go and at this point, I'm not seeing the analysis that tells me otherwise. Um, so you have the question of the market demand, will this in fact be workforce housing or student housing. The off-street parking requirements. You know, the last point I would make is, in the Comprehensive Plan as ... as Nancy said when she spoke, we have some guidelines with respect to where tall buildings should go. Uh, the ... the idea is that they would go on the corners and that the .... mid -rise and historic fabric would connect the ... the buildings on the corners. We know there's going to be a tall building at...at Washington and Linn, so we will have that sort of bookend effect. Do we want another highrise running through the center? Um, and in ... in looking at the master plan, you know, they made these comments and ended with the statement that departure from the in -fill development guidelines will erode the special qualities that make the downtown so unique. Ultimately the City should pursue the creation of a form -based code to regulate all new de .... development downtown. So I mean there was actually pretty strong language in .... in the Comprehensive Plan, in the downtown Riverfront master plan, uh, with respect to how to ... design with taller structures, um ... this is the Comprehensive Plan. If we ... if we don't agree with those guidelines, I think we need to have a conversation about that right now. Um, I know when the Chauncey was being proposed, we referenced the tall corners on the cor... you know, tall buildings on the corner lot. That's .... that was provided as justification for that project. Sol...I think we either.....we need to either say these are foundational principles, or This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 40 they're not, and urn ... to my knowledge thus far we are adhering to those principles. This would be the first deviation from them. Throgmorton: So I think I should express my view here. Uh... what time is it now? So about twc hours ago this room was packed with people who are feeling enormous frustration about the lack of affordable housing in Iowa City. They can't find it. Vacancy rate, they didn't say this, but is less than 2% for rental units. So ... I'm willing to ... to subsidize construction ... of a building like this .... by supporting an application for workforce housing tax credits. I'm also willing to support eliminating the parking requirement for affordable housing units. But I find it very, very difficult in light of the room full of people earlier and various other things to support it, support this project, unless it includes ... um, basically 15%, less ... at least 15% of its units are affordable in the way that we define affordability. Uh, and I think it needs to be more harmonious with, uh, the Yacht Club building. I ... I don't want to try to define that, uh, but my concern I think is clearly stated and ... there! Botchway: I do want to say, because it sounds like we ... Pauline, did you speak? Oh, go ahead! I didn't mean to (several talking) Taylor: I spoke as far as .... the proposal is put before us, uh, does that mean that I'm approval .... I mean I applaud you. I think the concepts and .... as we talked, and I applaud the artist (mumbled) uh, in the room. That's a beautiful concept and something that we don't have and we're always talking about art downtown, urn ... but this particular concept, I .... leads me to believe that if I said yes it would be supporting the height that the building which I .... as has been said by some others, that just doesn't seem to fit there for that height. Uh, even if it was two floors less, uh, but ... cause overall I ... I love the concept and the green that you're talking about, uh, I can't support the proposal. Throgmorton: So we've all had a chance to express our views; that's good cause now we got a sense of how people think. I think it would be appropriate for people to try to change one another's minds, and I'm open to hearing other views. But ... you know, right (several talking) Botchway: Yeah, that's what I wanted to talk ... um, so you know .... Rockne, and I can't remember all the points and I should have written them down. I think when you're talking about a subsidy of 72,000, and I agree with you to a certain extent, I feel like Susan answered that prior to you mentioning it because, you know, the money that we'd be getting back would be paid right away. So I...I don't necessarily see it as .... I don't necessarily see it as public funds lost. I see that as public funds gained. Um, as far as .... Jim, your comments are very near and dear to me because I had this conversation with Joe about affordable housing, and if I remember correctly, I mean, I'm the only other person that's, you know, yelling affordable housing every single time we have a project. Um, that being said, um, I ... I do, you know, in my mind as I was thinking about the 150,000, you know, the This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 41 City, the County, um, the School (mumbled) going to talk to Geoff after the meeting and say, you know, can this money be, you know.... shifted towards affordable housing later on, but you know .... my problem is, and I think as we as a Council, as we deliberate and think about things, um, we have to make a decision as far as .... and I think, John, this is to your point about the Comprehensive Plan, we have to make a decision as far as, you know, what exactly we want to discuss as far as density is concerned as well, because I think a lot of us have notions about, you know, this'd be a great place or this would be a great place, but you know, frankly I don't think, you know, we .... we really think about the need, um, of density and having it in a .... in this particular location, um, which I think is an ideal location, um, and it being .... it being a necessary thing, and I understand that, you know, it's kind of a `but' to the Comprehensive Plan and I ... I totally agree with you and kind of, you know, thinking about those concerns, but .... I also feel like, you know, and kind of back to your point, Rockne, that you know while we do consider the seniors. I mean we have a Senior Center, we have .... we just...I think we just, um, supported a project that put a, you know, substantial amount of money towards making sure there was affordable housing for seniors. We do nothing in regards to graduate students, or ... or people that graduate, in between the 25, um, to you know, I'll say 40 cause I'm getting older now, 40 range. Um, and you know frankly it's terrible for recruitment, it's terrible for, urn ... urn, what I feel like is a divide for the City, and so I know that, you know, a lot of people that spoke before us, um, mentioned the fact that, or at least Greg in particular, mentioned that, Greg Hearns, mentioned the fact that we do have a division of rich and poor, and I feel like in this city in particular we also are having, uh, a division of, you know, um, old, you know, Iowa City residents and then student population, which with .... while we're not speaking to that particular gap at all, and frankly I think you see that, um, with, you know, the apathy that people, um, at least talk to me in the same age range about, you know, government and other things because, you know, frankly I don't see it, and so a lot of people I talk to talk about Boulder, talk about Denver, talk about Omaha, talk about Des Moines, talk about tons of other communities that they're willing to move to because Iowa City isn't talking to them, and so I think, you know, as a Council, I know that I may be ... I'm a little further from the age bracket in, um, many of you. I think that we need to make some type of consideration as far as that is concerned. Throgmorton: Others? Mims: Yeah, I .... as we spoke a number of people, you know, on the Council again spoke about parking, and .... and again I just .... I guess I just need to reemphasize this vote tonight is not about parking! I totally agree with the idea that we need to make some changes in parking. We need to look at that very seriously as our near -in neighborhoods are being impacted, whether it's permit parking, whether it's meter parking, whether it's, you know, just other major changes to our parking policy. I totally get it. I absolutely totally agree. That is not what we're voting on tonight. What we are voting on tonight is simply are we willing to commit $72,000 so an application can go forward to leverage maybe close to a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 42 million dollars for a project that could already be built to this height based on the current zoning for that piece of property. So regardless of Comprehensive Plan, regardless of whether we as individuals or members of the community like that particular height, okay, developers could come back and say, okay. We're gonna put up 14 stories and instead of 72 micro -units, which you know gives us more density downtown, maybe helps us address the lack of units, could say you know what? We're gonna put in 28 $500,000 condos in here. And if we're gonna sell `em for 500 or $750,000, we can pay that $900,000 for parking. And you're going to get the same building. You're going to get fewer units, and you're going to do absolutely nothing in terms of really increasing density downtown and maybe addressing so ... some affordable units downtown. So I don't .... I mean, I'm sorry! To me it is an absolute no-brainer from a muni.... municipal standpoint to say we'll put up $72,000 with the idea that we may start getting back $150,000 a year in tax revenue, minimum, and we've got 72 micro -units which .... John, you know, I have no idea if the demand is there, but you know what, that's their problem! Okay? When Marc Moen put up Plaza Towers, I don't know how many people .... I was one of `em in this town that thought he was absolutely crazy. Who is going to spend that much money for those units? Those things sold and resold for incredible profits. This is a different market. You talk about student housing, if they don't want students in there, there's one really quick way to do it. You don't make August I" your lease date. (laughs) That's the quickest way in a college town to avoid .... you know, the student rental is you don't make August 151 your rental renewal date. I agree with you, Rockne. Make ... make it clear that the seniors are welcome there too. Why not? And from what I heard from Kevin, I don't think they've got a problem with that at all. I don't think that's necessarily what they saw as their niche market, but what better client who's not going to be partying and causing you problems than some of our seniors. So, I see it as a no-brainer for this community, given that we could have something.... there that is just as high, without any zoning changes, without any Comp Plans, etc. Cole: But back to your point, Kingsley, you know and I think you've, um, talked several times about being connected to the students and I appreciate that, um ... but I think that if we are going to talk about meaningful input from members of the community, we've got to get more time for them to consider projects like this. Susan, we're committing. We are. It ... it signals our support and I think if we commit to this and we have $72,000, and then in the future say, well, no we've changed our mind, then all of a sudden we create an expectation on the developer's part that we are committing to this, and that's not good development either, and so I feel when we do these sorts of large departures from what we're used to, we need to do charrettes. They need to be out in the public. The ... the people that hear in the public, rather than commenting during City Hall, they need to have charrettes out in the libraries, out in the communities, and if there's overwhelming support for this, and we do this as part of a larger discussion, um, I'm not dogmatic about this. This does have height. I'm not categorically against height in all scenarios, um, but as Jo .... as John pointed out, we are looking at This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 43 vertical on that corner and I'm not going to be opposed when that comes to vertical on that corner because I believe it complies with the Comprehensive Plan, so to me it's not about what I think or what Susan thinks. It's about allowing the public adequate opportunity to weigh in on this, and I don't think they've had that, and so that's why I'm going to continue to vote no because it is a signal for which way we want to go and I think it demonstrably does not comply with the Comp Plan and I think to the extent we need to have a conversation on density, let's do that as part of the revision of the Comp Plan! That's my view. Throgmorton: Okay. Any other views, any other.... Thomas: I would just add that I ... I'd like in a way to tie this.... discussion to the public discussion we had not too long ago with the missing middle, because I think the ... the issue we are facing in Iowa City, uh, does focus ... on the question of how do we house the non -student population of which workforce housing is a component, uh (mumbled) presentation indicated that there's actually a pretty wide range of housing types that can serve those purposes. I would ... I would say this conversation as the micro -housing to that list, um, what's critical and ... and if you look at what typically is associated with coding for the missing middle is you do what would be referred to as a target.... target market analysis of those building types — the duplex, the rowhouse, the cottage housing. I would say we need to do the same thing with the micro -housing. It is not a widespread building type. You know, you have a ... in Seattle you have it, you have it in San Francisco. It is ... it is not fully tested. Certainly seems to me that it is a .... a building type that would very easily adapt to the student population. So, it may be the backstop on this project if there isn't the market demand for .... the workforce housing in this building. And so my ... my question is, do I want a 14 -story building that's 75% students? That is what I'm concerned about. You know, I ... I .... actually if I ... if I knew this was indeed going to be occupied by workforce housing, I would be much more receptive to it. We .... we still have those issues, you know, that Alicia brought up, as to how this would affect the downtown as a whole, but I think we're flying blind. It's kind of a no-brainer (laughs) in another sense to be planning buildings of this size without understanding the market. We have to understand the market. (both talking) Throgmorton: We need to bring this to fruition, it seems to me. So.... Botchway: One second, too, cause I want to talk about the point. I worry about our analysis as far as students, as well, because I agree with you, John. I ... frankly was going to make the comment even before we ended the discussion that, you know, I'd be very upset if I saw, you know, freshmen in this particular building, but then as I was thinking about, you know, graduate students and I was actually trying to, you know, juxtapose myself in this situation, you know. I was a graduate student that, you know, worked three jobs while I was going to law school and so, you know, there is an opportunity to live in a building that was a lot closer than, you know, the Main Gate Apartments that I lived, you know, down Highway 6, and so I ... I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 44 don't want us to, you know, punt on the student issue or punt on it just because of the fact that, you know, we are .... we're looking at this solely from the standpoint of, you know (mumbled) anti -student. I ... I'd actually be okay with maybe graduate students or, you know, graduate students or above (both talking) Thomas: We have no control! Botchway: Right. That's true too. That's true. The one point that I will make is that... the two things that I've heard that are pretty huge points have been lack of market analysis and I agree with you, John, there cause that's why I mentioned the fact that, you know, Kevin Monson was, you know, um, kind of marketing.... or anal ... analysis from a staffer's, not necessarily from the public perspective, but then also with Rockne that, you know, maybe this is a situation that needs more time, you know, frankly when it comes to big buildings, normally the public, um, if they're not supportive of it, comes out in droves. Um, and so, um, regardless of the timing, but if it needs more time, I guess my question is is that, is there an opportunity to ... is there an opportunity to wait on this, Geoff? Mims: No, they need to get in line! (several talking) Fruin: They ... they risk gettin' in queue or not, receiving the funding allocation. Botchway: For ... at this particular time, I'm saying in a week's .... in a week's time, um, and a market analysis was able to be done — I know that's not possible, but .... um...you know, even some time for the public to weigh in, um.... Mims: Keep in mind the building height is allowed under the current zoning. Botchway: Yeah, I guess my ... so, Susan, to your point, I mean, potentially you could just build a student housing. Mims: Yep! Botchway: All right. I mean I .... that's why I don't .... I feel like.... it's one ofthose ... best worst case situations or scenarios, um, but.... okay! Dickens: Well we have Park 201 that's in the middle of the block. You can technically say it's an alley, but that's right in the middle of a block, much like this building, and it's not all students. It's a little different setup. This .... fits into that spot with the seven -story building next to it, with the potential of another big building next to it, keeping the integrity of the historic building that's next to it. I'm voting for what we have in front of us here and ... that building will get built, whether it's workforce housing or as Susan said anything else. There's going to be a building there and ... the fact that we're voting for it as a workforce, I think we have a little more control over it than.. just saying have at it. So, I'm going to vote, support it, because it...it's what's in front of us. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 45 Throgmorton: Okay. Pauline or John, did you want to say anything else? I don't know. Okay! We should vote. Roll call. All right. Think there was .... ample indication that, um, a modified version of this would be supported. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 46 ITEM 10. SCHOOL SPEED ZONE — AMENDMENTS TO HOURS IN EFFECT AND ADDITION OF NEW ZONE LOCATION - CONSIDER AN ORDINANCE AMENDING SECTION 9, ENTITLED "MOTOR VEHICLES AND TRAFFIC," CHAPTER 3, ENTITLED "RULES OF THE ROAD," SECTION 6, ENTITLED "SPEED RESTRICTIONS", SUBSECTION C, ENTITLED "SCHOOL SPEED ZONES" TO CREATE A 20 MPH SCHOOL SPEED ZONE FOR ALEXANDER ELEMENTARY SCHOOL AND TO EXPAND THE HOURS DURING WHICH REDUCED SPEED IS IN EFFECT IN ALL SCHOOL SPEED ZONES Mims: Move first consideration. Thomas: Second. Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Discussion? Botchway: Eleanor, I'm going to recuse myself from this particular vote. I don't think there's a ... a need to, but .... um .... I just don't want it to seem like something. Dilkes: That's your decision. Cole: Can I just ask one question about speed zones in general? Um .... I did receive actually a ... a concern from a constituent about a speed zone near the Mann School, so even though this is about a different school, how is this process generated in terms of just a complaint from a resident or is there a standard speed zone in front of schools? How does that ... how is that generated? How does that process start? Frain: I'm going to tap into John Yapp's expertise on this one. Yapp: It's really a local, uh, determination. Uh, the issue in ... in, at Mann School in the past on, uh.... Dodge Street has been Iowa DOT has jurisdiction... over that speed limit. But on local streets it is a local determination (both talking) Cole: .....just a local and that's initiated.... okay. Yapp: ....and, uh, the school speed zone speed in City code is 20 miles per hour. Throgmorton: Further discussion? Hearing none, roll call. Motion carries 6-0 with Botchway, uh, recusing himself. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Page 47 ITEM 15. CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION Throgmorton: Uh, why don't we start with Susan. Mims: Uh, Friday night went to a great fundraiser for Have Life. They are an organization that is raising money for scholarships for students, um, in need for.... athletic, music, art camps, participation, that sort of thing. Geoff was there and involved in the committee, urn .... just a great activity and really appreciate everybody's support for it! Throgmorton: John! Thomas: Uh, last night we had our annual Brown Street block party, which, um ... is pretty wonderful event and uh, I mention it in part just to encourage other neighborhoods and communities to think about street closing, close down a couple of blocks in your street, um, have a party. Uh, there's something special about partying in the street, so... Throgmorton: No dancing I take it? Thomas: No, we didn't have any music, but .... kids were.... playing like crazy (several talking) Throgmorton: Pauline? Nothing! Rocknel Cole: There's a couple things I wanted on the work agenda. Would that be Council time or .... a different time? Throgmorton: That'd be Council time. Cole: (mumbled) I would say that I got invited to this fabulous picnic at City Park with the Sudanese community, and I brought my dora... daughter Nora and she had a lot of fun. Uh, great food. I ate too much as I always (mumbled) City Park at 3:00 so, had a good time! Dickens: Three things since I've been gone... tomorrow, vote! If you haven't voted already, get out and vote. I don't care who you vote for, just get out and vote! I mean, if you want to ask me I'll let you know (laughter) but .... (several talking) Arts Fest was this weekend — beautiful weather! Uh... great event, uh, even losing Buckwheat Zydeco. They filled in with another band that was their second choice anyway that was able to come, so ... a great there. Uh, downtown construction is moving ahead. People, don't be afraid to come downtown! Uh, the stores are all open. It's a little dusty, but they're.... this construction company has done a fantastic job of keeping it clean. There is parking downtown. Uh... just come down and support your locals! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016. Botchway: Saturday, June 25's, from 12:00 to 6:00 is the Juneteenth, sixth annual Juneteenth celebration. Think we'll have a meeting before then but .... just wanted to make sure I ... mention it now. Throgmorton: Yeah, good deal! On June 17a' the Affordable Homes Coalition will hold a conference on affordable housing policies and programs... at the Radisson Hotel on First Avenue in Coralville from 8:00 in the morning to 4:00 in the afternoon. could talk about my trip to Notre Dame .... over the past several days, but I won't! So ... we can turn to staffl This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council special formal meeting of June 6, 2016.