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Council Present: Botchway, Cole, Dickens, Mims, Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton
Staff Present: Fruin, Dilkes, Hightshoe, Karr, Bockenstedt, Rackis, Boothroy, Yapp,
Miklo, Ralston, Nagle, Gannon, Knoche, Goers, Havel
Others Present: Simpson, Nelson (UISG)
Ouestions from Council re Agenda Items:
Throgmorton/ Well let's, uh, begin our ... City Council work session for August 16, 2016.
Questions from Council Members for agenda items.
ITEM 5. ROSE OAKS — RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING TRANSITION PAYMENT
TO TENANTS OF ROSE OAKS APARTMENTS FROM CITY'S
AFFORDABLE HOUSING FUND
Botchway/ Item, um, #5, uh, can we move that up in the agenda? Um ... I know in the past that
when we received considerable, um, or just news that there would be a considerable
amount of people we moved some things up in the agenda just so those individuals won't
have to necessarily stay the entire time. Um, I've, you know, seen via Facebook and just
some other parties that there are going to be, um, a consig... a considerable amount of
folks coming to the meeting and rather kind of move that forward in the agenda
(mumbled) move forward.
Throgmorton/ Perhaps we could do that, but there are like only five items that appear before it
and they're all, I think, going to be processed very quickly. So .... we could do that but....
Mims/ I just always have the concern of moving things forward and people have already looked
at the agenda and where it is.
Botchway/ Right.
Mims/ And ... then they get here late (several talking)
Dickens/ Two of 'em are Cottonwood and one's the ambulance that we've already voted on and
the other one's....
Botchway/ All right (several talking)
Mims/ Yeah, I think the zoning should go pretty quick.
Throgmorton/ (mumbled)
Botchway/ Anybody .... if anybody starts talkin' I'm gonna give you the evil eye! (laughter)
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Cole/ Well I guess I would like to move it to the beginning as well cause you never know how
long those are going .... do we think it'll be a half hour on the reset of those items or...
Throgmorton/ Oh much less! (both talking) I mean I don't anticipate any discussion really
about them at all.
Cole/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ If somebody else knows otherwise, please say so.
Botchway/ John and Pauline, you've been somewhat quiet over there!
Thomas/ It does seem.... there.... it's light.
Botchway/ Okay.
Taylor/ I have heard, as you have, that there could be, uh, a number of people wanting to speak,
uh.... but .... (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so I ... I (both talking) if I thought we would have a lot of discussion about
some of those items, I'd say `yeah, I agree, let's move it up,' but I don't think that's the
situation.
Botchway/ All right. Cool!
ITEM 6. CHAUNCEY BUILDING TIF REVENUE BONDS — RESOLUTION
APPROVING AND AUTHORIZING LOAN AGREEMENTS AND
AUTHORIZING AND PROVIDING FOR THE ISSUANCE AND
SECURING THE PAYMENT OF $12,805,000 TAXABLE URBAN
RENEWAL REVENUE CAPITAL LOAN NOTES, SERIES 2016E, OF
THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, STATE OF IOWA UNDER THE
PROVISIONS OF THE CITY CODE OF IOWA, AND PROVIDING FOR A
METHOD OF PAYMENT OF THE NOTES
Throgmorton/ With regard to Item 6, Eleanor, would I be correct in assuming that Rockne and I
both should recuse ourselves from that again? Okay.
Cole/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ And ... let's see.
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ITEM 7. CITY CHARTER AMENDMENT — RESOLUTION AUTHORIZING AND
DIRECTING THE JOHNSON COUNTY AUDITOR TO PLACE A
PROPOSED AMENDMENT TO THE CITY'S HOME RULE CHARTER
TO AMEND SECTION 7.03(A)(NUMBER OF SIGNATURES) OF
ARTICLE VII (INITIATIVE AND REFERENDUM) TO CHANGE THE
NUMBER OF SIGNATURES REQUIRED ON INITIATIVE AND
REFERENDUM PETITIONS BEFORE THE QUALIFIED ELECTORS OF
THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, IOWA AT A SPECIAL CITY ELECTION
ON NOVEMBER 8, 2016
Botchway/ Item 7, I know we talked about, urn ... (both talking)
Cole/ (mumbled)
Botchway/ Yeah. Yeah, cause I circled the price. Um .... yeah, I know we talked about the fact
that it would be hard to, I don't know. I don't know what I'm trying to say because I
know that when we initially had talked about it the last meeting you had mentioned the
fact that we wouldn't be able to get it before the possibility of removing the ballot
measure from the ballot, and then we even talked about the fact that we'd want
considerable public input. It's just a lot of money. I don't know. Maybe I'm just
making a comment rather than a question.
Throgmorton/ Let me say a few things about it and then, uh, ask Eleanor to, uh, provide some
legal insight here. So over the past couple weeks I've investigated possible ways to avoid
the expense of placing it on the ballot, including having the Council consider an
ordinance amending the Charter. But Eleanor, uh, says very clearly that `must' means
`must.' That is the Charter is very clear that once a valid petition is filed with regard to a
Charter amendment, we must put it on the ballot. So I'm going to ask Eleanor to talk
about that in just a second. But before I do that, I want to also report that in our late
handout in the package we got today, or this afternoon, uh, Marian reports that the
Auditor's office now indicates that basically $31,000 is the maximum cost the City would
be billed for putting the Charter, uh, amendment on the ballot... instead of the 60 to
70,000 that was originally estimated by the Auditor's office. I'm also aware that,
uh... um, Martha Hampel and some others who, um, you know, passed this petition around
have suggested that we proceed with considering an ordinance amending the Charter and
one person has suggested that only petitioners would have standing to sue, and if they got
what they had petitioned for, why would they sue. So .... this is where I think we could
benefit from some legal, uh, insight from you, Elea... Eleanor. I know you were party to
the email that I'm just referring to right now. So....
Dilkes/ Um, so .... in the late handouts, in case you didn't see it last night, I did a memo
specifically addressing what the Council action or options for Council actions were, um,
now that the petition's been filed. Um ... in terms of. ... suing, I mean, I guess I don't ... I
typically don't give opinions based on whether someone might sue or not cause frankly
someone can always sue. I mean I gave my opinion based on my interpretation of the
statute. In terms of, um .... Carol's statement about standing, I don't know that that's
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accurate, that only the petitioners would have standing. I think there's arguments to be
made on either side of that. But think about.... what... would happen if, okay, so we now
have a petition. It's the third way to amend the Charter — a citizen petition. It says once
it's valid, and it is valid, um, the Council must put it on the ballot, and so the question...
another question I got was well that doesn't mean that Council can't proceed under
option B to enact an ordinance. And my response to that is, well even if you did proceed
under exhibit B there's still a mandate that you put the petition on the ballot and .... when
it's between .... so to me there'd still be a vote. The other possibility, and this could get
really complicated, is that if you passed.... let's say you decided, okay we're not gonna
put it on the ballot. We're gonna pass an ordinance and we're gonna see if we get sued.
There's also a reverse referendum. So if you pass the ordinance, another petition can be
filed requiring you, with the same.... signature requirements, requiring you to put it on the
ballot. By that time, the November deadline, the ballot deadline for November would
have passed.
Throgmorton/ Which is the end of August, right?
Dilkes/ Right! So ... if that .... if you don't put it on the ballot and you get that referendum, the
ordinance will not be in effect until a special election is set on that referendum petition.
So .... you know, it's .... (laughs) it doesn't make a whole lot of sense, I don't think, for
you to pass an ordinance at this stage. The petitioners, frankly, should have not filed the
petition if they wanted to preserve that option. They could have filed that
petition.... three days before the ballot deadline and we would have had to pull Council
together to, urn .... to do the resolution, get .... to put it on the ballot. They didn't. They
filed it. So .... I mean I .... I think it's pretty clear.
Throgmorton/ Do any of the rest of you have thoughts or questions about this?
Mims/ It would seem to me the cleanest way is just to vote on this and put it on the ballot as the
language says we must since the petition was filed and then go from there. I think
anything else just complicates it too much.
Cole/ Yeah, I think `must' means `must' and I would agree.
Throgmorton/ I do want y'all to know that I tried pretty hard to ... investigate an alternative, and it
became clear to me, at least, that we couldn't do it. So .... meaning, us vote so if...if I
thought we could do it, it would have been on the agenda for tonight. We would have
done our first reading of the ordinance and then see where that would have gone, but it
just .... didn't prove possible (both talking)
Dilkes/ Well and I think the....but the .... then the extension of that is that even if you did it, I
don't think it avoids the election. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ What do ya call it, the ... re ... reverse or recall referendum, what's the right term?
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Dilkes/ Well I think number one you're still mandated to put this petition on the ballot even if
you pass the ordinance, and number two, if you decide you're not gonna do that, there's
still a referendum possibility.... that requires you to put it on the ballot anyway, and then
you've got the election costs.
Throgmorton/ Very good news is that the cost to the City will be about half, maybe less than
half, of what was originally estimated. I know some people walked in after I first said
this but the .... the cost would be something like $31,000 to the City, instead of the
originally estimated 60 to 70,000. Okay, anybody want to say anything else about it?
Okee doke. Let's see, I think there was one thing I wanted to mention. Wanted to ask a
question, I guess, about, um ... Item ... oh my....my vision, good griefl
ITEM 2e(2) EASTSIDE MIXED USE FORM -BASED CODE — MOTION
SETTING A PUBLIC HEARING FOR SEPTEMBER 6 ON AN ORDINANCE
AMENDING TITLE 14: ZONING TO ESTABLISH FORM -BASED ZONING
STANDARDS FOR THE EAST SIDE MIXED USE ZONE AND TO CLARIFY
AND REFINE CERTAIN PROVISIONS THAT APPLY DOWNTOWN AND IN
THE RIVERFRONT CROSSINGS DISTRICT
Throgmorton/ Uh, Item 2e(2), which is setting a public hearing, establishing a form based code
standard for the eastside mixed use zone. Uh, and ... and I....John, you're out there; Doug,
you're out there. Um, do I understand correctly that the buildings that are on the verge of
being constructed on south Van Buren, between College and Burlington, would not be
subject to that form -based code?
Yapp/ Mayor, are you referring to the old Community Mental Health...
Throgmorton/ Yeah.
Yapp/ ....properties?
Throgmorton/ Yes.
Yapp/ Uh, we have been working with the owner of those properties and they would be...
Throgmorton/ They would be.
Yapp/ ....compliant with this. The proposed code.
Mims/ But they wouldn't be required to be, would they, since this isn't passed? I mean....
Yapp/ They're not ready to pull their building permit at this time, so I think they would be
required upon setting of this hearing.
Mims/ Okay. Thank you.
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Throgmorton/ Great! Thank you.
Dilkes/ There hasn't been substantial (mumbled)
Appointments to Boards and Commissions [Agenda # 101:
Throgmorton/ Okay, any other questions about agenda items? Hearing none, let's go to
appointments, uh, to boards and commissions. We need to appoint someone else instead
of Dromi Etsey to the Housing and Community Development Commission, and I think ... I
hope we all understand why that is. She lives outside the City limits, which we didn't
know that. So, we have, what, six applicants for the position. Uh, any suggestions?
Mims/ Has to be a female.
Throgmorton/ Has to be a female, right. 'though I wonder, you know, if we reverse the sequence
in which we appointed these. No? No, no, no, okay, never mind! Has to be a female.
(laughs)
Mims/ Thank you, Marian! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ A look of reproach from our City Clerk! (laughter) So, suggestions about who to
appoint?
Mims/ Well .... I know Jim and I at least had a very, uh.... thoughtfully worded email from Crissy
Canganelli, um, encouraging us to reappoint Dorothy Persson and I know sometimes
we've reappointed, sometimes we have not. Um, but I thought both Paula Vaughan and
Dorothy Persson were .... were strong candidates, and .... and given.... given the work that
Crissy has done in this community for decades, for her to put forth such a strong
recommendation for somebody, um, certainly carries an awful lot of weight for me and so
I would, uh, put forth Dorothy Persson's name.
Botchway/ Um .... I saw a (clears throat) missed call from Shelter House and maybe that was
Crissy calling earlier today, but um .... I.....and I agree with, um, well I'm doing the same
thing that you don't like, Susan. I agree with you but I disagree because, um....
Mims/ Just saddling the fence all the time!
Botchway/ (laughs) I know but the issue I have is, you know, I agree that, you know, she, um,
you know, a recommendation from Crissy holds a lot of weight with me but .... I know I
worry, again, about, you know, the fact that we were trying to make sure (both talking)
Mims/ Turnover.
Botchway/ .....multiple people have that turnover and so, you know, that's why I, I mean,
my ... my vote is for Paula, um, just for that simple fact. I think that, you know, Dorothy's
done a wonderful job; I'm not sayin' anything about her. I just want to consistently, you
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know, make sure that we're turning people over and having that, urn .... different view
point (both talking)
Throgmorton/ On the other hand, there's merit in having some continuity as well, so that you can
build on some degree of experience. It's .... it's an old issue and.....democratic
governance, you know, but uh..... have to think about both. So, other folks?
Taylor/ Well I ... I tend to go along with Kingsley's point that... cause I've been shut down before
when I've suggested reappointing people to certain boards and commissions, saying `oh
no, we got the, you know, turn things around, have new people on there,' so, uh, I would
agree with Kingsley and although it ... I appreciate Crissy's, uh, recommendation, uh, and
appreciate, uh, Dorothy's service, uh, but perhaps go with Paul ... Paula and start with a
new person.
Dickens/ I would go with Paula as well. Just try to keep the turnover, but keep Dorothy as an ace
in the hole if somebody steps off the board that she could fill in an unexpired term ... since
she already knows the committee, that she could (both talking)
Throgmorton/ You don't mean step off the board like step off the diving board (several talking
and laughing)
Dickens/ If somebody would leave, I think she would be a good replacement that could step in
and have a pretty good idea of what was going on, so....
Cole/ I'm gonna support Paula.
Throgmorton/ I hear at least four in support of Paula Vaughan. Uh, I would of, uh, be happy
with either Dorothy or Paula in this instance. I would have favored, like Susan did, uh,
Dorothy Persson, but .... I think Paula would be terrific as well! So, I think that's a
decision, isn't it, so.... Make sure I make note of it. So we also have to fill an unexpired
term, the one that had been occupied by Matthew Pierce .... and we have the same six
app ... well, now five applicants, plus Heather Young and Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz. I've
forgotten how Vanessa pronounces her last name.
Mims/ Well, I would recommend Dorothy for this one. It's filling out the unexpired for one
year. Um, there's not a gender requirement, but when I look at the strength of the
candidates, um, and again .... her particular experience and ... and recommendation from
Crissy to give her the one year, um, to fill out this position, I would go with Dorothy.
Cole/ I'll support Dorothy. Her credentials were very impressive, so I think that makes sense in
terms of bringing her expertise for that last year of the term. So I will support Dorothy.
Taylor/ I'd be okay with that also.
Botchway/ Yes, so I .... I agree, um .... (several talking and laughing) but, you know, I mean I will
agree. I just want (mumbled) talked about, you know, Nikolas Maggos. Hope I'm
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saying his name right. Just, you know, again, um, trying to .... I believe he was the
individual that, you know, um....
Throgmorton/ He's a graduate student.
Botchway/ ....graduate student, just wanting to make sure that we were introducing people into,
um, the, uh.... kind of the, you know, roster so to speak, but .... no, I'm fine with ... I'm fine
with Dorothy.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I think, uh.... Nik would be dandy as well, although I haven't met him, he's
got a terrific, uh, I don't know, resume. I also think Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz will
be .... would be terrific. Uh, I have had some interaction with her. She's really.... she's
smart as a whip, uh, and has a lot of potential. And a lot of relevant experience. Okay,
so looks .... I think I'm hearing, uh, clear support for Dorothy.
Cole/ Yep!
Discuss future actions concerning downtown development fIP # 3 Info Packet of 8/111:
Throgmorton/ Okay. There's no problem with that, is there, Marian? Yeah. Okay. All right,
uh, we can move to the next topic, which is to discuss future actions concerning
downtown development. So, uh, let me say a few words, probably too many here
because I wrote that memo and I want to make sure, uh, people hear sort of the core
elements of it. So it's .... no secret that some observers think this Council is hostile to
economic development, especially in the downtown area. So we need to address this
belief constructively. In my August 11 memo to you, I affirm that the health of our
downtown is vitally important to the overall health of our city. I also emphasized that
having a healthy downtown requires a collaborative effort on the part of City
government, the Downtown District, private property owners and developers, historic
preservation advocates, business owners, the University, and the public as a whole. In
my view, having a truly collaborative effort requires mutual commitment to a broadly
shared vision for the downtown's preservation, renovation, and development. It also
requires adoption and use of the financial and regulatory tools necessary for achieving
that broadly shared vision. So in order to facilitate such a collaborative effort, I think we
need .... we need to articulate our understandings, our intentions, and our expectations.
The memo therefore seeks to establish a starting point for discussion, analysis,
negotiation, and action and so on. It's not the end of the story (laughs) it's .... getting us
to focus attention. So I want to quickly highlight the main points of the memo, mainly
for people who are in the audience or watching on television. And this is a concise
summary. There's more in the memo. First, we should review the downtown portion of
the Downtown and Riverfront Crossings Master Plan and if necessary, consider
amending it. Second, we need to adopt or improve the financial and regulatory tools
needed to achieve the vision expressed in the downtown plan. As I see it, this would
involve six steps. We should take preliminary steps toward replacing the CB -10 zone
with a new downtown form -based code. We should work with the Downtown District
and historic preservation advocates to update the inventory of historic structures,
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determine how financial incentives for historic preservation can be used more effectively,
and consider the possibility of creating an .... an historic preservation or conservation
district for part of downtown. We should adopt a set of principles concerning the City's
use of TIF and other significant financial incentives for downtown development projects.
We should authorize preparation of a three-dimensional virtual model of downtown
which subsequently could be used to visualize the urban design implications of
alternative development proposals. Two more. We should explore ways to significantly
alleviate pressure caused by student demand for off -campus housing. And, we should
evaluate the effects of downtown development upon the demand for on and off-street
parking in neighborhoods adjacent to downtown. At the end of my memo I also make
several specific suggestions with regard to the use of TIF for downtown development
projects. I'll try to be very succinct, put .... put it as succinctly as I can, we need to clearly
express what we as a Council value concerning development downtown and we need to
val... back up those values with a willingness to provide financial incentives to property
owners and developers. So, we don't have time to discuss all the details now.
Remember, all I want to do is open up this conversation, begin the conversation. For
now .... for now I just want to get your preliminary reactions to what's in that memo and
so we can kind of sort out about how to proceed. I have a couple ideas about kind
of ... key .... key first steps we can take, but I .... I'd rather hear from y'all first. So....
Thomas/ I think it's, urn ... an excellent framework, you know, in terms of getting started, um,
with ... with approaching the downtown. Uh, there's reference to the.... Downtown,
Riverfront Crossings Master Plan. That's ... you know, that's the section of the
Comprehensive Plan, a relatively recent document, which went through considerable
public review and comment. Uh, so it's important that that's part of this analysis. Uh,
and then the, you know, there are what.... several other points (mumbled) the financial
regulatory tools, historic preservation, um ... questions using ... uh, tax increment financing
or other financial incentives. The 3-D modeling I think is a very interesting, uh, element
in that when you're working in a form -based code concept, having that 3-D modeling
would be very useful to understand how that form is .... is, uh, emerging through project
after project. It also could be used as a way of trying to assess some of the impacts of the
projects, such as sun and shadow, um .... the questions of student housing I think are
really critical to ... to moving forward on the downtown and that's referenced, so .... I ... I
think the points are all there. I mean one could certainly speak .... for a considerable
amount of time on all of them, but I think in terms of a general framework, uh, it's a
really good starting point.
Mims/ I'm gonna start from a little different perspective and that's the process that this City
Council uses, um, to get things accomplished. I was .... I'll be candid. I was pretty
concerned when I saw this memo and the length of it and the depth of it, and yet we're
talking about being collaborative with the community. Um, we've met as a Council
along with previous Council Members back on November 30'h to do a strategic planning
session. And at that time the idea to me is in a strategic planning session you .... you talk
about and you bring forward major ideas and projects and things that you want to
accomplish over the next two years. And .... um, we .... brought a lot of that forward. We
had a document, urn .... I found it concerning that in our follow up meetings with that
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more and more things kept getting added to that strategic plan that weren't even included
in that work session that day. Just kept seeing .... it seemed like the strategic plan just
kind of kept growing and growing over those following meetings and to me when you
look at the process, all of those things should have been brought forward and considered
at the same time as we were doing that strategic planning, um, on November 30a'. I take
a project like this and I see this as being so significant in terms of time commitment for
staff, for Council, for the community that for this to come up, you know, five or six
months after we approved the strategic plan and be in addition to everything else that
we've always... already agreed to with the strategic plan as being totally unacceptable.
It's not that I disagree with content. I'm not even going to in general address content. It
is more the process that we keep dropping major, major projects on our staff and on our
community. Urn ... you talk about collaborative, we are in the process with the Economic
Development Committee, um, of reviewing our TIF policies, and yet I read in here ... and
in part ... and part of doing that is setting up numerous focus groups with various
stakeholders in this community, and stakeholders, the number of which were expanded
on significantly by you, Jim, and you, Rockne, uh, to bring in, you know, a wider range
of stakeholders. And yet here I see by the Mayor basically his .... agenda if you will of
what the changes to the TIF policy for downtown should be. To me, that is subverting
that whole effort of having that public input and focus groups. If I were somebody being
invited to one of those focus groups now, I think I would be sitting there saying, `WhyT
It kind of seems like a lot of people have already made up their mind of what the changes
to the TIF policy should be. I mean, LEED certification is a must in here. Um, you
know, and things like that. So I ... to me there are .... there are other concerns with the
content. I think there's some micro -managing in here. Um, I know some people in the
community who have read this, um, see it as just incredibly lacking, that there is ... or
incredibly radical, um, that .... to have this much detail with no public discussion and no
Council discussion, I think, gives the public the perception that this is basically a given,
that this is kind of the direction that the Council is heading. Um, you know, if...if the
approach had been, gee, I think this is something we really need to talk about and here's
two or three ideas, you know, that would be one thing but to have a .... a four-page,
fleshed out document of we should do this, we must do this, and yet say that we're going
to be collaborative, urn ... I'm ... I'm just speechless I guess.
Botchway/ I'll step in a little bit. So, you know .... I agree, I mean .... there's a lot of stuff here
and, you know, the first thing I wrote down kind of as I was, you know, going through
my notes was, you know, more time. In ... in our, uh, in our late handout packet, um,
cause I didn't miss that was the preliminary goals that were given to the City Manager.
I ... I think we're .... we're doin' a lot, and I ... I'm not .... I don't have a .... I don't have a
problem with doing a lot, I mean obviously I have a focus, um, primarily on, you know,
social justice issues and racial equity issues that, you know, I think we could do
considerable more, but I also, you know, have understood that clearly to mean that we
need to do that in baby steps. Um, so the first thing was more time, I mean that's the first
point that I, um, brought up. I would agree in part with John, um, when you mention the
Comprehensive Plan because ... you know, a lot of the points in here, um, talk about things
that a considerable amount of time and effort was spent discussing. Um, and you
know .... to kind of talk about necessarily the elephant in the room, but you know, we, you
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know, we talk about wanting to, um, ensure that we follow the Comprehensive Plan
in .... in so many different ways, but this would be a substantial change, and again I think
that you kind of prefaced it with saying that this starts the conversation, um, but I will say
that I ... I've gotten considerable comments similar to, um, Susan's that, you know, this is
somewhat what it's going to be, and I think that's got a lot of people upset ... um, I
wouldn't say upset would be the word, but.... concerned. Um, I ... I don't know
necessarily that, um, the way that we're going about this is addressing some of the
concerns from kind of the development community. I ... I think that this is more kind of,
you know, turning the frying pan on a lot hotter and, you know, then trying to figure out
how we're gonna walk back from that. Um, the other part, some of the (mumbled) I
think about, you know, who'd pay for a cost, a 3-D model, if we're doing a preparation
for that. Is that something that, you know, our staff would take on, um, or that would be
something that the costa developer would take on. So that was just cost overall through
some of the points. Urn .... and then I kind of went back to the strategic planning point.
Again, I'm ... there's certain parts of this particular, um, thing that I am in favor of. I do
think we need to make sure that we are very clear with folks, um, about .... what exactly
we are, um, wanting to see, um, in our downtown, from a Council perspective, but mainly
from a Council perspective, you know, to ensure that when developers spend, you
know... million, $500,000 on, you know, urn .... uh.... developer costs associated with
bringing proposals to Council that, you know, we're not just saying, you know, not
interested at all. They at least have some idea with the ... the kind of development that we
would be interested in. But I also, you know, I also don't want to be too restrictive
because I think that, you know, with us having .... I wouldn't necessarily say a ... well, a set
criteria puts us in the position where, you know, we can't negotiate any longer. We can't
have a ... an individual submit something that we can talk and have a discussion about and
work with a developer through it. I mean, again, my tenure on Council has been
relatively short. Um, but you know it's been pretty interesting and we have had that
conversation back and forth with a developer and they've said, okay, we can change these
different things or okay, based on what I'm hearing from Council we can look for maybe
not getting that LEED certification of silver or gold but we can look up, you know,
getting at least to the standards that .... I want to have, you know, more of that
conversation, deliberation ... but, going back to Susan's point again, Urn ... I don't want to
get too much in the weeds with this. You know, I feel like as a body we are, you know,
we look at this from a policymaker standpoint. We set the policies and we have our staff
enact those policies. And, you know .... I want obviously to spend some time and
considerable amount of, you know, going through and fleshing through whatever
proposals put before us, but, you know, I don't want to be the person walking through
every single step, and I'm not saying this is what you're proposing, Jim. It just ... it reads
of that, and that's some of the comments or the commentary that I've received. So, um,
you know, I would say I'm supportive, but again, I ... I have some considerable concern
with, you know, I would say having any type of meaningful discussion about it tonight,
um, because I haven't even vetted it through multiple community channels. That was just
a couple of conversations that I just had based on kind of the timeframe, but um, I ... I'll
also say, and again I know that I have dual roles from a District standpoint and, uh, a City
standpoint so I'm not trying to bring this in to talk about the School District, but ... this is a
lot of stuff! I mean that ... I mean, and I'm not talking for Geoff. Geoff and I haven't
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talked about this at all or any of the other administrative staff, but .... I want to make sure
we're making measurable progress and you know adding more things does become
problematic. Now I know it said we're just starting the conversation but .... (laughs) lot of
stuff! And that's ... I guess that's my point.
Taylor/ Well I agree that it's a lot of information but I don't think we should reject the entire
dialogue cause there is some ... some very key points in there, and I don't see them as
radical. I see a lot of them as common sense, I mean such things as having the inventory
of the historic downtown. I think that's something that should have been long
time ..... done long time ago so that we know exactly what's there and how to keep track
of it or the 3-D model of downtown. I think that should have been done long time also,
as, uh, John or someone had said, uh, the shadowing effect, I mean, that's easy to see that
if you have a .... it doesn't have to be some big, massive, expensive model, but something
so that we can kind of see how .... how developments would work into it and then just this
whole student housing issue and ... and, uh, dealing with its effect on the city and then
demand for housing and working with the University on that. I think those are just
common sense kinds of things that ... that we do need to look at.
Cole/ Well I guess I haven't spoken yet. I ... one thing I really want to emphasize is that this
Council supports development. Um, there have been in the last six months millions of
dollars worth of projects that have already gone through, through our staff. I know we're
not here to talk about any particular project, but there's a lot on the horizon that I think
will go through clear sailing. Um, we are for development. I think the question is, and
this ... this particular, uh, proposal, at least as I understand it, arose out of a decision we
made three months, about two months ago, and I know we're not here to revisit that, but I
think it was incumbent upon us to explain clearly how and why and ... and what we're
looking for on these development projects. So as I see it, it's a two-part question. One is
is how are we going to administer development in the present, and I think our starting
point, as this memo articulates, is the Comprehensive Plan. You know not everyone
agrees on what the future of the downtown is going to look like. That's precisely why we
have the Comprehensive Plan. What it's designed to do is prevent individual Councils
from having too much impact on the long-term development of the city. So ... unless and
until we change this, um, I would encourage the development community as well as the
staff is to be prepared to defend, um, a particular proposal based upon the particulars.
Now I know that the Comp Plan is not a binding document. That it's not an
administrative code. But it is a set of principles with a sufficient amount of particularity
to give guidance. So I ... I like how Jim, or Mayor Throgmorton, at least identified some
of that language. So for example, it talks about corner locations should be reserved for
taller buildings, creating a block structure with taller buildings on the corner and lower
scale historic buildings between them. That ... that is sufficiently clear. So I agree with
Susan and Kingsley that we don't need to weigh into this, but what I would like to see is
a set of stakeholders, including some of the downtown stakeholders that are concerned
about the downtown, the future, to convene essentially a task force to look and modify
this, because unless and until this particular plan is changed, I'm gonna exercise my
discretion, my individual vote, consistently with the principles that are articulated here.
If people think that that inhibits certain types of development, then I think we need to
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have that conversation, and I think what the Mayor, at least as far as I can tell having read
the memo, is just to start the conversation. This is not the alpha and omega of the policy
discussion. This is the very first step, and so that's what I would like to see, is that it
would not be a Council matter, that we convene a set of community stakeholders, both
from the downtown, historic preservation, and community members, and they come back
with us in a ... in a year or so with a set of recommendations, soliciting widespread public
input. So that's what I would like to see. Um, and I think we can do that, and as ... as
Pauline points out, a lot of these things are already in the hopper. Um, I think we've
already started a ... a process of cataloging some of the historic structures. So, I think
there ... it is a particular model of particularity, um, there and I think it's a starting point,
um, for future discussions, and I think if we could have ... you know, the ... the stakeholders
come back and use this as a starting point and then reconvene a set of suggestions, and
maybe after a year they say the downtown is great, and then if we .... if we have that as
our guidance, we have our Comp Plan in place, then in the future we'll continue to
administer the .... the Comprehensive Plan as it's currently set, after we've had the
widespread conversation. So that's what I see it, and I support this document. I think it's
a good starting point, um, for future discussions.
Dickens/ I have a little issue with the, uh, bringing in a form -based code so quickly. I think, uh,
when we talked about putting the form -based code in the Riverfront Crossing that that
was something that we're going to look at, over a period of time, to see how it worked in
that area. We really haven't had time to really see how it's worked and we're already
trying to .... to put it into another area. The downzoning basically of downtown is
what's.... kind of hidden in here is what I feel, and I ... I think we have quite a bit of
problem with some of the stakeholders that own property in the downtown area that may
have issues with some of this and that's why, like Rockne said, we do need to have
discussions with the stakeholders because I .... they have a lot in, uh, a lot of money, time,
I mean some of these properties have been in families for years, and to suddenly change
the way it's looked at or zoned it .... it's kind of a scary thought and I think it woke up a
lot of people. I .... I've just seen some things that have been brought up that, uh, are a
little (both talking)
Cole/ And by the way though, I could also .... I hate to talk a second time but .... I could also see
changes (laughter) I could also see changes to this particular document if in fact it's
modified.... accelerating development downtown. I don't view changes as
necessarily .... I know, again, not talking about any particular project, but with a recent
project that came before us in my view if it were more in line with the text of the Comp
Plan, it could have been a different result, at least speaking for myself, so if we need to
update this, don't look at this as a burden. Look at this as an opportunity to update this,
and I think if. ... if the people that want to change what's already here want to update this
for more different types of development, that could be the end result of this process too,
so I don't necessarily think it means less development. It could be more.
Dickens/ And I ... I do think it's a good start, if it gets the conversation goin'. It's ... there's been a
buzz around town since this came out and .... more and more people read it, the more you
hear. So if...if nothing else, we're going to get some good public, uh, input, and we need
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to listen to that public input. Each of us hears from different people. We...we all know
different people. We know a lot of the same people, but .... I think it's very important that
we do listen to the input and .... and .... and move forward, but not too fast. Uh.... you
know, this is.....this is a major change for .... for the highest taxed area in the.... in the
city.
Botchway/ Well and kind of responding back to you, Rockne, when you said `administer
development.' When I heard that phrasing, it spoke to me about control, and if I was a
developer, and I'm not, but I mean that's one of those situations where it gives me pause,
and I think that's the .... the situation or the ax that I think we're consistently running into
from that perspective, and .... I don't know. I just think (both talking)
Cole/ ...if there's not a money request, or if there's not a change to the code, we cannot intervene
in development decisions, at least as far as I can tell. (both talking) ...come before us.
Botchway/ I totally agree, but I think you even talked about it before and even talked about it
now, I mean.... whatever it may be, and I don't want to bring up the election because I'm
the one that wants to say move on, but ... whatever may be, I mean, there's a considerable
amount of angst about, you know, the election or policies or whatever the case may be,
you know ..... you know for me I love at times staring something, you know, straight in
the face and telling it like it is and having that, you know, courageous conversation or
frank conversation, but ... you know, I don't know if we're getting at that here. I think
it ... I think we are .... I think how it was worded, and again, going back to that kind of
administered development, I think we're... we're essentially telling and to me it's more
make clear some of the, you know, the guidelines that we are going to funnel things
through, that we are going to look ... I mean to me it's just ... it's two separate things. To
me it's telling exactly the development that we want to see, not to use the word micro -
manage but micromanagement to a certain extent, and then on the other end, um, you
know, for me it's looking at it from a funnel perspective. These are things that, you
know, we hold true and we've done this before. I mean, affordable housing's important.
Um, environmental, um, sustainability's important. Sustainability in general is
important. I just....like I said, I got a considerable amount of, um, I wouldn't say
negative comments, but like I said concerned comments from, you know, different
residents, and again, I haven't even had the opportunity to share this with everyone.
Um .... and it....it didn't.....it didn't give the clear message that I thunk you even started
off the, your, you know, commentary with, and that .... that to me is troublesome. That to
me is, you know, worrisome to a particular perspective because we are trying to, you
know, change that perception in some particular way with having this conversation.
Throgmorton/ Let me, uh, say a few words then. First of all I want to thank all of you for
providing, uh, all of us with your feedback on this and how you .... how you read the
memo and how other people have been responding to it, what they've said to you, and,
you know, you're sharing that with us. That's very good. I'd like to ask all of you, and
anybody else watching, please don't look for any hidden agendas in this. What I'm try...
what I tried to do in drafting this memo is help us find a sweet spot so we can get beyond
the, uh, impasse that it feels like we're in at the moment, and I worry that if we don't find
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a way to get beyond that impasse, development proposals will come up, we'll have
contentious disagreement about them, there'll be a vote and somebody's going to be
unhappy. Really unhappy! And I want us to get past that. Okay. Do I have solutions?
No, I don't, but I have some insight. I'm trying to share that insight with all of you in
this memo. So, the memo's explicitly designed to begin a conversation. It is not
designed to end the conversation. It is not my .... decision about what to do. It is our
decision and our decision's going to be strongly influenced, as you've already indicated,
Kingsley, you, Susan, Terry, Rockne.... it's going to be strongly influenced by the views
of other people who have a major stake in downtown. So, begin the conversation. That's
my idea on that. Uh... it's also consistent with a key part of the strategic plan, though not
explicitly. I've forgotten the second item is to build a strong urban core. So it's
consistent with that, uh, so I .... I'm not so bothered as .... as Susan clearly is about that
particular point. Uh, but more importantly, uh, we would .... not really be imposing a lot
of new work on the staff. Geoff, you tell me if I'm wrong about this and clarify if you
think I am. But I .... I tried very hard to say things like with regard to the CB -10 thing
and ... and the form -based code, that we would begin looking ahead about how we could
possibly do this, recognizing there'd be political and legal obstacles that are not simple.
All right. So I (mumbled) Terry, I totally understand what you're sayin' about how
property owners, business owners, but especially property owners, have a stake in
the .... in the downtown, and they have every kind of legal right to oppose changing the
zoning and so on. So that would not be a simple process. I .... we, we can't snap our
fingers and make things change. So there's that, and .... several of the items are already
under way. The ... the business about the on/off-street parking, there's money in the
budget for that. The business about historic preservation, there's an item on our agenda
tonight about that. Uh, with regard to, uh, suddenly blanking out on another item. Hold
on, uh, with regard to, uh.... uh.....student demand for off -campus housing, we've already
initiated some work on that. Geoff, I imagine you've had conversations with Rod
Lehnertz about how to proceed. So .... it's not as if we're suddenly imposing this.... it's
not as if this memo would be suddenly imposing new work on the staff. Uh... let's see,
maybe .... uh, and some of the items .... well, like the form -based code part, that's
intentionally directed toward the future. Let's begin lookin' that way. Now why would I
say that? Because the downtown plan recommends that the ... that the City explore the
possibility of creating a form -based code for the downtown. So, okay, well let's do it!
But we can't do it now. Uh, the staff's overwhelmed right now with the .... the two new
form -based code initiatives that we already have underway, so we can't do it now! But
we can look ahead and begin thinking about how ... how we might move in that direction.
And .... yeah, so in ... but for me the real bottom line is two -fold. This is .... the memo's
designed to open up the conversation. I want to say one other thing before I get into that
bottom line. With regard to the TIF part of it, I understand Susan's concerns and so my
suggestion would be that we just .... pass that particular part of this memo to the
Economic Development Committee. I mean I am ... in that particular part of the memo, I
certainly was expressing my values and how they ought to be trans .... how they could be
transformed into TIF financial incentives, but it doesn't mean that's what the Economic
Development Committee would want to do. It doesn't mean that's what the Council
would want to do. It ... it is something that we need to have extensive discussion about.
Uh, so bottom line, I think, uh, we need to have a community discussion about this. I'm
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trying to initiate that discussion, and if we don't, we're just gonna be clashing like that
and .... and it will undermine us. Not us, I mean, it'll undermine the city, and I want to
not undermine the city.
Botchway/ Well and to that point, I mean, I guess my feeling is .... bring `em in. You know,
bring the Downtown Business District in, the board of directors, whatever the case may
be. I know that we don't necessarily have the set up as from a work session standpoint to
have that conversation. Um, but to me I kinda want to look at it from a, I mean, not
necessarily taking all these points away, and I appreciate you providing some
clarification as well, but look at it from a blank canvas perspective. Because, I mean, for
me ... you know, we haven't even ... it's almost like we started negotiating before we've
even had the opportunity to open up our hands or open up the doors and say let's have
that conversation, and so I'd rather us, you know, start with .... let's talk. What are some
of the issues? What are some of the concerns? What are some of these things, and then
talk about, you know, points going back and forth, and so for me, I'd love to have that
conversation. I ... I want to ... kind of...you kind of talked about this too, Rockne, a little bit
(both talking) is, you know, sitting down, and again, in that we've .... I don't know how,
you know, Geoff, I use your brilliance and excellence to figure that.... whatever that
might be, but um (several talking and laughing) have that type of conversation, have that
hopefully frank conversation, and I know this can be a little bit difficult if we're all seven
there, um, but .... I think that that would lean to, um, playing on, you know, some of the,
um, some of the feelings that I think people have in this situation. Um, and I'm not
saying we don't have to address a lot of these points cause, Jim, some of these points we
talked about. Um, but .... you know ..... I .... as, I mean, again, I ... I read it the first time and
again, there's certain points on there that I agree with, and ... but then as I was listening or
talking to other people about these issues, I mean, I could understand where their concern
was saying, you know, well this is the direction Council is for sure going, and so why
would I even want to come to the conversation. (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...it's not. (both talking)
Botchway/ I know, and I .... I made that clear now, but I'm just saying that, you know, not
everybody's watching and I mean I'm going to have to go back to folks to have that
conversation, but I think a better way of at least me trying to handle the situation is
saying, you know, Council is up for, willing to have kind of an open and frank
discussion, and that may or may not have been done before with the business community,
to talk about, you know, the downtown and all the different things, and I mean, I'll be
honest with you. One of the things that I would want to add or have the conversation,
open conversation with is kind of, you know, the demographic or .... looking at making
sure, ensuring that multiple or different demographic groups or multiple populations feel
comfortable downtown. I know Nancy Bird's in the audience and we've had some of this
conversation, but you know, that I feel like would have to be a part of this proposal in
some particular way, shape, or form, but I'd rather have that more from a ... a sit down,
open, frank conversation than, you know .... this angle. So that's what I ... I guess I'm
proposing.
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Cole/ Well I ... I keep on thinking of the Riverfront Crossings inclusionary zoning process. As I
understand that, that would have been the, obviously the previous Council that started
that, but Council basically said we would like inclusionary zoning to happen, but we're
not going to identify the particulars of how that occurs. We're going to appoint a
relevant set of stakeholders and they're gonna come back to us with a set of
recommendation after a period of time. So I guess that's sort of what I would like to see
is a similar process — a group of seven to 10 people, over the course of a year, and they
may come back to us and say, you know what, everything's hunky dory. Nothing needs
to be changed, but I'm hoping even some of the critics to this will look at this and say,
hey look, this'll be an opportunity to maybe change this in ways that we like, um, so
change can be a good thing too. So .... that'd be my.....what do people think about that?
Throgmorton/ Yeah, what do the rest of you (both talking)
Dickens/ I think the stakeholder .... that we did for the original Riverfront Crossing, we got a lot
of diverse people sitting down and talking, making compromises, coming up with a plan
that we could accept and ... and felt very good about. Uh, you had homebuilders, you had,
uh.... housing, affordable housing. I think it was probably one of the better groups that
came back with a very strong recommendation. They didn't agree on everything, but
they .... they worked at till they got a compromise that everybody could live with and I
think that was very important, and I'd like to see that same.... same type of thing set up,
that we could ... that we would have something from a .... a good cross section of Iowa
City, not just people in the downtown. What are people's perceptions outside of
downtown? So, I ... I think it'd be very important to do that first.
Mims/ Yeah, and let me .... make a couple comments. You know, in my earlier comments I ... for
the most part did not comment on the particulars of this. The TIF I did. Um, and so
it .... don't take it that I disagree with everything in here. That's not the point. It's ... it's
the process. I think Kingsley makes a really good point of basically stepping back and
starting with a blank canvas. Um, I've heard the same things, and my initial, um,
interpretation, I think, is the same as Kingsley's and maybe others is that.... there's just
too much fleshed out here to feel like .... the Council's really going to listen to the public.
Um, if we're going to move forward, um, I like your idea, Rockne, of a stakeholder
group. I think .... I think one thing that we have to be aware of, um, and I think it may
make it maybe a little bit more challenging in this case than with the Riverfront Crossing
inclusionary housing process is that ... if we are going to be honest and start with a blank
canvas here, we don't have an end game. Okay? We had an end game. We said we
want inclusionary housing in Riverfront Crossings. So that stakeholder group knew
where we wanted them to get to. It was give us the details of how that can work and you
are still willing to develop and build and ... and how that can happen. Here .... I think it's
important, again to go back to what Kingsley said, we start with a blank canvas and say,
you know, we are concerned about .... you know, the fact that there is definitely, and
regardless of how many times you say it, Rockne, the perception in this community is
that this Council is anti -growth, and anti -development. And so .... to start with a blank
canvas and say, okay, we want to try and get past that perception, we want to be able to
work together and have projects come forward and be able to approve those so
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developers are willing to put that 2 or $300,000 into the cost upfront before they come to
us, etc., feeling it's worth it. Um .... I think this is going to be a little more challenging,
but I think it's worth starting that conversation, and I think you're being very realistic that
we're looking at least a year, uh, for that process, and I think .... I would be interested in
maybe not tonight but giving Geoff and staff time to think through how this might work
because it's not going to be seven to 10 people. This has got to be a lot bigger groups, to
me, and maybe multiple groups of stakeholders that are looking at potentially different
pieces of that blank canvas and figuring out where we might end up.
Cole/ I like the label of a place -making task force, so that we're not specifically commenting, but
as I see it, the two particulars are, uh, historic and modern growth. I mean, those sort of
two, how do we balance those, and I think that's what I have heard internally in terms of
the struggle. I like place -making, urn .... so that it's broad enough that people.... and I
think out of that will emerge discussions of historic and ... and what we need to do in terms
of the vertical. That's sort of my thought process, but I guess I would like to keep it
between seven and 10 so it is a relatively functional group, but that's sort of my thought.
But maybe staff could come back with a recommendation in a couple weeks, you know,
in terms of what they would like to see.
Fruin/ Let me give you my preliminary reactions to your discussions, and of course we'll come
back with more details if need be, but ... the path you're heading down is really revising
the Comprehensive Plan. You know, when you talk about establishing a group or any...
whether it's seven to 10 or a whole charrette process, um, you're really talking about
redoing the Comprehensive Plan and ... I ... frankly I don't know that that's necessary.
I .... I, you know, Comprehensive Plans, um .... uh, are ... are general guides and they ... they
express a vision for the most part. I think that, uh, at least from what I've heard and
understand that there's general community consensus that that's a good, solid plan. Now
there's specific details and recommendations in there that not everybody may agree with,
um, but boy, I have a hard time believing that ... that the Council could pull seven to 10
people together, um, that could express a community vision for downtown. I just
don't .... I think you're settin' yourself up for failure. That's not how Comp Plans for
downtowns, uh.... uh, you know, end up being successful. They're really community-
wide efforts that take a lot of planning and outreach, and so we saw that with the
Riverfront Crossings and the downtown plan five, six years ago, whenever that was. I
think you'd look at a similar process, and um ... that is a exhausting process. It's worth it
if it needs to be done, but I would really.... encourage the Council to spend a lot of time
with the current vision and the Comprehensive Plan and .... make sure that you think it
needs to be .... scrapped and .... and redone.
Throgmorton/ Could I toss in, uh, couple words on that? I think in my memo I ... I say I think we
need to look carefully at ... the, uh, downtown part of the Comp Plan, review it carefully.
We .... we haven't done that as a Council. That.... and... and then consider whether we
think amendments might be called for.
Fruin/ Sure!
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Throgmorton/ Okay, well we can back off from the .... the really thinking about amendments, but
I do believe we need to look carefully at that Comp Plan, the downtown part of it, so
we ... know what's in it. Uh, I'll bet some of us (laughs) (both talking)
Dickens/ I've got it memorized!
Throgmorton/ ....yeah (laughter) word for word the downtown part of the Comp Plan, so it's
only what? Two years old? No, 14 .... we adopted it in 2014, no .... 2013 I guess. Uh, so
it's three years old. So .... (both talking)
Thomas/ Yeah, my take is .... is not that we would be reworking the Comprehensive Plan but
more refining the zoning code, to get more precise language to the zoning code, to bring
it closer into alignment with the Comprehensive Plan. So that that's the uncertainty
that's out there is what does the Comprehensive Plan mean in terms of the zoning code,
cause clear... clearly right now there's a disconnect between our CB -10 zoning and our
Comprehensive Plan. And that's where the uncertainty lies and so in my view
that's... that's what we're talking about. If we all agree as a community and a Council
that the....the framework, the essential language of the Comprehensive Plan is ... is a good
foundation, um, you know, I ... I think that would be wonderful to hear in that then what
we're really talking about is just refining the language. (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Of...of. ... (both talking)
Thomas/ Of the zoning code .... to .... to make sure that then by right the Comprehensive Plan will
be followed. I mean that's where we're finding to be so divisive within the community is
that there is a disconnect now between the zoning code and the Comprehensive Plan.
Fruin/ Yeah, you know the thing you have to ... everybody has to keep in mind with
Comprehensive Plans is that you can have one issue and pull language from different
parts of the plan and come to two different conclusions, uh, on whatever's being
considered and that's evident in the ... in the downtown plan too. There's... there's, uh, you
know .... uh, portions of the plan that say really need to preserve historic properties
and ... and properties that contribute to the historic character, and then there's pieces of the
plan that say, well, these properties although contributing might need to be sacrificed for
a parking facility to support the repurposing of the Jefferson Building, you know, that's
just one example, but that's the nature of Comp Plans. They tend to ... you know, they're
very general in nature. They should be very general in nature, and .... and you're always
probably going to run into those conflicting situations. What I would suggest.... going
forward is that .... you put some trust in the process that you've already set in motion and
then a few of you have mentioned this that there are a number of things in motion, each
of these things have various public, uh.... uh, participation components to them. Uh,
number one it starts with the strategic plan. You've set a strategic plan. It has some core
values and visions and specific actions, uh, that you have already. Um, you have to ... you
have to trust, um, and hold staff accountable, um, to implementing those things. We'll
get `em done. Um .... and then understand what those, uh, what those components are that
contribute to this discussion. So, uh, as a few of you mentioned tonight we're updating,
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uh, on the agenda is a grant application to update the, uh, historic inventory downtown
that we last did in 2001. That's an important step towards, urn .... uh, supporting historic
preservation which is in your Comprehensive Plan. I think that's something that, um,
you know, that process will engage property owners, business owners, and the... and the
general public in a discussion about historic preservation and which buildings, um, are
worthy of preservation and which ones, uh, are perhaps not contributing any more to the
character of the district. The housing study, all these things — the parking study — these
things will eventually inform you, uh, on .... on future decisions, particularly if you're
going to get into tweaking zoning codes or establishing a new form -based code. If you
think about the form -based code process that we're going through, or we're going to get
to on the Northside or Alexander, we examine all those things. We examine the housing,
we examine, uh, you know, parking needs, uh, those types of things. So, that's, uh, kind
of a precursor to ... to some of these things. The one that's really important, um, that
you've already set in motion at the EDC level is the TIF policy. And ... and, um, you
know, that's where the City, when we have skin in the game, we can say exactly what we
want. And .... frankly it's hard to do any type of development downtown without City
participation in some way, whether it's tax credit support or TIF support, um, generally
what we're finding is that.... it's... it requires some City incentive unless it's student
housing. In the case .... in that case, it doesn't .... it doesn't need it. So, you have to...
really, really, um, pay close attention to that TIF policy and... and, um, dictate what it is
that you want to .... to fund, and if there's specific elements of the Comprehensive Plan
that you want to stick to, that's fine. You know, uh, maybe you're going to focus on
historic preservation, um, maybe it's the building heights, and if the building heights
don't speak directly to that diagram that's in the Comprehensive Plan, then .... TIF, you
know, City's not going to support it through TIF. Um, so .... long story short, trust these
processes. These things are in motion. They're going to give you good information.
They're going to engage the public, who is going to provide feedback to you, and
ultimately I think you'll be in a better position a year or so from now, urn .... to make any
changes to the zoning code or to initiate a form -based code.
Cole/ I think we need to move forward with a task force. I think part of the problem with that is
that we've seen a number of ad hoc policy responses on individual projects, and I think ... I
think that there... there is ambiguity to the Comprehensive Plan, but I think there's a great
enough degree of specificity that it can be clearly followed and clearly applied, and it
hasn't been, and I think that is what has eroded trust in this development process is when
the Comp Plan is demonstrably at odds with the proposal. So, um, I guess I don't think
we have to do the exact same method as the Comp Plan review. We can convene a place -
making task force, and if...if at the end of that year that task force says, you know what,
everything's hunky dory then we don't make any changes, and then in the meantime we
continue, you know, following the current Comprehensive Plan. Um, I would like to
move forward with some sort of task force, um, so that's my view.
Mims/ I would defer to Geoff, uh, I think in his recommendation of...I think he's listed, you
know, very astutely what, you know, what's already in place and .... and kind of some of
the real changes that we may see from those kinds of things that will move us further
along than we may realize, um, at this point is what the very beginning of a lot of those
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processes. Um, I think the TIF, uh, that we're working at the EDC level is ... is crucial.
As Geoff said, you know, other than student housing you're not gonna see much, you're
certainly not going to see highrises downtown without City support. So, you know,
they're gonna have to fit within the framework, um, that this Council is comfortable with
in order to get that approval, and we've seen that already, um, with the one that we did
not approve. Um .... and I don't see .... this is such a major thing to look at as proposed
here. I do not believe that a .... a stakeholder group of five to 10 people is .... is in any
way, um, gonna be beneficial to us. It's just way too small. And I....and I think that
opens it up to more what Geoff is talking about is then you end up with a huge group and
really what you're doing is looking at the Comp Plan and, I mean, we've only had that
thing in place for two years, so I think to .... think about redoing that after only two years
is .... not beneficial.
Throgmorton/ I would like to propose, uh, something that's a little bit different from what both
Susan and Rockne have suggested. Uh, but it's pretty consistent with what Geoff
proposed. Uh, first of all with regards to the TIF policy part of the memo I provided, uh,
with your permission, and it's entirely up to the Council, I'd like for us to send that to the
Economic Development Committee for that committee to do with as they see fit. You
know, take it into account as, uh, as they're doing their work.
Cole/ I'd support that, Jim.
Throgmorton/ Uh, the .... the second part is that, um, I do think it would be helpful for us to ... uh,
focus some attention on the Comp Plan, the downtown part -just the downtown part of
the Comp Plan so that we ... collectively have an understanding of what's in it, you know,
with ... without necessarily producing anything.... any amendments or whatever, but just
making sure we know what's in it. And, thirdly, that we, uh, invite .... uh, interested
members of the public, a developer, the Downtown District, others ... uh, to provide
constructive feedback about how they think ... uh, whether they think there are particular
actions that should be taken. So where... what I just suggested was .... is consistent with
what Geoff said is that we do have lots of things in motion. I tried to allude to them — the
housing study, the on -street, off .... off-street parking, they historic preservation
grant ... that application and so on, and we should let those things unfold.
Mims/ My only comment would be on the TIF, and ... I mean .... two of the three members of EDC
have already said they want to do this, so you'll be able to do it regardless of what the
Council decides. I disagree. I think .... I think what you're doing is subverting a process
that we already put in place at the Economic Development Committee level. Um, these
things can obviously be brought up once we're done with the focus groups, but to take
this to the EDC now when we're in the first third to half of doing focus groups, to me
says to members of those focus groups that you've already basically made up your mind
and have the idea of the things that you want to strongly consider, without having even
heard from the focus groups. And I .... I think that is totally lacking in .... in honesty and
transparency with the stakeholders when you're bringing your preconceived set of, uh...
changes to the TIF when we haven't even finished with the stakeholders' groups. So, I
don't think this should go to the EDC. I think we should wait until we hear from all the
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focus groups, look at the input that we've gotten from those, and then I'm sure, Jim, that
you will bring some of these to ... to the table at that point in time. But I really think this
subverts that process, and I ... I can't support it.
Botchway/ Yeah, I wasn't about to agree with you, Jim, until ... if you're doin'...I didn't know that
you're still going through the focus group process. If you're doin' focus groups, I mean
it is .... (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...done what, four?
Mims/ Only three I think!
Botchway/ Um (both talking)
Mims/ We've each done one.
Frain/ Three or four, yeah. (several talking)
Botchway/ It would be problematic, you know, urn .... and this is kind of, I don't remember if
everybody remembered my rub about the Senior Center Commission having, um, one of
the Council Members be on that because .... you know, I have to be very cognizant when
I'm put in groups together that there isn't a particular thought or feeling or notion from
whatever deliberative body is overseeing the particular thing, um, because then the group
will tend to just .... make a recommendation or have their thoughts align with the, um,
with the prevailing notion or thought from the deliberative body instead of coming up
with their own particular things that they would propose. So, you know, I ... I wouldn't
agree with that yet. I think that we can hold off on that. Um, I think number two was
talking about the Comp Plan review. I mean I think that's just homework and so, I mean,
everybody can, you know, read up, you know, when they're sitting on the couch and, you
know, playing by the fire. Um, but the last thing I would, um, go to is the,
um .... community .... I still think we need to have a conversation. Because ... I mean, I'm
interested in .... I'm interested in having some type of deliberation, and I think you talked
about it as far as feedback, but ... I'd be interested in feedback, not necessarily just from a
response to this, but to things in general, because, you know, while I do think, you know,
you've made clear one particular rub, um, so to speak in regards to the Comp Plan and
CB -10 zoning, or zoning in general, I still think there's other issues, and I'd want, again,
going back to that blank canvas standpoint, I want to hear .... free from anything, what
people feel, and I mean I don't know how that ... how we do that, and maybe that's just us
going out and talking to, you know, constituents or residents of Iowa City, but .... um, I
would ... I would really like to have, um, I would really like to have a sit-down with, you
know, individuals in the Downtown District, business people, whatever the case may be.
I know that there's been some interesting articles, for lack of a better word in the, um,
CBJ. Um, I would want to have that conversation and sit down with people and really
know what their thoughts are, you know, outside of this particular situation because.... I
want to make sure that we are clear of all the different issues that people are, you know,
having an axe to grind or have some particular thought or feeling of so we can then
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address those, um, in some particular, efficient, prompt way and so .... um, that's where I
want to spend, you know, if we were going to spend any time and that doesn't necessarily
mean time right now. I mean, um, I would say a couple of months down the road almost,
um, or spend ... having that conversation in somewhat of a work session, um, because I
think that we haven't had that conversation yet, and again, a frank conversation to really
understand all the different issues associated with what's going on.
Dickens/ I would agree that people want to know what our TIF policy is going to be, but if we
haven't finished the focus groups, that just doesn't make any sense to me that we're not
gonna get all the information we can get before we make an educated choice on how this
goes. So I .... I wouldn't want to take it to the Economic Development Committee until
all those are done.
Botchway/ And you agree with me on my third point?
Dickens/ Absolutely.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, with regard to the TIF thing. I'm actually persuaded, Susan, about what
you said. I ... I, so I...I don't want to kind of push too hard for sending that part of the
memo to ... to the EDC. Uh, the only thing, really the bottom line of that memo is I think
we need to be clear about what we value. And translate what we value into a willingness
to (coughing, unable to hear speaker) economic incentives.... for development downtown.
That's the core, uh, for me. I ... I wanted to make sure people hear that and
under.... understand that's the way I think about that. And, uh... uh, I think that's
sufficient for the moment. Just to convey that particular point. Uh, if we don't, I mean I
think.... there's some developers in the room. I think .... I think they would agree, it's
helpful to know what the rules are .... so that they can design their projects in a manner
that's consistent with those rules and know what the expectations are. So that's what I'm
trying to get at. So, uh, I'm fine with not sending the document as such to the .... to, uh,
the Economic Development Committee, let the focus groups continue their work. Uh, so,
um .... I ... I don't .... I don't support the idea of creating a ... a small number of. ... small
number committee, like seven to 10 members.
Cole/ What if it's larger?
Throgmorton/ I think it's ... it would have to be large... may.... maybe we can get .... we .... we
should process this (both talking)
Cole/ I'm not hung up on that number, I mean because what I like about that is this allows the
community to ventilate, uh, specific concrete proposals back to the Council, in a period
of time. So ... um....
Botchway/ I agree with your point, Jim, on value because I think that is a clear point, and I know
that's the underlying point of your memo, but frankly I'll be honest with you, I don't
know where everybody else stands. I don't currently know what, you know, the folks in
the Downtown District, the business community, what they value. I mean I ... I really
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want to hear some consistent feedback or just feedback in general as far as what that is. I
mean I've heard comments back and forth, but .... it would be interesting to.....I mean and
we did some of this. When we had that, um, we had a conversation with diverse groups
to talk about .... what, you know, our African American population or our Hispanic
population values, so we could think about, you know, what we are doing, not necessarily
what we're telling them to do, but what we're doing and then have kind of that deeper
dialogue and look at different things. I think we've added some different diversity issues
from that, but .... that's the type of deliberation I'm interested in because I ... I frankly just
don't know. I think we know when particular projects are (mumbled) particular folks,
but overall I'd like to just get some collective value from the community because I think
that we'll be able to hopefully shape, um, based on, you know, our, you know,
background or based on, um, where we're coming with from our various constituents that
we're talking to, and I feel like from that maybe then we move into the stakeholder
group, whatever the case may be, but I, I mean, I agree with you — I think this is a process
situation. We should process it, but I .... I really want to have that conversation, cause I
truly do not know, just in the same sense I don't know truly what the student community
values as far as the Downtown District and the business community is concerned, and so
that value would be very important for me.
Mims/ I think it's key to make that distinction though between what you're saying, Kingsley, and
what Rockne was saying. Because what you're saying, Kingsley, is ... more in a way more
of a one-way dialogue of. ... of them telling us what they value, not necessarily trying to
put specific constraints or....or things in place, whereas I see the ta.... a task force as
more of a kind of a problem -solving, come up with definitive processes, procedures,
goals, whereas the conversation is more just let us know what you're thinking, what you
feel, what's important to you, what things we as a Council need to take into
consideration. So I ... I see a big distinction there and I would be more in line to figuring
out a way if there is to do that. I mean, I know sitting in on that first focus group, for the
TIF, um, was a very, very interesting process and, um, the .... that first focus group was
developers who either have .... who all I think had been awarded TIF — they may not all
have used it in a particular project — and I'll tell ya, they unloaded on Wendy and I. Um,
I mean they were polite, they were respectful, but .... they unloaded, and it was very clear,
uh, with a number of things that were said, they don't have any trust in this ... in this
Council, um, they're very reluctant to bring projects forward, um, and they were very...
some very specific examples, and .... urn .... so I think finding some way to get more of
that input directly to more Council Members, um, would be valuable... cause I think it's
important, let me just add one last thing, you talk, Jim, about what we value. I think we
have to be very, very careful that as we go through this process it is not what the seven of
us up here value. We represent this entire community, and we've got to make sure that
we are.... representing that entire community, um, in terms of what those values are.
Throgmorton/ I think my entire memo is designed to achieve that. But ... (both talking)
Mims/ (both talking) (laughs)
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Throgmorton/ ....I understand, you know, I wanted to initiate a conversation and that has
happened so I'm very pleased with that. Uh, I'm not sure what our next step really
should be, cause I'm hearin' all sorts of ideas. Uh.... my gut sense is that we need to
basically table the conversation, come back to it at a certain point, invite the Downtown
District, invite developers, property owners, other members of the community to provide
us some feedback, uh, to this conversation. Uh, to the memo and then the conversation
about it. Uh, and ... and, uh.... think about the ... the conversation we've just had and, uh,
try to come up with ideas about how, you know, what specific steps we might take that
we would all agree to. So, you know, we can talk (both talking)
Mims/ That sounds good! (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...for a pretty long time but I think that's how we need to proceed. Okay. All
right, thank you all! Oh, we have to move to our next item, which has to do with, um,
reviewing.... we took a fair amount of time on that, didn't we? So we have to review...
our next item is to review staff's proposed changes to the neighborhood traffic calming
program. Kent Ralston, I know you're going to summarize, brief us on, uh, the proposed
changes and we'll go from there.
Review staffs proposed changes to the neighborhood traffic calming program lIP # 4 Info
Packet of 8/111•
Ralston/ Perfect! Bear with me one moment. Okay, I'll probably.... I'll try to be respectful of
the time. Uh, good evening, my name's Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner and again,
thank you for inviting me to review the traffic calming program with you this evening.
Uh, very quickly, justs the presentation outline. Uh, we'll go through the background of
the traffic calming program, uh, quickly. We'll talk about the need for the program
review. The traffic calming criteria, both the existing, uh, criteria we use and staff s
proposal for some recommended changes. Uh, the traffic calming process we use, again,
existing versus some, uh, slight proposed changes that staff will make, and then we'll get
into our recommendations. Uh, the program was originally adopted by Council in 1996
and remains largely, uh, unchanged since it's inception. Uh, there's been a few minor
tweaks here and there, but really for the most part it's the same. Uh, the goal is to of
course reduce excessive vehicle speeds and volumes in neighborhoods, uh, through three
different types of measures, uh, educational efforts, um, enforcement efforts, and then
environmental changes. Ub, the typical pieces of education that we use are flagging
signs, uh, posted speed limit signs, for instance. We also have a check your speed sign
campaign. Uh, you've probably seen around yellow signs that say `check your speed.'
Uh, we typically use those in areas where, uh, we don't think folks are purposefully
trying to speed, uh, but at the bottom of hills and .... and so forth. Uh, as far as
enforcement goes, that's pretty (clears throat) that's pretty straightforward. Uh, at spots
speed enforcement by the police. As you can imagine, it's very effective for a very short
period of time. As soon as the police officers have moved on and .... and conducted their
spot enforcement, speeds come right back up. Uh, and then lastly the environmental, uh,
changes are what I think most people think of when they think traffic calming, and these
are the actual physical traffic calming changes, whether it's speed humps, uh, and ... and
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raised median islands and so forth. Um .... the .... program has always been intended to be
a neighborhood driven program, and when I reviewed the, uh, file, uh, as .... when we
were preparing for this, uh, it's very clear that that's always been the intent, is to have it
be a neighborhood driven process and not have the City impose, uh, different kinds of
traffic calming solutions in neighborhoods. Uh, we currently have about 20, uh, plus
retrofit applications, uh, around the community, including traffic circles, median islands,
speed humps, bulb -outs, gates, diverters, and a whole host of other, uh, traffic calming
solutions. Uh, and while most of the, um, conversation tonight will be about retrofit
projects for the traffic calming program, uh, we also have implemented numerous
calming measures in the design of new roadways, uh, and most recently would be the
traffic, um, circles or roundabouts down on south Sycamore. So we're, uh, we
implement a lot of bulb -outs at different, uh, intersections to try and shorten up the
pedestrian crossings, slow traffic and so forth. Uh, next I just want to show you a few,
uh, images of, uh, different types of traffic calming solutions in town. Uh, I think
we've .... we've gotten fairly creative over the years. Uh, in the top left is the raised
crosswalk down in front of the art building on Riverside Drive. It's a little bit hard to see
in this. Uh, the top right image is a classic speed hump, and this one happens to be on
Sandusky, which are the speed humps that were approved by the Council this last spring,
that were recently installed. Uh, at the bottom left, this is when things get a little bit
more, um, intense in terms of traffic calming and this is the Lexington Avenue gate,
which is a full closure, uh, for spring, summer, and fall, and then opened up in the winter
months, uh, to assist with snow plowing and so forth. Uh, the bottom right is a, uh,
traffic calming installation. It's a .... it's kind of a semi-diverter at the intersection of
Myrtle and Greenwood, uh, with the intent of keeping cut -through traffic from traveling
through the Myrtle, uh, corridor and then on into Melrose Court and the University
Hospital area. Uh, we also do some things that aren't quite so intense. Uh, that on the
top left is the check your speed sign, uh, campaign that we already touched on, uh, and
we move these around every, uh, year, every other year to places where we hear about
high traffic speeds, but ... um, don't have a lot of good resources to help slow those. Uh,
this one here happens to be on First Avenue down near Hickory Trail. So it's at the
bottom of the hill, uh, from both directions. We don't normally use traffic calming, uh,
traditional traffic calming measures on arterial streets, uh, so these are some of the
solutions we use. Uh, in the top right is Highland Avenue. Uh, this is something I'm
pretty excited about. We actually implemented some, uh, pavement markings, uh, this
last year, um, as they went through the traffic calming program. Uh, there was no
markings before and now we've got a center skip dash line and two edge lines, and at
least preliminarily, uh, what we're seeing is about a five -mile -per -hour reduction in
speeds, which is huge, and if we can keep that, uh, and we might try this maybe in some
other locations, if we can keep that kind of reduction, uh, I think this'd be something that,
uh, would be very popular with the City and potentially the Council as well. Uh, as far as
the need for program review, uh, is concerned, there was three ... really three major
reasons in my mind for reviewing the program. Uh, the first was to ensure broad
neighborhood support for traffic calming projects at the onset of the project to reduce
staff time, uh, very simply. Uh, we've currently have about 10 pending traffic calming
requests, uh, not all of those might mature into an actual traffic calming program, but
we've got about 10 inquiries at this point in time, and sort of a back of the napkin
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calculation, I figure that each successful project takes probably 30 -plus hours of staff
time, and we've had some, uh, successful projects and some unsuccessful projects that
have taken two to three times that amount of staff time. Uh, Court Street is a good
example of that years ago where the City, uh, attempted to install some, uh, essentially
some bulb -outs or some neck -downs. They also had some storm water issues, so we
came up with some rain gardens, uh, and so forth, very elabor... uh, very elaborate traffic
calming and at the end of the day, the neighborhood didn't want it. It was... the.... the
mailback surveys came back as something like 45 or 50% in favor. So .... hundred -plus
hours of staff time, uh, and so forth and then we come back with a project that's just not
viable because the neighborhood doesn't, uh, isn't interested. Uh, the second need for the
program review was to direct limited resources towards projects, uh, in neighborhoods
showing the greatest need. Uh, there's $25,000 a year budgeted, uh, annually, uh, for
projects. I would say for a typical, uh, speed hump type application, this might get us one
or maybe two projects a year. For something more, uh, intensive like a traffic circle or
raised, uh, crosswalk and so forth, uh, that might get us one project at best. Um, so we
want to make sure we're directing our limited resources towards the, uh, the
neighborhoods that need them most. Uh, we're also getting more frequent requests for
projects, and I'm not sure exactly why that is. Um, if it's just that folks are trying to
better the quality of life for their neighborhood, whether they're hearing about the
program more, uh, I'm not really entirely sure, or if driving habits have ... have, uh,
deteriorated, but we are getting more requests, and the vast majority of our streets will
meet current thresholds to qualify. Uh, I don't know this for a fact but I .... I have a
feeling that right now we have a five -mile -per -hour, 85u percentile speed threshold. So if
85 ... if 85`s percentile speeds are above five -mile -an -hour over the posted speed limit, um,
you would qualify at least for that one threshold, and I would venture to guess that most
are local streets and collector streets would meet that, uh, so again, I want to make sure
we're able to review the ... the program and make changes where necessary. The last
reason for the review was to formalize aspects of the program, uh, simply that require
some clarification. Uh, we don't really have a lot of direction right now for petition
requirements or how we would go about removing, uh, speed humps, uh, particularly. So
I want to make sure we can formalize some of those aspects, uh, of the program. Next I
want to turn your attention to the actual traffic calming criteria, uh, that we have under
the current policy, uh, versus our proposed, uh, policy, and then some rationale, uh, for
those changes, and I just want to step through these, uh, quickly. Uh, first the traffic
calming initiation. Right now we'll accept either a letter from a neighborhood
association or a petition, and I can say in the 10 or so years I've been involved with this, I
think we've probably got one maybe from a neighborhood association or two. Um, but I
think for the proposed policy we just assume, uh, simplify it and require a petition.
Um,the other part of the rationale for that is .... because we get a letter from a
neighborhood association that doesn't mean that there were, uh, you know, more than a
couple two or three people at that meeting, um, so again, we'd rather have a petition I
think that, um, shows more need for the project and more interest from the neighborhood
at the onset. Uh, bringing us to our second, urn .... item here, petition requirements. Uh,
right now we require signatures from abutting properties, and there's really no
requirement, uh, for a number of signatures. We try and tell folks maybe 25% of the area
affected. Uh, what we would like to do is increase that to 67% or two-thirds of the
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abutting properties. Uh, again to ensure at the onset there's a lot of buy -in from the
neighborhood before we move on and get into the (mumbled) project only to find out
later that really the neighborhood didn't support it. Um, and I can tell you just
editorially, um, most of the folks that come forward think all the other neighbors want the
project, everybody's bothered by the speeds, and then we come to find out, uh, we've got
a dozen or so, uh, times this has occurred where the survey just doesn't show that. Uh, as
far as a mail -back survey goes, uh, we think that's probably the most effective way to
move forward; uh, no change there. For the survey scope right now, uh, for a local street
it would be all .... for a street classified as a local street, it would be all households with
direct access to that street would get surveyed, uh, or for collector streets, it would be
also any local street that comes off of that. So maybe a cul-de-sac or a loop street. Um,
for simplification staff would just propose we move to only survey those households
that ... that abut the affected property. Um, and the rationale for this is that if you live on a
cul-de-sac off a street and you get surveyed, but the actual project would be on your
neighbor's street, if you're the one speeding you can vote `no, I don't like speed humps,'
and you know it really doesn't affect you. It's affecting your neighbors, uh, that are
putting up with the high speeds. As far as a survey or response rate requirement goes, we
have none right now, and we have had a few projects, uh, where we might get a 25%
response rate for surveys, um, and uh, we would like to increase that as well to two-
thirds, um, a majority, just to again increase participation, whether you're for or against
the project. Again, so staff knows, uh, where the neighborhood stands and ... and can
move forward. As far as an approval rate, uh, right now we use a 60%, uh, approval rate
and we would just increase that to 67% as well, um .... uh, mostly just for, uh, simplicity
sake and consistency with the program. Uh, continuing, uh, explicitly ineligible streets,
uh, right now we do not allow traffic calming, traditional physical traffic calming, on
arterial streets and we would recommend no change there. Uh, for eligible minimum
traffic volumes, this is one of the other thresholds that needs to be met. Uh, currently is
that for a local street you need to have 500 or more vehicles a day, and for a collector
street, that would a thousand or more vehicles a day. And this is simply to, uh, when you
look at the whole entire traffic calming program as a package, if you only have 100 cars a
day on your street, and only .... and you use a .... a threshold of 85th percentile speeds,
there may be no more than a dozen vehicles a day that are actually exceeding that
threshold. Uh, so this is just to make sure there's enough traffic on your street to really,
again, make it worthwhile, urn .... uh, to move forward with the project. Uh, eligible
maximum traffic volumes, and we would recommend no change with that, uh, for eligible
maximum traffic volumes, uh, right now we do not have a current upper threshold. Uh,
we used to have an upper threshold at 3,000 vehicles a day, which is what the Federal
Highway Administration considers an arterial street, whether you call it an arterial or not.
That's the way it functions. Um, and a few years ago for the Court Street project, we
actually went through a process with the Council and they essentially waived that 3,000
vehicle upper threshold. Uh, we would recommend re-establishing that, simply for the
fact that the Council at that time wanted to waive it, saying.... we'll waive this so long as
you try not to divert traffic to other streets, and I can tell you I think if you're around
3,000 vehicles a day or more, you are going to divert traffic to other streets. I don't think
there's much of away we can get around that. So then we're really just chasing the
problem and pushing that problem into, uh, adjacent neighborhoods, which is not what
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we want to do. Uh, for eligible speeds, we've already talked about this a little bit. Under
the current policy, um, 85th percentile speeds have to exceed five -mile -per -hour over the
posted speed limit, and we would recommend increasing that slightly up to seven -mile -
per -hour over the speed limit. And what we did here, again this is to ensure, um, really
where the funding is going to the projects that need it most. Uh, I mentioned that we've
got about 10 potential traffic calming projects on the horizon, um, and even though we
use kind of a first-come, first -serve method, I think it would be, uh, behoove us to
increase that a little bit to make sure we're targeting those neighborhoods that really have
a problem. When we went and looked at our traffic calming criteria, we compared our
criteria to, uh, about a dozen or so other communities, uh, across the country and we tried
to pick ones out that, uh, had similar, um, populations and so forth, and what we found
was many of those use five -mile -an -hour. A few use seven, and a lot use 10. So, there's
no magic, uh.... there's nothing magic about the seven -mile -per -hour. It just seems to be
a nice fit with what, uh, is nationally being done, and again, I think it'll help direct our
funds towards projects that .... that need it most. Uh, something that's not at all clear in
our policy right now is how we go about removing projects, and we have had a few
projects removed. Uh, we removed speed humps on Fourth Avenue, south of Court
Street. Um, maybe eight or 10 years ago now. And we removed some ... some chicanes
on Highland Avenue about a decade or so, uh, now as well. Uh, what we would like to
do is simply use whatever.... whatever the Council wishes we move forward with tonight
or .... or when we get to that point, using that same process to remove traffic calming. So
again, the 67% approval rate, the survey response rate, and a petition rate, whatever it is
that we decide on, just simply having that be the same process to .... to remove, uh, a
traffic calming installation. As far as the prioritization method, we use first-come, first -
serve right now and I don't see any reason to ... to get much past that, but that would be
our same recommendation, it's just, uh, first-come, first -serve, uh, in terms of who, uh,
gets us .... gets us a petition. So now that we know, uh, about the criteria we use and
we've talked a little bit about the pro.... proposed criteria, I'd like to talk a little bit about
the actual process itself, just so we all understand how this works. Um, the first thing we
do is we receive the petition, and right now, again, there's no current requirement for
signatures. Uh, the second thing we do is actually go out and measure, uh, speeds and
volumes to make sure we meet the thresholds. Again we've got the vehicle thresholds,
the minimum thresholds, and the speed threshold, and then what we do is hold a
neighborhood meeting. Uh, we invite, uh, by letter everyone that has property abutting
that affected street or what's being requested, and we hold a neighborhood meeting and
we sit down with the neighborhood and we try to decide really what it is that they want.
Uh, then once we know a little bit about what they want or what they're requesting, we
conduct an evaluation to determine if it can be implemented safely and really at this point
we're really working with the Engineering Department to complete some preliminary
designs. That's really how .... that's really the only way we know how, uh, if that can be
done safely, effectively, and so forth. Uh, next we solicit the comments from, uh,
emergency responders, Public Works, Transit, uh, Parks and Rec, other departments, to
make sure that they are okay with the proposal. Uh, we post right-of-way signs, real
estate signs in the right-of-way, uh, similar to what we would do for rezoning,
um .... basically saying that this street is being proposed for traffic calming; here's the
number and call us, uh, or write us if you have any concerns, and that's for the general
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public, of course. Uh, we conduct that mail -back survey and then we bring a
recommendation to you all for consideration. Uh, we don't have a lot of changes
proposed for the traffic calming process, but I think the most important one is we would
recommend, uh, for may.... forming a traffic calming committee, and this'd be where we
can all sit down, uh, across City departments, to discuss, uh, context -sensitive, uh,
solutions for whatever it is that ... that we're up against. Um, as far as the process is
concerned, uh, we would still receive the petition. Uh, we would collect speed and
volume data to make sure they meet, uh, the .... the proper thresholds. Then rather than go
out right away and sit down with the neighborhood to discuss what they want, we would
propose sitting down with our committee and actually discussing what ... a menu of
options that we find, uh, would be suitable for the neighborhood. The reason for this is,
and a good example is, uh, this past spring when we brought you a recommen.... well, we
recommended against speed humps on Seventh Avenue. The problem was we got too far
down the path before we found out that some City departments were not in favor of that
project. We've already set the expectation with the neighborhood at our public meeting
that, you know, speed humps would be a viable option and, you know, we'd start moving
down that path, and what it does is create frustration for the neighborhood, staff, the
Council, uh, and so forth. So, I think just kind of turning this on its head and having staff
sit down first, coming up with some real good options for them, then going to the .... the
public would help things out, uh.... uh, dramatically. Uh, from then there on we would
use the same process. We would propose using the same process. That would be the big
change. Uh, as far as staff recommendations are concerned, uh, we would recommend
that we ratify the proposed changes, uh, by formal resolution at a subsequent Council
meeting. Um, at that point in time, we would recommend using, uh, the new format
where we're using our traffic calming committee to sit down, talk about projects, then
take them to the neighborhood and ... and continue on through the process. And what we
haven't talked a lot about tonight is the fact that we also recognize the need to adequately
design our new streets, so we're not retrofitting streets right after they're built, and a
good example of this is, uh, Langenberg Avenue, which we, uh, which now has speed
humps that you all approved this coming ... or this last spring. Uh, the street was a year or
two old and just opened and then we have to throw, uh, good money at a project that was
already completed and .... and really wasn't, um, wasn't an ideal situation. Uh, what we'd
recommend is that the, uh, Engineering office is going to be looking at the SUDAS
manual, which is the Statewide Urban Design Specifications manual over this winter, and
really that manual is intended to have, urn.... urn.... consistency across street standards.
So it shows the engineers how to build manholes, how to construct streets and so on, uh,
but it also has information in it with respect to street width, on -street parking, bike
facilities, street trees, and so forth, uh, so what we would recommend is that we work
with the Engineering Department over the course of the winter and review that, and then
come back in the spring, uh, with some recommendations to the Council, as far as what
we would do with new street designs. I'd be happy to answer any questions about the
criteria, the process, how we got to this point, history, any other questions.
Throgmorton/ Thank you, Kent. Uh, we are facing a time obstacle here because it's 20 till. We
could go, I don't know, till quarter till, max? And then .... I mean cause we need to give
ourselves an opportunity to do whatever things we need to do, but .... let's take no more
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than five minutes to .... to discuss this. If we need more time, we'll .... we'll come back
after the formal meeting, and of course we're going to have to do that anyhow with
regard to the other items on the work session agenda.
Mims/ At least Kent wouldn't have to come back. (several talking)
Ralston/ I'm happy to stick around (several talking and laughing)
Mims/ Staff can't say anything different, uh? (laughs)
Dickens/ Looking at your recommendations, I think .... we've pretty much gone through each of
`em and .... and the criteria, why you changed `em. There doesn't look like there's
anything that's.... earth shattering here. The 67% may be....
Mims/ Yeah, I'm comfortable with it. I ... I think, yeah, you .... you, we want to make sure we get
buy -in if we're going to spend that money and not be tearing `em back out and stuff so
I'm comfortable with the recommendations.
Botchway/ Me too. The only thing that I was thinking about was the, um, the meeting, and so,
you know, I just thought that was tough and you know, it seemed like you were, I
wouldn't say redundant, but it seemed like you could add in the comments or solicitation
of comments within the emergency responders and just add in the relevant staff without
necessarily having the meeting, but that's your discretion.
Ralston/ Yeah, and ... and good point. What we wanted to do is we already have joint staff
meetings where we talk (both talking)
Botchway/ Okay.
Ralston/ ....about similar things, and what we would do is just put that on the end of an agenda,
when we do have a traffic calming measure. People that aren't involved can take off and
then we'd bring some new folks in. So it .... I think it would be fairly (both talking)
Botchway/ Okay.
Thomas/ Um (laughs) this is kind of interesting after our discussion of. ... discussion of the
downtown, but there's a lot of ...a lot of stuff here, I feel, that's um.....being proposed to
us, and ... there're certain things that I like. I like the idea of the committee. I think the
committee's a great idea. More kind of holistic approach toward, urn .... the, you know,
how we would implement traffic calming, but what I see the general thrust of the
proposed policies to be is to .... in my view, significantly raise the .... the bar for when ... uh,
someone living in a neighborhood, and that's really what we're focusing on here,
residential neighborhoods, uh, on local and collector streets, uh, come to the City
with ... with what, you know, a concern with respect to traffic ... uh (clears throat) and what
we're doing here is .... is .... (mumbled) dramatically raising the thresholds, both in terms
of the .... the process and then the criteria by which we determine if a project is, um, going
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to move forward or not. I .... I would suggest, um, you know, we had talked early on
about the idea of a land -use transportation committee on various issues that, um, three of
us from Council, uh, meet with staff to go over this proposal, and see what comes out of
that process, but I'm .... I'm not quite clear why the .... why we're moving in this direction
and I understand that there are more requests coming in, um, but you know, I've had
personal experience with this program and I .... I think it's a really important one in terms
of. ... when residents come to the City with real concerns about traffic, uh, that it's an
opportunity there to .... to build trust with how the City and its staff, uh, and Council
respond to those concerns, or erode that trust. And so .... I think it's really important that
we .... we, you know, we're getting more requests. I don't know that the best response to
that is, well, we're gonna raise the threshold. It's kinda like, well we have a road out
there. It's.....people are supposed to be driving 25. They're driving 35. I guess we're
gonna just have to raise the speed limit. You know, I ... I really think (laughs) urn .... there
are other ways perhaps of dealing with, you know, our budget and what we can
accomplish, and the number of projects that are being proposed. We could perhaps come
up with a way of prioritizing projects, but .... at this point I feel the, maybe the best thing
to do would be to simply say .... urn, let's have a conversation, committee and staff, uh,
where we can sit around the table and talk about this at greater length.
Throgmorton/ Pauline, Rockne, do you have a view about this?
Taylor (both talking) ...one item that kind of, uh, glaringly stood out to me was the change in the,
from five -miles -an -hour to seven -miles -an -hour, and I know you said it'd be consistent
with nationally, but we don't always have to be consistent with national things, because
my concern is that extra two -miles -per -hour and you had mentioned something about
targeting, uh, neighborhoods that really have a problem, but any neighborhood, especially
with small children, uh, the rate of a car speeding, uh, hitting that body, especially a
smaller body, that extra two -miles -per -hour can make a big difference as far as the bodily
injury on that person. So I ... I had a concern about changing that .... that number.
Ralston/ Yeah, and that's probably the biggest change, uh, with respect to Mr. Thomas'
comments, I don't think.... what.... what we see is about a 88% approval rat .... so for
projects that pass, we pass them at like at 88%, the neighborhood passes them at like an
88% approval rate, uh, historically. So I think what will happen is we'll just get people
involved earlier as far as the petition requirement and things. I don't think it'll actually
affect the number of successful projects, just to make sure things happen, uh, upfront.
That is probably the biggest change though, Pauline, is the actual, uh, increase in ... in
speeds, the 80`s percentile speeds.
Cole/ I really like the committee. I think that's a great idea. Makes a ton of sense. I'm
supportive of that. Um, I have a number of concerns about this. As I recall, I could be
wrong on this, but .... this process, at least as far as I can recall, uh, arose about 45 to 60
days ago in response to some concerns that people have brought to Council Member
Thomas and... difficulty they had in terms of getting some of these projects through. As
far as I can tell, this significantly raises the bar, um, you know, to Terry's comment about
...certainly I'd want to lower the 67%, um, I have concerns the way that it is now and I'm
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not supportive of the changes, and I want to maintain the current policy with the
exception of the committee. I think that makes a ton of sense, but I don't think we should
be raising the bar for community participation.
Fruin/ The, uh, just to clarify. Urn .... the review of the traffic calming project came on the heels
of the Seventh Avenue project, not the, uh, Northside, uh, petition, or the Northside
interest that came about. The ... the, uh, issue with the Northside and the traffic circles that
were requested, those were requested to be, uh, included with the street resurfacing
project, and we said it was too late to get `em in with the street resurfacing project, but
that we would incorporate them into the traffic calming program after we review it,
which would, you know, we gave `em this timeframe of August to, uh, and September,
and really .... you know, our intention is not to, urn .... you know.....stamp out projects.
We .... we do think if there's broad-based neighborhood support that this is still a
framework that will .... will work. We just want the neighborhood investment upfront,
um, as opposed to putting the....all the staff work in upfront, only to find out that there's
no neighborhood buy -in. So .... this requires the neighborhood to be organized, and to,
um, come to us with a .... a unified concern upfront. Um, otherwise we ... we are finding
that we're spinning our wheels a lot and .... with more and more requests coming in, you
know, there's only so much time in the day, uh, with the resources. Certainly (clears
throat) excuse me, certainly you could tweak the 67% number to whatever you're
comfortable with, um.....uh.... but, urn .... you know, I .... I think we need to really ensure
that that neighborhood support there is .... is there, is there from the start.
Thomas/ Yeah, and I don't disagree with that. You know I think the neighborhood buy -in is ... is
obviously the foundation of this. Um, but I am reacting to the 67 number and .... so rather
than try to solve this tonight, it seemed to me the best .... best approach would be to just
meet with staff, go over some standards.... some, you know, you mentioned some that
you had looked at. I've looked at some, and ... and see if we can't come up with a .... a
number that seems, you know, to build stronger, you know, clarify that there is in fact
support out there, um, before a project moves forward.
Ralston/ Yeah, and very quickly I just wanted to mention too, to follow Geoff s comment, is that
what ... what I'd like to try and avoid too is we've got some projects that have been
successful that may have had a survey of 10 households with three or four households
responding and then if three of those individuals are for it, they've gotten speed humps in
the past. So I mean there's really kind of a disconnect with real true neighborhood desire
and just...going through the motions and getting speed humps put in so....
Throgmorton/ So we're gonna have to stop our discussion, but I ... I would say I personally think,
given the fact that this is a policy.... decision, I think it'd be fruitful to do what John
suggests with regard to having, uh, three Members of our Council (both talking)
Mims/ Do we have four that want to do that?
Throgmorton/ ...the staff (both talking)
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Mims/ I don't.
Throgmorton/ I .... I don't know. We'll find out, uh, and ... and so the suggestion is to have three
Members of the Council meet with Kent and whoever else Geoff thinks is appropriate,
uh, just to go through the ... that proposed policy, see if there are tweaks that would be
appropriate, come back to us with a recommendation. So, is ... is there support for that?
Cole/ I support that.
Mims/ (several talking) I'm comfortable with the 67. I ... I think we really need that buy -in.
don't think it's too high of a level, and the other changes I'm comfortable with.
Botchway/ I'm not either. I think that ... I don't ... I really don't understand not getting substantial
buy -in. That just....(several talking)
Throgmorton/ I ... I saw .... I saw three heads nod and I would be a fourth head. So, Geoff, we'd
like to arrange, uh, so we need three people. Are there individuals who would like to
participate in this conversation?
Thomas/ Yeah, I'd be happy to.
Throgmorton/ John, Pauline? Terry, could you .... (several talking)
Botchway/ I guess my, then my question would be can you give us the data as far as, you know,
the current, you know..... information (both talking)
Throgmorton/ We can't.....probe more deeply into this. We're runnin' out of time, okay?
So .... the question, we've got four people who want to have some Members of the
Council meet with the staff to just discuss it a little more thoroughly. So, I just want
to .... we .... we know there are two people .... I'll see if I can round up a third.
Cole/ (mumbled) I can do it or if you want to do it, Jim, that's fine.
Throgmorton/ Okay! We're gonna have to stop now so we'll, uh (mumbled)
Karr/ Recess!
Throgmorton/ Recess, uh, the work session till after the formal meeting.
Ralston/ Thank you!
Throgmorton/ Thank you, Kent (several talking)
RECESS TO FORMAL MEETING
RECONVENE WORK SESSION
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Throgmorton/ All right, does anybody need to take a short break? We ... um .... okay to proceed,
Marian, or .... okay. So, uh, we had.... virtually completed our discussion about traffic
calming. We had decided to ask, uh, three of our Members to meet with City staff to, uh,
dis.... discuss the details of the traffic calming, the proposed traffic calming policy and
return to us with any insight that comes from that discussion. Pauline and John had both
volunteered to be on that.... temporary committee. Uh, would anyone else care to
volunteer? Susan? Kingsley? Terry, you already said you couldn't do it. Sorry,
Rockne?
Cole/ Did you want to do it? I was going to say I .... I could do it, but I'm not .... chompin' at the
bit to do it. So....
Throgmorton/ Uh.... maybe two's enough! Would the rest of you agree, two's sufficient?
Botchway/ Two's sufficient.
Dickens/ What if they can't agree? (laughter and several talking)
Mims/ What I find interesting if this is so compelling that four Council Members want to do it,
we can't even get three to do (both talking)
Cole/ Well I'll .... I'm willing to do it .... if we need to.
Mims/ I don't care!
Botchway/ Two's good! (several talking)
Discuss City Manager preliminary goals [late handout]:
Throgmorton/ All right, so we'll go with two. Which leads us to .... discussion of City Manager
preliminary goals. Let me find the right page on my .... notes here. (mumbled) All right.
Sol...I should say a few words, uh, at the start. As you know our contract with Geoff
requires us to prepare a preliminary set of goals and then discuss them with him. I had
hoped to get them into last Thursday's Info Packet, but that just proved impossible for a
variety of reasons. As you know from my previous memos, I think that most of the goals
should be directly connected to our strategic plan, but we also need to let Geoff know
which of the plan elements matter the most to us. The list that appears in our late
handout, uh, is based on the information I received from five Council Members as of 6:00
P.M. Sunday night. So I know that there are a couple, uh, there are a couple Council
Members who weren't able to submit information as of that particular time. I've
arranged the preliminary goals into clusters, but otherwise have done very little editing. I
deleted a few words because most of the ... what I deleted were just kind of background
information for the particular goal being suggested. Here's the problem. There are 34
goals on the list, several which duplicate one another. So we need to condense those 34
into a much more manageable number. We also need to decide what to do with proposed
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goals that do not appear to have any clear connection to the strategic plan. If we want to,
they can be included, but it's got to be a Council decision. And we need to hear Geoff s
thoughts about the proposed goals. So, I .... well I thought what I'd do is just move
through the .... the sections, one by one. Hopefully you can tell me what needs to be
condensed, what needs to be deleted, and then I'd ask one person to volunteer to help me,
uh, re .... re .... recombine or reshape that stuff into a .... a final proposal. Uh, Geoff, you
have thoughts about this as well, so .... I'd be happy to hear what you have to say at this
moment.
Fruin/ I'm happy to go through .... one by one. There's some I have questions on. There's some
that are very straight forward.
Botchway/ (mumbled) with the (both talking)
Cole/ ....flip chart....
Botchway/ Easel, flip chart, slaggin'!
Throgmorton/ Well I ... I can tell ya, I have something to take notes on. Uh, but....I.....
Fruin/ I can produce a revised document too, that you can circulate amongst yourselves.
Karr/ I can do that too. (several talking) Based on the transcription.
Throgmorton/ Okay! So, um, I ... I hope y'all have in front of you the list of ...the preliminary list
of goals. So, the ... the first section has to do ... do with, it has to do with general items.
Uh, I ... I can say right off the bat that it seems to me the third and fourth can be combined.
Beyond that I need to hear from you whether you agree or disagree with including those,
uh, you know, the ... the ones that are on there.
Mims/ The third and fourth, or the fourth and fifth? Are you talking about the communication
with Council? And then the two on one meetings?
Throgmorton/ Uh, I ... no, I was referring to combining the re ... the one that starts responds
skillfully and the one that starts maintain communication.
Mims/ Oh, as significant events occur, okay.
Throgmorton/ Sorry! Kingsley?
Botchway/ So ... um, I feel like one is ... one is redundant. Um, Geoff has to do that, and then, um,
as far as the major initiatives .... I don't know, I think a lot of these are redundant. So I
mean I think that he's .... sorry! It's within his job to do these things. I mean I think he's
also (both talking)
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Fruin/ My reaction to the general section is it's all fine, except for ..... I'm not aware of any local
option sales tax initiatives. So if someone is thinking that there's a .... a sales tax initiative
in the works, I ... it's not on my radar.
Throgmorton/ So it could .... we could just scratch that out, but the idea was to say, `hey, there
might be an initiatives,' and ... that are significant and....and therefore.... and then .... and
then the rest of the sentence.... so on (both talking) yeah, I would agree to deleting
the .... the words having to do with local option sales tax. Uh, so .... I, you know, I need to
know whether there are four (both talking)
Mims/ Yeah, I agree (several responding)
Throgmorton/ ....support. So the ... the first three ... who support the first three items?
Cole/ I support the first three items, urn ..... I'm fine if we want to scratch out the local option
sales tax. I think that was sort of just, um, to illustrate but .... I'm fine if we....
Throgmorton/ And then, Kingsley, I know you said you think they're redundant. I guess I don't
agree. I think they're absolutely central to.....Geoff s, the goals we ought to be directing
to Geoff. So, Terry, Susan, John? (several talking) Pauline? Okay. So, how bout the
last item, to continue the two on one meetings? Geoff, do you have an opinion on that?
Fruin/ No, I think.... something I'd like to continue, and if the Council finds it valuable we'll
continue. If at some point you decide it's not worth the time then .... we'll (both talking)
Mims/ I think it's good!
Throgmorton/ Yep! Okay. So .... so no objection? Leave that on? Okay! Uh, turning to
the ... the next cluster, I ... I just refer to it as specific and then I structured it in terms of the
strategic plan. So there are two items under promote a strong and resilient local
economy. So tell me about those.
Fruin/ First one's part of your strategic plan. I think that's, um.....that's.... that's fine. The
second one, again, I'm not sure where this is coming from and what .... this is really a
policy matter for Council to discuss. If there's a desire to increase wages or pursue
project labor agreements, livable wage requirements, I'm happy to facilitate that
discussion amongst you. That's really a policy decision.
Mims/ Yeah, I would agree. (several talking)
Cole/ And that was mine in there. I .... I was a little unclear in terms of specific goals that we
were to put in this particular project. I would like to see that. Um, Geoff is going to be
the primary, um, you know, person to implement those policies, but I think back to Jim's
first question in terms of this process, it wasn't clear to me as to whether we should be
pulling out the portions of the Comp Plan that we identify as the most central and then
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sort of have him focus on those, or identify a new set of goals that are.... possibly
consistent or not with the Comp Plan. I think ..... so.....
Mims/ You mean strategic plan?
Cole/ Yeah, sorry! Too much Comp Plan (several talking and laughing) Yes, it must be .... the
coffee's not working! (laughter) Um .... the strategic plan, uh, because I .... I .... I think it
may make more sense to pull the portions of the strategic plan that we would like him to
focus on. I don't know what people think about that, and I think that would address some
of Susan's sort of numerical concerns, but at the same time, um, giving him specific, uh,
focus in terms of his specific contract. What do people think about that? But so if this
isn't consistent with the goals, I'm comfortable striking that out.
Throgmorton/ (both talking) Yeah, it strikes me (both talking)
Cole/ I wasn't clear on the process (several talking) so I'll .... I'll strike that (both talking)
Throgmorton/ We haven't done the process before so we're kind of inventing it, uh..... uh, I
would say I .... I think you already made this point (both talking)
Cole/ ...we can strike it.
Throgmorton/ ....is, uh, something that we would have to decide upon as policy. So .... let's
delete the incorporate more policies item. Are we okay with the other one, the ensure the
downtown (mumbled) that one sentence?
Botchway/ So I'm confused, I mean, there's things that are in the strategic plan. So we're
making priorities as far as what things we want him to move on immediately within the
year?
Throgmorton/ Well, we .... we're tryin' to .... tryin' to define goals, uh, as required by our
contract. (both talking)
Fruin/ You're gonna have an evaluation with me, uh, about a year from now to ... to judge how
I've been doing and how, uh, the City's progressing, you know, with ... with all the
different areas you want to go in. The .... the point of the goals is really to provide me,
um .... uh, extra focus on those areas that you think need attention. They don't have to be
in your strategic plan. Um .... uh, but you know, those things one year from now you
want to say, hey, we made real measurable progress on this. I think we, you know,
I .... that's what I want to hear. You know, the strategic plan is, uh, a two-year document.
Um ... and oftentimes the initiatives that are started in a strategic plan take even, you
know, more years beyond those first two to cavy out. So, this is kind of the one-year
timeframe. What do you want me to really be focusing on, where do you want the City to
be in one year; um, so drilling down to that strategic plan's good, but if there's other
things, that's fine too.
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Botchway/ So I agree with that. So this to me seems like a very ambiguous statement, but if the
rest of Council's interested, let's move it forward.
Mims/ I'm sorry, you're saying which one's ambiguous?
Botchway/ The first one, ensure the downtown Riverfront Crossings District in our .... and our
entryways are being developed in a manner that is consistent with the Council's overall, I
mean, the old phrase, but Council's interested in moving forward, let's move forward.
Cole/ That's probably almost too vague for our process review in a year from now for Geoff to
say, okay, how were you, urn .... making the city more ... I don't know. It almost was too
vague.
Mims/ Well and I'm not sure how we can judge Geoff on that because an awful lot of the things
that are related to any of those projects that might go on are going to come before us. We
are going to be the ones that make the decisions on it (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ....for sure.
Mims/ I mean if you're talking any kind of Comp Plan change or zoning change or anything like
that (both talking)
Thomas/ ...circumstances that (both talking)
Mims/ So to put (both talking)
Thomas/ ....doesn't have any control over....
Mims/ Right, that he has no control over and we're going to be making final decisions. So, I
think you make a good point, Kingsley. I'm not sure that that first one.... well.... while it
fits with the strategic plan, I'm not sure that it makes sense to be a point of evaluation for
the City Manager because we're going to be making the decisions on projects that come
before us.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so .... so let ... let me be forthright about this, cause it's one I suggested.
(coughs) Excuse me. Uh, it seemed to me that it would be important to signal to Geoff
that, uh, we thought it was very important that whatever development proposals he's
working on in, you know, through negotiation and whatever with various developers
that .... that those, that he understands that what comes to us in our view should be
consistent with the, uh, the .... the more inclusive, just, and sustainable Iowa City. And
I ... and I'm confident that Geoff knows that anyhow, but I .... but a year from now, we
could find ourselves kind of upset because something's come to us that we don't like or
whatever, I mean, I want to avoid that kind of, uh, disagreement by being clear about....
as clear as I can anyhow, but .... as clear as we can about, uh, what our expec....
expectation is.
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Fruin/ Ultimately, even though you're the final decision maker, staff is going to provide you with
a recommendation, uh, on ... you know, up or down, whether to approve a development
project, a rezoning, whatever it may be, urn .... and I think it's realistic for you to expect
that our recommendation will .... mirror the values in the strategic plan. So....
Mims/ We might just want to do some rewording of it, Jim...
Throgmorton/ Okay, so (both talking)
Mims/ ...a little bit.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, it ... it's really about what .... what's being recommended to us (both talking)
Mims/ ...to us, yeah.
Throgmorton/ Something havin' to do with a final decision, because that is up to us. Okay, so if
it's all right with the rest of you, we'll retain a modified version of that particular item.
And, Geoff, you know what we're after (both talking) Okay, so the ... the next is three
items pertaining to encourage, at least it's structured to this, pertaining to encourage a
vibrant and walkable urban core. So, feedback?
Mims/ Is this timeframe realistic, Geoff? (both talking)
Fruin/ Well the evaluation'll take place before the end of 2017. I .... I think it's aggressive to
think we'll have a code written, uh, by the end of 2017 but .... we will have made
substantial progress, um .... towards a form -based code and .... in one if not both of those
areas. Uh, the .... the bicycle gold friendly status, um ... that application's due in 17. So
one way or another we'll know by the end of 17. The, um, the last point there, the .... the
road optimization projects, we discussed that at a work session so you .... you know which
ones are ... you know, on the horizon and which ones aren't. Gilbert was one that did not
make the .... the Council priority list over the next few years so if ...that gets added back
in that's just a deviation from your previous decision.
Mims/ Well, and again, my concern is .... you know, increase the number of projects.... there's a
prime example where we're the decision maker and we said not on that one. So I (both
talking)
Cole/ Yeah, I put that one in there as (both talking)
Mims/ ....can't throw that on him to be evaluated on if we're going to turn it down (laughs)
Cole/ No, I .... I think that makes sense. So I ... I will withdraw that one.
Mims/ Okay.
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Throgmorton/ All right. With regard to the first item I'll take ownership of that, so to speak.
Uh, I ... I was.... recognized that, uh, it would be probably excessively ambitious to .... to
require, or expect this particular kind of completion by the end of 2017, but I wanted to
provide you with some pretty precise guidance on that particular item. So,
re .... rephrasing it somewhat in a manner that .... you see as being consistent with what
we've already instructed you to do.
Mims/ (mumbled) ...making significant progress or something like that.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, uh, would be appropriate it seems to me. Can we move to the next item,
foster healthy neighborhoods throughout the city. Uh.... notice I said `see above,' so
that's a linkage back to the form -based code stuff, but it could be that, uh, I don't know,
Susan, you or (both talking)
Mims/ I would just take it out, I mean, if...if we don't have a specific goal that only relates to that
one and it's duplicative of others, I would just take the heading out. I mean I don't think
it's necessary to have every single .... part of the strategic plan in the evaluation
document.
Botchway/ Agree.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'm okay with that.
Cole/ I agree.
Throgmorton/ All right, uh.... now we get to the .... (clears throat) maintain a solid, uh, financial
foundation. Uh, I put three items under this particular category. Uh, help! I mean, you
know, what y'all think about these three?
Mims/ Well, it depends a lot of the decisions that this Council makes. (laughs)
Throgmorton/ But what ... what do you ... what do we want Geoff to do?
Taylor/ Well keeping us updated I think that's.... that's excellent and that's measurable,
and .... and achievable.
Mims/ I think the first one needs to go. It's very... it's too general, it's too vague, it ... it's not
measur.... I mean, that, keeping us on a solid financial foundation is based on lots of other
small decisions. I say small, but very important, you know, when we get to the budgeting
process, what are the decisions we as a Council are going to make in terms of, you know,
our reserves, our emergency fund, our tax levy, and all of those things, you know, affect
our financial foundation and effect our triple-A bond rating. So....
Dickens/ Can't control if they change the way they rate things too.
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Mims/ Right, you know, assessments and all of that, so .... I don't see how you evaluate a city
manager. I think we have to be more .... well.....I think keeping us updated, um, you
know is certainly important and that .... that's been ongoing and not a problem. I think,
urn ..... and part of that updating is letting us know where we're at on the reserves. If, you
know, we had the fire out at the Landfill and, you know, we spent a lot of time on this
Council talking about (laughs) what that was doing to our finances and....
Throgmorton/ Right.
Mims/ ...what we were going to have for insurance months ... money and what was going to have
to come out of reserves and .... and those kinds of things and we made decisions based on
that. Um .... I think .... you know, I think maybe one and it kind of goes to this third one
is .... you know.....one being aware of State.... changes in State or federal law that might
impact us. And two, um, you know, any ideas on .... new ways to increase our tax
revenues, you know, our revenue stream in general. I mean, I'm not saying he's going to
come up with any. He can't pull things out of air, but certainly to be, you
know.... reading, watching, cognizant of things, I mean, you've mentioned the LOST
before, etc. Um....
Dickens/ ...making sure fee structures are staying regular, cause there was a time when we went
multiple years without raising the water rates, playing catch up (both talking)
Mims/ Yeah, that's a really good point, Terry, the regular review of our fees and rates and stuff,
which I think is kind of built in to the budgeting process now (both talking)
Fruin/ ....process, yeah. You're just .... I think what you're gettin' at is stay ahead of the curve
here and .... you know, don't .... you don't want to be put in a situation where you're faced
with a crisis out of the blue and forced to make some difficult decisions, so .... this .... this
ties in with the second one pretty (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I ... I think that's really what we're after and, uh, all three of those
suggestions, so if you can wordsmith that in an appropriate way that'd be good. Are we
okay with that?
Botchway/ Yeah.
Cole/ I'm fine.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so, uh, the next category was enhance community engagement and
intergovernmental relations. I ... several of those can be combined into one. I think it's
pretty clear we want, uh, Geoff to, uh.... have open communications and go to working
and professional relationship with, uh.... um, with University officials, uh.... uh, the
County Board of Supervisors, the School Board or .... or at least the administration, uh,
and so on. So that we ... we know that there's a really effective, um. ..... um.....engagement
between our City Manager and the key administrators in these other entities. So, uh, I
think those .... at least three of those could be combined into one.
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Cole/ Well and I ... here's one that I think I'd actually want to stick with and it was the ... the open
participatory decision making development projects. Obviously there's a line to be
balanced, um, in terms of the stage of the development project. Um, but I really want the
sooner the better, um, in terms of the public knowing, um, about particular projects. I
think once information starts to leak out, I think it makes a more difficult process. So, I
want to stick to that, and I think we need to do a better job of, urn .... earlier information.
Certainly the way that it's been on a couple projects we learned about it a couple days
before and I think those two and one have been very much appreciated. Um, but I ... I
think we need to leave that in there because I think that's important that we need to have
open and transparency in terms of the development projects.
Botchway/ I .... disagree.
Mims/ Yeah.
Botchway/ Um .... I ... I know where you're going, but....
Cole/ Uh huh.
Botchway/ ....in thinking about some of the projects that we discussed, I don't know .... you
know, I think the open and....open communication and transparency is a must. I .... I do
think that, you know.... alerting the public to things that .... can be changed, which was
some of the conversation that we had would .... would just be constantly updating the
public (both talking)
Cole/ My point is is that .... we have so many of these projects where we've talked about the
investment developers make and then we get to the very end of the process and all of a
sudden Council has concerns or the public has concerns, and the project doesn't go
through. Um, that is a staff -level issue in terms of one, that comes before Council when
we get that feedback. Um .... so that .... I .... I want earlier information in terms of where
we are in terms of the stage of particular projects. In terms of what my expectations are.
So .... I don't know if a lot of support from the rest of Council, but that's my suggestion.
Mims/ I think it's a .... I think it's a real balance there in terms of, you know, when .... when
developers are ready to have information public. Um .... you know, and ... and just trying
to, you know, get some feedback from staff, you know, are we even on course that you
think we can get approval from staff and Council, are, you know, is there major tweaking
that we need to do, and sometimes I think you start putting this stuff out there too early
and they haven't even really defined their project with enough detail yet that I think you
start, one I think you start raising a lot of, you know, expectations, concern, fear, um...
you know and those kinds of things that, and ... and quite frankly I think in some cases you
start .... I think we've started raising the expectation that .... people who won't.... people
who are not land owners and aren't developers have maybe more of a right to ... to the
decision making than .... than they really do. And so .... um, so I .... I think ... I'm not
comfortable with it because I .... I, we're looking at this as an evaluation document.
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Okay? And so I'm not comfortable with it in there. I think it's something we can always
talk about in terms of -and particularly getting information for Council ourselves, in the
two on one .... and I think then if we get to a project and say .... you know, hey, Geoff, you
know, can we get the developer to start putting some stuff out there publicly, because,
you know, we think maybe there's gonna be some pushback or this or that, then I think
we start trying to have that conversation on that particular project. I mean, it's just....I....
I've, yeah, I've got concerns about this in terms of being in an evaluation document.
Dickens/ I look at it like when the schools all of a sudden tell us they're.... they bought this land
already or they're in a sale that.... they're gonna put a school here; you have to put roads
in. That's... sometimes that's how we get information. And that's kind of what I'm
talking about when you've got a developer that he's got a sensitive....
Mims/ Uh huh!
Dickens/ He's still workin' everything out but if we start bringing this up, that could bl... that
could blow it. And so it .... it's very touchy, I just don't know that I ... can't give too much
information when there isn't information (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Well I .... I agree. I think it's a judgment call but I ... I do think it's important for us
to expect Geoff to keep us well informed about particular projects that are in the works
and could have, uh, could be significant projects and .... so that, um, .... if. ... if we think it's
necessary, we could say to Geoff, like .... like you just put it, Susan, uh, there needs to be
more public involvement at this moment, the other .... cause it'd be much better to have it
happen now than have it happen in the very last moment. So .... I.....that's the way I'd
prefer to go on that.
Taylor/ I kind of see it incorporated into the two on one meetings, and then when appropriate it's
brought be .... before the Council and, uh, presented to the public. (several talking)
Mims/ So take that one out, is that what we're agreeing to?
Throgmorton/No, it could be .... clarified to .... have .... have expectations concerning Geoff...
Geoff keeping us well informed about the ongoing status of proposed developments.
Mims/ But I think that's basically already in .... I mean....
Fruin/ Well I think (both talking)
Mims/ I mean it's in the two on one meetings, to me, and maintain communications with Council
and staff as, I mean, that ... you could consider that as a significant event.
Botchway/ And then as we're doing this, you know, I guess this is why I keep coming back to
the, I wouldn't say redundancy but .... you know, so my question to Geoff is going to be
how have you done this, and he's going to have to come back with what, cause that's
what I'm thinking about when I'm making my decisions as far as eliminating particular
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items. I mean that's how, you know, I .... I work through evaluations, and .... he's going to
have to answer the question in some type of way and .... you know .... yeah, I don't know
how he's going to answer that question, and I mean it is late (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Well....
Fruin/ I don't know, I think I can answer that question. Um, in terms of how I've kept you a...
apprised of projects that are in the works, obviously I've got to use discretion because,
you know, probably this week alone I'll be in meetings to talk about seven or eight
potential projects in this community and maybe one of those is real at the end of the day
and actually materializes into something. So, of course I'll have to use discretion in ... in
what we talk about but .... you know, a year from now if you said, gosh that, um, that, you
know, project X really snuck up on us and, you know, what could of we .... what could
you have done differently, Geoff? I would either say, well, there wasn't anything we
could do because it landed on our lap and.... procedurally it had to go right to you, or....
said yeah, I could have, you know, kept you informed earlier through two on one
meetings or emails or ... personal conversations or whatever it might be. So, urn ... I ... I
think the distinction is whether your expectation is that I'm keeping you apprised of
major projects as they're in the development phase or .... this (mumbled) specifically says,
you know, the community needs to not only know but be involved in the decision making
process, and that's two completely different things to me.
Mims/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ I .... I personally think it .... it's, at this stage, it's about keeping us well informed.
I .... I don't want to be hit.... thinking as a Councilperson, not as a Mayor, I don't want to
be hit with a surprise at a certain moment, bam! Some big project or some big
unexpected thing happening that could have been .... could have known about ahead of
time. Yeah.
Fruin/ That's very reasonable.
Mims/ You know and I would just take it ... I think I would just take it out of that section and
maybe include it with the two on one meetings.
Botchway/ Sure, that's fine. Yeah. (several talking) And then with the rest of the four.. just...
incorporate into one big thing, yeah.
Throgmorton/ I'm under enhanced community (both talking)
Botchway/ Correct.
Throgmorton/ Yeah so you (both talking)
Mims/ Just list all the different.... yeah. (several responding)
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Throgmorton/ Okey doke, so ... uh, we can move ahead to promote environmental sustainability.
Uh, there are five items here. Uh, two or three of `em at least have to do with, uh, carbon
emission reductions and use of alternative sources of energy to .... uh, generate power in a
low carbon way. So, I .... I think for me the question is, uh, I think they can .... the first
three can be combined. So then the question becomes really one for Geoff. How can
they be combined and.....um, expressed in a way that really strikes Geoff as being a ... a
measurable goal, somethin' that....
Fruin/ Well the path that we're going down now is you're going to set up a community task force
to develop this, um, carbon emission's reduction plan. So, uh, you know .... I'll work
with, uh, Marian and Eleanor and we'll craft, uh, you know, a process for you to select
people to be on this committee and we'll get a facilitator and we'll certainly aid them in
the development of their .... their plan and we can set whatever target end date we want as
a part of that, uh, resolution. Um....but that's.... that's really a community plan and
staff 11 provide input, but .... that recommendation'll come to you from a separate body.
Mims/ I think maybe rewording this, you know, is .... you know, as the City Manager, you
know.... oversee and .... and shepherd through what we've already put in place, you know,
it .... and like you say, a lot of that's going to come back to us from that committee. It's
not up to Geoff to do it. It's up to him to make sure that, you know, kind of shepherd
through that process that we've already established. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I think that's right.
Fruin/ I'd say if you want to place an emphasis on City -owned properties and ... and really from
more of a facility management standpoint you want us to really focus on carbon emission
reduction items, which would be everything from changin' light bulbs to potentially
solar, um, that's .... you know, something that we .... we do as part of our routine, at least
the light bulbs and things like that, part of the ... the routine work, but if you want
somethin' over and above where you're getting reports on, hey, we've.... through these
routine maintenance projects we've reduced energy usage, you know, we can provide you
with facility management type of reports, uh, like that if that's of interest. And I think the
larger scale reduction plan for the community is .... is that separate entity and I'd like that
shepherd or oversee (mumbled) (several talking)
Mims/ Yeah, and to me as part of that, you know, the on -sight solar, wind is all part of what
might come out of that.....that committee, right?
Throgmorton/ That's the way it strikes me (several talking)
Mims/ Yeah, cause I don't .... I don't want to see that in there as a specific goal because I think
we have to look at the whole picture and not... predetermine what our, uh, plans are going
to be.
Botchway/ I would agree with the City piece though. I think level of specificity to our own
buildings, that would be, you know, to me it's, you know, if we're going to ask this of
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our community or, you know, we are already, then I would want us to, um, to be kind of,
you know, the leaders in that as well. So I would want that piece.
Mims/ But see my point with that, Kingsley, is it goes back to the discussion I think we had at
budget time of -these things. Do you .... do you want to use money to actually reduce
carbon emissions, and do you want to do it efficiently or do you want to go out and do, as
Tom said, the sexy project. Okay, we might get more carbon emission reduction by
changing out windows, changing light bulbs, and things like that than putting up solar
panels or potential wind energy. Okay? So, you know, to me if you put.... specifically
put in here on -sight solar and wind, you're putting an over -emphasis on something
without doing an evaluation of all the different ways that we can decrease carbon
emissions. And .... to me, if. ... if you truly want to be .... to do the good environmental
thing, you're focusing on reducing the carbon emissions. You're not focusing on one
energy source. The other thing, and it kind of gets beyond this, but we have to think
about the environment that we are in. We buy our energy from Mid American. Mid
American is already almost at 50% clean energy. Okay? With their wind turbines and
stuff. So for us to go solar and wind, you're not getting that same incremental benefit of
decreasing your carbon output because 50% of what you're getting is already clean.
So...
Thomas/ Well I like the discussion about conservation as well as energy generation. Maybe that
kind of ...and providing that kind of information would be .... would be interesting to see,
that it's not just about generating what.... what our energy sources are, but that we're
reducing energy, um, our energy needs through conservation measures.
Mims/ Well I think to Geoff's point, and not to overburden staff with more and more reports,
but .... is every six months or even annually, maybe just on an annual basis, what
are .... what are the energy uses in our various facilities. You know, how much have we
decreased because we've gone to LED lighting or we changed out, you know, windows
in a certain building or, gee, we could increase insulation in a building or, you know,
whatever, um....
Fruin/ We can provide you a summary report sometime in the next several months and .... uh, you
can determine after viewing that, you know, if it's valuable to you, what type of
frequency you want, uh, frankly we're.... we're tracking this stuff now. I don't know that
it's polished enough to just turn around and give it to ya next week but we're tracking
that stuff. We've done a number of energy audits in our buildings where we have
prioritized lists of projects that the facility staff works from, uh, so we can compile that in
a presentable fashion, get it to you and.... go from there.
Botchway/ I apologize, I wasn't .... I wasn't talking about all the different points. I was
responding just to Geoff s comment that I .... I would really appreciate that we are looking
at the points that you are making and simply just making sure that we are leading that
effort, not necessarily from a solar or wind standpoint, but just in how we are reducing it
within our own building.
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Throgmorton/ Yeah, I would agree (both talking)
Botchway/ Buildings.
Throgmorton/ We would want Geoff, as .... as City Manager, to make sure that City government
is leading the way in terms of ...reducing carbon emissions, uh, within government, City
government, facilities. And there's a variety of ways to do that.
Cole/ I would like some focus on the generation because I think the on-site local power
generation is also an important part of it, so.....I don't think we have to talk about any
particular method of on -sight generation but ..... um, that does leave us essentially
vulnerable to whatever happens with the, you know, the energy grid, and I think part of,
um, on -sight solar production is ensuring that you have redundant and resilient energy
generation within the community. So I at least want to keep generation as part of the
equation, not just, um, you know, putting insulation in walls. So, that's my focus.
Throgmorton/ I could imagine a way to .... write that in a sentence, that gets to both re...
redu... gets to reducing carbon emissions generated by City government, reducing them by
a .... enhancing energy efficiency and where appropriate, uh, generating power, electric
power from....
Mims/ I think the where appropriate is key to that.
Cole/ I'm fine with that.
Throgmorton/ Okay, we have two other items, uh, under, uh, at the bottom of the promote
environmental sustainability, uh, element and .... uh, one having to do with, uh, decreasing
the number of growing spaces and the other of, uh, advocating and achieving the regen...
regenerative city goals.
Cole/ Well I want to focus on the growing spaces. I don't view this as just a minor quality of life
issue. I think food insecurity is a major issue in the community, and I think increasing
....we don't talk about a particular number, um, but by the way, everyone take a look at
the Chaddick growing space. It's been a fabulous community garden. Um, and I do
think that we need to reframe our point of reference and look at also local food
production. Um, not only, you know, eating it from farmers but what are we growing in
the community, and I think this is .... this is a key area and I want to see a greater focus on
food production in our public parks and .... and, uh, public lands and I think that that's
something we should have the expectation that Geoff will make that a .... a focus of
his .... of his time as City Manager. I think that's a key issue in terms of food insecurity.
Mims/ Well and I think .... you know, again, part of this becomes, and I agree with you on
increasing the spaces. I think that's really important. But again, part of it comes back, I
think, to policy and budget, um, because there .... there are costs to, you know, prepping
these and I don't know how much is really costing to prep new spaces and then .... the
organization of `renting' them out or however they're doing them. But, urn .... I think
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maybe something to the effect of, you know, maybe bringing back proposal to us of how
we might do it, cause I .... I don't know. Maybe, Geoff, you think you can do it all on
your own or you think there's things we need to be involved in, um....
Fruin/ Well you know I ... I've had several conversations with Julie, um, Sidel-Johnson, our Parks
Director, about this and .... clearly Chaddick's been very successful. We have seen a
drop-off at Wetherby, um, with ... with some of the demand shifting over there. Um, I
know she's in conversations, uh, with somebody about, uh, doing another park. Um, for
us the real emphasis is geographic, uh, spread across the community and trying to make
sure that, uh... uh, there's a community garden within some reasonable distance from, uh,
most .... most places. So this is (several talking) somewhat in the works, um, already and
uh, you do have a Parks Commission that ... that Julie works with to vet these, uh, types of
projects with too. So, uh, I .... I don't have any reservations about this goal.
Mims/ Yeah, if there's some way of putting it in there (both talking)
Thomas/ Yeah, I'd certainly like to see progress on that and .... I'm hoping we can,
um .... coordinate that .... the City's effort with the School District, because I do think the
school sites have a, you know, the potential, uh.... of incorporating learning, you know,
outdoor learning laboratories basically, um, and also help with the maintenance. I mean
what kills so many of these initiatives is that they.... they're initiated and then there isn't
any follow through. So I think that is the .... the, really the critical variable, I think, in
terms of, you know, growing spaces in Iowa City. It seems to me we're .... we're not able
to effectively address the operational aspects of it. There's a lot of inspiration out there,
but we haven't been able to structure it to ... so it's an on-going, um, program.
Botchway/ Well I was just saying collaboration with Johnson County. I believe they just hired
somebody to do this work (both talking)
Mims/ They did!
Botchway/ ...you know, I think that that would be a .... quick nexus.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, and .... and way back when we were discussing, uh, the budget and were
talking about a local foods initiative, but we agreed that we would basically play second
fiddle to the .... to Johnson County, and let them take the lead on it, but we would
contribute to the effort. Yeah. So .... I.....you can probably put that into language I think,
right?
Fruin/ That's good, yep.
Thomas/ Just one other thought, cause I've been having it recently, and that is that with the sense
I'm having that it seems difficult to get traction on the operational aspects, has there been
any discussion with.... leasing public lands to .... you know, an agricultural interest,
someone who's interested in food production on public lands, um, so they're ... so they
take the initiative in terms of, um, moving it forward.
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Fruin/ Yeah, we do have agricultural leases on Airport property, industrial property, um, and
that's really ... we just kind of look for simple farm leases, um, but I know there's been
some discussions about whether some of those spaces may be suitable for, um, kind of
a .... a ..... a not quite community garden, where people are buying individual plots, but
maybe where local producers are buying larger, uh, plots instead of you just doing all
corn or all soybeans, uh, so .... uh, we haven't had those conversations in great detail, but
we've floated that concept and that's something we can continue to kick around.
Throgmorton/ Okay. How bout the last item, uh, the regenerative city goals? I have to say, uh, I
was very proud to, um, read that proclamation, but we have not ... agreed as a Council to
adopt all the elements in that proclamation as City goals. So I don't think we're in a
position really to define that as a goal for you, Geoff. All right, advance social justice
and racial equity. Well a lot of these have to do with the .... the Police Department and a
lot of `em have to do with affordable housing.
Botchway/ Yeah, I would just .... say.....focus on, you know, putting altogether the ... work with
the new police chief, identify.... or, sorry, that's mine so I'm reading mine. Sorry!
(laughter) But, no, just you know, trying to figure out (laughs) some way to incorporate,
you know, the .... the police, the new police chief, how that process is going to go as far
as, you know, getting that person up to speed and .... making that, you know, transition as
quickly as possible. The affordable housing concerns and.....you know, making sure that
there's, um, some concerted effort made to address those within, you know, that
evaluative year and then last but not least, um, I think that it says `promote, increase...' ol;
sorry! Sorry, `increase diversity in the workforce.' (mumbled) separate, um, as far as
kind of staffing goes, and then, um, I would say the fourth would be .... there's economic
opportunities here, but anyways the ... the fourth one for me would be, um .... I ... I think I
put in strengthen relationship with the minority community, and I think let me be really
clear about that. Um, I just want, you know, urn.... regardless of who's on Council, um,
you to be that.....maybe point of contact, urn .... um, as far as different communities are
concerned and so ... I don't think ... I think Council plays a role, but I .... I want to in ... make
sure that you're ingratiated as much as possible into, you know, different nodes in the
community, um, so you have a pulse on different things and so, you know, strengthen
those relations, um, in some type of way, outside of the diversity initiatives....
Fruin/ Sure!
Botchway/ ...would be key. One of the things I think about right away is that you have
participated in .... that's ... that's a small thing. It's not necessarily what I'm thinking about
but you participated in moving, you know, a lot of the Rose Oaks', uh, community. It
wasn't something that you put out or made a big deal about, which was, you know,
testament to yourself, but ... you know, thinking about how you can make those in -roads,
not necessarily in that particular way, but, you know, to strengthen those ties.
Throgmorton/ I want to restate this point a .... a little bit, Kingsley. I .... I think it's pretty easy for
many members of our community to .... um, condense.....improved relations with the
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minority community to improve relations with the African American community. And
yet we saw with our residents of Rose Oaks, we've seen this now at several meetings.
Our minority community is very diverse. And a real challenge for us. And we're not
alone. This is true of virtually every city that I know anything about. So we've got
Hispanic, our Latino residents; we've got recent refugees from the Sudan and from
Congo. I learned about recent refugees from Egypt (laughs) uh, and ... there's religious
diversity involved in that and we have, uh, African Americans. Uh, we have a pretty
complicated, for Iowa City, a pretty complicated, uh, minority .... set of minority
communities, and I believe we ... we need to be .... in ... in ... inventing ways to connect better
with those minority communities. I don't know how to phrase it any better than that,
cause I think it's a big challenge. And it's not .... not just Geoff s job, I mean, we have
that job and everything else. But otherwise with regard to what Kingsley was saying,
the .... the big ticket items are the .... the pol... hiring a really terrific police chief, uh, and
makin' sure the Police Department is the best it can be, however you want to phrase that,
uh, affordable housing — we're off to a great start on that, but we need to se .... see that
progress is really being made over time; and uh, I, you know, I....I.....I would hope that
we could find some way to, uh, improve economic opportunities, etc., tho.... those two
items, the .... that and the less segregated by race and class. I would hope that we could
make progress on those but we have not .... identified those as goals yet. So ... I mean not
as goals. As somethin' we and ... want, that we said we want City government to be
doing.
Cole/ (several talking) I think these are .... I think these are things that... the.... the City can work
towards achieving through zoning, um ... through what we do in terms of our economic
policies. I think these are absolutely something that.... obviously it's not totally within
our control, um, but I do think that, you know, we're responsible obviously for policy,
but of course Geoff s role as well is to make policy recommendations to us, and I don't
think he needs permission from us to make the recommendations. He can just say, hey,
Council, I think you should be doing this, and I think we need to focus on this because...
our community has become more segregated over these last 20 years, and I think we need
to move it in the opposite direction, and I think it's .... and I think we do have some
policy, uh, tools that we can use. So I think we should keep this in here. We do have
policy tools to address this. I know that we, um, you know, we had the Scattered Site
Housing Task Force of about eight or 10 years ago, um, this is something that we should
keep in. It's measurable. We are able to measure this, as well. So I think .... and I think
we saw this with the school issues that we had, um, that because we haven't addressed
these particular issues, it's spilled over into what we're doing with the ... the boundary
issues. So I really believe we should keep this in there.
Botchway/ Measure what? Which one again?
Cole/ The ... the segregation. That's measurable.
Botchway/ I think that's under the affordable housing plan.
Throgmorton/ (both talking)
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Cole/ Am I missing something?
Throgmorton/ Well, let's be clear about what we're talkin' about. You're referrin' to the `make
our community less segregated...'
Cole/ Yeah!
Throgmorton/ ...sentence, right? So ... (several talking)
Cole/ And that's in the last....
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so I .... I .... that (both talking)
Mims/ It needs to be rephrased.
Throgmorton/ That's incorporated, uh, to a degree in our affordable housing preliminary action
plan .... to a degree.
Cole/ To a degree?
Botchway/ Yeah, that's where I ... I would feel more comfortable in ... sorry, I shouldn't say I!
(laughs) Well, no `I' cause Geoff s being evaluated. No, I would feel more comfortable
putting it under the affordable housing piece.
Cole/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ Geoff, are you okay with that or....
Fruin/ I .... I'm hearing that we strike this one and it's incorporated under our affordable housing
action plan which has been presented?
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I .... yes, uh, hold on. Uh, there's a .... those four other sentences that have to
do afford .... with affordable housing. The gist of it is to really make progress on (both
talking)
Fruin/ Yeah, I can combine those, sure. But this.... there's a comment here about.... address
private restricted covenants.
Throgmorton/ I think that's a different thing, uh....
Fruin/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ Seems to me that, again, is a .... a, really a policy question.
Mims/ I do too.
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Throgmorton/ (both talking) ....for the Council.
Mims/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ ...and
Fruin/ Okay.
Cole/ Well ... but he can make recommendations along those lines, as well, so I'd like to leave it
in.
Botchway/ Yeah I mean .... I see what you're doing, Rockne. I think that it can be addressed in
other ways. That's all I'm saying. I think it can be addressed on our current plan, and
then if. ... as far as looking at race and class, I think that that's more of a....
Cole/ But it's measurable.
Botchway/ But I think that's (both talking) data issue that, you know, Geoff can come back to us
with, within that affordable housing (mumbled) by showing us that progress, and so I
don't .... I don't think it needs to be....
Taylor/ But still I think it's .... I see it as separate from affordable housing cause I think he's
talking about different issues too as far as it being the inclusivity of people, how they feel
included in the community and I think somebody mentioned saying.... making
recommendations. So, uh, that would be measurable if he would continue to report to us
and offer any suggestions, on what we could do about that.
Throgmorton/ Suggestions about restrictive covenants or....
Taylor/ How (both talking) avoid them or .... or eliminate them. I don't .... I don't ..... (several
talking)
Dilkes/ (unable to hear) .... I ... obviously there are restrictive covenants in subdivisions, but I
don't .... I can't ... I don't know what that means. I mean have .... have the ... have the
barriers that are found in restrictive covenants been identified?
Cole/ I mean not in particular but I think those are things that, um .... I .... I would like to look at.
So if we want to take it out we can take it out, but .... I think the segregation is a key issue
that we need to focus on.
Throgmorton/ But it's makin..... your question's makin' me think of is the Fair Housing Report,
uh, we received several months ago, maybe last year. I'm kinda losing track. Uh... I,
yeah, I....
Cole/ (both talking) ...address some of those issues is what (both talking)
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Throgmorton/ I think we need to pull the restrictive covenants (both talking)
Cole/ Okay. (several talking) Fair enough.
Fruin/ I think if you keep the affordable housing and the economic opportunities in there, I mean
those are .... those are the two long-term pathways out of (several talking) Um, and .... I'm
not sure exactly how we'll .... we'll measure that, but it ... I can certainly demonstrate what
actions were taken with affordable housing and what actions were taken with our
economic incentives and programs, and .... and hopefully show you that, um, they're...
they're on the right path, urn .... but.....a year from now I'm going to be hard pressed to
say we made measurable progress in .... this area, but certainly I can tell you what we've
done.
Throgmorton/ I ... I can say on that point when we get to devising a new strategic plan, that's
gonna be a crucial thing for me. We don't have it at...at the moment and it's a big deal,
uh, but, um .... I ... I will be pushing that (both talking)
Thomas/ What ... what's that, Jim? Segregation?
Throgmorton/ Yeah, re .... no, the, um, identifying basically effective means of improving
economic opportunities and outcomes for lower-income populations. That part of it.
I ... that's a big challenge, um....
Thomas/ That and education, I would say.
Botchway/ That's in our strategic plan.
Throgmorton/ Well .... is it? I don't (several talking)
Botchway/ We gave money toward, you know, doing that particular project with, um....
Throgmorton/ Yeah, but that's a very, tiny, tiny, tiny amount of money for racial equity. Grants
and that kind of thing, and what I'm talking about is really....
Botchway/ Oh, I agree!
Throgmorton/ ...raisin' the, well shifting the ... the whole situation so that there're better job
opportunities, better, uh, outcomes for ... for lower-income people in our city.
Mims/ It's a problem across the nation.
Throgmorton/ Yeah. (several talking)
Botchway/ ...money when I proposed it at the time. I think we cut it down from that time. 25...
that's 50!
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Throgmorton/ Okay, I think we've gone through out list of 34 items. (several talking and
laughing)
Fruin/ So, uh... I will work with M .... Marian and Eleanor, urn ... we'll get a revised list to ya,
circulate it....
Mims/ Bring us back somethin' that you like! (laughs)
Fruin/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Yeah so (several talking and laughing)
Dilkes/ Can the Mayor have authority to finalize the goals?
Mims/ Sure!
Dilkes/ (mumbled)
Mims/ Fine with me!
Throgmorton/ Yeah, otherwise (both talking)
Dilkes/ You don't want to have another conversation, or maybe you do, but let's decide (several
talking and laughing)
Mims/ I think ... I'm comfortable with Jim (several talking)
Throgmorton/ I was gonna ask you if that'd be okay.
Mims/ I'm comfortable (several talking)
Information Packet Discussion [August 4. August III:
Throgmorton/ ...somebody, who was it? Oh, never mind, I'm thinkin' of some phrase from
American History, but (mumbled) Okay! Great, so we ... we should move on to
Information Packets and our discussion of Information Packets. Uh, which, uh, August
4°i packet, anybody have any items they want to bring up there?
Cole/ The alley alley thing, um, when are we actually going to see some of these alleys changed
to these sort of.....utopian like spaces that are so fun to be in? (laughter) I can't wait to
see (several talking)
Fruin/ Well, we (several talking) we did .... we did, uh, just accepted proposals, uh, for a new
waste management strategy downtown. Staff's evaluating those proposals. That's the
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first step, was we gotta clean up the trash, and .... and reduce the number of dumpsters so
it's actually somewhat comfortable to walk down these alleys. Um, from...
Throgmorton/ I think they're pretty aromatic myself (laughter)
Frain/ And ... and that's no easy task and I don't know if any of the proposals are really gonna be
acceptable to us or the downtown businesses. So, um, we .... we've, I'm anxious to hear
what our staff thinks about that, but um, once we get that, uh, behind us, uh, then it
becomes a matter of budget priorities and .... and alleys have not historically risen to the
top of our, um, list in terms of, uh, improvements, um, but I do think there's
some .... some nice opportunities there, but you're gonna need to repave, um .... uh, you're
gonna need lighting, um, there's.... there's a number of steps when you look at these
cities that have really taken on these projects, there's a considerable amount of money
that goes into it. Um .... I'd argue that it's worth it, um, for ... for the right alleys but
it's .... it's a big undertaking.
Cole/ And do we have .... would it probably be like the Studio 13 alley? That seems to me to be
(mumbled)
Frain/ That's probably the... the... the prime candidate cause you have two businesses that take
access with the Paper Nest and, uh, Studio 13, um .... so that ... that would be probably be
the one we'd look to first.
Cole/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Okay, other .... items on the August ... in the August 4 packet? Movin' on, August
11.
Dickens/ We did a lot of that (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Yeah.
Cole/ Well and if anyone totally wants to fall asleep they can read IP7, um, therein included the
actual study that I've been quoting here for these last, you know, 60 to 90 days. Um, but
I ... I encourage people to actually read it. Um, cause it does identify, uh, the actual
communities in Iowa that were used. Um, it talks about the specific crash frequency per
mile, and the reduction in the crash rate. Um, so the data's there and I think it's nice for
people to sort of see with their own eyes, um, what this data shows. Um .... and then
again there's another part where they talk about some of the primary beneficiaries are
those that are under 18 and those that are over 65. So, um, hopefully people if they want
some extra reading tonight they can plow through that.
Throgmorton/ It's not often we have a chance to read an article by Easy Data Analysis, yeah.
Cole/ Exactly! (laughs)
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Throgmorton/ Pretty significant reductions though.
Cole/ But the numbers are there and (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ....frequency per mile and reduction in crash rate.
Cole/ So....
Throgmorton/ All right. All right. Um .... anything else in the August 11 m packet? I don't hear
anything. Council time?
Council Time:
Throgmorton/ Uh, I .... I'll quickly mention three items. Item ... uh, a valuable meeting with
residents on Esther Court on the fourth. I think I told ya I was gonna be doin' that and I
had a conversation with Geoff and Kingsley and .... other staff afterwards, uh, and I think
there's.... there was a promising, uh... that's ... that's a woman on Esther Court who is quite
disturbed by the gunshots that had been (several talking) Sorry, yeah. Uh, I held my
fourth Mayor's Walk on the west .... west side of town, on the 9a'. Uh, one resident
expressed concern about deer population, uh, you know. There's a surprise, but we
haven't culled the deer population for quite a few years.
Cole/ I saw one the other day, right on (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so I don't know what the status of all that is but this one person was
certainly quite concerned.
Thomas/ When they hit the downtown is when we'll start acting. (laughter)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, for sure! Otherwise it was a very interesting walk. Uh, I talked, I don't
know, 15 or so people. Uh, I also spoke with the Livable Communities transportation
action group on the 9a', uh, with Chris O'Brien's help. I think it was a very fruitful
conversation with them. Other things, but it's getting late so I won't touch on them. Uh,
meeting schedule?
Meeting Schedule:
Throgmorton/ Okay. Uh, pending work session topics.
Pending Work Session Topics 11P # 5 Info Packet of 8/111:
Mims/ Still have a lot of `em!
Throgmorton/ Well, you know, many of `em are actually already being acted upon. So...
Mims/ Right. I agree!
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Dickens/ Next two are already pretty well set.
Throgmorton/ Yeah! Right. (both talking)
Cole/ This might be for something that was already on the agenda, but this Idyllwild. I've been
receiving all the (mumbled) correspondence regarding that. Just sort of where are we on
that; what's the concern? I mean obviously I think they feel we need to be doing more.
Frain/ Um (both talking)
Cole/ Where are we on that process?
Frain/ Yeah, we ... uh, the, um, initiated a study with, uh, we hired HR Green to look at a, um,
drainage improvement project that would alleviate some of the, uh, over the land,
uh.... uh, water they get with large storms. Uh, that plan is .... this close to being finalized.
The project is fully funded in the budget, so, um, we just need to .... to fund ... or to finish
the, uh, project with HR Green.
Cole/ Okay.
Frain/ That follows the normal protocol of, um, you know, going into plans and specs and
coming to you for approval. So I think what happened there is the .... the homeowner's
association came to us and said, `hey, where we at with thisT and we said `hey, we're
close; it'll be in front of Council soon, once we develop plans and specs,' and then they
said `okay, now we need to start lobbying Council.' (both talking) And I .... I really don't
think it's anything that you'll .... will be too controversial but .... (several talking)
Dickens/ ...up above `em (both talking)
Frain/ They are. That's.... that's kind of a secondary worry is that ... if the Forest View project,
uh, development project goes forward, they want to make sure there's a solid storm water
management plan so that they're not impacted downstream.
Throgmorton/ Another instance where.... everything's connected to everything else it seems like
(several talking) Okay. Uh, pending work session topics, I guess just for the record I
want to say on .... on, at our next meeting, September 6a', we're going to have a joint
meeting with Parks and Re ... the Parks and Recreation Commission to review various
park plans and two weeks after that we're gonna discuss the affordable housing action
plan and provide staff direction on the various recommendations that are contained in that
plan. So that's a big deal.
Cole/ Will that park's issue cover paving of Hickory Hill trail? Is that what we're lookin' at
or....
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Fruin/ We .... we can get into that. Um, what I thought we would do is have Julie, uh, present to
the Council and the Commission an overview of. ... a brief overview of some of the larger
plans, urn .... City Park, Riverfront Crossing, Eastside Sports Complex — we can include
Hickory Hill, uh, Park in that. Um, and then also talk about the parks, uh, master plan,
uh, which, uh... uh, there's a group currently interviewing consultants for the parks master
plan, uh... urn, consultant job. Um, and talk about what that process entails and ... and what
it doesn't entail, and then, uh, you know, what I was really hoping for is .... is pretty good
dialogue between Council and .... and the Parks Commission. I think it would be good for
you to .... to listen to the Parks Commission and hear what their priorities are. Obviously
they hear from a different group of folks. They interact with the Park staff on a monthly
basis, um, and they'll have insight into those projects that .... that we don't have up ... up
here at this table, and then allow you some back and forth directly with Julie and the
Parks staff, uh, which I think is always valuable. And then, you know, I'll be payin'
attention to the discussion really to ... to prep us going into budget and seein' kinda where
I think your priorities are, and visa vie the Parks Commission's priorities are because
there's too much out there right now in terms of potential projects for us to tackle all at
one time.
Cole/ I guess if we could I would just like a little portion of that to focus on the paved trails at
Hickory Hill, cause that's something I've been hearing a lot about from constituents. So
a brief (both talking)
Fruin/ Sure!
Cole/ Yep!
Throgmorton/ Okay, last item upcoming community events, Council invitations.
Upcoming Community Events/Council Invitations:
Throgmorton/ All right, I'm gonna mention three things. Farm to Street Dinner on Linn Street
this coming Thursday from 5:00 to 8:00 P.M. Uh, I am going to be involved in that.
Mims/ I'll be there!
Throgmorton/ I'm really looking forward to it. Susan's gonna be there. Uh, second item, uh, the
Iowa Department of Transportation Director Paul Trombino will be at Coralville City
Hall on the 23d to discuss the I-80, I-380 and other .... State road projects. So, uh,
anybody who wants to should attend, but if there's going to be more than four of ya, you
know, can't talk to each other. Can't say things publicly.
Taylor/ What time?
Throgmorton/ Uh, that's, uh. (mumbled) I don't have the time written down, I'm sorry.
Karr/ I sent that out.
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Throgmorton/ Yeah, and the last thing, uh, is, uh, the Housing Trust Fund Board of Director's
annual meeting at 8:30 A.M. on the 26h and I was wondering if someone might want to
attend that.
Mims/ I've got it on my calendar. I think I'll be there but I'm .... I mean .... (mumbled)
Fruin/ Staff 11 be there, as well.
Throgmorton/ Good deal. All right, uh, anything else? Okay, we're done. (bangs gavel) Thank
you.
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