HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-02-07 TranscriptionPage 1 City Council Work Session
Council Present: Botchway, Cole, Dickens, Mims, Taylor, Thomas, Tbrogmorton
Staff Present: Fruin, Monroe, Andrew, Bockenstedt, Dilkes, Voparil, Schaul, Boothroy,
Yapp, Knoche, Havel, Ralston, O'Brien, Seydell-Johnson, Grier,
Rummels, Hightshoe, Rackis, Tuttle, Campbell
Others Present: Benjamin Nelson (UISG)
Discuss proposed FY18 Budget:
Throgmorton/ Let's begin the Iowa City City Council work session for Tuesday, February 7.
First item is to di .... is to discuss the proposed fiscal year .... 18 budget. So, I wanna say a
couple things. The good news is that as best I can tell so far we've been able to dodge
the legislature's possible deappropriation of the commercial and industrial property tax...
cut ... backfill (laughs) so that's good news. Of course other things are in the works at the
State legislature and maybe some of that will become part of our discussion tonight. So
with regard to the budget, uh, what I thought we would do is that, uh, we would invite
individual Council people to state their proposed changes. Ashley, I think you're
prepared to (both talking) some things.
Monroe/ Yeah, I can .... I can jump up there (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, why don't you be prepared to do that. What I was thinking we could do
is... uh, have individual Council Members state their recommended change. You could
type it in, uh, and we get `em all up as .... one thing, so that we'd have one thing up there,
and then we could go back and look at each individual item in detail and depending on
how that goes, maybe.... do somethin' else, but it depends on how our discussions go.
So .... does that sound reasonable? Yeah, go ahead!
Mims/ I don't know if there's any choice at this point, but I'm really concerned that .... if we're
taking this last minute to .... introduce totally new items that nobody on Council has seen
yet, and yet we have to make decisions tonight. I would certainly have hoped that if
people had recommendations for changes to the budget that they would have gotten them,
one, into the Information Packet, and certainly to Council before tonight. I .... I'm really
concerned about people offering up new ideas sitting here and in the next less than two
hours having to analyze and make decisions on those. I think it's an incredibly last-
minute process that does not bode well for good budgeting.
Throgmorton/ My recollection is that we had talked about getting ideas to Geoff, not later than
February 24h, some date like that.
Mims/ January you mean?
Throgmorton/ No.
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Fruin/ We have to set the public hearing at the next Council meeting. So the.... the.... the
Finance Department will need to take the time between, um, the end of the meeting
tonight until the .... packet for the 21" is published, so that they can put all the State forms
together. Then we'll publish the ... or set the Nublic hearing at the next Council meeting,
and you'll be asked to adopt that at March 7 meeting.
Throgmorton/ Right! So, uh, maybe I'm mis-remembering the date. I ... when we had that, um,
when we went through the budget discussion early in January, a date was.... provided.
Am .... am I mis-remembering the date, cause I .... I don't mean to be mis-remembering,
but....
Dickens/ (mumbled) that we wanted to have ... if you had any changes to do `em as quickly as
possible, or not .... the first time I saw .... I saw Rockne's this morning when I was flying
back. I read it (mumbled) and read what his were. That's not a lot of time. I have no
changes myself, so...
Throgmorton/ Well, uh, acknowledging the concern, uh, let's get the items out, uh, on the table
and then we'll see how the Council wants to proceed with, uh, with those items. So,
Rockne, you are, uh, one who did propose, uh, three items or four items (both talking)
Cole/ Yes!
Throgmorton/ ....and you and Kingsley proposed one, right?
Cole/ Yeah! Exactly.
Throgmorton/ Go ahead!
Cole/ And I tried to get these in Friday morning. Sent `em to Council as a whole. So I was
hoping that people would have sufficient time to look at that. Um, and that's not
altogether that different than an ordinary, uh, process when we receive proposals, uh,
Thursday afternoon. So, um, I want to for purposes of discussion outline at least three
proposals. Um, relatively modest impacts on the budget. Um, the first is is that I believe
it's time for us to re -imagine and re-evaluate what we're doing with the Robert A. Lee
Recreation Center. Um, I would like to seek funding for a consultant to review what it
would take to bring that up to standard. Um, I would like to envision creative art spaces,
um, poss.... possible open use for office space, and a steam facility. Um, it's my
understanding, based upon my conversation with Geoff, that the proposed, um, consultant
would cost between $25,000 and $50,000. Um, so that's my first proposal. The second
one is the UniverCity program. Um, I would like to move that up from three to five
houses. Um, essentially right now, uh, especially in light of the issues we're having
possibly with the legislature taking away our authority, uh, to regulate unrelated people
living together in our neighborhoods, I think it's critical that we continue to support
those. Um, and I think last year we did add one additional home on the UniverCity
program. This has been a very successful program. I think it's been critical to the
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successful stabilization, revitalization of our inner -core neighborhoods, and I believe that
whatever investment we make will be more than come back to the City in terms of what
we'll be able to get back in terms of a stable, family -friendly neighborhood. Uh, the third
thing is is I would like to evaluate a participatory budgeting pilot program, um, I'm
requesting $25,000 for that. Um, my hope would be .... is that, uh, we would have various
community members that would be able to participate in a budgeting pilot, where they
could have direct impact and direct input, um, in terms of identifying... programs that
would improve their particular area of town. Um, in terms of working out the particular
details of that, um, I'm confident that the staff, uh, would be able to do that in
conjunction with, um, input from Council. The fourth thing is, and I think this is ... relates
to our capital improvement project, um, I'm really concerned about the request to expand,
um, parking, um, out at Terry Trueblood. I understand that that is, um, likely to take
place in 2021 or is it 2020, Geoff? Um, but nevertheless, I think it...it does send, I think,
the wrong message in terms of where we want to go with our greenhouse gas reduction
policy. Uh, I believe there's plenty of parking out there and I think we really need to
look at that. Um, and then the final thing would be, I would like to request, um, funding
for a municipal broadband feasibility study.
Throgmorton/ And this is the one you and Kingsley (both talking)
Cole/ Exactly! Um, and I think Kingsley can maybe elaborate on this a little bit more, but I think
this is a critical piece of infrastructure that we need to evaluate as a community, um,
especially in terms of dealing with really three issues — equity, um, increasingly our
young people are having to, um, do their homework, uh, their assignments with their, um,
with computers and I think not having access is absolutely a critical issue that we need to
address. Um, it's not a simple issue, how..however. This is not something that can be
solved over night. I understand there's complexities associated with that. Um, but I
think these are the areas that I think we really need to evaluate. Um, I think that the, um,
the... the budget impact on these will be relatively modest. And I think we'll still be able
to get property tax reduction for our community. Um, finally I would just like to
highlight that it was this same process last year that I think we really added two very
successful programs. Um, one was our racial equity grant program for $25,000. That
was very successful. Um, I think.....or will be! I think that's.... those funds are going to
go out, as well as our local foods. So, um, I think this process is important part of
meeting our priorities as a community, um, going forward. So those are the proposals
that I would like to make, um, for this year's budget review.
Throgmorton/ Okay. Thanks! Terry, I think I heard you say you had no suggestions, right?
Kingsley, do you want to....
Botchway/ In the interest of time, I'll just, you know, make quick mention of the municipal
broadband feasibility study. I think Rockne laid out the points, urn .... um, pretty
articulately. Um, it is a huge equity concern, um, or equity issue. Um, there are... there's
a huge economic development factor, um, that I think about as well, and that's, you
know, um, been a lot of the research and articles that I've read in relation to some of the
other cities that have done, um, some of this work. I have bad a conversation with, um,
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not to throw you under the bus ... or mention to Geoff ..I had a conversation with Geoff.
Geoff has a lot of ...or (mumbled) (laughs) I just messed up! (laughs) I don't want to
say you don't have a lot of knowledge. I mean we had a good conversation about, um,
what this would mean, um, and, uh, and possibly how to go about it appropriately,
knowing that this particular landscape is shifting, um, could be shifting as well, and so,
um, there's some conversations I think we need to discuss more, uh, intently on that
point, um, as far as whether or not we need to bill out our current, um, fiber infrastructure
or whether or not, um, you know, you see companies moving towards 5G and some of
the other things, using more satellite and what that would mean if we built out and then it
would make that switch to, um, satellite, and so there are additional questions, and
obviously receiving the communication from Telecommunications Department, um,
makes me think about, you know, other ways that we could, um, look at this request, but I
do think a ... a study is necessary to kind of gauge, uh, what we do moving forward. But
other than that, I have no other proposals.
Throgmorton/ Susan, would I be right in thinking there's nothing (both talking)
Mims/ You would be very right! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ John?
Mims/ You would have seen it two weeks ago, at least!
Thomas/ Uh (clears throat) I don't have any for, uh, this current fiscal year. I have a .... a couple,
uh, couple of comments and .... and thoughts, sort of more in a two to three-year window.
Uh, those would be the .... the Trueblood parking lot. I .... I do think, you know, we can
leave it in the CIP, but I really feel we need to identify an alternative to what I ... I, maybe
I was reading in between the lines, but what I assumed was going to be a paved addition
to that parking lot. Uh... you know, I would .... I would prefer we look at alternatives to
that. We have the, um, the Public Works facility going in across the street. That may be
an option. Uh, I was looking at the width on McCollister, which is the street running
along the north side of Trueblood. Uh, that street is 40 -feet wide. It's three feet .... three
lanes, uh, it seems there may be opportunities to narrow the traffic lanes and provide
parallel parking along the park frontage. It ... in brief, I think let's look at alternatives
before we spend $225,000 .... uh, with a paving project. Uh, the .... Gilbert Street project
as I recall was ... the road diet was not in the five-year .... CIP, is that correct, Geoff?
Fruin/ That's correct, yes.
Thomas/ So I ... I would be interested in moving that up, urn .... with .... with the idea of having a
spring.... uh.....construction in spring through summer of 2019. I don't know what that
would mean in terms of. ... you know, preparing the... when.... when do we need to start
that project in other words, in terms of preliminary design, um .... I would .... I would hope
we have enough suff...we have sufficient preliminary design that we could move directly
into contract documents and I was envisioning that could be in, uh, summer and fall of
2018.
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Frain/ We do .... we do not have sufficient design. Um, we actually have some .... we .... we have
various studies that have touched on different segments within the Gilbert Street corridor.
So the downtown traffic model study looked at Burlington north. When we did the
Riverfront Crossings, uh, master plan, uh, that looked at the southern part of Gilbert,
and.... and.... and, um, analyzed some of the traffic, uh.... uh, that would be generated
with the redevelopment there, but there's no cohesive plan for Gilbert. So, um .... our
recommendation would be that if you wanna move Gilbert up or ... or create the project
within this next five-year window that we probably need to start a .... a corridor concept
plan this year, and .... we would take those dollars from the Riverfront Crossings CIP
project, which are, uh, so they're currently budgeted.... they're undesignated at this point,
um, but there's sufficient dollars there to .... to do a concept study for Gilbert Street. And
then I think there's probably gonna be a lot of community interest in the ... a discussion on
whatever concepts, uh, developed there. From that point we would get into any design
that you want to pursue.
Throgmorton/ So, John, with regard to the current, uh.... the forthcoming fiscal year, FYI 8,
your .... am I right in thinking you're suggesting that .... that kind of, what'd you call it,
design concept? Yeah.
Frain/ Con ... a ... a conceptual, uh.... (both talking)
Thomas/ ...if...if at 2019 construction start, uh, triggers initiating the project (both talking)
Frain/ It would.
Thomas/ ...uh, then .... uh..... then that would be something I'm proposing and I apologize for
not .... sort of thinking it through I guess you might say in terms of how .... how that would
impact the, um, the current budget. Uh, but (both talking)
Frain/ ...that wouldn't impact necessarily the current budget. The ... the Riverfront Crossings CIP
project, uh, has funds in it and .... and we've used `em for this type of purpose before. So
the Riverside streetscape project, um, those funds are really there to do this sort of thing.
They're undesignated (both talking)
Thomas/ So they are undesignated. Okay.
Frain/ Yeah, we wouldn't, uh (both talking)
Thomas/ It wouldn't affect the park!
Frain/ Would not affect the ... the park budget at all, no.
Thomas/ Okay.
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Fruin/ Um .... you wouldn't have to make any amendments to the budget to ... just staff direction
to pursue it.
Throgmorton/ Is that it, John?
Thomas/ That's it for this fiscal year. (mumbled) toward the end of the discussion I'd like to
(both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, okay.
Thomas/ ....comment on other items.
Throgmorton/ Pauline, is there anything you wanted to bring up?
Taylor/ No, I didn't have any additions. I'd have some more comments about the Terry
Trueblood though. I was thinking on those same lines, uh, everyone seems to love it, the
way it is now, and I .... I hadn't heard comments from public that they needed more ... more
parking, and that age old song about ... paving paradise and putting up a parking lot, that
just keeps going through my head.
Throgmorton/ Okay. We'll .... we'll come back (both talking)
Taylor/ ....otherwise I had nothing new (both talking)
Throgmorton/ All right, do I understand then that in general we are ... we, uh, liked the budget and
all we're doin' is considering the possibility of including six items or any one of the six
items. That .... that's what I understand.
Botchway/ Yes, unless you have something additional.
Throgmorton/ Uh.... no, I have an idea for how to spend some of that $150,000 that's in the, uh,
the climate action plan, but I don't need to say anything about that here. Okay! So,
we ... we have a threshold question, which Susan has brought up. I think we should
consider it, uh, a little more thoroughly. Uh, I ... my .... my usual way of tryin' to do such
things is to send a message to Council(a)iowa-city.org with a copy to individual Council
Members, cause I know they're not gonna be able to see it. We won't see it, if it's just
sent to Council cZOowa-citv.ore. Uh, but if..if ya send it all .... send a copy to the
individuals, without any discussion taking place afterwards, then .... the individuals have
an opportunity to ... to see it and think about it ahead of time.
Cole/ Well I thought I did that, right? I sent it to individual Council Members, each individual
email address, on Friday morning. Did people get those?
Botchway/ Yeah. So I got a question (several talking) I got a question for Eleanor. And I
don't ... I don't necessarily know if I was gonna make it a public question, but since you
brought it up. What is our protocol? Because .... I thought you couldn't do that. (unable
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to hear response) As far as sending information out to Council, and whether that
information is then privy to our ... we have to give, put that information in our packet.
Dilkes/ You can provide information, um, just as Geoff provides you information, but ... but, uh...
you just don't respond and have a conversation about it (both talking)
Botchway/ Okay. All right. Just wanted to make sure.
Throgmorton/ Okay. Well .... that said (several talking)
Dilkes/ But I think what ... what the Mayor's referring to was that when you just send it to
Council, it just comes to Julie essentially and then it doesn't get into the late handouts till
Monday. So you (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Okay! Uh, if. ... if we don't consider these now, then what that means is that we
accept the budget as .... as it stands, and we don't give ourselves an opportunity to
consider any particular changes. So it's not ideal, but it seems to me, uh, we should
consider them individually, but that's just my view. I don't know how the rest of you
think.
Botchway/ Yeah, I mean I think we need to go through the current things that are up on the
board. I mean, I don't ... I understand... Susan, I understand your concern, I mean .... I get
it, and from a .... I think from a budgetary process, you're right. I mean we need to be
having this ... you know, we had that conversation in January or the beginning of January.
Um....
Mims/ The public's had no opportunity to even see these or give any input either and that's one
thing that we have really prided ourselves on and in fact the new Council Members
campaigned on a lot of that too, was transparency and public involvement, and this didn't
even make it to the Thursday Info Packet. So the public has had ... until it came out in the
late handouts, the public has had, and most people don't look at those, at least not right
away, has had absolutely no opportunity to provide any kind of input and any kind of
reaction to (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Well they really hadn't had an opportunity to comment on the entire budget yet
because we haven't held a public hearing!
Mims/ They've had .... wait a minute! Wait a minute! Everybody in this community can send an
email or pick up a phone on any issue. We know that very well, Jim! So .... I would have
to respectfully disagree with you on that. They've had plenty of opportunity to have
input, if they chose to, by emailing or coming to any Council meeting when it was not on
the agenda, and standing up at community comment, and making comments about the
budget. So ... I .... I do strongly, respectfully disagree with that.
Throgmorton/ Okay.
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Botchway/ I think we need to talk about the points. I mean I get what you're sayin', uh, Susan.
mean I, you know, I think we can go back and forth, and I think you bring up good point.
I don't want to kind of go back into....
Mims/ I don't ... I'll go through `em tonight, but I think for the future, I think it's something that
we need to really clarify as we start going through the budget process what our
expectations are of each other as Councilors and what kind of timelines we expect, um,
for any adjustments to the budget, both for us to have time to react to them, research
them, and also .... just as importantly for the public to have the opportunity.
Throgmorton/ I think that's reasonable. Yeah. Uh, well why don't we take these in order, if
there's no objection, but let's take `em in order.
Dickens/ What is the long-term.... goals for Robert A. Lee? I know at one time we talked about
it bein' a comer, very valuable corner, whether we're gonna keep it as a rec center or...
Fruin/ Yeah.
Dickens/ ...are we gonna do a study and put a lot of money into it and then somewhere down the
road....
Fruin/ Right now I would say we're .... we're somewhat limping along. Uh, we have put money
into the facility the last few years, uh, in particular this last year. There's been a .... a lot
of, um, unplanned maintenance issues that have come up that have been very expensive
to deal with. Um, but uh.... Juli and team right now are, um, in the process of selecting a
architect to do, uh, some work to the front lobby, the stairway, the bathrooms, uh, there's
another CIP project, um, I think in year three or four, for some additional, uh,
improvements that'll address some of the ADA concerns. In the past there has been a ...a
plan for the facility, so there are some, um, concepts that have been developed, but there
hasn't been a comprehensive, a real comprehensive look at that, uh, facility. I would say
with the, uh, project that we're pursuing on the City Hall lot here, um, in giving up this
land, we're putting a heck of a lot more pressure on that ... on the .... on the Robert A. Lee,
uh, property, uh, that we own. So in the future as we need, uh, look to need to build a
new Police station or expand a Public Safety campus to perhaps include Fire, um, we
don't have .... an inventory of downtown properties like we did 10 years ago when we had
the Chauncey site and we had the City Hall lot. Um, so ... I would be very hesitant now,
assuming the ... the Allen Homes' project goes through, um, to .... commit one use for that
particular, um ... property, and by ... by property I'm sayin' not just the ree center proper but
the parking lot, uh, because I think down the road we are gonna have more municipal
campus needs.
Throgmorton/ Juli, did you want to elaborate in any way?
Seydell-Johnson/ I really don't have a lot to add. It's a building with the needs changing based
on just our community change, but that's all up to your direction of how much you would
like us to look into that or not.
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Cole/ Well .... and if I could just elaborate a little bit. Or not? (several responding) Um, you
know, one of the reasons why I wanted to look at this is I look at this facility, and
it's ... it's out of date. Um, it clearly is showing its age, and I think we need to as a
community clearly identify what direction we are going to go with it. I .... I think there is
that live discussion in terms of whether we do wanna use ... do an alternative use for that,
but I think it's a critical recreational facility. Um, and you know, we've used it for
the .... the social hall actually for some of our unity gatherings. I think the kitchen space
really could use some updating. I think there's a huge need for commissary kitchens for
our food start-ups. Um, so I think with this prime location, that's why I really want to get
the funding to see what we ... if we can re -imagine this space and then clearly signal to the
community through a public process the direction we want to go. So I think it's a real
opportunity for us to re-evaluate and re -imagine this .... this really prime space. It's really
showing its age. Um, we are making a lot of infra .... or essentially investment into it in
terms of just the maintenance, and so I want to look at whether we can re -imagine it, and
so that's why I've sought the funding for the consultant.
Botchway/ So (both talking)
Thomas/ I don't really disagree with that. Um, the, you know, the .... the thought of looking at
the rec center, as Geoff said, what ... what this triggered in my mind was the question since
it, you know, we're just sort of. ... a week ago had a conversation on the parking lot to the
north, that, um .... my .... my preference would be looking at our needs as a city on the two
remaining blocks, uh, and doing that comprehensively. So it wouldn't be just looking at
the rec center, but looking at City Hall, the Fire and Police, you know, the whole .... the
whole kit of elements that go into our civic center and ... and looking at .... looking at it
from that standpoint, rather than just Robert A. Lee.
Botchway/ Yeah, so .... um.....
Thomas/ (both talking) And then it's a que... the timing question in my mind. When do we do
that? You know.
Botchway/ So .... um.....sorry, I was just laughing cause I thought you were done, John, and then
I (both talking)
Thomas/ Sony!
Botchway/ I didn't mean to cut ya offl (laughs) Um.....I think it's important. I'm not
disagreeing with you, Rockne. I think that.... there's a lot of thoughts I have kind of....
especially hearing from Geoff, and I think that I've had a conversation with Geoff about
this particular space, um.....as far as talking about it tonight, I would say no. Um .... I
mean I'd be interested in, I mean ... I want to hear from Juli. I want to hear from ... (several
talking) Yeah, I want to hear from a lot of folks, and so ... I'm not necessarily dis... I mean,
downplaying what you're bringing to the table because I ... there's a lot of thoughts I have
from a recreational center use to, um, I think office space for, I mean the expansion of
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office space for our current staff, I mean there's....a lot of things that I think about from
that standpoint.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Botchway/ I just ... I see it more of a strategic planning conversation, because I think it's across
the board something I would like to talk about, not only about Robert A. Lee Rec Center,
but also about, urn .... what's the..(several talking) Mercer Aquatic (several talking) yeah,
Mercer Scanlon, um, Aquatic Center as well, and so I think for tonight I would say no,
but I ... I think I'm supportive of having the conversation, um, in the strategic planning
process.
Mims/ I would agree with what you're .... kind of with what both John and ... and Kingsley are
saying from the standpoint, one .... I mean .... I think we have to really respect the
volunteers that we have in this community that step up and spend their time on our
various commissions. And Juli and her staff and the Parks and Rec Commission have
spent .... I don't know how many....hours putting together, you know, a master plan, I
mean, we .... I mean we've got that huge booklet, or at least I do, I mean I took it home,
with Lower City Park and ... and Riverfront Crossings and the east side area and all these
others, and for us to simply come up here and say, `Oh, wait a minute! Forget all that, we
want to start a different priority and re -imagine what Robert A. Lee is gonna be.' I think
that really.... dismisses their value to us as Councilors and to this community. Now,
having said that, I think we need to look at it, and I think they will get to it, but I also
agree with what John and Kingsley are saying — I think it needs to be a broader
discussion because as Geoff said, if we're gonna end up selling this parking lot out here,
we have very limited City property downtown, and that may not end up just being a
recreation center. I mean as Kingsley said, maybe it's gonna end up being office staff for
some ... office space for some of our staff, or you know, whatever. So ... from that
perspective, and with the fact that we are in the middle of a very aggressive strategic
plan, on which we're making a lot of great progress...
Cole/ Uh huh.
Mims/ ....I think this should wait at least until next year's strategic planning process.
Throgmorton/ Any other thoughts?
Taylor/ I agree with the three of them as far as, uh, putting it off and then looking at a whole
package deal.
Cole/ Okay!
Taylor/ But I ... I do agree with you that (both talking)
Cole/ I do think it's something though that, and I .... and I agree, Susan. I mean, we have to
respect the planning process but I think part of it is also communicating the needs that we
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identify in terms of what are critical. So, I'm hoping that the Parks Rec Department, as
well as the community members, can take this as an opportunity to communicate to us
what they want to see here. It is a prime location, and I think it really is under-utilized,
um, not because of not the great work that our staff has done, but because we haven't
made the investment that's necessary. So that's what I'd like to see going forward.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, so I'm in agreement with pretty much what's been said, and I .... I guess I'd
want to re-emphasize a point I .... I think Geoff made, havin' to do with, uh, the parking
lot part.
Cole/ Yes!
Throgmorton/ Uh, and in the past there have been discussions about developing that parking
lot....
Cole/ Uh huh.
Throgmorton/ ....meaning working in a public/private kind of partnership situation and building
over the parking space and, you know, havin' something else above it. So, we do need to
be thinkin' about the site as a whole, not just the Robert A. Lee Center, it seems to me.
Yeah, so Geoff, uh, I don't know what kind of, urn ..... uh, what do you call those
(mumbled) uh, I don't know what kind of, uh, suspense file or whatever you have, you
know, for....
Frain/ Yeah!
Throgmorton/ ....keepin' track of, uh, significant proposals.
Mims/ I'd say if it's not important enough to a Councilor to remember to bring it up in next
year's strategic planning, then it's not important (laughs) I don't think we should put it
on the City Manager (both talking)
Cole/ I got it marked down! (both talking and laughing)
Frain/ It is .... it is a critical discussion that needs to take place, and urn....I.....I agree that
it's ... it's probably best suited for strategic planning, uh, so that I think, uh, the public can
understand where the .... the Council is.....
Frain/ ....and then depending on the Council direction, you know, that'll dictate the involvement
of Parks and Rec Commission vs staff vs public and all that, so, um. .... we'll make a note
for next year's strategic plan file and .... and see if that's the right time to have that
discussion.
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Throgmorton/ Okay! Good deal! I think we've, uh..... made a decision about the first item. The
second, UniverCity, increasing the number of homes, uh, to be purchased from three to
five. Yeah. Uh, you .... your, uh, memo or email, uh, suggests that the total cost to the
budget might be about 100,000 (both talking)
Cole/ That's my under .... it's about 50,000 (several talking) Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Okay! Any thoughts on that, folks?
Mims/ My recollection from when we were talking about this during budget was this had
become kind of a capacity issue in terms of what we had. I mean, I'm with you, Rockne.
I love this program. I wish we could do, you know, five or 10 a year, you know, if we
had staff capability and had .... and had the money, but it seems to me that, um, I .... John
and I talked over the weekend and he reminded me we bought the house on Ronald
Street, or that property on Ronald Street, and then we had, what, two others that we've
already got. So I'm just ... I'm really concerned about capacity, cause it seemed like when
we went through it at budget time, I ... recall hearing from Geoff that we were ... the way it
was budgeted was kind of cause we were at capacity at that point in time.
Fruin/ Yeah. We've certainly done more than three UniverCity homes in a ... in a given year.
There was a time when we did more than 10 in a year and we really got .... that was I
think too much, and ... and we got, uh, caught up in that a little bit, but, um, from ... the
capacity that I was more talking about, um, was looking at the department as a whole,
and a lot of those strategic planning initiatives from last year are just now starting to play
out. Um, we've, uh, expect the second year of the HELP program, uh, to .... to garner a
lot more interest than the first year did. Um .... so .... I ..... capacity's more on the
department -wide basis. Um, one .... one thing we did in shrinking this number down from
last year is .... that's, urn .... where we tried to pull some savings to .... to put into the
affordable housing fund. And so we were lookin' at.....at, urn .... you know, what kind of
existing stream of expenses could we push to the affordable housing fund and .... and that
two homes got us $100,000 for there. Now, with any of these, we can absorb these into
the budget. From our view it's more looking at what's sustainable year after year.
Clearly we have the excess reserves to .... to handle any one of these.
Dickens/ What's the availability of these houses? I mean how many of `em come up that we
could actually get.
Fruin/ Yeah, I think, uh.... Tracy might be able to comment on that a little better. I know it's
getting harder and harder to find, uh, willing sellers, uh, cause we've been through this,
um, but Tracy can give you some insight to that.
Hightshoe/ Um, every year about February, um, you hit us at a good time, we will send out a
letter, um, to all property owners, rental property owners, in the University -impacted
neighborhoods saying that we're looking for houses. Um, this is a good time because
renters, or landlords that have not rented up, you know, for August, um, start considering
whe... whether they'll sell to us. We get calls throughout the year about do you want to
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buy this, and we have to go look at the house. We look at the neighborhood. We look at
the balance. So, um, we had a lot of interest initially. We don't have as much as we used
to, but we still, uh, for three to five homes a year, I think we have enough interest to buy.
Or landlords that want to sell.
Cole/ Well that's why I tried to have it at the five, because I thought that's where we were in
terms of a reasonable number. We're able to do about five per year. Yeah.
Fruin/ I think in a typical year that'd be fine, yeah.
Throgmorton/ So, what effect would it have on the budget? Well, in terms .... no, effect on the
property tax levy.
Fruin/ No, I .... with any of these, if you recall the, uh, property tax reduction was out of the debt
service levy. Urn ... so any of these, uh.... changes wouldn't impact that levy at all. Um,
we did have a .... we have a budgeted surplus, um, that would more than cover these. So
you're really, um, bringing down that reserve level. So if I ... I recall, and I might look to
Dennis for some help, our....our projected reser... reserve level for .... for 18 was about
34%, and our target's 30. Um, is that ... is that about right? So ... with these ... any one of
these, uh, or any combination of these, you'd reduce from a 34% reserve, you know,
maybe down to 33 1/2 or 33%, depending on what you might choose. You're still gonna
be above the City's targeted reserve of 30%. So .... short answer — no impact on the 25 -
cent reduction.
Mims/ But it seems like I was hearing you say, Geoff, cautiously I'm sure, that .... part of that
capacity issue really is staff because they're really....
Throgmorton/ Yeah.
Mims/ ....in the middle of a lot of these strategic planning things that we've put in place, and a
lot of those really are just starting to come online at this point in time. So, I mean .... like
I say, I would love to do more, but I'm also concerned about staff, and I think .... I think
everybody here wants to see good progress on the strategic plan. Um, so ... I don't....
Throgmorton/ I agree!
Mims/ ...overdo our staff (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ....complete what we set in motion! (laughs)
Mims/ Yeah.
Thomas/ Well I'm .... you know, as Sa... Susan said, I ... I did speak with her the other day on this
and urn .... up until about 15 minutes ago (laughs) I was ... was, uh, you know, satisfied
with....,aith where I ended up on it, which was that, you know, we are .... we are
purchasing the Ronald's house. We purchased it, you know, the cost of that is roughly
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the equivalent of two UniverCity homes. Uh, in the north side we're also doing the
traffic calming, which is another element. However (laughs) uh, the events over the last
week are....overwhelming. That's all (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...the residential occupancy .... (both talking)
Thomas/ The residential occupancy which, you know, I'll raise later tonight, and I won't get into
it in any detail, but.....um, brings to mind that purchasing two more UniverCity homes,
um, in the wake of that, um .... may not be a bad idea.
Cole/ I was gonna bring that up, John.
Botchway/ So, urn .... if....so, you said $100,000? So if we have the $100,000 from a capacity
standpoint, that won't mean that staff has to spend or, I mean, obviously if we find the
homes, that's not saying that staff will have to spend that money to purchase a home. It's
not like a .... we're giving you money to go out. It's more.....I don't ..... I don't want to
push staff in this particular regard. Tracy dis.... oh, there you are! I was .... looking over
there! I mean, we give $100,000, or we allocate $100,000. This isn't gonna, you know,
put pressure on staff to make sure that we find homes, to make sure that it's spent within
the fiscal year. It's more if it's ... if we have .... if we have the avail.... availability, if we
have the capacity to do the work, you .... the extra money will be good, but .... okay.
Hightshoe/ Actually we finance the .... the homes through partnerships with local lenders. So we
take out a line of credit. It's the rehab dollars that you guys are....
Botchway/ Okay.
Hightshoe/ .... so ...... yeah.
Fruin/ What .... what tends to happen, it's not the ... it's not the energy that goes into buying the
house. It's ... it's rehabbing and going through the requests for proposals process, gettin'
the designs of the homes, you know, what .... what type of rehab does it need, getting that
designed, going through the RFP, um, selecting a contractor, monitoring that contractor's
work, and then listing the property, showing the property. There's a lot that ... that goes
into it. I ... I'm sure ... I'm sure Tracy would say, yeah, we can do .... we can do five. I'm
just .... my perspective, um, is that .... NDS, Neighborhood and Development Services, is
stretched pretty thin right now. Um, so yes we can do five, and if that's your direction,
we'll do it. We'll get .... we'll certainly be opportunistic when .... when the sale
opportunities come, and if they're in the right strategic location. What's happened in the
past, um, when we've got backlogged a little bit with UniverCity, is that we don't turn
these rehabs around quickly. It increases the carrying costs a little bit. Um, the houses
remain vacant in the neighborhood a little bit longer than we'd like, um, sometimes that
may or may not be a concern to some of the neighbors. Those are some of the risks that
you weigh. We have carried properties over from year to year, um, when we haven't
been able to keep up. (several talking) ...of the world, but....
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Botchway/ I'm supportive of the 100,000, um, or the increased number of homes purchased. I
mean obviously I'm gonna put it on staff, you know .... no, you don't have to come back
up. I'm gonna put it on staff to kind of determine, you know, their level of capacity in
moving forward, um, and in lieu of what, you know, John, you were saying. I mean I
think that is a important issue and so if we can get ahead of it now, it would be good.
Um, so yeah, I'm supportive.
Throgmorton/ I would agree. I'd put it just a little bit differently. I .... I think it would be very
good to, uh, have a couple more UniverCity houses. John articulated a good reason why
that is true. Uh, I ... I want, but I want us to make .... really good progress on the strategic
plan elements that we already have underway. So how bout this, uh, we could authorize
the staff to pursue up to five houses.
Cole/ I'm fine with that.
Throgmorton/ With knowing that they have discretion, they have to apply judgment about what's
really possible given the staff load during the year. (several responding)
Taylor/ That's kinda what I was going to ask Rockne if like five was this magical number or if
we could even consider just one more at four, uh, cause I also do value this program too.
Uh, it's unfortunate that we don't have the partnership with the University any longer. I
wish that we could pursue that and get them to cooperate with it too. Uh, cause it is a
wonderful program, but .... so if we just.....
Dickens/ Once .... once you certify the budget, you can't raise it, right?
Fruin/ You .... you can't, um, raise the tax levy, right. Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so we're clear about that, Geoff?
Fruin/ Yeah, we're clear (several talking in background)
Throgmorton/ Okay. All right, well the next one is participatory budgeting pilot program. Uh,
just to get a couple other facts on the, uh, on the table. We already have a neighborhood
PIN grant program (both talking)
Cole/ ...yes.
Throgmorton/ 25,000 per year, if I remember correctly. And a social justice and racial equity
grant program. Also 25,000 per year. Uh, is that gonna be increased this coming fiscal
year, Geoff?
Fruin/ The, urn .... racial equity grant was held steady, um (several talking) and the PIN grant, I
believe we did increase. I'm lookin' at .... what we took that to. I think we added 5,000
to the PIN grant, but I'lL....I'll double check that.
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Throgmorton/ Well, while you're double checking, I just mention those two things because the
question basically becomes what would .... doing this particp .... participatory budgeting
pilot program add .... to what we already have?
Cole/ Involvement. I wanna get our residents more involved in our budgeting process,
and more input, I think, so we avoid these sorts of issues, and I think also in terms of
community improvement. You're right, we do have the PIN grants. Um, but I think we
can do more in terms of opening up access to (noises on mic) our residents, in .... in terms
of how we do budgeting. And I think for them to come up with a criteria, for them to
come up with possible ideas as to how they want to, uh, you know, uh.... improve their
neighborhoods, I think that would be something that we could explore. Uh, participatory
budgeting is done throughout the United States. Um, it is not a new concept. Of course
it would be just (mumbled) racial grant program was done. Um, we articulated that we
wanted to focus on racial justice, and our staff came up with a proposal to make that
work. Um, I think they would be able to do that in this particular case. Um, we're
talking about a relatively modest amount of money, and I think we need to get our
residents more involved in our budgeting process at an earlier stage, and I think this
would be a small component of that. Of course, you know, once the funds have been
dispersed we'd have to follow ordinary budgeting procedures, um, but I hear what you're
saying, Susan, in terms of public input, and I think that's what we need to .... to do, is
encourage public input and public participation in our budgeting process, and so that was
part of the, um, reasoning why I wanted to focus on the .... on the budgeting pilot.
Botchway/ So I would say no. I think that I'm in agreement of the partic.....participatory
budgeting pilot, um, I .... I mean .... and I'll be honest with ya, I've kind of gone through, I
mean maybe (mumbled) which ones I want to choose but ... I'll stay on this one. Um .... I
think the strategic planning piece, I think of community engagement as one of our
strategic planning, um, pieces, or how do we actively involve .... I can't remember the
current language, but um .... different groups or whatever the case may be, I think that this
is a huge component of that. I think that .... I'd be very supportive of this in the strategic
planning process. I am not supportive of it for many other reasons Jim just mentioned,
right now, um.....yeah. I'm just not. I mean I ... yeah, I'm just not. I just think
about .... doing a program, um.....yeah. I'm just not. I think about some of the things we
did from the .... or the prior Council did from the PIN grant and how it changed, had to
change to a different model because of the .... (mumbled) talking about the right grant,
right? The grant program where people came in droves to talk about how they wanted a
particular, um, thing, finance (mumbled) who you're gonna pick for the particular
program. There's just a lot of questions I have that I would rather .... I'd rather ask during
the strategic planning process than a budget process, and so.....I'm no. I'm a no on this.
Mims/ I'd rather look at it ... one, I .... I kind of read this as, I don't know, kind of contradictory in
my mind. I saw kind of two different pieces to it.
Cole/ Good feedback!
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Page 17 City Council Work Session
Mims/ One ... the idea of getting people more involved in the budgeting process, which I think is
fine. If people can ... are willing (laughs) to take the time and start to understand why we
spend all this money and how we spend all this money. I think that's fantastic. I think
it's incredibly challenging .... to get people involved.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Mims/ But then when I read the detail, I saw it more as ... like an expansion of the PIN grant kind
of program, where you're bringing people together to .... kind of develop or .... give their
wish list of projects in their neighborhood and then my wheels are turning and saying
`Well, wait a minute, then that's just more money we've gotta come up with to fund the
projects in the neighborhoods.' So, I ... I saw it as being a little bit contradictory.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Mims/ Um .... but I, you know, we did, like Kingsley said, we talked about ways of, you know,
increasing communication and participation as part of strategic plan. So I think ..... if
anything I'd rather ultimately maybe next year see us revamp or .... or expand the PIN
grant program, potentially.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Mims/ Um.....and then I think we need to continue to look at that communication and stuff as
part of our strategic plan. So .... as it's kinda defined right now, I would be a no. I'd....
want to look at it more and figure out better (both talking) really efficient way that we
could do it.
Cole/ Yeah. Okay. (several talking)
Dickens/ I tried to get a lot of people to come to the budget program and .... (laughter) Why don't
you come down (several talking and laughing)
Mims/ Nobody came!
Dickens/ ....seventh year or eighth .... that was my eighth year (mumbled) I mean people .... they
come to you early, but to actually come to a meeting and....I.....I just don't see `em doin'
it.
Monroe/ Just to confirming that we moved the PIN grants from $15,000 to $20,000 in this
budget, so....
Throgmorton/ Ah, thanks! Well....
Taylor/ Along Terry's lines, I've even shown folks the budget book (laughter) they're scared
away! (laughter and several talking)
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Throgmorton/ So we need to sell copies at Prairie Lights or some such place, right? (laughter)
Thomas/ Maybe you could have a talk at Prairie Lights (several talking and laughing) Jim
explains the budget (several talking and laughing)
Cole/ I think I see which way the wind is blowing on this one. It's not lookin' good, um, but
what I do want to say though is that hopefully if we can find a way, um, my goal, you're
right, was a little bit contradictory. I agree with you, Susan. But what I was trying to do
is get something that was sort of exciting, that's part of the budgeting process.
Mims/ Good luck! (laughs)
Cole/ (laughter) And where they could actually have that input, so I'm .... I'm hearing sort of
what people's feedback is on this, but I do think we should figure out a way that we
solicit more input from the community earlier on, urn ... so that they can give us that input.
So maybe we do a, uh, a .... work session.... middle of the year, six months ahead of time,
where we say `Hey, we're, you know, six months off into the future,' because as Susan
points out, it is ... it's the community's money, and I want them involved and open, and I
think we do a good job of that, um, but I think any way we can think about to opening
that up is something we should do, so.....
Mims/ I think we offer lottery tickets if they come sit through the budget presentation!
Cole/ Hey, Susan, that's innovation (several talking and laughing) I mean, got a second vote for
that, right? (laughter)
Mims/ Probably not too legal! (laughter)
Cole/ I don't think Eleanor would allow that though! (several talking and laughing)
Thomas/ Rockne, in line with your proposal, I .... I was pleased that we did increase the PIN grant
amount, and I would encourage.... you know, looking at expanding that incrementally
over time. I think that's a .... a really, um, valuable, uh, approach toward engaging the
community. I was hoping that as .... if one .... one outcome of increasing the amount
would be that it would promote more associations in the neighborhoods. You know,
maybe we have that as a, uh (several talking) qualifier for getting the money, that you
have a neighborhood association in place to .... to, uh.... qualify for it. But I ...... I, as I've
said before, I do believe very strongly in this question of how can we be more strategic in
our budgeting and more sensitive to the .... the unique qualities that exist across Iowa
City, you know, and I suggested that the .... one indicator of that might be property
values .... as a way of understanding where we may need to be more mindful of
what ... why is it that the real estate assessments are flat in a given part of Iowa City. I
mean I think there may be other criteria as well, um, you know, in ... in the planning
profession there's the concept of complete neighborhoods ... consisting of a whole range of
elements. Which neighborhoods in Iowa City are not complete? And how can we
complete them? Um, one of. ... one of, I think, a key element in a complete
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neighborhood, especially in the... you know, the newer parts of Iowa City, the
subdivisions would be access within easier cycling distance to a public park, and
um .... my reading of the map of Iowa City is that isn't always the case, and so there may
be opportunities for working with the School Districts.... District, and .... working together
on promoting, uh, school sites as neighborhood parks. So I ... I think I've .... what I feel we
could do as a city is be more proactive in identifying where we should be paying more
attention. Because I don't think the budget .... my, at least the way I read the budget, I'm
not sure that we .... we go through that process and identify, um .... more specific
conditions throughout the City.
Throgmorton/ Okay, well my sense is there's not really sufficient support for this particular idea.
Fruin/ (mumbled) ...maybe Council Members can think about this in the next few months, but
the budget does include, um, I want to say about $15,000, uh, for a community survey,
which we haven't done in several years. Um, we put that in there, um, not knowing if
you want to do that or not, but, um .... knowing that you have a strategic planning session
coming up and that's one way to .... to get a, kind of a broad base of ...of public input.
So, um.....we could, um.....certainly tailor that survey, not only to .... to long-term
strategic planning types of questions, but budget questions as well. Um .... and, uh..... uh,
it's.... could.... could fall in line with this. So, somethin' to think about and if a survey is
not what you want and come budget time, you know, next summer, uh, you want to do
somethin' else and .... and repurpose those funds to somethin' like Rockne suggested, uh,
or another idea, we can do that as well.
Throgmorton/ Okee doke! So the next item, the Trueblood parking expansion. And John's
suggestion about alternative options that could be looked into. And this has to do with
the CIP, not the budget itself, right?
Fruin/ I thought what we'd do just to inform your discussion a little bit is just show you where
the parking would be added, um .... and certainly, you know, this is far enough out where
we haven't really talked about materials or things like that, but .... you can see where we'd
put it.
Seydell-Johnson/ And I would say definitely there's options to make it permeable so that we
could have some different options for it, but it's adding 25 spaces here on the main lot,
and then an additional 10 spaces here down on this .... this next lot, and filling in part of
this space in the middle of the, by the current parking lot. Um, and the comments are
true. Most of the time when you're out there this would be .... there is adequate parking.
The limiting factor is any time there's a wedding or large event at the lodge and .... and/or
some kind of chanty walk, run, larger event in the shelters, um, as staff we limit those
based on parking and we have many more requests than we're able to fulfill. So that's
part of it too is though you may not see it overflowing as often as we may think it is, uh,
that's largely because we control it and say you can't have those walks and those events
out there at certain times. Um, although we, like I said, we have the requests that are
there constantly. Um, the comments come from the public, usually on weekends when
there's a wedding or large event and they go out and want to walk on the trail or do
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Page 20 City Council Work Session
something out there, and ... and they can't find parking during those times. Not usually
Monday through Friday. This is typically a weekend problem.
Mims/ I guess my thought would be, and I mean I agree, I don't want a par ... pave over anything
we don't have to pave over. But ... I also recall Geoff talking about the fact that we're
spending a lot of time and money repairing.... sod in places where people are parking.
Seydell-Johnson/ Basically any area that's shown for these expansion they park there now
anyway (laughs) so whether it becomes permeable or some other parking space, that's
where they're parking now and we have to go in and repair the turf afterwards, several
times each summer.
Mims/ So I mean I guess my thought would be given it's not .... in the CIP right now. We're
starting to work on the whole campus down there for Public Works, which would
potentially give us parking across the street, that we come back and maybe talk about this
when we look at CIP next year, cause it's not going to impact the budget this year.
Botchway/ Yeah, I would agree, and so ... one of the things I thought we discussed during, um....
Maybe the Public Works.....I don't remember.... the phases, but I thought we discussed
the fact that that parking or the building up of that area would be what you were talking
about with that additional parking, and so I at the time, cause I'm not interested.... I'm not
even what you would say a nature person, but I wouldn't be interested in that additional
footprint from a parking standpoint at Trueblood. I think that we could think of
alternative options, but I thought of it, um, from a chronological standpoint that we'd be
discussing the Public Works piece first and then Terry Trueblood.
Fruin/ Yeah, so .... so again this is five years out. Um, the Public Works' campus will go through
its ... its, uh, design, phase one design, uh, this year. And if we determine that we can
accommodate overflow parking, uh, comfortably over at the Public Works' campus, this
project would fall out just naturally through out subsequent budget processes. Um, you
know, when really something's.....in year five of the CIP, it's more of an
acknowledgement that there's an issue that needs to be addressed. Um, you'll frequently
see, and for those that have been on the Council several years, there's a lot of things that
show up in year five that end up falling out in a .... in a couple of years, where that maybe
show up in year five and then ... because that problem or issue becomes worse. It has to
jump up a few years. So, um, you're definitely not locking anything in, um, when you're
leavin' it in year five. It's just an acknowledgment that there's a solution that needs to be
found.
Dickens/ I guess I just worry a little bit about the safety of coming across .... that street from the
Public Works and especially .... I know John was talking about narrowing it and doing
parallel parking there, but with kids.....they don't always remember what side of the car
to come out of (laughter) busy street there. I guess I would .... I wouldn't be for
something like that, but I ... you know.....I guess I would rather have it all encompassed in
one area rather than having it across the street that people have to cross.
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Throgmorton/ Well I ... I think Geoff and the rest of the staff understand that we have some
concern about.....about expanding parking down there, just in the sense of.....more
paving, and that's inconsistent with what we're tryin' to do in the big picture. So, I
would hope that you would take that into account, uh, when considering detailed changes,
uh, for this particular area, especially in relationship to the Public Works' campus.
Fruin/ Will do!
Throgmorton/ You (laughs)
Cole/ Well, I think it's (both talking) well I'm .... I think it's important though for us to signal....
you're right, it's year five and that was under .... I understood that, but we're talking about
greenhouse gas reduction, and I think that if we're really serious about that, that is gonna
mean, um, prudent planning on our parking policy, and if we're expanding that for the
convenience of peak parking, I think that sounds ... sends the wrong message, and I think
we do need to be very clear about which direction we're going. If we're looking at
expanding, um, non-essential parking in our community, five years out, how serious are
we about our greenhouse gas reduction? I don't ... I don't think we are, and I think it
sends the wrong message, and so you're right, that could fall out in year five. Uh, but in
my view, i£ ...if we're not identifying what we're gonna do in terms of transportation
policy five years out, and this is a big .... this is a big piece of it. It's a very signature
property. It communicates our values. And so maybe we need to punt on it tonight, uh,
but I think that's somethin' we really need to look at in the long-term, because that has to
be a piece of our parking policy, and this is relatively low hanging fruit. Um, it already
has ample parking. Um, and I think we need to communicate for the wedding parties and
these sorts of things that maybe they have to carpool. Maybe they need to have some,
you know, buses to come out and get people there. I think people can figure that out, and
I think that's what we need to communicate. So that's why I brought that up.
Throgmorton/ Sure! Sure, well I want to reinforce that and agree with the, you know, the general
thrust of what ya said. And one thing I'm conscious of is that, uh, the.... Trueblood Park
is not really accessible except by car or by bicycle, as far as I know. Am I forgetting
some mode? (laughs) (several responding) What?
Botchway/ I was gonna say there's a bus but I was quickly shushed! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ So ... uh, I would hope that staff would think about that some and .... see if there's
something that can be done to reduce the .... need to rely upon, uh, you know, uh.....um,
personal automobiles basically, or vehicles to get out there. Just for the reason that
Rockne articulated.
Thomas/ What .... what I was trying to do in this exercise was ..... you know, I ... I agree with what
you said, Rockne, but my reaction was .... more to the cost and how can we address the
cost issue. Um, coming up .... come up with, you know, what I described before as a, you
know, a lean project or the minimal viable project. As Jim said, unfortunately, this is not
a site .... (laughs) where the options are (laughs) rich and so it's, uh, yeah, by way of
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promoting bicycling, is there sufficient bicycle parking at Terry Trueblood? Um, but if
someone should come in a car, how can we deal with it, without spending $225,000 was
where I was coming from.
Throgmorton/ Okay! So .... thanks. Why don't we move on to the next topic.
Thomas/ Could I ..... could I just say a few things more in general (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Oh, I'm sorry, you wanted.....yeah, sure! (mumbled) Didn't know you wanted
to!
Thomas/ Um ... yeah, cause I .... this is my second round of budget discussion (laughs) and, um,
you know, I .... I think fortunately it wasn't.... didn't seem quite as ..... the process wasn't
quite as intense. I think partly we .... we didn't have the strategic plan to .... to develop,
you know, simultaneously and so forth. But, you know, some of my observations in
looking at this was .... what I would call it, you know, we need to have an effort where we
look at increasing revenues and reducing expenditures any way we can.
Throgmorton/ Are you talkin' about Trueblood or are you talking about the budget....
Thomas/ I'm just talking about in our practices as it relates to the budget and to our CIP.
Throgmorton/ I'd like for us to get through the, uh, six items first and then come (both talking)
Thomas/ Oh, I thought we did!
Throgmorton/ (both talking) ....some broader question.
Thomas/ I thought we did!
Throgmorton/ No! No, we have two more items (both talking)
Thomas/ ...sorry....
Throgmorton/ ...(both talking) Yeah. So ... okay, so the fifth item is municipal broadbon...
broadband feasibility study. So .... your.....your suggestion, uh, Kingsley and Rockne, uh,
includes a .... a paragraph or so from, uh, I guess an email from Geoff.
Cole/ Uh huh.
Throgmorton/ About the .... the cost of the study, and then the likely cost of the build -out....
Cole/ Uh huh.
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Throgmorton/ ....and possible, uh, implications for private.... firms that might compete with the
existing provider. Uh, so those are all pretty serious concerns. So ... I ... I, whatda y'all
think about, I mean, did you have a chance to read all that?
Mims/ Yeah, I did! I have a quick question.
Botchway/ Go ahead!
Mims/ Did either of you read the, um.....if I can find it now.....
Throgmorton/ (mumbled)
Mims/ No. Um .... it was .... it was one of the documents that the law students referenced. Did
either of you read the `Broadband at the Speed of Light' article ... or book? Okay. That's
where you need to start. Okay? If you read that, because they .... they referenced it
probably 30 times in their article. So I went and looked it up and pulled it up. You get as
far as about page six, the Executive Summary. And this was the paragraph that took care
of it for me. It said .... and what this .... what this article or this book actually did is it
looked at three cities who have built -out their own municipal broadband. Okay? Um...
there's one in Vir.... one in Louisiana, and I've got `em written down here somewhere.
Anyways, it said in each of these cases, the local public power utility.... they had a public
power utility.... took the lead in creating the new network. A characteristic of nearly
every citywide, publicly owned community fiber network in America. And as I read
through more of this — there's 75 pages of it — didn't finish it all, but I read .... a good part
of it and then read all the summary part of it, it is very clear .... that.....the likelihood of
being able to do a municipal broadband without already owning a municipal electrical
utility is about zero. Because what they do is they sell revenue bonds based on the
utility's revenues to finance. They do not put the credit and good faith of the city behind
these. They have cost anywhere from $75 to over $100 million to built -out. Some of
them have gone through $2.5 million or more in legal fees before they even started,
because all the big companies, of course, are trying to sue them and stop them, etc. Um,
so when I started looking at this, and looked at the background of these three cities who
have been fairly successful in doing it, and some of the other commentary in this article,
one of the things that, um .... concerned me was in the law students article, they never
reference this part of it. They never reference the fact that the success of these three
cities, and they went in and they picked out, you know, a lot of the good things —
economic development and some of these cities have had great economic development as
a result of this. Um ... but it was almost a linchpin piece that if you don't have a public
electric utility, you virtually can't make it work. So when I look at that, I am not
willing ... to set aside $100,000 in our budget, or 50 or whatever, to hire consultants and
do research on this. If we want to look at it at all, then my recommendation is we send a
letter to our Telecama.... Telecommunications Commission and maybe set up a joint
meeting with them, um, and find out for sure what they have already done for research
over the last few years, and why they have not recommended that we look at it more
seriously and more in-depth, and then decide from there if we want to do anything more,
but based on that, I can't support putting any money into it.
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Botchway/ So .... no and yes, and I say that because I totally agree with you and I think I .... I
understood some of the implications regardless of that article, I mean .... the article
highlighted some of the .... the funding pieces, um.....
Mims/ The students' article you mean?
Botchway/ No, that article you just referenced.
Mims/ Yeah.
Botchway/ The funding pieces that, again, weren't necessarily referenced in the article,
but .... this is a conversation I know that I've had .... Simon's not here. Oh, there he is!
Um, I know that I had it with Simon and Zach Walls, maybe about a year and a half ago,
about what this would take and look like, and then, you know, Rockne did a good job as
far as getting some of the law students involved and..... so there's.....there's a lot of
pieces. Um .... which as ... the more and more we talk about some of our .... or even my
arguments for how we're going down this, um, I would feel would be based more from a
strategic planning standpoint. Again, just kind of how we've gone through this particular
argument. However, um, also .... sorry. However, I do think, to your point, um, I think
it's important to .... however, I think it's important to highlight the need for this. I ... I
think that it has huge implications as far as what it could do, um, for our community. Not
only from an economic development standpoint, which I mentioned, but also from
an ... from an equity standpoint and what it could do ... I'll be honest with you! We could
do for the School District as they talk about one-to-one communication .... or one-to-one,
um, device ....devices and um, having a deeper understanding and what it could do for
our education overall, but .... um, I would, again, I didn't ... I would be inclined, and I
wasn't aware of, um, and ... if I was, maybe I was and I missed it, um, of this conversation
from a Telecommunication, um, Commission standpoint. I would be interested in a joint
meeting, so I'm glad you already mentioned that, to sit with them, one because I don't
necessarily think I've done that since I've been on Council, um, and I think it would be
interesting to hear from them. I have a lot of respect for some of the people that are a
part of that commission, um, to know what their thoughts are in moving forward. I will
say this this is one, Susan, kind of as you mentioned before, not necessarily (mumbled)
but another topic, that I am .... this is something that gets brought up, for me, in the
strategic planning conversation this year, or this coming year, and so it's not something
that I think I'm going to forget about it at all. Um, so I think that .... I do think that I
need ... I think there's more information that's out there that I would like to have and so
from that standpoint, I'd be willing to ... bring that back from allocating funding for it, but
I would say that I would like to meet with them..... relatively soon, I mean months
(several talking in background) with the comintion ... commission relatively soon to
discuss that so we can have some information moving into the next session.
Cole/ I would (both talking)
Throgmorton/ .....makes good sense to me but (both talking)
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Cole/ I would love that, and I .... and I think that, I mean, I think the issue here too is, you know,
Susan, you bring up the question of whether it's a pure municipal. I think it's ... there's a
whole range of potential options, and so I think it's .... it's an issue that's come up a lot
with constituents, um, in terms of service with .... with unknown providers. Urn ... that I
won't mention, but I think it is something that we need to evaluate. It is critical
infrastructure that we need to identify. So I'd be happy to do a joint meeting, uh, with
them to identify this going forward, and maybe we need to look at, if we do make some
progress in that meeting, planning ahead possibly to the following year, uh, whether
that's something, whether we'd wanna make that ... that happen, but I ... I'd be happy to do
that and withdraw the request so we could have that joint meeting, um, so do we have the
support on that?
Throgmorton/ Sounds like a reasonable thing to me (several talking in background) I see a lot of
nodding heads.
Cole/ Okay! Great!
Taylor/ I think that'd be great because, uh, before we got the letters today from the commission, I
was thinking, well that's a good idea to look into this, but then when ... two of `em wrote
to us and said that they've been looking into this and we appoint these folks and we
appreciate their knowledge and so I think first step would be to meet with them and see
what they have to say.
Throgmorton/ Okay! (several responding) All right. Great. All right, last item — Gilbert Street
road diet.
Mims/ My concern with this is .... I guess I would like to see us .... urn .... I'd like to see us get a
little further down the road with our other road diets and get public reaction to those
before we start rushing any others. I guess just .... I mean, we've had lots of people talk
pro and con about the Mormon Trek. We don't have it in place yet, urn .... so that would
be my preference, to .... you know, get something done and give people a little time to get
used to it and then .... if that still means we can bump this up a year or whatever, then...
then fine, but .... I ... I'm not anxious to rush too many of these right back to back before...
people've had a chance to get used to one or two of `em and .... and have some reaction to
it.
Dickens/ First Avenue hasn't been converted yet.
Botchway/ (mumbled) Oh, sorry! (several talking)
Throgmorton/ ...striping left, yeah.
Taylor/ The only thing that I think would maybe bump it up a little bit in priority is the fact that
the Riverfront Crossings' area and Gilbert Street in particular is ... is starting to form and
grow, and so I would think it might be important to start looking at the road there.
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Throgmorton/ That's the main thing I think about is that we have this development unfolding on
the south end of Burlington, and .... simply by authorizing a, uh... you know, a scoping
study basically, or ... whatever the title was that Geoff gave it, uh, we wouldn't be hurrying
things along. We wouldn't really be speeding it up dramatically, but we'd be
getting... setting things in motion and .... see what ... and we would see what came out of
that initial, uh, consultant study and, you know, then there are other steps that would have
to take place after that. And so I'd be in favor of doing this, although I ... I .... it'd be
helpful to know what the dollar amount would be (both talking)
Cole/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ I think you said about.....
Frain/ Yeah, I .... I don't, um, I'm not sure if Ron or Kent would have a guesstimate, but we have,
I believe, 150,000 in our Riverfront Crossings CIP fund, which is .... well, uh, sufficient to
cover a conceptual study like this. Do you guys have an estimate on....
Ralston/ Kent Ralston, Transportation Planner. It .... the short answer is I don't have a really
good idea. The Mormon Trek and First Avenue consultant was in the neighborhood, we
think, of about $80,000. It's been a little while. Uh, the downtown traffic model study
was more like 150,000 but that was kind of a different animal. You know, it included
part of that, uh, for Gilbert Street, but that was kind of a different animal, but I think
certainly with what Geoff mentioned, um .... yeah, I would think that 100,000 would
easily cover a .... a study of that nature. Probably.... you know, could even be down
around 50 or $60,000 I would think. Depends on the scope too, of course. If it's just
downtown or if we're talking all the way through, you know, down to McCollister or
the .... the south side of town.
Botchway/ So I would say .... no. And obviously I'm not a .... we know my feeling about these
issues, and I .... I did publicly state, I think it's on record, that I am supportive of First
Avenue, um, and some of the changes that are going on there, as of right now. Um, but I
will say that, urn .... for me, I would agree with Susan. I mean there .... I thought we kind
of discussed kind of the .... the order of how it was going to be laid out because we .... we
thought, and I know that ... John and I know ... I've talked to John a couple times about, you
know, some of the things that have happened in other cities and, you know, I'm
reminded, um, all the time how Iowa City is vastly different from a community
engagement standpoint on particular issues and so for me ... I would ... I'd like to ... I'd like
to wait. I'd like to follow the plan that we kind of envisioned beforehand, and wait to,
um, I can't remember which one's first. Is it Madison?
Frain/ Clinton Street this year.
Botchway/ Clinton Street (several talking)
Throgmorton/ ....would be the case.
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Botchway/ Yeah, and that wouldn't change....
Throgmorton/ (both talking) ...not altering that.
Botchway/ Right. Right, I just would.....I would like to see what the folks think when we made
that change. I mean I think we haven't done Mormon Trek yet, and so .... for me it's
more of a kind of wait and see, and I think we.....1 think we envisioned that at the time,
and so for me it's .... not necessarily out of the realm of possibility, and if. ... if, you know,
when's Mormon Trek being done.... again?
Fruin/ This year. (both talking)
Botchway/ So if Mormon Trek gets rave reviews, I mean, people are like `Oh my gosh,
Kingsley, I can't believe you weren't supportive and everybody else on Council's
amazing,' then I'll say, you know, my bad! Let's talk about this, um, as far as in the
next .... um, budget session/strategic planning, but for right now I don't ... I think I want to
stick to the current plan we had before.
Thomas/ If I could just ... insert something here. I .... I think Gilbert is a .... would be the first
project where we would really be in ... introducing a road diet on a street which has, truly
has pedestrian safety issues associated with it. And also, uh, we have two major,
potentially two major projects being built along the Gilbert Street frontage in the
downtown area. I think they would immensely benefit from not having the, you know,
the current configuration, where the traffic lane is right up against the sidewalk on the...
on the east side. So I .... assuming it could be coordinated with the construction projects,
I think it would enhance the, um, performance of those projects to have, um .... you know,
a ... a safer, more pedestrian -oriented sidewalk along their Gilbert Street frontage.
Cole/ Can I say one thing too in response to that question, Kingsley? Urn .... the only thing I
would have in response to let's see how Mormon Trek and First Avenue go, I think those
are totally different streets. I think there's something unique about Gilbert. One, are just
the sheer number of bike -themed businesses already on the district. So I think it really
has the potential to really activate, not only that area, but also the frontage along, um, you
know, farther north along Gilbert Street. Um, two, you have an extremely large college
population of residential right there on Gilbert. So I think in terms of our strategic
planning goals of our environmental goals and also greenhouse gas reduction, I think in
terms of commuting infrastructure, that really is a potential key in my view, and then
third, you have, you know, big growth. You have the signature project that I'm really
excited about that I think has a ton of potential, and I think to me that seals the deal for
me, and I think finally, um, this would be 2019 and really what we're doing is
authorizing the study. So if we get the study and the public overwhelmingly resists it and
there's no support for it, I don't understand this as committing us to the capital
improvement project. We're committing to the study with the expectation that if we get
the reviews, we show the public, we do the public outreach, then we get it in.
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Botchway/ Can I respond.... just briefly?
Cole/ Yeah.
Botchway/ So, two points, yeah ... from.....so I feel like, one, you've kind of made my point for
me, as far as, you know, if you're talking about pedestrian interfacing with a road diet
and what we currently have on the docket as far as projects is concerned, I would agree
First Avenue, Mormon Trek may not be the case, but then I thought you just mentioned
Clinton Street, and that is, you know, pedestrian frenzy, and so from that standpoint I still
feel like from a planning.... or what we envisioned, that's still gonna come before we
need to get to, um, Gilbert Street. My other issue with it is that, yes, I know we're
allocating $100,000 and that may be a drop in the bucket from a, um, from an overall
budget, um, perspective, but it's still $100,000 to do what I think we are going to do with
some of the other projects that we already had planned, and I'll be honest with you. For
me I .... I feel like if I see it work on Madison Street, I'm willing to slightly change course
in my opinion and views on the particular issue, but again I .... we talked about doing that,
so I just..... honestly, before we spend $100,000, I'd just like to see it first. I mean, I'd
even like to just see it on Mormon Trek first and that may just change my .... and pivot my
perspective as well. I mean I'm seriously in the no column until .... I just want to see it
happen first and then I .... I would think I'd feel differently.
Throgmorton/ Okay. Pauline, Terry .... I'm not sure what y'all think.
Dickens/ I would put it off .... till we get the other ones done. I've....I've heard a lot of people
that are not real excited about Gilbert being put into a road diet. I think it's too
important, getting traffic in and out of Iowa City, to squeeze it down. So I guess I would
not be in favor.
Taylor/ I don't know. Just today as I was heading away from, uh, City Hall for something else
and driving, heading south on Gilbert in the alleged bike lane. Every other business there
was a beer truck or a ... or the Pepsi truck, delivery trucks in that lane, causing traffic
difficulties and I think .... I think, uh, it should be a priority, that we need to look at that
and revisit how that whole design of Gilbert Street.
Mims/ Yeah, but that's not just a design to Gilbert Street. That's ... what are we gonna do with
the beer trucks.
Taylor/ Right, exactly (several talking and laughing)
Throgmorton/ True enough, I mean that's a significant issue (several talking)
Mims/ ...bike swerving out around the beer trucks, getting hit by cars (several talking)
Taylor/ Exactly!
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Tbrogmorton/ So, we need a little clarity here, Pauline. I think I sense (both talking) in favor of
putting this on and three people opposed is what I'm hearing, so.....and what you're...
you're in favor of putting it on the budget?
Taylor/ Putting it on!
Botchway/ You are in favor of not putting (both talking) (laughter)
Throgmorton/ I think we got a decision there! All right. Thank you all. Uh....
Mims/ So what's your.....
Throgmorton/ Oh, I'm in favor (both talking)
Mims/ Okay! (several talking)
Fruin/ Can we, um.....I think, urn .... where staff would be on this is that we'd take the, probably
the study all the way down to McCollister, knowing that that intersection's probably
gonna be in our work plan at some point in the near future. Um, how .... how far to the
north are you looking to .... take this study? Are we going all the way up to Market
Street?
Throgmorton/ That's the logical dead end, I mean in that sense.
Fruin/ Okay. All right.
Throgmorton/ Okay! John, you wanted to add a few points. Could you please be brief, cause
you know I'm just lookin' at the time.
Thomas/ Yeah, I will, uh... I will be brief. I ... I wanted to mention first of all that .... uh, in the, in a
two to three-year window, I'm .... I'm very interested in advancing an urban forestry
initiative. As ... as part of our CIP. Uh, I'm .... I really would be looking at it as being
something where we try to leverage, uh, volunteer efforts, perhaps AmeriCorps staff,
inn ... in the effort, but you know, I do view our urban forest as really being deficient, both
because of projected losses to Emerald Ash Borer and urn ... natural attrition or
development that we've been seeing, and it....it just furthers so many of the initiatives
that we're .... we're promoting — walkability, uh, traffic calming, greenhouse gas
reduction, increasing property values, etc., etc. Uh, if we include orchards, which I
would like to do, it would address our local food production. So that's something that I
really hope we can initiate and again, I think it could be a very financially lean project
with ... with lots of, um, benefits, uh, in all sorts of directions. And then in terns of
the ... the budget issues, um, overall what I was .... just a couple of comments. Uh, one
was ... was I was not seeing, um, in our ... in our budget impacts, uh, any indication of the
what I would consider to be the true life cycle costs, what we seem to be seeing, Geoff,
were kind of routine, generally speaking $10,000 impacts, you know, on all our CII'
projects, which suggested to me that we weren't identifying the ... the long-term life cycle
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replacement costs in those projects. And I think that's especially, uh, a concern when
you're talking about a project which is more than just a replacement. When you're...
when it's a new facility or it's an existing facility where you're expanding the .... the
infrastructural costs. I think the Gateway is a good example, you know, we're adding a
lot of...in the improvement to Gilbert, uh, Du ... Dubuque Street. Adding retaining walls,
guard rails, etc., etc., uh, that ... that are not there now and will add to the replacement
costs when that day comes. And so we have a .... a major $40 million project and guess
what? (laughs) That means at some future date, you know, that infrastructure will need
to be replaced. So ... so that's one concern is ... being very mindful of...of that ... that life
cycle costs .... cost, which then leads to the other point I will .... I will leave you with, and
that is the .... the infrastructural costs of. ... of the, our public, um, our street, road...
street.... street design development, uh, and ... you know, again, I've been emphasizing...
on ... on those issues more the safety, the importance of the design standards as it relates
to, urn .... walkability and so forth, and ... and what a wi... what I want to emphasize now is
the additional costs that our current standards can add to a project because of the, you
know, our lane widths following the State standards, which can generate lane widths
wider than on our interstate that aside from the safety issues, which I've been
emphasizing, there's a real cost associated with that as well, upfront and then on the
maintenance and then the replacement costs, uh, down the road. Pun intended! So, um...
again, I think how can we design our projects so they are more responsive to our financial
condition, and at the same time achieve the other goals that we've already been talking
about.
Throgmorton /Okay! Thank you. Anybody else have anything to say about the budget?
Fruin/ One ... one question. We did the, um, work session in August last time as kind of a kick-off
to this. Was that helpful? Should we .... should we plan on ... doing another summer work
session to talk about budget expectations, um .... as we begin to work on it in the fall?
(several responding)
Throgmorton/ Yes (laughs)
Mims/ I would say just one thing. I want to once again commend our staff from top to bottom. I
know literally hundreds, if not thousands of hours, going into all the planning for this
document, from all the staff meetings in the individual departments to department heads
meeting with Geoff and Simon and whoever, and urn .... this document just keeps getting
better and better from a standpoint of being easier and easier to read, um, Geoff, I think
you did a great job with the transmittal letter. That was something that Tom started when
he was here, and it's a great kind of executive summary that kind of highlights it, um,
with good slides, etc. And just kudos to staff and it's not just this staff. It's staff for the
last, you know 10 or 15 or 20 years that have really worked hard to keep this city in good
financial position to the point that we can roll 25 -cents off from our debt levy is
absolutely phenomenal. Urn ... so, thank you very much for all the hard work that
everybody does and .... help us keep our triple-A bond rating.
Clarification of Agenda Items:
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ITEM 4f(11) Ann Christianson: Environment
Throgmorton/ Yeah. Well said, Susan. I agree. Okay! Uh, we could move along to our next
item, which is clarification of agenda items. And, uh, I have one item I wanted to bring
up, but does anybody have anything they need to probe with regard to the agenda items?
No? No? No? No? No? No? Okay, the one item I wanted to mention has to do with
Item 4f(11) and I'm not gonna be getting into discussion here, uh, I just want to state a
few facts. Uh, it has to do with City devestment from Wells Fargo. You might
remember we got a .... a letter from someone representing 100 Grannies, urging us to
divest from Wells Fargo. Uh, so I asked Geoff some questions about this, uh, earlier
today. Geoff, do you want to summarize what you told me, or shall I do that? I'm....
Fruin/ Yeah, I'll give it a shot and Dennis is here. He ... he knows this better than I do, but, um...
for reasons other than what the letter points out, we've been divesting from Wells Fargo
over the last year. So about this time last year we had close to $50 million invested with
Wells Fargo. Uh, we're down to about $15 million right now and expect that that 15
million will.... will shrink to .... to close to, um, zero. Again that has nothing to do with
the, um, Dakota Access Pipeline. It's .... it's strictly based on performance, um, and
return on investment. We've just been finding better returns with other institutions right
now. Um, we do have, um, our utility lockbox service with, uh, Wells Fargo. Uh, our
lockbox service is essentially the processing of all the utility bills. So when you mail in
your utility bills, it's going to Wells Fargo. They're processing that and ... and, um,
working with our staff to integrate it into our system. Um, that is something that we
would strongly urge you not to, um, move away from. It's a .... a very, um, labor-
intensive, uh, process, um, to, urn ... rebid out the ... the lockbox program. There's a lot of
coordination that has to go on with whoever's processing those utility bills. We do look
at that every couple of. ... well, probably every, uh, few years, um, and rebid that service
out. So, I ... I guess my point would be if you're .... if you're interested in this, it's ... it's
happening already for other reasons. Um, and I don't think there's a reason to ... um, act
any quicker, um, based on the letter that was received.
Throgmorton/ Okay. Thanks. L..I don't really want to get into a discussion about it because it's
an agenda item, but uh, I did want to make sure you all were aware of those particular
facts. Okay, uh, nothing else on clarification of agenda items, right?
Voparil/ I would just like to state that, uh, Item #8 for the storm water easement agreement for
the Airport, we're gonna continue that public hearing and defer that resolution to the 21St
of February, um, because we're waiting for an agreement to be signed from the
developer, and also, um, Item #14, the City Park cabin restoration. There'll be no action
needed on that because we did not receive any bids for that project.
Information Packet Discussion [January 19, 26, February 21:
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Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okee doke. Thanks. Which gets us to the Information Packet, and I ... we
have enough time to do some of this. Maybe all of it. So, let's do the January 19a'
packet.
Mims/ Just wanted to comment on IPS, the social justice and racial equity report, um, lot of good
information in there and let me tell you, when we talk about from a strategic planning
standpoint or any standpoint, increasing outreach in the community, looking at the
number, um, of visits, interactions that our staff have with the community in general is...
overwhelming (laughs) It's phenomenal.
Botchway/ Yeah, I would agree. (both talking) I would agree. I mean, as people know I'm a
highly ... just overly sometimes critical person, um, when it comes to this particular stuff,
but you know, just reading some of this and knowing where we were, I mean, even
before I was on Council, um .... just well done, you know, well done to staff in general,
well done .... I know, I think Bill's kinda out of my eye sight, well done to the Police
Department and their work because there's a number of projects that were there, and I
appreciate kind of. ... showing all that information because it's just good information that
folks should just know, and then also to the, um, Equity Office as well and the work that
Stefanie's done and .... I .... I'm just amazed. There was a couple of things that I saw in
here that was weird was the .... the, um, the (can't hear) that's actually happening tonight
with, um, Jason.... Soul (several talking in background) Solle. There was a, um ... it said
keynote speak ... it said the presentation chronicled his growth from three -time convicted
felon to keynote speaker and gang trainer. What is a gang train ... I mean what's the gang
trainer? That was just weird for me. (unable to hear response from audience) Okay!
(laughter) All right. Yeah, I ... it just was weirdly worded, so .... I guess I'm just more
worried about the wording part.
Fruin/ Yeah, it's probably, uh, there's probably better .... (both talking) way to phrase that, but I
think you get, uh, he's a ... um, someone that's been involved in the criminal justice
system that has now, uh, been out and has achieved great success, um, I believe he's
a .... a doctor and trains a lot of police departments and officers in the Minneapolis area.
Happened to be in town, um, this weekend and, uh.... uh, thanks to a community
connection, um, were able to .... to set up somethin' with the Police Department, which is
going on right now I think. Yeah.
Botchway/ Okay! I just ... the wording (mumbled) That was it!
Throgmorton/ Anything else on January 19? Okay. Uh, January 26. With regard to Item #5,
which is my, uh, letter to the School Board., I .... Terry, uh, near the end of our last
meeting, I think you .... you asked me if there was some way we can improve our, uh,
ability to interact with the School Board, School District. And I ... I think we need to
really probe that some more and figure out a better way to do what we're doin'. Uh, you
know, Susan and I have been meeting, I don't know, quarterly with, uh, Chris Lynch and
whoever the Vice, uh, President is at the moment, at the time. Uh, and I've been to
several of the meetings, but.... still things seem to happen without much notice to us, or
at least it feels like not much notice. So .... what can we do about that to .... you know, to
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improve our ability to really know what they're doin' and to be able to engage with it in a
really timely fashion.
Mims/ We might need to meet with `em more than quarterly.
Throgmorton/ I'm .... I'd be happy (both talking) to do that if...if that would be sufficient, yeah.
Mims/ We might want to step it up to every other month and see how that works.
Tbrogmorton/ Yeah. The ... the only other thing we've done is Simon's been really good about
alerting me to what .... what's on the agenda for the School Board's meetings. But...
Dickens/ School Board meetings are the same night as (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Sometimes they're on the same night.
Mims/ No, they (several talking) off from ours, aren't they, because you go to them, right?
Botchway/ The main ones are off, but they have other meetings that are....literally on the same
time.
Mims/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, you know, I've thought, well, maybe it'd be good to have a staff person
attend .... some staff person attend every one of the School Board's form... formal
meetings. I ... I don't know if that would be reasonable. I'm .... I've just been tryin' to
think of what we could do, but maybe just meeting....
Mims/ We could start with that (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ...every other month.
Cole/ We do those joint entities meetings but it doesn't... and there's always multiple people and
doesn't seem like we ever get into any substance with the School Board, so what I'm
wondering is, is you had talked about maybe a bi-monthly, but do we just want to do a
one sort of substantive meeting, at least once ... do we even do that, one substantive
meeting once a year? Um, where we....
Throgmorton/ We haven't, though we're gonna have one (both talking)
Cole/ You know, where we invite all, you know, invite the public, uh.... that might at least help
us get some, you know, idea in terms of where they're at, like big picture where we can
give them substantive feedback as a Council, because I think the other thing
that... concern I've had with our communications with, um, the School Board is that, you
know, I've received word back sometimes that the City thinks that or the City thinks that.
Well it's like well lit begs the question — who's the City? Is that the individual staff
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person? Is that the Council as a whole? Is that an individual Council Member? And I
don't think anybody's acting in bad faith. I just think it's who they talk to, um, so I think
it would be good if we could have those sorts of meetings, would be my thought.
Throgmorton/ Well, if further ideas come to mind, uh, please let me know. Uh, otherwise Susan
and I will just see if we can meet every other month with ... with Chris and LaTasha at the
moment. Yeah. Okay. Uh, other items .... on the January 26?
Fruin/ I would like to, um, mention one, and that is IP7, uh, in ... this is about the Historic
Preservation grants. Um, in that memo we note that we did not get the grant that we
applied for to do the Historic Inventory downtown. Uh, it seems to me that that's
important enough that we, uh, proceed ahead without, um, the grant dollars. A lot of the
downtown development discussion has centered around historic preservation and if we
don't get our anus around the inventory that we have, I .... I think it's going to be hard for
everybody to move forward on that discussion. So $20,000, we can absorb that into our
fiscal year 17 budget, and with .... some head nods from you I'11.....I'll greenlight our
staff to go ahead and pursue that. (several responding)
Throgmorton/ Okay! I ... I'd like to mention Item 6 then, as another one here in January 26. It's
an email from James McCoy. I don't know James but James McCoy on behalf of Iowa
City Climate Advocates, asking us to endorse the Citizen Climate.... Citizens Climate
Lobby's fee and dividend program, with regard to carbon, um, carbon emission
reduction. This is actually the second time that we've had this in our packet and I
thought we really should engage the question. Uh.... (both talking)
Mims/ I think I'm supportive, but I can't say I am because there's .... I have too many questions, I
mean .... there can be a lot of consequences from this that are not clear, and that ... that...
that bothers me to just .... buy into something that somebody says because it's
environmental and .... but you don't really know the consequences, and so that ... that's my
concern with it. I mean this gets into some pretty ... big issues nationally, and quite
frankly the one thing that I ... that makes absolutely no sense to me is how they're gonna
collect this money and return it to every U.S. resident. They can't even .... I won't go
there!
Throgmorton/ Well they do have ideas about that, but I take your point about how it's not clear
how .... unless you've really been trackin' this for years and years, which I have but you
know (laughs) (both talking) it's not clear and it'd be unfair to kind of move ahead
without clarity and understanding. Uh, I ... I guess I do have a sug.... a ..... somethin' I
would like to add to this conversation. That is that... urn.... it will be very difficult for us
to achieve our carbon emission reduction goals without action at the national level. I
mean, just putting a fact out there on the table. Um .... and I think it would be worthwhile
considering this more carefully during the .... as part of the process of, uh, going through,
developing a carbon .... a climate action plan. So, Geoff, if you could sort of record this
and, uh.... uh, remember this, that the .... the.....the consultant and the advisory committee
should be considering whether to .... uh, what's the word I'm after? Uh.... whether to
encourage, uh, the .... the Congress to adopt a fee and dividend approach or some other
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approach toward car... reducing carbon emissions or ... or whether they should just deal
with it in some other fashion (laughs) but, you know, put it into that process is what I'm
trying to say.
Mims/ That makes sense.
Throgmorton/ Okay, we probably have run out of time, uh, I think, unless.... let's see what has to
be done here, urn .... we got the February 2 packet.
Voparil/ And we had the KXIC schedule.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, we gotta .... yeah, so let's come back to that cause....
Voparil/ Okay!
Throgmorton/ ....lot of people are gonna have to be talkin' about schedules and things. It won't
take long, but we have to do that. Okay, so we're gonna....
Mims/ Take a break?
Throgmorton/ I don't know, adjourn to after the, uh, regular formal meeting. (BREAK TO
FORMAL MEETING)
Throgmorton/ All right, so we were ... we stopped just as we were going to begin the, what,
February 2nd .... Info Packet, right? So.....
Botchway/ IP6.
Throgmorton/ IP6.
Mims/ KXIC.
Throgmorton/ Yeah.
Mims/ I can do February 15'h and .... March 22°d
Botchway/ I can do February 17`h
Throgmorton/ What ... what day of the week are we talking about here? (several responding)
Okay.
Dickens/ I'll do April 5'h.
Mims/ Give her a chance to write! (laughs)
Botchway/ (several talking) ...focus on Wednesday.
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Voparil/ Let's concentrate on Wednesday first? Okay.
Dickens/ I'll do April 5`h
Taylor/ I can do March 15th.
Throgmorton/ I can do March I". (several talking and laughing)
Botchway/ I can do February 22"a, February 27th.
Throgmorton/ I got August 4th! (laughter)
Voparil/ Who was April 5h9 Dickens?
Dickens/ Yes!
Cole/ I'll do March (mumbled)
Voparil/ Okay.
Cole/ That's open I think.
Throgmorton/ Julie, I said .... I said March 15` for me.
Thomas/ Did you get someone for March 15t .
Voparil/ Yes.
Thomas/ I guess I'll .... (several talking) I don't .... I don't.....(several talking)
Voparil/ We've got the 22"a (several talking)
Thomas/ Either one, it doesn't matter.
Taylor/ 22"a
Thomas/ I can do the 22"d if. ... (several talking)
Botchway/ So that was March 22"a? (several talking) I can do February 22"a
Mims/ I think I already have Febru .... wait a minute. You're gonna have to read what we've got
(several talking and laughing)
Voparil/ February 15, Mims; February 22"a, Botchway; March 1", Throgmorton; March 8th is
open; March 15d, Taylor; March 22"a, Mims; March 29t' (several talking)
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Thomas/ No, Thomas is March 22"a
Mims/ I'd already put my name in on March 22"a. (several talking) Is that ... I mean I don't care.
I can take March 8`h instead.
Cole/ That's...
Thomas/ I thought someone had March 8a'. (several talking)
Voparil/ I'll move Susan to March 8`h then and .... John to .... (several talking and laughing) to
March 22"a. (several talking and laughing)
Botchway/ Cole wanted March 8`h.
Cole/ Fine, I can (several talking) Well I could do March 29h.
Voparil/ Could you?
Cole/ Yeah.
Voparil/ That'd be great! (several talking)
Botchway/ And then who's got April 5`h?
Dickens/ Me! (several talking)
Thomas/ So is there anything open? I .... cause I thought I had, uh, March 22nd and....
Voparil/ I do have you down for March 22"d now.
Thomas/ Oh, you do?
Voparil/ Cause Susan switched. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Julie, could you run through what (both talking)
Voparil/ Yes I will. February 8`h, Dickens; February 15`h, Mims; February 22"a, Botchway;
March I", Tbrogmorton; March 8`h, Mims; March 150', Taylor; March 22"a, Thomas;
March 29`', Cole; April 5, Dickens. All agree? (several talking)
Throgmorton /Thank you.
Voparil/ Now you can go on to Friday. There won't be (several talking)
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Throgmorton/ With regard to Fridays. I think we need to make sure that everybody's kinda
contributing to Friday, and I really haven't played my fair role in that. So I'd like to
volunteer for the 17th of February.
Dickens/ I can do March 1711.
Botchway/ I can do March P.
Cole/ April 7t', I can do April 7th.
Throgmorton/ (several talking) Thank you.
Voparil/ Thank you.
Throgmorton /Other items?
Thomas/ On the, um, sorry, pending work session topics, I wanted to propose that we .... add to
the list, uh, neighborhood stabilization.
Throgmorton/ And improvement? (laughs)
Thomas/ Yeah, and .... (laughs) And improvements, um, kind of in light of the, um .... you know,
the pending State legislation. Just identifying it as a ... a topic.
Throgmorton/ Any objection to that? (several responding) Yeah, I think we should too. Yeah.
IP9, the minutes... oh, sorry!
Fruin/ ...clarify, with that are you looking to do that as this legislation on residential occupancy is
currently being considered or is this not that urgent and may be better to wait until we
know where the legislature comes down on that?
Thomas/ Yeah, I just wanted to, I mean I .... I guess it makes sense to wait.
Fruin/ Okay.
Thomas/ Um....
Throgmorton/ Figure out what to do.
Thomas/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okay. Can we move on? Is that okay? Yeah. All right, IP9, minutes of
the January 30th joint entities meeting. Remember Jessi...Jessica Peckover asked us to
identify by March I' a decision making representative to joint the Access Center Steering
Committee. So would anybody like to volunteer?
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Mims/ I would. I'll be glad to, since I've (both talking)
Throgmorton/ (mumbled) Okay. Susan (mumbled) All right. Anything else? If not I think
we're done. So, let's adjourn our work session. Thank you everybody.
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