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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-04-06 Info Packet� ? 1 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 6, 2017 IN Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MISCELLANEOUS IP2 Email from Shams Ghoneim, I.C. Mosques Board of Directors [forwarded by City Manager]: Open House Invitation - April 14th IP3 Email from City Clerk: Council Meeting Schedule, June —August 2017 IN Email from Deputy City Clerk: KXIC Radio Show Schedule IP5 Letter from Mid America to City Clerk: MidAmerican Energy Annual Report IP6 Email from Stevie Toomey, Julie Robinson, Stephen Murley: District recycling pilot IP7 Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker 1— Pools IP8 Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker 11 — Wastewater Treatment Plant IP9 2017 Building Statistics Report IP10 Copy of Press Release: Community Police Review Board Community Forum —April 12 DRAFT MINUTES IP11 Housing and Community Development Commission: March 7 IP12 Planning and Zoning Commission: March 2 IP13 Planning and Zoning Commission: March 16 IP14 Public Art Advisory Committee: March 2 CITY OF IOWA CITY Date City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1 Subject to change April 6, 2017 Time Meeting Location Monday, April 17, 2017 4:00 PM Reception North Liberty/City Hall 4:30 PM Joint Entities Meeting 3 Quail Creek Circle, NL Tuesday, April 18, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 2, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, May 16, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Wednesday, May 24, 2017 5:00 PM Joint Meeting JC Brd of Supervisors TBD Work Session Tuesday, June 6, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, lune 20, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, July 18, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 1, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, August 15, 2017 5:00 PM Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Julie Voparil 1P2 From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 7:50 AM To: Chris Guidry; Julie Voparil Subject: FW: You are cordially invited/Please share widely Could you please place a copy of this email in the Council information Packet? Thank you, Geoff -----Original Message ----- From: Shams Ghoneim [mailto:shamsghoneim@mchsi.com] Sent: Monday, April 03, 2017 4:56 PM To: James Throgmorton; Jim Throgmorton; jlundell@coralville.org; Stefanie Bowers; bob@goodfellowprinting.com Goodfellow; Jody Matherly; Katie Brumbeloe; Jaime Spencer; Dave Bright; Janelle Rettig; Dave Loebsack; Lonny Pulkrabek; Geoff Fruin; Mel Schlachter; David Muller; Dave Leshtz; James A Leach; Kingsley Botchway; John Greve; Jeff Portman; Ramsey Ali; Sonja Spear; sarah Frank; Adrien K Wing; Amy Weismann Cc: Ousainou Keita; Asghar Bhatti; Samir Amin Subject: You are cordially invited/Please share widely Dear Mayor Throgmorton, Mayor Lundell, Congressman Leach, Congressman Leobsack, Chief Matherly, Sheriff Pulkrabek, IC City manager City Council members, JC BOD of Supervisors, IC Human Rights Commission, Friends and supporters; On behalf of the Iowa City Mosque and Muslim community we are delighted to announce that an Open House at the Mosque will be held on Friday, April 14th from 5:3013m to to express our deep appreciation to the greater Iowa City and Coralville communities for their support and goodwill. Please join us on the 14th. Many thanks. Best regards Shams Ghoneim,Member Iowa City Mosque's Board of Directors. r �Ip°� CITY OF IOWA CITY Zft- MEMORANDUM DATE: April 6, 2017 TO: Mayor and City Council FROM: Chris Guidry, City Clerk RE: Council Meeting Schedule, June — August 2017 Here is the schedule as finalized at April 4 Work Session. There was consensus that we would only schedule one meeting in July at this time. Please let me know if you have questions. Tuesday, June 6, Work Session, 5:00 PM June 6, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, June 20, Work Session, 5:00 PM June 20, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, July 18, Work Session, 5:00 PM July 18, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, August 1, Work Session, 5:00 PM August 1, Formal 7:00 PM Tuesday, August 15, Work Session, 5:00 PM August 15, Formal 7:00. PM S:clkrrENTATIVESCHEDULE/SCHEDULE PROPOSED 2017 (JUN-AUG.).doc IP3 r t�^,1�. 4 CITY O F IOWA CITY ►P4 �'m � MEMORANDUM Date: April 6, 2017 To: Mayor and City Council From: Julie Voparil, Deputy City Clerk Re: KXIC Radio Show At your April 4 work session, Council Members agreed to the following schedule for the Wednesdav 8AM radio show. Wednesdav April 12 - Mims April 19 — Throgmorton April 26 — Botchway May 3 — Cole May 10 — Dickens May 17 — Taylor May 24 — Thomas May 31 — Mims June 7 — Cole ** Please remember that KKIC is very flexible with taping the Wednesday sessions ahead of the show. &CIk/Council KKIC Radio Schedule/radioshowappts.doc MidAmerican ENERGYa March 234, 2017 City Clerk Chris Guidry City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Chris: IP5 MidAmerican Energy C EconomicAdvantage® 666 Grand Ave. Des Moines, IA 50309-2580 515-281-2287 Telephone 515-242-0395 Fax As part of MidAmerican Energy Company's November 2007 franchise agreement with Iowa City, please find the enclosed annual report to the Iowa City Council. The document summarizes MidAmerican's commitment to the community through contributions and employee involvement, to name a few. The report reflects activity during the 2016 calendar year. Please contact me directly if you or any of the council members have any questions. Sincerely, e"4,4", ;� Kathryn M. Kunert Vice President Economic Connections and Integration Iowa City Community Report Calendar Year 2016 This report is being submitted in accordance with the electric and natural gas franchises agreements between Iowa City and MidAmerican Energy Company. The report summarizes the support which MidAmerican, the company's Foundation and employees have contributed to the community for calendar -year 2016 and the preceding three years. All figures are submitted in good faith and are accurate to the best of MidAmerican's knowledge and record-keeping. The following sections outline key projects and donations made to Iowa City organizations and programs last year. Extension of the Electric and Natural Gas Franchises In the fall 2016, the Iowa City Council unanimously approved 10 -year extensions for the electric and natural gas franchises, which were initially approved in November 2007. MidAmerican appreciates the support from the City Council and Iowa City for the extensions and the long-term partnership shared with the community to provide electric and natural gas service to Iowa City's residents, businesses and industries. The company has a workforce of about 80 people working and living in the Iowa City area. The vast majority of those employees are based in the combination Service Center and Customer Office, located at 1630 Lower Muscatine Road. 2016 Improvement and Operational Proiects The Iowa City area continues to experience rapid growth with many expansive construction and infrastructure improvement projects. Some of the largest electric and natural gas projects during 2016 and continuing into 2017 include: • The Park Road section of the Gateway streetscape and flood protection project. Most of the overhead electric services have been converted to underground and natural gas mains relocated to accommodate street removal and replacement. Work continues on the larger Dubuque Street portion of this multi-year project. • Improvements at the downtown East Washington Streetscape and infrastructure project included relocation of numerous gas services and mains. Page 2 o 8 Iowa City Community Report • Continued conversion of existing high-pressure sodium (HPS) street lights to more energy-efficient light -emitting diode (LED) styles. (Across Iowa, MidAmerican is upgrading more than 100,000 of its streetlights to LED units, at no cost to communities. The conversion is projected to save approximately 32 million kilowatts -hours of electricity which represents a reduction of an estimated 22,000 tons of carbon dioxide emissions.) • Removal of a 4 kV substation near College and Gilbert streets to allow for construction of the new Chauncey Swan Tower. • Upgrading of various 4 kV lines to 13 kV facilities, including removal of two additional 4 kV substations (still in progress). • Continuous electric and natural gas extensions to accommodate commercial and residential growth in the metro area. Renewable Energy Generation Commitment MidAmerican has announced plans to generate 100% of customers' annual energy needs from renewable energy sources. The Iowa Utilities Board approved in July, plans for the Wind XI project, announced in April 2016, and now under construction. The wind generation project will add up to 2,000 megawatts of renewable generation in Iowa by the end of 2019. The $3.6 billion project is the largest wind project the company has ever undertaken and when operational, MidAmerican will generate 85% of customers' annual energy from renewables. Notably, in order to build, operate and maintain Wind XI, MidAmerican did not ask for an increase in customer rates or seek financial assistance from the state. Since 2004, MidAmerican has invested $6.6 billion to create 3,450 megawatts of wind energy. With the addition of Wind XI, continued rate stability is projected through 2029. Rate stability has been a hallmark of MidAmerican's operations for more than 20 years. MidAmerican's wind projects over the past decade has spurred economic development in the state, creating thousands of construction jobs and almost 200 permanent jobs in rural Paize3o 8 Iowa City Community Report Iowa. The company's wind projects will generate billions in lease payments to landowners and property tax payments to schools, cities and counties. Property Taxes MidAmerican is one of the largest property tax payers in Iowa City. For the tax year ending June 2016, the company paid $1,613,931 in property taxes, broke down as follows: city of Iowa City — $690,639; public schools — $582,769; Johnson County — $282,010; and other — $58,513. In the tax year ending June 2015, the company paid $1,693,648: city of Iowa City — $726,575; public schools — $605,226; Johnson County — $301,233; and other — $60,614. For the preceding tax year ending June 2014, the company paid $1,686,676 in property taxes, broke down as follows: city of Iowa City— $731,295; public schools — $599,813; Johnson County — $295,127; and other — $60,441. For the tax year ending June 2013, the company paid $1,696,935 in property taxes: city of Iowa City — $738,016; public schools — $601,201; Johnson County — $295,868; and other — $61,850. The combined property tax total of the four years covered by this report is $6,691,190, with the city receiving $2,886,525, schools $2,389,009, county $1,174,238 and other $241,418. Economic Development and Community Involvement MidAmerican recognizes a key component to keeping a community viable is through planned economic growth and community involvement. The Company and its economic development staff actively support Iowa City Area Development Group, Inc. by providing financial assistance, staff time, expertise and experience to the organization. In addition to its annual investments to ICAD, MidAmerican brings additional resources ICAD would not otherwise have to support its program of work. These resources include project support, marketing underwriting, Location One Information System (LOIS), a tool used to help promote available buildings and sites in Iowa City which may attract new businesses to locate in the city, EMSI, a tool to provide economic modeling assistance, and Pa e 4 of 8 Iowa City Community Report Synchronist, a tool used to help retain and expand existing businesses. The total amount contributed to ICAD during 2016 was $41,750 which includes support for improvements to the organization's website and completion of a Synchronist talent survey. In 2015, the company contributed $35,350, $38,990 in 2014 and $37,070 in 2013. Additionally, many MidAmerican employees working and living in the Iowa City region are active in civic and community organizations and projects. MidAmerican has been a long-standing member of the Iowa City Chamber of Commerce and supported the Chamber's 2016 Annual Banquet and Golf Classic outing. The company's financial commitment to the Chamber last year totaled $5,500. Energy Efficiency Energy efficiency provides significant economic benefits to Iowa City residents, businesses, the City and the University of Iowa. MidAmerican offers many programs and projects that impact residents' homes and numerous commercial and community projects, while reducing usage and costs. The City of Iowa City, like it has in the past several years, received a $20,000 donation through MidAmerican's Trees Please! Program in 2016. Residents and businesses benefit from the company's energy efficiency rebate programs in two ways. First, they receive either financial incentives or low-interest financing for incorporating specific types of energy-efficient building equipment and/or materials, e.g. insulation, high -efficiency furnaces and air conditioners for new construction or remodeling. Second, because they have more energy efficient homes and businesses, less energy is being used annually resulting in lower overall energy costs for years to come. One of the most popular and helpful programs has been the home energy audit. To be eligible for a home energy audit, a house must be more than 10 years old. Last year, 261 homeowners and 60 business owners in Iowa City took advantage of MidAmerican's energy audit offerings. Significantly more businesses used the program last year compared to 2015's total of 24 companies taking part in the program, along with 262 homeowners. Paee 5 of Iowa City Community Report In 2014, 298 homeowners and 39 businesses had energy audits completed. That compares to 179 homeowners and 18 business owners in 2013. In total, 1,001 homes and 141 businesses in Iowa City have taken advantage of the program over the past four years to improve their energy efficiency, reduce their carbon footprints and save money. MidAmerican continually encourages all eligible home and business owners to take advantage of this energy efficiency program. During 2016, Iowa City residents and businesses received $3,809,501 in energy efficiency incentives and rebates. In the previous three years, energy efficiency rebates totaled $4,235,240 in 2015, $1,992,914 in 2014, and $1,356,768 in 2013. For the four years covered by this report, the total for residents and businesses is $11,394,423. In addition to these energy efficiency benefits, the University of Iowa continues to garner positive results from using MidAmerican's energy efficiency incentives. For 2016, the University collected energy efficiency dollars totaling $4,171,829, compared to $2,600,947 in 2015, $2,391,323 in 2014 and $2,057,587 in 2013. The four-year total for the university is $11,221,686. Based on these two programs, MidAmerican's energy efficiency programs contributed $22,616,109 into the Iowa City economy for the most recent four-year period. United Wav MidAmerican and its employees support United Way in many ways, including volunteering for various United Way committees, financial contributions and the matching program of a dollar for dollar match of the employee donations, doubling the gift to United Way. In 2016, the combined employee and company pledges of $29,018 again showed increased support over previous years. MidAmerican's United Way support in 2015 totaled $24,708, compared to $21,600 in 2014 and $14,522 in 2013. Page 6o8 Iowa City Community Report ICARE ICARE is an energy assistance program that helps customers who are unemployed, living on fixed or low incomes or experiencing a family crisis. The program provides assistance by helping these customers pay their heating bills or making their homes more energy efficient. ICARE funding comes from donations by employees and customers with a percentage match made by the company. The ICARE program is annually advertised to customers through quarterly newsletters, billing inserts or messages on customer bills. The ICARE program also is supported internally by employees through the company's ICARE — WE CARE campaign. All donations are administered in Iowa City by Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, Inc. (HACAP). To qualify, customers must meet the state's Low -Income Home Energy Assistance Program guidelines. The 2016 donations from Iowa City customers and the company's match totaled $26,995. In 2015, that total was $28,579, in 2014 $28,885, and $30,063 in 2013. To ensure all the donated funds can be used for its intended purpose, the company also pays administrative fees to HACAP. Budget Billing MidAmerican assists customers by offering a budget -billing program. Customers can sign- up for a levelized, payment plan based on past usage to allow for consistent payment; thereby, helping household budgets during the peak heating and cooling seasons. At the end of 2016, 11,358 customers were participating, compared to 11,480 in 2015, 11,635 in 2014 and 11,411 in 2013. Matching Gift Program and Global Days of Service The company's Matching Gift Program encourages and supplements financial support for eligible charitable organizations and educational institutions. This program is made available to eligible employees through the MidAmerican Energy Foundation. Pae7o8 Iowa City Community Report MidAmerican's Foundation provides $100,000 annually to match donations by employees. The funds are used to match gifts by eligible persons on a first come, first serve basis during the calendar year. Eligible organizations include most public or private colleges or universities, alumni foundation or association of an eligible institution, a tax-exempt foundation whose purpose is to support public or private elementary and secondary education, or a tax-exempt organization providing cultural or general community benefits and located in communities within the company's service territory of Illinois, Iowa, Nebraska and South Dakota. The aggregate total for the four years covered by this report is $62,104 in donations by the company and employees through the Matching Gift Program. MidAmerican encourages employee volunteerism around the world, and the company's Global Days of Service program allows employees to make communities better through personal volunteer work. The company has a $250,000 matching fund to recognize employee volunteer activities. These dollars are used to match efforts on behalf of organizations serving our communities. The fund is divided among the organizations, based on the number of hours that employees volunteer. All organizations considered charitable or educational are eligible. For example, any 501(c)(3) group or educational institution may receive funds. In addition, to recognize the importance of volunteer fire departments and other public safety organizations to our. communities, these organizations are eligible regardless of 501(c)(3) status. For 2016, approximately 625 volunteer hours were submitted by MidAmerican employees in the Iowa City area, with a donation total of $4,785. In 2015, employees submitted 700 volunteer hours which resulted in a $3,680 donation. For 2014, 120 volunteer hours were submitted by employees in the Iowa City area for a donation of $780. For 2013, 103 volunteer hours were submitted and $569 paid to eligible organizations. Pajze8o 8 Iowa City Community Report Charitable Giving MidAmerican also supports charitable giving and in-kind services to assist a wide range of community events and activities. Contributions for 2016 included: • $10,000 sponsorship to the Summer of the Arts festival • $500 each to the Iowa Cultural Corridor Alliance, Bur Oak Land Trust and University of Iowa Alumni Association • $300 to the Rotary Club of Iowa City • $100 to Old Capitol Sertoma Club • $350 each to the University of Iowa Athletics and the Iowa City Soccer Club • $150 to the Iowa Soccer Club • And financial donations to after -prom activities for Iowa City, West and Regina high schools ie IP6 From: Stevie Toomey <toomeynow@gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 7:46 PM To: Jennifer Jordan Cc: Julie Robinson; murley.steven@iccsd.kl2.ia.us; mckenzie.dave@iowacityschools.org; Council; nancy@downtowniowacity.com; Stevie L.H. Toomey Subject: District recycling pilot Attachments: 2017-02-28 - recycle.docx Hello All: My name is Stevie Toomey and I am an Iowa City resident, mother, environmental activist, educator to the young, and former downtown Iowa City business owner. I am e -mailing all of you because, in one way or another, you play important roles in the education of our young concerning environmental preservation and sustainability. Each one of us can play a different role in the sustainability of this project. Please find attached a letter dated March 7, 2017, to Jennifer Jordan from the Mann Elementary Environmental club, wherein we describe our recycling pilot program and request the involvement of the City of Iowa City. Currently the School District has contracted a recycle hauler that does not recycle milk cartons or plastic. We believe that it is time to work together to make the money the District is spending work for the students and the environment. Only three simple things need to happen in order for the City to help the Mann Elementary recycling pilot program to work: 1. For the City to add Mann Elementary to the Tuesday neighborhood recycling route; 2. One standard blue City recycling container would be required for plastic recyclables; and 3. Two (2) 32 gallon or 50 gallon waste buckets would be required for milk carton recycling. If this seems simple, it is because it is. I would like to take on the role of organizing the project for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year (and possibly beyond) and seek your cooperation and approval. This will give me the summer to work on the rest of the logistics and have a tentative plan for the 2017-2018 year and future. Going back to throwing Mann cartons and plastic into the landfill would be a disappointment to the students at Mann. The operation of the program at Mann is easy and I am willing to go into other schools in the District to teach it on a volunteer basis. I sincerely and humbly request your blessings and support for these endeavors. My excitement will be contained until I hear from you. Stevie Toomey March 7, 2017 Dear Jennifer Jordan, On December 12, 2016, Mann Elementary started a pilot program for recycling in the lunchroom. Our pilot program ran so well that we rolled out phase one upon return from winter break on January 5, 2017. Phase one of our program consists of recycling the students' milk cartons in the lunchroom. A parent volunteer that started the program brought in a 32 -gallon milk carton receptacle for us to use. The students now dispose of the milk cartons in the appropriate receptacle. Each day after lunch the parent volunteer picks up the recyclables and takes them to City Carton. We are saving over 40 pounds of milk cartons each week from the landfill. This is from a school that has 267 students Phase two consists of plastic in the lunchroom. We are currently recycling 5-6 pounds of plastic spoons and forks each week. To reduce our carbon footprint even further while helping to foster and strengthen the relationship between the City of Iowa City and the Iowa City Community School District, the Environmental Club at Horace Mann Elementary would like to know if for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year you would coordinate pick up of our milk cartons. We feel that being centrally located in our community and watching the recycle truck pass by our school during the week, stopping to collect our milk cartons could be accomplished without much difficulty. The ICCSD currently pays for a waste management company to do the district recycling. The company that ICCSD pays is not willing to pick up milk cartons. We must have another option. As an Environmental club goal, we would like to teach other schools how to recycle in the lunchroom and find that a willing waste management hauler is essential to the sustainability of our goal to have the ICCSD recycling in the lunchroom as well as preservation of our community and planet. Thank you in advance for your consideration. Please send reply correspondence to: Stevie Toomey, our parent volunteer and recycling point person, at toomeynow@gmail.com. Sincerely, The Mann Environmental Club Julie Voparil From: Julie Robinson <Robinson.Julie@iowacityschools.org> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 9:17 AM To: Stevie Toomey; Jennifer Jordan Cc: murley.steven@iccsd.k12.ia.us; Dave McKenzie; Council; nancy@downtowniowacity.com; Stevie L.H. Toomey Subject: RE: District recycling pilot Hello Everyone, I just wanted to add that from Mann's perspective, this has been a great learning opportunity for our students. Our breakfast and lunch staff have been able to implement these simple, yet impactful, steps with no extra time commitment or work on our part. We hope this is something that we can continue. Sincerely, Julie Robinson Mann Principal From: Stevie Toomey [mailto:toomeynow@gmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, April 4, 2017 7:46 PM To: jennifer-jordan@iowacity.org Cc: Julie Robinson <Robinson.Julie@iowacityschools.org>; murley.steven@iccsd.kl2.ia.us; Dave McKenzie <McKenzie.Dave@ iowacityschools.org>; council@iowa-city.org; nancy@downtowniowacity.com; Stevie L.H. Toomey <i nbox.fashion @gmail.com> Subject: District recycling pilot :[li[41i11 My name is Stevie Toomey and I am an Iowa City resident, mother, environmental activist, educator to the young, and former downtown Iowa City business owner. I am e -mailing all of you because, in one way or another, you play important roles in the education of our young concerning environmental preservation and sustainability. Each one of us can play a different role in the sustainability of this project. Please find attached a letter dated March 7, 2017, to Jennifer Jordan from the Mann Elementary Environmental club, wherein we describe our recycling pilot program and request the involvement of the City of Iowa City. Currently the School District has contracted a recycle hauler that does not recycle milk cartons or plastic. We believe that it is time to work together to make the money the District is spending work for the students and the environment. Only three simple things need to happen in order for the City to help the Mann Elementary recycling pilot program to work: 1. For the City to add Mann Elementary to the Tuesday neighborhood recycling route; 2. One standard blue City recycling container would be required for plastic recyclables; and 3. Two (2) 32 gallon or 50 gallon waste buckets would be required for milk carton recycling. If this seems simple, it is because it is. I would like to take on the role of organizing the project for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year (and possibly beyond) and seek your cooperation and approval. This will give me the summer to work on the rest of the logistics and have a tentative plan for the 2017-2018 year and future. Going back to throwing Mann cartons and plastic into the landfill would be a disappointment to the students at Mann. The operation of the program at Mann is easy and I am willing to go into other schools in the District to teach it on a volunteer basis. I sincerely and humbly request your blessings and support for these endeavors. My excitement will be contained until I hear from you. Stevie Toomey NOTICE: All email communications to and from the District's email server are archived in accordance with District policy and procedures. This email communication, including attachments, contains information which may be confidential and/or legally privileged, and may otherwise be exempt from disclosure under applicable law. The information is intended solely for the use of the addressee. If you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, please reply to the sender indicating that fact and delete the copy you received. In addition, if you are not the intended recipient or believe you received this communication in error, any unauthorized retention, copying, disclosure, distribution, or other use of the information is strictly prohibited. Thank you. Julie Voparil From: Stephen Murley <Murley.Stephen@iowacityschools.org> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 10:14 AM To: Duane Van Hemert; Dave McKenzie Cc: Jennifer Jordan; Stevie Toomey; Julie Robinson; Council; Nancy Bird; Stevie L.H. Toomey Subject: RE: District recycling pilot Good Morning Duane and Dave, Please see the email dialog below. Please connect with the people on this email to see how this may fit in with the sustainability initiatives currently underway in the District. Steve Supfim 4:'Kw&y Superintendent of Schools Iowa City Community School District 1725 North Dodge Street Iowa City, IA 52245-9589 Phone: 319-688-1000 Fax: 319-688-1009 Web: httn,H/ iowacitvschools.ore IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL DISTRICT From: Stevie Toomey [mailto:toomeynow@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, April 5, 2017 9:57 AM To: Julie Robinson <Robinson.Julie@iowacityschools.org>; Dave McKenzie <McKenzie. Dave @iowacityschools.org>; Stephen Murley <Murley.Stephen@iowacityschools.org>; council@iowa-city.org; Nancy Bird <nancy@downtowniowacity.com>; Stevie L.H. Toomey <inbox.fashion@gmail.com> Cc: Jennifer Jordan <jennifer-jordan@iowa-city.org> Subject: Fwd: District recycling pilot Hi Everyone, This is the email from our Recycling Coordinator at the City of Iowa City. I am forwarding this because I had two emails bounce back on my initial send. Now we are all on the same thread as intended. Thank you for putting your thoughts into this project. Best, Stevie ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: Jennifer Jordan Qennifer-Jordan(i7iowa-citv.ore> Date: Wed, Apr 5, 2017 at 8:56 AM Subject: RE: District recycling pilot To: Stevie Toomey <toomeynowQgmail.com>, "murlev.stMhen6iccsd.k12.ia.us" <murley.stephen(7a iccsd.kl2.ia.us> Hi Stevie, Thanks for your email. I've forwarded your request to my director and will touch base with you next week after we've had a chance to chat about it. Jen Jennifer Jordan Recycling Coordinator City of Iowa City 319-887-6160 iennffer-iordanCiliowa-city.ora From: Stevie Toomey [mailto:toomeynow(&gmail.coml Sent: Tuesday, April 04, 2017 8:37 PM To: Jennifer Jordan; murley.stephenWccsd.k12.ia.us Subject: Fwd: District recycling pilot Cc: Julie Robinson<robinson.iulieaiowacitvschools.ore>, murlev.stevenna.iccsd.kI2.ia.us, mckenzie.davena,iowacityschools.ore councilna,iowa-city.org, nancy(iWowntowniowacity.com, "Stevie L.H. Toomey" <inbox.fashion(a,gmail.com> Hello All: My name is Stevie Toomey and I am an Iowa City resident, mother, environmental activist, educator to the young, and former downtown Iowa City business owner. I am e -mailing all of you because; in one way or another, you play important roles in the education of our young concerning environmental preservation and sustainability. Each one of us can play a different role in the sustainability of this project. Please find attached a letter dated March 7, 2017, to Jennifer Jordan from the Mann Elementary Environmental club, wherein we describe our recycling pilot program and request the involvement of the City of Iowa City. Currently the School District has contracted a recycle hauler that does not recycle milk cartons or plastic. We believe that it is time to work together to make the money the District is spending work for the students and the environment. Only three simple things need to happen in order for the City to help the Mann Elementary recycling pilot program to work: 1. For the City to add Mann Elementary to the Tuesday neighborhood recycling route; 2. One standard blue City recycling container would be required for plastic recyclables; and 3. Two (2) 32 gallon or 50 gallon waste buckets would be required for milk carton recycling. If this seems simple, it is because it is. I would like to take on the role of organizing the project for the remainder of the 2016-2017 school year (and possibly beyond) and seek your cooperation and approval. This will give me the summer to work on the rest of the logistics and have a tentative plan for the 2017-2018 year and future. Going back to throwing Mann cartons and plastic into the landfill would be a disappointment to the students at Mann. The operation of the program at Mann is easy and I am willing to go into other schools in the District to teach it on a volunteer basis. I sincerely and humbly request your blessings and support for these endeavors. My excitement will be contained until I hear from you. Stevie Toomey r "=W®4 IP7 CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City. Iowa 52240-1826 (3 19) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX W W W.icgov.org March 29, 2017 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker I — Pools Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker I — Pools. Caleb Burkholder IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Lyra 44. Dickerson, Chair it 1 -- ^�""®`� IP8 m CITY Of IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 52240-1826 (319)356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org April 3, 2017 TO: The Honorable Mayor and the City Council RE: Civil Service Entrance Examination — Maintenance Worker II — Wastewater Treatment Plant Under the authority of the Civil Service Commission of Iowa City, Iowa, I do hereby certify the following named person(s) as eligible for the position of Maintenance Worker II —Wastewater Treatment Plant. Michael Trimpe IOWA CITY CIVIL SERVICE COMMISSION Lyra 0/.Dickerson, Chair City of Iowa City 2017 Building Statistics Valuerfypeof Construction January February March AOnl --y I June_._. August September October November December TOTAL NON-TAXABLE Single Family -$ 1,097,961 2,881.070 5,131.279 I 9,110,310 Number of Permits 5 11 20 ! _ 36 -"-- p $__ _ _ _ 595,000 595,0001 Number of Permits I 1__-_- 7 SoroduesBberofities-$ Number of Permits -- -- MultipleUnits 2,204,000 1,680,000__ 3,884,000! Number of Permits 4 _ 3 _ 7 Number of Buildings q 3 _ - - 71 Number of Dwelling Units 16 12 j 281 Mux - CommercialfResidential 4,985,000 _ 12,000,000 _ _ __ 76,985 000! Number of Permits 1 f0untlali0n 1 ! j 21 Number of Buildings Number of Dwelling units 60 601 Motels, Holels. s Number of Perm b, j Churches -$ Number of Permits Industrial-$ 1,287,0001 - -- 1,287,000 Number of Permits _ 7 Service Stations - §-"-- __ Number of Permits_ Hospitals 81nstitutions-$ -"--- - Number of Permits - - Offices, Banks, Prof. - S Number of Permits j -- --- - - r Public Works TURtes - $ _--------1--- i :. Number of Permits - Schools - g Number of Permits _ Stores 8 Customer Svc. - $ — - Number of Permits Misc. Stmdures/Fences-$ 65 579,000 1 r._ 579,065! Number of Permits_ 1 3 -_ - 41 Remodel, Residential -$ _ 6,384,201 462,198 602_,_534'_ --- 1981 Number oiPermits 52 18 _ 28! ! - - - _7,448,933 Remodel. Commercial -$ 486,469 332,928 909,2_25_ _ -- 1,728,622 230,000 Number of Permits 10 6 4 -- -- __{ 20 Remodel, Public Warks-$ Number of Permits Accesso Structures 5,000 73,500 13010001 4 - 148,5001 Numberof Permits _ _ 1 1 - 31 Cando Conversion - No Value _7 _ TOTAL VALUE 12,958,631 7,180,761 21,627,03841,766,4301 --_-_-- - 230,000 TOTAL PERMITS 70 43 61 ------ —� 1741 Demolition: Residential units lost _ From: City of Iowa City <CityoflowaCity@public.govdelivery.com> Sent: Wednesday, April 05, 2017 2:07 PM To: Kellie Fruehling Subject: Community Police Review Board Community Forum O SHARE Having trouble viewing this email? View it as a Web page. a� IOWA CIN FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Date: 04/05/2017 Contact: Kellie Fruehling Phone: 356-5043 Community Police Review Board Community Forum The Community Police Review Board will be holding its Annual Community Forum for the purpose of hearing views on the policies, practices and procedures of the Iowa City Police Department. Meet the new Police Chief, Jody Matherly. WHEN: Wednesday, April 12, 2017 TIME: 6:00 PM WHERE: Iowa City Public Library, Rm A 123 South Linn Street, IC The forum will be taped and rebroadcast on the City Channel 4. About the Community Police Review Board 1 ! ANN � Questions? Contact Us CITY OF IotYA CITY wwscoorra unurUu STAY CONNECTED: M©®®lip SUBSCRIBER SERVICES: Manage Preferences I Unsubscribe I Help MINUTES PRELIMINARY HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION MARCH 7, 2017 — 6:30 PM SENIOR CENTER, ROOM 208 MEMBERS PRESENT: Peter Byler, Syndy Conger, Christine Harms, Bob Lamkins, John McKinstry, Harry Olmstead, Dorothy Persson, Emily Seiple, Paula Vaughan MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Kris Ackerson, Tracy Hightshoe OTHERS PRESENT: Anthony Smith, Steve Rackis, Mary Ann Dennis RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 9-0 the Commission recommends City Council approval of the following funding: Housing Requested Amount CDBG Recomm. HOME Recomm. Successful Living $72,000 $36,000 $36,000 Habitat for Humanity $90,000 $0 $45,000 The Housing Fellowship Rehab $100,000 $0 $86,000 CHDO operations - Housing Fellowship $25,000 NA $18,000 Housing Authority Rent Assistance $200,000 NA $175,000 Subtotal $487,000 $36,000 $360,000 Public Facilities Crisis Center Food Pantry $100,000 $85,000 NA AMP Facility $60,000 $31,000 NA Little Creations Academy Daycare $107,934 $73,000 NA Subtotal $267,934 $189,000 $0 Total $754,934 $225,000 $360,000 Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 2 of 9 By a vote of 9-0 the Commission recommends that if the available funds are within 20% of the allocations all will be adjusted accordingly and if it is greater than a 20% differential then the Commission will reconvene. By a vote of 9-0 the Commission recommends adoption of new criteria and Affordable Housing Location Model to City Council. CALL MEETING TO ORDER: Byler called the meeting to order at 6:30 PM. APPROVAL OF THE FEBRUARY 16. 2017 MINUTES• Olmstead moved to approve the minutes of February 16, 2017. Persson seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 9.0 with minor edits. PUBLIC COMMENT FOR TOPICS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING APPLICATIONS FOR FY18 COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT BLOCK GRANT (CDBG) AND HOME INVESTMENT PARTNERSHIPS PROGRAM (HOME) FUNDING— APPLICATIONS AVAILABLE ONLINE AT HTTP•/BIT LY/2K50LJP• Ackerson showed ratings of all the Commission members. Byler suggested starting by looking at areas of broad consensus. Persson commented that when she visited these places and looked at what she thinks could potentially happen nationally, she has concerns that there are a couple of groups the Commission need to look at seriously for what they do and the lack of services to certain groups. She based her proposed allocations on that. She has a concern that there is not enough childcare on the east side of town and if women are expected to work and contribute to the households then there needs to be adequate affordable childcare. Persson also discussed the MYEP facility, and also feels they deserve more attention from the Commission. Seiple asked for clarification on funding public facilities and Ackerson confirmed they can only be made with CBDG funding. Byler began with the Successful Living project and noted there are six commissioners that agreed to fully fund that project. Hightshoe noted that should be funded under CBDG funds as it may not be HOME eligible (due to vacancy/turnover rates and rental income), but she has called HUD to inquire. Byler next discussed the Crisis Center Food Pantry request of $100,000 and it also had six commissioners support to fund. Persson noted that the Commission has supported Crisis Center as well as does the community and she really feels strongly that the other two groups in that section deserve full funding. She feels that if the Commission keeps saying Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 3 of 9 they want to help families and women the focus needs to be childcare on the east side. Persson also stated that Crisis Center can likely raise the money they need where the other two groups (Little Creations Academy Daycare and MYEP) will not be as successful in raising the money. Byler agreed with Persson but noted that one of the criteria the Commission agreed upon regarding the rankings was instead of penalizing organizations for their ability to raise money, incentivizing people to raise money. Therefore in the scorings the Crisis Center scores higher than Little Creations or MYEP because some of the points are based on leverage. Byler noted the scoring doesn't reflect that any one project is better than another philosophically but just that is the scoring criteria the Commission established. Olmstead stated that expanding the food pantry is also a way to assist women and children, and particularly single women. Persson agreed but reiterated that if these women can't work because they can't get childcare that is a dilemma. Harms noted that in her experience with raising her four children alone, she absolutely needed childcare because she worked full-time and had a difficult time finding affordable options. She agrees that not only is there a big need, not only on the east side, but in the whole community, for childcare. She also acknowledged she went to the Crisis Center, but agrees that the Crisis Center has the ability to raise funds and knows that is where people in the community want to support, rather than for new childcare options. McMnstry stated he also used the weighting criteria and felt the Crisis Center was higher than the other two in the category of being able to leverage funds. He noted that for 25 years the church where he served had a daycare and he believes in that, but the question he asked himself was what is hurt the most by no funding. The Crisis Center was always one of his first calls when he had someone in need so he understands their importance. The MYEP project is money mostly for parking, and while McKinstry agrees parking is important and will help the efficiency of the whole operation, Habitat doesn't build housing for cars. He feels MYEP needs to have more information on the execution of their plan, and perhaps the funding could be awarded next year. Persson stated she found the criteria was difficult to follow because it didn't take into account what the Commission had funded in prior years nor the advice they had given to the organizations in prior years. Olmstead asked if an agency does not use the funds that are allocated, what happens to those funds. Hightshoe stated the funds had to be used. Byler asked of the six commissioners that allocated full funding to the Crisis Center if there was anyone, based on this evening's discussions, who would like to change their allocation. Harms noted that it depends on if Successful Living comes out of HOME or all CBDG funds. Byler moved onto Habitat for Humanity. The $90,000 requested is to purchase two lots so it makes sense to either fund them fully at $90,000 or for half ($45,000) so they could buy at least one lot. From the commissioners rankings, the median and mean are both closer to $45,000. Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 4 of 9 Persson declared that they should be looking at the ability to serve the most people with the little funds available. Next discussed was The Housing Fellowship, there was comprehensive agreement to fund the CHDO operations at $18,000. The Housing Authority Rental Assistance median was $182,000 and there four commissioners wished to fund at the full amount. Hightshoe noted that the budget is being executed differently this year, and all program funds will be allocated out so there will not be any funds available if a project goes over or for any administrative allocations. Byler discussed the Successful Living project again and the rental income. Hightshoe said the City has to underwrite to fund, so if the project falls out of compliance with HOME guidelines the City has to return the money. The Commission agreed to put one house ($36,000) in each column (HOME & CDBG) and if at the time of the underwriting the City doesn't feel the HOME criteria will be met, those funds could be allocated to another project. That then frees up some funds in CDBG for allocation. With that allocation, and allocating $175,000 to the Housing Authority Rental Assistance that would leave $86,000 for The Housing Fellowship Rehab which is less than requested but close. That also then leaves $189,000 for the three public facilities projects. The Commission discussed the allocation of $189,000 to the three public facilities projects and the consensus was the ranking of Crisis Center, Little Creations Academy Daycare, and then MYEP. Giving MYEP enough to complete their environmental testing to see if the parking lot expansion was even feasible, as well as some other small projects. Vaughan agreed that the daycare should be a funding priority and then perhaps they will have something to show so they can begin to fundraise. Conger stated she based her scoring criteria on the leveraging and also on the number of people being served and community impact. All projects are worthy. Persson asked Little Creations Academy Daycare where they would be able to raise money. Anthony Smith (Little Creations Academy) stated that they are 100% government assisted and do not have any private funding. Of course any allocation would help, even if not fully funded. Lamkins asked about the room dividers that the daycare is requesting. Smith responded that the daycare has to have a certain amount of square footage per room, so there have to be divided rooms. Each age group needs to be in its own area as the square footage differs per age group and how much square footage per each child in that age group. McXinstry noted that the furnace system is high -efficiency and of course the furnace guy will say it needs to be replaced but it can be maintained and last longer than the 15 years quoted. Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 5 of 9 There was a consensus on the funding for the public facilities. With regards to HOME funds, Persson asked if Housing Authority Rental Assistance doesn't need all their funds, how those will be reallocated. Steven Rackis (Iowa City Housing Authority) stated that all funds would be allocated, they would be able to move more applicants off the waiting list and get them into decent and affordable housing. Byler thanked the Commissioners for all their comments and acknowledged that the ability to raise funds is not always a measure of the number of people an organization is helping, but the Commission agreed to put a priority on matching funds. Lamkins moved and Conger seconded, to approve the funding recommendations as: Housing Requested Amount CDBG Recommendation HOME Recommendation Successful Living $72,000 $36,000 $36,000 Habitat for Humanity $90,000 $0 $45,000 The Housing Fellowship Rehab $100,000 $0 $86,000 CHDO operations - Housing Fellowship $25,000 NA $18,000 Housing Authority Rent Assistance $200,000 NA $175,000 Subtotal $487,000 $36,000 $360,000 Public Facilities Crisis Center Food Pantry $100,000 $85,000 NA MYEP Facility $60,000 $31,000 NA Little Creations Academy Daycare $107,934 $73,000 NA Subtotal $267,934 $189,000 $0 Total $754,934 $225,000 $360,000 A vote was taken and the motion passed 9-0. Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 6 of 9 Conger moved and Persson seconded that if the available funds are within 20% of the allocations all will be adjusted accordingly, if it is greater than a 20% differential the Commission will reconvene. A vote was taken and the motion passed 9-0. CONSIDER A RECOMMENDATION TO CITY COUNCIL REGARDING AMENDED AFFORDABLE HOUSING LOCATION MODEL: Byler reiterated that the Commission had talked about some different criteria or different ways to view the current criteria. There was seven different criteria used before, all with different weightings, so to begin they looked back at the original three goals of the affordable housing model (to not further burden school districts with a higher concentration of poverty, to spread affordable housing as much as possible throughout the City, and finally to interact with the School District and see what their thoughts were) and then Byler and Ackerson boiled that down to three actionable criteria. Those criteria were the free and reduced lunch rates at the elementary schools, the crime density of the neighborhoods, and the distance to existing affordable housing while not penalizing neighborhoods or blocks that have one unit of affordable rental housing. Byler explained that the old criteria stated that if there was one affordable rental unit that would create a 400 foot bubble where there could not be a second affordable rental unit. Ackerson then took an average density of affordable housing on the map, kept the 400 feet rule, and it showed two rental units was about 10% in a lot of cases. Then they used that 10% number and applied it to the 400 foot rule and said in any given 400 foot bubble if there are two affordable rental units in that bubble a third cannot be added, but if there is only one, a second could be added to get up to the 10% approximate density. By making that change, it allows for areas that have a single affordable rental unit back as options for more affordable rental units. Byler stated that with the school criteria they just drew a line at 50%, so if the elementary school is above 50% free and reduced lunch then that area is not eligible for additional affordable housing units. That affects four elementary school areas. Byler noted that in 2019 the school boundaries will change, so that will need to be discussed. Ackerson explained the crime density criterion is based on the number of police calls to an area. All crime calls unrelated to drugs, alcohol, and violence are removed and then evaluate the density of those calls across the City. Ackerson said if crime density should be a factor, the Commission can decide at what level is the density too high. The map as drawn currently includes the top five percent of the crime calls, and almost all of that is in the downtown area which is exempt from the affordable housing model criteria. If the percentage is raised, say to 10 or 15 percent, there would be an increase in other areas. Mary Ann Dennis (The Housing Fellowship) added that the Riverfront Crossings Area is also exempt from the affordable housing model criteria and it is for affordable housing rentals for families, not for the elderly or disabled. She added that the new map Byler and Ackerson worked on is much improved but it doesn't take into consideration when talking about the FRL (free and reduced lunch) if the school district is busing children in. Also not all of the children who need the English as a second language classes (usually low income families) are not accounted for correctly, because not all elementary schools have those classes. Byler noted that the school district does not do any busing to adjust for FRL and in the Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 7 of 9 2019 model will be readjusting boundaries to continue to deter from busing to counter high transportation costs. Persson stated that the Commission had discussed how problematic it is to keep changing the affordable housing map based on what the school district is doing. Byler said the Commission could do that but they would have to go back to City Council and ask for new criteria and goals then. Byler noted that in 2019 the map will change because for example the busing that currently takes children to Lucas Elementary will stop and that will affect their FRL rate and subsequently open up the Lucas neighborhood for development for more affordable housing options. Rackis noted that most of the children eligible for the FRL are from the trailer parks and throughout the school district there are about 4,000 children that are eligible for FRL but there are only about 800 that are within the Iowa City rental voucher system. Additionally the children in the trailer parks are bused to various elementary schools so that changes the map data as well. Byler agreed but reiterated that when the school boundaries are adjusted for 2019 they will be solely based on geography, so the poverty levels at some schools will be high and some will be as low as five percent. The Commission discussed using the crime rate as a criterion, and also the use of a crime - free lease. Ackerson noted the Council wanted to include crime rate as a criterion for livability effects. If the City is to invest in a subsidized unit they want to put the tenants in an environment with a higher quality of life. Lamkins asked about the 10% density rate and what would happen to areas if that were increased to a 15% density rate. Byler said the 10% was the rate that appeared when the 400 -foot criterion was placed. Ackerson noted that the 400 -foot criterion was created to ensure there wouldn't be more than one unit per block. Persson questioned how often this map should be reviewed. Could the 10% criterion be used for a period of time and then reassess to see if it should be raised to 15%? Ackerson stated there have been two maps used and this latest one has been in place for five or six years. Ackerson updates the map every year, but the methodology hasn't changed in five or six years. The Commission asked what staff believes is a good percent and Ackerson stated he feels the 10% is a good model, the two units per block is enough to avoid any burdens for the immediate neighbors. In this situation, a block is a 400 -foot diameter from any affordable rental unit. Byler noted it is not the Commission's place to choose a map, but rather the criteria, and then those criteria will determine how the map will take shape. He also stated it is not whether a certain person would want two or three affordable unit families on their block, but rather about the City wanting to invest more in affordable housing in new locations. This map makes it easy to understand the criteria used, easy to update every year with new data, but is less burdensome than the old map and therefore a step forward. Housing and Community Development Commission March 7, 2017 Page 8 of 9 Harms moved to recommend adoption of these criteria and the proposed amended Affordable Housing Location Model map for affordable housing locations to City Council. Vaughan seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 9-0. Ackerson stated there is an invitation in the Commission's packets for an education class being offered in land development by Shive-Hattery. STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT: Ackerson commented on the meeting room options, and asked if the Commission felt this room at the Senior Center would suffice if it is available. Everyone agreed this location was nice for future meetings. ADJOURNMENT: Olmstead moved to adjourn. Lamkins seconded the motion. Meeting adjourned. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2016-2017 Name Terms Exp. 4/21 5/19 6/16 8/18 9/15 10/20 11/17 12/15 1/19 2/9 2/16 3/10 Byler, Peter 7/1/17 X X X X X X X X X 0/E X X Conger, Syndy 7/1/18 X O/E O/E X X O/E X X X O/E X X Harms, Christine 7/1/19 --- X X X X X X X X X X X Lamkins, Bob 7/1/19 O/E X O/E O/E X 0/E X 0/E X O/E X X McKinstry, John 7/1/17 --- X X 0/E O/E X X X X X X X Olmstead, Harry 7/1/18 X X X X X O/E X X X X X X Persson, Dottie 7/1/17 0/E X X X X X X X X X X X Seiple, Emily 7/1/18 X X X X X X X X X X X X Vaughan, Paula 7/1/19 --- --- X X O/E Tx X X X X X Key. X = Present 0 = Absent 0/E = Absent/Excused = Vacant IP12 MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MARCH 2, 2017 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL MEETING E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Mike Hensch, Ann Freerks, Phoebe Martin, Mark Signs, Jodie Theobald MEMBERS ABSENT: Max Parsons STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Karen Howard, Bob Miklo OTHERS PRESENT: Randy Miller, Kevin Hanick, Mary Bennett, Alicia Trimble, Helen Buford, Ginalie Sawim RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: By a vote of 6-0 the Commission recommends approval of SUB16-00013, a preliminary plat of The Crossings, an approximately 8.49 -acre, 7 lot, mixed-use subdivision located west of Gilbert Street, between 1st Street and Highway 6, contingent upon resolution of any deficiencies or discrepancies on the preliminary plat. By a vote of 6-0 the Commission recommends approval of REZ16-00008 an application submitted by Kevin Hanick for a rezoning of approximately 10.26 acres from Interim Development Single Family (ID -RS) to Low Density Multifamily (RM -12) zone for property located north of Scott Boulevard between Hickory Heights Lane and First Avenue with a maximum of 60 units. By a vote of 6-0 the Commission recommends approval of Table 5134: Sign Specifications and Provision in the CB -2, CB -5 and CB -10 Zones as listed in Staff Report. CALL TO ORDER: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There were none DEVELOPMENT ITEM (SUB16-00013): Discussion of an application submitted by 1201 Gilbert, LLC, 1225 Gilbert, LLC and 1301 Gilbert, LLC for a preliminary plat of The Crossings, a 7 -lot, 8.54 -acre commercial subdivision located west of Gilbert Street, between I" Street and Highway 6. Howard showed a map of the properties and stated that they were recently rezoned to Riverfront Crossings South Gilbert and include the former Pleasant Valley Garden site, the building currently being repurposed for Big Grove Brewery, and the current Alexander Lumber property. The submitted preliminary plat creates a new lot and block Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 2 of 12 pattern and provides for dedication of land for a more pedestrian -oriented street network to support the proposed redevelopment of these properties according to the Riverfront Crossings Master Plan. The property is divided into seven lots, lot 1 will encompass the former Pleasant Valley Garden site and is proposed to contain a mixed-use building that will front on Gilbert Street and Highway 6. Lots 1, 2, 5, and 6 will have primary frontage along Gilbert Street. Lots 3 and 4 will have primary frontage along the private pedestrian street portion of 2nd Street and along the public Ralston Creek pedestrian street, represented as Outlet A and B. Lots 3 and 4 will contain mufti -family buildings. 2nd Street will be platted as a private street (Outlet G) and will provide vehicular access from Gilbert Street west to a north -south private alley shown as outlots F and H, on the plat. The portion of 2nd Street west of the private alley will be platted according to the private pedestrian street standards in the Riverfront Crossings form- based code. The vehicular portion of 2nd Street will have an 80 -foot ROW to allow for angled or perpendicular on -street parking. The pedestrian street portion of 2nd Street will be 60 feet wide and include a 20 -foot wide sidewalk that will also serve as a fire lane for emergency vehicle access. This pedestrian street will also provide a public pedestrian route to the new Riverfront Crossings Park and to the public trail system along Ralston Creek. The 1" phase of improvements to Riverfront Crossings Park will commence this summer and include trail connections across Ralston Creek at Highway 6 and aligned with the new 2"d Street pedestrian street. Lot 7 has primary frontage on the Ralston Creek pedestrian street, but will likely need to rely on the extension of 1st Street, which will be located on the abutting property to the north and outside the boundaries of this subdivision, to provide adequate emergency vehicle access. Development of lot 7 will be restricted until adequate emergency vehicle access can be provided. Howard noted that with regards to compliance with the Comprehensive Plan, Staff believes that this subdivision does comply and is compatible with the future vision of this neighborhood and will likely be a catalyst for further development in the area. The proposed street design meets both the conditional zoning agreement and the Riverfront Crossings Plan. The developer will dedicate outlots C, D, and E along Gilbert Street so that adequate ROW is provided for pedestrian improvements to support the increase in residential density anticipated with this subdivision. New sidewalks and street trees will be required within the public ROW as properties redevelop along Gilbert Street or may be installed as a part of a larger City project to improve the Gilbert Street corridor according to the goals of the Riverfront Crossings Master Plan. Ralston Creek is a regulated stream corridor and a 30 -foot stream corridor buffer is required. This buffer (Outlets A and B), will be dedicated to the City and developed as a pedestrian street according to the Riverfront Crossings form -based development code. The developer will be required to provide the trail, sidewalks, streets, alley and other subdivision infrastructure (with the exception of the trail along Highway 6 which is part of the City's park improvement project). One of the goals of the Riverfront Crossings Plan is to improvement street corridors for all modes of transportation. One of the ways to improve traffic circulation and safety, including safety for pedestrians and bicyclists is to close unnecessary driveways along arterial street corridors, such as Gilbert Street. The proposed subdivision will result in fewer driveways along Gilbert Street and the new rear alley will provide for cross access between development lots within the subdivision. Howard also noted that the right -in / right -out driveway shown on the concept plan for the subdivision does not meet the City's access management standards. The City has a process to consider exceptions to these rules under certain circumstances. The City Engineer's office has not yet reviewed this request. Howard then discussed that subdivisions usually trigger a neighborhood open space fee. The formula is based on residential density of the underlying zoning district. Since in the Riverfront Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 3 of 12 Crossings zoning districts residential density is not explicitly stated, staff will need to consider how this ordinance applies prior to the final plat of the subdivision. The developer is dedicating approximately 0.5 acres of land with the dedication of the 30 -foot buffer area along the east side of Ralston Creek. In addition, the developer will be constructing a 60 -wide pedestrian street (approximately .33 acres) that will provide public access and open space amenities along a main route to the new Riverfront Crossings Park. Final calculation of the open space requirement and any required fee will be determined at the time of final plat. Howard stated that the applicant has provided stormwater management calculations that indicate that there will be no net increase in stormwater run-off with the redevelopment of the subdivision. In addition, the developer has agreed to include green infrastructure within the 2nd Street pedestrian street, along Highway 6, and along the Ralston Creek pedestrian street to improve water quality before run-off enters Ralston Creek to meet the goals of the Riverfront Crossings Master Plan to use stormwater best management practices to control and cleanse run-off and to protect Ralston Creek and restore it as a naturally functioning waterway. All necessary storm sewer easements shall be delineated on the final plat. Staff received the most recent revision of the preliminary plat too late for detailed review by engineering and legal staff. However, as only minor discrepancies remain, staff recommends approval of SUB16-00013, a preliminary plat of The Crossings, an approximately 8.49 -acre, 7 lot, mixed-use subdivision located west of Gilbert Street, between 1st Street and Highway 6, contingent upon resolution of any deficiencies or discrepancies. Signs asked if lot 7 would remain open space or is there future development potential there. Howard stated the developer is still exploring what type of building might fit on this lot, but it will not be open space. Signs then questioned on lot 2, behind the brewery, he recalled a mention of an outdoor service area extending all the way to the creek. Howard said that 30 feet from the top of the creek bank is being dedicated to the City of Iowa City as a buffer area, which will be designed as a pedestrian street with a public trail, trees, and pedestrian -scaled lighting. The outdoor service area will be on the private property (lot 2) and will extend up to the new Ralston Creek pedestrian street. Signs also asked about driveway access to Lot 1. He remembered that in an earlier concept there was a new right -out driveway shown from lot 1 directly to Highway 6 and asked whether the developer intended to pursue that option. Theobald asked about the sidewalks on Gilbert Street, noting there is a temporary sidewalk where Big Grove is being developed, but the rest of the sidewalk won't be constructed until the rest of the area is developed. Howard explained that typically in a subdivision the developers don't put the sidewalks in until the building are built. In the case of the brewery, the City has agreed to allow them to continue to use the front parking area with the addition of a temporary sidewalk until Gilbert Street is improved. Freerks opened the public hearing. Randy Miller (representing the subdivision) answered the question from Signs about an exit from Lot 1 onto Highway 6. Miller explained that concept has been abandoned because it is a challenge to get the Iowa DOT to approve such an exit and it is also very expensive. The DOT Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 4 of 12 will only approve if needed due to expected traffic volumes and Miller did not believe that the building being built on Lot 1 would generate enough traffic for the DOT to approve the exit. Hensch asked about the right-in/right-out driveway shown in outlot C. Miller stated that for a mixed use building like what is planned for lot 1, it is important to have a right in/right out driveway to access the commercial businesses there. Signs asked if there is still a potential for a building on the back of Lot 2 in the area along Highway 6. Miller said they are exploring that option, but it would be one of the last buildings they focus on. Freerks closed the public hearing Hensch moved for approval of SUB16-00013, a preliminary plat of The Crossings, an approximately 8.49 -acre, 7 lot, mixed-use subdivision located west of Gilbert Street, between 1st Street and Highway 6, contingent upon resolution of any deficiencies or discrepancies on the preliminary plat. Martin seconded the motion. Freerks noted that this area appears to be developing in the right direction Theobald did share her concern about outlot C and the right-in/right-out access drive, and the difficulty of getting out of there and back onto Gilbert Street. She noted that it was problematic for the Pleasant Valley Nursery to have a curb cut in this location. Howard noted that the driveway will not be approved with the plat. This right -in / right -out drive will be reviewed according to the City's access management standards. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6-0. ZONING ITEM (REZ16-00008): Discussion of an application submitted by Kevin Hanick for a rezoning of approximately 10.26 acres from Interim Development Single Family (ID -RS) to Low Density Multifamily (RM -12) zone for property located north of Scott Boulevard between Hickory Heights Lane and First Avenue. Miklo noted that the Commission recommended approval of the rezoning of approximately 10.26 acres located north of Scott Boulevard between Hickory Heights Lane and First Avenue from Interim Development (ID -RS) to Low Density Multifamily (RM -12), conditioned on general compliance with the concept plan showing 54 dwelling units, and it will be on the City Council agenda next week. Staff recommended the condition of 54 dwellings because with the RM -12 zoning it could be up to a 100 unit structure, however with the sensitive areas that it would be difficult to achieve that density without extensive grading of the steep slopes and woodland removal. The applicant has requested a modification to the condition to increase the number of units from 54 to 60. The additional units would be created by converting some to the 2 -bedroom units to 1- bedroom units. The overall exterior design and building placement is not proposed to change and it would not impact any of the wooded ravine area. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017—Formal Meeting Page 5 of 12 Staff recommends approval of the update as it is in the spirit of the original application. Hensch asked if nothing has changed other than the interior layout and Miklo confirmed that is correct. Freerks opened the public discussion Kevin Hanick added that in developing this project they are still working on the exact floor plans and working with the individual buyers. The conclusion they've come to is that the first two buildings built will convert two units with two bedrooms and a study into two one - bedroom units. This will not affect the footprint of the building, they just realized they didn't have a one -bedroom product and feel they need to include that in their complex. Hensch asked if this change was due to market analysis and Hanick confirmed that when talking with people there is a market for one -bedroom units. Freerks asked that the change is stating from 54 units to 60 units and is wondering if it would be better to have language about a range so the applicant doesn't have to come back if there are future changes regarding units, but that would not impact building footprint. Miklo said that this will allow the applicant to do anything up to 60 units. Freerks closed the public discussion. Theobald moved to approve REZ16-00008 an application submitted by Kevin Hanick for a rezoning of approximately 10.26 acres from Interim Development Single Family (ID -RS) to Low Density Multifamily (RM -12) zone for property located north of Scott Boulevard between Hickory Heights Lane and First Avenue with a maximum of 60 units. Martin seconded the motion. Dyer noted the adding of one -bedroom units is a good idea. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6-0. CODE AMENDMENTS: 1. Consider an amendment to Title 14, Zoning Code, Chapter 5, Site Development Standards, Article B: Sign Regulations, to allow fascia (building) sign size in the CB -2, CB -5, and CB - 10 Zones to be based on the length of the sign wall. Freerks noted that additional information regarding this item was distributed to the Commission earlier in the day. Howard agreed stating that the images that were supposed to accompany the staff memo were inadvertently omitted from the packet and were forwarded by email. The images provided an example of how the proposed amendment would address signage on a proposed building in Riverfront Crossings, the new Hilton Garden Inn. Howard noted that in October of 2016, The Planning and Zoning Commission considered and approved several amendments to the Iowa City Sign Regulations in order to better implement the recommendations of the Downtown District Storefront and Signage Guidelines and to bring the sign code into compliance with a U.S. Supreme Court decision regarding the regulation of signage. This was a significant revision of the sign code Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 6 of 12 regulations. The new standard for fascia (wall) signs in the downtown area was based on best practices for storefront commercial buildings, which make up the preponderance of buildings in the Central Business Zones. On a typical mixed-use storefront building, wall signs are typically located on the ground level building fagade above the storefront windows. Since buildings are typically built lot line to lot line with little or no side or rear walls visible, the sign allowance was based on the width of the street -facing wall. Prior to the recent updated sign code, the fascia sign allowance was 15% of the sign wall area. With larger, taller buildings becoming more prevalent downtown, there was concern that this standard could allow very large signs on multi -story buildings. The new standard (which was recommended by the design consultants who wrote the Downtown District Storefront and Signage Guidelines) is 1.5 times the length of street facing facade. However, there are proposed buildings and buildings under construction in the Central Business Zones and in Riverfront Crossings that are not typical storefront buildings with only one visible street- facing wall. For example, the Hilton Garden Inn at 328 S. Clinton Street will abut an alley and is taller than adjacent buildings, making visible side elevations that are suitable for fascia signage. Other buildings that could be affected by this limitation are the Chauncey (currently under construction at 404 E. College Street), and The Park@ 201, 201 E. Washington Street. Howard shared renderings of the Hilton Garden Inn to show signage needs. In light of these issues, Howard stated that Staff discussed possible solutions. A simple solution would be to have each side of a building considered separately, with the new standard of 1.5 times the length of the wall apply to each wall rather than just the street - facing wall. In addition, some clarifying language would be added to the provisions for fascia signs to ensure that the location provisions for these types of signs relate to the specific location of the sign. This allows for each building wall to be treated separately (similar to the previous standard) but still controls the size so that overly large signs and signs not proportional to the building wall are eliminated as a possibility. The storefront buildings typical to the downtown area would not be affected by this change but it would allow for adequate and proportional signage on those buildings with more than one visible wall even if those walls are not street facing. Staff recommends that Table 5B -4: Sign Specifications and Provision in the CB -2, CB -5 and CB -10 Zones, is amended as follows: Fascia Signs 1.5 times the length of the skeet facing facade building wall. - No longer than 90% of the length of the sign wall, sign band, or storefront, whichever is most applicable. Back lit cabinet signs, where the entire face is illuminated, are prohibited. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 7 of 12 Hensch asked if buildings on corners that want signage on both the front and the side, would this amendment limit their ability. Howard replied it actually increases their ability for signage. Each wall would have a separate sign allowance. Freerks asked about the lighting since the buildings are elevated. Howard said the lighting standard is the same regardless of height and sign size. Freerks opened the public hearing. Mary Bennett (1107 Muscatine Avenue) came forward to speak about the deterioration of the historic neighborhoods and some of these signs (such as on the bank on south Clinton Street) can been seen from quite some distance. The amount of light these signs cause is enormous and should be reconsidered. Pretty soon Iowa City will be full of towers of buildings with signs on all four sides and it will cause people to lose sight of the beauty and character of the city, especially the downtown district. There should be discussions on how bright the signs should be and what it will look like it. Will it obstruct the view of the Old Capital Dome, which should remain the focal point of the City. Freerks closed the public hearing. Hensch moved to approve Table 5B-4: Sign Specifications and Provision in the CB -2, CB -5 and CB -10 Zones as listed in Staff Report. Signs seconded the motion. Hensch noted that with regards to sign changes he is concerned about what the causation may be and the lighting issue is real and needs attention in future planning. Signs asked staff about the sign on the Midwest One bank (south Clinton Street) and agrees that it is quite large, and does it meet the proposed standards being discussed this evening. Dyer remembered asking Jann Ream and thought she said that it met the standard. Both Howard and Miklo did not know for sure, but would check and report back at the Commission's next meeting. Hektoen noted that this amendment is just about fascia signs, not about rooftop signs. Signs and Dyer noted the Midwest One sign is a fascia sign as well. Miklo said that sign was installed prior to the most recent amendments being established, so it might be larger than what is permitted today. Dyer asked what the difference was between the remote LED letterset illuminated from inside and internally illuminated plastic trim -cap signs, which are prohibited. Howard said there are technical differences and the plastic trim cap letters are larger and bulkier so are more appropriate for auto -oriented street and highway situations rather than the pedestrian- scaled signs more appropriate to the downtown area. Internally illuminated plastic trip cap letter forms are prohibited. Hensch asked if buildings on corners that want signage on both the front and the side, would this amendment limit their ability. Howard replied it actually increases their ability for signage. Each wall would have a separate sign allowance. Freerks asked about the lighting since the buildings are elevated. Howard said the lighting standard is the same regardless of height and sign size. Freerks opened the public hearing. Mary Bennett (1107 Muscatine Avenue) came forward to speak about the deterioration of the historic neighborhoods and some of these signs (such as on the bank on south Clinton Street) can been seen from quite some distance. The amount of light these signs cause is enormous and should be reconsidered. Pretty soon Iowa City will be full of towers of buildings with signs on all four sides and it will cause people to lose sight of the beauty and character of the city, especially the downtown district. There should be discussions on how bright the signs should be and what it will look like it. Will it obstruct the view of the Old Capital Dome, which should remain the focal point of the City. Freerks closed the public hearing. Hensch moved to approve Table 5B-4: Sign Specifications and Provision in the CB -2, CB -5 and CB -10 Zones as listed in Staff Report. Signs seconded the motion. Hensch noted that with regards to sign changes he is concerned about what the causation may be and the lighting issue is real and needs attention in future planning. Signs asked staff about the sign on the Midwest One bank (south Clinton Street) and agrees that it is quite large, and does it meet the proposed standards being discussed this evening. Dyer remembered asking Jann Ream and thought she said that it met the standard. Both Howard and Miklo did not know for sure, but would check and report back at the Commission's next meeting. Hektoen noted that this amendment is just about fascia signs, not about rooftop signs. Signs and Dyer noted the Midwest One sign is a fascia sign as well. Miklo said that sign was installed prior to the most recent amendments being established, so it might be larger than what is permitted today. Dyer asked what the difference was between the remote LED letterset illuminated from inside and internally illuminated plastic trim -cap signs, which are prohibited. Howard said there are technical differences and the plastic trim cap letters are larger and bulkier so are more appropriate for auto -oriented street and highway situations rather than the pedestrian- scaled signs more appropriate to the downtown area. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 8 of 12 Freerks stated she understands progress and things changing but feels it is important to keep an eye on these things so that there doesn't become sign pollution, or take away from the Iowa City charm. A vote was taken and the motion carried 6-0. 2. Consideration of amendments to Title 14, Zoning Code, Chapter 5, Site Development Standards, Article A: Off Street Parking and Loading, to allow the parking requirement to be reduced by the Building Official in certain circumstances, and to allow modification to the structured parking placement standards for non-commercial uses. Miklo stated that in conjunction to the potential development of the parking lot north of City Hall and the preservation of the Unitarian Church the Council asked Staff to look into this amendment to allow more flexibility in waiving parking for residential uses in a situation like this. Miklo noted in the proposal when an historic landmark is part of the project and the proposal is to preserve that landmark, this amendment would give the Building Office the ability to waive parking requirements that would otherwise be needed for residential development. Miklo stated there is other criteria the Building Official would look at such as proximity to grocery stores, public parking or transit. An earlier draft would have allowed the amendment under broader circumstance but that was thought perhaps too broad so it has been changed to only if in preservation of a landmark. Miklo stated the second amendment is related to a liner building around a parking structure. Right now in the CB -5 zone the Code states that the first 30 feet of the property has to be devoted to something other than parking (so there is not parking right up against the street). There is a provision in the recent adopted CB -5 amendments that allows some waiver of that, but this amendment would go further to clarify that it doesn't apply for residential uses. This code requirement is meant to ensure a minimum depth for commercial uses facing the street, by ensuring any ground -level parking is at least 30 feet back from the setback line. Staff is recommending approval of these two amendments. Freerks noted her concern about these amendments, understanding the concept but thinks this needs to be tighter. She reviewed the City Council minutes where this was discussed to try to better understand as well. Freerks questions why this would not be under the purview of the Board of Adjustment, instead of the Building Official. It should be done in the public arena, as some things have impact on the neighbors and should have public comment. If this were decided by the Board of Adjustment there would be discussion and opportunities for public comment. Freerks stated she has other concerns and perhaps to defer this item would be best. Hensch asked what the advantage if of this revised process versus how it is currently handled. Miklo stated that the current process would not allow a complete waiver of the parking, so the Council wanted to provide more incentive to preserve a landmark. Freerks remarked that this situation is very specific and her fear is in the bleed. Hensch also asked who the Building Official is, if that is an official title of a City employee. Miklo stated it is the Director of Neighborhood and Building Services. Hensch felt it would be more clear to have that title listed then rather than Building Official. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 9 of 12 Dyer asked if the image Miklo showed was the current proposal. Miklo replied that the image he showed was of the Sabin Townhouses being built on South Dubuque Street, it is not this particular project. Dyer commented she thought the proposed structure would be more compatible with the Unitarian Church. Miklo explained that the image he showed was to illustrate that there can be a building with only 20 feet of depth before the parking starts. Hensch asked if one had to go through the Board of Adjustment, how long would that process take. Miklo said it is a 30 day period. Freerks said the way the amendment is written, it seems that someone in a CB -5 could purchase a historical structure and have additional other land and be able to say they will keep the historic structure but state they will have no parking on the other land they will develop. Hektoen said it must all be part of one project. Freerks noted there is no limit stated, it is open ended, as to how much parking can be waived. She noted a map might be helpful to see where historic structure might lie in the city and what potential future situations could arise. Freerks also asked if there is a plan for mitigation such as bike parking and/or cover for a bus stop. Miklo said one of the criteria the Building Official would look at is if there are things such as Zip Cars, public transportation, or some means to address the lack of parking. Freerks noted there are five bullet points in the amendment, the first is preservation of historic landmark, which is in the end recommendation as a must, but then it is followed by four other bullet points. She asked if all of those must be met as well. Hektoen said this amendment only applies if it is in relation to preservation of a historic landmark designation. Therefore the other bullet points are factors the Building Official will take into consideration if the historic preservation is met and then the level of percentage of waiver. Freerks commented that seemed very iffy as written on how that would be carried through and could be unfair from one applicant to another and there should be some types of assessment, mitigation, and plan to avoid favoritism. Even if that is never the case, the impression is there. Freerks opened the public hearing Alicia Trimble (Director of Friends of Historic Preservation) is here to speak in favor of this idea and in the case of the Unitarian Church waiving the parking was the only way to save that historic building. Her one concern as a citizen, separate from her job, she is always uncomfortable when power is taken out of a commission or committee and given to one person. Trimble agrees with Freerks that the wording of the amendment could use some tightening so it is clear what the conditions are but overall this is a good idea to have the ability waive all the parking if it is absolutely necessary to save a landmark. Helen Buford stated her main concern is suddenly introducing into an ordinance the right of someone internally to have jurisdiction over a decision that should be in the power of the community and be allowed public address. Mary Bennett (1107 Muscatine Avenue) appreciates the Commissions understanding that this amendment takes away from community involvement. It allows a City staffer to have unlimited and arbitrary power and if someone wishes to appeal the decision would have to pay a fee to do so, which also limits the ability of a property owner or neighbor to make a complaint. Bennett acknowledges that it is all in the language, language is very powerful. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 10 of 12 In the current Code, it says in specific terms that it will "preserve and protect its historic aesthetic cultural attributes" and that is much more than one building being an historic landmark. It is also important to recognize the surrounding area of that landmark and the context in which it exists. One precious building could be disturbed and therefore ruined of its historical value by something next door. Bennett shared a concern about the density of development currently underway in Iowa City and that is going to create a lot of pressure on the existing parking. She acknowledged that people have long tried to make Iowa City more pedestrian, but the cars are still here, and it is actually very treacherous with this high density to walk in certain areas. Additionally with the high density everyone will be fighting for limited parking spaces. Bennett views this as a 40 year setback to historic preservation of this town and all the old houses that are not in landmark status will be attacked once this provision is enacted. So it should not just be about preservation of an historic landmark, but conservation of aesthetics of the community. This is a very short sided solution to one very specific problem. Ginalie Swaim (1024 Woodlawn Avenue) is the chair of the Historic Preservation Commission and has two remarks. One, there is no getting around the problem of parking in Iowa City. Secondly, she appreciates the Commission looking at this carefully and working with City Staff on this but as stated the City Council asked the City Staff to work more closely with the developer to try to come up with a better solution for the development and they did. Saving this landmark church is important to the historic preservation of Iowa City. Freerks closed the public hearing. Signs moved to defer this item until the next meeting. Martin seconded the motion. Hensch stated he is fine deferring this item but as with all deferrals the Commission needs to be very specific with why they are deferring, what their expectations are for information they want, and to not have another meeting with unanswered questions. Freerks requested the following information from Staff prior to the next meeting discussing this item: • A map of areas this amendment could affect, with historic and potential historic structures noted on the map. Miklo said they can do a map showing all CB -5 and all known landmarks and others that may have historical importance. Freerks said that would be a first visual to have an understanding of what the impact of this might be. She reiterated that it may not be the historic structures only, but also what is in- between, and how will in play in with the character and feel of the area. Her goal is to not do damage to everything else just to save one structure. • She stated she is interested in the Board of Adjustment taking care of these items, not just having it be the decision of the Building Official. It is not a negative on any one person, these things need to have public input so everyone can understand the impact. • She would like limitations in numbers or percentages on parking spaces, as a governor on this for impact over time, especially in larger areas. • The language in the amendment needs to be more clearly stated on what criteria needs to be met for the waiver. This is especially important if this is to go before the Board of Adjustment, people need to know exactly what the requirements are. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 11 of 12 • Need for mitigation, bike racks, bus stops, etc. There is mention of places where there will be Zip Cars, but if parking is being removed then there has to be a requirement for mitigation options. • Need clarification on how this fits in with the Downtown/Riverfront Crossings parking plan. Howard noted that this is covered under the Downtown/Riverfront Crossings parking plan and typically a developer would pay a fee in lieu of parking. The fees are then used to support public parking structures. Freerks stated then with this amendment there would be no fees and therefore could result in a lack of funds to the City. Freerks reiterated that this amendment would be a very big waiver and should be thought through carefully and how the City plans to address parking demands over time. She stated her concern is that a historic structure could be purchased and then other property could be purchased that is really quite charming and part of the city and the City will be held hostage to having to lose out on parking in an area. She also agrees with Bennett's concern regarding community character and how this will develop if in a broader area and will pieces fall apart just to make other things happen. Hensch stated his concern is that Iowa City is a community that wants to have lots of citizen participation and he doesn't want to do anything to impede that. Signs asked if an exception like this cannot be made under current regulations. Miklo confirmed it cannot. The Board of Adjustment could waive parking for the building itself, but not for adjacent buildings without charging the impact fee which then may make it financially unfeasible to save the church. Freerks understands that but it could be worded as the area within the borders of Gilbert Street, Iowa Avenue, Van Buren, and Burlington Street to make it more specific. Miklo stated that the map Freerks is requesting is a good idea and it should show the implications if any beyond this area. Martin agreed that it is a concern to have this decided by just the Building Official and having the Board of Adjustment conversation is worth exploring. Theobald agreed. Additionally would like to know what the City is looking at for future parking issues. Anecdotally the parking has gotten worse and this was the first Christmas she didn't buy a single gift downtown because she couldn't find parking, the ramps were full. Theobald also commented that this is an aging population and their habits are hard to change. Freerks agreed and that is why she thought the Downtown District Parking Plan was in place and made accommodations for mitigation. Signs agreed with Freerks' comments on mitigation because the amendment refers to the options of bike parking, shared vehicles, etc. but there is not a requirement for that. Signs came out as a car driver, and he is very concerned about anything that takes away parking in the downtown area. He also admitted he doesn't shop downtown very often because of parking limitations. He said having a parking ramp four or five blocks away is not close enough for many customers. Martin noted while she is also a car driver, she is very anti -car and loves the idea of no parking, but that may not be realistic. Planning and Zoning Commission March 2, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 12 of 12 Signs also noted he feels this should be a Board of Adjustment issue. He also feels that this issue was already dealt with when the property was rezoned and now the Commission is being held hostage that if this is not approved the church will be torn down. That is very frustrating. Freerks noted that with the recent walkability session they all attended (with Jeff Speck), there were ideas (such as rideshare within buildings or bus passes as part of leases) so there are options out there and need to be explored before just taking away parking. Dyer noted her concern is with the amount of development, the current parking structures are not enough to support it. Stating there is a parking ramp nearby was made in support of the Chauncey Building, and there is the other student apartment building going up across Iowa Avenue, and presumably something by the rec center and the thinking that one parking ramp will solve all these problems (in addition to having the farmers market) is short -sided. Cars cannot park on top of one another. Dyer noted that during the daytime there are lots of empty spaces on Iowa Avenue by Seashore Hall but suspects that is because the parking meters are for only one hour and classes longer than that. But then at night all the parking is full downtown. The Chauncey Building will be adding entertainment venues so that will add impact as well. Signs asked if the City has a parking plan. Miklo replied that the Transportation and Resource Management Department manages the public parking facilities. Theobald also commented on the bus system in Iowa City, which has not been changed for a very long time, and she lives in a neighborhood that has a poor street network design and her home is not convenient to a bus stop. She noted that the west side of the city has an aging population that would likely want to take buses if available. Miklo suggested having the Director of Transportation Services come talk to the Commission about the City's parking/transit plans. He said he would try to schedule that for a meeting when there is a light agenda. A vote was taken and the motion for deferment carried 6-0. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: FEBRUARY 2. 2017 Hensch moved to approve the meeting minutes of February 2 2017. Signs seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion passed 6-0. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: None. ADJOURNMENT: Theobald moved to adjourn. Martin seconded. A vote was taken and motion carried 6-0. z O Fn U) O U C7 z Z N Od C7 z E a J a M x x x X -w X X N X X X X X X X m X X X X X x x r Lr) N X X X X X X X r �N x x x- x x x r X X X X X I X 0 o x X XX X X 0 10 xxxxxx N X X X X X X X N X X X X X X X N X x w X X x r tixoxxxxx Q X X x x X X X 0 �xoxxxxx ,xxxxxxx r x X x X x X 4 x x x x X I X t` X X X X I I X I" Cl) Z Z Y O m w w 0 0Q�=2 Y<o V Y 2 z Z Q W Wcc z W W Z alU-ice IC,LL a U) N 7 X w a a) � a, u�¢ CL Q II II n w w Y • MW MINUTES PRELIMINARY PLANNING AND ZONING COMMISSION MARCH 16, 2017 — 7:00 PM — FORMAL MEETING E M M A J. HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Carolyn Dyer, Mike Hensch, Ann Freerks, Phoebe Martin, Max Parsons, Mark Signs, Jodie Theobald MEMBERS ABSENT: None STAFF PRESENT: Sara Hektoen, Bob Miklo, John Yapp OTHERS PRESENT: RECOMMENDATIONS TO CITY COUNCIL: 1. By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends approval of amendments to Title 14, Zoning Code, Chapter 5, Site Development Standards, Article A: Off Street Parking and Loading, to eliminate the parking requirement for properties in the Downtown Planning District, Zoned CB -5 and, in part, Historic District Overlay, and to increase the required bicycle parking and to allow modification to the structured parking placement standards for non-commercial uses. 2. By a vote of 7-0 the Commission recommends that the requested rezoning from County Commercial (C) to County Residential (R) for approximately 11 -acres of property located in Johnson County at 4665 Herbert Hoover Highway SE be approved, subject to an agreement requiring future annexation and granting City approval for any subdivision, lot split or development of the property to assure compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and Fringe Area Agreement. CALL TO ORDER: Freerks called the meeting to order at 7:00 PM. PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There were none CODE AMENDMENT: Consideration of amendments to Title 14, Zoning Code, Chapter 5, Site Development Standards, Article A: Off Street Parking and Loading, to eliminate the parking requirement for properties in the Downtown Planning District, Zoned CB -5 and, in part, Historic District Overlay, and to increase the required bicycle parking and to allow modification to the structured parking placement standards for non-commercial uses. Yapp reviewed the staff memo, which addressed the concerns raised by the Commission at the last meeting. He recommended approval of the revised amendment. Dyer noted that when they looked at the concept presented when the property was rezoned to Planning and Zoning Commission March 16, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 2 of 7 CB -5, the proposed parking lot for the development included a liner building with parking behind it, and asked if that is City parking and not the parking that would otherwise be required for the residential units. Yapp replied that when that project was first proposed it was proposed as a combination of City parking and parking for the residential units and that is still the case. The difference is the last time the City Council discussed the project it was stated there would not be as much parking for the residential units. The City Council direction was to reduce or waive the parking requirement for the residential units, but the goal is to still provide some parking for the residential units. Freerks noted that in the staff recommendation part one subsection two it states "for properties located in the Downtown Planning District (which is a much larger area) zoned CB -5 and in part..." and in the past the Commission has stated exact boundaries (street names) because in the future the Downtown Planning District can change. Hektoen noted her concern about allocations of spot zoning so there needs to be articulation for a reasonable reason for distinguishing this property from other CB -5 zones and therefore in the Commission's recommendation it would help to keep the area listed as Downtown Planning District and not state exact boundaries. Hensch asked for the reason it is delineated the way it is. Hektoen stated at this point this is the only property that applies, but the rationale is based on the Comprehensive Plan and wanting to preserve historic properties. The rationale is the parking is not necessary in this situation and the public is better benefitted by preserving that historic property. Freerks reiterated her concern about this specific area eventually trickling into other areas. Freerks opened the public hearing. Seeing no one Freerks closed the public hearing. Signs moved to recommend approval of amendments to Title 14, Zoning Code, Chapter 5, Site Development Standards, Article A: Off Street Parking and Loading, to eliminate the parking requirement for properties in the Downtown Planning District, Zoned CB -5 and, in part, Historic District Overlay, and to increase the required bicycle parking and to allow modification to the structured parking placement standards for non-commercial uses. Theobald seconded the motion. Freerks noted that the change to the language is positive and outlines the rules without special exception needs. But it does make her nervous to have the blanket area. Parsons asked what were the boundaries of the Downtown Planning District. Yapp said it was Van Buren Street on the east, Iowa Avenue on the north, Clinton Street on the west, and Burlington Street on the south. Signs agreed with the issues Freerks raises and questions that himself. Hektoen stated that while this is a code amendment, in the eyes of the law it is a rezoning. If the Downtown Planning District is rezoned in the future, the Commission will have the ability to look at this area again. Planning and Zoning Commission March 16, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 3 of 7 Hensch said he is sympathetic to Freerks concern but noted that anything can change in the future and will have to just be addressed at that time. Martin stated that she is fine with the recommendation. Parsons asked if another structure in the CB -5 zone of the Downtown Planning District gets historical status, would this new rule apply as well. Yapp confirmed it would and buildings would have to be designated as landmark status for this code amendment to apply, and to get that a historic zone overlay would have to put in place which does come before the Planning and Zoning Commission for approval. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0. ZONING/DEVELOPMENT ITEM (REZ16-00008/SUB16-00012): Discussion of an application submitted by Kevin Hanick for a rezoning of approximately 10.26 acres from Low Density Multifamily Residential (RM -12) to Planned Development Overlay/Low Density Multifamily Residential (OPD/RM-12) zone and a preliminary plat of Larson Subdivision, a 2 -lot, 12.28 -acre residential subdivision located north of Scott Boulevard between Hickory Heights Lane and First Avenue. Miklo stated that the City is still working on the stormwater management issues as well as a few other technical issues so Staff recommends deferral until the April 6 meeting. Freerks opened the public hearing. Seeing no one, Freerks closed the public hearing. Hensch moved to defer this item until the April 6 meeting. Martin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0. COUNTY ITEM (CZ17-00001): Discussion of an application submitted by Linda S. Lovik for a rezoning from County Commercial (C) to County Residential (R) for approximately 11 -acres of property located in Johnson County at 4665 Herbert Hoover Highway SE in Fringe Area B. Miklo stated that the Fringe Area Agreement between Iowa City and Johnson County provides for City review of any rezoning within the fringe area, and the City then makes a recommendation to the County Planning & Zoning Commission and then the County Board of Supervisors has the final say. For any subdivision in the area, the City also has review. Although the City only recommends on rezonings, they do have to approve any subdivisions. This particular property is clearly within the City's growth area. Miklo noted they do anticipate it will be annexed into the City relatively soon. In terms of the current zoning it is commercial in Planning and Zoning Commission March 16, 2017 — Formal Meeting Page 4 of 7 the County, which is not consistent with the City's Comprehensive Plan for the area which calls for it to be residential. Therefore Staff recommends that the requested rezoning from County Commercial (C) to County Residential (R) be approved, subject to an agreement requiring annexation in the future and granting City approval for any subdivision, lot split or development of the property to assure compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and Fringe Area Agreement. Parsons asked what activity was happening at the location to have it zoned currently as County Commercial. Miklo stated that the County rezoned a large portion east of the City as commercial back in the 1960's and it has been that way since. Signs asked about the intention to create an additional residential lot at the location and would that be included under the agreement for City review. Miklo confirmed it would. Freerks opened the public hearing. Seeing no one Freerks closed the public hearing. Parsons moved to recommend that the requested rezoning from County Commercial (C) to County Residential (R) be approved, subject to an agreement requiring annexation in the future and granting City approval for any subdivision, lot split or development of the property to assure compliance with the Comprehensive Plan and Fringe Area Agreement Martin seconded the motion. A vote was taken and the motion carried 7-0. CONSIDERATION OF MEETING MINUTES: MARCH 2, 2017 Signs commented that several parts of the discussion regarding the code amendment on parking where not included in the minutes. The Commission agreed to defer and ask that the minutes be more detailed to reflect the Commission's discussion. PLANNING AND ZONING INFORMATION: Signs asked Staff about the approval of the change in the ordinance regarding amplified noise that the Commission recently reviewed in the Riverfront Crossings District, particularly around the Big Grove Brewery area: he referred to an article in the news this week about them holding concerts in the back area. Signs doesn't believe that coincides with what the Commission approved. Miklo stated that the concerts would be allowed under the temporary use permits which are covered by a different part of the code. Dyer commented that there appears to be a big parking problem at that Big Grove. Planning and Zoning Commission March 16, 2017—Formal Meeting Page 5 of 7 Theobald agreed it will be a challenge. Signs noted that the capacity for the restaurant more than exceeds any possible parking options. Martin asked about the building next to the Kum & Go on Burlington Street across from the University Recreation Building, she noted it is constructed right up to the wall of the Kum & Go and is the plan for the Kum & Go to leave that spot. Miklo stated not necessarily, in the CB zones buildings can be built right up next to one another. ADJOURNMENT: Martin moved to adjourn. Parsons seconded. A vote was taken and motion carried 7-0. PLANNING & ZONING COMMISSION ATTENDANCE RECORD 2016-2017 KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member 3/17 4/7 4/21 5/5 5/19 6/2 7/7 7/21 8/4 9/1 10/6 10/20 11/17 12/1 12/15 1/19 2/2 3/2 3/16 DYER,CAROLYN X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X FREERKS, ANN X X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X HENSCH, MIKE X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X X X X X X MARTIN, PHOEBE X X X X X X X O/E X X X O/E X O/E X X X X X PARSONS, MAX O/E X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X O/E X SIGNS, MARK — X X X X X X X X X O/E X X X X X X THEOBALD, JODIE X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X X KEY: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused --- = Not a Member IP14 PRELIMINARY MINUTES PUBLIC ART ADVISORY COMMITTEE MARCH 2nd, 2016 — 3:30 PM LOBBY CONFERENCE ROOM — CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: John Engelbrecht, Juli Seydell Johnson, Wendy Brown, Ron Knoche, Erin Fitzgerald NOT PRESENT: Sayuri Sasaki Hemann, Tam Bryk STAFF PRESENT: Marcia Bollinger PUBLIC PRESENT: Betsy Potter CALL TO ORDER: PUBLIC DISCUSSION OF ANY ITEM NOT ON THE AGENDA: There was no public discussion of items not on the agenda. CONSIDERATION OF MINUTES OF THE NOVEMBER V, 2016 Seydell Johnson moved to approve the February 2"d, 2017 minutes. Motion passed unanimously. INTRODUCTION OF NEW COMMITTEE MEMBER ERIN FITZGERALD All members introduced themselves and Fitzgerald provided a bit about her background. Potter stated the Sheraton wall was not available due to lack of permission from ownership. Potter stated she discussed with Susan Craig (Director of Iowa City Public Library) that the mural be put on the back of the ICPL alley wall and that she would submit the public use write away permit. Potter mentioned the wall would be the same size as the original proposal, but that it was a scalable design that the artist could make work on any given space. She said the new site location was a heavily used alley way. Potter shared that she hoped the mural would launch art in alley ways. She stated the BenchMark program would be suspended starting next year due to construction in the pedmall, but that the University of Iowa Community Credit Union planned to continue its sponsorship by funding alley murals for the next few years. Potter said there were loose electrical wires and an electrical panel in poor condition that would need fixed to allow Thomas Agran to paint the mural. Potter believed the alley was a good place to start a project like this and that alley ways were a big initiative for the downtown district. Potter concluded there were still logistics to figure out, but the finished project timeline was still in May. Engelbrecht asked for all those in favor of the mural to be located along the alley behind the Iowa City Public Library. Moved by Seydell Johnson and seconded by Engelbrecht. The motion was passed with all in favor. Seydell Johnson stated an initial meeting with the University of Iowa design group took place and they discussed relocating the mural to a wall directly adjacent to the office area near the seating/play area. Seydell Johnson mentioned the time line would be extended due to this change, and concluded that an updated contract was sent. Seydell Johnson said she discussed with Myers Walker her art work being displayed at Mercer. She specified Mercer had three display cases in the main lobby that were 12 inches in depth where Myers Walkers work would be displayed. She concluded the committee would see Myers Walkers application in April for the matching funds to make the mural possible. Seydell Johnson informed the committee that there may be a third art installation at the rec center by Deanne Wortman. She explained the project was a farmland and fossil project which was a public art crochet project that recreated the coral reef. She established the crochet project would fit with the aquatic nature of the pool as well as the STEAM Wall project. Brown inquired what the STEAM Wall team was planning to do with the background. Seydell Johnson said they were still working on that aspect. She said they did further discuss however, replacing the carpet with a green lawn. Brown asked if the team would add other pieces to the installation. Seydell Johnson said no, the budget was limited but it had grown in size, so the Parks and Recreation foundation would have to add additional funding for the carpet, electrical and such, since they were already looking to upgrade the space. Engelbrecht mentioned Public Space One had two spots on the gallery walk, one at the present location and one at the near future location. He stated a reception would be held at both locations. Brown inquired about what would be happening at the Near Future location. Engelbrecht stated it was a closing reception for that space where art work, documentation of everything that has happened there, and posters would be displayed. He said it would be a celebration. Engelbrecht mentioned there would be a large two person show called Scrap Happy Panels at PS1 in which a couple would share their art work of comics on recycled paper and mosaic fabric work. He concluded food and drinks would be at both locations. STAFF REPORTS: Bollinger reminded the committee that the April meeting would be at Southeast Jr. High. She said a formal presentation would be shared on ideas for the Longfellow Tunnel mural to be painted by SEJH art students. Engelbrecht inquired about the time. Bollinger said she would confirm the time with Arnone. Seydell Johnson said it would be at 2:30. Bollinger said she would double check. Bollinger mentioned the Poetry in Public review committee was finalizing a review meeting. Brown inquired about how many poems would be posted. Bollinger said 84, three in each bus. ADJOURNMENT: Meeting adjourned at 3:52pm. Public Art Advisory Committee Attendance Record 2016-2017 Name Term Expires 2/4 3/3 5/5 8/4 9/15 11/3 1/5 2/5 3/2 Bodkin Bryk, Tam 01/01/19 x O/E x x O/E x X x O/E Brown, Wend 01/01/20 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- x x En elbrecht, John 01/01/18 x X x O/E X X X x x Hemann, Sa uri Sasaki 01/01/18 x X X X X X X x O/E Erin Fitzgerald 01/01/20 -- -- -- -- -- -- -- -- X Knoche, Ron x X X X X X X x x Se dell -Johnson, Juli X X X I X O/E x x x x Key: X = Present O = Absent O/E = Absent/Excused — = Not a member