HomeMy WebLinkAbout2017-12-19 TranscriptionsPage l
Council Present: Botchway, Cole, Dickens, Mims, Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton
Staff Present: Fruin, Monroe, Dilkes, Andrew, Fruehling, Moms, Matherly, Havel,
Bockenstedt, Seydell-Johnson, Laverman, Ream, Hightshoe, Knoche,
Kauder (CM Intern)
Others Present: Stewart (UISG)
Legislative consultant introduction and discussion of 2018 priorities IIP3, of 12/14 Info
Packet
Throgmorton/ ....work session and the fust topic is legislative consultant introduction and
discussion of our 2018 priorities. Hi, Simon!
Andrew/ Hello, good evening! I will try and be brief. I know you got a few things on your plate
this evening. Uh, tonight we're happy to be able to introduce our, uh, legislative
consultants for the 2018, uh, State of Iowa legislative session. As a reminder, uh,
Council approved the contract, uh, for, uh, our consultant services at the November 21"
meeting of this year. Uh, Carney & Appleby were selected after an RFP process. Uh,
little bit about the background of our experience engaging with lobbyists. Um, from
2012 to 2016, uh, we used the firm .... the Davis Brown Law Firm in Des Moines as our
legislative consultant. Uh, the primary contacts with that firm that we had left the firm in
2016. Uh, we decided in 2017 to go without any, uh.... contracted services, uh, for this,
as we evaluated our needs going forward. Uh, the 2017 session was, um, eventful and,
uh, we clearly saw the, uh, value in engaging with lobbyists moving forward. So, uh,
Carney & Appleby currently represent the cities of Des Moines and Waukee and are
familiar with city issues. Uh, they .... um, and there are a few (mumbled) very clearly
understood many of the issues we expect to deal with over the next year. Uh, they have
over 80 years legislative experience combined and good relationships with, legislators
from both sides of the aisles, and the firm will also provide services after the session, uh,
with the rules making process. Uh, right now the Alcohol and Beverages Division is
going through, uh, licensing reform, a conversation that we will expect to lean on their
expertise during that process as well. Uh, so in a moment I will ask Jim Carney, Doug
Strayk, and Jenny Dorman of, uh, Carney & Appleby to introduce themselves and uh,
begin the discussion of your 2018 legislative priorities. Uh, typically Council considers a
resolution, uh, formally adopting their legislative priorities, uh, prior to the beginning of
the session, uh, so staff is requesting that, um, you direct us tonight to prepare such a
resolution and any direction of what you want to see in that resolution, and we'll have
that ready for your January 2' meeting. Um, top priorities from the Metro Coalition and
League of Cities were also included in your Information Packet. Um, generally, uh, we
tend to be on the same page with, uh, many of the issues called out there. Their top
priorities, uh, of protecting backfill payments, uh, for commercial and industrial, um,
replacement; um, protecting local control on a number of issues we would expect would
be included in these priorities. So, uh, without further ado I will introduce the
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representatives from, uh, Carney & Appleby and both staff and our consultants will be,
uh, around to answer questions for developing your priorities! (several responding)
Carney/ Thank you. It's a pleasure to be here. Um, we're excited about the opportunity to.....to
represent the....the City of Iowa City. Um, I've had a long-term relationship with the
City, going back to 1966, um, when I went to school here. Um, since then I've served....
I am serving on four different boards that, uh, with the University. That gets me down
here pretty regularly, in addition to the sporting events (laughs) I come to. So I.... I'm
just in and out of the City all.....all the time, and I just, uh, I love Iowa City. So we....
we're excited about the opportunity to .... to represent ya. My partner Doug, uh, Struyk,
uh, his daughter's going to school down here. So it's another opportunity to come and
visit, and uh, we're .... use that as a way to .... to meet with you, um, probably more often
than.....than what, uh, someone else might, uh, other.... otherwise do. Um, I've been
practicing law in Des Moines since 1975. Um, this will be my 43 d year of working at
the, uh, capitol and doing legislative work. Um, it's, uh, been a .... terrific experience.
That's a large part of our practice. Uh, we practice law in addition to doing legislative
work. Uh, Doug is almost full-time, uh.....uh, legislative, although does some legal
work. Jenny, uh, just joined us, uh, literally last week and has, uh, gonna.....but she's
familiar with the legislative process. She's worked up there for two years on .... on staff
positions. So, she knows how, uh, a bill passes and how legislation works. Um, we have
an eight -person firm, urn ...... and uh, with, uh, George Appleby retiring, uh, up .... up until
when George is retired at the end of this year, we have four people doing legislative
work. So you get an idea of the amount of time, the resources we throw at it. Uh, we're
up there every day. Uh, all day. Um, and urn .... spend, uh, a....a tremendous amount of
time at the capitol. Uh, I think in terms of looking toward this session, uh, just a real
quick overview for you. Uh, it might be a good year to have a new client in the sense that
it should be a short session. Um, short for couple of reasons. I don't know how familiar
you are with the way it operates, but the first session of the biennium get 110 days of per
diem. Second session of the biennium they reduce that down to 100 days. Generally
they're pretty, uh.....they get out of town fairly quickly after the per diem, uh, stops
ordinarily. Um, this year they're talking about there's what we call a funnel, and that's,
uh, when a bill has to reach a certain stage of the session, uh, get out of committee or it's
considered dead. They're talking about shortening the funnel, uh, taking it down maybe
to 90 days, uh, so that would be a .... real, real short session. So the .... the rules
themselves kind of dictate the.....the length of the session on the per diem and shortening
that. Uh, I'm gonna let Doug, uh, briefly address the budget issue that the State's facing.
It's horrendous. Um, Doug knows the budget about as well as anyone. I view the budget
this way — it's.... it's, if you think it's bad, it's not bad, it's really bad. If you think it's
really bad, it's really, really bad, uh, that's how I think of the budget. And .... and it, that
will cause them to probably, uh.... uh, shorten their work up. They'll start with a $40
million de -appropriation again. That de -appropriate first bill last year, one of the first
bills, was a de -appropriation bill. That'll happen again this year. Uh, the.... probably the
third thing is that it's an election year, so they're gonna want to get back home, start their
campaigns, and the fourth thing is that, um.....uh, from the Republican side of the aisle
anyway, they did a lot of major bills last year and a lot of the major, major things that
were priorities of the Republicans were done last year. So it ought to be a fairly short
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session. Other issues that I think, uh, I know a couple of `em might, uh, be of interest, or
will be of interest to .... to Iowa City, uh, opioids will be on the table for discussion.
Mental health will be on the table. Uh.... be a lot of discussion involving mental health.
Uh, tax reform. Could be a death penalty bill. And then, uh, privacy and identity theft.
Those are the, kind of the big ones that we see out there, other than specific issues that
relate to .... to the City. We know you're interested in the backfill, uh, we've had a lot of
discussion with legislators, uh.... uh, prior to today, uh, met with all the local folks in Des
Moines, met with the Appropriations chair leadership. Uh, that's up for grabs, uh, what
might happen. Uh, we hear, uh, things from, uh, you know there's, uh, might be a phase-
in or a phase-out of the backfill. Um.....I don't know if it's going to be possible, uh,
financially, fiscally to .... to do the, you know, maintain the backfill like it was intended to
be maintained. Uh, so that's gonna be out there. We know that that's a $1.5 million hit
to Iowa City. And that's, uh, significant, so that will be a major item. We know the
Sanctuary Cities are a major issue for you. Uh, we've been workin' on that, uh, also...
already. We've worked that issue before. Uh, we represent the Iowa State Bar
Association and that, uh, we registered against the bill last year on behalf of the Iowa Bar
Association. Um, there are a lot of good, good legal arguments to be developed on
Sanctuary Cities. Um, there was very recent, uh, article in the Des Moines Register. I
don't know if anyone reads the Des Moines Register down here, right (speaking away
from mic) Uh, so (laughing) but there was an article, uh, about that, uh, so that could be
up on the House side. The bill passed the Senate; it's over in the House. Um.....
pensions, we've talked to, um, Geoff and Andrew and Ashley about the pensions; uh,
rental permits, uh, are items too that we've discussed with them. So, uh, we're here to
learn, uh, about your priorities and get to know you a little bit, uh, better. Um, and for
you to have the opportunity to .... to get to know us. We intend to be down here as often
as needed, uh, it's gonna be, I think, uh, easy for us to get down here. Um.....uh, any
time you ..... you need a meeting, we'll be here. We are .... we're committed to having a
lot of communication with .... with Andrew and Geoff and Ashley. Eleanor too, I don't
wanna cut you out. I know you've been in .... involved in a lot of this. So, um ... those are
our plans and again, we .... we think it's just, uh, heck of an opportunity, uh, to be
representing you. With that I'll, uh, turn it over to .... to Doug. Um, I do .... I do know
this, uh, you're fortunate. Your ...... your legislative, um, rep.....representatives here do a
great job down in Des Moines. Uh, Bob Dvorsky has Coralville, is on local government
on the city side, on the Senate side, excuse me! Uh, Bobby Coffin.... Kaufmann, Vicki
Lensing, and Amy Nielson are all three on the local government on the House side. So
you have good representation on local government. Um, and they'll be, uh, they'll be
very helpful to us. We've got a great relationship, I think, with all of them. Um, my, uh,
approach to, uh, to lobbying, uh, has been to be, uh, just totally .... if you will, non-
partisan. I like to think that, uh, I personally have, uh.....uh, ability to talk Republicans
and Democrats and House and Senate, it doesn't matter who's in power and the same
thing with the Governor's office. We've had great relationships. So .... over the years
,Ai th.... with the Governors, going back, Terry Branstad was a classmate of mine so I
knew Terry forever. Didn't always agree with `em (laughter) politics, but uh, but knew
him quite well. Um, Doug, you want to introduce yourself and chat with the Council a
little bit.
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Struyk/ Thank you, Mr. Jim, and uh, Members of the Council. Thank you for the opportunity.
Again we're very excited about this, um, opportunity to represent you. Jim laid out a
very high level look at the budget and .... and he's right. Think of a bad budget
and .... and, uh, while we have seen worse, in 2010 when we were looking at a state
legislature that had to do a 10% across the board cut. We're still growing in revenues;
however, the revenues are not growing at a level, uh, that sustained the spending. Can
sustain the spending commitments that the legislature has made. Um, we've also had five
now consecutive RECs, revenue estimating conferences, that have come back and
actually missed their estimates on the high side and the legislature for three legislative
sessions was able to adjust that using, uh, dollars that they had in their ending balance
when the .... when these adjustments fell upon them, uh, the last two years now. Uh,
assuming what they're going to have to do when they come back in, they actually needed
to look at the appropriations. The FYI legislative, uh, budget, uh, actually had to be
reduced total of about $250 million, uh, over the course of three different, two different
revenue estimating conferences, and then finally a closing of the books. We're not that
bad right now. Uh, the October revenue estimating conference looking at FYI 8, which is
the current fiscal year we're in, uh, came in and said that, uh, it's probably going to take a
$34.6 million de -appropriation and that number was confirmed. It was not increased by
the December revenue estimating conference. Um, just for a piece of information, the
legislature must base their budget and the Governor must base their budget, his .... her
budget, on the December revenue estimating conference number. Uh, they will get
another meeting of the revenue estimating conference in March and if the March REC
number is lower than the December, then the legislature needs to adjust their budget
down. If there's a greater amount of money that's available through the March REC that
doesn't become available under state law. It actually is .... is technically, uh, according to
Iowa Code, supposed to flow into the ending balance. So right now, FY18 is looking at
getting a $35 million haircut. The predictions for FYI 9, they actually reduced it between
October and December by 1/10th of 1%, about $7 million. Uh, the problem with the, uh,
even having 4% growth, by the time you pay back the economic emergency fund and the
ending balance, or I'm sorry, cash reserve funds that were used to prop up FYI and
what's gonna be needed for FYI 8, you take a significant amount of money, roughly $91
million, out of the new available revenue when you pay for growth in footprint in, uh,
Medicaid, which is ... is not talking about managed care here, not talking about money to
MCOs, talking about just growth in eligible individuals in the Medicaid budget. That's
another 91 or $94 million. Assume since it's an election year you're gonna throw a little
bit more money into supplemental state aid, the old allowable growth for K-12 education.
By the time you do that, you're lookin' at about $6 million new money year on year if
you hold every other aspect to State government flat. That's not a whole lot, not a whole
lot of money to, uh, to spread around to the reman .... remainder of State agencies. And if
we get another hiccup in March with a lower REC, it's going to get worse. In particular
why I said this is relevant to you, the backfill. If the legislature is looking for additional
funds to try and .... and increase funding for Regents or additional funding for K-12 or....
or Corrections, wherever they choose to put that money, one of the places that they've
indicated they'd be interested in looking at .... is the backfill. If. ... if they reach into that,
uh, it....it could prop up their budget. We also think it's going to be, uh, more difficult
than they anticipate, because it's going to result in a tax increase. Generally at every
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community level when .... when the committee .... or when the communities have to adjust
their budgets and adjust their millage rates to address the offset, you're $1.5 million. The
City of Waukee's about a quarter of a million dollars. Des Moines' 5.2 million. Just keep
rollin' that across the state. If the cities want that money, they're going to have to
increase millage rates in order to offset what the State had promised. That reality is
going to strike home, and hopefully we can utilize that to our advantage, to make sure
that we either fund the backfill or we're able to, uh, phase it out so that cities and our
clients have the ability to, uh, to withstand that in a way that doesn't result in an increase
to the millage rates. I'm sure that's more detail than you wanted on the budget, but it is
very relevant in particular to dealing with the backfill. We don't know what the federal
tax, uh, tax reform implications are going to be to the State. Um.....very, very high level.
We have federal deductibility. When you .... so with federal deductibility when you
decrease what individuals are paying in federal income tax, that increases state revenues,
because you're losing some of that deduction that .... that individuals would claim on their
state taxes. No one has been able to quantify that yet. It's .... it's still too new. There are
legislators who are talking about also getting rid of federal deductibility and using some
of the money that would come in for that to adjust tax reform. We're not sure how all
those pieces fit together, but we're certain that backfill will be part of the discussion. So,
we need to continue delivering the message that this will impact cities and therefore it
will impact taxpayers. With that, again, thank you for the opportunity and Jim, Jenny,
and I stand ready to address any questions that you have. Thank you.
Throgmorton/ Excellent presentation and thanks to Jim, thanks to, um, Doug, right? Thanks for
doin' that. Very informative. I speak for myself, uh, I felt like I got some insight into
what's going on from very knowledgeable people and that's a real treat to see. Do any of
you have questions for our visitors?
Botchway/ Yes. Um, so this kind of maybe is a conjunction question. So what's the expectation
and follow-up, and so you talked about in March there could be some changes that we
may.....may want to be aware of. Is this something that you're going to communicate to
the City Manager's and City Attorney's office, or do we need to make time now for you
to come back before us to have that conversation?
Fruin/ I think (clears throat) what they're referring to is the Revenue Estimating Commission
is... is gonna reconvene in March and then depending on what their findings are, uh, in
looking at the State forecast, uh, the legislature in .... in Des Moines' gonna have to make
some adjustments potentially. Those adjustments may or may not impact cities. Um,
you know, in the past, um, as we've worked with, um.....uh, lobbyists, it's really been,
uh, City Manager's office. I think occasionally the City Attorney's office. We're on
weekly calls. We're really ... uh, sometimes on a daily basis, communicating with them,
um, and then, uh.... at times we've pulled Council Members in, either to come with us to
Des Moines to lobby on a particular issue or to attend a hearing or anything like that. Uh,
after the end of last year's session, the Council indicated a desire, uh, to .... to be more
involved, um, on legislative matters. Didn't really define that. So we wanted to start that
discussion tonight. That's why, uh, the team is here to .... to start the introductions and
staff would need some direction from you on how you want to, uh, you know, how you
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want to be involved, uh, and what types of updates that you would want, um, from us.
Typically our office would .... would update the Mayor on a regular basis and Mayor
would use his judgment to, uh, you know.....determine if we needed to update the entire
Council on a particular topic.
Camey/ The key I think is this is the legislative session starts. They had a, what they call the
Revenue.... Revenue Estimating Conference give them numbers that they can kind of do
their planning and.....and budgeting for the year hopefully. But their required then in
March, after the .... they do the, uh, estimating again at the March time they .... they kind
of readjust and if there's been less revenue, they gotta dial back. You know, they....
they're gonna have to readjust, and then that would be a really key moment to know
where you may be. Hopefully we'll be kind of getting a read on that as the session goes
along and we'll be in close contact with ... with everyone and let you know how we're
seeing (several talking) good question.
Struyk/ As a means of example we can use what happened this previous session, 2017 legislative
session. They came in and the December REC had said do a $118 million de -
appropriation. Lot larger than what we're dealin' with this year. Roughly 25%, but it's
$118 million de -appropriation. When they came back, the revenue estimating conference
came back in March. They said, okay, we need you to cut the budget by another $132
million. If we had that happen, where we went from 34 and then they came back in and
said well you need another $100 million to balance the budget, or to .... to set up for the
incoming year, that really increases the pressure on the backfill. That .... that would be
a ... that would be a `oh my' moment. We really, really need to step up efforts to .... to
stave off that cut.
Carney/ And I think the real challenge that you have, because the way cities budget, uh, we've
been told that you'd like to know the numbers earlier than later, because you then have to
redo (laughs) I mean it puts you in a real pickle, okay? But I .... I just don't know if we're
gonna know early enough, you know, you're gonna have to do your budgeting, see how it
works out (mumbled) We're cognizant of your need to know, sooner than later. Jenny
didn't get a chance to introduce herself. Jenny, you wanna say a few words?
Dorman/ Hi, um, obviously they said I just started last week (laughs) so this is all pretty new to
me. Um, but I'm Jenny Dorman and I just graduated from Drake Law in May, passed the
bar, uh, September and started last week. I went through their legislative practice
program, so I've actually worked in both the House and Senate, so I know how it works
on the inside, which is really going to be helpful for me this year working on the outside.
But that's pretty much all I have right now. So.....
Throgmorton/ Nice to see you, Jenny, and welcome aboard! So, Jim, Doug, Jenny, I have a
question that is, um, may be a little bit difficult to articulate, but my general impression is
that for many Iowa legislators, especially on the Republican side of the aisle, Iowa City
does not have a very good reputation. Now you would know better than I whether that's
true or not, but if it is true, I would hope you would help us convey to the legislators that
we have a very well-run government down here, and we.....our financial management is,
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uh, really very competently done and, uh, would make any city pri ... proud. Triple -A
bond rating for example. Uh, and other things that we do in Iowa City are, uh, exercises
in democracy, where we're living out, uh, what the people of the city believe in, and.....
and it would seem to me that we would want to be able to work with the legislature in
order .... in a way that would enable them to do what they think they need to do, but re...
ensure that we retain, uh, our.... prerogative. Well not prerogative. But,
uh.... urn ..... right to govern ourselves as we see fit, you know, subject to constitutional
restraints and that kind of thing. Uh, I think you probably understand what I'm getting at,
but I hope you would be able to help us on that.
Carney/ Uh, that's a subject that we, uh, openly discussed (laughs) in detail with Geoff and
Andrew, uh, Ashley and, uh, you know we.....we heard, we heard that message and so,
uh, you know, we talked about it and I....I think that can be addressed in a very positive
manner with the legislature. Um, Doug and I went around and, uh, talking to leadership
after we learned that we were going to be representing you and, uh, sat down with like
Speaker, uh, Linda Upmeyer, okay? Uh, the conversation went, uh, something like this.
Linda, we're going to be representing, uh, Iowa City. We're .... we're happy to be
representing Iowa City and, uh, if you got a bone to pick with Iowa City (laughs) we need
to know about it. If there's a problem with Iowa City, we need to know about it. We
want the opportunity to address that in a real, real positive, upfront way, and we're gonna
be working with both of the caucuses on both sides to try to find out if someone does
have a problem with Iowa City what it is and .... and address that. I think we can be
really, really good ambassadors for you down there, uh, because, um, we believe in what
you just said.
Throgmorton/ That would be very helpful. Thanks!
Struyk/ It's communication, and .... and relationships. Communications, relationships, and
education. Um, Jim and I were together on Saturday, shortly after the article about
Sanctuary Cities came up, and we were .... we were sitting and brainstorming a little bit.
Thought well let's reach out to a couple legislators. We reached out to `em, uh, while we
were together, uh, threw out some ideas, said you know, can we sit down and just talk
about this, let's actually read through the law, your proposed law, and what does it really
mean and how does that work with ... with what some of our clients are doing, and it ... all
of a sudden wasn't a .... angry visceral response. It was .... well, yeah, show us .... show us
what's .... what this really does. And from our previous meetings, uh, Geoff and Simon
have pointed out to us a couple other times when you've been able to get together with
State legislators who've been antagonistic to some of the City's, uh, actions and educate
them on it, and all of a sudden they found out, wait a minute! You were actually doing
things the way it should be handled. They just didn't have the full story. We're here to
help facilitate those conversations, use our relationships to bring people together, talk
about it, and actually exchange information to get a comfort level going.
Throgmorton/ Excellent!
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Carney/ And I think the local legislators, you know, we've talked with several of them. They
can help us too, you know, if like.....if Vicki Lensing picks something up, uh, on the
inside and says, you know, so-and-so has a major problem, um, we're .... we're going to
use our local folks, uh, to help us get to those people. I mean they .... they know
us ..... and how we work, and we're gonna use that to kind of bird-dog those .... those
problems (laughs) and let us know what's going on, and we'll get to those people.
We'll.....we'll try to chat with them.
Throgmorton/ Excellent! Susan (mumbled)
Mims/ No, just appreciate that.
Taylor/ I've heard some very positive things about your firm in talking to legislators and people
around the state. So I'm very happy to have ya on board and .... and it makes me feel
comfortable knowing that there will be somebody there with their feet on the ground and
watching for things so that we don't have some of the surprises that we had last year and
just want to add one thing, you listed off some things. We have so many City employees
that, uh, rely on the IPERS system, so I would hope that that would be one thing you'd
also keep your ear to the ground. I know some are saying they're not going to touch it
but from all the surprises last year I hope that's another thing that you'll kind of keep an
ear to the ground on.
Carney/ We actually talked to an IPERS board member on the way down (laughs)
Taylor/ Good! Good! (laughs)
Carney/ Yeah, we're.....we're keenly aware of your concern on that as well and we .... we know
several of the people on the IPERS board and (mumbled) goes both ways. You've got
the board and the legislature, but uh.....we'll follow that closely as well.
Taylor/ Good!
Cole/ Do you see any movement on any efforts toward decriminalization of marijuana, in
particular giving municipalities Home Rule authority to issue municipal infractions? I
mean this is a personal liberty issue, a personal freedom issue, as well as a public safety
issue, so we can free up law enforcement to not focus on those sorts of crimes. There
was some surprising movement last legislative session on a marijuana related issue and I
believe it was related to medicinal marijuana. Do you see any movement in that area on
this topic, uh, and if so, uh, what sort of movement would you potentially see?
Carney/ Well anything that potentially reduces the .... the cost of government, which
decriminalization could do, might have a chance, and they did the cannabis bill last year
and we're very familiar with what happened on that. Um.....uh, we didn't, we weren't....
we weren't representing a client but we've been talked to a couple of times about doing
something in that area. So we followed the issue, uh, that probably, uh, makes it a little
bit easier to .... to get into that kind of discussion with legislators. You know there's this
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....tension between, uh, being soft on crime, which (mumbled) be a crime, that kind of
thing, uh.....I don't, Doug .... you got an idea on that?
Struyk/ Thanks, Jim. I'm not sure this is dis-positive of the issue, but it's one thing to put into
the calculus. Uh.... it would, you cannot say that it was easy for the legislature to pass the
medicinal marijuana bill, either this time or three years ago. Now .... but they were open-
minded enough and understand.....understood what had to happen. One of the large
hurdles that they had in dealing with that is that it is still illegal federally, even for
medicinal uses. So, what we would need to overcome is a .... is a comfort level with
legislators that, uh, you're .... by stepping it down and making it no longer a state criminal
offense, it's still a federal criminal offense, and how are they.....how are they feeling in
removing away, or moving away from .... from the federal structure and kicking it down
to just a municipal infraction. Again, not saying it's dis-positive, but that was a .... that
was a very, um, often cited concern that we .... we really aren't legalizing medicinal
marijuana. It's still illegal federally and how do we right ourselves in order to move
forward on that. So that .... that's gonna be a big hurdle to deal with.
Throgmorton/ Any other questions? Geoff, is there anything you need to hear from us?
Fruin/ Well, what staff would recommend is that we adopt legislative priorities that are, um,
pretty similar to those of the League of Cities and to the Metro Coalition, and you have a
copy of those in your packets. If there's anything else you'd like to see in that resolution,
um.....uh, let us know. We'll look at last year's policies. You know, last year's policies
did get into some of the issues that you brought up, for example, the marijuana issue was
incorporated into a broader Home Rule category. So we'll .... we'll personalize that a
little bit. It's not gonna be just a copy -and -paste, um, but if you think we're missin'
somethin', um, let us know and we'll incorporate that into the resolution, and of course,
you know, the night that you're going to vote on it, if you decide there's somethin' else,
um, you can defer. We can amend on the floor as well.
Botchway/ So I have one thing. So I have one thing. Um, and I .... and I guess'also a couple of
questions. Um, one focus is on the Metro Coalition's, um, you know, legislative agenda.
I just saw some issues that I.....have questions about, um, related to LOST, you know,
whether or not we're supportive of what the Metro Coalition is proposing.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I was wondering about that as well, so.....
Botchway/ That's one. The second one would be, um, the automatic traffic enforcement
cameras. I know that in 2013 we banned the use of traffic cameras here in Iowa City and
I feel like that's somewhat awkward to support something that we effectively (several
talking) would be in favor for. Um, and then the .... the other one is an addition. It's not
necessarily related to the Metro Coalition's and so I would be, you know, um, asking
Council to add, um, and I'd be interested in your analysis and your thought as whether or
not we'd be able to do this as well. Uh, addressing racial disparities, and disparities in
other represented groups, related to unemployment, incarceration, income disparity, and
so this was, um, information that was littered through Facebook as far as, um, I have
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some of the things here, Minnesota being, um, currently kind of the number one as far as
racial inequality and it had a list of different indicators. Um, Iowa was number five. Not
too long ago we were in the top two. Um, so what that looks like. I know that, you
know, um, I'm not sure exactly what, you know, what that looks like. I guess I would
say, you know, if you look at the facts, African-American population's at 3.3; median
household income, um, is 28,000 black, 56,000 white; unemployment rate, didn't have
the information in time; homeownership rate is 26.2 black, 73.5% white; incarceration
rate, um, per 100,000 is 2,349 black to 211 white, and so there are consistent disparities
across the board, and the reason why I want to ensure that we're focusing on it, um, from
a more comprehensive perspective is, you know, I don't want to just say we're gonna
look at the incarceration rate and not necessarily address some of the issues. I think
there's other things that need to be addressed from that standpoint. I know that, you
know, um, Governor Branstad at the time, I don't necessarily know if Governor
Reynolds, um, has been very interested in continuing this, um, discussion but I know that
he was talking about racial profiling legislation in 2016 beginning of the year, looking at
data. I know that our officers, and Chief Matherly's in the audience, has .... had a
considerable amount of conversations and work around the data, presenting that type of
analysis. So I feel like we're in a good spot, but I feel like we still need to think about
what that looks like, not only taking the data, um, but actually using something
(mumbled) behind it and so.....that would be my addition so to speak, based on some of
the facts and some of the Des Moines Register. I did look at the Des Moines Register for
some of this analysis, information that came out from that standpoint.
Carney/ Well, whether you make that a, you know, the Council makes that an issue, that's up for
your debate, but I can tell ya this it's a .... (noises on mic, unable to hear speaker) I've
certainly been in. Uh, I've worked with Wayne Ford, uh, representing Miller, uh, closely
on that stuff. Uh, largely through the Iowa State Bar Association in our criminal law
section. Uh, so we've been a part of several programs down there and so.....we hear you,
uh, it's up to the Council to figure out, you know, where you prioritize that and what you
do with that as a city issue.
Struyk/ In particular, the, um, racial impact statement that .... that is .... is tagged onto criminal
bills and also sentencing reform over the years. So two.....two major areas trying to have
an impact on that.
Frain/ Uh, Kingsley, to respond to your earlier questions, um, automated traffic enforcement
cameras, obviously that's not something Iowa City is invested in. A number of Metro
Coalition cities are. Again when you're working as a coalition, there's 10 of ya, you're
not gonna agree on every particular policy item. I think what we've really come to
support as a coalition is the right for Home Rule, uh, and the right for a city, if they
believe that traffic cameras are, um, right for their community that they have the ability to
put those in, and that's really, you know, if we ... if I had to talk to somebody about our
position on that, and we have never registered for a traffic camera bill, um, but I would
say I think it's a Home Rule issue, and I think that .... that individual cities should have
the right to determine, uh, if and how to deploy those cameras. Uh, on the LOST piece,
um, this is another example. There's..... seven of the Metro, um, Coalition communities
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that ... that really don't have a dog in the fight on this issue because they have a LOST.
You're really talkin' West Des Moines, uh, Des Moines, and .... and Iowa City in terms of
the Metro Coalition. Um, and.....and in the past, um, we have, um, had agreement, uh,
on legislative solutions that meet the issues that are in the Des Moines metro area and
solve some of their issues, um, that, um, don't impact us here in Johnson County. Last
year when this issue came up, um, there was a change in the way the legislation was
drafted. We opposed it. Um, in Des Moines and uh, West Des Moines, uh, I believe
West Des Moines supported it as well, and the Metro Colition... Metro Coalition
ultimately stayed neutral on the issue, as did the League of Cities, and so when there's
conflicting, uh, viewpoints, um, in the .... in the Metro Coalition, there's a.....a general
thought that we would, um, stay neutral on the issue, unless it's a nine to one situation or
an eight to two situation.
Carney/ If we may, Mr. Mayor, uh, to .... to address those, just some update here. Uh, we do not
believe that, uh, the City of Des Moines or West Des Moines are going to press to
advance the legislation from last year. March 6a' there's a .... there's ..... there's a vote in
Polk County on the local option sales tax. So they've moved past that and have just gone
to a vote. So it is not their intent to address that and second there's currently pending
a .... a, uh, ATE, automatic traffic enforcement, camera case, uh, headed to the Iowa
Supreme Court, uh, that could bring some resolution to that, uh, outside of the legislative
ankles. So....
Throgmorton/ Good deal. I think we're gonna have a good partnership. Thanks for comin'
down. Uh, but at that point, I'm very conscious of the time and I'm thinkin' about Chief
Matherly sittin' out here, uh, my sense is that we should tum to Chief next instead of
doin' the strategic plan. Thanks a lot. I don't mean to cut ya off but you know just
thinkin' about time. (unable to hear speaker in audience, away from mic) (laughter)
Mims/ Thank you very much!
Taylor/ Thank you. (several talking)
Discussion of Crime Trends with Police Chief Matherly:
Matherly/ Good evening, thank you, Mr. Mayor, and uh, good evening, everybody! Crime, let's
talk about this. Uh (clears throat) your request to have me come talk about crime trends
and our response is .... is timely. Normally I don't like to kick statistics out until the
year's done so we have apples and apples to compare with previous years, but we're
pretty close to the end of the year now. It's, uh, it's timely for a number of reasons.
We've had some, uh, very highly publicized cases this year. It's no secret that we've had
four homicides and, uh, although we have made arrests in all four homicides, um, it got
everybody's attention. And then also where these things were happening at. These were
very public type crimes that were occurring. There's guns involved, um (clears throat)
Phone calls started coming in recently to you folks, and certainly to us, uh, about
burglaries and you know the general safety of our community and number one, you
know, is crime running rampant? Where do we stand today, and are we safe, and are we
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feeling safe? So the conversation is timely and ... and, again, so I'm glad you invited me
to talk about it. (clears throat) I'm gonna go through a number of slides. We're gonna
talk about the crimes reported. I'll look at some annual comparisons, cause it kind of
tells us where the trends are. Uh; and then Iowa comparisons as well as, urn .... uh, the
Iowa City PD response. Can you dim that a little bit? Okay, thank you. Um, and we'll
let you know what .... what we're doing. Feel free to interrupt me and ask questions as we
go along. So, uh, with that, urn ..... these are the kind of headlines that .... that you're
seeing day to day in the papers. Um, and .... you'll see that there's a number of things that
stick out, uh, shootings, uh.....we don't feel safe anymore, and this is statewide. This
isn't just Iowa City. It's Sioux City and Davenport and .... and Des Moines and .... and all
across...... Council Bluffs, all across the state, uh, so.....when you see those kind of
headlines, uh, for us, it's.....it's unfortunately not just us. It is a.....not just a statewide
problem, but it's a nationwide problem. Uh.... you know, as you look at us locally here,
this was our headlines here, uh, from the Gazette, not too long ago, uh, talking about the
fact that these number of crimes and types of crimes have put us to the test, and I say us,
not just as a police department but as a community. Um (clears throat) the upside is we
were able to solve many of these crimes. The downside is they.....they occurred, and
then the question is what do we do about those. So let's talk about, uh, some of the
crimes that are going on and put things into perspective. Let's address the facts and look
at the stats, and then we'll, again, we'll, uh, discuss what we're doing about it. So
starting from the very basics, uh, measuring crime. It's easy for me to say well crimes
down, arrests are up and that's pretty simple. Uh, but what is it that we're looking at
when we're addressing crime stats, so everybody has a full understanding of. ... of, uh,
what the safety factors are. So we enter our crimes, when our officers go on a call, uh,
they look to see if a crime was committed, and if a crime has occurred, the elements a
crime has .... has occurred, then they do an incident report. And those reports are entered
into our RMS, our records management system, and then we have clerks that compile that
throughout the year and we report that to what's called NIBRS, the National Incident
Based Reporting System, and NIBRS, uh, collects data from state, uh, local, state,
county, and .... and federal agencies. So they're kind of the clearing house for keeping
crime stats. So, you'll see there under, uh, the group A is what they collect. Group A is
almost all crimes — theft, murders, robberies, burglaries, uh.... um.....um, embezzlements,
uh, sexual assaults. What NIBRS does not collect are the really low level stuff, and
that .... the simple misdemeanor stuff, uh, disorderlies and OWIs and curfews. We keep
track of that for Iowa City PD, so we have those stats, and you'll see that in our annual
report, but NIBRS is .... is really the crimes that nationally people are concerned with.
Breaking into houses, stealing my stuff (laughs) and hurting me, uh, so they collect the
more serious stuff. So, with that being said, if you go ..... any time you guys can do this in
our annual report, urn .... and you look at, uh, page 16, we .... we have the group A crimes
listed, and uh, we also do comparisons for the last five years, and so in any given year
you'll see that .... crime kinda has a wave up and down. Uh, what we hope is, eventually
that wave gets shorter and shorter and shorter, and crime gets less and .... and we reduce
crime. Um, for us, if you look at those totals at the bottom, you'll see that we hover right
around 4,500 crimes per year. Some years it's 4,400, some years it's 4,700, uh, but it
averages about 4,500 group A crimes per year and you're lookin' at 2012 through
2....2016, again, this is right out of our annual report for 2016. So is everybody with me
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so far? Okay. I'm sorry that print's kinds small there, but.....so let's look and see what's
happened this year. So I've added a.....a year-to-date column, and you'll see that this is,
um, 2017. So now I've got 12 through 17, and this is as of December 12'h, when we
gathered these stats. We're sitting at 4,300 group A crimes. Uh, it looks to me like we
are on track to be pretty much even with where we were last year with group A crimes.
So cutting out all the .... the disorderly conducts and you know, the low level stuff, we're
talkin' about crime and for murders to .... to everything else, uh, we're on pace with what
we were last year and really on pace where what we were about the last five years. So we
don't have a huge spike in general group A crimes right now. We're..... we're still on
pace, um, with previous years. So that addresses the overall. So let's kind of dissect this
a little bit, cause these have what ... have what raised concerns initially, especially with the
homicides. So I just selected, uh.... uh, four of the crimes against persons categories, and
you can see that first one is a weapon, so that's.....you know, for 2012 we had 25
weapons violations, and that moves right across. You'll see that in 2017, we've had an
increase in weapons, uh, violations. Uh, that means crimes that have occurred involving
guns, knives, uh, things of that nature. Uh, I will tell you that, uh, seeing an increase
in .... in weapons is concerning. Uh, I will also tell you that we've had an increase in
weapons being stolen. I can't tell ya how many calls we're getting where people say my
car was broken into and I don't know why people leave this stuff in there, but they took
my purse with credit cards, my iPad, and my gun. Don't leave that stuff in your car
(laughs) we .... we continually try to remind folks, don't..... don't make yourself a victim,
and let's get these weapons off the streets by not making them accessible to be stolen.
So, that has been a concern and we're seein' a spike in .... in those weapons. Uh, in
talking to other chiefs statewide, they're seeing an increase in weapons offenses as well.
So, just like the headlines I just showed you, we're not alone in this. Um, for whatever
reason. We'll talk about that. Uh, the aggravated assaults, you can see that those have
actually.....and aggravated assaults are .... are beyond a simple assault. It's where there's
more serious injury involved. Uh, we've had 86 so far this year. Uh, that's a downward
trend. So we're hoping that that stays low. Robberies are up slightly to 53. It's certainly
not an all-time high. In 2013 you had 62 robberies. Um, concerning. Um, I think when I
first got here I was watchin' the trends and .... and I could almost pick the areas where
these robberies were startin' to happen, um, and so we got a little bit better at directed
patrols. We've made some arrests in that area. Um, but certainly robberies are
concerning. And then there's the homicides, and you can see that every two or three
years we have one homicide, uh, in this particular case we had four. I won't talk about
the cases specifically. We know we arrested one individual for committing two of those
robberies, so um .... those speak for themselves, those incidents, and again, I'll give credit
to our staff. They worked very hard from .... from our records clerks to our patrol officers
to our detectives, um, in clearing those up, so kudos to them for .... for making that
happen.
Mims/ Chief, on the weapons, does that include the theft of weapons or does it just include the
use of weapons in a .... in a crime?
Matherly/ Good question. No, not (mumbled) weapons offenses, so .... uh, guns involved or .... or
knives involved in the crime.
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Mims/ Okay. Thank you.
Matherly/ So let's look at some comparisons. These were gathered by the, uh, Dubuque PD, the,
uh, Chief Dalsing over there in a presentation he was giving, out of concern for crime in
his area. But he, uh, asked us to supply, um, statistics on the confirmed number of shots
fired calls that we've gone on and then along with our murders, and you can see where
we're sitting there. We had 20 shots fired in 2016. We've had 20 so far in 2017. Uh,
and then no homicides last year and four this year, and there's the rest of the stats. Uh,
Davenport, those 12 homicides you see for 2017 are all firearms related homicides. Um,
so again, um, a town with.....with 30 or 40,000 more people than us, but they're just, uh,
really been hammered with these homicides. Um, Des Moines is at 25 homicides to give
you correlation there, so .... um, they're.....they're up everywhere. Um, do I expect this to
be a trend for us? I don't. I think four was an anomaly, uh, it .... as concerning as it is,
I .... I can't predict when, you know, a son's gonna assault his father and kill `em.
Unfortunately those things do happen, but for us, this ..... this isn't the norm and it is
concerning. But I think, uh, I think it's something that .... that's not going to be a trend
for us. Um, but we have to stay on top of things too.
Throgmorton/ Chief, it'd be good to see those translated into per capita.... data.
Matherly/ Sure!
Throgmorton/ You know.....Cedar Rapids is .... has a lot more people than we do so....
Matherly/ Right, absolutely and .... and any time we do these comparisons, you're right, and it's
geographic location too, you know, we sit right on I-80 so we've got, what, 30,000 cars a
day (laughs) going by our doorstep, versus another place like Sioux City that's far north.
So, um, I agree. Um .... so.....these are stats that the FBI keeps track of, and uh..... um,
the .... the most recent .... we don't have 2017's, but I wanted to kind of show ya how we
compare with other cities in Iowa. So these are the latest from the FBI, 2016, and what I
did was I sorted `em by violent crimes. So even though we're the fifth largest city, uh, in
Iowa, we sit at number seven for.....for violent crimes and that's simply that 197 is
adding up murder, rape, robberies, and aggravated assaults. So all the .... those you see
listed, the 197 is a total of all those crimes. Um, and then if you look at our property
crimes, which is the burglary, larceny, which is theft, motor vehicle, and arson and again,
this is what the FBI tracks, we sit number eight, uh, although we're fifth in, uh, in
population, we sit at number eight in those. Um, so .... you know, are we a safe city?
According to this and according to our population, according to our numbers, we're
relatively safe city, um, if we were number five in population, sitting number one, two, or
three, it'd be more concerning, uh, we're pretty consistent through the years, and .... with
these numbers, uh, and so that's where we're sitting, uh, compared to the other Iowa
cities. So then shifting off persons crimes, let's go to property crimes. So we looked at
burglary, uh, thefts from motor vehicles, and vandalisms. I was able to add 2017's to
this. So, looking at those numbers for burglaries, the, uh.....blue, purple (laughs)
whatever color that is, uh, we're sitting at 335 so far this year. You can see the all-time
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high was 420 back in 2012, um .... we recently saw a spike in burglaries and I think that's
when some of your phones began ringing. Certainly Pauline had approached me and
Rockne and .... and uh, we .... when your phone's ringing, ours were ringing as well. We
started to see a trend for daytime burglaries occurring. Uh, I will tell you that we've
made some recent arrests. We've recovered some property, stolen property. Uh, since
those folks were put in jail, those have stopped. So we're....we were certain we knew
who was doing it. We were able to catch most of those folks and .... and, uh, confident
that .... that little problem has been resolved, at least for the time being. Uh, thefts from
motor vehicles, uh, you can see there's a spike in those as well. Uh, I will tell you that
when you're dealing with a number like 300, I can unleash a.....a couple people with bad
intentions into a neighborhood for a weekend and they can (laughs) break into 40 cars
and that throws that stat right out. Uh, you know, the curve off (laughs) so, uh, it's a
very.....when you're dealing with low numbers like this, uh, going from 200 to 323, a
couple people could raise havoc in a.....in a weekend and raise that number, and then
vandalisms, criminal mischief, uh, we're at 494, uh, which is fairly low. So, considering
previous years. So that's where that sits. So .... when we talk about, well this
neighborhood seems to be getting hit worse than this neighborhood is getting hit worse
with crimes, I .... I took, uh, the last..... October/November and mapped the, uh, residential
burglaries, which is in purple, uh, business/commercial burglaries, which is the yellow,
and then, uh, thefts from motor vehicles is the blue, and you can see that it's .... it's not a
neighborhood problem. It's a citywide problem, um .... uh, we were getting hit with these
burglaries and these thefts from motor vehicles, uh, and these aren't stolen vehicles. Let
me be clear. It's breaking into a motor vehicle, um, all throughout the city. So, and I
also invite you and remind the community that, um, we have crime mapping in the .... on
the icgov.org on the Police web site, um, so you can always tap into that and see where
crimes are happening, and it goes back as far as six months. It's a LexisNexis page
so .... it's a free service and you can see where crimes are going on. Um, so always feel
free to tap into that if you're wondering. So, going down into the neighborhoods,
I .... what I did here is I took the top five neighborhoods for call volume, the five
neighborhoods that keep us the busiest, and, you know, one of `em's 1,500. The
downtown area's about 17,000, uh, just because it's a busy area, and you can also see,
accordin' to the map there, that it goes all the way up towards Hancher. So the
downtown district that we measure is much larger than just what we would.....what
Nancy would think of as the Downtown District. Um, it's a much wider area. It includes
some of the neighborhoods as well. Um, but looking at those numbers, uh, the burglaries,
uh, are down in the Downtown District area. Um, the, uh, the thefts remain about the
same, and you can see disturbance calls, those aren't crimes. Those are just actually calls
for service. That's the CFS, disturbance calls for service, uh, remains about the same.
There is a downward trend in general, uh, from those, which is a good thing, and I think
that's come with better monitoring of alcohol and .... and, uh, the under -21 law and things
of that nature that have cut down on some of those downtown issues. The next
neighborhood, uh, of the top five is College Green. Um, the mapping is there for that.
Um, and.... obviously it's just off .... off into the east of this area. Uh, but again, I think
those .... those stats speak for themselves. Uh, there's nothing breathtaking about those,
uh, as far as a spike. As a matter of fact you'll see the disturbances are even down as
well. Burglaries are ..... are certainly down a little bit, and uh, and the thefts remain about
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the same. Then the Grant Wood neighborhood, and again, hit the headlines. We just had
a shots fired outside of the school. We were on, just to let you know, we were down in
that area and had targeted patrols there, because of the daytime burglaries. Uh, we had a
car on that scene within 45 seconds of the call. So we were right on top of that call and
as you recall we made several arrests as a result of that. Um ..... so, uh.....those numbers
look good. The disturbances are definitely going down, um, burglaries, up, and we .... we
know that it's spiked a little bit, that's why we were down there and we certainly, I think,
have resolved that issue with the arrests, and then the thefts also remain about equal. So
as you see in these trends here you're not seeing anything really breathtaking. Lot of it
seemed like it was out of control, but it's.....it's not a whole lot different than past years.
Uh, this is the Southeast neighborhood, which is up towards Mercer Park. Um, just north
of Grant Wood there. And again, uh, the numbers are .... are pretty even across the board
there. And then Wetherby. Um, and you can see the disturbances, uh, really peaked a
high in 2014. We've since brought those back down, um.....some of these burglaries that
we're at 28 now so far this year for 2017, and .... and again, those were part of those
daytime burglaries, and the thefts remain equal. Um, we've got a good group of people
down in the Wetherby neighborhood that are working, um, very hard to make that a solid
neighborhood. We've got good communication down there, uh, and I'm expecting good
things in the future for that neighborhood ..... as ..... as well as all of `em, but..... So, what
are we doing about the crime that is happening? The biggest piece that's important is
education. We have a community outreach program, as you know, staffed by Officer
Hayes and Cash, and .... and Henri Harper and, um, you know, we .... we hope to add to
that soon. Uh, it's a very important piece. Uh, they are getting the word out. They are
building relationships, as are all the officers, urn .... to educate the public on, number one,
don't be afraid to call us, uh, and work with us, but also, um, you know, do the best you
can to prevent crime. Like I said, don't leave those valuables in the car. Better lighting,
and you know, we .... we put that message out all the time to remind people, don't be an
easy target. Don't be a victim, and that helps! The other thing we're startin' to do is
focused deterrence. I will tell you when I came here, um, we really didn't have a plan for
addressing crime. Uh, the days of we'll just go out and hit a particular neighborhood and
move everything to stops is .... is not acceptable, and it's not effective. So focused
deterrence, uh, what we do there is increase our interaction, communication with .... with
known criminals. Uh, we know who these folks are. The neighbors know who these
folks are. So once we identify them, um, to .... to pick up the pace on contact and .... with
them, and uh, communicating with them, letting them know that what they're doing is not
acceptable, um, and identifying who they're hanging out with, what are they driving, and
deal with those folks that we know are committing crimes. Um, it's effective, uh, it's
appropriate, uh, and it works. Uh, I will tell you we.....we kicked it into high gear with
that right after the ped mall shooting. So.... Social networking ana.... analysis is not
social media. It's .... it's exactly that. It's determining, you know, who the players are
and .... and who they're hanging out with, and .... and get that diagram going so we know
who we're dealing with, and .... and policing intelligently and not just haphazardly. Um,
and getting the entire department involved. This isn't just a .... investigations tool. It's
not just a .... uh, a patrol tool. This is everybody needs to be involved in this. Um, so,
we're updating our strategic plan now, the Police strategic plan, and we're gonna include
crime reduction, um, objectives in there so we're crystal clear and know what direction
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Page 17
we're going. I will tell you our plan hasn't been touched since 2007 so .... it was due, and
we're working on that. One of the biggest things too is, uh, developing a criminal
intelligence system. Again, on my arrival here we did not have one, uh, and that's not the
way we should operate. So we've already put one in place. It's at the officers' fingertips
in their patrol cars now, so they know, uh, what's going on and they don't have to try to
go by memory or anything now, so it's very important that we maintain that. Uh,
directed patrols, we've talked about that, and then assigning additional staff to
investigations. We, um, put one additional officer in there .... in there right after the ped
mall shooting, um, along with the directed patrols, and I think you saw the increase in the
ped mall area right after that and uh, we've certainly made a lot of headway by beefing
that up and being more robust in that area. So, recent developments, I mentioned some of
these, uh, the, uh, arrests for the murders, weapons charges, burglaries and robberies, uh,
we're doing very well. We have a clearance rate right now of about 38%. Uh, nationally
that hovers, the clearance rate, that is the ability to clear crimes is much lower than that,
so we're doing fairly well with our .... with our clearance rate. Uh, I will tell you we
weren't measuring that when I got here. We are measuring that now, and we will
continue to measure that. And we've recovered stolen property. We just recently served
some search warrants, uh, for these burglaries and recovered some property. Um, but
everybody needs to know, and I think you probably already do that, you know, most of
these crimes are committed, uh, by the same individuals. These are usually groups that
get out and they raise havoc, and .... and if they're successful on burglary, they do
additional ones to, you know, keep reaping the benefits till they're caught, um,
so.....we're working very hard to arrest them when this does happen. And then one of
the other things we're looking to do is, uh, we are requesting two additional police
positions in the .... in the 19 budget. Um, and the staffing would be put appropriately, not
just put in patrol but in appropriate places to really make a dent on crime and to really be
effective on community policing efforts. What aren't we doing? I think this is just as
important. Uh, we're .... we're not sending officers out and stopping everything that
moves. Like I said, it's ineffective policing. It's a waste of manpower, and it's like
finding a needle in a haystack. Uh, we're not doing the pretextual stops as a primary
investigation tool and that's been kinda in the media here recently about pretext stops.
Pretext stops are where you stop somebody for a minor violation but the intent of the stop
is to dig further into the car. Uh, I will tell you using those techniques erodes trust, and
it's certainly not the way that we warm operate. So .... we're staying away from that.
That's it! Questions, comments, concerns?
Throgmorton/ Great report, Chief. I'm very conscious of the time though, so we don't have a
whole .... we've got two or three minutes maybe if we could ask questions. So anybody
have something burning inside that they wanna ask?
Thomas/ Uh, what's .... the status on use of cameras, for example in the downtown? Has it....
been discussed?
Matherly/ We're putting some infrastructure in place right now for cameras. Um, we plan to
move forward. Geoff can probably talk more about it, uh, but, um, you know ..... when
used appropriately and .... and for investigations, I can tell you the footage we were able
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to get for the ped mall shooting was invaluable. Uh, and if you saw a response to that, we
had, afterwards, to beef it up down there we put police cars strategically with the cameras
running (laughs) just because we didn't have regular cameras to have on. So, it's
important. Um (both talking)
Fruin/ The budget that'll come to you probably Thursday of this week electronically, and that
you'll discuss in January, includes funds to begin, uh, an expansion of our ..... our current
camera system that we use for our buildings and our parking facilities, and extending that
out into the downtown area. When we did the Washington Street project, um, the light
poles that were installed, um, have .... we made sure fiber was ran to them, that there's the
capacity to .... to hold those types of cameras. We're doing the same with the ped mall.
Um, these aren't cameras that we would do any live monitoring of or anything like that.
This is really an investigative tool and hopefully a .... a crime deterrent as well, uh, for
that downtown area, but as we look back at the last few years and .... and some of the high
profile crimes and incidents that we've had there, and I look at the hours and hours that
the investigators have had to, uh, pour into those cases, um, and if I could .... if I could
know that I could save several hundred hours of. ... of officer time by simply having those
cameras there, I think it's a wise investment. I think it's the time to start that process.
So, um, the .... the, I've talked with the Chief about that and our.....and our IT folks who
manage our camera system now, and uh.....uh, we believe that we can start to build out
that system, uh, probably starting in the spring or summer of next year, uh, but that's
a.....that's a point of discussion, uh, that you all need to have. It's certainly some policy
decisions that need to come with that, and uh, we hope to kick that off with the budget
proposal in January.
Botchway/ I have two quick things in 30 seconds. So one's a statement and one's a question.
The first statement, I just wanna say I'm proud of our department. I think that you have,
um, kind of talked about it twice, um, but moving away from a perceived policy around,
um, you know, going to neighborhoods and stopping everything. I'm not saying that that
was the policy, but there was a perception, uh, that that was the policy, and so moving
away from that I think is huge, and I think, you know, my phone in that sense has stopped
ringing, cause that was a huge concern when I was on the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee.
That was a huge concern when I ran on Council the first time and so I'm happy about
that. I want to get that on record. The second part, um, that is .... it's a longer
conversation so I'll follow up with you afterward, but I want to get it on record is, you
know, if you look at the paper .... at least I know a lot of these kids, I mean, and maybe we
don't see `em as kids, maybe we see `em as adults cause they're a lot older now. I'm
worried about that, cause I know that there's perception, that there's a narrative around,
you know, these .... these kids coming from different places. I know that I've seen a lot of
these kids in the paper and I've .... I've been with them since, you know, I .... I got here in
law school, um, and so I do think there's a .... I'm not saying anything from your
standpoint. I'm definitely not saying it from a school standpoint, but I feel like there's a
mental health standpoint or a piece that's missing from this, uh, because, you know, these
kids just don't up and commit crimes for no reason, and so .... instead of addressing the
symptom, cause I think we're all .... we are looking at the data and the symptom of the
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issues and you're addressing those, we have to look at the problem, so I just wanted to
get that on record and I'll talk to you afterward.
Matherly/ Well I appreciate that, and remember, we're doin' the CIT stuff for a reason. If we
can start identifying the issues and not put these folks in jail, they're doin' a, you know, a
theft or a burglary, lot of times it's driven by the other factors. We need to identify that
and stop it at the beginning, uh, and get `em into the right resources. So, I agree!
Mims/ I just want to comment real quickly. You mentioned a number of things and I didn't
write `em down as you were going through of things that you're doing now that were not
in place when you started, about 11, 12 months ago. And just really impressed to see
those changes and .... and kind of improvements in adding some processes and procedures
and data collection stuff that, um, you know, really gives us more and more metrics in
terms of looking at and seeing what's happening and .... and just the way you're directing
the officers in terms of the work that they're doing, so .... just glad you're on board
and .... comin' on that first year anniversary. Or maybe we've passed it (laughs)
Matherly/ It's comin' up in January. So, thank you very much.
Taylor/ As you'd mentioned, I .... I had called you cause it did hit very close to home to me, right
next door in fact, and then a block away, and folks were saying to me, well I didn't know
you lived in a bad neighborhood, and it's like it's not a bad neighborhood, it's not a bad
city, and I appreciate all your data collection, cause I do have some, uh, data to throw
back at them then and also I wanted to just comment on the officer that arrived on the
scene. There were two of them and they were very professional, very helpful, and helped
to kind of calm the neighbors, and give them some helpful hints on how to avoid any
other incidents, so .... kudos.
Matherly/ That's good feedback. I appreciate that. I will tell you, this is the best crew I've ever
worked with, so we.....we've got a very good, uh, department.
Throgmorton/ Geoff, Chief, I think it'd be terrific if we could have copies of the Power Point
presentation in our next Info Packet probably.
Matherly/ Absolutely! I'll send that to Geoff, so....
Throgmorton /Great! Thank you, Chief. Great report!
Matherly/ Thank you very much.
Throgmorton/ All right, uh, let's adjourn the, uh, work session, uh, till after the formal meeting.
(ADJOURN TO FORMAL)
(RECONVENE AFTER FORMAL)
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Legislative consultant introduction and discussion of 2018 priorities f IP3, of 12/14 Info
Packet] (continue):
Throgmorton/ Okay, we left off at discussing the process for development of 2018/19 strategic
plan. Or we were on the verge of getting to it. (several talking)
Botchway/ Well I didn't.. A thought we were going to talk about legislative priorities.
Throgmorton/ Well I .... well I thought we had commented enough on (several talking) what they
said to kind of get it into the mix.
Botchway/ So I guess my question was .... so I had proposed an addition, and I didn't know if
everybody was supportive or not.
Throgmorton/ Good .... good point. Uh, can .... give me a three or four word version. I mean I
remember the gist.
Botchway/ Yeah, basically it's, uh, addressing racial disparities and disparities in other
represented groups related to employment, unemployment, incarceration, income
disparity (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, you want .... you want us to lobby the State to do that.
Botchway/ Correct.
Throgmorton/ Is that correct? Yeah, I .... I think it's unlikely the State would act on that. But it's
an important topic.
Fruin/ What I would say, um.....when you're establishing legislative priorities, it's .... it's
important to be as specific as you can. It's usually addressing a .... an issue that you....
you want to see happen or that you fear that will happen. Um, otherwise you know we'll
identify four or five priorities in any given session typically, but we'll end up workin' on
20, 30, 40 items that come up, and just how we use this at the staff level is of course if
you have an established priority, we'll work hard to accomplish that. Anything else that
comes up, we use the strategic plan guidance to ..... to tell us where we should be on a
particular issue and if need by we'll consult with the Mayor, uh, on where we might need
to be on an issue. Certainly what you just articulated, Kingsley, is directly in line with
the strategic plan of this body. I don't think it hurts to put it out there in legislative
priorities, but you know in terms of communi.... communicating our priorities to our
delegation and others, um.....if it's not specific, it's .... it's probably not going to get a
whole lot of attention.
Botchway/ So I was thinking about that, so I can modify it to address racial disparities related to
incarceration and arrests. That was already a topic that Governor Branstad has been
focused on. Sorry to talk.....(mumbled) talk about the legislature, and the reason why I
added the other piece is because it .... some of the facts that I shared with you, it's really
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kind of a more comprehensive issue that some of the incarceration and arrests affect some
of the unemployment, some of the other issues, so I wanted to make sure that we're
holistically looking at it.
Throgmorton/ Well and just a few years ago, if I remember rightly, the Chief Justice of the Iowa
Supreme Court directly addressed this and drew attention to it. (several responding)
Yeah, so....
Fruin/ That works much better I think (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Is that good enough?
Botchway/ That's perfect, yep!
Throgmorton/ All right, can we move on then? Is that okay? Move on to the discuss process for
the 2018/19 strategic plan?
Discuss process for developing the 2018-19 Strategic Plan [IN, of 12/14 Info Packet]:
Fruin/ Yeah, so I won't read through the entire memo, but we're, um, to summarize, uh, my
recommendation is that we start the process in mid to late -January. Uh, we've been
working to identify a new facilitator. Um, as I mentioned the, uh, Director of the
University of Iowa Institute of Public Affairs is retiring and I'm just not convinced that
the schedule's are gonna align to use, uh, Mr. Schott as we have in years past. So we do
have a good process for a facilitator, um, and uh.....uh, we probably need a half day to
start with, and I'd suggest that we have two facilitated sessions, um, which would be a
half day to review the current plan, discuss changes, tweaks, modifications, that sort of
thing, um, let the facilitator go back and compile that, present that to the Council again in
a second shortened session. I've listed two hour session in early February, allow you to
work with the facilitator to, um.....refine what's needed, and then from there just let staff
take it like we have in the past, um, certainly it is your process. You should feel
comfortable in whatever, um, process, uh, you need to invent here. Uh, I just laid out
that recommendation and....and we'll work, um, based on your discussion tonight.
Throgmorton/ I think part of the thinking that Geoff and I worked our way through was the
expectation that the .... the general parameters of our strategic plan are unlikely to change,
meaning the seven main priorities. Uh, and the .... and the overall objective. Uh, but that
there are specific items that individual Council Members will want to present to us, and
then we'll have to have a process for figuring out whether there're four of us really who
want to support the inclusion of those, and then maybe a process as well for, um,
condensing or .... or combining certain, uh, proposals so that we can have .... in the end a
more manageable number that would be helpful for the staff, and yet be doing what, uh,
our Council wants the staff to do. So that .... that's the basic idea. Uh, we didn't feel like
we needed to have a.....a really huge, elaborate kind of thing.
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Mims/ I would agree. I think this is a great place to start and .... quite frankly I wouldn't be
surprised if the first session doesn't take us a half day, but to set that aside I think makes
sense and .... to go through stuff.
Botchway/ Yeah, so I would be supportive. I guess to that extent, Jim, cause I .... I'm glad you
kinda said that. The question that comes to mind is then do we need a facilitator?
Throgmorton/ I think so.
Botchway/ Okay. Okay, that was just.....I just ..... no. That was my first question. My second is,
um..... so, you know, January's kind of a rough schedule for me, just from coming back
to school and so if there's any way to kind of get that half day on the books ahead of
schedule. If not, just for like January 601, as soon as possible, that could just help me out.
Fruin/ Yeah, we can .... work with Kellie to put some dates out, urn ..... any preference you want
to give? Would you rather do an evening session, weekend session? Daytime?
Throgmorton/ Terry's gonna recuse himself (laughter and several talking)
Dickens/ Any day works for me! (laughter)
Botchway/ That was actually one of my questions, because I know that previous strategic
planning processes we did.....or processes, whatever you want to say, we did have prior
Council Members participate in, and so, you know, I know Terry.....I would like for
Terry to be a part of it, but I just wanted to make sure .... are we, would we continue in
that effort, even though it's not a substantial change?
Fruin/ Yeah, well.... they're.....they're public meetings. Anybody can participate if. ... Terry
wanted to come by and participate he could. Um......
Dickens/ I might come to the budget session. (laughter)
Throgmorton/ I think it's a useful precedent, and I .... I think we should, uh, just formally invite
Terry to be a participant and then Terry can judge whether or not (both talking)
Dickens/ There's some .... always good input that .... you know former, if you've been on the
Council before I think, and with new people coming .... at least one new person coming
on, it...it doesn't hurt to hear perspectives, so....
Taylor/ Certainly played a part in the original planning of. ... of those, uh, strategic plans that you
said we're going to continue with, so you would be a major part of that.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so we good with what Geoff has presented to us?
Mims/ To Geoff's last question, I'm good dori.... doing it during the day, during the week.
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Cole/ So am I.
Mims/ But I don't know how that works for everybody, I mean, Kingsley may be the toughest
one.
Botchway/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ In general I am too. Yeah.
Botchway/ It's just the getting it on the schedule (both talking)
Mims/ ....getting it on the schedule.
Botchway/ Yeah.
Fruin/ We'll work on that.
Mims/ Okay!
Clarification of Agenda Items:
Item 2f(4) Mike Marchione: University of Iowa Dance Marathon Volunteering
Throgmorton/ Okay, so we can move on to....I'm.....I'm gonna say clarification of agenda items
because there are two questions I wanted to ask that.....so..... okay? Move onto that. On
Item 2f(4), which is correspondence, there's a request from Michael Marchione to have
some Council Members participate in the UI Dance Marathon this coming February 2
and 3, and I thought maybe somebody on this Council is a good dancer, would really like
to be involved in something like that, but I don't know who. Rockne or.....
Botchway/ Terry! (laughter)
Dickens/ (mumbled)
Botchway/ No actually I just hadn't responded yet, but I plan on participating.
Throgmorton/ Great. Great.
Taylor/ I saw Rockne dance on Friday (laughter) I'm not sure if you want (both talking)
Cole/ If you call it that! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ The Rockne Shuffle! (laughter and several talking)
Taylor/ Lot of energy! Lot of energy! He would do well. He would do well. (laughter)
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Botchway/ Is there any way that I can have this documented (several talking and laughing)
Cole/ I think Royceann has some documentation (several taking and laughing)
Taylor/ Oh yes! (laughter)
Item 2f(8) Julia and Bill Leopold: 318 North Gilbert appeal
Throgmorton/ Okay, the other thing I wanted to bring up was Item 2f(8), which is a letter from
Julia and Bill Leupold, notifying us of their intent to appeal a decision by the Historic
Preservation Commission concerning a house they own at 318 North Gilbert Street. And
I didn't see a response from staff in the packet, and I assume staff has responded and all
that.
Fruin/ Yeah, do you recall?
Dilkes/ Um, we were going to schedule it for this meeting, that appeal, but they requested that
we hold off until April, and so we said we will.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so staff did respond, right?
Dilkes/ Yes.
Information Packet Discussion [December 7. December 141:
Throgmorton/ Okay, good. That's all I wanted to know. All right, can we turn to In ... the Info
Packet discussion (several talking)
Cole/ One super -quick question about 2f(12).....
Item 2f(12) Acting Sr. Transportation Engineering Planner: Removal of odd/even
calendar parking prohibition on the 1200 block of E Davenport Street between Reno
Street and Pleasant Street and establishment of "No Parking Any Time" parking
prohibition on the north side of the 1200 block of E Davenport Street
Throgmorton/ Sure!
Cole/ ....for public comment. Could .... could we just get a little more details about that parking
issue? Geoff, if you know anything about that.
Fruin/ I .... I don't know anything about that right now. I can tell you that something prompted
the change, whether it was a neighborhood complaint, a public safety complaint. I'll go
back and I can report that to ya.
Cole/ I'll wait!
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Throgmorton/ Okay, December 7a' packet. Like IP2, the Behavioral Health Access Center and,
uh, oh the....the white paper we received from the County.
Botchway/ Yeah. So there's two points, or three .... I guess three points I have, or one point and
then two major concerns. So .... excited that's moving forward. I think, Susan, you
already prompted this .... of this, and so it wasn't super excitement or I was .... already was
excited, um, so I'm, uh, just excited that the County is stepping up in a huge way to
facilitate this work. My two major concerns, you know, I talked to Susan about this just
briefly was, um, just the conversation on the capital costs, um, mainly, you know, looking
at the comparative pieces, um, you know, North Liberty and Coralville supporting 10%
compared to Iowa City and Johnson County's perc... uh, supporting 40%. After talking
with Susan I feel a little bit differently about it, because I think you kind of helped me
understand kind of the numbers behind it, but it....it still, I mean I'll be honest with you,
it still makes me feel some type of way, and it's not throwing them under the bus. Just as
we think about, this is a regional discussion or regional issue. We need to talk about that,
and those are the conversations I would love to have in like a joint meeting. So I feel like
when we talk about it or present on other issues, I mean that to me is interesting, but it's
not necessarily something that like I would like to focus on as far as how can we work
together, um, regionally on like this particular issue, and from a funding perspective. The
other thing is, um, on one of the, uh...... and maybe I'm wrong. Susan, you may have to
help me on this or anybody else that read the document. Based on the analysis, did they
mean operating revenue and not income? There was a phrase there that just didn't make
sense. When it was talking about a change. I don't know if anybody has that open. It
just .... it just didn't make sense from when it was talking about, well.....I'll have to go
back to it, I just had it in my notes but basically it said did they mean operating revenue
and not income instead.
Mims/ Well I'm not sure how you're distinguishing revenue and income, I mean they're....
they're both monies coming into the organization. Urn .... they don't know exactly where
all of it's coming from, I mean they're gonna have Medicaid dollars, they're gonna have
private payer dollars. Um, there probably will be somewhat of a deficit at least to start
out with and the County will cover that. Um, to .... to Kingsley's comment about the
percentages, I'll just....when we were talking about it the other day, I think they came up
with this at least partially from population, and I think they're fairly close, I mean
Coralville and North Liberty are something under 20,000 and we're something under
80,000, we're mid to high -70s. So it's ..... we're almost four times, maybe not quite, four
times the population of each of those. So I .... kind of think that's what they have done
here from the .... from the previous version is they have taken out any money from any of
the other smaller communities. I think they kind of decided they probably weren't going
to get any, um.....so that's kinda where it's at. There are, um, meetings are continuing,
um, on Monday I .... yeah, yesterday they had a meeting of the, um ..... people who would
be some of the providers to talk about staffing patterns in a little bit more detail, to try
and nail down some of the pro forma numbers a little bit better. Um, and I know they're
in the middle of, um, some fairly consequential meetings, I think, at the University level
as well in terms of trying to wrap their arms entirely around, um, their piece of this. So,
it continues to move forward, um, I think the building, uh, you know, the location,
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whether it's, um, built from the ground up or renovation, that's the big thing right now is
tryin' to.....trying to figure out that location piece, and so .... um, but yeah, exciting to see
it continue moving forward.
Botchway/ I did find the sentence. It says Johnson County will provide funding in the event that
operating expenditures exceed operating income up to 40,000 annually. So when I was
looking at it....
Mims/ 400,000?
Botchway/ ....400,000, yeah, I (both talking) operating revenue, instead of income.
Mims/ Yeah .... I think somebody just stuck in income, I mean it's.....
Botchway/ Okay, so it is .... okay.
Mims/ Yep!
Throgmorton/ Well they.....the white paper ends with a request that we make a commitment
toward this facility, along with the other entities, and include funding for the facility in
our FY 19 budget. Uh, I presume there's money in the FY 19 budget.
Fruin/ Yeah, that'll be recommended ...... in your recommended budget that you'll receive later
this week. There's funding in there.
Throgmorton /Yeah, thought so. So, uh..... do y'all think we need to have a work session
focusing explicitly on this white paper and any other relevant information? Are we at
that stage where we really need to know exactly what we would (both talking)
Fruin/ I don't think we're there yet. No, I .... I think when we start to get a framework of an
agreement together or maybe there's a location that's been determined, um.....then it
would probably be appropriate. Um, otherwise I would save it for one of your joint
meetings. I think you have a joint meeting in January and it's probably a timely topic
(several talking)
Mims/ I .... I think there's two really, well, there's three ..... uh, if you will, really critical pieces
that, uh, are gonna have to come together, and I hope they do without a lot of difficulty.
Um, I think the first is the 28E agreements between the County and the municipalities on
the capital costs and the building, who's actually going to own the building, um, you
know are we all gonna oin... own it jointly as part of that 28E or is the County gonna own
it, and yet we're contributing money and then there's a way for us to get some of our
money back if. ... if this thing shuts down and they sold the building. So that's part of it,
is getting those details, and I would assume a lot of that will, you know, between legal
counsel for the County and the municipalities, kind of working out, um, a lot of those
details. The second, um, and probably.....the most complicated piece is going to be the
contract, um, between the County and the University Emergency Department. Um,
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laying out exactly what the responsibilities are, um, what the expectations are, what the
liabilities are. That's been very clear, um, that the County is taking on any, um, financial
liability, and if it exceeds what they are prepared to pay then they have said in the white
paper they will be coming back to the municipalities to try and find a way to fund, um,
any of those deficits. But the more I have, um, been involved in those meetings and
talked with people, there are, um, there's just an incredible number of details, um, that
need to be worked out in terms of, you know, liability issues and, you know, who hires,
who fires, are employees that are actually at the non -profits now continue to be non-profit
employees or do they become, you know, UIED employees. Just .... just, you know, and I
know what I thunk the answers are and will be to most of those, but I just kind of throw
that out to give you an example of, um, the kind of detail that has to go into that contract,
and so, um, I think they are starting with, um, an attorney who works for UIHC to begin
some of the drafting because that individual.....gets the medical stuff and the healthcare
stuff, in terms of legalities and, um, they'll be working with Janet Lyness from the
County to try and, you know, massage that, and I'm sure there will be a lot of other
people probably involved at various stages, um in some of those details. And then the
final really big piece, and .... and a lot of conversations have been had already, but again,
as we always say, the devil's in the details. That will be the contracts between UIED and
the local non -profits who are expected to be participating in actually providing a lot of
the services within the facility. So .... um.....lawyers are gonna have a lot of work to do!
(laughter)
Thomas/ States here there are three 28E agreements (both talking)
Mims/ I'm not sure they're all gonna be 28Es.
Thomas/ Okay.
Mims/ I don't think they are. Uh, I think the first one's clearly a 28E. I.....don't, and I'm not
exactly sure that we need a facility advisory board necessarily. Some of those things will
shake out as we go along. So....
Throgmorton/ So I want to make an observation with regard to North Liberty's contribution to
the capital part of this. Uh, I .... I know I have read in some obscure place that .... they
may not be willing to contribute funds for their .... their 10%. Uh, but also last night at the
Chamber event, I heard that, um, the council member who is most strongly opposed to
North Liberty participating is no longer on the council. I have no inside knowledge about
all this stuff really, but uh.... a person who is told me this (laughs) so .... it's up in the air
basically, uh, about what North Liberty will or will not do. And that has implications.
Mims/ Well I .... all I can say is I....I.....I would welcome the opportunity and I think there's a lot
of people that would welcome the opportunity to talk to anybody in the community about
this, whether it's people from Iowa City or Coralville or North Liberty or the county in
general, um, in terms of the benefit that we see of this facility, that this is a pattern that is
now being established nationwide, um, in terms of these kinds of access centers. Um,
how much money it can save our emergency rooms, how much money it can save our
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municipalities and counties in terms of law enforcement time, um, keeping people out of
the jails, out of the .... out of the legal system. So, um, I .... I would welcome that
opportunity because L....I really think that this is an investment that makes so much
sense on so many levels.
Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okay, anything else on that particular Info Packet?
Taylor/ That's still 12/7? 12/7 (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, December 7.
Taylor/ Um, for IPS, the KXIC schedule. Thank you all for penciling me in! (laughter) I hate to
miss meetings, but uh, of course was in beautiful New Orleans and, uh, had a wonderful
convening of the Invest Health group and, uh, they do plan.....my team of five plans to
come before the Council at some point in time, uh, and give an update on how things are
going.
Throgmorton/ Excellent.
Taylor/ But that date works for me, thank you!
Throgmorton /Good!
Mims/ Nice article on Riverfront Crossings. Thanks, Geoff, for putting that in.
Botchway/ Um, IP4, um, and so you already mentioned it, Jim, so I'm not gonna mention it
again, but adding CIT. I'm supportive of that. Um, I don't necessarily know where we
stood on the transportation conversation at the last MPO meeting. I don't know where
we're at on that, Geoff, either. I know that there's been talk about a study that was very
relevant in some of our conversations over the campaign period. I don't necessarily
know that we want to talk about it now, or wait till later on, um, but I leave that up to
Council as well, just in, uh, I know that Terry Donahue, I think, at the end of the meeting,
and hopefully everybody remembers it. Maybe I'm just mis-remembering or whatever,
mentioned.... he mentioned something about a transportation study, and then Terry said
we'd be interested in participating as well, and so .... I .... I'm very interested in what that
looks like, and I think that's one of. ... at least for .... for me, some of the conversations I
had with Dave Ricketts before he retired was looking at it more regionally, instead of
focusing on it from a city perspective. Urn, the other two pieces, um, are affordable
housing, but I'm willin' to leave that off for now as we talk about it with our strategic
planning process, um, but also I just wanted kind of a general brainstorming session. I
think that, you know, there's issues that I think they .... that we talk about or bring forth,
but I feel like there's.....there's not a time when we can kind of talk, like what's
happening regionally that we can have some conversations about. Maybe crime is
somethin' that we want to talk about. I'm just throwing that out there because we just
had the presen.... presentation but.....I would be interested in more of that type of....
instead of presenting what a city's doing, which I'm all for, but I could also see in a
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packet. I'd be more interested in, you know, what can we actually do to move some of
the conversations, um, forward from a regional perspective. I mean each of you have
been a part of the League of Women Voter's forum, and to me it sounds like redundant
questions every.....every Council cycle about what are we doing to move the
conversation regionally. It's like, well, we meet as a group, and then that's the answer to
the question. So, um, I'm not, you know, this isn't a blaming thing. I'm just trying to
throw out ideas as far as how we can effectively work together in a.....in a better way.
So those are my three.... points. CIT, transportation, and some type of brainstorming
session, and maybe I mention that at the end and then we talk about it at the next meeting.
Cole/ Along those lines, Kingsley, I think one of the most enjoyable joint meetings that I had
was with the School Board, involving Horace Mann. That was a ..... a meeting where I
felt like we were engaging on a topic of joint concern and offering solutions and actually
solving issues too. It's obviously hard to find the time to do that, I'm aware of that, but I
think you bring up a really good point in terms of keepin' an eye out for those topic -
oriented levels of collaboration.
Throgmorton/ Any other suggestions about what to include on the joint entities meeting agenda?
Fruin/ Can I clarify (both talking) the transportation piece, uh......
Botchway/ I'm sorry, I was asking a question and also asking you a question (both talking)
Fruin/ Okay, cause there's.... there's two different ways you may be going. One, the .... at the
MPO level there's the discussion on the next iteration of the light rail study.
Botchway/ Right.
Fruin/ Um, and I think the MPO board gave some direction and cities are goin' back and lookin'
at who's funding it, who's not. I don't know, but it's a relatively small amount. I
imagine it'll get the funding it needs. The other thing, and where I think you're going,
is .... is the direction that you gave staff to .... to put funds in the budget for a transit route
analysis. Um, and that will be part of the proposed budget that comes to you. Um, I have
had contacts, uh, with my counterparts in Coralville and North Liberty to let them know
this is coming and if you want to participate, uh, let me know. Um .... there's been some
back and forth on what the scope might be, and I think there's some interest, but I don't
know that that's .... I'm sure it probably hasn't gotten up to their council levels yet,
urn .... so..... by that time when you have your joint meeting on January 22nd, you'll have
already reviewed the budget. I think if you wanted to put, you know, Iowa City's
plannin' this. We've got resources to do a transit route analysis. If somebody else wants
to join us and talk about, um.....um, expanding the scope of that study to include
Coralville transit or an exploration of North Liberty transit, whatever it may be,
that's.... that's probably an appropriate topic if you want to go that route.
Botchway/ Yes .... to that second.
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Throgmorton/ Any objection? Did you track that?
Fruin/ Yeah, I'll work with Kellie on that.
Throgmorton/ All right. Any other items? On, I'm sorry, for the joint meeting. Okay let's move
to the December 14 packet.
Botchway/ Um, sorry I don't have the.....I don't have it up right now. Whatever HCDC
recommendations....
Throgmorton/ Six.
Botchway/ IP6. I'm supportive of staff's recommendation to translate the informational
disclosure and acknowledgement form, um, into the top five languages, so there were two
recommendations. That was the first one. That makes sense. The other one I ..... I'm
supportive of as well. I think my .... I think you asked the question, Geoff, and I can't
remember who wrote the memo right now, but .... the question was if Council wants to
look more into it, I .... I want to say yes, but I want to wait until we have that conversation
at the strategic planning process, because I feel like, you know, the HCDC's point, or at
least I've talked to Charlie somewhat about this is there's just a.....this goes back to kind
of the measurable piece of the affordable housing conversation. So I'm not .... I don't
want to focus on this piece and say yes to this, so I'm supportive of leaving it off. I think
collecting the information in the manner in which it was talked about, but I do think it's
important to think about that as we move into the strategic planning process.
Throgmorton/ I agree, and there're a couple particular things I'm thinking about with regard to
the rents, the rental piece. One is, what can we learn from what other cities are doin'.
Have other cities tried to collect rent information? Have they been successful at it? If so,
could we replicate what they're doin'? And the other is, what I'm .... I'm not so much
interested in ..... in data about individual rental units and collecting all that data
necessarily. What I am interested in is statistically valid descriptive data. Uh, meaning
things like mean, median, mode, range, I mean this is kind of standard, uh, statistical
language, about .... that kind of descriptive data about rents and, uh, generated so that we
can track the changes over time, but also tracks, uh, identifies spatial patterns. So if
there's some other way of obtaining sufficient amount of rent information, that'd
be .... would be very helpful. Like you and I talked about this with regard to (both
talking)
Mims/ Yeah, and I (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ....that thing, that Casey collects, and I don't know if that's (both talking)
Mims/ Yeah, I'd have to go back and look. I mean I agree. I think ..... I think when we're
looking at that affordable housing piece, having.....more data that really..... tells us, you
know, what.....what is happening and if, you know, if rents are going down. I mean I'm
with you, Jim. I'm not interested in seeing what, you know, Joe Blow is charging for rent
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in unit #4, but in order to get the mean, median, and standard deviation and any other
statistics, you have to have .... you have to have accurate raw data, and .... and one of the
points I think that staff made in here also is the challen... one is the challenge of collecting
it and so we can talk about that later, but you've gotta make sure you're comparing
apples to apples. You know, are they including parking in that cost? Are they including
utilities? Um, so all those different pieces that you have to ask so you can .... so you can
break it down and making sure that you're actually, you know, comparing apples to
apples. So it's.....it's a discussion I would like to have and try and figure out, and I think
you asked the question, you know, are there other communities that are doing this and
how are they managing to do it, particularly are there any in the state of Iowa because
does it depend on state law that they're able or not able to do it. Um.....I don't know if
we'll be able to, but I'd be interested in having that conversation to see if there is a way
to get data that would help us actually set some metrics in terms of our affordable
housing.
Throgmorton/ I wonder if the cities involved in the Mayor's Innovation Project, which we have
joined, I wonder if they could provide us with information. Maybe, maybe not.
Fruin/ Yeah I think .... I, the collections not difficult, I mean, you.....you typically do some type
of survey. You'd hire .... you'd hire a firm to do some type of survey focused on rent and
any other types of, uh, related issues that you are interested in. Um, and to give ya a
sense of what that might cost, our community survey that we're just wrapping up now is
about $20,000, um, and that was a pretty expanded one. So .... so maybe ... and that'll be
statistically valid and maybe .... maybe you can shrink that cost a little bit. That may
seem like a lot, um, but I can tell ya, if I calculated all the staff time that went into
collecting information disclosure forms and .... and inputting that data into spreadsheets
and analyzing it, it's gonna be far more than $20,000 worth of staff time. So, we can go
back and think about, okay here's how we might collect that data. Um, we understand, I
understand where the HCDC is coming from and the need for this. I think we all agree to
that. I just don't think this is the right approach to collecting it. So we'll gather some
ideas.
Throgmorton/ We'll have to revisit this when we get to the tra... the strategic plan discussion, to
see if ...what kind of direction we want (coughing, unable to hear speaker) right? All
right.
Botchway/ The other one ..... you already, um, if IP7.
Throgmorton /Yep!
Botchway/ Well, I'll let you go ahead.
Throgmorton/ Well IP7 is about the Sanxay-Gilmore House, on 109 Market Street, and Geoff
has a memo in here. It was very helpful and it's a pretty tricky topic, and I ..... maybe
y'all want to talk about details because there's.... there's important detail to discuss. I
want to jump to the bottom line as I see it, cause I've been involved in a lot of
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conversations about this now. I think we need.....we being Geoff really, we need to
initiate a four -party negotiation with four parties sitting down together, focusing their
attention on the situation and tryin' to come up with a mutually satisfactory solution.
And I think it's possible, cause I've been involved in conversations with John and with
some Historic Preservation people, which have already generated two alternatives that we
hadn't thought about before, and I'm aware that you have tossed one out and, you know,
I don't want to talk about that in public, uh, so.....I.....I think if we get these four parties
together.
Mims/ I'm assuming you're talking.....the University, the church, the Historic Preservation, and
then the City?
Throgmorton/ Yeah. And I think that would need a facilitator of some kind, I mean, you know, I
think about this stuff in a way I taught it when I was at the University, so bear me .... bear
with me on that, but I think when you're tryin' to get people to negotiate, when they're
thinking in terms of their own self interests, but being asked to look at a shared problem
and figure out while working with other people how to solve the problem they share
together. Then you need a facilitator to help make that happen.
Botchway/ So there's .... oh, go ahead.
Cole/ Has ... has the church and the University expressed a willingness to engage in that process?
Um.....
Throgmorton/ I .... I (both talking)
Cole/ .....negotiate, I mean (both talking)
Throgmorton/ I think the University would. We have not had conversations with the church, that
I know of. So I don't know if they would.
Cole/ I mean I would support that, obviously, if they're willing to, but that would have to be with
their consent, cause they have a bilateral agreement between the two of `em and, um....
SO.....
Throgmorton/ It can be changed by mutual (both talking)
Cole/ Yeah, yeah, by mutual agreement. Yep. And if they're willing to engage us, I would
encourage that.
Botchway/ So I'd be supportive as well. I think my first question, and I can't remember whether
or not you had this in the memo, Geoff, was related to timeline. I know that you wanted
some type of Council input possibly tonight, maybe not. Um, or maybe specifics as far
as maybe not. But ultimately I guess the structure's what I have a question about, I mean
I feel, you know, if you and John have already had some of this conversation in
background, I mean we've had whatever we've, you know, received in the packet, but if
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you had knowledge of having these conversations, is this a .... when you say City, do you
mean the Council or do you mean just representatives? I would, from a structure
standpoint I meant representatives.
Throgmorton/ I meant staff (both talking)
Botchway/ Oh, okay, okay. Never mind! I'd be supportive.
Throgmorton/ So, but there are details that maybe we need to process here to really be helpful in
providing Geoff with feedback as well, so.....
Fruin/ Well, yeah there's.... there's kind of negotiating parameters that, you know, with this case,
you know, the big question is, is the parking lot on the table? Are you willing to give up
that parking lot, urn .... uh, or I shouldn't say give it up. Are you willing to transfer
ownership of it for preservation, and if the answer's yes, is it only for preservation in
place or are you willing to give it up and have the building, the actual structure, located to
that option. That's probably the biggest ... if....if we're gonna try to negotiate, and our
standing to negotiate's questionable, but we can .... we can try.
Cole/ Could .... could we have a separate work session on that, because I .... I'll just say it, I'll
jump off and say, I'm a huge fan of historic preservation. I love historic preservation, but
....that property's worth a million dollars. That seems like a lot of money if we're talking
about gifting it away, but (mumbled) may not be talking about the entire parking lot.
There may be iterations of that. Um, that strikes me as something very difficult to
discuss on the fly. Um, so that would be my preference, if we could have a short, 15 -
minute or .... work session on that in the next month or so. Is that within the parameters
that we're talking about in terms of time? Um ..... I just don't wanna think
extemporaneously or speak extemporaneously on something as important as that.
Fruin/ Yeah, the.—the timing's tricky because technically the .... the property transfers in .... uh,
sometime in the summer, and .... the University's communicated to me that they intend to
tear the building down when they take ownership of it, if it's still sitting there. Um, the
church is anxious to figure out what's.... what's going on because this is .... this isn't just a
structure for them. This is part of their operations too. They .... their outreach, ministry
outreach out of this, uh, facility so they're anxious to get movin'. It requires a code
change and a code change of this nature, um, would probably start in Historic
Preservation Commission, because it's dealing with the preservation of a building. So it
would go from Historic Preservation, who .... who may need a meeting or two, to
Planning and Zoning, to City Council, where you have a minimum of two Council
meetings. So .... we're gonna get to summer real quick on that schedule. So.....we
gotta .... we gotta keep it on .... if there needs to be a work session, that's fine. I think
January tad is when that needs to take place.
Cole/ I would support that.
Taylor/ I would too.
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Throgmorton/ I can do it.
Mims/ Yeah, that's fine.
Throgmorton/ With regard to the parking lot, uh, I .... I would not say.....put it on the table and
say yeah, we'll give this for, you know, we'll just trade it and give `em, you know, give
away a million dollars. But I would say, it's a really important asset that could help us
collectively figure out how to solve the problem, and .... and it should be part of the
conversation. Yeah.
Fruin/ Yeah, and I want to be clear about the million dollar number. That is just looking at
square footage and comp sales. That's not analyzing development potential, and you've
got to ask yourself what would you want to see developed in that .... in that area, uh,
and .... and would it go to that kind of highest and best. So there's just .... keep in mind
that's where that number's coming from. It's.....it's a per square foot analysis based on
comp sales.
Throgmorton/ All right. So we decided to do a work session on the 2"d, right? It might be
helpful, we don't have much time here, but it might be helpful to have some kind of
conversation with Gloria Dei, uh, people. Beforehand.... to really get a clear sense of
what their interests are, what their interest is. Okay! Moving on, I guess. So ... I'm a
little .... just confused about where we are on my thing here. Uh.....we're still on the
December (several talking) and the, um, Info Packet, so .... I'll say IP8, strategic plan
summary. It's a really excellent summary, very thorough, and I hope you noticed, it's
very up-to-date too. It's like, you know, some elements were obviously added like five
days ago or something (several talking in background) So, uh, well done, Ashley!
Monroe/ Thank you!
Mims/ IP 11, the.... household hazardous material update. I understand the complexity of staffing
issues, but I also hear.....complaints about always having to make an appointment to drop
off, uh, hazardous materials, um, I think it would be nice in looking at that if even if it
was .... two or three hours one day, every single week, you know, and then otherwise by
appointment, that people could drop stuff off, um, again I .... I know that's a challenge
because you're lookin' at the staffing out at the Landfill and everything, but if. ... if there
was at least one set time, um, every week, I think that would be helpful. And probably a
Saturday (laughs) morning.
Fruin/ It's probably doable. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ I think Jen Jordan's memo says.....she, they are .... are looking at it. Yeah.
Mims/ So....
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Throgmorton/ I thought about it a lot (laughs) I think about taking hazardous waste out there,
but.....
Mims/ Oh! Gotta make an appointment!
Botchway/ Can I quickly go back to IP8. Is that gonna get sent out through the, um,
communication portal?
Monroe/ It can!
Botchway/ Just because it helps me when I'm Tweetin' it out and I don't wanna.... yeah. Helps
me (both talking)
Monroe/ ....have the final summary for the last two years.
Throgmorton/ Yeah. Okay. IP13, the Comprehensive Annual Financial Report. I assume
everybody read every word, and .... studied each number (several talking) Yeah, I mean
it's really terribly comprehensive, but uh.....
Mims/ I trust Dennis and I skipped it! (laughter)
Throgmorton/ I trust Dennis and I, uh, apparently (several talking and laughing)
Thomas/ Yeah, I'm waiting for Dennis' version! (laughter)
Mims/ I admit, I skipped it! (laughs)
Fruin/ If. ... if you do have time and you want to go back, because the 600 -page budget that
you're not .... that you're gonna get is not enough, um, when you look at the (mumbled)
for elected officials, I always encourage you to .... to flip through the statistical section,
which, um, .... is just one piece of it. You get out of the kind of financial minutia and
gives ya, um, things like the principal taxpayers, um, overlapping tax rates, um, high
level fund balance, um, that sort of thing. It ..... it's.....it's more than finance. It starts to
get to the economy a little bit and .... and the trends. Um, we repeat a lot of those, uh,
with our budget presentation, but ..... you might, uh, you might take a flip through that
section.
Throgmorton/ Yeah.....there's one other thing I wanted to mention, uh, IP9, listening post
update. Thank you, Kellie. I was thinking we should schedule one for mid-February,
somewhere, and I was thinking maybe at Kirkwood.
Mims/ I haven't done one in a while, so I'd be (both talking)
Botchway/ Kirkwood College? (several talking)
Throgmorton/ No, not on the street! (laughter)
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Botchway/ I was thinkin' the school, sorry!
Taylor/ That's a good idea. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ So we can figure out later on who would be involved, but maybe could just kind
of work with Kirkwood to set up a specific date and .... time and location in their
community room I suppose. All right, I .... anything else in that IP .... that packet? Okay,
how bout Council updates on boards, commissions, etc.
Council updates on assigned boards, commissions and committees:
Mims/ Just had a JECC meeting last Friday. Um, not really a whole lot there .... we get started on
our budget, so.....no big surprises. Just we .... we run a budget at JECC that I think it's
like half the size of Scott County's. It's incredible. Our people do a really good job.
Dickens/ A reminder to reappoint somebody to the, uh.....Paratransit.
Botchway/ (both talking) ....downer. Geez! (laughter) Don't wanna think about that!
Dickens/ I know, but you can do it when you have your (mumbled) January 2"d morning.
Throgmorton/ Nothing, nothing, I'm not going to say anything either. Okay, so I think we're
done for the evening. Thanks, everybody (several talking)
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