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Item 2. Student Leadership Awards
Item 2a Longfellow Elementary
Throgmorton: Wonder if Sadie Bodzin and Margalit Frank would come up. (mumbled) All
right! So.....uh.....it's always great to be able to hand out these Student
Leadership Awards. So, what we're gonna do tonight is hear you read your
statements, and I think we'll start with you, Marg ... Margalit, and then we'll hear
from Sadie, and afterwards I'll read the Student Leadership Award and .... it has
your names on it, I mean each individual one does. So .... Margalit, would you
begin, please?
Frank: Yep. Hello, I'm Margalit Frank and I'm in sixth grade at Longfellow Elementary.
I believe my teacher, Mr. DePrenger, picked me for this award for a few reasons.
I'm student council president at Longfellow. The student council organized
fundraisers to help those in need, like people affected by the recent hurricane
season. On a personal level, I baked cookies and donated the profits to
organizations supporting the #MeToo cause and refugees. During the presidential
election of 2016, I organized a fundraiser for Hillary Clinton with my friends and
made $260 for her campaign. I believe deeply in social justice and try to speak
out against racism and sexism when I can. I am very honored to be.....to have
been chosen for this award. Thank you. (applause)
Throgmorton: All right! (applause continues) Margalit, I wonder if you could just go around
here and sit here. I think you're prepared to be Mayor! (laughter) Great! That's
fabulous! Okay, so next, Sadie, you are next, so hold on.....make sure I have
these things in order. Yeah, so, Sadie Bodzin, would you read your statement.
Bodzin: Hi, I'm Sadie Bodzin, a fifth grader at Longfellow Elementary. And I have been
nominated as .... or as Outstanding Student of the Year. Today I will tell you some
of the things I did to get this award. Um, my family and I donate food to the
Crisis Center so families in need will have food, um.....um...... also at my Hebrew
School, we have a fundraiser each year, um, and the money we get is donated to
different cause. For example, last year we donated the money to the homeless
shelter. This year we'll donate to the Make a Wish Foundation. I'm very glad to
be part of this community and I'm honored to, um, be .... give this award.
(applause)
Throgmorton: Very well done! So I ..... I'm really proud to be up here with two Longfellow
students, partly because my two sons both went to Longfellow and graduated
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regular formal meeting of February 6, 2018.
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from Longfellow. Very exciting! Okay, so .... the, both .... the award reads exactly
the same thing for each of ya except your name's on your individual ones. (reads
Student Leadership Award) All right, so, Sadie, here's yours. Margalit, here's
yours. Well done, and I know your parents are right over here (laughs)
Margalit's right there and Sadie's parents, there .... there you are! Parent. Bravo.
You're doin' a great job with your .... with your young daughters here. That's
fabulous! Thank you so much. All right, so we're good to go. All right!
(applause)
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Item 3. Proclamations
Item 3a The 50th Anniversary of Municipal Home Rule in Iowa
Throgmorton: I'm gonna ask, uh, President.... or Mayor Pro Tem, Pauline Taylor, to read the
first (mumbled) It's about, uh, Home.....Municipal Home Rule. So would you
read this, Pauline?
Taylor: (reads proclamation)
Throgmorton: Is there anyone here to accept this proclamation? All right, I don't see anyone.
Thank you. Yeah.
Item 3b Black History Month
Throgmorton: Think I'll read this one. (reads proclamation) Barbara, uh, where are you?
Could you come up and accept this? (applause) I said Barbara, it's Barbara
Kutzko. So .... there you are! (mumbled)
Kutzko: Thank you so much, uh, Mayor and the Iowa City City Council for, um .... your
proc.....proclamation in honor of Black History Month. Again, my name is
Barbara Kutzko and I am a member of the Human Rights Commission. Um, and
on behalf of the Commission, um, I'm happy to be here and accept this
proclamation. Um, as a native of California, who now calls Iowa City home, um,
I was very proud of our community when we pulled together and elected Mazahir
Salih as a .... our .... our first, um, Sudanese -American woman as an elected ficial
...official anywhere in the country. So it .... it's something that we're very pleased
about. Um, but we've got a long way to go as a community. We still have a lot
of work to do. Um, we have made some strides, but we, you know, in order to
ensure that everyone in our community, uh, has a voice and, uh, thrives and
survives, um, and feels inclusive, included, um, we've got much more work that
needs to be done. So I hope that .... I challenge each of you tonight to ask
yourselves what can I do, or what can we do, both individually and collectively,
to ensure that everyone in our community has, um.....a voice and experiences, um
....um, equal time and .... and, uh.... uh, has a place to call home, as I have, in
these past, uh, 30 -some years since I've been in Iowa City. So thank you again,
and.....(applause)
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Item 4. Consider adoption of the Consent Calendar as presented or amended
Item 4e(2) Pedestrian Mall Improvements - Resolution setting a public
hearing on February 20, 2018 on plans, specifications, form of contract, and
estimate of cost for the construction of the Pedestrian Mall Improvements
Project, directing City Clerk to publish notice of said hearing, and directing
the City Engineer to place said plans on File for public inspection
Throgmorton:.... and we decided to pull Item 4e(2) out for separate consideration. Could I have
a motion to do that please?
Salih: Move.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Salih, seconded by Botchway. Roll call please. I mean to note that
there are two items in which we are setting public hearings. One is the item we
pulled, which has to do with the Pedestrian Mall Improvement project, and the
second is Item 4e(1), which sets a public hearing on an ordinance rezoning, uh, a
significant amount, uh, of land on property located south of I-80, west of Prairie
du Chien Road. So some people might be watching and .... want to know that this
particular rezoning is taking .... or proposed rezoning is gonna have a public
hearing about it. All right, so now we can move to separate consideration of Item
4(e)2. This is .... as I said, Pedestrian Mall Improvements. This is a resolution
setting a public hearing on February 20, 2018, on plans, specifications, form of
contract, and estimate of cost for the construction of the Pedestrian Mall
Improvements project, directing City Clerk to publish notice of said hearing, and
directing the City Engineer to place said plans on file for public inspection.
Could I have a motion please?
Mims: So moved.
Salih: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Salih. Discussion? John, you wanted this?
Thomas: Yeah, I ... I had asked that we have this under separate consideration and the reason
was .... uh, that the costs, which are listed in the resolution, uh.... were different
than the costs that we saw at the work session back on the 16'. So I just wanted
to ... to .... to bring that to .... to our and the community's attention and, um .... learn
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from staff. We .... we did hear.... reasons why at the work session, but I would
guess we could just quickly summarize those for those who....
Fruin: Sure. Well again as we talked about in the work session, the, uh, the thrust of the
project is really the underground, um, elements, urn .... uh, below the ped mall, so
we're looking at, uh, replacing the old utility infrastructure and bringing in, uh,
new, uh, infrastructure that does not exist right now. Um, but as part of that we'll
be replacing the ... the bricks and lighting and things of that nature as well. At your
work session you saw an estimated cost and a base bid of close to about 7.8
million, and you see that the revised cost estimate has dropped that to about a
million. Um, we discovered, um, a few miscalculations in the previous, uh, cost
opinion that we were working with. There's two primary drivers to that. One is
there was sales tax cost embedded in some of the estimates, um, that were being
provided, and uh, we can back those out. Uh, the second is that there was a
underestimation, uh, of how many of the limestone planter walls that we could
reuse. So in other words the previous cost opinion had us replacing the bulk of
the limestone planter walls when our intention was to reuse as many of them as
we can. So that brought the .... the project cost down quite a bit. Of course that's
just a .... an engineering estimate, and as you know from, um, what's on your
agenda tonight and, uh, previous items, uh, the .... the estimate is .... is only an
estimate, and uh, we hope it's accurate. We hope the bids maybe come in below,
but um .... that number may jump back up when we see the bids.
Throgmorton: Any further discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Item 5. Community Comment (items not on the agenda) [until 8 pm]
Throgmorton: This is for any it .... anything that anybody in the audience wants to bring up
concerning any not .... any item that is not on the formal meeting agenda. Please
come up, state your name, and take not more than five minutes. Uh, unless there
are a large number of people that want to speak. If. ... could you kind of wave
your hand if you intend to speak? Okay, so not more than five minutes please.
Good evening!
Murphy: Good evening. Uh, my name's Joe Murphy from Iowa City, and I'm here to
request that the City officially name the stage in the pedestrian mall the Dennis
Jones stage. Uh, Dennis Jones ran a company called Brown Street Mu ... Sound
here in Iowa City for years, and uh, he was the guy in the pedestrian mall, hours
before the show ended, hours after it ended, taking care of things. He, as far as I
know, never turned down a charity that always.... didn't have money to pay `em,
or almost nothing. He worked endless hours, and pretty much every musician in
the state of Iowa knows who he is, cares who he is, urn .... and it would be a fitting
tribute to him, a guy that sacrificed everything for musicians, uh, to have the stage
named after him. And that's really it, that uh, there's nobody more deserving of
it, uh, that's ever walked the streets of Iowa City. And what better place? Um,
we're already calling it the Dennis Jones stage, so we just want the City to
officially recognize it as the Dennis Jones stage, and .... um, you know, really
that's all there is to it. I'm not much of a diplomat, and I'm pretty to the point
so .... we'll just wait for you, uh, to say yes and uh, life'll be perfect then!
(laughter) Oh, and some of you don't know who he is, and that's the biggest
reason why it needs to be named for Dennis Jones, because you guys don't know
who the guy is back there doing all the work, while you're looking at the stage,
and he was. Any questions from anyone I can answer or take (both talking)
Throgmorton: No but I can tell you we got quite a few emails concerning precisely this same
point. Yeah.
Murphy: Well, you really haven't gotten anything at all because, uh, that was just off the
little Facebook post I did, with no publicity, no working at it at all. Um, you
know, we can open the flood gates if we have to for ya so....
Throgmorton: Good deal.
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Murphy: Thank you for your consideration and I'll be looking forward to coming back, uh,
with somebody that knows him better than me to accept, uh, the naming of the
stage for him.
Throgmorton: Thanks a lot, Joe!
Murphy: Thank you.
Throgmorton: Good evening, Reverend Smith!
Smith: Good evening, Your Honor, City Council, and uh, community members, I'm
Pastor Smith. I'm the Pastor of New Creations International Church and I'm also
the President of the Johnson County Interfaith Cluster. And, uh, and before I get
into my comments, I just wanted to, uh, introduce our.... our...... our, um, our
organization to the .... to the, uh, Council and city, and tell us .... and tell you just a
short snippet about our .... our vision and purpose. The ... the Johnson County
Interfaith, uh.... uh, Cluster is ... our vision is to build a multi -cultural, uh, faith -
based community organization, uh, that advances justice for the residents of. ... of
Johnson County, as well as those who live beyond it. Our mission is .... is that...
that the members of the Johnson County Interfaith, uh, with the support of the
(mumbled) uh, network and the covenant and ... and our covenant partners with
Quad -Cities Interfaith, we commit to a long-term productive collaboration that
creates justice, especially, uh, racial and eco.....for economic and, uh, for racial
and economic inequality for peoples and persons of colors in the state and the
region. So I .... I wanted you to understand and get a good concept of who we are,
urn .... uh.....uh, as I .... as I move forward. Um, our .... our concern, and the reason
that we st.... I stand before you today, is because of the hate propaganda that has
been distributed in our city. And I .... I believe, and I tru .... and I truly .... and I
echo this. We .... we had a public meeting on Friday, and I'm, uh, I'm echoing
this to the Council too, that the .... that, uh, that we are not safe. I don't believe
that we are safe, uh, when we see this propaganda, uh.... um, that the people of
color are not safe. These things are intent.... these are .... are preliminary intents
to, uh, to attack the people of color, and I stand here before you today, and I
represent and .... and I represent, uh, a .... a segment of the city that looks like me,
that lives in ... that works in a .... in the same places that you work, that goes to the
same schools that you go to, and that enjoys life just as .... as you all do. And
when we see this hate propaganda, it is a ... it is a danger to our livelihood.
And .... and we cannot have this overlooked, and we can't .... and we can't .... and
we cannot be silent about what we see. Because silence means that you are
complicit. Silence means you're complicit. That means that .... that you may see a
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problem, but you won't do anything about it. And so I'm challenging this
Council, I'm challenging .... I'm .... I'm challenging this Council to do something
about it. The Mayor, the City .... the City Manager, and the ... and the Police Chief
have all... have, uh, have, uh....uh, at our public meeting agreed.... agreed to the
demand ... to ...to our demands and our asks. And what I'm asking you, I'm asking
the Council to .... to support this effort. What was our ... what was our demands?
We wanted the Mayor, the City Council, excuse me, the City Manager, uh, to
initiate an FBI, uh, department, uh, investigation of the hate propaganda, and
those hate groups that are comin' around the city of Iowa City. Because
it .... it's ... if we .... if we take it lightly, they're going.... they're coming, and many
of you have do ... done your research. Many of the people around here have done
their research. And we see that they are intent .... they are intentionally targeting
the city of Iowa City. They're not only intentionally, uh, targeting the city of
Iowa City, they've also, uh, intentionally targeted the Quad Cities. And so I'm
as .... so our ask .... our ask was that ... that there be an FBI investigation. Our
second ask was that we wanted ....that we wanted an assigned law enforcement
officer to work with the J, uh, with, uh, Johnson County Interfaith and the
community to update us on .... to update us on the things that are goin' on around
here .... so that we can be assured that we're safe. Next thing we're askin' is that
you would share information concerning hate groups in this area. We want the
police, we want the .... we want the police to ... to share these things with us so that
we can understand and know the progress that is being .... that is being set forth.
And .... and we as people of color need to know that we .... that we can be in this
city and be safe. Now I just heard that ... I stood here and heard you proclaim this,
uh, Black His ... uh, Black History Month. But what really make .... what would
really make it a good proclamation is if you can stand for the black people and
stand for the people of color that stay here. A proclamation is good, it's words,
but it's your actions that make .... that make a difference. It is your actions. It is
not you being complicit and sitting ... and sitting around watching this thing
happen, but it is for you to take action. And this is what we ... this is what we want
to see. We want to see you take action. Our third demand was this, is that
we .... we want law enforcement to dedicate more resources.... to investigate hate
crimes and to monitor internet traffic. These things will help us be safe. Being
silent and being complicit will not help us be safe. So I'm asking the .... my ask
for the City Council is ... is to support the Mayor, support the .... the, uh, City
Manager, support the .... the, uh, Police Chief, and come up with a .... and come up
with a plan that keeps us safe. I understand! It's hard because you don't look like
me, except for two of you. And so you don't understand. You might not
understand it like we understand it. But you got two in your .... in your .... in your
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camp and you need to listen to `em, and listen to the people .... so that we can be
safe. (applause)
Throgmorton: Thank you (applause) Good evening again, Sam!
Massey: I am, uh, Sam Massey, First Presbyterian Church here in Iowa City. As a, uh,
member of the Johnson County Interfaith Cluster, JCIC, I am also a large, white
male. I'm not afraid to be anywhere, ever. That includes China and Pakistan and
Northern Ireland and Palestine, because I know that I rule the world. But I have
friends who are afraid, who are afraid because of gender questions, who are afraid
because of race, who are afraid for a variety of reasons. And some years ago my
conscience was pricked by Dr. King's letter from Birmingham jail because
frankly I found him addressing me. Right? Here's a guy, white liberal
progressive who has his act together because I am a white liberal progressive, and
that by definition means I have my act together. But he said this, and I'm
summarizing or, yeah. He said it was not the KKK'ers. It was not the White
Citizens Counsels. But it was white moderates, progressives like me in our day,
who didn't like the time or who didn't like the tactics of King's political activism,
that they were the ones who really stood in the way of justice for Dr. King in his
movement. My experience in living in Charlottesville, Virginia, which you saw
on the news this last year, as you saw the religious leadership, as you saw people
who were friends of mine, who were involved in that time and that place, I can
assure you that in those circumstances you had one or two choices. You could
either say that there was peace, peace where there is no peace, which is what a
white progressive person could say, or you could admit that there really is no
peace, that people are suffering and they're afraid of police stops and they're
afraid of shopping in downtown stores, and my choice has been to listen to those
who are very different than I am and to take their side as best .... I can. This is a
wonderful town. When I moved from Charlottesville with all its racial issues and
came here, I thought I'd died and gone to heaven. And I still feel that way. When
I look at the folks sittin' here, I'm in a much better shape, uh, in your hands than I
was in their hands back there, trust me. I know this to be the case. But I also
know to be the case, that unless we really listen to people of color, unless we ask
them to lead us, the rest of us in political action. Unless we submit.... submit and
obey their vision of the beloved community, then you could have as many well
meaning white people in the room as you possibly can manage and we'd still
would be misguided and ineffective. This group of JCIC is made up of all types
of people, but it's led by people who have a different perspective, a more
oppressed perspective than the rest of us, and the rest of us bring our power and
our tongues and our, uh (mumbled) good looks to bear, to be of support to them. I
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am one who wants to stand back, and I'm thinking you are the same, to allow
truth to be spoken clearly to white privilege and the white power in which many
of us share, and to hear their wisdom, and to come alongside of it, so that we can
draw far closer to the beloved community that Dr. King has in mind. And
frankly, I do believe in this Council and the individual members of it. Though we
will have some struggles over time that I do believe that we can collaborate
together, JCIC and the City Council and many others, to make, uh, Iowa City
truly the paradise that I've already begun to find it to be. Thank you!
Throgmorton: (applause) Thank you, Sam. (applause continues) Good evening again!
Webb: Good evening. My name is Chitoka Webb and I am a citizen. Oh, I'm sorry, a
resident of Iowa City. And.....I wanted to share, um, with you all, the Council, as
people who are concerned about the members of the community and so forth, just
my own personal experience with being black and I never knew it was a problem
until somethin' happened to me and Pastor Smith, uh, was talking about, uh, the
hate propaganda. And eventually it affects us all. In 2016, I had done a silence
fast and a very, very dear friend of mine, uh, a white gentleman in his 60s, very,
very dear friend of mine. So he knew that I was on this silence fast, so basically a
silence fast is when you don't talk and you just write things down and so forth.
And so when I seen him, he asked me if I wanted to see a picture of a monkey.
(clearing throat) And my first thought was maybe he got a new pet. And he put a
mirror in my face and I had no idea that he saw me as a pet. (pause) Racism
hurts. It's painful. Sexism hurts. It's painful. Ageism hurts. It's painful. And
Mohamed Ali has a quote that says, "If a man sees his life at 50 the same way he
does, he did, at 20, then he has lost 30 years of his life." So we all have the power
and the opportunity to change things. And I believe in Iowa City and I believe
that we can make change happen. Thank you.
Throgmorton: (applause) Thank you, Chitoka. (applause continues) Good evening, Rafael.
Montoya: (unable to understand)
Throgmorton: I'm really good. How bout you?
Montoya: Have to stick this or just leave it here? (several responding) Good evening, uh
(unable to understand) Rafael Montoya, Director of the Center for Worker Justice
and tonight I wear two hat. One is that as a director and the other one is a
member of the Interfaith, uh, Johnson County Cluster. You know, I'm .... I really
appreciate you and the Mayor and City, uh, Manager and Chief of Police went to
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the Center last Friday and I appreciate your courage, but I'm here today to .... to
basically talk about what....what we saw more than a week ago, close to our
home actually. You know, this... and, uh, at Scott Park, you know, my wife
actually found these words when she walking the dog, and you know in the past
we always, um, have been really careful there to walk and now I told my wife
don't go anymore there specifically alone. Sometimes we send the kids with the
dog and say we don't go there, and.... but.... beside the fear is my concern is the
like the Pastor Smith saying, silence is complicity. Right, and that is my fear
tonight, because if we don't see that .... that graffiti and you know a lot of people
walk there, bike, and do exercise. Anybody notice and call the police, and called
the City to remove the graffiti? That is dangerous! So I can say before, I do
believe this is a progressive city, but most important (unable to understand) ...take
care of that, to watch what the (unable to understand) from the neighborhood for
us because this should not be happening in our city and I know, Mayor, that you
will .... uh, you will take care of this, uh flier coming to town support us in every
way that you can and I know you .... you have expressed your compromise (unable
to understand) Geoff and Chief of Police, and I hope that we can get some results
quickly. Thank you for support us.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Rafael. (applause)
Theisen: I have something far more mundane to talk about. Sorry! (mumbled) Uh, good
evening, song! (both talking) Council, Mayor. Um, so I want to once again talk
to you all this week about (both talking)
Mims: I'm sorry, could you introduce yourself, please, for all of us?
Theisen: Nicholas Theisen.
Mims: Thank you.
Theisen: Sorry, I thought I'd said that! Apologies! Um, I wanted to note that my
colleagues and I in the Iowa City DSA really appreciate the opportunity to put
together a public housing initiative. Um, but there .... a couple of things have
come up in our research that give us a great deal of pause. Um, to put it simply, it
seems like most of the concessions that the City has extracted from local
developers in terms of affordable housing are, well, to put it frankly, terrible.
Um, to use one example, the .... the Rise building is currently being constructed.
A large, not a large, but a fairly significant number of units in that building have
been set aside as so called affordable housing, but just out of curiosity I called up
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the company that runs the development and basically they decided to price those
units in such a way as to basically meet the bare minimum requirement. So that
means that units that they are actually marketing to people who have very little to
pay, are basically being marketed in such a way as to extract as much money from
those people as possible. The cheapest unit in that building is $771 a month for a
one -bedroom apartment, for somebody who is supposedly only making 80% of
the area medi.... median income. So if you do the rough calculation, that's exactly
30....771 a month is exactly 30% of the housing burden threshold for someone
making 80% of the area median income, meaning that if you make even a penny
less than roughly $44,000 a year, you are housing burdened from the get -go .... in
an affordable housing unit. And so what I find distressing about this is that, um,
and I've .... I've asked various local officials about this on several occasions, to
what extent.... oversight is actually being performed over these things. Cause the
thing is I don't doubt the Council's commitment to actually providing affordable
housing for the community, but I'm wondering does City Council actually know
what they're getting? Cause the thing is, there are a number of other things that
City Council's planning on doing, land banking and so forth, but there have also
been a lot of contradictory behaviors that the City takes as well. So for example,
what's to prevent the City from then selling that land off later. I mean the Rise
development is a good example of this. Also the Chauncey that is .... (mumbled)
Both of those developments were made possible by land that the City sold to
those developers. And so .... my colleagues and I are curious as to what
guarantees the City will actually make, that the various concessions that it gets
from developers, with the plans that it has for affordable housing, will actually
meet the needs that the City has. Right now on the open market, there is no
housing for someone making minimum wage. If you make minimum wage in
Iowa City, you basically can't get a housing unit of your own. It's not possible.
Because you would have to find something that's roughly $330 a month. There's
hardly anything in the $400 and $500 range, and what exists is basically only for
seniors, and the things is, seniors are very important part of the population as
well; however, there's a sentence that I get and that my colleagues get as well,
that ... I don't know, I wonder if we put this proposal together, we submit it to
Council, and then it gets approved and goes into .... what guarantee do we have
that it will actually be implemented correctly, because I see a lot of worrisome
past behavior that I just can't rationalize, and so I thank you for letting me once
again (mumbled) on this. I apologize for the, you know, strident tone but I think
this needs to be taken really seriously and I just wanted to bring it up again.
Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Nick. (applause) Anyone else? Hi, Joel!
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White: Hi, Jim. My name's Joel Gilbertson White and I live here in Iowa City
(mumbled) Um, and this sign .... is now kind of faded so I'm bringin' it up closer
so it's easier to see, and the words Black Lives Matter. This has been posted, um,
at my house since Ferguson, and ..... I was having a conversation with one of my
black friends who said that these words are an empty platitude. They're .... a ... an
empty assertion unless we can do something to .... to really enforce that they
matter, and that is one of the reasons that I'm supporting the message from
Johnson County Interfaith Cluster and the Black Voices Project, and I know I'm
very glad that some of you actually were out at ... on Friday, on Tuesday, on
Thursday of last week. Um, and I want to encourage you, I mean I'm lookin'
here and it's like `Wow!' We have actually built a City Council that we wanted.
That can do this, and so I'm so grateful for that and I'm seeing you all to have the
potential for that, um, that really, you know, in order to make these words actually
come to life, each of the people in this room with whatever power we have,
combined with the power that we have given you, which is budget and laws, I'm
asking you to have a no -tolerance policy for all of the .... bad things that are
happening with the graffiti and fliers, and in addition, um, what this gentleman
here was saying about the housing. He may have said that's a mundane issue, but
when we talk about housing, when we talk about busing, when we talk about jobs,
and when we talk about schools and .... and.....the whole wide assortment. They
all fit together, and I want to encourage you, um, stay strong, keep going
constantly to make this completely true. I have more things to say but I didn't
write them down, so ..... I'm gonna repaint this so that it's easier to see.
Throgmorton: All right! (applause) Anyone else? I'd like to take the opportunity to thank, uh,
everybody who's come to speak about this particular topic. It's really important
for us. It's important for the people of Iowa City, and I'd like to read to you a
statement that I read at the start of our last meeting, just so that you know what....
what we said right at the start of that meeting. This is from last week, or last
meeting. (reads statement) And I can tell you, your Council, City Manager, the
Chief of Police and our staff are completely committed to making sure that this is
a safe and welcoming place for everybody, all the residents of this community,
regardless of color and so on. So.....we're on the same side is the bottom line that
I want to convey to you. Thank you for coming and sharing your strong views.
We understand why you're feeling what you're feeling. (applause) Okay, I'm
assuming nobody else wants to address us in community comment. Okay. Thank
you.
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Item 6. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 6a Rezoning 1st and Muscatine for Kum & Go and Hospice —
Ordinance conditionally rezoning approximately 0.5 acres of property
located at 1010 S. First Avenue from Low Density Single -Family Residential
(RS -5) to Community Commercial (CC -2), 1022 S. First Avenue from Low
Density Single -Family (RS -5) to Commercial Office (CO -1) ,and a portion of
1025 Wade Street from Commercial Office (CO -1) to Community
Commercial (CC -2). (REZ17- 00019)
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: Before I open the public hearing, I want to know if anybody needs to make ex
parte disclosures? Seeing none I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs
gavel) Hi, Bob!
Miklo: Bob Miklo, uh, Department of Neighborhood and Development Services. Um,
the purpose of this rezoning is to allow the redevelopment of the existing Kum n'
Go at, uh, First and Muscatine Avenue, as well as the adjacent, uh, BP gas station,
uh, into one new convenience store and .... and gas station. The proposal includes
adding a, uh, a residential lot to the Community Commercial zone, um, to allow
that to become part of the Kum n' Go site. Um, so the ... this, uh, property at 1010
First Avenue would be rezoned, uh, from Residential to Community Commercial.
Uh (clears throat) a second, um, single-family, uh, lot at 1022 would be rezoned
from Residential to Office, and the reason for that is a portion of the, um, hospice,
uh, Iowa City Hospice parking lot would also be added to the .... to the Kum n' Go
site. So, uh, the idea is that the parking that would be displaced for, uh, Iowa City
Hospice would be moved, uh, to, uh, this, uh, current residential property. Uh,
this area is located within the, uh, Towncrest, uh, urban renewal area and also the
Towncrest design review district. And therefore the proposed convenience store
will require a special exception to be approved by the Board of Adjustment and
will also require, uh, compliance with the Towncrest, uh, design plan. The, uh,
the Comprehensive Plan, uh, does encourage the redevelopment of this area, um,
for more walkable, mixed-use, uh, type of development. One of the goals for the
area is to improve traffic flow, uh, by limiting the number of curb cuts, and with
this proposal, uh, two curb cuts on Muscatine Avenue will be combined into one,
and then, um.....uh, two, uh, or three curb cuts on First Avenue will be combined
into one. So overall the number of curb cuts, uh, will be reduced in this area,
and.... improving, um, walkability. Um (mumbled) the proposal will also, uh,
improve the sidewalk situation in that currently the sidewalk is right on the curb.
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Uh, with this proposal, uh, the side .... there will be a parkway or a landscaped
parkway and then the sidewalk. This is a, uh, site plan showing the, uh, the
proposed development, with the, uh, the convenience store right at the corner, up
against First Avenue and Muscatine. The, um, gas station por.... portion or the
pumps would be interior to the lot, uh, a .... away from the residential, which is the
son .... to the southwest. So in ... in a way the building would be, uh, shielding the
residential neighborhood, um, from the canopy and the associative effects, uh,
from that. The, um .... uh, Riverfront Cros.... or excuse me, the Towncrest design
plan does have some building design requirements in terms of the facades of the
building, uh, adjacent to the street and those will need to be adhered to as part of
the special exception process. To, uh, also help make the development, uh,
compatible with the, uh, existing residential in the neighborhood, the plan
includes extensive landscaping of, uh, of the parking lot. Here's an illustration of
the, uh, the proposed convenience store. This would be from, uh, Muscarine
Avenue looking to the west, um ...... with the, uh, as I noted, the canopy on the
eastern part of the property, uh, the residen.... or excuse me, the commercial, uh,
convenience store on the western part. Uh, this is looking from the intersection of
Muscatine and First Avenue, back to the, uh, southeast, um, this being First
Avenue, uh, which would have the improved sidewalk. Uh, this, uh, being
Muscatine. Both the Planning and Zoning Commission and staff have
recommended approval of the rezoning, uh, but at this point staff is
recommending that the, uh, public hearing be continued. We currently don't have
a signed conditional zoning agreement, and uh, we are working out the .... the
legal description between the various zones, and uh, the need to plat the property
to, um, comply with the new configuration, um, of the, uh, of the zones. Be
happy to try to answer any questions you might have.
Throgmorton: Yeah, so in a minute I'll ask for a motion to continue the public hearing, but does
anybody have questions for Bob?
Cole: So we'll lose one residential house and we'll replace it with a parking lot? Am I
understanding that correctly?
Miklo: It'd actually be two, uh, residen.... (both talking)
Cole: Two residents and a parking lot, okay. Were we gonna have a time to discuss this
or.....
Throgmorton: Whatdaya mean time to discuss it? (both talking)
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Cole: The merits .... if we continue the hearing, will we have an opportunity to discuss it
or....
Throgmorton: Tonight? Right now?
Cole: Yeah.
Throgmorton: We can discuss it, can't we or not? I don't know. We can (both talking)
Dilkes: Yeah, you....you can talk about it. I mean if you continue the public hearing you
don't wanna, uh, reach any conclusions.
Throgmorton: Yeah, and don't....(both talking) or whatever. Yeah.
Dilkes: You can certainly ask questions or....
Cole: Okay.
Taylor: You'd mentioned the residential, but I believe in .... in the notes from, uh, P&Z it's
eliminating one gas station. There were two gas stations and now it's going to be
just one gas station (both talking)
Miklo: ....that's correct.
Cole: Are there any design guidelines? What concerns me about this and this is a
question is that when you look at it from the corner, it's essentially you're looking
at a wall. Um, I know that there's some windows, but it doesn't look very
permeable to me, and it doesn't look very pl.... that ... that's consistent with our
design guidelines for that particular (both talking)
Miklo: This particular plan is .... is not. There .... there are fairly extensive guideli.... uh,
design guidelines in the Towncrest overlay. Um, one of those guidelines is that
50% of a street -facing wall has to be, uh, glass or display windows. This
particular drawing doesn't meet that. Uh, we will work with the applicant
through the, uh, the special exception process, uh, to bring this up to the code
standards.
Taylor: That .... that wall he's talking about, that's along First Avenue?
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Miklo: Uh, this wall, this represents (both talking) the wall on First Avenue, and that
would have display windows and an ... an entrance. I don't believe the entrance
would be open to the public (both talking)
Taylor: Right, similar to the one on Riverside Drive (both talking)
Miklo: Right.
Taylor: ....so people could look at the one on Riverside Drive and that's what that would
resemble.
Miklo: Yes. And then this, um .... this would have, uh, retail windows on it, but, uh, the
code will require additional, um, windows or other, uh, features on this north side
of the building.
Botchway: So I would, uh, you know, concur with some of Rockne's questions, um, you
know this is, I think, right next to my neighborhood. 1 use that Kum n' Go, um, a
lot, and so I .... I have some considerable concerns about, um, the aesthetic appeal.
Um, in this particular location, um, I think about the Kum n' Go gas stations that
have gone up, not only in this community, but also Coralville as well. I feel
differently about the one on Riverside. I feel like that's more in line with the, um,
the level of traffic and other things. This is a different, uh.... uh, part of the
neighborhood. So I mean I .... I'm gonna wait to hear more information from, you
know, your conversation that the wall was, you know, a glaring piece that I
wanted to bring up, but I'm glad you're saying that the drawing doesn't meet the
specifications that you're working on. Um, but I have a lot of questions, and so,
um, I'll be interested to hear.... possibly what changes, while I .... while I do, um,
I .... I do think, you know, a lot of the questions or comments were made during
the Planning and Zoning meeting, you know, talked about some of these issues.
You know, again, I think there's .... I'm appreciative of the fact that it's going to
public hearing because I'm sure I'm going to hear a lot about this.
Thomas: Bob, on the.... pedestrian walkability factor.... there..... we're introducing, um, a
setback on the sidewalk along First Avenue. Is .... is the curb at the corner being
reconstructed as a part of this project? The actual radius at the curb return
where ... where you transition from (both talking)
Miklo: Yes, this .... this will need to be reconstructed on .... on, uh, Muscatine, and as well
as First Avenue.
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Thomas:
Miklo:
Salih:
l�!irol
Salih:
So is the, are the geometries of the intersection changing then? Are we .... are we
looking at, in other words, reducing crossing distances for pedestrians?
I don't believe they would be changing.....here.
And why we are continuing the public hearing? To more ..... to hear from more
people or....
We, uh.... uh, this, uh, includes a conditional zoning agreement.
Uh huh.
Miklo: A conditional zoning agreement, uh.... uh, basically specifies that they will adhere
to this enhanced landscaping shown on this .... on this plan. Um, that agreement
isn't finalized, so we would like a co ... the hearing continued, and of course you
can hear from additional, uh.....uh, residents, um, interested parties at your next
meeting as well.
Dilkes: Mazahir, the .... the Iowa Code doesn't let us close the public hearing until we
have that signed (both talking)
Salih: All right.
Dilkes: And there's also some replatting that has to be done because we've got, um, a
zoning boundary that crosses a lot.
Salih: Okay (unable to understand) Okay.
Throgmorton: Bob, I noticed also that the Commissioners raised questions about the
landscaping. Uh, there's S3 and S2 types of landscaping involved, and I .... at
least one of the Commissioners, uh..... pointed to the .... the Benton and Riverside
....uh, Kum n' Go as having somehow inadequate landscaping, you know,
just ... it, like they haven't done it as well as they oughta do it. Do you have any
sense about what they're actually going to do and how that will turn out?
Miklo: In this, uh, particular.... that was something that was discussed at the Planning and
Zoning Commission and the desire to have, uh, more landscaping on the, uh.... uh,
First Avenue side, uh, to help address the .... the appearance of that wall. Uh, so
that is something that we will work with the, uh, applicant on, um, during the, uh,
condi .... or the special exception process.
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Tbrogmorton: Okay. Thanks! Any other questions for Bob? Thank you. Would anybody else
like to address this topic during the public hearing? All right, seeing no one,
could I have a motion to continue the hearing to February 200i.
Botchway: So moved.
Throgmorton: Oh, no .... well that's (several talking) Moved by Botchway, seconded by....
Salih: Second.
Throgmorton: Seconded by Salih. Uh... uh, all in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries. All
right, could I have a motion to defer first consideration to February 20a'.
b) Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration)
Mims: So moved.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. I know you said (mumbled) All in
favor say aye. (both talking)
Cole: I was saying nay!
Throgmorton: Nay? All right. Motion carries I guess 6-1.
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Page 20
Item 6. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 6b Annexation Herbert Hoover Highway — Resolution for a voluntary
annexation of approximately 8.62 acres of property located at 4643 Herbert
Hoover Highway SE. (ANN17-00001)
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: Again, I need to ask whether, uh, anybody needs to disclose any ex parte
conversations. Yeah. None. So I'm going to open the public hearing. (bangs
gavel)
Miklo: Um, I'm going to address, uh, or cover this as well as the, uh, rezoning, which is
the following item on the agenda, as well, because they're related (both talking)
Botchway: Bob, one second. So I do have .... I was making sure it was the right project, sorry
about that. So I do have ex parte communications. Um, I, uh, I think it was
sitting down at, I mean it's been a long time now, I sat down with HyVee, with
this particular group, um, about this proposal. I talked to them about .... (several
talking) It was at HyVee. (several talking) Yeah, at HyVee. Sorry, I was
just .... yeah (several talking) Yeah! (laughter) I wanted to make sure it was the
right one. (several talking) Um, it was about, um .... you know, just talking about
the project, um, you know, I think you know probably most of the stuff I said, it
was my desire for affordable housing, um, my interest in, you know, what could
potentially be there. I think there was a conversation about senior housing and
how I thought that was important for, um, this community. I don't necessarily see
it, um, in this section of the community as well, and I.....I'll be honest with ya, I
can't remember all the things, but those were the gist of what I was saying, um....
Cole: Ditto!
Botchway: (both talking) ....that I didn't remember everything so I apologize, but ... but it was
more ... it was more along those lines as far as some of the things I brought up
before in City Council meetings around affordable housing, senior housing, those
type of things.
Throgmorton: Okay, but you didn't commit yourself in any way.
Botchway: No. Oh, no, sorry! Yeah.
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Mims: Yeah, I would say the same. It was getting information on the project, hearing
what they were planning, getting an idea of the layout of the ... on the property, as
well as the design of the buildings, affordability, senior housing, etc.
Cole: Same for me!
Mims: (mumbled) weeks ago and I'd forgotten (laughs)
Throgmorton: It's a memory refresher right here! Okay, Bob, where were we?
Miklo: This proposal includes, uh, the annexation of roughly eight acres on the, uh, south
side of Herbert Hoover Highway, just east of the Iowa, uh, City Care Center and,
um, the Olde Towne Village commercial, uh, area. As you can see from the map,
it is adjacent to the east, uh, boundary of Iowa City and then the boundary picks
up again and, uh, it's to the west of, uh, in this area, the west boundary. Uh, we
would anticipate at some point in the future additional lands will be annexed in...
in to the City. Uh, in addition to being annexed, the proposal is to zone the, uh,
northern part of the property, uh, about five and a half acres to, ub, Interim
Development Multi -Family, uh, and then the southern portion, which contains an
existing residence, to Interim Development Single -Family. Uh, the Interim
Development zone is intended for areas where we don't have, uh, adequate
infrastructure for urban development. Um, and in this case, uh, we're working
with the applicant to identify, uh, ways to get water and sewer, uh, service to this
property. Uh, once, um, there's a clear plan for provision of those .... of that
infrastructure, we would anticipate a, uh, that this would come back to you as a
rezoning, um, likely multi -family on the northern portion, and single-family on
the, uh, the southern portion. Um ... but at this time, the .... the interim, uh,
development (mumbled) or zoning would not allow, uh, development. It's
basically a holding zone that allows agricultural uses and very limited residential.
There's already one residence on the sou .... on the property, so it would not allow
an additional, uh, residence. Um, this, uh, proposal clearly meets our annexation
policy, being right adjacent to the City. Um, so at this point, uh, both staff and
the, uh, Planning and Zoning Commission have recommended approval. I'd be
happy to try to answer any questions.
Throgmorton: I ... I guess I'm thinking about one thing but it doesn't need to be a question
directed at you. Um .... one of our affordable housing action items is
to .... consider the possibility of, um, altering our annexation standards whenever
residential development is involved, uh, and .... and possibly to incorporate
affordable housing... into that, into the requirements for voluntary annexations.
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Page 22
Uh, but we have not .... seen the proposal yet from the staff and therefore we have
to operate under the existing code. So .... much as we might want to, uh, sort of
insist that affordable housing be included in this, we don't have any legal right to
do that, at least that's the way I understand it. Uh.... Bob, do you think I was
pretty close to the facts on that, as best you can tell?
Miklo: I would say Eleanor would be the person to answer that .... that question (both
talking)
Throgmorton:.... good point. All right.
Dilkes: That's been the plan, is to amend the annexation, um, part of the Comprehensive
Plan, to provide for consideration of affordable housing.
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Fruin: You have that on your pending list. So we're ready to have that discussion, I
imagine, as soon as you get through strategic planning we'd probably take that up.
And, um, in this case we felt comfortable bringing you the annexation because we
know that the applicant currently has a .... a LIHTC project, um, before the State,
now, low-income housing tax credit, so we know that, uh, what their first
preference is and what their intention is, um, that project has been supported by
the Johnson County, um, Housing Trust Fund as well, so there's local support
behind that. Some of the Iowa City dollars that you all have allocated, uh, have
enabled the Trust Fund to be able to ... to fund and support that application. So
although the policy has not been amended, um, we felt that at least the, um, the
intent here, uh, of the applicant is to secure an affordable housing project on the
site. Uh, we felt it was worth the risk. Certainly, uh, if they're not funded, that's
a risk, you know, we just have to accept that as a risk, that you could annex this
property, um, and they wouldn't be funded and some other use, uh, that would not
have an affordable requirement, um, could come in, um, but again, staff felt
comfortable, uh, knowing the intent of the applicant.
Throgmorton: All right! Would anybody else like to address this topic before I close the public
hearing? Hello!
Carr: I'm Megan Carr. I work with Sand Development, and we, um, represent IC
Housing Group, which is the applicant, um, for the annexation. Um, as the City
Manager indicated, we do have a LIHTC development, 36 unit on a portion of the
northern property. (mumbled) would be ..... right now we have submitted it's
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Page 23
family housing, um, 32 of the 36 units would be tax credit units, at or below 60%
area median income. Um, the other 4 units would be market rate. The nature of
the, um, scoring system with IFA, um, and so, uh, I don't know the exact
numbers, but there'd be a portion at 30%, a portion at 40%, and then some at 60.
A mix of one, two, and three-bedroom units. Um, the plan would be to have a
community room on-site. There would be an on-site playground, um.....trying to
think of some of the other amenities. We do universal design in all of our units.
So they all can be adaptable for handicap needs. Um, all of the units have full
bathrooms, um, washer and dryer in unit. Um, each unit will have a storage room,
not less than 20 -square feet in ... inside the unit to be utilized for whatever storage
residents need. Um, and I'd be happy to answer any questions you guys have
about our team. This'll be, uh, right now we just opened a project in Coralville,
uh, Called Coral Ridge Apartments. It's on the old Lantern, uh, Park Nursing
Home site. Um, that's 56 units of senior LIHTC development. Uh, we also own
a building in, um, Cedar Rapids, Kingston Village, uh, it's just off the interstate.
That's, uh, 64 .... is that right? 64 units of family housing. Um, I think we have
35 low income housing tax credit communities throughout Iowa and Minnesota.
So we're very familiar with this process. Um, and one of the goals of our group
that represents IC Housing Group is to further affordable housing. So, um, we
hope that we're selected, uh, in this upcoming round, and certainly annexation,
uh, without that it would not be possibilities .... possible to be selected this round.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Megan. I'd like to ask you a question. I want you to repeat, uh, for
people like me who are typing notes and stuff (laughs)
Carr: Sorry! (laughs)
Throgmorton: Yeah, could you please repeat the number of units, the .... that you're picturing
would be in this project, and w .... how many of `em would be low-income
housing tax credit units, etc., I mean that core piece?
Carr: Yes! So there are, uh, in the first phase, which is the northeast, right ... sorry,
northwest portion of the site, um, is 36 units of family housing, and that's what's
been submitted to, um, Iowa Finance Authority. 32 of those 36 units are at or
below 60% area median income. And then they're a mix of one, two, and three-
bedroom units, geared towards family housing. And I apologize because it's
just .... it's just the annexation. I didn't bring all of the numbers with me, so I ... I
promise when I come back for ... if this goes through and moves forward and we're
selected, when I come back for more details I'll provide the exact rent levels and
all the mix numbers. So...
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Page 24
Throgmorton: Great! And that was for the ... phase one?
Carr: Yeah, phase one, uh, which is the northwest portion, and then, um, the northeast
portion .... so our, um, IC Housing Group, um, our group is just buying the
northern portion, uh, from the current owners. We have it under contract. Um, so
we would look to do two different phases here.
Throgmorton: Okay. Great! Thank you, Megan.
Salih: Megan, you say you submit the application for the .... Iowa Finance Housing, for
the tax credit. Okay.... you.... is this something that guaranteed, you think?
Carr: Um, I .... it's, there's no guarantee. We don't find out until the board meeting is
March 14th so, um, we're not allowed to have any communication unless we're
asked a question, uh, specifically regarding this project. We can answer those
questions but we're not allowed to have any other communication with IFA.
Salih: Do you have any other plan if, uh, say cannot use the tax credit for building the 36
family housing? Do you have another plan for ... uh, for affordable housing?
Carr: Yes. So we, um, our hope, and we've had very open conversation with the, um,
sellers that if we're not selected this round, we'd like the opportunity to extend
our purchase agreement, and potentially go in for another round of funding next
year. So I don't know that they'll be agreeable to that or not, and we'll have
discussions with our group on the ..... what our next steps would be if we choose to
close on the land and then move forward on something else. Um, but we have
done that in other instances where we're not funded the first round, and we are...
our seller will allow us to extend for a year, um, and then we are hopefully funded
the next round. And applications are just once a year. So they go, um, they're
due usually in November timeframe.
Salih: Uh huh.
Carr: And then we find out in March, and this year's actually really early. Usually it's
the end of March. This year their March meeting is March 14a'.
Salih: And this 36 housing will (unable to understand) of the project or....
Carr: I'm sorry, what was the first part of the question?
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Salih:
Carr:
I said it will be (unable to understand ) project or .... later on, which more like, the
timeline I mean.
Oh, so phase one is the northwest portion, and that's 36 units. That's the
application we have in right now.
Salih: Uh huh.
And then phase two, um, if we're selected on phase one, uh, we'd look to
probably go back for more low income housing tax credits on phase two of the
site. So, we're looking at potentially senior but could also be family, depending
on .... this is kinda... it's a tight site with the zoning requirements (unable to
understand) number of units. They can all fit, but the .... we can't necessarily
maximize. So seniors get a 25% bonus on the site. So .... that would be something
else the City could look at, if I can throw that in, a bonus! (laughter) Um, of
density, for affordable housing.
Throgmorton: Okay! Great! Any other questions for Megan? Thanks so much.
Carr: Thank you!
Salih: Megan, I'm sorry! For the .... how do you guys do, like mixing (mumbled) for the
36 or all of them in one place or how will be look like?
Carr: Yeah, so it's one building, um, but it'll be a mix of 30%, 40%, 60% market rate,
and that'll be mixed between one, two, and three-bedroom units.
Salih: Great! Okay, thanks!
Carr: And all of the units will be identical. So there'll be no differentiating between the
different rent levels.
Salih: Sure. Thanks!
Throgmorton: Anybody else like to address this topic? Okay, seeing no one, I ... I want to remind
you that, song, remind you that the Commission voted 5-0 in favor of annexation.
So, are you inclined to vote in accord with the Commission's recommendation?
Okay, good. I'm gonna close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I have a
motion please?
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Page 26
b) Consider a Resolution
Mims: Move the resolution.
Salih: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, second by Salih. Discussion?
Botchway: So I, uh, I don't want to apologize just for not remembering, um, cause it was
literally like a .... I was in between meetings and I had to fly in there for like five
to seven minutes and fly out, um, but this was, um, a lot of what was said before
kind of jogged my memory, so I appreciate you coming up. You know, I .... I'm
definitely supportive of, uh, this annexation and, um, just interested in .... I think
there was ... I think I may have mentioned some concern about transportation and
the .... the bus routes out there, I think that was a question I had. Um, but in
general I'm very supportive of moving forward with this particular
recommendation, for all the things that, you know, you've already articulated. I
don't wanna just repeat `em.
Throgmorton: Any other discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Page 27
Item 6. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 6c Rezoning Herbert Hoover Highway — Ordinance rezoning
approximately 8.62 acres of property from County Commercial (C) and
County Multifamily Residential (RMF) to Interim Development Multifamily
Residential (ID -RM) zone for 5.86 acres and Interim Development Single
Family for 2.76 acres located at 4643 Herbert Hoover Highway SE. (REZ17-
00020)
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: Uh, any disclosures?
Dilkes: You can just incorporate the disclosures from the last time into this.
Throgmorton: All right (both talking) So done! Oh, that's not a sentence! I'm gonna open the
public hearing. (bangs gavel) Anyone.... Megan!
Carr: Yeah, I'm just gonna say one more thing. So the only, the main reason why, like
Bob mentioned that we're going for Interim Development here is we haven't
figured out a lot of the utilities yet. So that if you're curious on .... I know he
mentioned it, but I wanted to kind of reiterate.
Throgmorton: You're referring to water and sewer?
Carr: Yeah and so we haven't done a lot of that analysis and the demand, uh, required
and what infrastructure would need to be potentially upgraded. So, um, once
we're selected, our hope would be to start working through that process with our
engineers and the City staff, um, then come back, um, you know, in summer time
or so, uh, to kind of review, you know, what we're looking at doing here and
what's needed. So .... I just wanted (both talking)
Throgmorton: Megan, I understand that, um .... you or agents of the developer held a good
neighbor meeting.
Carr: We did! Yep!
Throgmorton: Can you tell us about that?
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Carr: Yeah, we had two .... two neighbors show up, um, and .... um, both of them, one
was located to the south of the site, and the other was located a little bit further to
the east, both within County limits. Uh, they both .... um, one indicated he was
having some issues with water flow on a different development and was
concerned about that, and I indicated that, um, at ... if we move forward and as we
move forward, um, that he can contact me or our on-site, uh, construction team
with any kind of water issues. We obviously follow, uh, a (can't hear) plan and
whatnot, but um, we did talk a little bit about that and then the neighbor, um,
further to the east, um, spoke about, I think she has, um, some rezoning that's
going through the County right now or adding additional homes to that area, and
so just more curious on what we were planning to do with the site. So....
Throgmorton: Great! Thank you.
Carr: (mumbled)
Throgmorton: Thank you.
Carr: Yep!
Throgmorton: Would anybody else like to address this topic? All right, seeing no one, uh, again
the Commission recommended 5-0 in favor of, uh, of approval. Are you inclined
to vote in .... consistently with that? Okay. I said consistently with that. Just to be
clear. All right, I'm going to close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I
have a motion please?
b) Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration)
Thomas: Move first consideration.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
Cole: I guess I'd just like to briefly follow upon what Kingsley had said. What I love
so much, I know we have some details to work out with this project ... what I love
about this, we've had a lot of discussions about making sure that every part of the
community has the opportunity for affordable housing, and then we have truly
mixed income neighborhoods. That's much easier said than actually done, and so
what's so exciting about this particular project is that we're actually sort of
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following through. We have a good responsible developer that's reached out to
the neighbor, and it seems like it's, you know, it's gonna be a great project. So
it's just nice to see that vision actually, um, achieved.
Throgmorton: Anyone else?
Taylor: I had some concerns about it when I first was reading about it, but the more I've
heard, uh, and the more I see and can visualize it, it sounds like a very good
project. Very worthwhile.
Salih: Of course I love the 36 unit (unable to understand) tax credit and .... I encourage
all the developer to be just like you set an example and some other people can do
the same thing.
Throgmorton: No further discussion? Roll call please. Carries 7-0.
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Item 6. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 6d Rezoning 703 to 709 S. Dubuque Street to Riverfront Crossings —
Ordinance conditionally rezoning approximately .48 acres of property from
Intensive Commercial (CI -1) zone to Riverfront Crossings -Central Crossings
Subdistrict (RFC -CX) zone located at 703, 705, and 709 S. Dubuque Street.
(REZ17-00018). (Second Consideration)
Throgmorton: This is second consideration, but the applicant has requested expedited action.
Mims: I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be considered and voted on for
passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting at which it is to be finally
passed be suspended, that the second consideration and vote be waived, and that
the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time.
Salih: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims.....
Salih: Second.
Throgmorton: Second by Salih. Discussion? I should, uh, before proceeding any farther, I
should ask if anybody needs to make a ex parte disclosures? I don't see any.
Okay. Discussion? This is on the application for expedited action, and uh,
Maz... Mazahir, you haven't gone through this before but .... either the staff or the
applicant can request expedited action, which condenses two (both talking) and
two votes into one. They can only do it after the first reading has already been
voted on. So ... then .... then later on you can do the, combine the second and third.
We don't have to do it. So, uh, a kind of question one might normally ask is
something like, uh, so why does the, uh, applicant want to have expedited action?
The answer's usually pretty straightforward, but I'll ask that question (laughs) so
wh... Geoff or Bob or .... yeah, there you are, Bob!
Miklo: They've indicated to us that, uh, they would like to take advantage of the
construction season, um, to get this started earlier, uh, so that it can be finished
and rented earlier.
Throgmorton: Yeah, thank you. See, Maz, that's almost always the answer, so....
Salih: (laughs) Okay.
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Throgmorton: Okay, so any further discussion about this? I .... I guess I don't see any reason to
object. Uh, I'm .... I doubt that any .... we're going to end up opposing the
development. We discussed it pretty thoroughly last time. So .... I'm gonna
support it. Okay. No further discussion? Roll call please. All right, motion
carries 6-1, what?
Mims: I move that the ordinance be finally adopted at this time.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: All right, so mo, ... moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? I... this
is not my ideal thing. I .... last time I said somethin' about the station plaza. I
really don't like the idea of eliminating the possibility of having it. Uh, especially
since there's renewed interest in the Crandic line in one way or another. I also am
concerned about, uh, the importance of not confounding .... the idea of having....
usable open .... I'm sorry. Usable open space, privately owned usable open space,
not confounding that with public space that's open to the public and .... and acts as
pretty much the .... a pocket park for the neighborhood. They're not the same
thing. But it seems to me what we're really looking at here is a choice between
development that is consistent with existing CI -1 zoning, or redevelopment
consistent with the RFC -CX zoning. Uh, so I prefer the latter. But I .... I do think
what I see is the need to revisit the .... 2013 Riverfront Crossings plan at some
point in the next couple years, because we're seeing development and it's, you
know, things have changed, when the .... from when the plan was first developed.
So, we should probably take a look at it, but we can't do it right away.
Thomas: Yeah, I would support that, Jim.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Okay, any further discussion? Hearing none .... roll call please. Motion
carries 6-1, Taylor in the negative, as was the case, uh, previously. Could I have a
motion to accept correspondence please?
Botchway: So moved.
Mims: Second (both talking)
Salih: Second.
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Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims Salih. That's a joke, Kellie (laughter)
Okay, uh, so all in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries.
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Item 6. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 6e Rezoning Sensitive Areas Plan for Lincoln School — Ordinance
rezoning approximately 3.6 acres of property from Neighborhood Public (Pl)
to Planned Development Overlay Neighborhood Public (OPD/Pl) zone
located at 300 Teeters Court. (REZ17-00016) (Pass and Adopt)
Throgmorton: I need to ask if there are any disclosures that need to be made.
Botchway: No, but uh, as I said before, I'll be recusing myself (both talking) project but (both
talking)
Throgmorton: .... sit and don't talk. (several talking) Uh, okay, could I have a motion to pass
and adopt please?
Miklo: Um, staff is, uh, asking that this be deferred to your next meeting. We received
an updated, uh, plan just today and there's, uh, we need an opportunity to review
that.
Throgmorton: Okay.
Miklo: It .... we.....we don't anticipate any issues, uh, but we .... we do need to look at that
plan.
Throgmorton: Okay. Got it! Okay, so disregard what I just said. Could I have a motion to defer
to February the 20 .... February the 20"i, right?
Taylor: So moved (both talking)
Mims: So moved.
Throgmorton: Moved by Taylor, seconded by Mims. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call
please.
Dilkes: It's a (both talking)
Throgmorton: .... uh, yeah, all in favor say aye. Opposed. Hearing none, uh, motion carries.
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Item 7. Riverfront Crossings Park, Phase 3 - Resolution approving plans,
specifications, form of agreement, and estimate of cost for the construction of
the Riverfront Crossings Park, Phase 3 Project, establishing amount of bid
security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to
bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: I'll open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Good evening, Juli. Good evening
again!
Seydell-Johnson: Hi! Okay, phase three Riverfront Crossings coming together very quickly. If
you've been out in the .... out in the park area, the trails open, so the public's
welcome to walk through the park, even as it's under construction. Um, you've
seen this drawing lots of times before — the master plan for the entire site. Um,
I'll just talk more specifically about phase three, which is, uh, what's going out to
bid right now. It includes two shelter combination restroom facilities. One of
them here by the event area, and one of them over here off the parking lot, kind of
closer to the nature play area. Um .... here on the .... the actual photo taken
at ... towards the end of, um, November, one restroom here, um, one restroom....
here in this location. This is a rendering of the restroom, shelter combination.
Uh, individual stall restrooms, unisex, each one. Package also includes lighting
throughout the park. So this shows the different, um, placement of the lighting
throughout, and there's three different primary types of lighting that you'll see.
Um, this is kind of the medium style light, which'll be along the trail along the
western side of the park. Um, this is kind of the shorter, smaller level lighting
that will be on the interior trails within the park. And then we have kind of larger
street lighting toward the Kirkwood side and the main entrance into the parking
area of the park. The other thing included in phase three is signage throughout,
directional signage, and smaller entrance signage. I want to, uh, mention though
that the main entrance sign, similar to what you might see down at Terry
Trueblood Park, has not yet been de ... designed and is not included in this
package. Um, the site package follows the park master plan specifications, um,
you'll see these at a couple different entrances through the park, along with maps
and directional. It's a large enough park that we want to give people a clear
direction on how to get to the difference parts of it. Um, and then smaller blade-
like directional signs throughout. Answer any questions.
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Throgmorton: I'd like to ask you a question about lighting. Could you go back to the last .... I
don't know, exterior light that .... yeah, I... just goin' on what I see here, but I
think it's really crucial that lighting focus downward, not out.
Seydell-Johnson: Yeah. And it definitely does.
Throgmorton: (both talking)
Seydell-Johnson: These are all (both talking)
Throgmorton: ... definitely does?
Seydell-Johnson: ... very energy efficient designed specifically with that in mind.
Throgmorton: Okay, good. It's crucial for a new park. Any other questions for Juli?
Botchway: This is somewhat (both talking) This is somewhat backwards, cause I'm already,
you know, I've been supportive of prior phases, and I know that, um, not neces...
I'm in the minority, um, on Council when (mumbled) talk about walking and car
usage, I know that, you know, Susan may ride her bike and Jim and John will
walk and whatever the case may be before us, more vehicular, uh, inclined. Have
we thought about parking? Uh.... how that's gonna be affected .... espec.... I was, I
was probably going to either park illegally or park at the County. Um, have we
had discussions with them as far as what that looks like?
Seydell-Johnson: Geoff and I actually had discussions, preliminary discussions, this week. Um,
we're going to talk with them in a work session soon to formalize that, hopefully,
so that we can have parking in the County lots during their non -business hours.
Uh, there is a small parking area within the park, but .... yeah.
Throgmorton: And I'm really glad to hear that. Didn't know about the conversation. Yeah.
Cole: Wasn't there going to be a community garden? Is that north of this space or is
that a different phase?
Seydell-Johnson: It's shown in the original master plan. It's not actually been shown in the more
recent master plan.
Cole: Okay.
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Seydell-Johnson: But, um, it was up in this area that, uh, in the land that we don't own yet. So
(both talking)
Cole: Okay. That's what I thought. Okay.
Throgmorton: Other questions for Juli? I don't hear any. Thank you so much! Would anybody
else like to address this topic? Okay, seeing no one, I'm going to close the public
hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I have a motion?
b) Consider a Resolution
Botchway: Move resolution.
Thomas: Second.
Tbrogmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Thomas. Discussion?
Mims: Just excited to see this park keep moving forward. It's going to be .... it's such an
amenity for this community. It's going to be fantastic, and I'm glad to hear about
the discussions of parking, sharing some parking with the County. Um, the less
paving and stuff we can do and having their spot sitting empty on nights and
weekends and be able to use it for community members is great.
Cole: I cannot wait to use this park. Just wow! It's phenomenal.
Throgmorton: Okay, so we .... except for Kingsley, we can have a, I don't .... and maybe some
others, I don't know, but we could have a ... sort of a .... a bike entourage (laughter)
go down there (laughs)
Cole: ...to the Bike Library, Kingsley. We'll get ya goin'!
Botchway: I'm more than interested. I know that I've been seeing some of these carriages at
the back of certain bikes. I'm more than willing to sit in the back of somebody's
(laughter) Let me know!
Throgmorton: All right, uh.... let's see, we did that, did that, any further discussion? Hearing
none, roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Item 8. 2018 Roof Improvements — Water Treatment Plant & Water Distribution
Facility - Resolution approving plans, specifications, form of agreement, and
estimate of cost for the construction of the 2018 Roof Improvements — Water
Treatment Plant & Water Distribution Facility Project, establishing amount
of bid security to accompany each bid, directing the City Clerk to post notice
to bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: I'll open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Would anybody care to address this
topic? Seeing no one, I'll close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
b) Consider a Resolution
Botchway: Move resolution.
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. Discussion?
Mims: One of those mundane necessities! (laughter)
Throgmorton: Well I don't know (several talking and laughing) Any other discussion? Hearing
none, roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Item 9. Amendment to Title 2, City Ordinances - Ordinance amending Title 2
entitled "Human Rights," Chapter 1, entitled "Definitions" to remove
reference to "masculine" and "feminine" from the definition of gender
identity and make it inclusive of non -binary expression. (First Consideration)
Botchway: So moved.
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. Discussion?
Botchway: I'm excited about us moving forward in this particular way. I think that, you
know, obviously as a progressive city, our policies should speak to, um, you
know, um, the continuing conversations around gender identity, um, and I ... the
only question I had is .... this has nothing to do with what our prior conversation
was around, um, looking at boards and commissions.
Dilkes: No.
Botchway: Okay. So....
Dilkes: No.
Botchway: ....I had a whole bunch of comments in relation to that, but then I read it quickly
and I remembered that wasn't what this was about.
Dilkes: Just an update.
Botchway: Yeah.
Dilkes: You remember we added gender identity many, many years ago so....
Botchway: Right.
Throgmorton: You know I think for the benefit of, not so much this audience but anybody who's
watching on TV, I wonder if you could briefly summarize.... what this ordinance
does?
Dilkes: Um .... I actually realized that it needed updated when I was doing the stuff about
gender identity for boards and commissions, and um, our current identity gender
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definition, um, talks in binary terms as es ... essentially male... and female. Um,
this change, um, recognizes that it's not binary, um, and includes, um, any
number of gender identity expressions.
Throgmorton: Great! Thanks. Any other discussion?
Salih: I'm just like really glad that our city is like looking to the (unable to understand)
something like those and to ... so we can make our city inclusive for everyone.
This is really good that we are doing something like this. Yeah.
Throgmorton: Okay, hearing no further discussion, roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Item 10. Happy Hollow Park Restroom and Shelter Replacement 2018 - Resolution
rejecting bids received on January 30, 2018 for the Happy Hollow Park
Restroom and Shelter Replacement Project 2018
Throgmorton: Could I have a motion to approve please?
Salih: Moved.
Throgmorton: Moved by Salih, second by...
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton:..... Mims. Discussion?
Taylor: I was so sad to see this, but I'm thinking, well, maybe third time's the charm,
cause isn't this, this is the second time? And so maybe the third time'll be a
charm and we'll.....we'll get something, but uh, it's just something, I know John
would like to see this too, um ..... so.... just sad to see it!
Throgmorton: I understand that conversations will take place with the neighbors about....
Fruin: Yeah, what we'd like to do, uh, what .... what we have recommended here is, um,
a rejection of the bids. Um, and ... and for us to go to the neighbors and engage
them and, um, I ... I think there .... you probably need to have the fust question
asked is ....do we still want to focus on a restroom here? Um, the restroom is the
primary driver of the cost here. Um .... and .... we typically don't have restrooms
in neighborhood -scale parks. Um, this would be one of the few ones, but there
are some unique programming elements. Um .... uh, that .... may provide some
justification for .... for a restroom. Um, I think if we just rejected the bids and
went back out, you're gonna get the same prices. These are pretty much the same
prices we got, uh, last July. So the timing issue that we thought might help didn't
help at all. Um, so I think we either need to .... you know, bite the bullet and pay
what it costs, or .... or go back and redesign the project a little bit. Um .... so
that's.... that's what we have, um, la .... laid out before you. Um, you know, if we
-do cut the restroom out, um, there would be some funds there to .... to
pro .... provide enhancements elsewhere in the park. So upgrading a playground
structure or basketball courts or whatever else the neighbors, uh, may value there.
Um, but until we can really have that conversation with the neighbors, we really
don't know, um, how they'll feel about that. I think Councilman Thomas and I
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have had some.... some other discussions, and he has a proposal that I'll let .... I'll
let him describe, and we can talk through both those options with the Council.
Thomas: Yeah, I met with, uh, Geoff and .... and Juli and staff on the .... once the bids came
back, and you know, the decision at that meeting was .... let's defer it. I mean, I'm
sorry, let's, uh, let's reject the bids, have a community meeting, and then we're
...see where we stand. Uh, I posted something on Facebook saying, you know,
the bids came in high. We'll be having a community meeting. I didn't mention
that we would...at....at that time it was looking like the Council, at least staff
would recommend, rejecting the bids. But as I began to see the responses, uh,
through social media, through Facebook, I was getting the .... the, uh, the sense
that, uh, it was not going to be likely in my view that the neighborhood would
say, oh yeah, we could live without the restroom. Um .... and.....and so my
feeling was.... we .... we could very well after this community meeting find
ourselves in a situation where the project scope had not changed, and you know, I
talked with Geoff about this. If the project scope doesn't change, the price really
doesn't change. Uh, so .... I can't predict with absolute certainty what will happen
that... happen at that meeting, but it seemed to me what would be, uh, an
approach which would give us more options and .... and, uh, in moving forward on
this would be to defer a decision on the, um, on the bids. Uh, they're good for 30
days so if we have a meeting .... uh, a timely meeting with the community, with
the neighborhood, uh, we will get a reading as to what the expectations will be.
Uh, should they decide that perhaps they can live without a restroom, great. You
know, then we .... then we can reject the bids, but if they don't, um, it seemed to
me wise to have the ability to come back and as a Council make a decision as to
how to proceed with the project, uh, because the project, if. ... if the restroom's not
out, as I was saying. You know, we've done I think everything in our good .... in
good faith to try to reduce the costs, and it just has a .... hasn't been borne out. So
if. ... if we leave open the opportunity to award the project, uh, there .... there will
be discussions at the community meeting in terms of fundraising to help bring
down the gap that we have. Uh.... but it would allow us to award the project
should we decide to do that, and .... and move forward on the project, uh, in a
timely fashion. (several talking) So that was my feeling was at this point in time,
uh, given that we have a 30 -day period which to .... to make a final decision on
that, uh, let's defer it, have the community meeting, and then report back
following that meeting.
Cole: What percentage of the cost is the restroom?
Thomas: It's substantial. I think it's what, 90 .... almost $100,000, I think.
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Seydell-Johnson: It's about 100,000 (mumbled)
Cole: Okay.
Mims: Why .... I mean I've .... I've brought this up before. I cannot fathom why these
park shelters are so expensive. You're talking more than a small house! And you
don't have insulation, and you.....I.... I just .... I don't .... I don't know if it's the
roof trusses because of the way, you know, they're designed and open,but....
Fruin: Yeah, it's (both talking)
Mims: I just can't fathom the cost. I ... I just (laughs) I just don't get it.
Taylor: I .... I agree with you, cause I mean even like the one of `em is over $100,000
more than the engineer's estimate and how it could be that different and ... and
from a health standpoint, I'd think a restroom was important. I ... I don't like to
talk about limiting the restroom, just from a health....
Seydell-Johnson: This one is a little unique because of the historic neighborhood.
Taylor: Right.
Seydell-Johnson: I would say that it's the most substantial reason here, but that .... that is part of
that limiting factor on what we can and can't do with the design on this one. Um,
we will get an idea overall when we see these Riverfront Crossings bids as well,
because that also has a restroom, although quite a bit larger than this, but.....
Cole: Is it possible to do it in stages, cause I was just sort of thinking, you know, like for
example, um, you know, like at Hickory Hill, there's just a very nuts and bolts
restroom, um, just do an updated restroom and then do anything else in the second
stage? Is that possible or am I missing that? (mumbled) we're talking 100,000
bucks. (several talking)
Thomas: ....phasing a project, we end up probably increasing the cost doing it in two
phases.
Cole: Okay.
Thomas: (both talking)
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Seydell-Johnson: The current .... the current shelter, restroom is a combined (both talking)
Cole: ...combined (both talking)
Seydell-Johnson: It would be hard to take one down and not the other part.
Throgmorton: So, Geoff, according to John's suggestion, staff and probably John, I don't know
who else, would have to meet with neighbors, within the next...
Fruin: Next week.
Throgmorton: (laughs) Next week!
Fruin: Really, next week.
Throgmorton: Yeah so do you think this is viable?
Fruin: I .... I think it's viable, um, I .... I, you know, if the neighbors are not, urn .... um,
excited about eliminating the restroom possibility and redirecting the .... the
budget funds elsewhere in the park, then I think that's just a tougher decision for
the Council. Do you accept the ... the bids just knowing that they're.... they're high
and we'll have to use, um, reserve funds or park discretionary funds to .... to close
that gap, and then .... you know, we would cap those park discretionary funds, um,
which are really intended to be used throughout the park network. So we're
really.....funneling more money into this park at the sacrifice of some other park
needs that we have. Are you willing to make that decision, um, you know, the
fundraising piece is .... is intriguing but you're also accepting bids and so .... you
know once you've accepted `em it's your responsibility whether those funds are
raised or not. So, I .... it could be that we have the neighborhood meeting and they
express that strong desire to keep the restroom and you still have a tough decision
in front of you, um.....but it's worth having that conversation, I think.
Throgmorton: Well I'm willing to .... defer to the 20th of February on this. What do y'all think?
Botchway: I would agree.
Salih: I agree.
Cole: I would agree.
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Mims: I think this is .... and I'm willing to I just want to make one final comment. I think
this is a prime example of ....and I'm not saying it's good or bad in terms of
having the restroom or not, but I think it's a prime example of once the
community is used to something, trying to take something away is very, very
difficult, and .... I go back to what we're doing on the .... the funding in terms of
affordable housing, when that is in all likelihood not.... sustainable. I think it's
gonna set up for future councils an incredibly, uh, difficult situation in terms of
prioritizing and potentially taking away something, whether it's the affordable
housing dollars or from some other area because... it will not be sustainable going
forward to do everything we're doing, and I think this is just a prime example of
how, you know, a restroom in a park, people used to having it there and.....my
guess is at the community meeting it'll probably come out very strongly wanting
to continue it there.
Thomas: Well as Geoff said, there are special uses that historically, um, take .... take
advantage of the fact that there is a restroom there. So it would change the use of
the park, to take it out.
Salih: I just wanna reply to Susan comments. Uh.... I completely understand the high
cost for the bathroom, but they always (unable to understand) affordable housing
as a need (unable to understand) as a want for the people in this community.
Mims: Oh I agree!
Salih: Uh, yeah (both talking)
Mims: ....taking things away.
Salih: We spend a lot of stuff in like (unable to understand) but we don't say a lot about
affordable housing. That's just my input.
Throgmorton: Okay. Eleanor, can you, uh, clarify for me, we have a motion on the floor, which
is to approve the motion.
Dilkes: You just make a motion to defer.
Throgmorton: Right (both talking)
Botchway: So moved!
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Throgmorton: Moved by...
Salih: Second!
Throgmorton: This is a motion to defer, uh, moved by Botchway, seconded by Salih. All in
favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Could I have a motion to accept
correspondence?
Botchway: So moved.
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. All in favor say aye. Opposed.
Motion carries.
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Item 12. Public Works Facility — Phase 1- Resolution approving, authorizing and
directing the Mayor to execute and the City Clerk to attest an agreement by
and between the City of Iowa City and Neumann Monson Architects Inc. to
provide architectural and engineering consultant services for the Public
Works Facility - Phase 1 Project
Botchway: Move resolution.
Taylor: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Taylor. Discussion? Hi, Ron. You're still
here!
Knoche: Good evening, Ron Knoche, Public Works Director. Um, I just wanted to .... just
kind of remind you of what we're .... what we're doing down at the Public Works
site with this phase one project. Uh, we will be consolidating our Streets, Traffic,
Engineering, and ad .... admin building with our Water distribution, our Refuse,
and Traffic Engineering folks. Um, the .... the map shows, uh, what our .... kind of
what the .... the overall master plan was, which is what we looked at in November
of 2016. Um, the first phase would include vehicle, uh, storage, uh, shop space
for our traffic engineering, our Water distribution folks, and our Streets staff, and
a wash bay, uh, that currently is over at the existing Public Works site. We would
relocate that. Um, we have, uh, on site a fire training tower that will be installed,
and a reuse of existing warm storage that our Refuse department uses, or division
uses, and that would be re -purposed for Police and Fire, uh, storage, and potential
evidence storage. Um, and then we would also be lookin' at a, uh, potential
locker room remodel of the .... on the existing admin building, um, to offer
additional staff to be on site. Um, what we would be lookin' at is basically
kicking off immediately once, uh, once we .... you have the contract signed, uh, we
would be lookin' March through May of our schematic design and design
development, um, moving into construction documents in June, and with
construction starting in September and going through, uh, October of 2019. Uh,
we will be, uh, looking at LEED.... a LEED project gold, uh.... if we can get there,
um, Neumann Monson has brought on C -Wise to be their, uh, sustainability
consultant, uh, as a part of the design team. Uh, so, um, you know, we'll be
looking at that, and that'll be a driver as we move forward on the project.
Throgmorton: Good deal! Any questions for Ron?
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Botchway: Hey, Ron, just on that second phase of the schematic design and design
development, we're planning on, you know, just incorporating .... I know that we
have gone through a deliberative process of input, but will there be a committee
or a team of folks that can provide additional input as we move through this
particular phase as well?
Knoche: That's correct. We'll... we'll go back to staff and....with the original master plan,
we did design (mumbled) with staff, urn .... on site to .... to work through those
things. We'll go back to those same groups of. ... same work groups, and get
feedback, uh, as we move forward.
Cole: I think you maybe already answered this earlier, but this will have a solar
component to it, that's being evaluated I'm assuming with the (can't hear) or.....
Knoche: So it ... it's kine of two -fold right now. So we .... we have a, our solar RFP, um,
that we're working through, um, the Public Works site is identified as .... as one of
those areas that we'll look at. Um, and then we will make sure, if it's not
incorporated with the project, that the roof structure, you know, the .... the
structural numbers would be sized appropriately to be able to mount solar panels
on the roof.
Throgmorton: Any other questions for Ron? All right. Thanks, Ron.
Knoche: Thank you!
Throgmorton: All right, we have a motion on the floor. Any further discussion? Hearing none,
roll call please. Motion carries 7-0.
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Item 14. City Council appointments - Motion making two-year City Council
appointments
Item 14a. Economic Development Committee (3) 2016-17 appointees — Mims,
Throgmorton, Cole
Botchway: So moved.
Throgmorton: Uh, well it has to do with the Economic Development Committee and the
appointees would be Susan Mims, me Jim Throgmorton, and Rockne Cole. Is
there a.....
Botchway: So moved.
Taylor: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Taylor. Is this a voice vote? All in favor say
aye. Opposed. (both talking) I'm .... what?
Salih: I said there is no discussion here?
Throgmorton: Yeah, there should be, I'm sorry! My bad!
Salih: Okay, I really would.....I think the Economic Development Committee really an
important committee that I believe everyone on the Council would like to maybe
serve in to learn more, um.....I know that it's three people only. I don't know if
there is any way we can expand that committee or .... if there is restriction or.....I
don't know. Like expand the people to be on that committee.
Throgmorton: Well there's a risk .... if we expanded the committee to five people, those five
people would not be able to discuss any item on the Economic Development
Committee's agenda, except during the Economic Development Committee
meetings, and that'd be pretty weird for a seven -person Council, for five people
not to be able to talk .... about stuff havin..... that's part of the Economic
Development Committee's agenda.
Salih: It'd have to be like an odd number, that what you're saying. It's not like four.
Throgmorton: Well it does have ... it should be an odd number in order to get passage of votes
(both talking)
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Dilkes: Three of those five wouldn't be able to.....
Salih: Say that again.
Dilkes: Three of those five (both talking)
Throgmorton: Sorry, yes, that's correct (several talking)
Dilkes: ...have a conversation outside the....
Fruin: It's the Open Meetings Law, so, um ... just that's what .... that's what governs that.
A quorum of any body, um, cannot have a discussion outside of a posted meeting.
Salih: Sure, but .... why are those five can meet outside and talk about this. I guess
they .... they will talk about during the committee meeting, not outside. And (both
talking)
Throgmorton: They could not talk about it outside, yeah.
Salih: Yes, but (both talking)
Cole: Two or less could.
Throgmorton: Two or less could. Right.
Salih: Okay.
Mims: The other issue that you have though is then you basically have commi....
decisions that should be made at the Council level, actually being made at the
committee level because you have a .... potentially, because you have a majority of
the Council on the committee, and then I don't think you're gonna get the same
amount of public input and discussion, um, at that committee level as you do here.
The committee reviews those things, make the recommendations, brings it to
Council, um, I think in general I think more of the public looks at our packets and
our agendas than probably does the Economic Development Committee. Um,
I .... I guess it doesn't make sense to me to ever have the majority of a board be on
a subcommittee of that board or council.
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Dilkes: We ... we, I was just thinkin', we'd probably have to post it as a Council meeting
and a committee meeting, because really you're (several talking) then you've got
a majority of the Council.
Salih: Is it .... I'm gonna ask you again, is it legal or illegal? Is that something legal to do
it?
Dilkes: You can do it! Legally!
Salih: Okay. I'm proposer to make it five people. Or .... four, you said cannot be four.
Five. As long as it's legal!
Throgmorton: Well that's a topic that differs from the motion that's on the floor, right? So how
would .... how would I accommodate Mazahir's suggestion?
Dilkes: Well you can .... you can vote on this motion and then you can make a (laughs)
make a motion to .... to change it to a five -person committee and then you can vote
on the, whether to have five people on that committee, or you can withdraw the
motion that's on the floor for the (mumbled) three.
Mims: Is the expansion of the committee something that would need to be on the agenda
or could we do that under what's posted here as part of the agenda tonight?
Dilkes: (several talking) ....given appropriate notice. (both talking)
Mims: Okay!
Throgmorton: Uh, it seems to me we could vote on the motion that's on the floor, which has to
do with three people being appointed to that committee, and then turn to your
motion, see if there's a second for that, and then a vote on it. Yeah? (several
talking)
Cole: ....called the question, have we even voted on it yet?
Dilkes: Kellie says you already voted on the....
Fruehling: It was just a voice vote.
Throgmorton: Well we did because I blundered by not asking for (several talking)
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Dilkes: I think you can leave that as it is, and I think you can move on to now, um, if
Salih wants to make a motion (both talking)
Throgmorton: Okay.
Dilkes: ....larger committee, then you can take (both talking)
Throgmorton: Okay. All right, so I'll just state for the record that, uh, the motion was, uh,
passed, with regard to appointing those three individuals to the committee. Okay,
Maz, you have a motion you want to make, correct?
Salih: Yes.
Throgmorton: Why don't you state it?
Salih: I would like to make a motion to expand the Economic Development Committee
from three to five.... people.
Throgmorton: Okay. Is there a second?
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims .... I'm sorry, uh, Salih, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
I .... I don't think it's a good idea for reasons that have already been articulated.
Mims: I agree.
Taylor: So do I.
Thomas: It does seem a large (laughs) that's a large committee for a group of seven
Councilors.
Salih: Because I .... I guess (unable to understand) if you're gonna serve on that
committee for many years, how we going to give other people a chance to talk
about this? I was trying to be on that committee and the first thing that, you
know .... I guess the Mayor said we have to wait for Rockne, and I think, you
know, why not the people who have served many years, to step down so other
people can serve?
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Throgmorton: It's a .... it's a valid, completely valid question. I think the facts at hand are that
I've been on the committee for two years. Rockne's been on the committee for
two years. Susan has been on longer, I don't know exactly how long.
Salih: I guess .... how long Susan .... you been there? If I may ask.
Mims: I ... yeah, you're welcome to ask. I.. A honestly don't remember if I started on
there when I started on Council or not. So I've been on probably six or eight
years.
Salih: Over six year?
Mims: Uh huh.
Taylor: I think you were probably initially appointed because of your financial
background (both talking)
Mims: No! I don't .... I don't necessarily think it was my financial background. I think it
was a strong interest in economic development and .... and how that impacts the
city overall.
Salih: I think everyone if they need to learn, they have to do the things, so they can have
experience and learn. And if you don't think expanding the committee so people
can learn, uh, it's a good idea. I guess also there is .... (unable to understand) that
we can like be able to have to have a limited serve in a certain committee. So we
can .... we can have like equal opportunities.
Throgmorton: So another thing I think, Maz, is that .... when a person first gets on the Council,
you gotta kinda learn the things that happen and how the Council proceeds. So
two years on, there's no reason whatsoever why you couldn't be on that
committee, or anybody else up here.
Salih: Rockne didn't he started as soon as....
Throgmorton: Sony?
Cole: Yeah, I did.
Salih: Rockne started as soon as he become a Council or Rockne will be different that I.
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Cole: No (several talking)
Throgmorton: Yeah, cause we had three new Council Members, Maz.
Botchway: You know I .... I seconded the motion cause I'm always interested in discussion,
and you know, I do think that we need to, um, I'm not necessarily agreeing with
the expansion of the committee. I will, however, agree of a deeper conversation
about looking at, um, how we put ourselves on committees. I'm not necessarily
proposing myself, but we hold our boards and commissions to standards that we
wouldn't necessarily allow for them to continue on. I don't see why we wouldn't
hold ourselves to the same standard. Um, you know, not too long ago when we
were talking about the opportunity for, you know, Mayor Pro Tem, we talked
about wanting to make sure that everybody on Council had that opportunity. I
thought that was a .... a great point and I think that, you know, it applies to this
situation as well, to ensure that, you know, multiple people have opportunities to
be on a .... a wide range of committees. Now I think there's some committees that
I think that when we talked about it, people weren't interested in doing so. I think
John was trying to get, you know (laughs) not get off a committee, but if anybody
else wanted to do something else, you know, it would available to somebody else,
but I .... I would ..... I would consider .... uh, the potential opportunity to talk more
about we .... our limit on committees. Because I do think, you know, in
fluctuation with Council, it's important for everybody to get their fair shake and
be able to step up and, um, have an opportunity to learn more about, you know,
the different committees that we as a Council, um, promote and, you know, get
information from.
Throgmorton: Any further discussion? So .... there's a motion on the floor. Roll call please.
(several talking) It's a voice vote. Okay. All in favor of Maz's, uh, motion say
aye. All opposed say aye. Motion, uh, is defeated. Uh.... is it, um, I don't really
fully understand the law here on this, what I'm going to ask about. Can a Council
Member sit in on Economic Development Committee meetings, not speak but just
observe and learn from observing? And you don't have to, uh, you know .... you
know publish an agenda for the whole Council or somethin'. Yeah.
Taylor: Even though it would be a .... a fourth Councilperson present there. I wondered
that too.
Throgmorton: Yeah, so there's another pathway, just being present .... the Economic
Development Committee, I don't know, last year met .... six times maybe,
somethin' like that. I .... I don't know exactly, somethin' like six times. So you
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could easily sit in on those meetings and learn what comes before the Economic
Development Committee.
Salih: I would like to be part of the decision maker and that's why being elected (unable
to understand) and watch and not be part of it. But I'm gonna put another motion
on the floor ..... to.....limit the time each Council Member serve in the Economic
Development Committee.
Mims: Why just that one committee?
Taylor: There's a number of committees.
Salih: Because I think this is .... or any committees. Okay. Any committees. And even
though I think this is really important committees, but .... any committees.
Botchway: So I can't ... this is weird! I can't second that right now. I'm interested in it. Is
there .... I can't second that. I mean maybe somebody else is willing to second
(both talking)
Throgmorton: (mumbled) work session....
Botchway: Yeah, that's what I'm interested in, I mean I'd like to have more of a
conversation, cause I'd like to look at all the different committee structures. I
actually think you have a really valid point.
Salih: That's fine. I'm just putting my motion on floor. Second, okay? No one second
it. Okay!
Throgmorton: We could have a work session discussion about it. Could you put it on the list
please? All right. Anything else?
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Item 16. Community Comment [if necessary] (items not on the agenda)
Throgmorton: Is this the last one, Ben? It's not, is it?
Nelson: Five more unfortunately for you. (laughter) Um, so good evening. Uh, Benjamin
Nelson, City Liaison for the University of Iowa Student Government. Um, so the
announcements that we have, uh.... tonight are the first City Council roundtable,
uh, that UISG will be hosting. We'll be featuring Councilor Salih and Mims.
Unfortunately Councilor Botchway couldn't make it due to schedule conflicts.
It'll be Thursday at 6:00 P.M. I think keeping in cognizant of like the ... the three-
member rule, um, if anybody else is free Thursday at 6:00 P.M. in the IMU, um,
just kinda get in contact me if you'd like to come. Uh, it'll be with the
Governmental Relations Committee of Student Government, so again, we're
emphasizing, uh, more student voices in the conversation, especially as it, uh,
speaks to City relations beyond Gustave and I. Um, we're also continuing our
talks with the night time mayor to continue funding for that. Uh, UISG has an
emphasis on making sure that the pedestrian mall, um, the .... the, it's more family -
friendly, it's more robust than just the bar scene. Uh, there's a number of
students, a large population of the student body who does not drink. Um, and the
perception is that the ped mall is not for them. Uh, so we are continuing
collaboration institutionalizing these sorts of, um, collaborations between the
Campus Activities Board, UISG, uh, and the Iowa City Downtown District. Um,
I'd also.... given the inclement weather that we've had, uh, last November
Shannon McMahon from the City, uh, got in contact with me, uh, wondering if
UISG could kind of relay City weather announcements, uh, to students.
Obviously we know students are a large part of Iowa City. Um, but they don't
always have access to the lines of communication with the City to know, you
know, when to move their car, or what have you, um and so we created these nice
graphics and we will.... from.... from hence forth be pushing out any weather
announcements that the City gives through our own lines of communication, so
we can kinda keep everybody in line there. Um and I .... my last announcement
has to do with the Off -Campus Student Advisory Board is making a lot of, uh,
progress. There's a lot of ...there's a lack of communication between students
when they move off campus, uh, that's a majority of your time at the University
of Iowa, uh, as it stands, so, uh, among the number of initiatives that we have
going on, um, include the off -campus neighborhood liaisons, which will
effectively act as kind of, uh, not our .... not resident assistants, but I think that's
the closest thing conceptually that we have, uh, to, uh, help facilitate any sort of
University communication that might need to take place or in general just provide
support. Um, the City's been a great partner with that. Stan Laverman sits on
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that committee. Uh, he's given great feedback. So I'm really excited to see
where we're going, um, as we have these broader discussions of like landlord,
student, and City relations, um, moving forward. So, that's all I have today. So
thank you very much!
Throgmorton: Thanks, Ben. I don't see anybody else who wants to speak during, uh.... during
Community Comment.
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Item 17. City Council Information
Throgmorton: Why don't we start with Pauline and move to the right.
Taylor: It was, uh, great to see all the folks here talking about, um, the things that have
been going on, uh, in ... in the city, um, and the black community. I've attended I
think ... um. (mumbled) I know Susan was there and John was there and Jim's been
there, uh, the townhall meeting initially and then they had a roundtable discussion
at Old Brick, and then just this last week they had another follow up at the, uh,
Dream Center, uh, talking about events that have been going on. Uh, so they're
....they're very engaged. They're, um, really looking at things that we can work
together with them on as far as, uh, really being the inclusive city that we .... that
we want to be. So, that... that's good to see and it's good to see so many, uh, folks
of different backgrounds at these meetings, which....which is good. Um, I
attended the Free Medical Clinic open house on the 26°i of last month. If, uh,
folks have not ever been there they should go see, uh, the facility. It's .... it's
really, uh, a .... a gem for Iowa City as far as the medical community. It's good.
Uh, Jim and I, uh, maybe you were going to mention this, uh, had the honor and
the pleasure of meeting with, uh, some international visitors from the
International Visitor Leadership Program on the 22"d, and uh, if you can go into
Jim's Facebook page, I shared a .... a concert. It was an impromptu concert by two
of the members. They had a strong, all of them had strong interests in music and
the arts, and uh, one of them, uh, doesn't go anywhere without his violin, and he's
quite accomplished violin player and he played the violin and, uh.... um, he was,
uh, from Bolivia and the fella from Viet Nam, Vin, uh, played a bamboo
instrument and it was .... it was very nice. It was really great, and it was good to
hear them say how much they loved our community, which is good and several
even said, `Oh, I would live here if I .... if I could, if the opportunity arose,' so that
was good to (both talking)
Throgmorton: Great duet!
Taylor: It was wonderful. It was really wonderful! Uh, let's see here .... I think this comes
before our next meeting. The Iowa City Federation of Labor has their annual
chile supper on Thursday, February 150'. I know, uh, although that ... that's a
conflict with the, uh, Chamber banquet. Chamber banquet is at 5:00 and chile
supper's at 6:00.
Cole: When did it move to the 22"d? I thought it was maybe moved (several talking)
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Taylor: No, they originally moved it to the 22nd, thinking it was conflicted with, uh, the
DVIP fundraiser. And then they found out the DVIP fundraiser is the 22nd and the
Chamber is the one it conflicts with. So they moved it back to the 151i. So it's
very confusing but (laughs) urn ..... so, Susan, you're probably going to the ... are
you going to the Chamber?
Mims: I think there's six of us signed up for the Chamber.
Taylor: Okay. I was signed up originally (several talking)
Throgmorton: .... last few years is go to one and then go to the other (laughs) (several talking)
Taylor: ....I may still do that! Uh, let's see here, and Susan and I have a listening post on
the 22nd. Uh, looking forward to that. That'll be at....at Kirkwood. And I think
the ... the students, uh (mumbled) correspondence, uh, you'd recommended that we
have a listening post, uh, somewhere on campus, and um, John and I had .... had
one a the Old Capitol Town Center a year or so ago, and several students attended
that cause that was the same thought was that the students would be .... it's close to
the campus so that's an idea we can consider again sometime is somewhere in
that ... that vicinity. That would be good. Um, otherwise, guess that's all!
Botchway: Um, tomorrow participating in a "Ask A Lawyer" radio show, um, by one of my
law school colleagues, tomorrow at 12:15. Um, don't practice, I'm not a lawyer,
but should be fun. Um, there's a .... on Thursday there's an African workshop,
um, as .... as many of you know, or may .... maybe you don't know, urn .... uh, my
dad's from Ghana so I have some Guyanese heritage and, um, it's put on by a
Ghanan, um, not PhD students, but they are getting currently.... one's getting their
PhD and others are part of the Writers Workshop and they'll be putting this on at
the Boyd Law School at 2:00, um, and it's just a workshop, really speaking into
words, um, the pain and suffering (mumbled) passage. Um, there's been a lot
of. ... I'm glad you mentioned there's been a lot of comment ... or, townhall
meetings and everything. Fortunately it's always been on Thursdays, um, I think
I mentioned it to John, but I don't think I mentioned to everyone else. Thursdays
I teach a class at Kirkwood, Intro to Law Class, and so it kind of cancels that out
for three years .... or three hours in the evening, but that's been really fun. Um,
February 15°i, Mazahir and myself, um, are participating in a news conference
with the, uh, Journalism program here. They spin some, uh, rapid fire questions
and so that should be fun. I'm headed to the Chamber annual banquet that
evening, but I'm only going to be there for 30 minutes because I have that class,
and so I'm gonna be in and out. I'm just gonna say `hey' and `bye' and grab
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some food. Um, I'll be participating in an executive MBA program on February
10h, around noon as well, um, to talk about kind of the City and, uh, the
challenges, but also the benefits of living in Iowa City. February 17th, I just
wanted to highlight, um, in.... in the spirit of Black History Month, um ..... uh, a
group of AKAs with, uh, former teachers Diane .... Diana Henry, um, Barbara
Hawk, um, they put on a program, um, every.....third Saturday to really focus on
state of opportunities for students of color. You know, we have a lot of
people...... you know, people talk about wanting to do stuff in the community, um,
in relation to providing opportunities for youth of color, and some people just talk
about, not necessarily do it, and so just proud of, you know, former teachers, now
retired, stepping up, wanting to help out in any way they can, and many of you
know Diana Henry from many of the things she participates in, and Barbara Hawk
as well, but just wanted to ... it was on my list of things to do, cause I have to open
the door for `em every single, um, or every Saturday they do that event, but just
wanted to add that. My last question actually was mentioned already by Pauline.
I see Pastor Smith here and I mean he brought up some.... some interesting points
and I was not able to participate on ... at the meeting on Friday. I wonder from a
Council standpoint, um, you know, he .... he laid out four, um, action steps, or
demands. I didn't know whether or not we were going to have some type of
conversation about it or either, you know, talk to staff about moving forward or
prov.... providing some type of a memo in response to those demands or action
steps.
Salih: Uh huh.
Throgmorton: That's a good question. Um.....
Botchway: Sorry to put you on the spot, Geoff.
Fruin: No, that's fine, um.....we would be happy to provide a memo, um, outlining the
steps we are takin', uh, I think as we mentioned on Friday, the .... we're on board
with what they, uh, have proposed. We see ... uh, the opportunity to partner with
the, uh, a good community, so um, whatever the Council needs us to do, we can
have the....the Chief come and address those points, uh, in person at your next
meeting, or we can provide a memo just, again, outlining the steps that we're
taking.
Throgmorton: (several talking) I think it would be helpful if the Chief could come to our next
work session, and explain for us .... as clearly as he can, what the department is
already doing, with regard to the actions that the .... the group asked us to take.
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Frain: Sure.
Throgmorton: Is that okay?
Botchway: Yep.
Throgmorton: Maz?
Salih: Yeah, um ...... for like regarding the meetings that I'm going to go, I guess student,
the first one is going to be a Student Government meeting, uh, Susan and I will be
there at (unable to understand) from 6:00 to 7:00, and also the next day on the 9`h,
which is Friday, I will be speaking at the conference in New Immigrant in the, uh,
Hospital Work Place, discovering like (unable to understand) sexist, and this is
will be at the Center for (unable to understand). Everyone welcome to come and
attend and see me speaking. And also on the 15 1 be invited to go to Cornell
....Cornell College I guess, or University, I don't remember in, yeah.... college,
college right? Yeah, just to speak as a, you know, immigrant who been elected to
a council, and on the 16 of course, uh (unable to understand) and ..... I'm going
with you somewhere or coming here (laughs) I guess (unable to understand) my
agenda. Anyway, that what I have in this schedule, and also I would like to really
after the people who come and spoke here, I attend the, like many meetings,
about, uh (unable to understand) about the racism and those like, uh, you know,
negative, uh, flier and comment being written on the park. I really would like the
Council to take like serious action on that, and I understand that you want the
Chief of Police to come and see what the current (unable to understand) but also if
he can look at the demand and let us know what they are doing and what they
gonna do, or what are capable to do (unable to understand) And that's if it will be
for the next work session will be great. That's all. Thanks.
Throgmorton: Okie dokie.
Cole: Yeah, to follow up on that, I think it goes without saying that we condemn in the
strongest possible terms what happened. We will absolutely stand with the
community. And I'm sure I speak for everyone in that we will use every power
that we have, rhetorical or otherwise, to work with you, um, on addressing these
issues. It's obviously a very, very serious issue, um, that we need ..... that we need
to address, um, with all our, uh, power that we have. Um .... uh, in terms of
events, I .... there's a couple different things. Um, one involves the City of
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Literature, Jim, so I don't know whether I should wait till our update on City of
Literature.
Botchway: Just roll with it!
Cole: Roll with it! Okay! Um....
Throgmorton: Don't bring it up later.
Cole: Okay, I won't br.... I won't say it twice! Um, one is .... is a really, really cool
event that I did not know about before I was on the City of Literature Board,
which is the One Book Two Book, uh, Festival, which highlights outstanding
young writers in our community, and I asked John Kenyon, uh, to give me a little
bit more detail, so I got the .... so I got it right! And he is, being in the City of
Literature, he wrote something for me. So this is by John Kenyon: The City of
Literature asks students in grades 1 through 8, from throughout the Iowa City/
Cedar Rapids corridor to submit a piece of original writing. A story, an essay,
song lyrics, a poem, or even a page from a graphic story. And we work with our
partners at ACT to evaluate that writing. One student from each Iowa City
elementary school is selected to read at a kick-off banquet, Friday, February 23`t
at the Hotel vetro, while two grade level winners are selected from among all of
the submissions, to be recognized at a special event from 1:00 to 3:00 P.M., on
Sunday, February 25th, at MacBride Auditorium. Um, this year more than 800
students have submitted work for review, which I think is just phenomenal, and it
just gets bigger and bigger every year. It's the thing to be, uh, a student writer in
the City of Iowa City. And those events bookend a day of fun and activities on
Saturday, February 20, which will feature readings, workshops, giant book
characters in costume, a book fair, and much, much more. Those events will be
from 10:00 A.M. to 4:00 P.M. at the Hotel vetro, again, Saturday, February 24, to
learn more, um visit www.onebooktwobook.orQ. So fantastic event. It is so
awesome. Put it on your calendar! And I'd be remiss if I didn't mention
Royceann Porter, Henri Harper are doing the Soul Food Fest, February 16th, at
6:00 P.M. and um, don't eat like all day before you go to that event because the
food is so good and um, I think they're in the process of raising money as well for
that, so look on Royceann's Facebook page and try to make a donation to that
event. But it's February 16th, 6:00, at the Iowa City Rec Center, Robert A. Lee.
That's it!
Thomas: Um .... I went to, uh, the Red .... event at Red Brick, uh, first of the meetings
following the townhall and I .... I will have to say .... and then I came down with
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the flu, which kind of (laughs) threw everything off, but since then, but I .... I have
to say the townhall, the.....the events at Martin Luther, over Martin Luther King
Day and then the kind of follow up townhall at Old Brick were really inspiring
events. Um, it ... I'm .... I'm just so moved by the engagement of the community.
So, uh, that ... that movement is, uh, engagement is obviously ongoing. Uh, but I
just have to say I've been very inspired by the effort, um, in response, you know,
to the .... to disturbances in the community. Um, one of my favorite events on the
18th was the, uh, of January was the Historic Preservation awards. It's just always
fun to, um, see citizens, home.... homeowners, uh, renovate their properties, uh,
it....it just .... it's transformational, you know, in the sense that you have these
buildings which really just needed a little bit of love, little bit of care, and .... they
got good bones, so they're transformed and .... and brought back to .... to a state of
beauty. Uh, and then lastly I did, I went on a .... a walk, this was driven by, uh,
Next Door Exchanges, uh, with Manville Heights. There are concerns in the
Manville Heights neighborhood with, um, traffic (laughs) and uh, parking.
Actually there's some parking issues there, driven both by commuters and special
events. So they're very well organized. Have a very long list of concerns they
have. I've encouraged them to contact staff, uh, in .... in moving forward with
this, but I was .... I was very impressed with their perception and engagement and
organization. This is not an individual or two. This is probably, I would say, a
dozen people who connected on the route, as we would ... went through Manville
Heights.
Mims: Um, a few things. Just some things I've been to and then I'll mention a couple
other things. A number of us, Pauline and John, was it just the three of us that
were at the Economic Forecast luncheon in Cedar Rapids, couple of weeks ago.
Uh, was very interesting to hear from .... from regionally the national
perspective....
Thomas: International.
Mims: Yeah, actually international, the one gentleman who's from Australia, works for
John Deere, um, talked a lot about how they see things. Some .... corn is huge
(laughs) I mean just the things he was talking about. Um, and an interesting ... I
think one of the most interesting things that we have so locally that people don't
realize, one of the best indicators, uh, of the economy is the trucking industry.
And Russ ... or Russ, god, Mike Gerdin, son of Russ, who started the company,
um, Heartland Express has been at this economic forecast luncheon for a number
of years, and he spoke very, very positively about where the economy is going.
So in spite of what the stock market did last Friday, and on Monday (laughs) um,
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I don't see .... didn't look where it ended today, um, he was very, very positive.
He said they are .... they're just.....they're just loaded up, I mean, and he
particularly pointed out the auto industry, um, and, uh, the auto industry but also
like Home Depot and Lowe's, that they .... they can't get enough trucks to .... to fill
the stores. I mean, they are just super, super busy. So it was really, really
interesting and I've been to that for a number of years and find it very, um,
informative to go to. They have some very good speakers there. Um, there was a
first round event at Merge. This is something that the Downtown District does
every month. They pick a different location. The idea of a first round is they pay
for your .... you get a ticket for your first drink, um, but just a social networking
gathering that was, uh, and it's interesting that depending on where it is, you tend
to get a different crowd. So it was very interesting to see who was there at Merge.
Had a great time. They had a trivia night on art, which the group that I was in, we
knew nothing about (laughs) We did not win any prizes! (laughs) Um, on the
24'h, had an invitation to go speak to, uh, Jeffrey Pettit's class with fourth year
medical students, um, talking about leadership, and so that was fun. They had a
lot of great questions about getting into it and .... what are the hardest decisions
and how do you balance and so it was a very interesting opportunity. Uh, went
with Geoff and the Mayor to Des Moines for the RAGBRAI announcement party.
So that was, uh, fun to actually get the actual official selection and what that's
going to mean to our community. So that's gonna be an awful lot of fun. Um,
just wanted to comment on, uh, another event that's coming up. You mentioned
the 16a' in the evening and said not to eat all day, but keep in mind that the
Employee Service Awards luncheon is that same day, from 11:00 to 1:00. So you
don't have to eat, Rockne, but (laughs) but um, it is the Employee Service Awards
luncheon at, again, at Robert A. Lee, um, so you can go there twice that day
(laughs)
Cole: Sounds good!
Mims: ...and get food. And finally, uh, to comment on some of the events, um, I was a
the townhall meeting at Old Brick. I was at the meeting at the .... the Dream
Center last Thursday night, and what I found really interesting, and I .... and I
think the com.... community has .... has taken a huge step. The meeting at Old
Brick was, as .... was an evening of, um, people expressing their frustration with
what has been going on, not just in our community but in general, um, in this
country. And the end of that meeting, um, an individual, and a number of people,
but one in particular kind of started the conversation of `I'm tired of going to
these meetings. We need to start taking action.' And, um, that is really what
happened then with the meeting on Thursday at the Dream Center. It was a very
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action -oriented meeting. Um, I think they brought in a great facilitator who had
done some planning with individuals ahead of time about what was going to be
done. They divided people into groups. Um, and .... and an interesting
transformation, I felt, in ... in the way the facilitator presented things to the group
was I don't wanna hear any more complaints. We spent last week talking about
all the bad things and .... and framing everything in a very negative perspective.
What I want you to do is start things out in different ways, but one way is `I
wish.' Okay? And she gave a number of examples. I, cause we had been talking
a lot about education. You know, I wish our students learned more about
vocational education earlier on. I wish our students had a better understanding of
what it meant to go to college and how to get through that process, etc. So the, I
don't know, six, eight groups. I don't remember how many tables we had, um,
generated a long list of `I wish' ideas, and then they asked each of the groups to
identify their top two, and then those got.....there must have been 10 tables,
because, um, reported out 21 cause one group couldn't count and they reported
three (laughs) they could count, they just couldn't narrow down to two! They
reported three instead of two items. So there were 21 kind of `I wish' items that
were reported out, that were .... went across a wide range of things, and it wasn't
just related to the educational system, and then we took a break and the core
group of people looked at those and selected four, put `em up on kind of posters
around the room, and then spent another amount of time for people to go around
to those and start writing down some actual action steps related to each of those
four items. Um, and I don't know that I can remember exactly what they were.
One of `em was building more trust between the community and authority, that
included the Police Department and teachers. One was getting a better, um,
cohesion of non -profits and organizations in town, maybe even creating a summit
to kind of figure out how they're .... how they work together, how they're getting
their funding. Mazahir and Pauline, you were both there.
Salih: I guess one of them also like how we can make this school be used, uh, for the
community (both talking)
Mims: Right.
Salih: Open the school during like evening and....
Mims: Uh huh. I probably have the other one in my notebook somewhere (both talking)
Taylor: ...the finance or uh (mumbled)
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Salih: (mumbled)
Mims: Well it's financing of the non -profits, yeah, it was .... yeah, but .... and there was
one fourth one but I don't remember, but .... but to me the key was malting this
step.... towards action, which I think was .... and so they're planning on another
meeting in two to three weeks then to keep this going, and .... and, okay, how can
we .... how could we actually move forward instead of just meeting and being
upset and complaining and I don't mean to criticize that, because people have to
vent and I understand that, but there comes a time that as people there said `We're
tired of meeting. Let's .... we want to see some....' so I thought that was really
positive. Then finally, the meeting on Friday night, um, where the Mayor and...
and the Police Chief and the City Manager were there. Um, I think everybody did
an excellent job. I think there was a good exchange. I particularly want to
publicly commend, uh, Jody Matherly, the Police of Chief .... the Chief of Police,
um, I think he did an excellent job in addressing the .... the requests or demands, if
you will, from, uh, the members there, and I think there .... he explained some of
the things that they're already doing and how they will move forward in terms of,
um, those .... those requests or demands. I .... I, um, I think he has done, uh, an
incredible job in the year, little over a year, that he's been here. Um, I think he's
absolutely devoted and dedicated to continuing to improve the relationship, uh,
between the Police Department and all members of this community. I think he's,
um, it's very clear to me from things that have happened in the last week or two
that he's.....he's made himself very, very available to people, um, in terms of
responding to those things, and, um, I think we'll see better ..... I think we'll see a
lot of things, good things happening in moving forward, so.....I know I was long-
winded. I'm sorry, but there was a lot there!
Throgmorton: You folks have been really busy! Yeah, it's great to hear! I'll tell ya a few
things. I enjoyed going to the Historic Preservation Awards ceremony. Also I
really enjoyed taking part in the Women's March on the 20'. On the 26h John,
Geoff, Ron Knoche, and I met with Senator Joe Bolkcom and four reps from the
Iowa Department of Transportation to discuss what they're doing with regard to I-
380 in .... in relation to the interchange as well. And we heard some really good
information about van pooling, express bus service, and marketing, for both of
`em. I mean really promising information from them. I was glad to hear that. I
had a really good lunch with, uh, Mayors John Lundell and Terry Donahue on the
31". Fruitful conversations with them. On the 151, Pauline and I met with the
University of Iowa's Government Relations Committee. Had a very thorough
conversation with them. On the 2°d, Geoff, Ashley, Simon, and I took part in a
phone conversation with our lobbyists in Des Moines. Geoff, you made a great
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hire there. Uh, they're really serving us well. And .... I agree with ya about the
Chief. I couldn't agree more. I think he's doin' a superb job, but I also want to
mention that he did an outstanding job testifying before a House subcommittee
earlier in the week, with regard to, uh, so-called sanctuary cities. Couldn't ask for
bet .... better representative of Iowa City government than Jody that night ... or that
day, in that subcommittee ..... meeting. Last, this is gonna be an invitation to a not
more than one of you, we'll find out who the one is, Pauline and I have invited
about 20 parents of black youth to meet with us from 6:00 to 7:30 P.M. on
Monday, February the 12°i. The idea is for us to listen and learn from them. So
Pauline and I will be there. One other Councilperson could be there, if any one of
you is interested in being present. But not more than one.
Mims: I would love to but I already have a conflict that evening.
Salih: What time?
Throgmorton: Yeah, it's from 6:00 to 7:30 on Monday the 12"'.
Taylor: We did, uh, phone invitations and the .... the people that I contacted were .... were
so excited and so enthused. I didn't get one person hang up or say definitely no or
why are you doing this. They were all very receptive. So it's going to be a
great .... great evening.
Throgmorton: Yeah, just to be clear, it's not necessary that anybody else join us, but I just
wanted to make sure it was a possibility if anybody was interested.
Mims: Definitely interested! (laughs) I wish I could!
Throgmorton: Okay, I think that's it for us Councilpeople.
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Item 18. Report on items from city staff
a) City Manager
Throgmorton: Geoff, Ashley.....
Monroe: I just have .... I have two quick things!
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Monroe: Um, one of them being, uh, we've got the tours scheduled for facilities. Uh,
we're starting at the Rec Center on February 9a'. I sent an email, I think last
week, inviting Council Members to participate in a tour, um, Juli Seydell-
Johnson's going to, um, facilitate a tour with her staff. So we're hoping to, you
know, have more of our front-line staff people involved in these tours. So, uh,
from .... this Friday from 2:00 till you know 3:00, maybe 3:30, um, we'll have a
tour at the Rec Center, Robert A. Lee Rec Center, and uh, so several of you are
welcome to attend, um, and then anybody who has a conflict, we're having a
second date. So, um, the 23'a of this month we're also having a tour. So I was
trying to gauge and see if anybody's going to participate or be able to come and
join us.
Mims: What time did you say again?
Monroe: Um, starting at 2:00.
Salih: When, again?
Monroe: Uh, this Friday. Just let me know. You guys can shoot me an email and let me
know. Yes, so Friday the 91', um, starting at 2:00 at the Rec Center, and then the
final thing is just a fun, uh (mumbled) general community announcement. Uh, the
Library's been nominated for Best Library in the Country. Uh, so it's a fun award
through a group called Engaging Local Government Leaders. Uh, we're a
member and uh, our Library's great. So if people want to vote, it's all on-line
voting, uh, pretty simple, but the Library's web site has (mumbled) so icpl.org
has, uh, a link to this survey and more information about the contest on both their
blog and their news items there. So we're hoping for ... to win. Right now we're
against this week, uh, Penn State, uh, so .... so please go out and vote! Pass the
word. This week through Friday. Thanks!
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regular formal meeting of February 6, 2018.