HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-07-03 Transcription Page 1
Item 1. Call to Order
Item la Roll Call
Throgmorton: (bangs gavel) I'd like to call to order the regular former...formal meeting of the
Iowa City City Council for July the 3'I, 2018. Roll call please. Mazahir can't be
with us tonight. Uh, she was going to be available, you know, uh,by phone,but
uh, our connections really......not work very well. So, it's not possible for that to
happen.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of July 3,2018.
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Item 3. Community Comment(items not on the agenda)
Throgmorton: This is for items not on the regular formal meeting agenda. So if anybody would
like to bring up any particular topic that is not on the formal meeting agenda,
please feel free to come up to the podium, state your name, and take not more
than five minutes to state whatever's on your mind! Good evening!
Misiag: Hi, Councilors! My name is Quentin Misaig. Um, I'm a graduate of the
University of Iowa. Um, I will be mentioning something that's related to, uh, the
public docket packet, but more broadly. I figure this'd be a good time to talk
about a few things. Um, I have lived in Iowa City my whole life, and I'd first like
to thank each and every one of you for serving as a public servant. I know that's
a lot of work and you take a lot of things, um, the public takes a lot of things for
granted for your....for your work. Um, since graduating from the University of
Iowa in 2016, I've become an engaged resident, financially supporting causes
near and dear to my heart, such as the Iowa City Downtown District's public art
project, the Riverfront Crossings Park, University of Iowa Dance Marathon, the
Daily Iowan, and soon the Englert Theatre. I shop local, uh, downtown, and
consider it a second home of mine. As a Millennial, I'm deeply concerned, uh,
with the direction this Council has taken toward development and promoting
dense in the urban walkable neighborhoods. Um, multiple sites have shown that
Millennials, elderly,uh, individuals that base barriers to independence, um, and
empty-nesters prefer living in, uh, dense, uh, neighborhoods that promote
walkability and there are areas that we can live, work, and play at the same time.
While Iowa City has been continually recognized as a great place to live, urn,
including recent rankings from Livability, uh, your lack of leadership, direction,
and support for growth will ensure that our future is one of stagnation, not one of
progress. Proposed changes to City codes are a slap in the face for those who
desperately need affordable housing in this city, a hallmark platform that much of
you, most of you, ran on. Um. I wanna ask, do each of you think that someone
seeking affordable housing would refuse said housing if a building is deemed too
tall? I would think not. While other towns in Iowa are struggling to remain
vibrant, you Councilors are turning up your noses to developments ready, willing,
and able to add critical units to our city. Uh, one proposal including the
Pentacrest Garden Apartments, uh, is just the latest project that the vast majority
of you opposed. Urn, if this site is not ideal for student housing, across from the
Main Library, next to the CRWC and not in a neighborhood I ask where do you
think a site like that and a project like that (both talking)
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Throgmorton: Quentin, please....please make your points more general. You're talking (both
talking) specifically about(both talking) one project here.
Misiag: Sure! Um....many cities and residen....and their residents would love to have an
area ripe for development, like Riverfront Crossings more generally. Mayor
Throgmorton, you were on the Council when the Riverfront Crossing codes were
enacted, and you supported them at that time. Uh, your actions are taking us
back, not forward. I want to continue to make a life in Iowa City. I grew up here.
I graduated from West High. Um,but your...the Council's unwillingness to
embrace growth and change in our community, specifically our downtown, will
drive me and, uh, Millennials like my age group out of Iowa City to places like
Des Moines, Columbus, Minneapolis, and Chicago, who have welcomed our
generation and our desire to live in walkable, dense neighborhoods. By opposing
these key urban dense projects, you Councilors are telling Millennials like myself
that we aren't welcome here. Urn....you can't claim to be progressive and then
shut out an entire generation just because you don't like tall buildings. After all,
you were elected to represent your city, not elected to lobby your personal views
against tall structures. Please understand that your actions today do have
repercussions for our future. Millennials and Iowa Citians of all ages are
watching your inability to govern for us all when it comes to future elections and
we will make our statement that you don't represent us. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Quentin. I'd be happy to talk to you any time, Quentin, by email or in
person, if you'd like to. (unable to hear response from audience) Good evening!
Bowen: My name is Ken Bowen. I'm a Commissioner at the Iowa City/Johnson County
Senior Center. And first of all I'd like to express my appreciation as well as the
Commission's appreciation for all that the City Council does in support of the
Center. I wanted to bring you up to date on some exciting, new programs. We
have a lot of people that have a lot of interests in these programs. Membership
appears to be increasing, as well as interest in a variety of unique programming,
and I encourage you, all of you, to come and participate in a class, a lecture, or
some event that we hold regularly at the Center. Some of the programs and
events that are being planned for this fall include 20th Century poetry, self-
defense,human evolution, genetics and genealogy, beginner Spanish, ukulele
lessons, nationalism and populism, grandparents and grandchildren art,
mindfulness, Mark Twain, oceanography expanded, ArtiFactory partnership,
terror of history—that's an interesting one—fall prevention, and that has nothing
to do with hanging on to summer! The history of immigration,persecution of
German-Americans, knitting 101, who you are and why, theology, senior arts
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show and open house, and if you haven't been to our gallery, please! Try to get
over there and take a look at that. I think you'll be amazed by local artists and
some of their work, especially since most of the people at the Center are over 55.
So, that's really a good thing! The Red Cedar Chamber music group will be there
this fall, and while....as well as the Racial Inequality, excuse me, Racial Inequity
movie,Buddhism. There'll be new yoga classes, hearing aid needs, a fall art
show, lecture class...or excuse me, literature class, focusing on the first 200 pages
of Ulysses. That oughta be a good one. (laughter) There's...in fact there's quite
a bit of interest in that so, uh, surprise, surprise! LGBTQ resource fair, Day of the
Dead program, inter-generational programs, and a Senior Center TV, SCTV, open
house on Halloween. So I encourage all of you to come pay us a visit, see where
your money is being spent, and how, and see how much the Center improves the
lives of our elderly and others, inter-generationally. Thank you very much for
your time.
Throgmorton: Thanks so much, Ken, and thanks for your service on the Commission. Anyone
else? All right! I don't see anyone else. We can move on to Item 4, Planning
and Zoning matters.
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Item 4. Planning and Zoning Matters
Throgmorton: Before diving deeply into this, I would like to recognize the fact that Bob Miklo,
uh, has served Iowa City for 28 or more years, uh, but he's retiring. So, Bob was
hired in February, 1990, and has attended countless Council meetings, Planning
Commissions, and neighborhood meetings in the 28 years since that date. He has
been involved in several major City planning efforts, including numerous
Comprehensive Plan projects, the Peninsula development, the Riverfront
Crossings District master plan, and numerous residential and commercial
expansions in the community. He is finishing his career with the City, this week,
and this was supposed to be his last Council meeting, but he ducked out. I don't
know where he went (laughter) Actually I do cause I saw him on his bike just a
few days ago and he told me he wasn't....he wasn't gonna be here. (laughter)
So, thank you, Bob, wherever you are, for everything you have done for the
people of Iowa City! Moving on to Item 4e(1). I'm sorry! Four what? 4a, sorry.
Let me correct my document here.
Item 4a Comprehensive Plan Amendment—Affordable Housing Annexation
Policy—Resolution amending the Comprehensive Plan,Annexation Policy, to
add a section pertaining to affordable housing
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) So.....if anyone would like to
address this topic,please feel free to do so.
Sitzman: Sorry(clears throat) Danielle Sitzman, Development Services Coordinator,
Neighborhood and Development Services department, in Bob's place I will just
give a quick, uh, introduction to this agen....agenda item and then step aside for
the public to make comment. Urn, as you all should be aware, this was a policy
that you've seen and have worked on at a work session. It went through the
Planning Commission on May 17th and did....is coming to you with a
recommendation of approval, uh, 7-0. Urn, they did discuss this,uh, at their
meeting and I'd be happy to answer questions about their discussions since I was
there and I will step aside for folks to address you!
Throgmorton: Great. Thanks, Danielle, and welcome aboard! Good evening, Ruthina!
Malone: Good evening, Council Members, um, my name is Ruthina Malone. I serve as an
Iowa City Community School District Board of Director, and tonight I ask that
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you approve Item 4a, Comprehensive Plan amendment, affordable housing
annexation policy, that you have before you. As many of you may know, the
School Board is revisiting our attendance area zones to work towards a more
racially and socio-economically diverse educational experience for all the
children that we serve. Research shows that racial and socio-economic diversity
in our schools can provide our children with a range of cognitive, socio and
economic benefits. These benefits include higher test scores for all children,
reduction in achievement gaps that we see along racial lines, reduction of racial
biases and counter-stereotypes, and students who are better prepared to ser...
succeed in a global economy. However, we cannot achieve this without your
support and commitment. By approving the amendment, you are showin' our
community that the School Board, and City Council, are collaborating to address
the issue of concentrated poverty that is negatively impacting all of our children.
By you requiring developers to support the City's goal of creating and
maintaining the supply of affordable housing within our community, the School
Board can continue to work towards more balanced schools and see lasting
results. Approving this amendment is only the first step,but one that is greatly
needed and that will be seen as a step in the right direction of fighting segregation
within our community and schools. Thank you for your time this evening and
your continued commitment to the citizens of our city.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Ruthina. Hey, Paul, good evening.
Roesler: Good evening....Council Members. Uh, Paul Roesler with the Iowa City School
Board as well. Uh, I just wanted to, um....add on to what some of the things that
Ruthina said, and just share some, uh, numbers and some, uh, interaction maybe
that, uh, I've had with some of the public so that you guys can understand what
we're facing as a school....board. Uh, today many of the higher income families
who have purchased high property value homes in certain areas feel very,urn,
entitled to go to the school that is right by their house. Um, one of the most
common emails we get as a Board Mem....Board Members when we bring up the
subject of redistricting is just that. 'We bought this house because we want to go
to this school.' Uh,just last week we got a comment on a social media page that,
um, the.....the, uh, the commenter said, `I was very dismayed after living here for
four months, found out that the boundaries were being changed after we spent six
months looking for a house so our kids could go to a specific school.' To me as a
School Board Member that really, uh....really.....hurts me to he...to read, because
the way that I read it, the way that I hear it, is I spent six months looking for a
house so our kids didn't have to go to a specific school. As a School Board
Member and as, hopefully as Kingsley can, uh, attest, there....I don't feel there
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are any bad schools in our district, and unfortunately people just don't give the
schools in their neighborhood necessarily a chance. Urn.....and, uh, I don't
understand how some of these people think that all the schools are great if there
are certain ones they're looking to avoid. Urn, and I always question which ones
they're trying to avoid because I, like I said, I think all of'ern are great, and I
realize my....(mumbled) bias on this right now. Urn,but I want you to take a
moment to think about that comment and why is it that we are ka....okay with
some people being able to shop for a house for six months, they can go to that
specific school,that others are forced to live in certain areas and they don't have
that luxury to choose where they live or what school they want to go to. And I
just want to end by, uh, sharing some of our numbers. I know a lot of you know
these already but, urn, our free and reduced lunch numbers, and I'm just using the
Iowa City schools as an example, urn, we have....Alexander is at 71% free and
reduced. Twain 78% free and reduced. Wood 74% free and reduced. Uh, I'm
including Hills in this because we have more Iowa City students in our Hills
Elementary than we do Hills', uh, Hills' families, and that's 74%. Uh,then we
jump down to Lucas 56%. Mann's 51%. You can kind of see where I'm going
here, all the schools with the high FRL located in one, uh, area of the district. Uh,
Hoover, which actually has more students coming in to the school, transferring in,
uh, than actually live in the attendance zone is at 17%. Lemme's at 28%.
Longfellow 18%. Shimek 18%. Lincoln 12%. Weber 36%. So you can see
there's a great range of numbers there, and what we're trying to do is really get to
that 40%, uh, across the board, because that's where students,uh, learn the best,
that we find. So,uh, by having this (mumbled)uh, housing, urn, throughout the
district as opposed to just in one area will really help us achieve that goal. Thank
you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Paul.
Barron: Hi guys! Sara Barron from the Affordable Housing Coalition. Urn, I shared these
remarks with the Planning and Zoning Commission as they were reviewing this
policy,but I want to share them with you as well. Urn, the Coalition has talked
about this issue. Urn, first I want to,urn, thank our School Board Members for
their thoughts,urn, on integrating our neighborhoods and our schools. Urn, I
wanna add a couple wonkier policy things to that. Um,which is that, you know,
as our city grows, urn,we....we need to develop in a way that creates opportunity
for residents and stability in our neighborhoods, and we're really supportive of
this initiative. Um, it ensures that new development will foster that kind of
inclusive neighborhood that we want to see going forward. Urn, we do want you
to think carefully about the fee in lieu option. Urn, and we don't have, urn, a...a
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specific slant on this,but we just wanted to point out a few things that it could
impact in one direction or the other. Urn, so the fee in lieu option,urn, can create
greater flexibility to pursue housing solutions throughout the community and
encourage development. Urn, and those funds, when they're passed along to an
organization like the Housing Trust Fund, are leveraged for other projects. So,
urn, they can be used to get in more non-local sources for affordable housing,
which is great. Urn, at the same time when developers do opt for fee in lieu, it
can move us farther from the goal of neighborhoods that are socio-economically
integrated. Urn, and without a specific formula for predetermining that fee in lieu,
developers and the City might find themselves bargaining over that requirement
in a way that could discourage developers from pursuing annexation or, urn,
create unnecessary community confusion about the purpose and intent of the
policy. Urn, so, urn, we....we hear what the City staff is saying about wanting to
have that flexibility and understand their reasons for that. We also want to
encourage you to be really, um....uh, intentional about how that, uh, opportunity
is leveraged in a way that meets our overall goals, if that makes sense. Urn, and
just, uh, we want to end with expressing our strong support for this policy and
thank you for your pursuit of it.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Sara. Anyone else? Well, I'm not seeing anyone else so I need to ask
the Council Members if you are inclined to vote in accordance with the Planning
and Zoning Commission's recommendation. (several responding) Yes? Yes,
yes, I see a lot of nodding yeses. Okay, so....seeing no one else who wants to
speak... I think....all right, I....I thought I saw....all right, do you want to speak
to this topic? (unable to hear person speaking from audience) Correct! Sorry!
(unable to hear person speaking from audience) Yeah. Sorry, okay so.....(several
talking in background) All right, yeah, I'm sorry, I....let me just speak, cause you
really should be up talking with the microphone, but there is an opportunity for
community comment at the end of our meeting, and I think it's going to be a
pretty quick meeting. So if you feel like waiting for another 45 minutes or an
hour, somethin' like that, you could do it then. (several talking and laughing)
Yeah. We might get to it before that, I don't know. Okay, so seeing no one else
who wants to speak I'm gonna close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
b) Consider a Resolution
Botchway: Move the resolution.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway.
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Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Seconded by Mims. Discussion?
Mims: Well I'm very much in support of this and I, uh, I'll just make one comment, urn,
in response to Sara. I....I totally agree that we need to be very intentional about
how we use the fee in lieu of Urn, but that was a piece of this that....that I was
very, very supportive of, because as Paul read off the schools and their free and
reduced lunch numbers, we have areas in this community that if we annex
property, we quite frankly do not want to add affordable housing in those areas,
because it's only going to exacerbate the problems for the School District. Urn,
and so....that was one of the things that was forefront of my mind is that we do
need to be intentional about it, and I think the resolution says that in terms of we
need to be doing this in light of what's good for the city and what's in....in light
of what's good for the School District. And so as long as we keep that in front of
us as we think about, or consider, that fee in lieu of, then I think we'll be okay.
Botchway: So I'm definitely supportive of this. I know that, urn, this is somethin' that I
wanna say three maybe four years ago, urn, we talked about, the Council. I know,
Jim, you brought it up as well, as far as, you know, really wanting this particular
piece. So I just wanna give kudos to staff and Committee's work as well,just
getting this to the forefront, um, of just our affordable housing action plan and
what that means. I'm actually gonna take on the opposite side, Susan, cause I...I
do have some concerns with the fee in lieu of piece. I don't necessarily know that
I'm....I'm focused on them today as much,just because I'm really excited about
this particular resolution, but I would say that the....the fee in lieu of was an
option that I, you know, ultimately I....I desired and wanted as far as our
affordable housing action plan because it does leverage funding that we wouldn't
otherwise have to make sure that we have....do we do something towards
affordable housing, cause we know we need funding in order to get it done. I
don't want a situation though where our best intentions, and I think that you're
speaking to that, Susan, in a sense, because that will happen with the conversation
that we have with developers and everything else, but I don't want us to miss on
the fact that, you know, people being able to easily opt out, which I don't think is
the intention and which is why I appreciate the crafting and the wording,but I do
understand that because there are times where I'm like, man, affordable housing
would be great in that particular location, and then we see an application for fee in
lieu of and it's like, man, we're not really spreading out the affordable housing in
the way in which we desire to. So this is written a little bit differently, and so I
appreciate that, but I do think it's important to really emphasize the reason why
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we're trying to do what we're trying to do, as far as annexation policy, is to
ensure, not only from a school issue standpoint, urn,that we're looking at it from
that, but also from a general community standpoint, that we're looking at
affordable housing across the board. So, I'm supportive. I'm really excited that
we're moving forward in this way. Um, and then, you know, obviously as we
move forward,just continue looking at what that looks like as we....as we
consider different proposals.
Throgmorton: So I'm very supportive too,but I wanna draw attention to a particular sentence
that causes me some concern. I talked, uh, briefly with Geoff about it, uh, earlier,
I don't know, a week ago, two weeks ago, somethin' like that, um....but let me
read the sentence that causes me some concern. The sentence is: In determining
the most desirable option, consideration shall be given to the interests of both the
City and the Iowa City Community School District in not exacerbating the
burdens on neighborhoods and elementary schools experiencing challenges
related to concentrations of poverty. I worry that that's a bit ambiguous and that
it does not accurately express what we, I thought, asked for. So....when I think
about it, he....here's what I thought we had asked for. So I'm gonna read a
different sentence. In determining the most desirable option, this is guidance to
the staff in other words, in determining the most desirable option,preference shall
be weighted toward options that help achieve better socio-economic balance
among Iowa City neighborhoods and among schools in the Iowa City Community
School District. I don't....I'm not claimin' that's ideal language but what....what
I really thought we had said was that we wanted to make sure that the staff, when
reviewing these...the fee in lieu of option, give...gave considerable weight to...
whether or not using the fee would, um, contribute to better balance among the
schools. So, and I think the current sentence is pretty ambiguous about that. I
don't know if the rest of you share (both talking)
Cole: I (mumbled)...I sort of think that they're very similar(mumbled)what the intent
is. I don't think there's ambiguity. Is what we're concerned about is that we
don't contribute to the problem of concentration of poverty, and I think that that
seems very clear. As I see it the issue is the quantity and the location, and I don't
think staff is ambiguous as to what the intent is, and I think especially with the
School District here tonight. Um, that's my view. (several talking in
background)
Throgmorton: All right, if...if we're clear then there's no problem here.
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Fruin: I think staff at this time is clear. Um, if you feel it's ambiguous, you know, there
will be....future staffs and future Councils that have to interpret this, so now's the
time to inject clarity if you want. Mayor, I didn't get a chance to write down
your, uh, your sentence there, but urn, one thing that I know is coming, uh, is a
suggestion from the, uh, Housing and Community Development Committee, who
in particular honed in on that same sentence and, um, weren't necessarily looking
to clarify, but didn't like the way it was phrased. Felt it was, uh, negatively
phrased when talking about exacper....exacerbating the burdens. So...perhaps
your language, again I didn't get a chance to write it down, would resolve their
concerns as well, because I think yours phrased the....in a more....in a more
positive light. So, would you mind readin' your suggestion one more time and...
and maybe that can solve both those issues (both talking)
Throgmorton: ...email it to ya right now. No, I'm only kidding! Yeah, so what I read was: In
determining the most desirable option, preference shall be weighted toward
options that help achieve better socio-economic balance among Iowa City
neighborhoods and among schools in the Iowa City Community School District.
Cole: Could we modify....can we modify and amend the motion now?
Throgmorton: Well we're gonna get somethin' from, uh, Housing and Community Development
(several talking) Right, from the Commission?
Dilkes: Yeah, you can move to....to amend what's on the floor. (several talking)
Fruin: ....like to think that they...that would satisfy them. I can't speak for them
but...there is no harm in waiting. We don't have a pending annexation. So if you
prefer to defer and get that feedback from HCDC, you can. But from my
understanding of their concern with this particular language, I think your sentence
would satisfy(several talking)
Cole: ...so moved with the Mayor's language (several talking)
Botchway: ...do we need to....what do we need to do, do we need to just have that motion on
the floor as far as.....Rockne just giving the motion?
Dilkes: There's a motion on the floor. Is there a second?
Throgmorton: Please don't....please don't do that yet. Uh, I....I personally think it would be
better to hear, have...give the Commission an opportunity to read that sentence.
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Dilkes: You can do that at the time you're discussing the motion. But there's a motion on
the floor so we need to see if there's a second.
Throgmorton: Okay. All right.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: So moved by, uh....uh, Cole, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Yeah, so I'm
thinking it would be good to get the advice of the, uh, Commission, with regard to
that particular sentence, cause it...frankly if I were in y'alls shoes, I....and I heard
that sentence, I'd think, I don't know, it's just kinda a blur. I'm not sure exactly
what it says. I'd want to think about it just a little bit, you know, have....so....
Cole: I'll just say like we could wait for them and I think we can definitely get their
feedback but I would say that that does sort of touch a chord with me in terms of
this whole concept of burden, this notion that there are some people that are more
bur....I just....I just don't like that language and so (mumbled) a very thoughtful
modification, we can get that language into the, uh, into the new policy but I think
we should just go ahead and adopt that now. I think it's a very thoughtful,
carefully crafted sentence, even though back to our original point with Susan, I
think staff knows what our actual intent is, um, as far as that goes.
Mims: I'd rather have the chance, one for them to weigh in and for us to look at it. When
we're writing these things I don't....(both talking) I don't like, yeah, I don't like
getting modifications on the floor, and....just not(both talking)having time to
think through, cause my initial reaction is I like it, but on the one hand I think it's
too positive and...and that may sound funny, but....whereas this one sounds
negative, don't exacerbate, that one sounds like you must make it better, and
you're not necessarily going to make it better with every single annexation. It
may simply be that you can't make....you don't want to make it worse. And so
I...I just want some time to look at the language and think about it and if they
already have an interest in giving us some feedback, why not take the opportunity
(both talking)
Throgmorton: You and I are in agreement about that. Whatda y'all think? (several responding)
Okay. So we have four people who would agree. So we have a motion on the
floor though. Um....let's see, a motion on the floor to approve (both talking)
Dilkes: To approve that amendment, so just all in favor.
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Throgmorton: Well I know but now we have four people sayin' we want to hear from the
Commission (several talking) So we should vote no on this. All right, on the
amendment, right? All right, so uh, roll call please. (several talking) Yeah, all in
favor of....the....the motion to approve the amendment please say aye. Those
who are opposed to approving the amendment s....both the same,aye. All right,
so the motion is defeated. All right, now we're back to the main motion, which
has to do with the,uh, the amendment, the Comp Plan amendment itself, and if
we're gonna wait to hear feedback from the Commission. What....
Fruin: (mumbled) tryin' to communicate with Tracy (several talking and laughing) is
(unable to hear response from audience)July 10th. So you could probably defer
until your July 17th meeting.
Throgmorton: Yeah, so I'd like to, uh, get a motion to defer to the July 17 meeting..... (several
responding) ...after hearing a response from the HCDC about this particular
amendment. Okay, so there's a motion by....
Cole: Me!
Throgmorton: Cole. Seconded by.....Mims? (several talking) Okay. Uh, this is an all in favor
thing, right? All in favor say aye. Opposed. Motion carries. Thank you! That
was easy! All right!
Mims: And please don't let anybody take this as a lack of support. I mean we're (both
talking) absolutely for it. Just trying to tweak a little language.
Taylor: Exactly!
Throgmorton: Okay, now we're going....thank you, Paul. Thank you, Ruthina.
•
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Item 4. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 4b Rezoning between Burlington and Court Street—Pentacrest Garden
Apartments—Ordinance conditionally rezoning approximately 3.41 acres
from High Density Multifamily Residential (RM-44) zone to Riverfront
Crossings - South Downtown Subdistrict(RFC-SD)zone located at 12 E.
Court Street. (REZ18-00014)
a) Public Hearing(Continued from 5/15 and 5/29)
Throgmorton: So I need to let the audience and others know that the applicant has requested
deferral of this item to August the 7th, or August the 21st if Mazahir Salih is not
back in town by that date. So, I'm gonna open the public hearing. Let's see I
wanna....before I open the public hearing I wanna say a couple other things. On
May 29 we voted 3-3 on the motion to approve the rezoning. Uh,Mazahir was
not present for particular reasons, and we decided to invite the Planning and
Zoning Commission to consult with us about this. We held that consultation
earlier this afternoon. It was,uh, an excellent consultation,uh,proved I think
beneficial for all of us. So as I just said, the development team has requested a
deferral until at least August the 7th. Uh, I see no objection. So what I'm gonna
do is open the pub....reopen the public, continue....we continued the public
hearing to tonight, so I'm gonna reopen it and then after you've spoken we will
have a tentative discussion to whatever extent we want to,uh,but as we have that
tentative discussion, I want to remind you that since the public hearing will not
have been closed, please do not indicate how you intend to vote. Just express
some concerns, ask some questions, that kind of thing, cause we don't need to
do take the temperature kind of thing anymore. Hope that was clear. It's
certainly clear to me! I hope it was clear to you. Okay, so I'm gonna open the
public hearing. (bangs gavel) Would anybody like to address this topic?
Fruin: Mayor,maybe if I can, really quick, um,just mention that in your info packet I
did supply a memo that had, uh, a couple of responses to questions individual
Council Members had asked of staff between the May 29th meeting and tonight.
And, uh, as you look like you're going to defer this item per the applicant's
request,be happy to do that again as....as, uh, additional questions come up. So
during your, uh, deliberations tonight, if there's anything that you want staff to
prepare, please let us know. Uh, if you don't think of it tonight, uh, you can
contact me, um, in the next few weeks and we'll prepare that response and...and
do the same thing for the August 7th meeting.
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Throgmorton: Okie dokie. Thank you, Geoff. Good evening,Nancy. I haven't seen ya for a
while!
Carlson: (laughing) I've been leading a quiet life! (laughs) It happens once in a while.
It's very nice. And I'm not sure, urn if this is the time to present it or to wait,
but you were discussing the height of the buildings and...the concept of what was
going on there, and that's what I would like to talk to....about, if that's the...if
tonight is the appropriate time. Or do I need to wait until this has been resolved.
Throgmorton: Well, the real question has to do with rezoning.
Carlson: So that's why I'm asking.
Throgmorton: (both talking) If you think that's...thethe topic of height, building height, is
relevant to that, uh, I think you should feel free to speak.
Carlson: Okay. Well I'll have a go at it and if you don't think it's appropriate then I'll
just...you just tell me to....go sit back down. (laughter) Urn....
Dilkes: You......I should just clarify. You can talk tonight and you can talk again (both
talking)
Carlson: Yes! I can talk a lot(laughter) Okay! I want to talk about....the Riverfront
Crossings master plan. What happened to the mid-rise heights that we agreed
upon when the Riverfront Crossings plan was passed? I don't believe any of the
reasons given for allowing these 15-story building came up after that plan was
adopted. Are we saying that we cannot trust that plan to accomplish our goals? I
get mixed messages. We agreed on mid-rise development in the Riverfront
Crossings plan. The only way we can deal with our problems is by building 15-
story buildings. What can I believe? Who am Ito trust? In the Riverfront
Crossings plan, at the very end, under 'Next Steps,' it is suggested that a form
based code be enacted to guide the transition of the...of the study area into mixed-
use pedestrian-oriented district that is envisioned. I think we need to realize that
we're talking about two separate, uhdocuments. We're talking about the
Riverfront Crossings plan and what it says in there, and then we are talking about
the form based code, which we enacted to....supplement, or implement, the....the
Riverfront Crossings plan. To me, it seems that these two things have been mixed
up and basically we have been spending most of our time talking about the form
based code, not the Riverfront Crossings plan and what our goal was when we
.established that. And we spent a lot of time and effort and a lot of people in the
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community spent time and effort and were interviewed in order to set...in order
for this to come to fruition. In the section of the zoning code dealing with the
height bonuses, it is stated that they are to provide a public benefit or further
implement goals and objectives of the master plan. Now this is the Riverfront
Crossings master plan that was supposed to be a mid-rise plan. If the bonuses
erode the goal of mixed-use heights and the character of the...of the area by
dwarfing the height, doubling the height of the district, what have we won and
what have we lost? The master plan suggested six story buildings on Burlington
and four story on Court. The four to six story level would create an attractive
urban (mumbled) "which the plan felt would be appropriate." Why would 15-
story buildings be more appropriate? Will they add to the character of our area?
They will drawer....dwarf the Courthouse and the new music building. Is this the
only way we can reopen Capitol Street? Is lining Capitol with 15-story buildings
creating the view of the Old Capitol the master plan envisioned? Do we believe
in the Riverfront Crossings plan? Or....uh, is it just so many words on a sheet. I
think we really need to look at these two documents as separate entities. I think
we need to look at the code and seeing....to see if it is implementing the
Riverfront Crossings plan that we....that the City agreed upon to help our city
move forward, or have we gotten stuck on just the code and the 15-story building
thing, the bonuses, which is only one small segment of this code, and lost the idea
of the Riverfront Crossings plan that we envisioned at the very beginning. Thank
you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Nancy. Good evening!
Legel: I am,just to make this clear for those of you guys who have seen me around City
Hall, I'm coming to this as a private citizen, not as a City employee (mumbled) I
feel I need to make that clear. Um, my name is Emily Legel. I am a graduate of
the University of Iowa in economics and then I'm also currently in urban...a
regional planning student in the masters program. I just wanted to quickly speak
in favor of the rezoning. Um.....as a planning student, one of the things you learn
to value is nuance. As such,uh, week and a half ago, I was at the Planning and
Zoning Committee...Committee meeting, speaking in favor of the historic overlay
to prevent the destruction of some historic housing in favor of development, such
as proposed here. However, today I'm speaking in favor of a higher density of
development. Urn, I understand that you guys were elected to oppose Chauncey
and as a planning student I've heard the stories. I can understand the problems
with development. However, Iowa City suffers from a lack of rental housing.
Whether the high-end luxury housing is going to international students, student
loan money, people from out of town, etc., when we do not provide the supply of
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housing, the people are pushed into the neighborhoods that are traditionally more
affordable, such as College Green, such as Northside, such as Bowery Street, who
have historically been under attack from an influx of students and(mumbled) the
more permanent residents of Iowa City, those with families, those who intend to
stay here longer than four to six years. Um.....this location.....is where the
development should happen. Surrounding it we have the new....we have the new
apartment building by the Rec Center and by the Kum n' Go. We have the new
music building, and we have all sorts of high-rise apartments going up. Currently
the Pentacrest Garden Apartments don't really fit the current development model,
except for maybe the Lindquist Center across the street. Um.....let's see.....it's
between the river and a hill, on which downtown rests, and if these department....
these apartments don't go up here, where else are they gonna go up? Are they
gonna....is my neighborhood of Bowery Street, College Green going to be
redeveloped even higher, further encroaching on quality of neighborhoods that
makes Iowa City such a pleasant place to live and walk my dog! Um....I just
want you guys to take that into consideration, that we are gonna grow, and we
wanna grow up near downtown, where these students are gonna be concentrated
in one relatively safe location, or do we want the encroachment of this
development on the outlying neighborhoods, like the Northside and College
Green. Thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Emily. Anyone else?
Hall: Good evening.
Throgmorton: Good evening.
Hall: Hello! Good to see y'all! Um....my name is Ryan Hall. I am very interested in
this project. Well gee whiz! This is the largest development that Iowa City could
ever see. Um.....and I want to first say that there's no denying that this is a prime
location, that there is a need for more units, there is a need for, um, also more
affordable housing, and as the market currently stands, urn, I don't know that this
development will cater to any sort of affordable market. It will cater to where the
University is heading with a reactionary administration towards more
international students and more out of state students, who have the pretty pennies
to be able to afford in this community, driving out our own residents who have
been here for a very long time. So I want to speak in favor of deferring this
because of the magnitude of this project. There are so many things overlooked in
just the conditioning by P&Z and that the Council needs to really deliberate on
before we give the....the okay and zone this to a development that could be up to
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15 stories,up to 1,000 units, and would have a massive impact on our community.
Imagine planting two-plus thousand students or anyone in the downtown area,
what affect it would have on our transportation, on....on food needs, on....you
name it! Health, hospital visits, the whole gamut. There's so much more that
needs to be....deliberated on this project and I don't know that there has been
enough deliberation to warrant, urn, a stamp tonight. So, when we're thinking
about this project, we have to also think about the direction of the University. Are
we bringing in more students? Are we bringing in this sort of...density, and have
we not already developed in the last few years for a higher density? And I want
to speak truth to the vacancy rates. The vacancy rates are a smoke and minor for
developers to continue developing, without any acknowledgement of what it does
to housing costs. If the private market is still dominated by very few people,
those rates could go nowhere. They could go up! And so if we're not
acknowledging how these things are built, who is it catered for, what the overall
impact on our community is, then we're doing a disservice for our folks who
really, truly need low-cost, workforce affordable housing, and I don't know that
we're doing enough for that. So I want to say also about the....the 10%, 10-year
sunset. If I'm....if I'm understanding correctly, the....the 10% requirement the
developer would have to subscribe to would sunset after 10 years, eliminating
the....the affordable units in this....in this place. So.....I would encourage y'all to
not have a cap on the affordable.....requirement in terms of time, because imagine
the folks who are housing insecure are potentially families who need stability in
this community and could get evicted as soon as that 10 year mark hits. Urn, I
would like, you know, to believe the developer would be....more ethical, urn.....
but in the spirit of ethics, look at what The Rise has done to labor, to local
economies. The Rise has been using out of state, non-union labor and that has
really taken a hit to our community, and if we don't attach conditions like local
union labor, we will continue doing a disservice to our local job economy, and
you don't want the carpenters barkin' up your.....up your back. So.....without
looking at the conditions of how we can make this more sustainable, more
equitable, more.....better on labor standards, I think that it would be irresponsible
of the Council to....to rezone this tonight. That there is a lot more to say. I have
a lot more to say than I'm allowed tonight, but.....I think it would be a disservice
to approve it tonight. Thank you very much.
Throgmorton: Thank you so much, Ryan! Gustave!
Stewart: Hi! My name is Gustave Stewart. Um, I'm the City Liaison for the University
I University of Iowa Student Government. My bad! Okay, so, um....yeah, to
get started, I think you probably know at least where I stand, um, that I believe a
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high-density unit would be valuable in this, urn, area. That this unit, this,urn,
housing development will bring about 60 to 100 affordable housing units. That is
an enormous amount to help at least reduce that barrier, urn, at least for students
that are looking for affordable housing, and it has the overall impacts to hopefully
reduce pressure, urn, on those traditional neighborhoods, and then also take those,
I guess....more....people like, you know, I guess afford it better, wealthier. It'll
take those people out of the market per se and allow for other people to then look
at the other.....apartment housing. So....the prices won't be bid up as much as
they are currently, because you're increasing that supply, and reducing the
pressures for those other apartments. Urn, in addition, I would like to address, uh,
um,just some concerns, since it is, uh, a massive, urn, a decently-sized
development, that it's important to consider qualities such as the quality of the
housing and the livability. Urn, that might be putting conditions,but it also might
be, urn,just a discussion between Planning and Zoning Commission. Urn,
obviously if we want this, uh, student development housing, urn,we have to make
sure that it is, urn, adequate in terms of the livability standards and so on. Um, so
in turn I think it will be great for addressing some of the affordability issues,urn,
like giving affordable housing and reducing, um, the pressure,but also increase
the walkability, because it's such a close place to campus, urn, if you saw the
climate action plan, it addressed that....it's beneficial to have a...uh, com....
compact development to increase that walkability, and bikability, and so forth.
Urn, whether you defer it or, urn, vote on it tonight, urn, I encourage to make sure
this development still occurs. Um, and to not hinder the development. Thank
you!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Gustave. Oh, it's Bill! Hi, Bill!
Gerhard: Hello. I'm Bill Gerhard. I'm President of the Iowa State Building and
Construction Trades Council. I was gonna come tonight and listen, cause I know
not a whole lot about the Pentacrest Garden Apartments. Uh, so this might seem
like a rambling, uh, discussion here but I was here many years ago when that....
those apartments were built down there. I was appalled that the City Council
actually gave up part of Capitol Street to have those apartments built. So I am, I
guess, personally glad that we're going to get Capitol Street back, and anything
there would look better than what's there now. So on the surface I'm in favor of
this,but I agree with the speaker before last. The Rise project, which I was in
favor of cause it woulda meant a lot of jobs for my members and the workers here
turned out to be a complete disaster. Uh, so I'm.....I'm a little hesitant to throw
my wholehearted support behind this project until I fmd out more. It'd be nice to
see some architect's renderings and a little more details about the type of
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construction and everything, but by and large I'm in favor of going up instead of
going out. We can't keep taking farmland out of, uh, production to build, uh,
duplexes and four-plexes out in the middle of crop land. So I'll be at the next
couple meetings to find out more about this. Uh, like I said, I think anything
down there'd be better than what's there now. So thank you.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Bill.
Barron: Hi again. Sara Barron with the Affordable Housing Coalition. I'll have a little
more to say on this, um, later but I was wondering if, urn, and I apologize if I
don't have all the information, but, um...this is one of the first projects that would
be in Riverfront Crossings that is really firmly oriented towards student market,
right? Yes. I mean, kind of more wholly, expecting that there will be students
living there.
Throgmorton: (mumbled) ....are others that have substantial student component but (both
talking)
Barron: ....that would be happening in the Riverfront Crossings area, that would
perhaps....I don't know if the developer had indicated whether, urn, they're
interested in paying the fee in lieu or whether they're interested in providing the
units, but um, in the time between now and when this....the Council takes this on
more, I think it might be helpful to review, um, somehow more publicly what that
affordable housing, urn, actually looks like and who would qualify for that
affordable housing, some clarity on that for, uh, people in the public and other
folks,just because I think, you know, uh, looking for affordable housing and
feeling like you need affordable housing and actually being able to qualify for the
affordable housing under the practices that you've adopted for the Riverfront
Crossings area. People might have, um.....people might not be totally square on
who can qualify for those units if they're built and I think that might be a useful
thing to clarify....moving forward. Does that make sense?
Throgmorton: Yeah.
Barron: Okay!
Throgmorton: Anyone else?
Lagios: My name's Peter and I actually recent transfer(both talking)
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Throgmorton: Peter, last name please.
Lagios: Oh, Peter Lagios and uh, I live here in Iowa City, and I'm a transplant from north-
central Iowa. I actually came here to speak about a different subject but, uh,
funny I ran into, urn, some members of the Carpenters Union that were out there
protesting in front of Riverfront Crossing, downtown on Washington Street, and I
listened to their story, and listening to the story it kind of became clear to me that,
urn, I'm somewhat in agreement with their, urn, their policy about, uh, trying to
get local labor, and it seems to me that this project is not gonna utilize local
resources, and uh, they're instead importing some of the labor from Texas, I
believe I heard, uh, so in other words they're bringing in outside workers to come
in and build this project. Now I confess I really don't know too much about
the......the project itself and uh the players that are involved, but I just wanna say
by and large, um, I am a su....subscriber to the idea of local, sustainable resource,
urn, production of, uh, commodities, goods and services, at a local level whenever
that can be, uh, possible. Urn, like for instance, my own City Council was
considering buying vehicles and, uh, for their, urn, I believe it was police and
ambulance fleet or something like that, and they could get the vehicles from a
local, uh, provider, a local dealership, and they were talking about going down to
Des Moines to get it and I convinced them that it's actually smarter to just, you
know, go locally and they ended up spending$500 more,but they went with the
local vehicle, and I think that's just by and large the right thing to do. Now I
don't understand what the wages are and what we're talking about here and some
of the Carpenters Union wages are pretty good. Uh, I've heard anywhere from 35
to 50 an hour, uh, for some of these journeymen and things like that, uh, but I'm
just saying in general, you should probably try, you know, do your best to try to
go with local. That's just a....always just a good policy. Thank you very much.
Throgmorton: Thank you, Peter. Little did you know you'd have an opportunity to speak about
something else. (laughter) Would anybody else like to address this topic?
Seeing no one, no one else that is, uh,remember I'm not gonna close the public
hearing because we are in a few minutes gonna get a motion to defer first
consideration... continue the public hearing and defer first consideration on the,
uh, on the ordinance until.....August the 7`h. So, what we're gonna do now is
have a conversation among ourselves, uh, about any particular aspect of this,uh,
that we want to address. We just had this consultation with the Planning and
Zoning Commission and so on. So, I'm gonna start. I want, uh, the public, those
of you in the audience and people watching on television,both live and delayed,
uh, to know that on, uh, June 28th I submitted a,um, a memo to the Council which
indicated my support for the rezoning in general. I don't wanna commit to that,
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uh, permanently,uh....um, for a whole variety of reasons, many of which have
already been articulated by people who have just spoken to us. But I also
indicated,uh, I thought it would be really important to consider several possible,
uh, additional conditions on the rezoning. So I think....the public has been given
quite a misleading impression about what I or our Council or a majority of the
Council has intended to do. I don't see any opposition to higher density
development among the Council Members. None! What I do see is a desire to
ensure things like high-quality urban design, to ensure that whatever is built will
enable students to....um.....mature safely and to thrive academically in whatever
buildings that are constructed. And to ensure that there's adequate public space,
well furnished, etc., and other things. I don't wanna slam the door on other things
should be considered. Uh, so....I shared that memo with the Council. It contains
several recommended, uh, additional conditions. We have not had a chance to
discuss those conditions up to now. I....I doubt that we will discuss them at any
length right now, uh, because we're deferring action for another three weeks, or
whatever it is. Yeah. But I wanted the public to know that so that you don't get
misled into thinking it's an either/or between nothing or what....in other words,
what is there now versus....the....the development that the developer proposed to
us on our May.....in our May 29 meeting. It's not an either/or choice! There can
be something in between. So.....beyond that, uh, I....I think, uh, other people
have a right to speak about whatever they want to with regard to either the
consultation or perhaps what I submitted in that memo to you or anything else...
maybe what you heard from the public or anything else that's on your mind
pertaining to this topic, so long as none of us firmly commit to a particular vote
.....with regard to, urn, the topic.
Thomas: I'll just mention a....a few things, and I think we've heard some good comment,
uh, from the community, uh, in advance, as well as Planning and Zoning at our
consultation. Uh, what....what we learned at the consultation, or what I learned,
was, uh, that the Planning and Zoning Commission was put in an awkward
position in a similar way I think to the way the Council has been put in awk....in
an awkward position, and it's.....it's created, I think, some confusion in the
community, uh, as a result because it's....there's a lack of clarity as to what
....what, where this project is going. Part of that confusion in my view is that,
you know, plans were not submitted for the project. So we....there's....there is a
great deal of concern about what is this project? Uh, and hence....Planning and
Zoning had to establish and.....and articulate some conditions that would go with
a rezoning, one of which they had,based on their comments,had not done before,
and that is, uh, the applicant would have to come back to the Planning and Zoning
Commission as plans develop. That's not normally the case. So I think not
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knowing what the project consists of has caused us to.....try to develop condi...
additional conditions which might not have been necessary if the concept had
been further developed. Urn, so I...I think the idea of....of, you know, extending
the time period would be useful for, uh, opportunities perhaps to, as we've heard
tonight, expand the scope of this project, or at least expand our understanding of
this project. Uh, some of the things in addition to what have been mentioned, uh,
relates to one of our topics in the work session, which is our climate action plan.
How....how can this project, which....we know.....without any question be one of
the most prominent buildings in Iowa City. How can it further our climate action
plan? That's not something that has been discussed to my knowledge at any time
over this project. How can we design it so the density's done well? You know,
I....the, it's frus...very frustrating to me to hear members of the community say
that I or anyone else on Council is opposed to higher density. I mean that...I....
I've been one of the proponents for do...what I call density done well. I think we
have some examples that this Council has approved, uh, which will add
considerable density to the downtown. So I think questions of density done well,
uh, carbon emission reduction. Uh, we've heard some I think excellent comments
about how can we provide a high-quality student environment at a low cost.
Those are very important issues. So I'm really hopeful that this month we have
to, uh, further dwell on this may....may provide an opportunity for more
clarification, um, as we move forward and perhaps we can....we can actually
close the gap in terms of what, you know, the conditions,uh, need to be, uh, when
that time comes.
Botchway: So....I've already said a lot of my points and I don't wanna belabor them too
much. I do wanna go back to a couple points that have been raised about
confusion in the community, because I do feel....I mean, I....I do remember that
Council meeting. I know it's been some time, but I feel like it was pretty clear
from what I was hearing, um, and there was other members of the community
who was there that it was....while there was some conversation about design and
some other elements, I mean it was about height. I mean that was brought up
multiple times and quoted, uh, multiple times, and I mean we may need to run that
tape back because maybe I'm mis-remembering but I thought that....that was a
component. So I don't....I don't want us to....like downplay the community for
listening to the meeting or hearing some of the quotes, and you know, stating
their.....their objection to that piece. I mean I do think there's other elements of
it, and I do think we....the Council, or at least some Council Members have
changed their perspective as we've gone through this process a little bit and had
more time, um, to discuss it. Um, so I wanted to address that topic,but I also
want to address the process in the sense of just negotiation, and so I mean, I think
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I've been a part of at least a lot of these processes to know a little bit how it
works, and from, you know, how we've....how we have deliberated in the past.
Ultimately somebody brings up, um, a proposal. I give kudos to the Planning and
Zoning Commission, because I wouldn't have been supportive of what it was
without that, you know, creative language as far as them looking back at the...the
information from a CZA standpoint or having them revet what they were gonna
see as far as a design piece, but I....I just feel like as I said before in the work
session,we're....we're really not negotiating anything, I mean we're....we're
telling the developers what we want, and ultimately we're....at a point where they
can walk away, and I don't like that type of negotiation. I feel like the process
that we've laid forth as far as, you know, here's a rezoning. If you want
additional height come back to us, because there's a lot of different amenities,
some which were discussed just today by many members of the community that I
would like to discuss. I mean, the fee in lieu of is an option that was mentioned
before. I'd like to talk about how that may not necessarily be the case with this
particular property. I don't necessarily know that we have that opportunity any
more, because I feel like we played....we've just played all our cards. Urn, but
that's a separate conversation that we may or may not get to, based on, um, you
know, how we deliberate tonight and how we move forward, uh, with this. I...
speaking to just the building in particular, and again not....not speaking to how
I'd particularly vote, but I....I do think we need to have some consideration. If
you haven't had an opportunity, you know, walk by that area. I'm there every
Sunday, and Saturday morning. I think Bill said it well, it's an awful building. I
don't mean to speak terribly about a building, but it looks bad. Urn, and....or
(mumbled) people who live in the....you know what I mean! It just looks bad.
There's some things that could be done there. I'm, I think you need to look at the
topography,because that was a consideration that we've given to other buildings
that wasn't discussed at prior conversations, urn, and what that....the topography
in relation to the music building, the topography in relation to the....the
Courthouse as well. And....and I think John mentioned it as far as expanding,
um, you know, understanding and perspective. I hope that this particular project
because it's such a major project, and that's been highlighted by many Council
Members today, that we give an expanded scope of our perspective and
deliberation with different communities. We've had some students come here
today,urn.....some students that oppose it, some students that, urn, are in favor of
it. I do think that we need to incorporate more of that student input, because I.....I
think that by and large, going back to Miss Barron's question that this has been a
particular project that has been discussed as a student project, having that
deliberation and conversation, I think, is gonna be important for such a large
building. So, I think that as we move forward we need to think about some of
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those things and....and then, you know,just in general, how we are thinking about
density. I....I do appreciate, John, your comment around, you know, and Jim as
well, your designing designing well, cause I do think that's something that has
changed as we've had more time to think about it and discuss it a little bit more as
well. I....I.....I do think we need to think about building up in this particular
location. I think it speaks to walkability, tu...in general, based on this particular
location. And so all these things I think are encompassing and need to be
considered as we walk through this process. I'm in favor of deferring. The
developer wants to defer and I think there....there's more opportunity for the
community to have this conversation, not so close to the 4th, so I do appreciate
people that are here and....and, uh, able to spend some time with us to discuss
this, but you know, II do.....this is an issue that I've brought up over and over
again, that, you know, from a communication standpoint, we have to do a better
job as far as clearly identifying, not only for developers,but also for the
community, what it is we want to see in different areas so we don't run into this
awkward situation. I do think some of it is on the developer for ultimately
submitting a proposal that was a couple of pictures and not necessarily more in-
depth, and I agree with that, so I'm not saying all of it rests with us. I'm just
saying we need to bewe need to be thinking about how we are....preparing
and....the process by which we go through this, and how much also from a
process standpoint we put on our Planning and Zoning Commission to deliberate
and do the job and work that they need to do. So....I know that's a lot of
comments. I have actually a ton to say but I'm gonna keep it at that, cause I know
we have an hour to go, or 25 minutes to go based on our prior conversation, so...
Fruin: Mayor(several talking) can I comment on process real quick (both talking)
Throgmorton: Sure!
Fruin: ...based on some comments at the consultation, at the work session, and then some
of the comments I've heard here tonight, I think it's important to step back and...
and look at the....the history, and....the Council at some other point in the future
will probably need to provide clarity,uh, in terms of process going forward,but
when we adopted the Riverfront Crossings form based code, one of the first
actions we took was to do a citywide...or a city-initiated rezoning throughout the
Riverfront Crossings district. We analyzed all the properties in the Riverfront
Crossings district, uh, we, uh,put forward a rezoning to Riverfront Crossings
for....for any of those properties that we didn't feel there was a need for
conditional zoning agreements for, so where do we need right-of-way? Um, what
other special considerations might be attached to a particular property. We set
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those aside and we move forward with the large-scale rezoning. So we signaled
our intention that....our intention is to rezone the entire district with Riverfront
Crossings. We didn't do properties such as this because, and again in this case
there's the Capitol Street right-of-way that we wanted. We couldn't do that
unless we had a conditional zoning agreement, thus it needed to be handled
individually. So the City took that step right after that, uh, form based code was
passed. Since that time we've had a number of developments in the Riverfront
Crossings district, and there has been a mixed bag in terms of the level of detail
that's been presented to the City,uh, during those rezoning processes. Uh, I can
recall two projects that....that also had no really plans attached to them, no
renderings, urn, that....that went through and received P&Z and Council support.
Not to say that's right or...or....or the path we need to go down, uh, forward, but
there seems to be a lot of confusion or....or misunderstanding on.....on what has
gone through in the past and what needs to go through now. So you've gotta
deliberate on 12 Court, but at some point in the near future we probably need to
sit down as a group and talk about what those expectations are going forward,
because it's.... it's not clear to everybody out there.
Throgmorton: Other comments?
Mims: Yeah. I would just say I mean I'll support the deferral because that's what the,
um......what the developer has.....has asked for. Um, prior to that, I would just
say, I mean I was supportive of moving forward with the rezoning. I really felt
that we have ample opportunity, um, after the rezoning to do all the negotiations
and.....and look at what kinds of requirements that we would want to put on this
property before we would allow the height bonuses, which they obviously were
coming back for. They stated very clearly that they wanted four 15-story
buildings. Um, so we have ample opportunity to, you know, negotio....negotiate
those, and Jim, you and I have talked about, you know, quality of the
construction, both interior, exterior, so this is a....a good building for decades to
come for students and others, you know, potentially to live in. You know, you've
talked about green space, other things—I have no qualms about negotiating those
and making sure that in exchange for bonus heights we get a really high-quality
project, well managed, well constructed, well maintained, that 20, 30, 50 years
from now the University, the City, the owners, the students are gonna be proud to
have there and is going to be a good living environment. I stand by the statements
I've made before. I stand by the statements in my op ed which I think have been,
which has been kind of the target of some comments tonight, that....the idea of
reopening the Riverfront Crossings form based code, um, and some of the other
votes that we've taken, I think....and some of the conditions even that you've
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suggested, Jim, that would give, I think with bonuses, um, if I've read that right,
that a maximum of 12-story average, if I understood it, um.....I do think speaks
to, uh, a.....preference against high buildings and, um.....
Throgmorton: Stories.
Mims: Well, if they can get 15 based on....on the bonuses, and such an ideal location
across from the University, then yeah, I....I think that does. Um, so we can, you
know, we can debate that or interpret it differently but.....I'11 vote to defer
because that's what the developers like, but I want at this point....but I was
certainly ready to move forward, and I think we have ample opportunity to
negotiate all those other issues and get what we want and need for a very high,
high quality development at that point of doing the bonus heights. (noises on
mic)
Throgmorton: Other comments?
Taylor: I....concur with what John had said about the misconceptions. There are
misconceptions about some of our beliefs here on the Council as far as higher
density and tall buildings, um....I, as Kingsley said, have to go back and....and
see what the actual quotes were on that, but....also looking back on.....on the
master plan and what somewhat quoted in correspondence to us was that, uh,
building in this area should set the tone—this kind of goes along with what you
are saying, Susan—set the tone for development and act as a guide to
development, uh, that staff and others, uh, will be, uh,proud of or....or.....
suitable for that area, and I think construction is important(mumbled)touched on
that and, uh, although we can't tell them what contractors to use to build this, we
could just make it clear that we want it to be high quality cause I think....was it
you, uh, Kingsley, that talked about these being awful buildings. Was that you
that said that?
Botchway: Don't quote me on that! (laughter)
Taylor: And....and obviously....yeah! Don't....that's not an exact quote (mumbled)
they're not very attractive. Uh, but that was something the Council approved of
many years ago, as well as....as closing Capitol Street and allowing that to be
closed and some of the other, you know, I'm hearing comments about the
Sheraton and closing Dubuque Street. These are decisions that were made at
some time a few years back that now people are saying, what were they thinking
when they made that decision? So I think we do have to be very cautious about,
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uh, our decision on this, uh, and give it some thought and do revisit the master
plan and the, uh, Riverfront Crossings, uh, code and.....and see what it actually
says, uh, because it....it, and I mentioned earlier, uh, that it does say that it's
appropriate for student housing, which I have....I have no qualms about that. I do
believe that it is. It's a perfect location for student housing. It's served that
function since the 70s or whenever it was originally built and so I have....I have,
uh, no difficulties with....with it serving in that purpose, but as Jim had
mentioned that it needs to be, uh, a....a safe, secure, and quality environment for
these students to thrive. You....you know, can't have 2,000 students there
partying all the time, not that the students....that's all you do but, uh, you know,
when you have other students around ya, that many students around ya and close
to downtown, it's gonna happen! So....that's all.
Cole: So I'd like to comment too. I haven't had the opportunity to comment. I think
the first thing I want to emphasize is people have made a lot of public comment
about what Council has and has not decided. Um, at our May 29`h meeting, we
were 3-3. Uh, there was no majority of Council. Um, we....and also, the other
part of it is that I also want to celebrate, urn, what is happening here tonight, is
that the elected representatives of the City of Iowa City are engaging in a
deliberative process where we're articulating our difference, and you talked about
some of the ambiguity here. I think the reason why there's ambiguity is that
there's a wide variety of viewpoints that the community has about the future of
development, and I think what our role is, I'm not gonna comment about what my
specific vote will be on into the future,but I do think our role is to honor the
comprehensive plan and obviously we have to follow....if rezoned, the
administrative code, the form based code. Um, so I wanna.....I wanna celebrate
the fact that we are engaged in this deliberative process. Now obviously we can't
do that on every project,but this is a massive project. It is gonna effect the
skyline for the next 150 years. Urn, I don't want to get into the minutia of height
tonight. Um, the only thing I would say is is that the comments that have been
made about what my views are on particular floors are not accurate. Um, I don't
know where those comments would come from, um,but what I would like to
articulate is is that I want to listen to the public, uh, there's a lot of good parts
about this process that I have really liked, and I also want to join Kingsley in
commending the Planning and Zoning Commission. Um, one thing in defense the
developer here is that in order to do this design is tens of thousands of dollars. So
what they told us is that they wanted some certainty in terms of rezoning before
they would engage in that process. Normally P&Z gets a design....when it's up
for consideration in a rezoning and so what the Planning and Zoning Commission
did as we learned tonight and we've heard before is that as part of the conditional
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zoning agreement, uh, they will have the opportunity to review the design, if in
the event that there is actual rezoning asked of this particular parcel. Urn, so and
the other part that I'd really like to strongly reject is this notion that, uh, the
Council is not for students, does not like....nothing could be further from the truth
on that. As far as I've been able to do in terms of counting noses here, there's
been unanimous support for rezoning this. There's been unanimous support that
it will be a student-centered development. There's been unanimous support for
significant density, and we find ourselves at a difference of between 10 and 15
stories. I know as a rhetorical device we like to have either/or scenarios. That
makes us feel better. They're simpler arguments to make. Urn, but those
rhetorical devices do not accurately reflect reality here, and so as to my vote into
the future and my views on particular floors, um, I am going to reserve, uh, my
comments on that, and I'm.....I'm encouraged by, uh,what we've seen so far,
both from the developer, as well as some of the feedback we've gotten, urn, from
the community.
Mims: Can I ask you a quick question?
Cole: Yes!
Mims: Your comment about....were you referring to my op ed in terms of comments,
cause I'll be glad to (both talking)
Cole: Yeah.
Mims: Okay. I will offer you a public apology, okay,because the first version that was
printed online in Little Village you sent me an email. Okay? When I saw that I
went back and I watched the video of both of the....the Council meetings, and you
were correct. And so I edited it, I sent...an edited version to Little Village. They
changed it online. I'm not sure if they put it in print. If they did it was the
corrected version. The corrected version went in the Press-Citizen. The corrected
version was in the DL And the corrected version was in the Gazette. So I do
apologize for the first version that was online in Little Village for about a day.
Cole: Thank you.
Throgmorton: So I wanna make a couple points. One is, uh, to repeat that, uh, my views are
expressed in the June 28 memo that I sent to City Council, and which is contained
in the information packet dated June 28. It's easily accessible online. If anyone
wants to know my views,please read that. Beyond that, stepping aside, away
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from my own views,thinkin' about the process we're going through, I think the
basic question we will need to answer on August the 7th is whether we want to
approve the rezoning with conditions as recommended by the Planning and
Zoning Commission, or alternatively to require additional conditions, possibly the
ones contained in my June 28 memo to you. But regardless of which course of
action we take, I think we will need to schedule a work session focusing on
clarifying our expectations about the actual development, especially with regard
to height bonuses. If we do that, I would ask you, uh, I would ask your support
for using the conditions recommended in my memo as the starting point for the
discussion. Last point, we need to hold that work session soon. Both from a
developer's point of view and from our point of view, it'd be very productive to
do it soon, regardless of which way the majority of the Council wants to go. So...
uh, Geoff, we probably need to figure out a time when that would be appropriate
and see if it's okay with the Council and all that. Um.....but that's my suggestion.
We don't wanna let it kind of drift off into the future. So any further comment?
Hearing none, I need a motion to continue the public hearing and to defer first
consideration to August the 7`h.
Botchway: So moved.
Thomas: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Thomas. Discussion? Hearing none, roll call
please. Motion carries 6-0. Could I have a motion to accept correspondence
please?
Botchway: So moved.
Mims: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Botchway, seconded by Mims. All in favor say aye. Opposed.
Motion carries.
b) Consider an Ordinance (First Consideration) (Deferred from 5/15 and
5/29)
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Item 4. Planning and Zoning Matters
Item 4c Rezoning 1705 Prairie Du Chien Road—Ordinance conditionally
rezoning approximately 1.89 acres from Planned Development Overlay/High
Density Single Family (OPD/RS-12) zone to Low Density Multifamily(RM-
12) zone for the property located at 1705 Prairie Du Chien Road. (REZ18-
00002) (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.
Taylor: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Taylor. Discussion?
Botchway: Jim, you wanna.....kind of review what we talked about in the work session?
Throgmorton: Uh, I, uh, probably could. I have to think about it, um....(several talking)
Dilkes: ....doesn't relate to the rezoning.
Botchway: Oh, okay!
Throgmorton: Yeah, that's.....you're (several talking) relocation assistance (both talking)
Botchway: Yeah, okay, never mind then!
Throgmorton: It's not...(mumbled) So we have a motion (both talking)
Dilkes: It relates but it's (both talking) not pertinent to the rezoning.
Throgmorton: We have a motion from Mims. Was there a second? Taylor. Is that right?
Taylor: Yes.
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Throgmorton: Yeah, so,uh, further discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries
6-0.
Mims: Move final adoption.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion?
Thomas: I just wanted to comment that I heard from Nancy Purington,uh, regarding our
last meeting on the project (both talking)
Throgmorton: Yeah, a neighbor of the....this development (both talking)
Thomas: ...neighbor, uh, lives more or less directly across the street, and uh, she was very
supportive of, urn, my comments and yours, Jim, regarding, uh.....you know,
house form development for the, uh, that portion of the project, which is along
Prairie du Chien.
Botchway: She didn't mention my comments? (laughter)
Throgmorton: All right, so we have a motion on the floor, dah, dah, dah, further discussion?
(mumbled) myself get distracted. Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries
6-0. Could I have a motion to accept correspondence please?
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 5. Cancer Cure Resolution—Public Hearing and Resolution approving an
amendment to the terms of Midwestern Disaster Area Revenue Bonds (Iowa
Cancer Cure Project) Series 2012, of Iowa City, Iowa and specifically
approving amendment of said bonds and related matters
a) Public Hearing
Throgmorton: I'll open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Would anyone like to address this
topic? Seeing no one I'm gonna close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
b) Consider a Resolution
Mims: Move the resolution.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. I wonder if somebody could explain
what this is all about. Thank you, Geoff
Fruin: I'll give it my best shot here. Um, the, uh, Midwestern Disasta....Disaster Area
Tax Exempt Bond program came out of the 2008 floods. Congress basically
authorized this, uh, financing mechanism to boost private business in flood, uh,
damaged areas. Uh,the City is kind of the conduit for the financing, but we're
not....we don't have a real f....a real financial stake in this. This is private
financing that has to be done, uh, through the City because of the way the Mida...
Midwestern Disaster Area Bond, uh, legislation was....was passed. So, um, it
requires our approval, but really what we're doing is just accommodating a
refinancing request by the,um, applicant, which is the Iowa Cancer Cure Project.
Throgmorton: Is that the best you can do? (laughs)
Fruin: That's the best I can do! (laughter)
Cole: I still don't understand, Geoff. (laughter)
Dilkes: No ri (laughs) no risk to the City! Bond counsel has approved! (laughter)
Throgmorton: All right! (several talking and laughing)
Botchway: Thank you! (laughter) Thank you!
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Throgmorton: Good deal. All right so, uh.....any discussion? Hearing none, roll call please.
Motion carries 6-0.
•
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Item 6. Housing Code- Ordinance amending Title 17, entitled "Building and
Housing," Section 5, entitled "Housing Code," to add the requirements for
deadbolt locks and duplex separation requirements to Section 19, entitled
"Responsibilities of Owners Relating to the Maintenance and Occupancy of
Premises." (First Consideration)
Mims: Move first consideration.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? So this is just a fix,
something that was omitted accidentally from our previous action doing the same
thing, with regard to other parts of the code, right? (several talking) Oh, you're
gonna tell us that, Stan? Okay, good man!
Laverman: Good evening. Stan Laverman, Senior Housing Inspector. So it is in the code,
under section 18. Section 18 is only applicable at the first time it's a rental. So in
essence if it's in 18, we don't have another bite at the apple when we add it later.
Nineteen gives us, uh, meets the intent of....of the code change where we wanted
that duplex separation and we wanted that deadbolt. So, uh, lot of items got put
into 18 in the last code cycle. This two parts needed to be put into 19.
Throgmorton: Any further discussion? I....I'd like to mention that we did this primarily because
of recommendations coming from our student liaisons, uh, beginning, I don't
know, at least two years ago (several talking)
Cole: ....big advocate for this.
Throgmorton: Yeah, for sure! So....bravo to our students! Our liaisons, I should say! Okay,
any further discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries 6-0.
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Item 7. Adopt Code of Ordinances, aka City Code- Ordinance to Adopt the Code of
Ordinances of the City of Iowa City, Iowa, 2018,AKA "City Code." (First
Consideration)
Thomas: Move first consideration.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Eleanor, do you want to
say anything about this? It's a legal matter, isn't it?
Dilkes: It's just the State code requires that we readopt the code...or....code every five
years.
Throgmorton: As....as it's been (both talking)
Dilkes: Yes, nothing changes! Nothing's changing. Really! (laughter)
Throgmorton: All right! Any discussion among Councilpeople? Hearing none,roll call please.
Motion carries 6-0.
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Item 8. CDBG/HOME amendment for housing projects- Resolution adopting Iowa
City's FY18 Annual Action Plan Amendment#2,which is a sub-part of Iowa
City's 2016-2020 Consolidated Plan (CITY STEPS)
Thomas: Move the resolution.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Botchway. Discussion? Tracy!
Hightshoe: Um, this was triggered because of a reduction in beneficiaries. So where a
Successful Living applied to rehab four units, when they got their cost estimates
one was considerably higher, so they're going down to just rehabbing that one
unit. They also got money to purchase two properties to have,urn, five single-
room occupancy units for people with disabilities. They're finding a hard time
purchasing two properties. So they wanna combine the funds, so because we're
reducing beneficiaries, it triggered (mumbled) annual action plan amendment to
you.
Throgmorton: Thank you. Okay, any discussion, Council Members? Hearing none, roll call
please. Motion carries 6-0.
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Item 9. Creekside Park Improvements 2018-Resolution awarding contract and
authorizing the Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest a contract for
construction of the Creekside Park Improvements 2018 Project
Seydell-Johnson: Good evening, everyone. I'm just going to pull up some pictures in case you
have questions about it. Um, we received two bids.....
Throgmorton: Juli, could you state your name please?
Seydell-Johnson: Oh, sorry! Juli Seydell-Johnson, Parks and Recreation (both talking) Director.
Throgmorton: Thank you.
Mims: (mumbled) motion while she's doing that?
Throgmorton: Yeah, good idea? Could I have a motion?
Mims: So moved.
Botchway: Second.
Throgmorton: Moved by Mims, seconded by Botchway.
Seydell-Johnson: Okay, so....um,the bids follow the master plan. We received two bids for the
project. Urn, the two bids, uh, we recommend going with the lower one, which is
All American Concrete. It is slightly higher, about 4%higher than our estimate.
Urn, if you remember we bid this with a number of alternates, um, largely to kind
of protect....to try to protect so we could get the project done. Urn....(mumbled)
bring up the.....(mumbled) So, uh,we are recommending the....that we accept
the alternates, the first alternate we had, uh, to do a.....um, stone on the bottom of
the, um, of the shelter and the restroom. There was an option of either that or
limestone. The stone is, um, less expensive so we're asking the concrete block to
go with that. Um, we would take the option to do the creek access, so remove the
bridge and make a creek access down into the creek, and then the last alternate
that we asked to take is the one that included all the park furnishings. Um, I
asked to take that because we would have to do that anyway. It's the benches, the
trash cans,um, everything else that goes with the project. When I looked at their
price, it's better than what we would pay separately if we bought each of those
items. So,um (mumbled) together a couple different funding sources, um, to
make it happen with the higher bid and would recommend approval.
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Throgmorton: Excellent. Thank you, Juli. Okay, we have a motion on the floor. Would
anybody like to address this, other than Juli? Seeing no one else, uh, Council
discussion? Rockne, this is your neighborhood!
Cole: I was gonna say, I love Creekside Park. So I can't wait for it to get done.
Throgmorton: Yeah. Uh, looks like a great project. I'm glad we're able to move ahead on it.
Thanks so much, Juli. Further discussion? Got a sidebar discussion over here
(both talking)
Taylor: ...sidebar! (laughs)
Botchway: Oh, I think I....is the baseball....
Taylor: There's a baseball there (mumbled)
Botchway: ...backstop.
Seydell-Johnson: It has a new backstop. Uh, it....it moves slightly but it will stay there. Yeah,
it's a....it's only used pretty much for practice in spring. Yeah, it'll still be there.
Yeah.
Throgmorton: Okay. Further discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion carries 6-0.
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Item 11. Community Comment [if necessary] (items not on the agenda)
Throgmorton: Is there anybody else who wants to address....us on this, all right! So Item 12,
City Council information (several talking) Oh, you waited! (laughs) Oh my god!
(laughs) Sorry! Peter, right? Oh that would have been so rude of me. I'm sorry.
Sorry! (laughter) Would you please state your name again and, uh, and....
Lagios: Yeah, okay, all right, thank you. Urn....yeah, actually that didn't go so bad. I
mean I thought it was getting a little longer than 45 minutes (laughter) Let me ask
you a question, guys. First of all, is.....is this televised?
Throgmorton: Yes (several responding)
Lagios: Okay, this part is televised. Some city councils cut the camera....
Throgmorton: You're on the screen!
Lagios: Okay! Um, okay so I first came up here talking about an issue that I don't really
know much about, other than just to try to say in general it's good to support local
workers because the money stays in-house and you....people spend it here. You
get more tax dollars that way, as opposed to shipping off to Texas. I don't know
how everybody feels about Texas, but I'm not exactly down with their politics
100%, so think about that, but that's the other issue. We're not gonna talk about
that now. What we're gonna talk about here is.....an issue that does directly
affect me. Um,when I moved down here, I came here in the spring semester. I
started University of Iowa and like a lot of students who come down here, urn,
you know, housing is kind of tight at that time when you're in....mid-way in the
year there. So I ended up finding a place, uh, kind of a last resort, and it turned
out to be down by, uh, 630 S. Capitol Street, which is where I live now. That is
right next to the railroad tracks. Okay? Um, let me just tell ya, I had, like I said,
at the time I briefly walked through. I said that this is fine, this'll do. I didn't
even take into consideration. I didn't even look outside the blinds to realize that
I'm right next to the railroad tracks. Um,this has proven to be.....I mean it's
almost like a nightmare, it really is. Uh, the track, the track must be 20 feet away
from....from my bedroom window. Okay? So what it is is the railroad track is
basically bermed up a good 15, 20 feet up in the air. It's pretty high up. So it
actually meets like third, fourth level of the apartment complex. It's....goes,
there's basically a,uh.....uh, overpass bridge, and south Capitol of course, you
know, passes under and then you....you meet the jail, the Sheriff, uh, County
complex right there. So that road that goes down towards Benton Street, it goes
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underneath that bridge and then that apartment building right there is 630 S.
Capitol. It's just right smack dab next to the tracks. And so, uh.....what ends up
happening is is the trains, I mean most of the time I'm at work. I drive internet
taxi. I won't say which one. But I drive for an intemet taxi cab so most of the
time I'm out and about, but at nighttime, um, like clockwork,pretty much every
three hours there is a train that's coming by from either direction. And these
guys, I mean they lay on the horn, uh, pretty thick, right, and it doesn't matter
what,um, what hour of the night is by federal law apparently they have to blast
three short, one long, but they end up a lot of times going, uh, you know,
way....way deeper than that as far as laying on the horn. Sometimes in mid-day
you'll sit there and hear them just lay it on thick, like five, six, seven, I mean I
hear 'em sometimes just blasting the horn all the way down the stretch. It's pretty
crazy. Okay, so....this isn't a new issue, right? Lot of cities have this type of a
situation, okay? My hometown actually just passed a quiet zone's project, which
actually addressed this. From talking with your own MTP board I believe it's
called, Metropolitan Transit Board downstairs here. I forget the fellow's name
(both talking)
Throgmorton: We have a Metropolitan Planning Organization(both talking)
Lagios: Yeah, MPO! Okay,that's what it's called. And after speaking with him, it's like
look, well aware of the issue. Lot of people have complained about this, okay?
It....it's just one of those issues that it just seems to get kicked....the can keeps
getting kicked down the road. What he's told me is is that it really boils down to
a crossing guard is what....what can, okay, so basically federal law stipulates that
any, uh, crossing by a street, you have to lay on three short and one long. That's
just by federal law, which trumps any kind of state or local, you know, ordinances
you guys might pass. So even if you tried to stop the trains, you couldn't do it
because federal law usurps it. But the way around that is through putting a double
crossing guard. Okay, that's where two guards drop down to block traffic, and
what it...what would end up happening is that by federal law they would not have
to lay on the horn then, so therefore the trains could...while there is a lot of
rumble,there is no doubt there's a lot of rumble, there's a lot of screech with the
....with the clanging of iron and all that, and steel, but nonetheless they wouldn't
have to blast those horns, which is like I said, 15, 20 feet tops,right outside my
bedroom window, which is, you know, it's very pronounced. It's, uh, almost as
bad as a loud Harley, you know, if you're sitting in an outdoor café or something
like that, it's a.....it's actually pretty bad. So,um, I think the quote I was told was
about $2 million in...and what ends up happening is the City's kind of, uh, in
dispute with the railroad of who should actually pay for this, and you know, I...
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I'm trying to reach out also to any students or anybody who might be living in
apartments that are peppered along the stretch there, because a lot of....a lot of us
are actually I mean it's an inside joke, right? We all know about the trains. We
meet in the elevator we're like, yeah, trains are pretty....you know, pretty loud.
Now I'm talking nine,just so you understand, 9:30 at night, 12:30 A.M., then
another one at 2:30, and another one around, uh, 6:00 A.M. This is like
clockwork. You know, we're talkin' the middle of the night, blasting their horns!
My roommate puts in, he has mail order silicone earplugs. He's like subscribed to
a service. I don't like wearing `em. Um, so I'm telling...this is like a real thing
that people are suffering through. Okay? I'd like to see more of the students that
are living along those apartment buildings to,uh, stand up to reach out to call the,
uh, that MPO board, call City Hall, come up here to the, you know, do what you
can to try to convince you folks to appropriate the money or to more aggressively
work with the railroad company to try to meet them halfway and get some
resolution so you can get those crossing guards put in. I believe it would be on
Dubuque Street I think is where the....obviously Clinton, or excuse me, urn,
Capitol Street goes under a....a train overpass,but I think the reason why they're
sounding horns at that particular juncture is because of the, uh, Dubuque Street,
uh, crossing. Okay? So,urn, I think this is an issue that what...what ends up
happening is students because, you know,because of the transience of students
who are there for a short time, relatively short time, they just end up suffering in
misery and then nothing ends up really getting done. So could you guys find it in
your heart to try to maybe seriously address this issue and put it more on the fore
burner,the front burner, rather than on the back burner. I don't even know if it's
on the stove top at all.
Throgmorton: I...yeah, I don't know the answer to that question but, Peter, thank you for
bringing it to our attention. Uh, and beyond that, uh, we'll just have to have a
conversation later on.
Fruin: Yeah. We could report back to the Council on the quiet zone program. We're
pretty familiar with the program. We have looked at it. It's incredibly expensive
and there's no guarantees that they will stop blowing their horn, but it'd probably
be appropriate, if you're interested, for us to summarize that in a memo and get
that to you.
Throgmorton: I think it would be.
Lagios: Could you give me an estimate on what that cost is, cause I heard $2 million? Is
it higher than that?
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Fruin: Really requires an engineering study to determine, but that doesn't...that number
is probably pretty accurate.
Lagios: Could you do it incrementally, like maybe take a crossing at a time? So at least
some people can get remedy, I mean instead of comprehensively doing every
crossing?
Throgmorton: Could....could be, but we're not....we're not set up to have...engage in a lengthy
dialogue now about this particular topic. We've asked the City Manager to report
back to us. We...thank you so much for bringin' it to our attention. Thanks for
your endurance! For sticking around, and then, you know, speaking about the
topic, uh, but we're not in a position to kind of talk through about what can be
done, what cannot be done. That's not the way we do things at our meetings.
Yeah.
Lagios: Okay. Glad I brought it to your attention so maybe just I'll check back. How
would that go about? I mean I know you don't really want a back and forth right
now but.....
Fruin: Yeah, if you met with Kent Ralston, uh, recently. Is that....I assume Kent has
your contact information?
Lagios: Right but his....his, uh, assessment of it was, you know,you're gonna graduate
and get out of here before anything's gonna get done. And I just...is that really
(both talking) going I mean....just so I know, I mean if that's the case then....then
I think everybody should know that,before they rent a place along the tracks. So
that they, you know, have a good understanding that there's nothing gonna be
done on this issue.
Throgmorton: If we could get your contact information, you know, by email, phone number,
whatever.
Lagios: Sure!
Throgmorton: Uh, then when Geoff finished writing this, uh,memo for us, he can share it with
you and, uh, see where that leads.
Lagios: Okay. I will....can I follow up on like next week sometime, Monday morning,
just with this fellow here(both talking)
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Throgmorton: I doubt he'll write it by then but....but(both talking)
Lagios: No, I'm not asking for....but I'm just saying at some point is...is there something
that could be done rather than just like kick the can scenario, because obviously
it's been kicked for many, many years and.....
Fruin: We will reach out to you.
Lagios: Okay.
Fruin: You won't....we will reach out to ya!
Lagios: Okay! I'll drop off my information then. Thank you very much.
Throgmorton: Thank (both talking)
Lagios: Thanks, Council.
Eastham: My name's Charlie Eastham, 953 Canton Street in Iowa City. Just wanted to go
back and, uh, revisit, or talk briefly about the, uh, relocation planning that you've
considered for the 1705 Prairie du Chien, uh (clears throat) uh, rezoning
application. I know you approved the zoning application, as I
understand...rezoning. The relocation planning is a separate matter, so I assume
it's okay to discuss that? During the comment period?
Throgmorton: Think so! Sure!
Eastham: Thank you. Um (clears throat) uh, I would say that the, uh, in my view the....the
notion of establishing a, uh, a case management scheme is, uh, appropriate in this
instance. Um, and I....I have some definite qualms about establishing a$14,000
or so limit, uh, initially for the amount of assistance that's gonna be available in
the mobile home park. (clears throat) I would ask the, uh....uh, the approach be
to, uh (clears throat) engage an agency to do the case management, uh....uh, work
and confer with the residents there about what their actual relocation costs are
going to be, uh, and then have,uh, some discussion then about how much of the
relo...of the actual, of the residents' actual relocation costs the City's going to be,
uh, able to bear. Um (clears throat) $4,000 is, uh, a very like in my view light
estimate for actual relocation, uh, expenses. And, um, the HUD guidelines, as
you know, are closer to $7,200 which is the amount that's being,uh.....uh,
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considered for Forest View residents. So I....I (clears throat) and then the
question about paying for people's investment in their current mobile home,
where.....especially if they're not able to move it. Uh, I think that's something
the City should actually....you should actually, uh, give some serious
consideration to. Um....I have, uh(clears throat) long thought that the, uh, City's
approach to people who rent as opposed to people who own, when it comes to
their, uh, long-range interests, is somewhat lacking and I think some of the
comments that were made during discussion tonight, uh, confirm my, um, my
viewpoints on that. I think people who own and people who rent should have the
same, urn, rights and, uh (clears throat) access to City resources in instances like
this where they're being involuntarily displaced. I'd also like to say that I'm glad
to hear Jim talk about Bob Miklo's, or reveal Bob Miklo's retirement. As a two-
term member of the Planning and Zoning Commission, had a lot of opportunities
to work with Bob, enjoyed his professionali....professionalism, benefited a lot
from his input, sorry to see him go. Thanks!
Throgmorton: Thank you, Charlie. Hi. You're almost the last man standing! (laughs)
Endsley: Hi, Jeremy Endsley, uh, Community Transportation Committee. Urn, so we
recently submitted, um, a letter and a survey that we, uh, were able to do with
employers in the area. Um, some of the employers that, um, that had some
trouble with transportation, um, had to do with, uh, like second-shift workers, um,
so these were, um, employees at, you know, some of the large companies that,
urn, keep Iowa City going. So manufacturers,um, and these workers, urn, some
of them, um, that I worked with, uh, you know, have to resort to walking home
unprotected, um, down the....down the highway. Um, and you know, when they
get off in the middle of the night. So I think that's not somethin' that we want,
um, to have happen. It's kind of reminds me of, urn, Mr. Roger's. I just saw the
Mr. Roger's movie, and I think that we need to send a message, um,to these
workers that they matter. Um (clears throat) because right now, urn, we're
not....we're not doing that. Um, so if maybe there's like a night bus, urn, or
coordination with, um, another nighttime transit service, uh, taxis, like a free taxi,
something like that. Um (clears throat) I think that would be a step in the right
direction. Um....and I, from what I have seen with, uh,between Iowa City and
Coralville, there is a, uh, collaborative relationship, um, with transit,
transportation, and I'd really like to see, um, something worked out with the
transit passes, cause, urn, as you may know, the 31-day transit pass is the only one
that works back and forth between Iowa City and Coralville right now. And if
you are using a 10-ride pass or a single-ride pass, you have to, urn, have the....
you have to have the Coralville version or the Iowa City version to get back
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home. So it's....it can be convenience, urn.....kind of demoralizing to have to,
you know, go to Iowa City and then figure out like how you're going to get back,
urn, if you're short on, you know, dollars. Um.....(clears throat) and it's, you
know, it's been several years, um, that we've been asking about that. So, there
really, you know, would like to see things speeded up,um, I think the, um, transit
study coming up, um, is going to be great. I really hope that,urn, that the route
.....transit routes, urn, get some attention,um,not everybody needs to go through
downtown, um,to get where they're going. Um, I know the City is very, um,
concentrated on the University,urn, but....um, if it is possible to actually, uh,
connect neighborhoods, um, that would also, um, help people trying to get from
one place to another,that are not necessarily, um, very far from where they're
trying to go but, uh, matter of convenience of, you know, getting up, get on the
bus, get to school, um, at Kirkwood, urn, so I really hope the,uh, the transit study,
um, addresses some of those issues, um, and, yeah. Eagerly awaiting and see
what happens!
Throgmorton: Good deal! Thank you, Jeremy. All right, I don't think there's anyone else who
would like to speak, so I'll turn to Item 18 (several talking) You said no, didn't
ya? (several talking) Okay, so, uh.....go back to where I was. Jumped ahead.
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Item 12. City Council Information
Throgmorton: Rockne, I wonder if you could start. We'll move to the right.
Cole: Um, so, um....Jim and I just came back from a wonderful trip in the south and we
had a lot of wonderful things that I'd like to share, but I think I just wanna focus
on one experience we had in the city of Birmingham, urn, we had the opportunity
of meeting, uh, Mayor Randall Woodfin, and also seeing a lot of the
administration in the city of Birmingham, and I don't want to get too much into
the present day in terms of what we're facing now, um, but let me say that it was
extremely, urn, inspiring and hopeful to see a community such as Birmingham,
uh, that has gone through so much pain as it has in the....in the 60s, uh, in terms
of segregation, in terms of discrimination, in terms of everything that they went
through, and I know as a city they continue to certainly have their challenges,but
I was so impressed with the hospitality that that community extended to us. We
had the opportunity to meet with the fire department, uh, to talk about the various
initiatives that they're doing, in particular also, uh, being very open and candid
about what happened in the 60s in terms of the protests. Urn, they didn't retreat
from it. They didn't deny it. They didn't mitigate it. Um, they acknowledged it,
and they moved forward with it. Urn, we had an opportunity to meet, uh, the
police department, which I was very impressed, uh, with that department in terms
of...we have a wonderful department here, uh, but we had the opportunity to
meet with, urn, approximately eight to 10 of those officers. Their youth
programming, their community programming, the community-based policing, um,
we do a great job here, but I was really impressed with the programming that they
had for their kids there, and the commitment that the officers had. So, um, I'm
hoping at some point in the future we can both learn from one another as a
community. Um, maybe there's some things that we do well that maybe they
don't do so well. I don't know what those would be, but....um, it was certainly a
pleasure to meet with that particular department. Um, the other thing is is that,
uh I was very impressed as well, finally, with their youth programming in the
city. They actually have a separate division, uh, that's designed for, uh, low-
income youth in their community. It's really targeted in terms of employment,
culture, sports, uh, we had an opportunity to have actually a basketball game
between some of our kids as well as some of their kids, and it was a....it was a
real pleasure, and finally, um, bein'....being a bibliophile, um, I also want to
share a book recommendation directly from Mayor Woodfin. Um, it is called A
Fire That Couldn't Be Put Out, um, it's about the great civil rights leader Fred
Shuttlesworth,um, obviously with the civil rights movement you immediately
think of the great Martin Luther King Jr. Um, and obviously he's one of the most
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impressive persons in the history of our country,but it was also really fun to learn
about the other heroes of the civil rights movement,uh, such as Fred
Shuttlesworth, and Fred Shuttlesworth was based out of Birmingham and really
was the key leader in that community in terms of leading the way, along with
Martin Luther King Jr.,but Fred Shuttlesworth was their....their key community
leader there, and so Randall Woodfin,urn, Mayor Randall Woodfin identified
Fred Shuttlesworth as a hero of his, and he strongly recommended that book,A
Fire That Couldn't Be Put Out, Fred Shuttlesworth, so.....you out there, you got a
book to buy or go to the Library and get and um, I just got it and I'm really
looking forward to reading it! That's it!
Thomas: Uh(clears throat) I'd like, there're all sorts of things that happened since we last
met but....I'll....l thought I would just focus on something coming up, which is,
uh, this coming Sunday, July 8th,uh, the Iowa City Community Band will be
playing at North Market Square,uh(clears throat) Sorry! I encourage those of
you watching or here tonight, uh, to attend. And while you're in the
neighborhood, I think it's an interesting time to see some of the activity that's
going on in the Northside right now. Uh, one of the....that is very close to the,
uh, North Market Square. Uh, last weekend a mural was just completed on the
Ace Hardware, along Dodge Street. Uh, so the Church Street frontage of that Ace
Hardware, it's about 160-foot long mural, showing geese, kind of proceeding on
their way from Goosetown to the Northside (both talking)
Throgmorton: .....goin' to school. (several talking) They're goin' to school!
Thomas: They're going to....going to school (laughs)and, you know, historically, you
know,the residents in Goosetown would often walk their geese down to North
Market Square. That...that's my understanding. So anyway it's a beautiful mural.
Uh, and the other important thing to...to keep in mind about it is it was an effort
led by Thomas Agran,uh, a Northside resident who,uh, is the art advisor and uh,
(mumbled)official term,but with the Downtown District, uh, developed the
concept and there were 167 volunteers who worked on the project. So that....that
was quite inspiring. Uh, you will also see,uh,next door to the park that Horace
Mann construction is underway,big massive piles of dirt. Uh, so kind of in the
demolition phase. And then just,uh, a little bit further north,the,uh,renovation
of, uh, Happy Hollow is underway, so the....you can see the activity up there. So
it's kind of a busy neighborhood right now in terms of, uh,construction projects,
um, long-time coming on both of them. And,uh, I'm hearin' the band play on
Sunday afternoon. Oh, I'm sorry! One more thing! (several talking and
laughing) I promised a neighbor, uh, on the renovation, urn, Max , who's a
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seven-year-old, uh, student at Horace Mann. He has created a blog on the
renovation of Horace Mann, uh, which he is calling the Reconstruction of Mann
(laughter) We all think it's a pretty profound, you know, this young....young kid
in the neighborhood coming up with the name for this blog site, and they're
entering, you know, I'm thinking he may become an architect or construction
manager, something....something like that in his future,but,uh, so the
Reconstruction of Mann if anyone wants to follow Max's blog, um, check it out!
Throgmorton: All right. Pauline!
Taylor: Don't have anything upcoming but, um, past events, urn, Jim and I had, uh,
opportunity to visit with the, um, civic, uh, Mandela Fellows group, uh, was a
group of 25 individuals from 20 different areas of Africa, uh, they're staying here
for over a month, urn,just learning about things in the community and they're just
wonderful individuals and had great questions and....and, uh,mentioning our
community, I think whenever we've met with visitors from other countries, they
love our community. They love this city and they think that a lot of the things
we're doing, uh, particularly these folks as far as inclusiveness they think is
wonderful that we're making a lot of progress that way. So that was a....a great
pleasure to meet with them. Um, attended the groundbreaking for the Reach for
Your Potential home, uh, over on the southeast part of town. Was a really great
event, well attended, and uh, even had special guest with Governor Kim
Reynolds, so that was....that was interesting. Um, before I say, uh, happy
birthday to our country, uh, I'd be negligent if I didn't say happy birthday to my
grandson Michael. He's 11-years-old today. Sony grandma had to be in a
meeting all night, uh, but happy birthday anyway, and uh, as far as our,uh,
country's birthday, July 4th, uh, please remember to be safe and courteous out
there with your fireworks, especially those of you using fireworks, obey the rules,
but(several talking) Yeah, yes (several talking) remind, yes, please because I
think some folks have already been hearing them in the neighborhoods, so please
be more courteous about that and follow the rules, and also be cautious and
remember that even sparklers get very, very hot, so be safe out there but enjoy the
holiday. That's all!
Botchway: Nothin'!
Throgmorton: All right. Well I want to mention many things. Simon, Wendy, and I toured The
Rise apartment building with Rob Anderson, uh, on June the 7th. This covers a lot
of time, you know, cause time has passed. Geoff and I welcomed RAGBRAI test
riders on June the 8th at The View at the Hilton Garden Inn. I attended, uh, along
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with some other people the Corridor Rising event in Cedar Rapids on the 13`h.
Attended the Downtown District's annual celebration on June the 13th, same day I
guess. Geoff and I met with Rod Lehnertz and David Keifer of the University on
the 15th with regard to the rezoning of 12 Court Street, and Geoff's going to be
putting together a memo that sort of summarizes key information we got from that
conversation. Uh, with regard to the trip down south, this,uh, the civil rights
tour. Uh, Rockne has adequately expressed, uh, a lot of what happened there, but
I can tell ya it was a....a really powerful experience. It was very informative,
inspirational, and profoundly moving to go to places like the Dexter Avenue
parsonage where Martin Luther King Jr., uh, and Coretta Scott King lived from 54
through the start of 1960, and to stand in the kitchen, their kitchen, which looked
like their kitchen when they lived there, and hear Martin Luther King describing
one night when he could not sleep because he'd gotten a threatening phone call,
went downstairs early in the morning, had a cup of coffee and was feeling, I don't
know, pretty profoundly dispirited or whatever and suddenly had an epiphany
which basically told him, Martin, dedicate your life to justice. And we were
listening to this recording while standing in his kitchen. It was really, really
moving. So I'm gonna praise Henri Harper who organized and conducted it. It's
a huge amount of work on Henri's part, and he was exhausted afterwards. I
wanna praise Jesse Case and others affiliated with the Teamsters and Team Can
for providing so much support for that trip and I want to praise the 50 or so people
who took part, including approximately 30 black youth from Iowa City. It was
really moving to be present with them for nine days, experiencing....well
witnessing how they were experiencing the trip. So....if it's done again, I would
highly recommend it. (laughs) Henri says he's never gonna do it again (laughs)
but I think he's said this now nine times, cause this is the tenth time he's done it.
I also want to mention several other things. I attended a welcoming reception for
the Mandela Fellows on the 25th of June, and then Pauline and I met with them on
the 29th. On the 28th Ashley, Simon, Wendy, and I toured the new Hyatt Place
hotel with its general manager Ryan Cochran. It looks to me like a really nice
facility. I think it's probably going to be a big success. I participated in a
Families Belong Together march on the 30th. And was proud to do that. I plan to
welcome people to the Climate Action Community input meeting on the 11th. I
plan to make welcoming remarks at the Light of Hope breakfast on the 13th, and
Geoff and I will be attending a meeting of the Metro Coalition in Des Moines on
the 17th, and then come back here for a meeting. At least that's the plan, right?
Okay, enough for me.
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