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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2018-11-20 CorrespondenceItem Number: 8.a. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Carol deProsse: Tree Planting [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox@mac.com> Sent: Monday, November 05, 2018 9:33 AM To: Juli Seydell Johnson Cc: Council Subject: Re: Tree Planting Thanks, Juli, I'll be sure to look for the trees the next time I head out to W Branch. On Nov 5, 2018, at 8:22 AM, Juli Seydell Johnson <Juli-SJohnson@iowa-city.org> wrote: Carol, Thank you for your email and question about out tree planting projects this fall. We have received many compliments about the Camp Cardinal planting. The other street with similar plantings this fall is Lower West Branch road between Scott Boulevard and Taft Avenue. The trees on this street are primarily on the south side of the street since the north side is not all within the Iowa City boundaries. Juli Seydell Johnson Director of Parks & Recreation -----Original Message ----- From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefoxC@mac.com> Sent: Sunday, November 4, 2018 10:48 AM To: Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin(c@iowa-city.org>; Council <Council@iowa-city.ore> Subject: Tree Planting Council/Geoff, The tree planting that the City has been doing along Camp Cardinal Boulevard is wonderful. I really appreciate the variety of species, the care in planting them (staking, mulching, etc.) It will not only help beautify the boulevard but be beneficial to the environment. I hope that Coralville will finish the boulevard from the IC line to the highway and that this intensive tree planting is continued throughout the City. If there are other places that have had this kind of work done I would appreciate knowing about it so I can go see it. Carol Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Item Number: 8.b. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Sara Barron: Support for homeownership program for Taylor/Davis Kellie Fruehlin From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Dear Council and City Staff: Sara Barron <jcaffordablehousing@gmail.com> Wednesday, November 07, 2018 1:53 PM Council Geoff Fruin; Tracy Hightshoe Support for homeownership program for Taylor/Davis At our November board meeting, the board unanimously approved this statement re: the homeownership program for Taylor/Davis neighborhoods. As always, the JCAHC is glad to support City efforts related to affordable housing, including promoting the program, supporting neighborhood outreach, or connecting with other partners to provide program services. Please let us know how we can participate. Thanks, Sara The Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition supports a revised homebuying program proposal that promotes homeownership for current residents of Taylor Drive/Davis Street. We believe that it is a worthwhile investment of City resources to create a replicable program model that helps interested renters by: 1) offering the credit counseling, financial advising, and practical skill -building needed by households preparing for homeownership; and 2) lowering the purchase price, monthly mortgage, and/or the property taxes for first- time homebuyers who have been long-time renters in their neighborhood. JOHNSON COUNTY Affordable Housing Coalition Sara Barron I she/her/hers Executive Director www.*caffordablehousing.org I www.facebook.com/ocaffordablehousing I @jcahcoalition Item Number: 8.c. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Mary Gravitt: traffic light at Washington and Linn Kellie Fruehling From: Mary Gravitt <gravittmary@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 07, 2018 4:00 PM To: Council Subject: traffic light at Washington and Linn We need a traffic light at Washington and Linn due to the increasing traffic. There have been several near accidents there. Both the Senior Center 20 timed traffic light would be welcome for the safety of Senior and drivers alike. Mary Gravitt 2714 Wayne Ave #6 52240 Item Number: 8.d. + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Lori Kendrick: Iowa City Deer Management Kellie Fruehling From: Lori Kendrick <kendricklori@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 5:07 PM To: Council Subject: Iowa City Deer Management Attachments: Letter_from_IC_Deer_Friends.pdf Iowa City Deer Friends Concerned Citizen Group of Iowa City Website: icdeerfriends.org/ November 5`h, 2oi8 Mayor Throgmorton Iowa City Council Members 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Honorable Mayor Throgmorton and Council Members, While determining your approach to the ongoing debate concerning how best to manage Iowa City's deer management program, please consider the following public statements by DNR staff and community officials, as well as documented study results. Evidence shows that culling deer via bow hunting is ineffective and unethical when it comes to deer population control. Following several years of urban bow hunts in Muscatine, when twice as many deer were taken than the previous year, the herd grew by more than a third, and DNR depredation biologist, Greg Harris, said he didn't have an explanation for the unexpected growth. "We kind of heard the same thing from Cedar Rapids last year," he said. (Jennifer Myer, Muscatine Journal) When Bettendorf resident, Jeanne Elliott, and her neighbors documented the deer population growing out of control and destroying vegetation despite bow hunts since Zoog, DNR's Harris said, "We are doing our best to work within the constraints and laws we have." Harris has since given Elliott other options, such as building a fence. (Devan Patel, Quad -City Times) A major study comparing data on archery and gun wounding losses gathered at four wildlife management areas by Texas Parks and Wildlife Department wildlife biologists, Glen Boydston and Horace Gore, revealed that bow hunt wounding and crippling losses are inevitable. Experienced bow hunters wound more deer than novices (novice archers usually miss animals entirely). The study showed that for every deer killed and recovered, at least one or more deer were wounded and left to die a slow and painful death from peritonitis that lasted up to months. Wounding rates in Iowa are 49% (Gladfelter, H.L., Kiensler, J.M. and Koehler, K.J. 1983) Archery hunts span nearly 5 months (Cedar Rapids goes from September 15 - January io), in which access to public spaces are closed down and private property owners are encouraged to grant hunters permission to hunt in their yards. This raises the issue of deer wounded by bow hunters ending up in adjacent yards of people who oppose hunting, often pitting neighbor against neighbor. Combine the time lost from limited access to public spaces, with the length of time wounded deer are roaming until their death, and you have burdened area residents who oppose bow hunting with 6 plus months of diminished lifestyle. Some Bluffwood residents mentioned deer management as a solution to Lyme disease transmission. Studies have shown that the removal of one host isn't enough to suppress the black -legged tick. In fact, deer removal programs may put the public at risk by creating disease "hot spots," as mature ticks that normally latch on to large hosts (i.e. deer) are more likely to target dogs and people when deer populations are reduced (HSUS "Deer Conflict Management and Coexistence Plan"). A recently added talking point during deer management discussions is the need to implement management strategies to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease (CWD). Center for Disease Control (CDC) studies raise concern that CWD may pose a risk to people. The study conclusion states the importance of preventing human exposure to CWD. A negative test result does not guarantee that an individual animal is not infected with CWD. Quality Deer Management Association states that the majority of CWD- positive deer killed by hunters appear to be healthy. Therefore, the CDC recommends that hunters have deer tested before eating the meat. In areas where CWD is a definite threat, the DNR is rescinding current antler -points restrictions (APR) that are geared towards trophy hunting bigger racks. The dilemma with APR is that deer testing positive for chronic wasting disease are younger on average. Yet, in Exhibit A: "A Summary Report: 2o10 Management Program" prepared for Iowa City by White Buffalo, it is noted that "if the state sees value in protecting males, I recommend that the general City-wide permit be made active by i December so reales can be avoided." When allowed to grow, deer continue shedding CWD prions for that much longer, which contradicts minimizing the risk of spreading the disease. Vehicle -deer accidents also generate concerns that lead to culling proposals. Since 1999 the City of Coralville has hosted an archery -only deer management hunt opportunity. The purpose of this hunt is to limit the deer population within city limits and lower the number of vehicle crashes. However, between 2015-2or7, deer -vehicle accidents in CoralviRe increased from 3o to 39. Rock Island Deputy Police Chief, Jason Foy, who manages the annual Rock Island Forest Preserve District's controlled bow hunt, says, "The program has not yet made a dent in deer -vehicle accident totals" (Jack Cullen, Quad -City Times). An ISU Project Report: "An Assessment of Traffic Safety in Urban Deer Herd Management Zones in Iowa," states, "A few countermeasures, such as wildlife crossings and deer fencing, have proven effective, but some countermeasures (including herd management) require more research to evaluate their effectiveness. The effectiveness of special herd management hunts in urban areas cannot be fully assessed based solely on their effect on traffic safety." In an October, 2017 KTVO interview regarding deer -vehicle accidents, DNR's Greg Harris said, "Deer population isn't the only factor to consider. There are two more causes that affect the number of crashes. The second one would be the speed of travel, and the third is the number of vehicles on the road." Johnson County Sheriff, Brad Kunkel recently stated, "Two factors combine to boost the chances that motorists may encounter these animals during this time of the year: mating season and hunting season." (Kat Russell, The Gazette - emphasis added) In 2009, 45% of deer/vehicle-deer strikes occurred on Highway 218 and Interstate 80, where town boundaries prevent adequate management activities to occur. In addition, g% of the deer -vehicle strikes in town occur proximate to Highway 6 and Hawkins Road, where Hope House (University of Iowa) residents are feeding deer (In Exhibit A: "A Summary Report: 2010 Management Program" prepared for Iowa City by White Buffalo). Wildlife overpasses and underpasses are options that reclaim space for animals when too much of it has been taken away by roads. https://www.citylab.com/life/2o18/o2/wildlife- crossings-bridges-tunnels-animals-roads-highways-roadkill/ 566210 / The Sept 26, 2018 Deer Committee Memorandum RE: Public Forum states, "While exact numbers were not collected the night of the forum, it is the committee's conclusion that most of the comments and opinions expressed favored acting soon to control the deer population." Reviewing the City Channel 4 recording of the forum shows 13 residents (including HSUS State Director, 3 scientists, an Iowa City attorney, a wildlife educator, a former Cedar Rapids Deer Task Force committee member and lawyer now living in Iowa City, and a former Mayor of Iowa City) advocated for the city to slow down and consider non -lethal management options. n residents voiced complaints about deer browsing their landscaping, 1 rural tree farmer promoted killing the deer because he "has no love for them," and 3 bow hunters requested opening the management zone to archery killing. Tony Wobeter presented a petition with 46 mainly Bluffwood residents' signatures, saying deer are a nuisance (KCJJ). Dawn Frary presented a petition in which 587 people who, through their signature, oppose killing deer in Iowa City and ask for non -lethal, long- term, sustainable methods of management, such as sterilization, improved signage in deer crossing areas, creation of more natural green space/wildlife habitat, wildlife crossings, and public outreach and education (www.icdeerfriends.or�). In Liz Ford's Feb. 15, 2018 correspondence to City Manager, Geoff Fruin, she states, "Solving the overpopulation problems and bringing the deer population to a manageable and healthy level should involve education and non -lethal efforts on the part of both residents and city staff and with guidance from the DNR." To date the city has failed to present study -based effective non -lethal management options, choosing instead to have Tony DeNicola promote sharpshooting. According to a 2004 Daily Iowan article, sharpshooting was unsuccessful in reducing the herd. "Since 1999, White Buffalo sharpshooters have picked off nearly i,2oo deer. Despite that action, the deer population this year is comparable with that of iggg." (Drew Kerr, Daily Iowan) In Exhibit A: "A Summary Report: 2olo Management Program" prepared for Iowa City by White Buffalo, prior to the first sharpshooting cull in 1999, aerial deer counts by DNR Wildlife Depredation Biologist, Greg Harris, showed 318 deer. During the years of culling, the counts were as follows: 2001/351 deer, 2003/563 deer, 2005/416 deer, 20o7/604 deer, 2oo8/302 deer. This exhibit shows culling is ineffective in providing long-term results. Is Iowa City prepared to hire White Buffalo to play out the role of predator every year... indefinitely? During the Forum, when asked about sterilization, DeNicola stated that he has had "tremendous success" with sterilization projects. Referring to Iowa City, he stated that he "was not against a sterilization project, and would not dismiss non -lethal methods of deer management." "Sterilization would work, but it would be expensive," he said. The last cull conducted in 2009/2010 cost Iowa City upwards of $loo,000 to harvest and process 57 deer. That is an average $1,754.39 per deer, compared to an average cost of $1,000 per deer to sterilize. Unlike hunting, sterilization is a permanent solution that requires only one treatment over the lifetime of the deer. Sterilized deer do not go into heat, therefore are not chased by bucks during rut, effectively reducing deer vehicle collisions. Less browsing is noted in sterilized deer, as they don't have the caloric requirements of almost 7 months of pregnancy and 3 months of nursing fawns. Sterilized deer also act as infertile placeholders who help keep out new deer while consuming much less. Recent correspondence with an Iowa DNR Research Biometrician about the possibility of implementing a White-tailed Deer sterilization program for population control in the Iowa City deer management zone provided the following information regarding the legality of a sterilization project. "I reviewed Iowa code to determine if this technique is legally allowed for population control within deer management zones. According to Chapter 105 of the Iowa Administrative Code, this method could be an allowed technique within urban deer management zones but is subject to approval by the Iowa DNR Natural Resource Commission." An organized group of citizens with the goal of protecting our complex eco -system, as well as minimizing deer -human conflict, seeks to pursue non -lethal deer management methods to include a sterilization project. Having mutual respect for deer and plants, this group will apply their combined professional and personal experience, including law, research, mediation, credibility with public officials, and access to volunteers in related disciplines to build community involvement, obtain the necessary approvals, and raise funds to offset the cost of a sterilization project. What educational and non -lethal strategies are currently in place in the Blufl'wood Neighborhood? Have Bluffwood residents committed to these strategies? Moving forward, who is in charge of overseeing the implementation of educational and non -lethal efforts to ensure these measures are in fact implemented and followed? The HSUS forty page document, "Deer Conflict Management and Coexistence Plan" prepared by The Humane Society of the United States (HSUS), and presented to the City by HSUS State Director, Preston Moore, offers numerous non -lethal interventions to successfully resolve deer human conflict. According to Exhibit A: "A Summary Report: 2010 Management Program" prepared for Iowa City by White Buffalo, "Recreational feeding of deer on Saint Joseph's Cemetery continues to hamper our ability to manage deer in the Northwest corner of Hickory Hill Park and the surrounding area. Deer densities in this area appear (based on track sign and visual observation) to be significantly higher than the rest of town." The wood lot on the Southeast corner of Highway 6 and Hawkins Road also has substantial feeding activity from the residents of Hope House (University of Iowa)." Feeding deer makes them more vulnerable to disease and subject to population increases above what the available natural habitat can support. Both of these issues can be minimized through an ordinance that prohibits the intentional feeding ofdeer within the city limits. Iowa City is a community of pragmatic, thoughtful, energized individuals who, when given correct information, can move things in a productive direction. Bow hunting is ethically unacceptable and ineffective. Management through sharpshooting is a never-ending expense. Killing deer is a perpetual cycle that temporarily reduces the population, but fails to eliminate the impact of deer on the community. Community education combined with non -lethal deer management that includes deer sterilization is a permanent and ethical solution that deserves greater attention and consideration. Sincerely, Iowa City Deer Friends + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Item Number: 8.e. Description Mikaela Brockett: Plaen View parking and mail delivery [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Kent Ralston Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 5:01 PM To: 'mikaelabrockett@gmail.com' Cc: *City Council; Geoff Fruin; Jody Matherly; Tracy Hightshoe Subject: FW: Plaen View parking and mail delivery Hello Ms. Brockett — Your correspondence was forwarded to me for response. These situations are frustrating since the parking in question is in fact legal as you've noted. In an attempt to remedy the issue, staff intends to monitor the area and place notifications on vehicles asking that they be cognizant of their choice of parking and select locations that will not prohibit mail delivery. We've used this method in other neighborhoods and have had success. We will begin placing notifications this week. Please don't hesitate to contact me directly should you have any questions/concerns. Best Regards, Kent Ralston, AICP Executive Director I Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County Transportation Planner I City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5253 From: Mikaela Brockett [mailto:mikaelabrockett@I;mail.com] Sent: Monday, November 12, 2018 9:15 PM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.orp Subject: Plaen View parking and mail delivery Dear City Council Members, I am reaching out for some assistance. I live on Plaen View Drive off Mormon Trek. One side of the street permits parking and the other side does not. I live on the side that permits parking. Most days, there is a vehicle (not owned by or associated with our home) parked in between our mailbox and our neighbor's mailbox. This is perfectly legal parking, but because the parked car is slightly blocking our mailbox or parked just to the front of our mailbox the post office refuses to deliver our mail. I have complained to the Post Office who refers me to the police. The police say they cannot do anything about it because it is legal to park there. I'm not receiving my mail and have missed several important deadlines and pieces of mail. This just cannot go on and I need to bring this to the attention of someone who can help figure this out. Attached are pictures for reference. This is a neighbor's car parked near to our mailbox. Tracking showed I was to recieve an important piece of mail the day this picture was taken, and I watched the mail truck whiz right past our box this day. I had to spend an hour on the phone to reach the post office to have them track down the package and then had to pick it up at the post office the next morning before leaving to catch an international flight. Thank you, Mikaela Brockett Item Number: 81. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Mary Gravitt: I C bus service Veterans Day no info [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Thank you for your response. Mary Mary Gravitt <gravittmary@gmail.com> Wednesday, November 14, 2018 1:56 PM Geoff Fruin Council Re: IC BUS SERVICE VETERANS DAY NO INFO On Tue, Nov 13, 2018 at 9:31 PM Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org> wrote: Mary, Thank you for making us aware of your concerns. I apologize that our customer service was not adequate on Monday. I can assure you the issue will be reviewed and corrected in the future. Best, Geoff Fruin City Manager From: Mary Gravitt <gravittmarv(a)gmail.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 1:09 PM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: IC BUS SERVICE VETERANS DAY NO INFO I Tried contacting IC Transit at 356-5151 to find the Veteran Day bus schedule. I pressed 1, but all I got was an answering machine instructing me to leave a message. After trying several time, the same occurred. I feel it his wrong to leave Bus Service unattended by a human being when it is important to know if the buses are on regular service or Saturday service. Or if running at all. According to the Automated Voice no City service or Transportation was available. Not only is it wrong, but it is unprofessional in a Town that has big ambitions to make itself into a City. I hope that this will not happen again. Mary Gravitt 2714 Wayne Avenue #6 52240 319.341.6230 Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Item Number: 8.g. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok 10WA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Paul Kelly: Problem with City Inspectors office [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: The Devilchicken <devilchkn@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 10:17 PM To: Geoff Fruin; Council; Terri Daugherty; Julie Sands; Ashley Monroe; Simon Andrew Subject: Re: Problem with City Inspectors office. Please read attached documents. Geoff, Thanks for the quick reply. You really need to see the letters we have been sent to fully appreciate the situation. If you need a hard copy I would be glad to print them out and drop them off if need be. Again, thank you for looking into this. Paul Kelly From: Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org> To: The Devilchicken <devilchkn@yahoo.com>; Council <Council@iowa-city.org>; Terri Daugherty <tdaugherty712@gmail.com>; Julie Sands <jmrsands@outlook.com>; Ashley Monroe <Ashley-Monroe@iowa-city.org>: Simon Andrew <Simon-Andrew@iowa-city.org> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 9:58 PM Subject: RE: Problem with City Inspectors office. Please read attached documents. Mr. Kelly, Thank you for emailing with your concerns. I apologize that our communication with you and other members of the Cedar Garden Estates Condo association has not been more positive and productive. I will initiate a review of the situation and have the appropriate staff member follow-up with you very shortly. In the meantime, if you have any questions please feel free to contact me directly at 356-5013. Sincerely, Geoff Fruin City Manager From: The Devilchicken <devilchkn@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, November 13, 2018 8:39 PM To: Geoff Fruin <Geoff-Fruin@iowa-city.org>; Council <Council@iowa-city.org>; Terri Daugherty <tdaugherty712@gmail. com>; Julie Sands <jmrsands@outlook.com>; Ashley Monroe <Ashley- Monroe@iowa-city.org>; Simon Andrew <Simon-Andrew@iowa-city.org> Subject: Re: Problem with City Inspectors office. Please read attached documents. Not sure who to send this to exactly. Hopefully someone that has the authority to correct the problems. This is a very serious issue. Much unneeded stress and wasted time. Please read all of the materials attached and reply. Evidently this inspector is going to write a citation within 10 days. I would prefer not to take off work due to his negligence. Paul Kelly 1220 Village RD #10 Iowa City la 52240 319-466-9517 Devi lchkn(a)-vahoo.com Your email security wont allow me to attach my PDF files and word doc. Sorry, I had to copy paste the letter, its difficult to read in this format.. You really need to read the Word Doc and PDF's of the letters sent to us to fully appreciate the content of this. 11-13-2018 Iowa City Council 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Members of the City Council, My name is Paul Kelly. I live in the 16 unit Cedar Garden Estates condo association located at 1220 Village Road in Iowa City. I am our current condo Association president. I have been president here going on 15 years. The reason I am writing to you today is we are currently having a problem with both a city housing and inspection office employee, and more importantly a specific city housing and inspection policy. Out of 16 of our units we have 4 rental properties. Because of this, our property has to be inspected every 2 years. In my time being board president this property has been inspected approximately 7 times, and up until this past August we have never had any problems with the city inspectors office. The inspector this year wrote our property up for some exterior issues that have existed since I have lived here. When the inspector wrote up these issues, I soon became aware of a problem with city policy that needs corrected, it negatively affects all condo associations within Iowa City. Attached you will find the letter the city inspector sent to our bookkeeper ( CCF08272018). Its description was so poorly written no one had an idea what the inspector was wanting done. Nothing was marked on the property, no maps attached, no photos, just 2 very non descriptive sentences. One of our board members called the inspectors office to get clarification and her call was never returned. Our bookkeeper called multiple times and never heard back. Our Bookkeeper Greg agreed to meet the inspector as he had to come back to the property to reinspect some units 30 days later. When that time came, Greg followed the inspector around and took some pictures. His description of the inspectors working attitude was that of someone "pointing randomly at things,as if he was making it up as he went along". The inspector, Erik Tatge, said if we had any questions to call him. I did call the inspector the next day. I asked if he could meet with the board in person to discuss some of the issues he had. I was told there was no point to that, that we had 10 days from the first letter to contest in writing. Here is the problem with this policy. It's hard to contest a problem if you have no idea what the issue is. Please read the description given in our notice. No person could know what that means other than the author. We tried calling to get some clarification within and after that 10 day deadline and received no call back. How would we know what to contest if no one calls back? There is no way of contesting online. It is impossible for an association to react within the 10 days given to contest. If a condo board wishes to have a meeting to discuss our options, by current state law, we have to contact every owner in writing to announce this meeting. Typically condo Bylaws state an association has to give a minimum time to announce a meeting. This time frame ranges from 2 weeks to 30 days depending on the association. Our association is 2 weeks. That's just to have the meeting, that does not include the time to file a letter to contest. It appears the city policy was written for individual owners and not a condo association. We would like the policy to change. It needs to reflect the realization that an association cannot break state law in order to appease city code. It needs to allow for a reasonable time to reply. 30-45 days would be a more reasonable time frame for an association to reply. We would also like to know how an entire association can be liable for a single unit owners choice to rent or not comply with an inspection? We are being told to immediately repair approximately four thousand dollars worth of exterior issues, a majority of which are cosmetic, within 30 days or we ( the association as a whole ) will be punished? And that I, as an unpaid representative, that works a full time job, will have to go to court if I cant get a contractor in Aug, the busiest time for contractors? Not only is that an unrealistic expectation, it is impossible! Finding a contractor on short notice, and having a meeting to discuss the cost situation with members takes a lot more time than the city inspections office is asking. Even the city inspector stated this fact to me! Furthermore, we cant force any owner to fill out a form, or be inspected. Our bylaws do not give us that authority, it should not be our responsibility to do so. If the city inspectors office demands inspections, they should be the ones contacting the individual owners, mailing the notices, and punishing an owner that is non-compliant. I cannot find it written in state or city code that it is an associations responsibility to set up these appointments. It puts undue cost and responsibility upon the association. This goes to the next subject. A city employee at the housing and inspection office, Erik Tatge. To start off, during the initial inspection process, the owner of one of our rental units stood outside her unit on a very hot August day with her young daughter. She waited 2 hours for the inspector at the time he said he would be there. This inspector never arrived. I received a complaint email the next day from her. She was understandably very irate. He did not get all of the units inspected on the first go around. The second notice stated an owner needed to be home to be inspected. Two other owners, one a fellow board member, stayed home from work to get their places inspected. They both talked to the inspector. Erik stated he did not have to come in and inspect their units. Again, I got an email from one understandably annoyed resident that took time off from work for this inspection and was promptly ignored. The other I spoke with and had the same complaint. One of the rental owners attempted to contact the city to set up an appointment multiple times both before and after the second inspection, he was never called back. He sent me an email apologizing, I told him not to worry, he tried in good faith to get inspected and that hopefully the city forgot about him. When I contacted Erik over the phone my conversation lacked professionalism and understanding. Being told I had 10 days from the date of initial notice was disappointing news, explaining our situation as an association and being told "too bad" was irritating. I explained we had already hired a contractor to do the cosmetic work back in early spring, but we have no idea when that contractor will be able to do the work as he is way behind. Eriks reply was, "you can file for an extension up to 6 months, but that will put you into January, good luck with that! ". He had made the threat of giving us a citation and that we would have to hire a legal representative to show up to court if these were not fixed in 30 days. I told him I was our legal representative, I wont be hiring anyone, I would be the one that would be dealing with these issues in court if need be. We made the repairs that we could get done the best as we could understand them. Fast forward to last week. Greg our bookkeeper contacted me. He stated Erik the inspector called him. According to Greg, Erik stated I had, " insinuated we would not be making any of the requested repairs". He asked Greg if he should write a citation. Erik knew, he was told by me that Greg is our bookkeeper and that I am our properties legal representative and he still called to threaten Greg? Days later Greg received a notice stating some units are not in compliance, ( see attached CCF11102018), with inspection. We have no idea what units as the letter fails to mention them by unit number, only "building units 1-6". The notice states we have not done any repairs, we have. Today a fellow board member, Terri Daugherty, contacted the inspections office in reference to filing an appeal as stated must be done withing 10 days in the most current letter. Stan answered the phone at that office. He told her this letter is a final notice. He said we cannot file for an appeal, please read the bottom of notice 1110218, it say we can ), why did the letter say this? He said Erik stated to him " we refused to do any of the work " . What is wrong with this employee? This statement or insinuation was never made by anyone here. Here is the problem with this employee. He has no organizational skills. He has both wasted the time, and income of owners due to his inability to schedule inspections. We have an owner who, after making multiple attempts to call and schedule an inspection, will now be fined because no one called him back. Yet Erik still has time to call our bookkeeper and send a letter to threaten us with a citation? He did not take the time to mark anything, or describe the initial problems in accurate detail. He did not return calls to reschedule appointments. And failed to show up at the time he scheduled. He sent a notice stating some units are not in compliance with inspection, but failed to mention which units. He does not have the ability to constructively work with an association, or its members. He caused some owners to needlessly take time off of work. He has adversely miscommunicated a verbal conversation. After multiple threats of a citation, at this point I would call him a bully. As stated previously, the problems he "found" here have existed the entire 15 years I have lived here, probably longer. How were they ignored that many years? It is my honest belief he wrote these things up out of pure spite due to the frustration of having to reschedule inspections. After the fact, at no time did I or anyone here refuse to repair the issues. We attempted to explain our dilemma. Rather than listening and working with us he chose to make assumptions and threats of a citation. I have emails documenting the dates and complaints from our owners. We paid over a thousand dollars in rental permits this year for four units. We don't pay these fees, or our taxes to have our time wasted, to be ignored, or bullied. We had to write this letter to you in order to insure our complaint about this employee is heard as the many phone calls that been have made to that office have been completely ignored. We request Erik Tatge never be allowed on our property, and to never contact anyone associated with our property again. He cannot be trusted in verbal conversation. We would like to see this employee either get proper training or preferably have his employment terminated. I cannot stress enough that up until our dealings with this individual, we had no complaint with the city inspections office, or any city department. They had always been professional and easy to work with. We had our public sidewalks marked for repair a couple of years ago. That transaction went very smoothly. The way it is supposed to be done. It is our serious concern that after filing this complaint will be met with some type of vindictive behavior either directly from this individual, or from the office of inspections. Hopefully that will not happen. Thank you for taking the consideration of our letter. President, Cedar Garden Estates homeowners association. Paul Kelly 1220 Village RD #10 Iowa City la 52240 319-466-9517 Devilchkn(a-)yahoo.com Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. Item Number: 8.h. + r ui �1 lat • yyrrmr�� CITY Ok IOWA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Martha Norbeck: climate commitments and development bonuses in Iowa City Kellie Fruehling From: Martha Norbeck <martha_norbeck@hotmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, November 14, 2018 10:38 PM To: Council Subject: climate commitments and development bonuses in Iowa City Dear Council Members, watched the Work Session discussion about the Court Street development. The topic of affordable housing was front and center. This is good and appropriate. The city's increasing focus on affordable housing continued to be showcased in the discussion of the Taylor/Davis neighborhood. This wasn't always the case in Council meetings. This focus is a result of ongoing efforts by Council Members, staff and citizens to make it a priority. In contrast, Energy Efficiency was absent from the discussion of the Court Street Project. It was absent from the discussion of potential property upgrades in the Taylor/Davis neighborhood. Utility costs are a greater burden on our community members who earn lower incomes. Extreme weather and increases in energy rates will be a larger percentage of their income. During the development of the River Front Crossings it was a challenge to simply secure any incentive for sustainability. I advocated vigorously for some recognition. The resulting policy is the optional density bonus for LEED certification or stormwater management features. There is no energy efficiency requirement tied to any of the density bonus options. Even bonus option 7 (page 85) requires no exceptional energy performance beyond code. It is time to evolve. In Iowa City, our buildings generate over half of our emissions. Energy use in our buildings matters, for climate, for affordability. Of course I would love to have a magic wand and require all projects to exceed the state energy code by 25 even 40%. However, reality dictates that this would be an inappropriate request. However, it does seem appropriate, that like affordable housing, that if a project is getting a bonus under any provision there be certain requirements - period. I recommend a modest 30% better (excluding renewables) than the current state energy code for any project seeking a development bonus. Most commercial projects already pursue the MiclAmerican Commerical New Construction program. (I recognize a small number of projects fall under an REC). Participation in the program guides projects through an evaluation of efficiency measures. Any commercial project pursuing this CNC program would know their projected energy savings by the end of Design Development. You may think that requiring a professional design team would inherently yield this type of result. Typically this is true, however, it's not guaranteed. Linking energy performance to a development incentive would be a bridge effort, indicating that city is moving towards more assertive steps. I hope someday that the Council and staff will reach the point with sustainability that they have with Affordable Housing. It matters, always, across the board and will not be ignored. Sincerely, Martha Norbeck 906S.7 th Ave. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 Item Number: 8.i. r �, CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT November 20, 2018 Establishment of 'No Parking Any Time' parking prohibition on the east side of the 4700 and 4800 blocks of Preston Lane. Prepared By: Emily Bothell; Sr. Transportation Engineering Planner Reviewed By: Kent Ralston; Transportation Planner Tracy Hightshoe; Neighborhood and Development Services Director Fiscal Impact: No impact. Recommendations: Staff: Approval Commission: N/A Attachments: None. Executive Summary: As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (12); 1 nstall "No Parking Any Time" signs on the east side of the 4700 and 4800 blocks of Preston Lane. Background /Analysis: This action is being taken to establish a parking prohibition on one side of this newly constructed street as the street width is 26 feet. Item Number: 8.j. r �, CITY OF IOWA CITY COUNCIL ACTION REPORT November 20, 2018 Establishment of "No Parking Any Time" parking prohibition on the east side of Wales Street. Prepared By: Emily Bothell; Sr. Transportation Engineering Planner Reviewed By: Kent Ralston; Transportation Planner Tracy Hightshoe; Neighborhood and Development Services Director Fiscal Impact: No impact. Recommendations: Staff: Approval Commission: N/A Attachments: None. Executive Summary: As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3A of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (12); Establish "No Parking Any Time" parking prohibition on the east side of Wales Street between South 7th Avenue and East Court Street. Background /Analysis: This action is being taken at the request of the Street's Department. Wales Street is less than 26 feet wide which makes it very difficult for City service vehicles to access the street. Adjacent residences have been notified. Kellie Fruehling From: George Bergus <gbergus@gmail.com> Late Handouts Distributed Sent: Sunday, November 18, 2018 3:30 PM To: Council /l — / �- Cc: bothell@iowa-city.org Subject: Parking on Wales Street (Date) Rockne Cole, At-Large; Susan Mims, District B; Mazahir Salih, At-Large; Pauline Taylor, District A, Mayor Pro Tern; Bruce Teague, At-Large;John Thomas, District C; Jim Throgmorton, At-Large and Mayor City Council, Iowa City Re: Parking on Wales Street We recently received a letter from Emily Bothell, Sr. Transportation Engineering Planner. She informed us that City Council will be considering, at its November 20' meeting, prohibiting parking on the east side of Wales Street.This measure was offered as the solution to the problem of Wales Street not being safely passable for large vehicles. There is a problem. As nearly 30-year residents of Wales Street we agree that Wales Street can be hard to navigate, particularly at its southern end, because of the parking on both sides of the street. We hope to attend the upcoming City Council meeting, but scheduling may not allow this to occur. Thus, this email. This is not the first time that the City of Iowa City has been concerned about parking on Wales Street. Some years ago, the City informed us that if we did not do a better job at parking on alternate sides so that larger vehicle could safely pass that the City would allow parking only on one side of the street. We took this warning seriously and became much more careful in how we parked. This is a solution we should try again.Very few us that received the previous letter from the City about alternate side parking are still residents on Wales Street. A second problem that should be address is that Wales Street can become the safe parking lot for larger pickups, trailers, and other sizable vehicles. Their owners find a nice spot on Wales Street and their vehicles can sit on the street for weeks and weeks. This significantly contributes to the parking problem. Before the City Council outlaws parking on the east side of Wales Street, we hope it will take 2 other steps. The first is to inform all people living on Wales St and the east side of 7th Avenue that there is a problem and that we all need to be more careful about our parking so that larger vehicles can safely pass. The second is to have the City ticket vehicles parked on Wales Street that have not been moved at least 20 feet in distance during the past 48-hour period. We believe that the combination of these 2 steps will alleviate the current problem on Wales Street. If we are wrong, the City can always prohibit parking on the east side of Wales Street at some future date. Regards George and Rebecca Bergus 418 Wales Street, Iowa City 1 e3,3 Kellie Fruehlin, , From: Emily Bothell Sent: Tuesday, November 20, 2018 7:51 AM Late Handouts Distributed To: Kellie Fruehling Subject: FW: On-street parking on Wales Street / / — W'18 Hi Kellie— (Date) This is a late response I received regarding agenda item 8.j. Is there still time to forward to City Council? Thanks. From: Deb Minot [mailto:deb.minot@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, November 19, 2018 5:18 PM To: Emily Bothell<Emily-Bothell@iowa-city.org> Subject: Re: On-street parking on Wales Street Yes, please share my letter with the City Council. It is possible my husband will be able to attend. Thank you! Deb Minot Sent from my iPhone On Nov 19, 2018, at 4:32 PM, Emily Bothell<Emily-Bothell@iowa-citv.org>wrote: Hi Deb— I appreciate you taking the time to respond to my letter concerning parking on Wales Street.The City Council will consider the removal of parking on one side of Wales Street tomorrow night. Would you like your correspondence forwarded to the City Council? If so,they will be able to read your concerns before they discuss the parking prohibition. I'm sorry you didn't get the letter until recently(as you were out of town). Best, Emily Emily Bothell,AICP Senior Transportation Engineering Planner I Metropolitan Planning Organization of Johnson County 410 E.Washington St.I Iowa City,IA 152240 Emily-Bothellta Iowa-city.orq 319.356.5250 From: Deb Minot [mailto:deb.minot@gmail.corn] Sent: Monday, November 19, 2018 4:09 PM To: Emily Bothell<Emily-Bothell@iowa-citv.org> Subject:On-street parking on Wales Street Dear Ms. Bothell, 1 I am responding to your letter dated November 9 to the residents of Wales Street. My husband, George, and I have lived on Wales Street since June 1993.There are only 7 houses with a Wales Street address,and I believe we have lived there the longest.As you know, it is an unusual street, because there are no houses that face us; the lots opposite us are in the 400 block of 7th Avenue. Several of those houses have garages or driveways off of Wales Street. Our across-the-street neighbor's house faces Court Street, but has a garage and driveway on Wales, and there are two other houses facing Court on our little triangle. We understand that parking on Wales has been an issue for some time. Several years ago,we were warned that parking restrictions might be imposed because the refuse and recycling trucks were having difficulty doing their work. Ever since then, George and I have been particularly careful on Fridays, our pick-up days, including quite often moving our cars around in the morning, even though our cars were there first. As you can probably imagine--because ours is a neighborhood of older housing stock,with narrow driveways and mostly one-car garages and limited on-street parking (none on Court or 7th or the alley behind Wales), many of the cars parked on Wales Street do not belong to the residents of Wales Street. From time to time over the years, I have left nice notes on cars that I did not recognize telling them that they should avoid parking directly across from other cars on Fridays so the City vehicles could get up and down the street.Sometimes it helped, and sometimes it didn't. So for all these reasons, I completely understand that parking on both sides of the street has caused difficulties, and I understand the need to do something about it. However, it seems to me that restricting parking permanently to only one side of the street goes beyond what is needed to address the problem. I am wondering if the City would consider restricting parking only on Fridays from 8 a.m. until 6 p.m.? This would allow the local residents,for whom parking is at a premium,to park on our short, quiet street, but also require everyone to make way for City services. Perhaps this could be done for a few months as an experiment. I have been out of town, so I apologize for a somewhat delayed response to your letter,and I have not had any time to canvass the neighborhood. I also don't know if you have received any other responses. But I feel fairly confident that the folks who park and live on Wales Street would be supportive of this compromise.And if it doesn't work,then we all will have earned the more severe parking restriction. Thanks for your consideration, Deb Minot 408 Wales Street 319-530-1541 Disclaimer The information contained in this communication from the sender is confidential. It is intended solely for use by the recipient and others authorized to receive it. If you are not the recipient, you are hereby notified that any disclosure, copying, distribution or taking action in relation of the contents of this information is strictly prohibited and may be unlawful. • 2 + r , • yyrrmr�� CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org November 20, 2018 ATTACHMENTS: Description Competitive Quotation Memo Item Number: 8.k. I k I —1" -4 CITY OF IOWA CITY 0 � I iM - --Mal MEMORANDUM TO Date: November 1, 2018 To: Geoff Fruin, City Manager From: Jason Havel, City Engineer 3:� Re: Competitive Quotation Results Park Accessibility Improvement 2018 Competitive quotations for the Park Accessibility Improvement 2018 Project were opened on September 12, 2018 and the following quote was received: All American Concrete West Liberty, IA $74,401.00 Engineer's Estimate $70,000.00 The project involves the installation of sidewalk access to playground facilities at various parks. Public Works and Engineering recommended and the City Manager awarded the contract to All American Concrete of West Liberty, Iowa. The project will be funded with Account #84132. Villa Park and Highland Park CDBG Improvements Competitive quotations for the Villa Park and Highland Park CDBG Improvements Project were opened on September 12, 2018 and the following quotes were received: Carter & Associates Coralville, IA $65,473.85 All American Concrete West Liberty, IA $81,243.70 Engineer's Estimate $70,000.00 The project involves the installation of sidewalk access to playground facilities at Villa Park and Highland Park. Public Works and Engineering recommended and the City Manager awarded the contract to Carter & Associates of Coralville, Iowa. The project will be funded with Account #84361. Hickory Hill Park Forest Management Competitive quotations for the Hickory Hill Park Forest Management Project were opened on September 25, 2018 and the following quotes were received: Sustainable Landscape Riverside, IA Cornerstone D & C Bettendorf, IA Engineer's Estimate Base Bid Alternates 1, 2 & 3 $38,789.80 $29,482.55 $50,176.00 $23,350.00 The project involves the removal of invasive vegetation from forested park areas at Hickory Hill Park. Public Works and Engineering recommended and the City Manager awarded the contract to Sustainable Landscape of Riverside, Iowa in the amount of $68,272.35 which includes Alternates 1, 2 & 3. The project will be funded with Account #R4224. November 1, 2018 Page 2 2018 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Competitive quotations for the 2018 Sanitary Sewer Rehabilitation Project were opened on October 25, 2018 and the following quotes were received: Lynch's Excavating Bockenstedt Excavating Calacci Construction Cornerstone Excavating Engineer's Estimate West Branch, IA $ 104,998.00 Iowa City, IA $ 108,561.50 Iowa City, IA $ 112,482.00 Washington, IA $ 194,197.60 The project involves the replacement and repair of sanitary sewers at eight (8) locations across Iowa City. Public Works and Engineering recommended and the City Manager awarded the contract to Lynch's Excavating of West Branch, Iowa. The project will be funded with Account #V3101.