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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-04-02 Correspondencei CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Jerry Moore: City buses Item Number: 9.a. Jerry Moore 320 S. Dubuque St. Apt. 11 I Iowa City, IA 52240 319-35,11-3741 LIAR 0 7 2019 City Cork Iowa City, Iowa )c"'7oL" cit e- J*Y" pAd-,: uu •" J bud a, wUh jxaw pUad urn.-bz-y&ca, cel nc t &aJ �o cuw. -9 w� a. '�w� r►t� .; - i -. �,�,►t D std . i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Karen Eakes Murphy: Parking Item Number: 9.b. Kellie Fruehlin From: karen eakes murphy <keakes319@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 08, 2019 7:14 AM To: Council Subject: Parking I didn't know who to contact. I live on giblin Dr since it's an older development the street is narrow. And most the houses here are now rentals. One house has 6 cars ,1 per person living there. So the street and culdesac. Is often full. The garbage trucks,snow plows etc have a hard time getting around. I would hate to have an emergency happen. A fire truck wouldn't get in. I was wondering if the parking could be 're evaluated. One spot ,cars park in have been ticketed. But they continue to park there. Thank you Item Number: 9.c. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description James Schoenfelder: Poet Laureate of Iowa City March 2, 2019 City Council of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 MAR 082019 City Clerk Iowa City, Iowa Since Iowa City is a UNESCO City of Literature and a designated City of the Book I believe it would be appropriate for the City to appoint a Poet Laureate for the City of Iowa City. I have attached a brief statement as to how that could be done. The appointment would be for a limited amount of time, perhaps two years, for each appointment. Each Poet Laureate would be appointed by a selection committee following a designated application process. Please let me know if you believe I could be of assistance in this matter. Sincerely; t InmPc 1 rr nanfr 4841 Southchase Court Iowa City, IA. 52245 MAR 0 S 1019 POET LAUREATE OF IOWA CITY City Clark Iowa City, Iowa. By James L. Schoenfelder Since Iowa City has been named a UNESCO City of Literature and designated City of the Book it seems only reasonable that Iowa City should have its own Poet Laureate. I would suggest the City Council establish a Poet Laureate Selection Committee consisting of seven members each serving for two years. One member could be from the University of Iowa Writers Workshop poetry section. One member a bookstore owner or designated bookstore staff. Another member being associated with a local commercial book publisher. One member working with the English department of the Iowa City Community School District. One member a city council member or designated city staff person. Another member associated with the Iowa City Public Library. A final member being a local citizen appointed at large. The Poet Laureate selected by this committee would serve a two year term and have the following responsibilities: Be a resident of Iowa City or the immediate Corridor Area for the duration of the term. Have a reviewable body of work consisting of at least twenty poems prior to appointment. Create at least ten poems per year about Iowa City during appointed term. Create an additional two poems per year for special City occasions or functions. In support of the Poet Laureate the City would: Help publish a book (on- demand or a -book) of the above poems at terms end. Provide two public occasions per year for a presentation and reading of the poet's work. Provide appropriate publicity for poet and their work for Iowa City during term. The above of course is only a suggestion as to how the Poet Laureate of Iowa City position could function; alterations to the above or other models could be adopted. The key is to periodically appoint a Poet Laureate to write and publish poetry specific to Iowa City. Awl Q- CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Jerry Moore: issues Item Number: 9.d. Jerry Moore 320 S. Dubuque St. Apt. I 1 I Iowa City, IA 52240 319-351-3742 20/y MAR 11 2019 City; Clerk Iowa City. Iowa Count e.om.e. /ina hta && of 9 bedhae the, ikic oit 8e��n, Sleety fg . 4, 20 i,: L 1 aoQ Cc f ug i abv"t7& Qe�t4v e.x (jj a�vu-t�5bet 06 &m1b7 � e OK $/,o 500.00. _7A en Vie. > .Da no a 2 CULL co�crr b� a cLQ�and- aC4, y pc aLocct t� vc� 12io. 1:24'1 Gc10 olt7�ld rtd�LCx�„�uGt )Qvuip Ll!7'v .L¢ rgcvL?G j Mood Item Number: 9.e. Awl Q- CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Gary and Marcy Wolf: Iowa City Deer Population Bob Thompson: Deer discussion at March 12 work session Lori Kendrick: Deer Management Kellie Fruehling From: Sent: To: Cc: Subject: Dear City Council Members: Gary & Marcy Wolf <gmwolfl@gmail.com> Monday, March 18, 2019 8:56 AM Council Geoff Fruin Iowa City Deer Population The deer population in Iowa City is exploding. In addition to inflicting significant property damage, their feces carry a number of diseases. We cannot even let our grandchildren play in our yard. Additionally, failure to control the deer means they are starving. We are asking you to take action and resolve this issue. Some of you have placed the blame on the Natural Resources Commission (NRC). We disagree. In the past, Iowa City controlled the deer population using sharpshooters. However, for the past ten years, our city leaders have chosen to ignore the problem. This is not the fault of the NRC. We have contacted each member of the NRC. None of the members that voted against sharpshooting have said they would not reconsider their vote to allow sharpshooting. They are simply waiting for Iowa City to reapply with a good plan that provides long-term deer population control. So far, they have heard nothing. We strongly encourage you to provide a plan to the NRC as soon as possible. This is not only the responsible thing to do, it is incumbent on you to keep our city safe. Please advise us and Iowa City citizens how you plan to move forward on this issue. Sincerely, Gary and Marcy Wolf Virus -free. www.avq.com Kellie Fruehling From: Bob Thompson <thompbobson@mchsi.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 20, 2019 9:24 AM To: Council Cc: Bill Campbell Subject: Deer discussion at March 12 work session Dear Council members, et al: I watched the video of the March 12 work session, the part in which the deer issue was discussed. When I looked at the info packet prior to the meeting, it appeared that staff had worked out a possible resolution with the Natural Resources Commission; then on March 12, two Council members made it clear that they will not support this, putting the solution in jeopardy. Did someone mumble something about wanting more input from the public? I suspected that some degree of misunderstanding or lack of appropriate knowledge might be threatening to impede a good decision about this. When I researched the deer issue three months ago, I started with a look at the relevant Iowa Code and Administrative Rules. The fact that the NRC favors public hunting was mentioned at the March 12 meeting; however, some councilors made statements leading me to suspect that some may not be fully aware of the extent to which public hunting as Iowa's primary means of deer management is long established and thoroughly codified. Substantial limits to local discretion are the norm, well defined, and should be expected. It's also possible that the Council is aware of this, and some simply don't respect it. Local control is extremely limited in matters concerning wild animal populations. The State claims total ownership and absolute control of all wildlife, with some exceptions, in 481A.2. This law was passed in the early 20th century, after an 1896 Supreme Court ruling granting ownership of all wildlife to the state governments. The NRC has absolute power over what the City Council can do about this. Administrative Rules Chapter 571.105 spells out how the DNR and NRC deal with "Deer Population Management Zones." In all of Chapter 105 the only mentioned strategy for special deer management zones is public hunting for Iowa residents only, licensed through the DNR, with options for tailored requirements imposed by the local jurisdiction's management plan, subject to NRC approval. 105.5, "Urban Deer Management Zones", mentions that the NRC "may approve other methods of deer removal in urban areas," which looks like an afterthought, and gives no indication of what "other methods" might be. It's quite clear that the NRC's stated preference and written rules overwhelmingly emphasize population control by means of special public hunts. Promoting and maintaining hunting opportunities is clearly a major part of their mission, and virtually the only means used for deer population management in Iowa. The words "may approve" means that the NRC is free to reject any other method for any reason. It appears that Iowa City is the only urban deer management zone that has not relied solely on public hunting for culling deer. This explicit mandate, to manage deer populations by public hunting, is why Councilor Cole's statement ("I'm outraged..." at about 1:15 in the video) rang strangely in my ears. Cole apparently sees this as some sort of capricious, nefarious theft of the Council's power to solve the problem by "a lobby" (namely "sport hunting"); expressing it in a way that led me to believe that he sees hunters as a bunch of dirtbags. At best he seemed unaware that the state's use of public hunting for deer management is a longstanding and explicitly codified norm, and that Iowa City is "an outlier and 'Ione ranger"' in refusing to allow public hunts. Municipalities have no right of local control over matters concerning wildlife unless granted by the State. Mr. Cole, if you were unaware that public hunting is the way deer management is accomplished in Iowa, I suggest that it might be more productive if you acquired some knowledge of the situation before you insult Iowa residents and a state commission you really need to get along with. If you were aware of this and yet felt that you had to contribute to the drama by insulting the NRC and hunters, you have no excuse. I haven't hunted since I was young, but I hail from rural Iowa, and I found this offensive. We'd all be up to our necks in deer dung if not for hunters. Cole faults the State for "a situation where we cannot address a peril..." I strenuously object to any attempt by City officials to claim that they "cannot address" this, or to place the blame for this anywhere other than City Hall --though the blame for past mistakes cannot be placed on most of our current decision -makers, unless they were involved in the decision to halt the entire deer management program for so many years. As DNR depradation biologist Greg Harris aptly stated, "I use Iowa City as an example of how not to manage your deer." I think that's a fair statement; doing nothing for nearly a decade until you have a crisis is not "management." It's not unlike failing to notice critical structural deterioration until the building is falling down. I agree that sharpshooting is more humane and expedient (and expensive) than bow hunting, but state management of special public hunts in Deer Management Zones (municipal and otherwise) is the way Iowa has been controlling deer in these areas since it became a problem. This is how it's been done since 1990, and these are the cards you've been dealt. I've been tracking media and local public discussion on this issue, and for some reason I've found no mention of another lethal alternative allowed by state law; I'll get into that below. At about 1:11 in the video, Councilor Mims stated that she attended the deer forum, and "every single one" of the "40 plus" people who attended the forum were against bow hunting; she quickly revised this by clarifying that 2 people were for bow hunting, but "98-99% of the people (at the forum) do not want bow hunting." This contention might have been the impetus for Cole's expression of outrage, and the basis for the emerging theme that the Council feels "trapped" by the NRC. After all, if the public expresses near unanimous condemnation of bow hunting, you would probably want to respect that. Mims' assertion was not challenged by anyone. I watched the video of that forum last year, and had quite a different recollection; human memory being the flawed thing that it is, a fact check was in order. I watched the public comments again, and devised a way to count the stated opinions. 28 people spoke at the forum. Of course forum participants' actual views were a lot more nuanced than Mims' characterization. I had to use eight different categories to express what all the various individuals advocated, drawing a graph with 8 columns and 28 rows, checking the appropriate category for each individual. Some individuals weren't so easy to categorize; a few listed multiple suggestions or a hierarchy of preferences, others advocated nothing specific at all. If I felt that it was necessary, such nuances were noted in the individual's row. Two individuals specifically advocated bow hunting, and one advocated both bow hunting and sharpshooting. Two individuals specifically advocated against bow hunting. These five were the only participants who mentioned bow hunting at all. Since the two who were against bow hunting also advocated nonlethal means, they were tallied in that category for the summary below. The two who advocated only bow hunting were added to the tally of those advocating some kind of cull, as were three individuals who specifically advocated only sharpshooting. The individual who advocated both sharpshooting and bow hunting was counted with those advocating culling. The totals: Advocates of culling deer: 12 Advocates of nonlethal methods:10 --this includes one individual whose first preference was to do nothing Concerned about the problem, but no mention of preferred action: 4 Concerned, advocate for doing "something": 2 Not counted were the 50+ people from the Bluffwood neighborhood who signed a petition presented by commenter #2, asking for a "reduction in the deer population." One person from Manville Heights claimed to speak for a number of her neighbors, stating that they would gladly pay to have their deer killed. There were 3 people counted as advocating for nonlethal control who suggested birth control/sterilization or asked about the feasibility of it, and one who advocated sharpshooting who wondered about it as well. Also perhaps worth noting: The tree farmer who stated that he killed 48 deer on his property last year was the only one who got a (small) round of applause. A few minutes earlier in the March 12 meeting Mims made another claim: "I don't think we had a single person come in front of us that had an appetite for bow hunting" --apparently referring to members of the public speaking at formal Council meetings. I went to the City's archives and searched all Council documents for 2018 and 2019. Results for the words "bow," "hunt," or "hunting" returned few results in the transcriptions: only 2 members of the public used those words, on Oct 2 2018. 1 believe both were members of Iowa City Deer Friends. The search returned no results in transcriptions from 2019. However, Mims' statement is technically correct: No person who spoke in front of the Council expressed an appetite for bow hunting --and only two people even spoke those words. The search did turn up at least two in favor of bow hunting who wrote to council, however. More letters were opposed to bow hunting than favored it, but there were not that many, and most if not all were obviously a coordinated effort by Iowa City Deer Friends; for example, they apparently intended to launch an anti -bow hunting blitzkrieg prior to one meeting but only managed to get five people to write. It's possible that the City's search engine could have missed some documents containing those search terms. I did experience a failure with the archive search engine once: It failed to return identical results for the exact same search of the same directories performed on different days. Therefore it may well be buggy and unreliable. However, I think we can conclude with great confidence that you do NOT have a mandate from the public to reject the use of bow hunting. If you don't believe me, go through the evidence yourself. This issue is far too important to too many people for the solution to be derailed by such a fabrication, whether deliberate or not. I'm not calling it a lie yet. I've read enough psychology to realize that this is likely the result of a convenient but unconscious distortion of memory. It will become a very serious issue if the Council ignores my refutation and continues using this as a justification for snubbing the plan worked out with the NRC. One of our species' most crippling cognitive flaws is the ease with which our minds distort reality. People routinely, stubbornly believe things that are easily demonstrated to be untrue, and persuade others by unconsciously fabricating stories that support their biases. It's much easier than the hard work required to sift out and process reliable facts, then use them to make sound rational decisions. People are far more likely to believe what they wish is true, and it's so much fun to be stupid together. A narrative was rapidly constructed around this wildly inaccurate information, something along the lines of "We can't defy the will of the people, virtually all of them hate bow hunting. It's an outrage... etc." It fits with City Hall's ongoing culture war narrative: "The State of Iowa is persecuting us because we're Enlightened Progressives" or whatever. We often shouldn't trust what our brains are telling us. The darn things are addicted to self deception, riddled with cognitive biases, and steeped in cultural dumpster juice. I do appreciate that you apparently respect the hypothesis that government derives legitimacy from consent of the governed, which is why opportunities for public input are offered, sometimes even taken seriously. However, if that is true, it must also be true that a government derives illegitimacy from claiming that consent exists when it clearly does not. Unconscious, selective memory distortion is a common affliction, but this is a pretty striking example. It might be worth asking why the appearance of consensus is so important that it needs to be fabricated, and how it can be accurately divined from public input processes that are very sparsely utilized by the public. How can forum participants or people who speak at your meetings possibly provide accurate metrics to gauge "the will of the people"? The best you could honestly say about voluntary, negligibly represented, unscientific public input is something along the lines of "We gave them a chance to speak up," or "The squeaky wheel gets the grease." Truth be known, most of the public is only dimly aware that you exist, and they have no idea what you are doing, ever. Look at the typical local election turnout. It's important to acknowledge and respect the public's stated views, but there are limits to the extent that public opinion should influence public policy on some issues. Much of the public routinely oversimplifies complex 3 problems and lacks the time and background to process the information necessary to solve them effectively. Everyone believes that their answers are the best ones, and they can't all be correct about this. I'm going to emphasize again that an attempt to deflect blame onto the State for the deer problem will not go unchallenged. It's not as if there were never any clues that the sharpshooting plan might be rejected. Liz Ford's letter of Feb 15 2018 states that "The DNR has not been favorable to the sharp shooting approach." Sue Dulek's timeline from the same packet stated (2000-2009) "...members of the NRC often comment during the meetings that they want the City to allow recreational bow hunting..." --and now some are shocked and outraged that the NRC has the audacity to require of Iowa City what they require of every other municipality in the state. It seems that some Council members are having difficulty accepting that Iowa City municipal government is subordinate to state law. Of course there are hurt feelings from the ongoing culture war with those gosh darned Republicans in Des Moines who occasionally pass laws against us. Let's not forget that we live in Iowa. Our little uber-liberal ivory tower is the aberration, not the entire rest of the state. People hunt. Hunting is the primary tool used in wildlife management. The NRC owns this issue. Deal with it. Mayor Throgmorton asked why a public hunt is necessary the year after sharpshooting if the initial cull were to achieve the target population level. Mr. Fruin aptly answered that it is a safe assumption that the population will continue to increase. That this question was asked may (or may not) be indicative of a lack of appreciation for the necessity of wildlife population management, which is important to understand. If people in charge aren't cognizant of the need for continuous monitoring and management of a potentially pestilent population, it could result in a situation precisely like we have now. A frequent objection to lethal population control is that the killing never stops. Unfortunately, that is necessarily the case. Without continuous management, population stability is unlikely. Though modern ecologists have mostly abandoned the "balance of nature" myth as it was thought to apply to wild populations, it is still plays a large role in forming the public's beliefs about the natural world, and exerts a major influence on assumptions about natural resource management: This interpretation of nature may be so strongly filtered by our cultural interpretation and idealization of balance, that we tend to produce conclusions not in keeping with our observations of nature. Assumptions of human centrality may be sufficiently strong to bend the usually clear lens supplied by science in this case. Although the theme of balance in nature has been formally criticized in ecology for over 65 years (since Frederick Clements and Henry Gleason focused the argument in the 1920s) the core of the science did not change until about 25 years ago. Since that time, a dynamic approach that pays no special attention to equilibrium processes has taken center stage in ecological theorizing. Most species compensate for their inherently perilous existence by producing far too many offspring. If enough of these offspring somehow avoid dying before they can reproduce, the species will eventually become pestilent, then strip the land of the resources they and other species require, fight over scarce resources, and get sick and die like flies, horribly. With the exception of environments where a substantial and sustained amount of predation (and/or "management") exists, deer overpopulation will happen, and is detrimental to nearly everything. This is why we have "wildlife management." "Management" means constant monitoring and killing appropriate numbers. It's better than doing nothing because Nature is not a "mother" and is as indifferent as a stone to endless chaos and pointless suffering. Proper management is a substantial improvement. The State sees management as best accomplished through licensed public hunting; I can't think of a more practical alternative. Imagine the size of the mercenary army needed if the entire state relied on sharpshooting to control deer, rather than licensed hunting. The rejection of your application is not a capricious refusal to grant your preferred plan, it is a rejection of your refusal to submit to long established procedure. What is there to lose by having public hunts? This issue already has something for virtually everyone to get upset about. It's worth noting that 571.105 doesn't rule out the use of any weapons that are allowed for regular hunting seasons: 105.3(3) Permitted weapons. Only weapons permitted during the general deer seasons may be used. The commission may limit the use of specific weapons in some deer management zones and seasons on a case-by-case basis to improve the safety of hunters and the surrounding area. I haven't found any mention, in government or media publications pertaining to the Iowa City issue, of special public hunts with firearms in Deer Management Zones. The DNR's list of Deer Management Zones for the 2018-2019 season show that special hunts with firearms are currently conducted in perimeter zones around 8 municipalities; for example, here's the DMZ map of Ames, showing the bow hunting zone in town, and firearms in outlying areas surrounding the town, presumably in or near the city limits. Other communities with perimeter firearms hunts are Marshalltown, Iowa Falls, Coralville, Cedar Rapids, Amana Colonies, Elkader, and Harper's Ferry. If there are howls of righteous outrage over this, I haven't heard any. A number of precautions would be in order, e.g., rigorous training requirements and vetting of applicants, firing only from designated points with a foolproof backdrop that safely absorbs a missed or overpenetrated shot, such as a steep embankment. The slower, shorter -range shotgun/straight wall magnum handgun cartridges and black powder guns are the middle ground between quick one-shot kills from professional sharpshooting, and slow ones from an amateur bow hunt. Hunting with these weapons usually involves aiming for the "kill zone" in the chest cavity. Sometimes animals can still run short distances even when the heart and lungs are destroyed, but a properly placed shot will result in a quick death, and easy recovery of the animal. These guns are capable of adequate to excellent accuracy in the hands of a trained marksman. The much larger, slower projectiles lose velocity over shorter distances and generally aren't capable of lethality outside of 200-300 yards; effective ranges for reliable kills are much shorter than that. Shots should not be taken if the distance exceeds the effective range of the cartridge. Concerns about lead contamination should be eliminated with the use of lead free projectiles. In my opinion, properly controlled firearms hunts in perimeter zones would make a comprehensive deer management plan much more effective, and rationally defensible; the overpopulation problem is so bad, you can't afford to be that picky about choice of solutions. If the main objection to bow hunting lies in concern for the suffering of the animals, it alleviates that concern considerably. Some people have a visceral hatred of weapons and hunters. It's not within the scope of this correspondence to show how irrational that is. Use of firearms around the perimeter of the city is not uncommon; on this end of Church Street, we often hear gunfire in the distance. Our yard is on the front lines of the escalating urbanization of displaced wildlife, and we are painfully aware of what happens when nothing is done about deer. In the late 90s the Council's state of indecision lasted for years as the problem escalated. Reviewing the timeline, it took 2 years from the time the City noticed it had a deer problem (1996) until it had a contract with the USDA for sharpshooting (1998), which was halted by four animal rights groups' obstructionist lawsuit (1999). Four years later (2000) White Buffalo began sharpshooting. After a decade of that, numbers were estimated to be at a tolerable level (2010). Here's something else from the timeline that's worth repeating: "(2000 to 2009)... Deer Committee and then the Deer Task Force recommend to City Council two deer management plans, a long-term plan and an annual plan. The long-term plan requires Council to review it annually and also approve an annual plan ... the long term and annual plans call for educating the public and taking steps to minimize deer/vehicle accidents." So there was a long term plan; I found it, and it did not read "Do nothing for nearly a decade." That Task Force did a very thorough and excellent job on their reports. Why would elected officials appoint such groups to study problems at great length, then ignore them? Did they assume that the deer wouldn't continue to replicate? We sure could use a permanent and serious commitment to the development of wildlife management strategies. In recent years, there has been a rapid escalation of new species adapting to the Iowa City environment. As those years of inaction in the 1990s dragged on and on, our yard was devastated. I quickly learned not to walk around in the dark without a flashlight, when I was nearly trampled by a stampeding herd of deer. Two sick does took up residence on our block 24/7, mostly in our backyard. They were so lethargic they wouldn't even move out of my way until I was a couple of yards from them, close enough to smell their rotting flesh, and see every gory detail of their horrible condition; dead eyes, bones sticking out, hair falling off in chunks. As Dr. DeNicola and former Animal Services Supervisor Ford stated, if nothing is done, the spread of disease through the herd is inevitable. Doing nothing about this problem will cause far more suffering, for both the animals and the people affected, than public hunting ever could. Bob Thompson Church Street, Iowa City Kellie Fruehling From: Lori Kendrick <kendricklori@gmail.com> Sent: Friday, March 22, 2019 11:33 AM To: Jim Throgmorton Cc: Council Subject: Deer Management Attachments: IC sterilization map 10 Dec 2018 jpg Dear Honorable Mayor Throgmorton, Thank you for your continued support of sharpshooting as a preferred method for Iowa City deer management control. The following is information I recently emailed to NRC Chairperson, Margo Underwood, explaining Iowa City Deer Friends' stand on this controversial topic. "Dear Commissioner, "A Review of Iowa's Deer Management Program," submitted to the governor and general assembly in 2009 by the Deer Study Advisory Committee states that the DNR "should work with Iowa's communities to develop deer control programs and strategies for Iowa's urban and suburban areas that are compatible with the local community. In these urban and suburban areas the DNR encourages local city and county officials to appoint a task force of citizens from the community to examine the issues and develop recommendations for a deer management program that is supported by local citizens." Iowa City's appointed Deer Management Committee held a Public Forum on August 14, 2018 in which residents voiced their opinions. 13 Iowa City residents advocated for the city to slow down and consider non -lethal management options. 11 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. 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. During the forum, concerns voiced in favor of culling the deer herd focused on complaints involving deer browsing and vehicle deer accidents. Please consider past public statements by DNR staff and community officials, as well as additional findings from documented study results that confirm recreational hunting doesn't always succeed in accomplishing desired reduction goals, or alleviate urban deer issues. Following several years of urban bow hunts in Muscatine, when twice as many deer were taken than the previous year, but the herd grew by more than a third, 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 2009, 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) 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 and 2017, deer - vehicle accidents in Coralville increased from 30 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) 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, 9% 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. (Exibit A, 2010 Iowa City Deer Management Report, by White Buffalo) A recent talking point during deer management discussions is the need to implement management strategies to prevent the spread of Chronic Wasting Disease. A Center for Disease Control study raises concern that CWD may pose a threat 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. Therefore, the CDC recommends that hunters have all deer tested before eating the meat. Quality Deer Management Association states that the majority of CWD-positive deer killed by hunters appear to be healthy. 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 Exibit A: "A Summary Report: 2010 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 1 December so males can be avoided." The discovery of CWD in the Wisconsin deer herd in February 2002 was treated by the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources as if it was a fire. Rapid action led to abandoning stakeholder concerns while human dimensions expertise and research was largely ignored, and opportunities to learn from innovations were missed. Eight years after implementation it was concluded that the findings call into question the use of recreational hunting as a viable tool for bringing about deer population reductions for disease management. In a Feb. 26, 2019 KCCI article, Dale Garner, Iowa Department of Natural Resources Wildlife Bureau, confirmed that Chronic Wasting Disease is spreading fast in Iowa. "It's a disease you can't get rid of," Garner said. "There's no cure so far. As long as you have deer on the landscape and it continues to spread from animal to animal, you'll probably have more." In 2013 Louisiana state health inspectors destroyed 1,600 pounds of donated hunted deer meat due to potential serious health th reats. Following the Iowa City DNR February 27, 2019 hunting update town hall meeting, the topic of testing culled Iowa City deer for CWD prior to distribution of the meat to the local food bank was discussed. DNR officials stated that testing all deer prior to distribution was cost prohibitive. It was further stated by DNR officials that Iowa City deer would most likely be processed using the same equipment on which other deer are processed, thereby raising the issue of cross contamination. Hunting for the homeless becomes an ethical issue when the donation poses a serious health threat to the food insecure population the program targets. In Exibit A: "A Summary Report: 2010 Management Program" prepared for Iowa City by White Buffalo, prior to the first sharpshooting cull in 1999, aerial deer counts by DNR Wildlife Depradation 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, 2007/604 deer, 2008/302 deer. This exhibit shows culling is ineffective in providing long-term results. During the Iowa City Deer Management Public 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. 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. Correspondence with an IDNR 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 (including State Director of Humane Society United States, 3 scientists, 2 attorneys, a wildlife educator, 2 University of Iowa professors, a former Cedar Rapids Deer Task Force committee member (now Iowa City resident) and a former Iowa City Mayor) seeks to pursue a combination sharpshooting/ sterilization project, as well as provide non -lethal deer management community education. This group will apply 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 necessary approvals, and raise funds to offset the cost of a sterilization project. Iowa City is a community of pragmatic, thoughtful, energized individuals who, when given correct information, can move things in a productive direction. Community education combined with non -lethal deer management to include deer sterilization is a permanent and ethical solution. Implementing a sharpshooter/sterilization project addresses short-term and long-term population goals, decreases vehicle deer accidents, decreases browsing issues, and alleviates prolonged suffering caused by disease and starvation due to overcrowding. All dialogue and input concerning these proposed goals for Iowa City's Deer Management program is greatly appreciated Thank you, Lori Kendrick" I've also attached a map prepared by Tony DeNicola of White Buffalo detailing Iowa City areas possibly conducive for asterilization project. Iowa City Deer Friends continue their desire to partner with Iowa City Council Members and Tony DeNicola in implementing a combination sharpshooter -sterilization plan that satisfies Iowa City resident's deer reduction goals. In addition, with the blessing of council members, we are prepared to conduct a public education campaign to encourage deer resistant landscape plantings, and discourage recreational deer feeding by residents. I hope to hear back from you and/or the City Council concerning this offer. 3 Thank you, Lori Kendrick to IQ 0 op R Rob `.I- ` I fly elzoun'Sl ` r �.:;A,,t _ y CUhiVC- Slty Height44 s" " , ^ . , _ ' i.` •.. . i Fal in' a 4r— reg •.ti � .,`� .� ( ',�i' V"`�' � ,�. 'Lo4 "' - � Lai 0 Olt IF, r in Google Earth`.} -. ,� = E--�` w �► - _ � _• �, � w� ��Ir���rt:�.1��d=". - �� I � E -: __ .:. L �I.71� � � ti Item Number: 91. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Amy Foraker: Ongoing sewage back up [Staff response included] Julie Voparil From: Kellie Fruehling Sent: Monday, March 18, 2019 1:31 PM To: Julie Voparil Subject: Fwd: Ongoing sewage back up on Ash Street and Lower Muscatine Road Sent from my iPhone Begin forwarded message: From: Ron Knoche <Ron-KnochePiowa-city.orp,> Date: March 15, 2019 at 11:39:06 AM HST To: "'amylof330hotmail.com"' <amy0of33@hotmail.com> Cc: Council <Council@iowa-city.ore>, Melissa Miller <Melissa-Miller@iowa-city.org> Subject: RE: Ongoing sewage back up on Ash Street and Lower Muscatine Road Ms. Foraker: I am responding to your March 12 email to Council. I want to specifically address the March 11 sanitary sewer backup you experienced. The maintenance you mention witnessing was a response to a reported backup in your area. Upon the investigation into the backup, the Wastewater crew discovered the backup was caused by material from the sanitary sewer liner. This material blocked the pipe which caused the backup. The Wastewater Division is taking two actions. The first is staff will perform inspections of this line twice per month to make sure no more material causes a blockage. The second is staff will change the configuration of the system at the downstream manhole where the material was collecting and causing the backup. If you have not already, please reach out to Melissa Miller to make a claim. She can be reached at (319)356-5065 or melissa-millergiowa-city.org. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me. Sincerely, Ron Ronald R. Knoche, PE, ENV SP Public Works Director City of Iowa City 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa Email: ron-knoche@iowa-citv.ore Phone: (319) 356-5138 Cell: (319) 430-3625 From: Amy Foraker [mailto:amv4of33@hotmail.com] Sent: Tuesday, March 12, 2019 11:13 AM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: Ongoing sewage back up on Ash Street and Lower Muscatine Road This issue concerns those in the Ash Street/Lower Muscatine Road areas. June 9th of last year there was a sewage backup into houses in this area. We have lived here for going on 13 years. We have NEVER had issues until the reconstruction of Lower Muscatine Road. Prior to the June 9th backup the city had done maintenance on the sewer system via the manhole at Ash Street/Lower Muscatine. We had two weeks before spent hundreds mitigating our lines from our property out to the street and replacing our sump pump. The City sent Sery Pro out which took them a week to clean up our basement. Then they stated it was not their fault due to the heavy rains around that time. It took them 4 months to let us know this. The first insurance claim we have ever put on our house insurance and $20,000 later, we just completed all the renovations and almost replaced everything as of two weeks ago. Yesterday afternoon, the city was out doing maintenance on that manhole. An hour or so later I walked into the basement to get some dinner prep from my new deep freezer. Guess what? Complete sewage back up again! There was no rain this time or even excessive run off, our sump pump was not even running. I saw Sery Pro at at least two other neighbors residences shortly thereafter and spoke with next door neighbor who stated he also had backup AGAIN... Contractor came this morning and after inspection stated that it would all need redone. I would like to have some sort of action for the city to address this issue. I cannot afford to remodel every time this happens. Just FYI our contractor also works for the city and did some renovations through a city program on our main floor a year ago, the city has a lien on our property for this work. You would think there would be a vested interest in our property value? This cannot continue. Thank you for your time. Sincerely, Amy J. Foraker 1502 Lower Muscatine Road Iowa City, IA 52240 319-512-5531 AW1I Q- CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Carol deProsse: New York Times Article Item Number: 9.g. Kellie Fruehling From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox@mac.com> Sent: Thursday, March 21, 2019 6:10 PM To: Geoff Fruin; Council Subject: More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing The New York Times I hope the City has this possibility under serious consideration https: //protect -us. mimecast. com/s/QTIkC82gLrtQoP8snZpgM?domain=nytimes. com More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 1 of 11 Zhic N1'ettr Voxk giitteo More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing By Melina Delkic and Elijah Walker March 21, 2019 (Want to get this briefing by email? Here's the sign-up.) Good evening. Here's the latest. Ma3�� , ,"�dvata 1550m: x, 11idCwllitr htE. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration 1. The record-breaking floods that have left Nebraska and other Midwestern states reeling may be just a preview. https://www.nytimes. coml2O l 9/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 2 of 11 From now until May, 25 states are at risk of serious flooding from heavy rains and melting snow, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Some 13 million people could be exposed to major flooding, and many, many more to moderate flooding. Above, a map of the affected regions. Scientists have said that increasing rainfall is a predictable consequence of climate change. We also found the man overseeing a network of Missouri River dams for the Army Corps of Engineers that has been overwhelmed since last week's bomb cyclone. "It was not designed to handle this," he said. ANN- Baz Ratner/Reuters 2. News from Washington: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 3 of 11 In an abrupt shift on a decades -long policy, President Trump said the U.S. should recognize Israeli sovereignty over the Golan Heights, pictured above, one of the world's most disputed territories. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has long pressed for the move, thanked Mr. Trump on Twitter. The president also signed an executive order directing federal agencies to link grants and other funds to how colleges and universities enforce free speech rights, a cause c6lebre for conservatives who argue that their voices have been silenced. And we learned that Mr. Trump is planning to invite Robert Kraft, the New England Patriots owner entangled in a prostitution sting, to his celebration of the team's Super Bowl victory at the White House. Ruth Fremson/The New York Times 3. The doomed Boeing jets in Ethiopia and Indonesia lacked safety features in their https://www.nytimes.com/2O l9/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 4 of 11 cockpits that could have warned them of sensor malfunctions. One reason: Boeing charged extra for them. Now, the company is making one such feature standard as part of a fix to get its 737 Max planes, one of which is pictured above, in the air again. Separately, the families of the Indonesia crash victims told us Lion Air pressured them to sign away their rights to sue in order to receive government -mandated compensation. Adam Dean for The New York Times 4. New Zealand's gun control advocates and police groups praised the decision by Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern to ban military -style semiautomatic weapons, high-capacity magazines and certain parts that allow weapons to be modified. https://www.nytimes.coml20l9/03/2l /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 5 of 11 The measure, aimed at the weaponry a gunman used to kill 50 people at two mosques, is expected to sail through Parliament. Above, a makeshift memorial for the victims in Christchurch. Two people who shared the gunman's live video of the killings have been charged, and many more could face charges under laws against disseminating or even possessing material depicting extreme violence and terrorism or inciting racial disharmony. We also looked at the major differences between America's and New Zealand's National Rifle Associations. Sean Gallup/Getty Images 5. Don't blame me, blame Parliament. That, our London reporter writes, was Prime Minister Theresa May's "astonishing" https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 6 of 11 central message to Britain on Wednesday night. "So far, Parliament has done everything possible to avoid making a choice," she said of the very lawmakers whose votes she needs to pass her twice -rejected plan. Above, Mrs. May arriving in Brussels to meet with E.U. leaders today. Mrs. May and E.U. negotiators haggled deep into the Brussels night over the conditions the bloc wants in exchange for an extension of the Brexit process past its current deadline of March 29. Corinna Kern for The New York Times 6. Cybermercenaries are bringing digital espionage services to the private market. https://www.nytimes.coml20 l 9/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 7 of 11 Small countries, corporations and even wealthy individuals can seize on sophisticated surveillance tools that were once the preserve of major powers like the U.S. and Russia. Some have targeted activists and journalists, according to a monthslong Times examination. NSO, pictured above in Herzliya, Israel, and a competitor, the Emirati firm DarkMatter, exemplify the proliferation of privatized spying. Matt Furman/Forbes Collection/Corbis, via Getty Images 7. A leader in Jewish philanthropy stands accused of a pattern of sexual harassment. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/2 I /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 8 of l l Six women who spoke to The Times and ProPublica, and another woman who filed a lawsuit, say that over decades, Michael Steinhardt, pictured above, requested sex and sexual favors and commented on their fertility and their bodies. Interviews with dozens of people depict a man whose behavior went largely unchecked because of his status and wealth. Mr. Steinhardt, 78, a retired hedge fund founder and lifelong New Yorker who was a co- founder of Birthright Israel, said in a statement that provocative comments "were part of my schtick since before I had a penny to my name, and I unequivocally meant them in jest. I fully understand why they were inappropriate. I am sorry." Patrick Smith/Getty Images 8. Sixteen games. It's Day 1 of the N.C.A.A. men's basketball tournament. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/2 I /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New York... Page 9 of 11 Gonzaga (the school Jimmy Kimmel has been teasing) is the only No.1 seed scheduled to play tonight. Opening the night session in Salt Lake City, the Zags face Fairleigh Dickinson, which won a First Four game on Tuesday. The other three top seeds — Duke, Virginia and North Carolina — all play Friday. We have scores and live analysis of who wins, who loses and who broke your bracket. Above, a New Mexico State Aggies player after his team lost to the Auburn Tigers. Day 1 for the women's tournament is Friday, and with four No. l seeds and three No. 2 seeds that are strong contenders, the tournament appears to be more open than in the past. Roger Kisby for The New York Times https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New Yo... Page 10 of 11 9. Lupita Nyong'o's first appearance in a feature film was in "12 Years a Slave" in 2013, which made her the seventh black woman and first black African to win an Oscar for acting. Now, with her acclaimed role in Jordan Peele's highly anticipated new horror movie, "Us," she is rewriting a Hollywood playbook for stars at her level, our pop culture reporter writes. Above, Ms. Nyong'o posing for a portrait this month. Our reviewer says that Ms. Nyong'o is "dazzling" in "Us" and that the film itself is "a daring fun -until -it's -not shocker" that's even more ambitious than "Get Out." Holly Andres for The New York Times 10. Finally, a cross-country train tour. https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 More Floods, Trump, Lupita Nyong'o: Your Thursday Evening Briefing - The New Yo... Page 11 of 11 Ride along with our writer as she takes Amtrak from New York City to Los Angeles. Along the way she meets a prophet, encounters thousands of miles of panoramic splendor, and eats food "on a par with the fourth -best airplane meal you could ever imagine." Have an adventurous night. Your Evening Briefing is posted at 6 p.m. Eastern. And don't miss Your Morning Briefing. Sign up here to get it by email in the Australian, Asian, European or American morning. Want to catch up on past briefings? You can browse them here. What did you like? What do you want to see here? Let us know at briefing@nytimes.com. https://www.nytimes.coml20l 9/03 /21 /briefing/more-floods-trump-lupita-nyongo.html 3/26/2019 Item Number: 9.h. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Jacob Canny (x3): Renters Rights in Iowa City Kellie Fruehling From: Canny, Jacob A <jacob-canny@uiowa.edu> Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2019 11:50 AM To: Council Subject: Renters Rights in Iowa City I would like to see renters rights improved here. I think it is insane that a landlord can start showing my apartment with over six months left on the lease. This is taking up large amounts of my time and forcing me to miss work and classes. Their should be a limited amount of time for showing the house and the house should not be getting shown six months before a lease is up this is crazy. Get Outlook for iOS Kellie Fruehling From: Canny, Jacob A <jacob-canny@uiowa.edu> Sent: Saturday, March 23, 2019 11:53 AM To: Council Subject: Renters Rights in Iowa City I would like to see renters rights improved here. I think it is insane that a landlord can start showing my apartment with over six months left on the lease. This is taking up large amounts of my time and forcing me to miss work and classes. Their should be a limited amount of time for showing the house and the house should not be getting shown six months before a lease is up this is crazy. - Jacob Canny Get Outlook for iOS Kellie Fruehling From: Canny, Jacob A <jacob-canny@uiowa.edu> Sent: Saturday, March 23, 201912:37 PM To: Council Subject: Renters Rights In Iowa City I would also like the city to consider implementing a policy allowing renters to file civil suit if a landlord allows there pets to run away. Our landlord has given a very broad amount of time they might show up to show the house and currently we would be expected to keep the cat in a cage the entire time. This burden should be on the landlord and not force the inhuman treatment of an animal. Pets are considered property and if a landlord loses that property it should be the case for civil suit, also the pet does have rights and shouldn't be confined for long periods of time regularly because the landlord is showing the house constantly - Jacob Canny Get Outlook for iOS i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Kathy Gout: Road Diet Item Number: 91 Kellie Fruehling From: Kathy Grout <kgrout1950@gmail.com> Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 12:32 PM To: Council Subject: "ROAD DIET" So more bike trails?? I also enjoy riding bikes, there is already a perfectly good sidewalk that they can ride their bikes on. never see that many pedestrians on it anyway. Why do pedestrians get hit? Are they not paying attention to the lights? The reason for rear end collisions is NOT PAYING ATTENTION!!! Isn't that the drivers fault? As you can tell I totally believe this is an unreasonable way to spend the cities money. Please take the tax payers suggestions & think this over carefully. Thank you Kathy Grout Sent from Mail for Windows 10 Item Number: 9.j. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Julia DeSpain: Loud Vehicles/Motorcycles [Staff response included] Kellie Fruehling From: Jody Matherly Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 1:12 PM To: 'despainjulia@gmail.com' Cc: Council Subject: FW: Loud Vehicles/Motorcycles Julia, Thank you for contacting us regarding these issues. I have notified our officers to monitor these areas and the University of Iowa DPS has been informed as well. Careless operation of motorcycles is a violation of Iowa law and will be addressed through additional enforcement efforts. While the entire downtown is well marked with signs prohibiting bicycles on the sidewalks, we will direct our public information officer to utilize social media to better inform everyone. Our staff often stops bicycle violators to correct the problem and have issued citations on occasion. We will continue to do that to ensure a safe downtown. Lastly, I want to emphasize that we appreciate you informing us of these repeated violations. Our best resource is community members such as you that help identify issues so they can be quickly addressed. Respectfully, Jody f- 9fatherfy Chief of Police Iowa City, Iowa Fair o- 319-356-5271 Responshm professional From: Julia DeSpain [mailto:despainiulia gmail.coml Sent: Monday, March 25, 2019 11:16 AM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: Loud Vehicles/Motorcycles Hello, This email is going to sound very gripey, so I apologize in advance. However, there are just a few issues that have started to bother me a bit this year and I was wondering if there was anything that the council might be able to do about some of them. Loud Exhaust Pipes/Revving of Motorcycles: I was wondering if the city had an ordinance against loud exhaust pipes/revving of motorcycles. It didn't used to be much of an issue. However, this past year, it seems like a lot of motorcycle riders are using Clinton Street and Burlington Streets as their own personal race track. Unfortunately, the noise of loud exhaust pipes and the constant revving of motorcycles seems to be almost constant. It might bother me a bit more than most because I work on Clinton Street but it really does seem like its an all day issue, particularly when students are in session at the university. Bicycles on Sidewalks: I know that downtown folks aren't supposed to ride bicycles on sidewalks or in the PedMall but it definitely doesn't seem like this is well-known. Or, if it is, it is just ignored. Usually it is just a mild annoyance for folks who walk but since there was so much construction downtown this past year (and plans to be again this) it got to be more than an annoyance. There was barely enough room to walk on the sidewalk in some areas, let alone share the space with bicyclists. Is there anything the city might do to spread awareness more? Or work with the police and university administrations on both this and the loud revving issue? If not, that is more than fine. I know in the broad spectrum of things, these are both minor issues. It is just that Iowa City is a walkable city, but both of these issues make walking/enjoying downtown more difficult. Best, Julia Item Number: 9.k. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Sharon DeGraw: NMSP east entrance/Mann car line Kellie Fruehling From: Sharon DeGraw <sharondegraw@yahoo.com> Sent: Tuesday, March 26, 2019 2:45 PM To: Council Subject: re: NMSP east entrance/Mann car line Dear Iowa City City Council members, I am forwarding a letter that comes from residents who live in the Northside Neighborhood of Iowa City. It concerns the proposed Mann Elementary School drop off and pick up location that boarders North Market Square Park. Please find our individual names and addresses on the attached letter. We hope the City can work with the Iowa City Community School District in considering this suggestion to avoid having the car line in the curved portion of the road. Thank you Sincerely, Sharon DeGraw Northside Neighborhood Newsletter Coordinator March 25, 2019 Dear Iowa City City Council and Iowa City Community School District School Board, As residents living near Horace Mann Elementary School and North Market Square Park, we are blessed to have these beautiful, historic facilities so close by. We are especially looking forward to the grand re -opening of Horace Mann later this summer. The school renovation is an excellent example of close co-operation between the Iowa City Community School District and the City of Iowa City. Mann Elementary School stands out as the most urban elementary school in the district. Meeting its various programmatic needs on a small site that presses up against a century -old neighborhood is challenging, requiring deliberate negotiation and skillful design. Thank you for taking the time and investment to do this project thoughtfully. A significant goal of the school renovation is ensuring the school site and its related activities (for example, bus and student pick-up and drop-off zones) integrate with North Market Square Park and the surrounding streets. We are most concerned with the current design of the pick-up and drop-off zone on Fairchild Street.We believe the functionality of the pick-up/drop-off zone can be improved and better balanced with the need to maintain the functionality and character of the entry to North Market Square Park. The attached drawing conceptually lays out an alternative approach to this important interface between Fairchild Street and access to both the school and the park. We urge the City Council and the School Board to consider this improvement on the current design. Such improvements could reduce the scope of demolition work and re -construction, thus allowing the project to proceed without additional cost or delay. Thank you for your consideration. Respectfully, NAME ADDRESS PHONE Sue Futrell and Will Jennings 31 1 Fairchild Street 319-337-7770 Erin Landsee 621 North lohnson Street Diane Spielbauer and Charlie Williams 833 North Johnson Street Cole and Michael Feiss 603 Brown Street James Ponto 618 Brown Street Sarah Clark 509 Brown Street 319-594-1683 Nick Miller and Brittni Scruggs 726 North Van Buren Street Susan Shullaw 718 North Johnson Street 319-351-2606 Diana Harris and John Brandon 523 Brown Street 319-338-4859 page I of 3 NAME ADDRESS PHONE Matthew Lage 900 North Johnson Street 319-512-3945 Linda McGuire and Anne Burnside 610 and 618 Ronalds Street Thomas Agran and Allison Gnade 512 North Van Buren Street John Ranson 715 North lohnson Street Dave & Lysa Moore 425 Davenport Street Sharon DeGraw and Thomas Lally 519 Brown Street 319-936-0021 Ed Romano 524 Church Street page 2 of 3 Mann Elementary School and North Market Square Park Drop-off & Pick-up at Fairchild Street and East Park Entrance The goal of this project is to accommodate student pick-up and drop-off, while maintaining the functionality and character of the park's east entrance. NORTH Mann Elementary School MARKET SQUARE PARK FAIRCHILD STREET FIGURE I Existing conditions before construction of pick-up & drop-off area on Fairchild Street Dotted line indicates park property line NORTH Mann Elementary School MARKET r SQUARE IF PARK FAIRCHILD STREET I ' r' FIGURE 2 Proposed six stall pick-up & drop-off area • Long car line functions well at first but becomes difficult to manage as unloading and loading times vary. • Parking in the curve of the road is challenging. • There are unnecessary driving hazards as a result of having drivers focus on turning while monitoring cars pulling into and exiting parking stalls placed in the curve. NORTH Mann Elementary School _ MARKET SQUARE PARK FAIRCHILD STREET - I FIGURE 3 Proposed 3 + 3 stall pick-up & drop-off area • Reduces the concentration of vehicles in one single area by creating two areas for pick-up & drop-off. • Children can wait on the Mann school sidewalk or at the threshold of the school and park. • Reduces scope of work and could result in cost saving. page 3 of 3 Item Number: 9.1. i CITY OE IOWA CITY www.icgov.org April 2, 2019 ATTACHMENTS: Description Mary Gravitt - Replace or Pave over bricks at Linn & Burlington and fix potholes Kellie Fruehling From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 8:52 PM To: Mary Gravitt; Council Subject: RE: REPLACE OR PAVE OVER BRINGS AT LINN & BURLINGTON & FIX POTHOLES Hi Mary, We will check out the Linn/Burlington intersection and determine what repairs may be needed. Also, our staff is actively working on potholes throughout the entire community. More permanent repairs will be made later this spring after the asphalt production begins again. Our first round of bus shelters have been received. We are working on assembly and placement this spring. We will also have a second round of installs this summer or fall. Thanks for emailing, Geoff Fruin City Manager From: Mary Gravitt <gravittmary@gmail.com> Sent: Wednesday, March 27, 2019 6:09 PM To: Council <Council@iowa-city.org> Subject: REPLACE OR PAVE OVER BRINGS AT LINN & BURLINGTON & FIX POTHOLES Please have the bricks that abut the sidewalk at Linn and Burlington Street re -cemented in place or removed and replaced by concrete. The bricks have sunk so that they create a gap therefore a foot hazard that will trip passengers getting off the buses. These bricks were placed on Burlington more for decoration, than for safety and have not been maintained as such, POTHOLES Please fill in some of the potholes on the bus lines. Some holes are so deep until they are proving a hazard not only to the buses themselves, but also to drivers and passengers. Injuries to drivers will in turn lead to Workman's Compensation and other justified sick-outs; thus costing the City of Iowa City in compensation. 1 I know that winter is not over and snow may be back as spring storms, but it is better to make pothole repairs in a timely manner. Finally, I am looking forward to bus shelters that City Council has promised. And I still want a Civil Engineer to see if a traffic cut-off is feasible for the bus stops (and future bus shelters) on First Avenue in front of the Come and Go and the HyVee bus stops to insure that traffic flows smoothly. Thank you, Mary Gravitt 2714 Wayne Avenue #6 Iowa City, IA 52240 319.341.6230 i Submitted by Allison Jaynes 1 ID '�"R THE HUMANE SOCIETY `�cIY-Nk• OF THE UNITED STATES 1255 23rd Street,NW Suite 450 Washington,DC 20037 04/02/2019 P 202-452-1100 F 202-778-6132 humanesociety.org Iowa City City Council 410 E Washington St Iowa City,IA 52240 Eric L.Bernthal,Esq. Chair of the Board Charles A.Laue Vice Chair Dear Council, Marsha R.Perelman Vice Chair Last year,I addressed the council and urged you to develop a long-term conflict mitigation Jason Weiss Viceplan as part of the city's attempt to manage its deer population.Today,I ask you to do the Chair same thing. Kathleen M.Linehan,Esq. Board Treasurer Deer are our wild neighbors,forced by habitat loss into the spaces where humans now live. Kitty Block Thesegentle herd animals are loved by many,but the disappearance of wild lands has led Acting President and CEO and g Chief International Officer them into increasing conflicts with humans;they're often killed when they wander onto G.Thomas Waite Ill roads(endangering human lives too)and they drive gardeners to distraction with their Treasurer nibbling ways.They're often targeted for mass kills to reduce their numbers,but these are Chief Financial Officer and ineffective and unnecessary.There are ways to peacefully coexist with deer. Acting Chief Operating Officer Katherine L.Karl Tolerance is needed when figuring out the best solution for your particular deer problems. General Counsel and Some damage is bound to happen where there are deer,but you can minimize the damage. Chief Legal Officer Under mild browsing conditions,a good repellent may be all that's needed.Under heavy Michaelen Barsness browsing conditions,you may need to limit your plants to the more deer-resistant varieties Controller and and use deer-proof fencing around your garden. Deputy Treasurer Johanie V.Parra I shared our"Deer Conflict Management&Coexistence Plan"with the council last year,but I Secretary would again ask that the council review it. It is only 40 pages in length,and outlines ways that DIRECTORS communities like Iowa City can work-again,in a long-term way-to develop plans to mitigate conflicts with deer. Jeffrey J.Arciniaco Susan Atherton Eric L.Bernthal,Esq. You can find that guide,along with other resources on the topic,online at Georgina Bloomberg humanesociety.org/resources/deer garden. J.Elizabeth Bradham Jerry Cesak If you have any questions about our guide(or anything else),I welcome the opportunity to Anita W.Coupe,Esq. have discussions on this topic with the city. Neil B.Fang,Esq.,CPA Caren M.Fleit Sincerely, Spencer B.Haber Cathy Kangas Paula A.Kislak,D.V.M. �;J Charles A.Laue ' / Kathleen M.Linehan,Esq. ,f John Mackey FILED Mary I.Max C.Thomas McMillen Preston Moore Judy Ney Iowa State Director APR 0 2 2019 Sharon Lee Patrick The Humane Society of the United States Marsha R.Perelman pmoore@humanesociety.org City Clerk Jonathan M.Ratner P 240-753-9427 IOWA City, Iowa Thomas J.Sabatino,Jr. Walter J.Stewart,Esq. Jason Weiss David O.Wiebers,M.D. Submitted by Allison Jaynes (D No Bowhunting ! 111/4! 111111111/ --. . Support pp , Non-lethal Methods "okit, it t Y ,f' .. # D 41 %.rte-i, , `C. rt, y # :: �. Deterrence and long-term solutions are key! www.ICDeerFriends.org FILED APR 0 2 2019 City Clerk Iowa City, Iowa