HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-09-03 TranscriptionPage I
Council Present: Mims, Salih, Teague (electronically), Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton
Council Absent: Cole
Staff Present: Frain, Monroe, Andrew, Dilkes, Fruehling, Bockenstedt, Fleagle, Nagle-
Gamm, Weinard, Byers, Hightshoe, Ralston, Jennings, Seydell-Johnson,
Havel, Sovers, Rackis
Others Present: Wu, Lenkaitis (UISG)
Clarification of Agenda Items:
Throgmorton/ Okay, so we're gonna begin our Iowa City City Council work session for Tuesday,
September the 3rd, 2019. First item is clarification of agenda items. We have a very
brief formal meeting agenda, so I don't know if anybody has anything you wanna bring
up. If you do, please .... bring it up now.
5.b. Approval of FY2020 Inter -fund Transfer Amendment — Resolution Amending
FY2020 Inter -fund Transfer
Salih/ Yeah, I do have one item. Number 5.b. I just I wanna ask Dennis about, um, if you can
come to the podium please. You know on line 6 like capital project improvements
(unable to understand) funding the reason and it is 1.8 million to be transfer. This has
already happen, but you now we are now talking about the increase only, right, from the
original amount.
Bockenstedt/ Right.
Salih/ Yeah. My question will be, I know this is capital, uh, this is from ... coming from the
general fund, but I really don't understand is this (unable to understand) from like the
general obligation bond and it went to the general and after that transfer, or this is just
completely from the general fund?
Bockenstedt/ Um, well I can go back and take a look at it, just see exactly what those transfers
pertain to. You talking about the .... the capital projects transfers (both talking)
Salih/ Yeah, it is 1.8 million, has been transfer from the general fund to the capital project fund.
Bockenstedt/ Right. I'll have to take a look and see what that specifically .... I don't know what it
is off the top of my head, so I can go back (both talking)
Salih/ (both talking) ....have any idea?
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Fruin/ We can .... you can pull the item off of consent and the regular agenda and Dennis will be
prepared to speak about it in the regular meeting.
Salih/ I really don't wanna talk like not approve it or anything. I just wanna ask like, uh, couple
of question because we are using 1.8 from general fund for capital improvement fund.
Usually I see all the capital come from the, you know, from the general obligation bond
and I just wanna make sure this is.....how the, if you can answer this, how is, uh, like
general obligation fund when you get the money, do you put it to the general fund and
after that you transfer it or how (both talking)
Bockenstedt/There's about a million dollars a year, uh, that we transfer out of the general fund to
the capital projects fund, uh, for a variety of items. Um, we also transfer utility tax funds
out of the general fund to the capital projects fund, uh, for street projects and
undergrounding electrical wiring projects. Uh, and that's roughly 300,000, $350,000 a
year, uh, that comes from that utility tax. Um, a lot of those general fund items pertaining
to, uh, smaller building funds, uh, park funds, like park improvement funds, that type of
thing; uh, so there is a portion of the general fund money that does go to capital
improvements and then, uh, we do not bond for those, uh, cause a lot oVem are... are
general purpose projects. I have to look and see specifically what that $1.8 million
transfer you're referring to (mumbled) and there will be a public hearing on that budget
amendment tonight. Jacklyn's gonna detail a little bit of that tonight, uh, but I can take a
look at that to see specifically what .... what that amendment is for for that transfer.
Salih/ Sure.
Fruin/ I just, uh, I pulled up the budget to give you some examples of what we use general fund
dollars for in the capital fund. It looks to me maybe two dozen different projects, as
Dennis said, averaging probably around a million per year. Um, we have Library HVAC
repairs; uh, that's where we paid for the .... we've reserved funds for the County Access
Center; Senior Center, miscellaneous improvements; uh, City Hall boiler project; uh, we
did some tree planting; um, some park, you know, minor park improvements; Police
camera replacements. So a whole range of different things that we fund, mostly smaller
items, uh, we fund with general fund dollars, in ... in the capital fund itself. So those are
general fund transfer to the capital and pay out of the capital (both talking)
Salih/ You mean the 1.8 right now, it's transfer for specific project or just ... or like (both talking)
Bockenstedt/ Lot of those projects Geoff.....were talkin' about were like for annual
improvements. So we'll transfer dollars into a park improvement fund and that's where
they like put those new signs in the parks (mumbled) parks and they replace other small
park amenities, and they're tracked for a project fund, rather than being purchased
directly out of the general fund. So .... and that allows those funds to accumulate over
years. So, uh (mumbled) Senior Center improvement fund, and we'll put dollars in that
project fund every year, in which they will do minor improvements, uh, that they're
workin' on now on some of those at the Senior Center, and then if those funds remain
unspent, then they're carried over to continue more Senior Center improvements, and so
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usually like they're smaller, general purpose improvements, uh, like at Robert A. Lee
parks and City Hall and some of the other facilities, and so that's primarily what is being
funded out of the general fund, uh, from that transfer. Then utility tax funds, uh, which
go to the street asphalt overlay program and the City's underground wiring program.
Salih/ But if that fund now is transfer from the general fund for capital improvement, uh, it can
be used for something else also, right?
Bockenstedt/ That's correct (both talking)
Salih/ ...it is not like, uh, general obligation fund. (both talking) It can be used for another
project.
Bockenstedt/ General fund dollars can .... can be used for pretty much any purpose that a Council
would determine that's, uh, a legal purpose. Uh, the utility, uh, transfers, the utility funds
(both talking)
Salih/ ...for only utilities.
Bockenstedt/ Yeah, those would be used for (both talking)
Salih/ Yes!
Bockenstedt/ But ... if you were to, wanna maintain those projects or those improvements at those
facilities, and the parks, like I said then you would have to find another way to pay for
them, and a lot of those are smaller in nature that would be difficult, you know, like those
park signs, you might spend $20,000 a year on those. Uh, because they're small in
nature, it makes 'em a little more difficult, uh, to bond for versus a larger project, um, so
there's.... there's mostly smaller items. Now occasionally there is a larger project funded,
uh (mumbled) general fund, like, um, you know some dollars were sent to the Public
Works facility, which is a large portion, and some was also used for the, uh, for Robert A.
Lee, which is a larger project.
Salih/ Yeah. I just like wanted to highlight it because it's 1.8 million. It's not like (mumbled) it's
a lot money and if we have it from the general fund, I always treat general fund like cash,
cash money sitting there and for any project improvement could be, if this be assigned,
just to do a project that cost you 1.8 million, we should of really do it from the ... this is
done deal, I'm not talking about this. I'm just talking about in the future (both talking)
Bockenstedt/ The 1.8 million out of the general fund of capital projects doesn't ... it's not coming
to me right off, so I'll go back and take a look and see what is being amended there and
(both talking)
Salih/ Please! Yeah! Okay, let me know. That's all, I just need to know that this money can be
used in anything else too. (both talking) ...general fund is not like general obligation
bond.
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Bockenstedt/ No, it's not.
Salih/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ So I wanna support Maza's question, because I think for me, Council Member, uh,
it's pretty hard to understand how the budget works, cause there are all these different
funds, there are ways to move the funds around, the funds come from different sources,
and, uh, and then .... then we see numbers (laughs) and then maybe somethin' on the
ground or maybe somethin' that staff are doing, you know, uh, so it's really hard for, I'll
speak for myself, not for any other Council Members. Hard for me to track where this
stuffs comin' from and how it's movin' and that kind of thing. I personally was never
trained in this kind of financial analysis. I'm certainly not an expert in it, so I think
Maza's question's a good one! We need a better way of understanding (both talking)
Bockenstedt/ Well and, you know, we'd be happy to spend more time detailing out the budget. I
mean the City's budget's a very complex financial document and a lot of like the different
funds represent different financial sources, and a lot of them have specific restrictions or
purposes, which is why they're separated into separate funds. Such as the road use taxes
that come from the State are restricted for street purposes and right-of-way purposes, and
so those are separated out into a separate fund, um, as well as our enterprise funds are
separated out to pay for a specific service that is being provided, and we set those fees to
provide for that specific purpose, or that service. Uh, yeah the general fund is the City's
general operating fund, and it accumulates a lot of different, uh, services, a lot of different
things are bein' provided to the public, and the .... the, most of that or the bulk of it is .... is,
uh, is paid for by property taxes. However, there are other funding sources that do go
into the general fund, um, such as service charges and .... and fines and so there are other
items or revenue items that go in there, and if you drill down to the detail, they all drill
down to something specific, you know, like a check that the City receives or a tax item
or...so they all drill down to a .... a low level detail, but when you roll it all up into a
complex document, it's hard to present it as that level of details that ... that make up those
numbers, because it's just a lot of items, you know, that you're talkin' about and I think
the City's budget has about 12,000 like items. So it all like goes into a whole lower level
of detail. So .... so it is very complicated, but the things that do go into the general fund,
generally speaking, are available to be used for .... for any legal purpose that's
appropriated by the City Council. Now there's.... there are some grants that would show
up in the general fund, um, that might be specified. I think like we got the law
enforcement grant for the data -driven justice and you know, there's a few others in there
that ... that are specific and, you know (mumbled) usually those operations that aren't self -
funding. So like say the pool system, you know, is not self -funding. So, you know, we
may spend X dollars on the swimming pools, but they only bring in say 30% of their cost.
So, you know, all of those revenues, expenses then just roll into that general fund and
that ... and that deficit of say the 70% for the pools is then funded from the rest of the
general fund revenues that are available, which would be primarily property taxes, could
be interest income. It could be, you know, a variety of other things, and so you know that
general fund is kind of a big .... pool where all that extra stuff goes in there, but most of
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that stuff is not, does not necessarily pay for itself and that's why it's within the City's
general fund operation.
Throgmorton/ I'd like to suggest, uh, one thing. It could be for.... especially since the future
Council's gonna have two new members, it....it might be a good idea to have, uh,
dedicated, I don't know, couple Council Members meeting with .... with Dennis for maybe
a couple hour briefing about how the budget works, how it's structured, how it works,
rather than just the big document, with your always outstanding overview. But that's for
the future Council to decide. I think it would be helpful though.
Bockenstedt/ And I think a couple years ago when the new Council came in we did do a, uh,
budget overview for the new Council at that time, like an initiation and ... I thought that
went pretty well.
Salih/ Yes. Thank you.
Information Packet Discussion [August 22, August 291:
Throgmorton/ Thanks! Any other agenda items? Okay, why don't we move on to the
information packets. We had two, the first was August the 22nd, and there's essentially
nothing, I believe, to .... that we need to talk about in that packet. If I'm wrong, please
yell out. With regard to the August 29th packet, the work session agenda lists them in a
certain order, and I asked Geoff to, uh, provide that ordering because we've deferred four
items for the past two meetings and we need timely decisions on two other topics. So I
thought it'd be best to clear those out of the way and still we'll have time to focus our
attention on the... completing our discussion about the hourly positions. So, uh, that's
what I had in mind there. And, uh, with that ... in that regard, why don't we turn to IP #4,
from the August 29th meeting, which is the memo from the City Clerk about the listening
post update.
1. (8/29) IN - Memo from City Clerk: Listening Post Update
Throgmorton/ So, Council listening post update. I wanna suggest something, just to get things
going. I looked at the, thanks to Kellie's help, I looked at a list .... lists of where and when
we held listening posts in 2016, 2017, 2018, and up to now in 2019. So given the prior
locations, I'd suggest that we try to schedule the next listening post for the week of, next
week, September 9th through 13th, or the following week, at Grant Wood Elementary, if
it's available. And then something else we could, uh, do with regard to our fourth
listening post during 2019 is to try to schedule a meeting with the Council of
Neighborhood Associations. Does this sound reasonable to .... to you folks?
Taylor/ I think that would be good cause we haven't really focused on .... on that section of the
town before and, uh, just speaking from experience, the, urn .... (mumbled) Farmers
Market, uh, weren't really that conducive to, uh, listening posts, cause it was such a large,
a large crowd of people, but it .... you couldn't really have round -table discussion. You
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just kinda had to mingle with the crowd and kinda lost something there, so I think that
would ..... that would be an excellent location.
Salih/ Have we had one at the Neighborhood Center in Pheasant Ridge (both talking)
Throgmorton/ We did one in 2017.
Salih/ Seventeen....
Throgmorton/ Yeah so, uh (both talking) Sorry?
Salih/ Like how often we go back to the same people that we did?
Throgmorton/ Uh, well I don't think we've really gone back to any in the past three and a half or
whatever years, but I was lookin' at a map and seeing where the meetings have been held
over the past three and a half years, and thinking, okay, well we really should do
something more in the southeastern part of the city next, and then go through it again,
you know, in one way or the other, over the next several years.
Salih/ Yes! Sound good!
Throgmorton/ Okay.
Fruehling/ (mumbled) two folks that .... (several talking)
Salih/ What you want?
Fruehling/ Two Council Members (several talking)
Throgmorton/ Any volunteers to participate (both talking)
Salih/ When, just when?
Fruehling/ We have to figure out. I have to look at the schedule for Grant Wood and .... see (both
talking)
Salih/ I can be one of them (both talking)
Fruehling/ And then I can reach out to Susan and Mazahir?
Salih/ Uh huh.
Throgmorton/ That'd be fine with me. Is that okay with everybody? (several responding)
Salih/ Unless somebody's really wanna go.
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Throgmorton/ Bruce, were you tracking that discussion?
Teague/ Oh no I was just gonna say I would be interested in doin' it at Grant Wood as well.
Salih/ Okay then, maybe Bruce and Susan. I can give you this time, Bruce, cause.....
Throgmorton/ Okay. See if you can schedule a time that (both talking)
Teague/ (mumbled)
Throgmorton/Yeah, we .... we heard you, Bruce, so .... yeah, so we're gonna include you and
Susan, and Kellie's gonna (both talking) schedule it .... are you there, Bruce? Can you
hear me? (noise in background)
Salih/ No, I don't think he hearin' us.
Throgmorton/ Bruce, can you hear me?
Teague/ Hello?
Throgmorton/ Dam it!
Salih/ Yes (laughs)
Fruehling/ (mumbled) system. I don't know (both talking)
Throgmorton/You might, um, Kellie, you might need to try to reconnect with Bruce.
Teague/ All right, I'm back on now!
Throgmorton/ Oh, okay, so .... some interruption. So what we decided is that you and Susan, uh,
will be the two Councilpeople involved.
Salih/ I'm sorry, but I think Bruce he just did the last one. I thought he never went to anyone
else.
Throgmorton/ Oh!
Taylor/ Did he?
Thomas/ Yeah, he .... he did just do one in May with me.
Throgmorton/ You just did one, Bruce (laughs)
Teague/ (mumbled)
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Salih/ Yeah, I can .... I can be with Susan.
Taylor/ Maz hasn't for a while.
Throgmorton/ That's fine. So disregard what I just said. It'll be Mazahir and Susan, uh, and the
date has to be worked out. Kellie'll have to work that out, but it'll be one in the next two
weeks, hopefully at Grant Wood. Okay. Good deal!
Salih/ Okay, thanks!
2. (8/29) IP5 - Memo from City Clerk: KXIC Schedule
Throgmorton/ Let's move on to IP #5, the KXIC schedule. We got a list of vacancies for the next
several weeks. I would like to volunteer for either the 2nd or the 9th of October. I don't
care which. So let me just say the 2nd and maybe (both talking)
Salih/ I just have a question before you (mumbled)
Throgmorton/ Sure!
Salih/ I really would like to know nobody when it came to the Council told me anything about
what the goal of going to KXIC.
Throgmorton/ I don't think we ever talked about the goal. Does anybody wanna answer that
question?
Mims/ I mean I think it's just always been a mechanism to get information out to the public, talk
about... particularly if it's on a day after we've had a meeting, to kind of talk about what
we did at the meeting the night before. If it's the weeks in between the meetings, maybe
just to talk about some of the things that the Council and staff are working on, policy
issues, some of the things we expect to be coming before the Council, those kinds of
(both talking)
Salih/ You meaning we have to talk about City issues.
Mims/ Yeah.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, that's the idea, be a Councilperson speaking about City -related issues, for
the public who happens to be listening to KXIC.
Salih/ I really hope that will be the case. I (unable to understand) go there and talk about
something else in there besides City matter.
Taylor/ I think Mazahir raises a good point, uh, as far as what the purpose of the interviews are
and I think it, uh, basically is the Council Member to determine the content of the
interviews, but appropriate and related. It's called the, uh, City Government Day, so it
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should be related to things that are, uh, going on in the City, as far as what we're looking
at voting on.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so can we focus on (both talking)
Salih/ Yes!
Throgmorton/ ...who's gonna fill in on particular dates.
Salih/ Do you have dates you can tell me because I don't see'em.
Taylor/ Also could we go date by date, to avoid any confusion on who's doing what date please?
(several talking) Thank you.
Fruehling/ So September 18th.
Throgmorton/ So does anybody want to do it on September the 18th?
Teague/ I can (mumbled) I can do either September 8th or 25th.
Throgmorton/ Any objection to Bruce doing the 18th?
Taylor/ That's fine!
Salih/ No.
Throgmorton/ Okay, you're on for the 18th, Bruce. The 25th?
Salih/ I can be 25th.
Fruehling/ And then Jim is October 2nd, so the next date is October 9th.
Thomas/ I would like that day.
Fruehling/ Then October 16th.
Taylor/ I can do the 16th.
Fruehling/ October 23rd.
Mims/ I'll take that one.
Fruehling/ Then we have October 30th.
Throgmorton/ Rockne?
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Taylor/ We could pencil him in.
Fruehling/ Yeah, I can email him.
Throgmorton/ Okay that's.... gets us out another seven weeks, right? (several talking in
background)
Thomas/ I'm sorry, who was the 16th?
Taylor/ Me!
Throgmorton/ Pauline, yeah. Okay! Think we can move on to IP 46, which is the.... pertaining
to a memo about Housing and Community Development Commission's Aid to Agencies
recommendations.
Fruin/ Mayor, I thought I'd have Tracy come up and just try to summarize where we are with this
discussion because there's been a lot of back and forth between Council, HCDC, um,
so...
Throgmorton/ Okay. Hi, Tracy!
3. (8/29) IP6 - Memo from Housing & Community Development Chair: Aid to
Agencies Recommendations
Hightshoe/ Hi! Tracy Hightshoe with Neighborhood and Development Services. Um, after this
last funding round with the Aid to Agencies, Council wanted staff and HCDC to review
the process. You know last year we changed, we had some major changes, mostly
involving the legacy agencies and the creation of the emerging agencies, which we took a
5% set-aside for basically new agencies or agencies that hadn't fully established, new or
very small. Um, staff went back, reviewed the process. We talked to the agencies
involved, and we came up with some recommendi .... recommendations for this point
forward. Um, those recommendations basically returns the funds to the original purpose.
If you remember, the purpose of the Aid to Agencies has been to provide a stable source
of operational funding for human service agencies serving low income people. Um, prior
to 2010, two Council Members and a staff person sat down, reviewed the applications,
and made a funding recommendation. After 2010, Council asked HCDC to review those
applications in order to align the funding priorities with City STEPS. Um, that's our
consolidated plan for housing, jobs, and services low to moderate income residents. So
based on those two purposes of the funds, um, we made the following recommendation.
The City STEPS plan is reviewed every five years. We have to have a new plan every
five years. During that five years, HCDC would sit down with ... they would look over
what the priorities are. They'd set a core group of agencies, and that could be 15 to 20
agencies, that will apply for that five-year period. At the next five-year period, those
agencies will be renewed and reviewed again. We don't anticipate major changes, but
one or two agencies might fall off, other agencies might fall on, or come .... come
onboard, but that'd be reviewed every five years. During those five years, those core
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group of agencies would apply each year through the United Way joint funding process.
Um .... after the fiscal year 21, they would apply for two years. So after the ... it's a five-
year plan, so the first year they apply independently. Subsequent years they go on a two-
year funding cycle, until the new plan is developed. Urn .... HCDC will review and
provide the ranking criteria for evaluation, and then staff will provide a recommendation
for HC ... HCDC to consider. After they consider it, that recommendation would come
before you to recommend funding. Staff did recommend the discontinuing of the
emerging agencies set-aside, mostly due to other funding opportunities available, such as
the climate action grants or the social justice grants. When HCDC reviewed, um, the
recommendations made in your July 3rd memo, they approved all the recommendations
except for that one. Um, they wanted to continue the emergenc ... emerging agency pool
of funds, cause they believe they were important to provide general operational funds for
....for just general operations, as opposed to project -based funding. Um, mostly to help
these organizations establish themselves. Um, there was feedback that we got from Aid
to Agen... or the agencies themselves. A lot of the feedback that the agencies had we'll
just incorporate into the HCDC internal review. So that part I don't need comment on,
but I do need comment on .... the applications went live, um, last month. They're due
September 12th. We ... we're only accepting applications from those who were awarded
funding in fiscal year 20. Uh, those applications are due September 12th. Um, we need
to know also your guidance, if you accept the recommendations, and what to do about
the emergency ... or emerging funding, u, appli.... or set a pool or pool of funds. So if you
wanna continue that, we'll make sure that we reserve 5% of that, and that allocation cycle
will be with our regular CDBG and Home application cycle, that you see applicants
applying in December and reviewing in January.
Throgmorton/ When you refer to whether we accept the recommendations, are you referring to
the recommendations that the staff originally made or the recommendations that came
from the Commission?
Hightshoe/ Well both. Um, basically we need your guidance.... staff was recommending
discontinuing the emergency funds. HCDC wanted to keep those, um, due to the ... the
reasons (both talking)
Throgmorton/ So you need us to decide whether we wanna keep... that... that (both talking)
emerging agency 5%, right?
Hightshoe/ Uh huh.
Mims/ Tracy, can you remind us .... what, with our current funding level, and I know we may be
talking about that later as we go through the budget, but with our current funding level
for Aid to Agencies, what that 5% number would be, and then also based on our last
budget, what was the social justice grant dollar amount?
Hightshoe/ Social justice 75,000.
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Mims/ That's what I thought. That went up to 75, and that 5% is gonna be considerably lower
than that, right?
Hightshoe/ Well ... if it was based on the fiscal year, the proposed original (both talking) there
would have been 19,000 available for emerging agencies.
Mims/ I mean I think I would agree with staffs recommendation in that the emerging, uh,
agencies have that opportunity. If you're in the social justice grant process, um, and we
know that our legacy agencies don't have enough money, and I know we're gonna talk as
we go through the budget process about looking at that and trying to build in some, you
know, an ongoing escalator, so to speak, if we can. But if there's already 75,000 available
in that social justice, I mean that's even a bigger pool than that 5%, and if it's focused on
those emerging type agencies, which I would assume most of those are trying to do social
justice work, that they already have a much more sizable pool of money than just that 19
or whatever would be set aside and kept away from the emerg... the legacy. So I would
agree with staffs recommendation.
Thomas/ I ... I thought the, uh, part of the 5% recommendation had to do with that, those funds
would be available for operational funding, as well as project -based. So if, um, if the....
say the social justice and racial equity grants are project -based, then that would not be as
accessible.
Mims/You know I have.....I have, I guess I have a concern about an agency that's just barely
trying to get started and get off the ground, and a lot of people try to start things and they
may or may not be successful, they may or may not be good agencies. I mean (mumbled)
etc., the organization, the skill set, I mean whatever it might be. I .... I don't think that the
taxpayer dollar has to be the end-all, be-all for these agencies. I mean if they're .... if they
really believe in something and are trying to get something started, there's the social
justice grants but there's also private fundraising and things that they can do, and I think a
lot of people, when they start these, realize they have to find volunteers and/or they have
to volunteer. I'm not tied to the idea that this also has to be, um, operational.
Salih/ I just wanna ask you, the social justice fund, even though I know that's, uh, Stefanie, right?
Uh, I really don't know how many organization last time apply for this, but I know there
is many organization areas (unable to understand) because this happen to one person
definitely is not enough. If we cannot even meet the need for all the people doing social
justice, organization that do social justice in the community or social, you know, yeah.
Justice in the community, we cannot meet their need. It's only 75. How come, you know,
the .... this, those people can come and apply for the same grant? This is will be
overcrowded, people applying for 75%, and I really support the .... the emerging agency
(unable to understand) to be approved and continue, because this is .... you said 19,000? 1
don't think (both talking)
Hightshoe/ ...5% of whatever you allocate that year.
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Salih/ That year, yeah, 5%. I don't think we .... we done it before and I don't think this is
something we can interrupt the budget and, uh, we have a lot of good organizations that
we wanna keep, that why I hope we can continue funding the emergency, the emerging
agency organization expense.
Throgmorton/ I'm inclined to agree with Maz. I think it's really important to provide some
funding for emerging entities, that come out of new communities in Iowa City. Or ones
that are trying to organize on their own behalf. I think of particular parts of the African
American community, Hispanic or Latinics community, immigrant and refugee groups,
I .... especially the last category, immigrant and refugee groups. It's really hard tryin' to
figure out how to navigate the city, uh, and .... and how to be a .... a community within the
city, uh, set of communities. I think we need to provide small amounts of money to help
them do what they need to do to become more effective members of the larger
community and also organize to speak on their own behalf.
Thomas/ Yeah, I .... I (both talking)
Teague/ I would agree. I would agree with the, you know, maintain' the emerging, um,
opportunities for .... for new providers, I think when we consider legacy agencies, many
of these agencies they can meet every checkbox, um, that's bein' reviewed and the newer
agencies just don't have that ability to stand side-by-side up against a legacy agency. So I
do feel that it's very important for us to do, um, to maintain the emergin' agencies, um,
portion of the Aid to Agency within the budget. Um, the social justice and racial equity
grants, um, all services that... these are not two equal services, I think, um, is ... is one of
the things. You know, funding through, um, this process and social justice and racial
equity grants, they're not side-by-side compatible. Um, so .... my ..... my suggestion would
definitely be to continue the emergin' agency 5%.
Taylor/ I appreciate the recommendations and .... and the comments, but I think as far as the
emerging agencies go, we just recently initiated this and I think we really need to give it a
chance and see how it works and, uh, give it at least one other funding cycle to see how it
goes and then revisit it, but I would be in favor of keeping it for now .... just to see.
Thomas/ I support it as well. I think it's ... it's a relatively small amount of money. It feels
properly proportioned with respect to the emerging aspects of it, and uh, also I just wanna
say thank you to everyone involved with this process. I mean it's another great example
of HCDC and staff and this, uh, coalition of agencies coming together with.... with these
recommendations.
Throgmorton/ Okay, I think we're pretty clear about this. It sounds to me like we're.... accepting
the staffs recommendations with this one change that pretty much comes from HCDC.
Yeah, great. Thanks, Tracy!
Hightshoe/ Thanks!
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Throgmorton/ Okay, uh, okay we can move on to the next item, uh, which is IP #4. This pertains
to a memo from (mumbled) production services (laughs) I'm sorry. It's about the future
of the Telecommunications Commission, but you are on the verge of saying something.
Bockenstedt/ I did find out the answer to Mazahir's question on the transfers, if now's an okay
time to (both talking)
Salih/ Go ahead!
Bockenstedt/ So went back and took a look and, uh, the 1.8 million is actually the total budget
for general fund transfers. The amendment itself is only $150,000. And, um, that's
actually higher than we usually...... usually I mentioned it was around 1.3, but there was
a ... an additional $500,000 that was added to the budget last year for the purchase of land
for Fire Station #5, or roughly $500,000, which is a one-time purchase, and so that's why
that's, uh, typically higher than it usually is for those general fund transfers, uh, was for
that one-time purchase, and that amendment is bein'....part of that is, about $50,000 for
the Police video camera project, and they actually eliminated a software purchase for
roughly that same dollar amount to cover that overage and then the .... the remainding
amendment had to do with the City Hall boiler project, um, that was a two-year project
that was moved around a little bit to try and achieve some efficiencies and so .... so some
of that project moved up from outer years and we made some future adjustments to outer
year projected budgets because of the timing of that .... that boiler, and so that .... those two
items make up that amendment, but uh, that.... general fund transfer is .... is higher than it
typically is, uh, because of that Fire Station land.
Salih/ Sure. And the Fire Station land could be done also from general obligation bond, if we
want to.
Bockenstedt/ If we wanted to and .... and that may have been a conversation that was had last...
last year as well but yeah, that certainly could have been bonded for, but instead it was
chose to use reserves, uh, rather than bond for it.
Salih/ Okay. Yeah, I just wanna know, like there is (unable to understand) and we can have many
option to do thing, like .... and we have ... if we want like that money to use it for
something else, since it's coming from the general fund, we can still use it for anything,
and at the same time we can bond for the Fire Station.
Bockenstedt/ Right, and it's the .... the other couple items that are bein' funded about that, you
know, the 300,000 from the utility tax probably is somewhat inflexible or at least within
certain parameters. That remainder, uh, could be allocated based on the Council's
priorities and so how they would prioritize those funds, um, versus what they're paying
for now, versus what they could pay for, that certainly would be up to the Council's
discretion.
Salih/ Good to know. Thank you so much.
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4. (8/29) IP7 - Memo from Media Production Services Coordinator: Future of the
Telecommunications Commission
Throgmorton/ Thanks, Dennis, and thanks for checking that out. Okay, as I was saying, let's
move to item number .... IP #4, uh, which is a memo from Media Production Services
Coordinator. I don't remember who that is. My apologies. About the future of the
Telecommunications Commission. So .... yes, ma'am, go ahead, Ashley.
Monroe/ Okay, so, uh, Ty Coleman prepared a memo, explaining, uh, what the role of the
Telecommunications Commission is currently and what it has been, um, historically. The
Telecommunications Commission was created, uh, through the enabling ordinance for
our cable TV franchise. Uh, so.....at this point, the cable franchise expired in August of
last year, so we've been operating, um, without a .... a franchise television provider. Uh,
Mediacom has moved to a State franchise option and it's unlikely that they would ... would
return to the local option. Um, so the Communications ... or the Telecommunications
Commission reviewed their roles and responsibilities, the level of workload, um, to
establish what their purpose might be at this point, upon the expiration of the franchise
agreement. And so they came up with this recommendation, uh, provided by...by Ty, and
the recommendation from the Commission is that they either form an advisory board,
which would evaluate the opportunities for the City to establish broadband service here,
or to discontinue the Commission, um, just based on their current roles and
responsibilities, and the fact that there's not a franchise any longer. So it's up to the
Council to discuss and provide some guidance as to what they would prefer, and we'll
hear any feedback.
Throgmorton/ Okay, well let's find out what we think! Does anybody wanna start off?
Mims/ Well I think that we looked a few years ago at, and I don't know if it was just municipal
broadband or if it was municipal cable, but we've kind of had that conversation, and when
we looked at it with the information, my recollection, that we found is the cities who
typically have done this and done this successfully already own their own fiber optic
cable around their community, because they already have their own energy system. So
they're running their own power grid, so they already have the fiber, and if you don't
already have your own fiber in the ground, this is tens if not over a hundred million
dollar, project to do and so it was only .... my memory, I don't know, two, three, four years
ago. I know it's .... it's been within the past four years, I'd say two to three years ago that
we had this discussion. I mean if the people on there are interested in doing this, if it's
not going to take any staff time, I don't have any problem with it, but given that we just
looked at this and those kinds of conclusions that came to the forefront, I'm not interested
in forming another commission that's gonna take any of staff time.
Throgmorton/ I should, I mean apparently this discussion happened when I was on the Council
earlier, you know (both talking)
Mims/ ...since the last one, because I know Rockne was here, cause Rockne was the one kind of
pushing it, and .... and I think Kingsley maybe was too and some of the documents they
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showed and talked about, one of the things that kinda was overlooked in that discussion,
they were referencing these documents and I remember taking the time to read those
documents in full, and it was very clear in those documents that if the City did not
already have their own fiber optic, then it was basically cost -prohibitive, and the cities
typically that had the fiber were ones that were running their own power grid.
Fruin/ I think the other.... other thing that has changed since Council last took that up is we have
another provider in the market now, uh, so since that time I'm On has entered the market
and they have a three or four-year plan to .... to blanket the city with fiber and we'll be
offering broadband services to businesses, and they're already offering to many
businesses and residents, but to the entire community in those few years. So a municipal
broadband solution would.... would have that extra private competitor in the market now.
Throgmorton/ I .... I'm not sure what I think, but a couple things I am clear about. I don't ... this
isn't high enough priority for me to say I think the Council should take it up this year.
Nor is it high enough priority for me to say we need staff to focus some time and energy
on this topic, this year. So .... so .... so (laughs) I'm kinda stuck tryin' to say whatever it is
I'm tryin' to say. So (several talking and laughing) I'm tryin' to! Um, so I .... I don't know
what that means for the recommendation that comes from the Telecommunication
Commission. I think what .... as it's structured now with the purposes they were givin',
that they through no fault of their own, they, uh, really don't have much appropriate to do.
So I think it's appropriate they should ask us to either disband the .... the
Telecommunications Commission or somehow enable them .... or some .... um ... uh,
descendant group to study broadband more carefully. So .... I just need to hear other
people talk, to help me (both talking)
Thomas/ Will they have a, you know, the proposal talks about forming this board, uh, which they
get into fair ...a fair amount of detail, in terms of how .... how it would be structured, what
its duties would be, uh, so that's.... you know, that's the proposal, is that, you know, they
have a, form an advisory board, which would be in existence for one year, or they could
come and discuss it with City Council. I mean we, if we feel we have questions about the
proposal, uh, they could come in and discuss it with us. I'm kind of inclined to do that,
um, just to have a face-to-face conversation with them.
Wu/ I remember, um, as recently as last year there's a community group, I think their name was
the Community Internet Project, that was interested in setting up a MESH network, using,
um, School District resources and School District facilities. Um, I haven't heard anything
from them of recent, but has that come up in any discussions regarding the
Telecommunication Commission?
Throgmorton/ Not that I know of.
Salih/ I don't know.
Teague/ I would be inclined to definitely have, uh, Telecommunications, uh, Commission to have
a, uh, to discuss the proposal.
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Salih/ I agree with John Thomas on, like really (unable to understand) advisory when they come
and do things like face-to-face.
Throgmorton/ Okay, we ... we could do that. So let's imagine that we do invite the
Telecommunication Commission to actually meet with us, which we intended to do, I
don't know, two years ago or somethin' like that, uh.... uh, I'm happy to do that. What do
we imagine would come out of a conversation with them that goes beyond what's in the
recommendations that we've already received from them?
Thomas/ Well I'm just thinking it would help inform our decision about whether to support the
idea of this, um, board, forming the, you know, giving the go-ahead to the board....
beyond just looking at the prop ... written proposal in this.
Throgmorton/ Okay, so I guess part of what I'm wondering is who would do the work? In other
words would there be an advisory board that itself would do the research?
Fruin/ (several talking) No, you're.... you're like ... I mean the advisory board would likely be able
to ... to guide the process. They can certainly do some public outreach, some surveying,
um, but you're gonna need to bring in an outside consultant, at a pretty considerable cost,
to do a feasibility study. It .... it's, this is no small undertaking (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Yeah, that's.... that's certainly what I thought (both talking)
Fruin/ This is a significant undertaking, and .... and your decision will have a big, will send a ... a
big message to the community, and that's okay if you wanna do that, but if you're really
serious about this, you're gonna have to put a lot of time and resources behind it, even if
it's just a feasibility study. And I ... and I don't even, I would be surprised if you could get
that done in a year. Again, you could .... you could do some community surveying and
kinda gauge people's satisfaction with existing services, but .... if you're not serious about
followin' through, you ... um, I .... I'd think long and hard about creatin' a committee that
would oversee such a process.
Taylor/ Kinda along with that, Geoff, they .... in their, uh, proposal they list their board member
duties include but are not limited to, and it's a pretty extensive list, and .... and it says
gather, uh, and present information about existing municipal broadband, um,
deployments, uh, work with City officials, assess broadband access throughout the
community, provide a recommendation to City Council, uh, that's a lot of tasks. Those
kinds of things are things that I would think that if we had a consultant would .... would be
doing those kind of things, but for a commission or board to do that, that... that's a lot of
work, but they say that's what their duties would be.
Throgmorton/ So the current commission consists of what, four people? I .... I'm tryin' to
remember. Somebody resigned.
Fruin/ Yeah, I think we have a vacancy now, at least one if not two.
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Mims/ When I look at what we have .... on our strategic plan and, Jim, you talked about this not
being a high enough priority. Um, I just .... I don't see how this begins to rise to the level
that it.....is worth spending the time and money, because there's no way we're gonna do
this without staff time and as Geoff said, you know, probably a consultant and money,
and .... and, I mean this was pretty strong information that we had from a couple years ago
that there is no way a city does this, if they don't already own fiber, without spending well
over $100 million and as Geoff said, we now have a second player in the community with
I'm On coming in. I don't .... I'm not sure what message it sends to them, I would hope it
wouldn't slow down their work, um, but to me the last thing you'd wanna do is slow down
their work and then we don't do anything. Given, you know, the additional challenges
we're gonna have financially over the next few years as we, you know, finish dealing with
the changes in the property tax that happened in 2013, and the things that we're adding
and adding to our budget that are recurring costs that are gonna go up, I don't .... I can't
imagine even considering spending over $100 million, uh, to put in a municipal
broadband when we've already got two companies in town, um, that I think are gonna
help serve the community.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I .... good points. I can't either, Susan, and that's part of what I was
struggling to say about priorities. This doesn't rank highly in my list of priorities and
that's connected to the strategic plan that we went through a considerable effort to
develop, you know, four years ago, two years ago, so that's what we said our priorities
are, and I don't see the words tel... telecommunications or broadband anywhere in that
strategic plan. We could meet with the (both talking) Sorry, Bruce, go ahead!
Teague/ My biggest, um, request for the meeting, uh, with Telecommunications Commission was
to just have a conversation with them. If we're ... if we're considerin' disbanding, you
know, the .... that commission, as well as not doin' the proposal, my thought would be we
would at least bring them to the table, have the conversation, and then make a decision
from there. That's... that's my thought, but I'm ... I do here the concerns of. ... of both Susan
and the Mayor, um .... some of those I do share, but I think it was more so just from the
request to discuss their proposal, um, just givin' them the floor, an opportunity to do that.
Thomas/ (several talking) I think that seems re .... you know, they are disbanding. It's kind of a
last, uh, gesture and urn .... you know, I'm not .... I'm not saying I'm an advocate for it or
not. I just, uh, felt both for my own, um, edification and I think others on the Council, as
well as the community, having this conversation might be useful.
Throgmorton/ Okay, would I be .... would it be fair of me to say that the sense of the Council is
that we're pretty skeptical about the reasonableness or feasibility of...(noise on mic)....
doing a major investment into broadband, but we want to meet with the
Telecommunications Commission, have a conversation with them, hear what they have to
say. Maybe that will influence our views and all that, uh, but mainly as a ma .... as an act
of respect to the Commissioners, that we should do that. So if. ... tell me if I'm wrong, but
that's what .... what I think I've been hearing. So if..if we could do that at our next
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meeting, that'd be great. If we can't, the meeting after that. Does that sound reasonable
to everybody?
Salih/Yeah, it does.
Throgmorton/ Is that okay with you, Bruce?
Teague/ Yes!
5. (8/29) IP8 - Letter from the Iowa City Climate Action Advisory Board:
Recommendation for a Climate Action Commission
Throgmorton/ Okay, I think .... we're pretty clear about that. All right, moving on to IP #5, which
is a letter ...oh, it's actually, yeah, that's (mumbled) on our list here it's number 5. A letter
from the Iowa City Climate Action Advisory board, recommending creation of a Climate
Action Commission and a few other actions. So....who wants to start that discussion?
Salih/ I guess since we are declaring now we have (unable to understand) the climate crisis in our
community. I guess will be really appropriate to do this commission, so they can focus
on everything that we want to achieve to meet the climate (mumbled)
Taylor/ I agree. I just had one comment as far as their, uh, recommendations for, uh, who would
be on this commission or representatives. I .... I didn't see anyone on there that represents,
uh, healthcare professionals and I would like to see somebody, uh, with healthcare
background on there, cause I think that's important.
Throgmorton/ On that point, I think it would be....at some point, be important for us to
determine how many commissioners we think should be on this commission, and what
the .... what kind of diversity we wanna see on it, and we went through a pretty intense
process when we were creating the Climate Action, uh, Steering Committee. Uh, that
seemed to me that was pretty good decision we came up with back then, 13 members
and .... and then ... I think five of'em were at -large members and the other eight were from
various organizations or groups of interest. Uh, but we'd have to be clear about that,
about the composition.
Salih/ Yes! I agree.
Teague/ Well I .... I think that the Climate Action, um, Commission is ... is probably necessary.
The one missin' piece that I think is there for me right now is we're waitin' for staff to
bring back the 100 day of how we're gonna move forward with the climate action, uh...
uh, well the climate crisis, and so .... in order for us to determine who our, the ... you know,
the ... the greatest players, um .... to get us movin' forward, I almost feel like we need to
wait for that to finalize some aspects of, you know, who makes up this commission.
Um ... but I think it's a great idea. I think it's, uh.... necessary, uh, for us to have a ... have a
committee, or commission, to move us forward, but I .... I also believe that we need to
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wait for that 100 -day, um, you know, to find out what our next .... how we're gonna ... how
we're gonna achieve this.
Throgmorton/ I see your point, Bruce, but I personally don't agree. I think it would be, uh, really
good for us to receive the report from the staff, and to create the commission, pretty much
on the same evening. I think that would send a pretty strong signal, uh, about what we
have in mind. I don't know what the rest of you think though.
Mims/ Yeah, I don't think we need to wait for the plan. I think.....I think we need broad
representation from the community. I don't know if the ones they've put down here are
necessarily the exact right ones, so to speak, but if we're gonna do this, I think you need
broad representation and I think we can figure that out regardless of what the plan looks
like.
Salih/ Yes. I agree, especially like if I talk about immigrants, you know, nobody's really
understand this topic fully so they can act and help the rest of the community, but if we
have somebody who would represent, from them, uh, so they can (unable to understand)
community about it, it will be great, because this is not something in their priority. As
immigrants they have a lot of (unable to understand) navigate through.
Throgmorton/ I think that's a great point, and you know, as I've been trying to learn more about
Sudan, I ... I think I see that there are significant climate cha.... there has been a significant
change in the climate in Sudan, and it's having major effects within the country (both
talking)
Salih/ ...and they don't (both talking)
Throgmorton/ ....there's a connection. (both talking) Yeah!
Salih/ Yeah, and they don't put those like in the ... so they can see the picture. They need
somebody to come and see, yeah, do you see now like all the flood in Sudan? Never
happen before. This is due to this too, and you know like people will understand after
that, oh! That's because of this, and you know, they just need to be educated. That's all I
can say about this.
Thomas/ Yeah, the ... the resolution and I think most climate emergency or crisis resolutions have
an equity emphasis in them, so having.... having that embedded in the commission make-
up, I think, in some fashion would be .... would be appropriate.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, and I think the, uh, Climate Action Advisory Board people, uh, when they
made a recommendation to us, were very aware of a need to have community
engagement and outreach, that would have differing ways of connecting with different
parts of our community. So that .... you know, I think has to be a key part of what the...
the proposed commission should do. I notice that the, uh, the... Climate Action Advisory
Board also recommends that we hire one staff person to assist the new commission and
perform community outreach and engagement efforts, and I know there's been some
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discussion about that. I ... I, Geoff, tell me if I'm wrong, but I think you're planning to
include a staff member who, in our future budget, for us to consider approving?
Fruin/ We're kinda working through that with the accelerated report, um, that you've requested,
the 100 -day report. Um, we have not filled the assistant facilities manager position that
you approved with the last budget. That's a general funded position that was, uh, really
meant to be an energy manager for the, uh, for the City, focused on our City facilities, but
um, those funds are .... are flexible and just in hearing the community conversation around
this, I think that probably better suited for a position like they are calling for, if that's
where our emphasis is going to be. We're trying to figure out organizationally where that
position (noises on mic, difficult to hear speaker) uh, so not quite ready to do that, but
I .... I don't necessarily think that we're gonna have to wait until the next budget cycle. I
imagine with the 100 -day report, we'll have a ... an outline of. ... of, uh, how we might be
able to accelerate the hiring of that individual and give you a better descriptor of what he
or she might be doing for the City.
Throgmorton/ Bruce, were you trying to say something?
Teague/ I was not, but um, I will. I think a part (laughter) of my, um .... request for, you know
(noises on mic, difficult to hear speaker) from the staff, uh, 100 -day report, you know...
who would be the best representatives on this commission, um, but I think Maz and some
of the others have just indicated, um, you know different (noises on mic, difficult to hear
speaker) individuals that would be beneficial to be, um, at least somewhere a part of that
....the commission. Um, my concern at this point isn't really, um, you know, makin' sure
that we wait until after a report comes. I think it really is, you know, just like to their
representative bodies, they're reflective of somethin' that can move us forward, and have
that equity piece also present on the commission.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, very good. So .... Council Members, do you think it would be good to ask
the staff to put together a short memo recommending a possible structure, size, purpose,
uh, what else? For a commission. Taking into account what we've been, what the, uh,
Advisory Board has recommended.
Thomas/ (mumbled) this whole series of recommendations in this, um .... letter from the Advisory
Board that could be used as a starting point for that staff, staff work.
Fruin/ I think we'd probably just jump in and provide a draft resolution, if you wanna reserve
some work session time, uh, when that's ready. That way it's in the right format.
Between the resolution that created the Ad Hoc Committee and what the, uh, the Climate
Action Cormnittee has recommended here, we really have enough to provide some early
recommendations and we can get that on .... if not your next work session agenda, the
following one.
6. (8/29) IP9/IP10 - Memo from City Manager: Hourly Position Analysis
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Throgmorton/ Good deal. Anybody else wanna say anything else about this particular topic?
Okay! Great! Let's move on to Item 6, which is, uh, the one concerning converting some
hourly positions to permanent positions. (mumbled) Geoff, you wanna get us started by
giving us a brief overview of the, uh, I don't know, the memo you, the new memo you
provided (both talking)
Fruin/ Yeah, it's really I don't think anything you need to focus on tonight. I just wanted to
clarify, um, some information on the City's historical use of hourly employees, um,
because there was a, uh, there was a comment that we've drastically increased the number
of hourly employees over the last 10 years, and as you can see we really stayed very
consistent. That number does grow some years and come back down other years, but
it's .... it's been very consistent throughout my tenure here and even before. And then the
other, uh, information I think, uh.... uh, may just inform you about the bigger picture of
how we use hourly staff. So we looked at the tenure of staff, how long are hourly
employees with us, and the average number of hours that those individuals typically week
....typically work in a week, uh, so I think it shows you that, again, our numbers have
remained relatively constant in terms of the number of hourly employees, and also shows
the vast majority of hourly workers have very short tenures with us and work less than 10
hours per week. Again I don't think that needs a whole lot of focus tonight. That was
more just to clarify, um, conversation from the last meeting. Um, where we left it, uh, we
have, uh, nine positions that we have presented to you, along with some estimated
maximum costs for converting those hourly positions to permanent. Uh, and that memo's
been reprinted in here, along with, uh, Ashley Monroe and Karen Jenning's memo with
the detailed analysis. Um, again my recommendation was that you leave all these
positions hourly, uh, but understanding that you may want to, uh, convert. I've given you
some thoughts on the .... on the positions that I think would add the most value to the City
and to the community if they were, uh, converted to, uh, permanent status, and would
encourage you, if you decide to move forward, to think about how you might phase some
of that in, whether that's prioritizing, uh, positions from this list, um, or waiting until
there's vacancies in those positions to move forward, which we have, um, at least a
couple of those now where we have vacancies, and then finally I'd like to remind you that
two of the nine positions have never been filled. They were authorized under this latest
budget with funding becoming available July I st, and knowing that this, uh, discussion
was pending, we never filled those, and I certainly would not recommend that they be
shifted to permanent status. I would asim... simply encourage the Council to ... to drop
those two positions and we just won't hire them as hourly or permanent.
Salih/ Which position you mean?
Frain/ It was the Human Resources office assistant and GIS technician. So again, those are
brand new positions that have never been filled. Those were hourly positions, approved
in this budget. So that would take the list from nine to seven, um, if you were to concur
with that.
Salih/ But the people who work (unable to understand)
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Fruin/ It's never been filled.
Salih/ Never been filled.
Frain/ We wouldn't fill it unless you told us we could!
Salih/ Then the 39 employee that been identified for this, uh, nine position, is it not including
those two positions? Or you mean you just assume (both talking)
Frain/ ....assume that there would be (both talking)
Salih/ How many people did you estimate would be there?
Frain/ Uh, those are just one position. One person per position.
Salih/ That means (both talking)
Frain/ ...be one GIS technician and one HR office assistant.
Salih/ You mean the number will be like 37 employee instead of 39?
Frain/ Yeah, but that number fluctuates, uh (both talking)
Salih/ Like every year (several talking)
Frain/ Yeah, so that'd just be a ... right, those are half-time hourly. So 20 hours per week.
Salib/ Yes.
Frain/ But that 39 number, again that's going to fluctuate because ... I can use the Rec customer
service as the best example, because it has the most. There's times where we might have
25 of those employees and there's times that may be down to 20, or at times 30, because
everybody's schedule and availability is different. So those numbers (both talking)
Salih/ ....why, because of the schedule of the people who apply for a job?
Frain/ Yeah. Certain times people may be on to .... may be able to take more hours or may .... may
be able to work more days, and other times their schedule may be restricted to, because of
personal matters or student classes or whatever the case may be, so we have to hire
additional hourly folks (both talking)
Salih/ ...when I went and asked about those at the Rec Center, the answer that, correct me, Juli, if
I'm wrong, the answer was during summer time, we don't have more people working
there. We have less people work at the front desk, and uh, another thing because there is
no student in town, but usually you hire more people during .... in the fall.
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Seydell-Johnson/ So I would say on the Ree customer service, it's the same number of hours that
need to be covered, whether it's summer, winter, fall.
Salih/ Uh huh!
Seydell-Johnson/ The number of people we have fill, uh, filling those hours varies greatly, um,
because sometimes you have someone who wants to work 20 hours a week and we can
accommodate that type of schedule. Sometimes we have people that have been doing
that and then something else changes in their life and they say I only wanna.... I can only
work on Friday night and Saturday afternoons, and we say, great! We need those shifts
covered and they work four hours a week or something. So it really varies.
Salih/ That's exactly what I'm talking about, because if at the customer service the hour is the
same, like (unable to understand) fall, winter, the hours the same. The people working,
and sometimes we have more people, and I don't know I guess Pauline was there on the
talk when we talked to one of the employees there who really want more hours, because
she's not a student, but she will get the most hour during summertime. She's a single
mom. She get most hour during summertime, but when the student come, her hour will
be less because there is more people working at the front desk. That's what I'm really
talking about. If we can make the people .... why should we hire all those people and go
through training (unable to understand) if we make those people permanent, part-time,
and just cover the front.... especially like the front desk of the Rec Center. That's
something gonna be there forever! Why we make that hourly position? There is many
people in this city will love to work at the front desk and that is not like a lot of skill for
that job, since the student are covering it. So we .... in the same time we make them
permanent (mumbled) with that position for the City. That's what I really talking about!
Now, you know, those kind of position not be hourly position.
Mims/ Well .... as you know I don't agree with that approach to it. I think .... I think it's
interesting, and I'm glad to have the accurate information that, you know, over the last 10
years we really haven't changed, uh, the number of hourly employees. You know, but we
also have not, you know, really increased our number of full-time permanent very much.
Um, we've .... we did about a 30 -plus position decrease or more after Tom Markus was
hired. We were over.... overstaffed in certain areas and .... and really kind of pulled things
back, and we now have gotten to the point with the continued growth of the city and the
services that we need to apply, that we need to ... to, uh, give to our community members
that we .... we don't have the full-time permanent staff that we need to provide those
services. And I think the City Manager's made it pretty clear in his memos, and certainly
in conversations I've had with him, that areas that he's really concerned about, um, as this
community grows, and doing the things we need to do, is .... is in the Police Department,
more officers there, um, our Planning Department, um, you know, things aren't getting
done and part of that is new staff, and they're getting used to the City and in saying this I
am not at all being critical of our staff. I don't mean it that way at all, but you've only got
so many bodies and they're learning, and they'll get better, but still they're short-staffed.
Engineering as well in terms of all the projects that we have going on in this community,
trying to turn around those projects in terms of reviews, etc., and we've all either seen
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personally or heard in terms of Parks and Recreation. And so it....it seems to me that the
City's done a good job in not increasing our utilization of part-time people, and I don't see
anything wrong with that balance. I think most large organizations utilize both part-time
and full-time. It gives flexibility with the scheduling. But I get really concerned with
spending potentially over $800,000, which will be a recurring expense. It'll go up every
year. That's really going to impact our ability to add to those permanent full-time staff
positions that will have a much greater impact on the service to our community. These
positions aren't. They're already being filled. They're not gonna provide any additional
service, so to speak, and as I said last time, there still is the possibility that some of the
people in these current positions are no longer going to have a job. As some of these
descriptions are rewritten and potentially upgraded, we have people who, you know, want
those part-time jobs. We have people, and .... and they aren't in here, and it was
interesting when .... when I had the conversation, um, with union members, you know,
like at the Library. You know, they have snowbirds. They're great, you know, they love
to be here in the spring, summer, and fall and do their hours in shelving, but they head
south in the winter, and .... and they're not in here, and maybe that's part of the reason
they're not in here. Well, that could be the same with some of these others as well, that...
that people want and need that flexibility, and I think locking people in to all these is not
necessarily, but to me again it comes back to the finances of this and it comes back to
then the lack of ability to hire permanent staff. You know I think in our last meeting or
the meeting before, Jim, you sat here and mentioned, you kn ow, your hope that staff
would get to, um, rewriting some of the zoning code and certain issues, and I'm forgetting
right now the specific thing. I think it had den ... to density, I think it was, the by right
(both talking) Yeah, exactly. You know, that stuff takes time! I mean I would see that as,
you know, important as we try to address affordable housing and more flexibility in the
density. We .... we did the form based code and we agreed that that was going to be done
for the South District. Well, six months later or whatever, we come back and we're like,
no, we wanna do the North District at the same time, or at least a modified version of
that. That takes more time. That takes more money. When we look at our strategic plan
and the things we're trying to do and the resources that need to go into it, this does not
address our strategic plan. And so I ... I just don't think, I don't think that that's the best
way to be spending the City's money.
Throgmorton/ What do the rest of you think?
Taylor/ Well I think that, uh, one thing that really is clear with this and that raises, uh, raises a
major issue is our need to take a serious look, uh, at our payroll budget, uh, and plan for
increased staffing needs, in all of our departments. Somehow we need to do that and we
need to find the funding for that, uh, especially with the essential positions. Susan
mentioned some of these, uh, the Fire, the Police, the Streets, uh, etc., uh, Planning
Department, uh, along with as we've been talking earlier, our, um, need of understanding
our potential transit needs with the transit study coming up. We're going to need
positions with that, I'm anticipating and hoping, and also a recent discussion of possible
establishment of a climate action coordinator position. That's going to take .... that's going
to take money. So I think .... but as I recommend before, I think in conjunction with
AFSCME, uh, we could take a look at some of the positions to be changed and .... and, uh,
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without avoiding the loss of jobs. I ... I just would hope that we would be able to figure it
out without losing any jobs.
Mims/ What do you mean by not losing any jobs?
Taylor/ (several talking) .... particular the Recreation positions they're talking about. Uh, there're
currently 25 people in .... in those jobs, and if they're converting them to full-time and
only then need 12, what are you going to do with the other 12? Perhaps is there some
way that AFSCME can offer them positions somewhere in the City, so that they don't lose
the job within the City, you know, what can we do? But (both talking) what would we do
for them? (both talking)
Salih/ I agree with you but I think the 25 position, if you ask, it will be more during summertime
when student (unable to understand) We can just not offer this job, and give those people
more hours. You know there is many way to do this. I'm sure those people, the people
who .... we have to hire them every year. As soon as we give that person .... we make like,
not the (unable to understand) work there all the time. Some of them they come during
summertime and you know we can just don't advertise the job during summertime to
come and take. There is people been working there a long time. That who we really
talking about. But the 25, I don't think the 25 was working there for over years.
Throgmorton/ So, Pauline, if. ... go back to the topic at hand. It's basically nine positions and
(both talking) we're not .... we didn't really even plan to fill two of'em (both talking)
seven positions (both talking) certain number of hourly employees that are currently
occupying those positions.
Salih/ Ulr huh.
Throgmorton/ So what do you .... what are you recommending we do with regard to those nine, or
seven, positions?
Taylor/ Again I go back to saying work .... work again with AFSCME, uh, if .... if it's a budget
issue and set the priorities on which of those that we could do now and phase it in, look at
phasing in the others.
Salih/ If you have any question to AFSCME, they are here, because they .... in their letter they
really recommend those out of 100, how many 150 -something position, you come up
with this now. It was nine, it become seven position. Those people don't .... this the only
position that need to be full -ti ... permanent I mean. (several talking)
Throgmorton/ So, uh, Bruce, John, where are you (both talking)
Thomas/ This reminds me of Dennis' comment on, you know, budgets are complex systems, and
we're sort of taking that .... we're not dealing with the complexity now. We're just dealing
with one relatively small piece. Significant but still small piece. You know, I think as
has been mentioned, we have issues...... one of the strong messages I'm hearing from
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everyone is the stress that staff is feeling, in certain departments. That clearly needs to be
addressed. Uh, we as a Council have .... a number of initiatives which will be affecting
the budget in the coming year, such as the climate action, uh, I'm sure there may be other
positions that may be required to .... you know (mumbled) initiatives that we have in
place. You know I support, you know I did think the .... the union and the staff are kind of
winnowing this down to,uh, kind of a manageable number of positions that would be
affected, uh, but as in so many things, my .... my feeling is is that, um, I .... I would like, at
least at this time, view it as a phasing in, rather than something where we're moving, uh,
forward with all .... all seven of the positions. Um, you know I... just like to have it be
looked at when we're looking at the budget more in its entirety, uh, with the idea of
incrementally working toward, as we did with the minimum wage, you know, the idea
that we phase in what our overall goal is, um, rather than accomplish, you know, our goal
in one fell swoop. Um, so that.... that's sort of where I'm at as .... as I support the idea. I
think a number of these positions do seem to be cobbled together, um, but I would .... I
would like to implement it over a phased period of time.
Throgmorton/ Bruce, I'll turn to you in just a second, but I guess I wanna express a view here.
I ... I, what you said, John, is pretty much where I am. I think it is ... it would be reasonable
to convert two or three of these positions now, or in the very short-term, uh, but reserve
judgment about the others until we get to the budget as a whole, because like you said, it's
a big complex thing and we have.... important priorities and as Susan said so clearly. I
think it's really crucial to be able to add additional, well, hire additional staff for new
positions that will help our departments do the work that we've called upon them to do,
uh, and that .... in which the demands have grown substantially over the past several years
and the departments have not grown. So, uh, we .... it's been very clear that our staff has
been under great pressure, as I think both of you have said, under great stress trying to
accomplish what we've.... charged them with doing (laughs) and uh, they've done a great
job trying to accomplish those objectives. But I'd rather hire staff to do that than convert,
uh, a substantial number of positions to, from hourly to permanent. But I am willing to,
uh, go along with something like two or three positions, and I would personally prefer to
delegate that responsibility for deciding what positions they are to our City Manager who
knows the inner -workings of our government a lot better than we do. Bruce (both
talking)
Mims/ ....question, just .... if I can piggyback on it just real quickly! In regard to what John said
and .... and this is something I didn't say, and I totally agree with what you said, John, that
we should be looking at this when we're looking at the entire budget. So I .... I would
suggest even, rather than deciding on two or three now .... I would encourage that we
defer the whole thing to when we're looking at the whole budget, and still have Geoff
come back with his priorities and then we figure out, depending on how he prioritizes
those positions, how many of those we feel that we can fit into the budget, given the other
priorities that we have for the budget.
Throgmorton/ So, Bruce, uh, we've bad a lot of conversation here. What are your views?
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Teague/ I'm gettin' a little static so if I .... if it's too hard for you all to hear me let me know. Uh,
my .... this is very complex, as everyone has stated, but it is important that we look at....
the entire operations, um, because we're lookin' at somethin' in isolation. My biggest
question is for these permanent.... for these hourly positions, if there wasn't a financial,
you know, need or anything like that for other departments to increase, um, staffing, what
would.... what will we do with these hourly positions if they're not given (mumbled)
tryin' to look at. So if we're talkin' about maybe now in the future we would want at least
to convert these hourly over to permanent positions, then that's kinda what I'm looking at,
like you know, not looking at all the other things and just what would these positions,
what would they.....what would they really benefit for the City. Um, so I do believe that,
um, when we're talkin' about increasing the minimum wage, we're already doin' that,
which is great. We're also have, um, for these hourly positions, if they are converted to
permanent, what would (mumbled) is gonna be changing, and so there's a place, um, for
hourly positions in the City operations, and that's when you look at the global operations
of the City .... of a city. Is there place for hourly operations absolutely, yes. So it is a little
complex to look at this in isolation and not look at the global, um, and so Susan just
suggested, you know, we look at the .... the, you know, the budget and .... as a whole. I
agree, except I also know that we've talked about (mumbled) you know, between
AFSCME and the City staff to come back in August to tell us, you know, how ...where do
we do those conversions, and so .... (mumbled) that global picture is all complex. Um, I
am more inclined to, you know, look at the, you know, the seven positions now and make
decisions upon them than to really delay it again, um, because we have employees out
there waiting for us to give an answer, um, on, you know, what's gonna happen within
their department. So I ... I'm not inclined to delay, you know, discussion on what we're
gonna do, um, then make a decision on these seven, um, at this time, and the other thing
about doin' employee pay, I think yes, if we're incremen... you know, further, um, for the
minimum wage, you know, every year we're doin', increasin' it, but I don't believe that we
would do .... I don't believe that it's the right thing to do if we believe that there are hourly
positions that should be permanent. I think we should do it, and not wait. Now we can
do that at the beginnin' of the year, on January 1 or something like that, but I don't believe
that we wait a significant amount of time to make those conversions.
Throgmorton/ Okay, if I'm hearing everybody correctly, y'all tell me if I'm not, there is no
support, well .... uh, insufficient support for converting all.... basically seven of the hourly
positions to permanent. Likewise, there's insufficient support for converting none of
them right now. Am I right? Is that what I've been hearing?
Salih/ I ... I really don't know, I .... I still want to talk about this. And I don't know, like I don't
understand the position for Pauline right now. Rockne's not here. Uh, his position was
clear and you know .... it is real .... I don't know what's going on here now. I know exactly
where we heading, like from the conversation now, like Pauline, she's talked about it. It
give me feeling that she want it, and she wanna support what AFSCME say. After that
she talk about something else, make me like feel, ah, maybe she not supporting it, but can
you guys be clear and say yes we wanna do this now or we don't wanna do it now or
wanna do some of this now. So I can really understand where we are.
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Throgmorton/ Well, I tried to summarize that, but maybe, Pauline, if you understand the way I
summarize things, maybe you should be as clear as you can about .... do all seven now?
Do none of 'em? (both talking)
Taylor/ Apparently I wasn't clear on that as far as, uh, budget -wise it doesn't seem like, uh, there
is financial support to convert all seven at this time. So my point was that in conjunction
with AFSCME, not to throw it on them all the time, but they were very helpful with the
initial conversation about this, to convert some of the ones that seemed to raise to the
priority level that .... that we could do, that we could convert, at this time, without, uh... I
think what I confused you about was when I started talking about loss of jobs, cause I
don't want people to lose their jobs, because I think John mentioned, and we'd heard
about that before, that these positions might have .... their job description will change. So
that might put some of them out of the position, out of the job field, and we don't want
that, so that was my point on that. So I think if we can look at the ones, uh, that could be
more easily converted now, uh, but I do still think .... my point was that we do need to
look at...at our payroll issues and .... and see (both talking)
Salih/ Yes, let us talk about payroll issues. Uh, even if we done this now or like make the
decision now or make the decision bef...as Susan Mim just wait, Mims said wait until the
budget time. This is gonna start immediately or this gonna start like on next budget,
Geoff?
Frain/ I'm sorry. Can you repeat that please?
Salih/ Yeah, okay, I said .... uh, you know if we .... if we said this is ... if we agree today to change,
we agree today to change those seven position, and Susan Mims said also we can just
agree to do some and later on maybe during the budget time, you come with more like
information about which one and we can talk about it. Either way, are going to start
immediately or next year budget?
Fruin/ That's a decision you'd need to make as a Council.
Salih/ That means, because you talking about if we don't have money right now. Think about the
1.8 million that just transfer from the like you know 500 for the Fire Station. That's will
be there next year, sitting for something else that could be this, because the 800,000 that,
you know, Geoff proposed is not the whole thing that we need from the general fund. We
need half of this, from the general fund. Like, uh (unable to understand) half of this
because half of it will come from the employee, you know, employee benefit levy, which
is ... we reduce it last year, 10 -cent, and 10 -cent always make 400,000. If we increase it
10 -cent this year, because we didn't use it last year, it will make ... cover that employee
benefit levy. (unable to understand) from the employee benefit levy, and will remain
400,000 we are looking for! There is many resource, Pauline, if you dig on the budget.
500,000, we just take the cash and we bought (mumbled) to buy the Fire Station. Next
year we are not gonna buy every year fire station, but we can use that money for many
thing and there is more, and this is not gonna happen now. We can figure out during
budget time, if we agree to it. If that ... if (mumbled) you concern about the budget. And
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also I wanna say that last time when you guys talked about this, I remember Susan Mims
she said AFSCME's letter, and she said she's not supporting this because AFSCME's not
supporting it.
Mims/ No, no, no, no (both talking)
Salih/ Yeah, you read the letter, whatever. Most of the Council was talking about AFSCME's
letter, and they talkin', you know, it wasn't clear. We're not supporting this. AFSCME's
not recommending. AFSCME is saying there are many job will be lost. You know, I
went back and hear like some of the conversation. Now we have something completely
new, um, you know, it's up to you. This, but this been waiting for long time. Last we
spoke about this during the spring, and I understand, as the City Manager said, 645 is
consistent. Yes, it's consistent that we are not giving 600 for six people health insurance,
and this is really, you know, also John Thomas saying that we need to phase this. How
can we phase insurance for people? You know, what the different between us and what
going on on the national level right now about health insurance? We supposed to really,
you know, make the standard high like for .... for other cities, for like other community
that we treat our employees who really pay ...like work 20 hour over the years, and I
wanna ask you a question, Geoff. We have part-time employee in this City, right?
Fruin/ Yes.
Salih/ And you have somebody work 20 hour, part-time permanent?
Fruin/ Sure, yes.
Salih/ Those people who work 20 hour, you know, around the year. If we can give this one,
make it permanent because you work 20, why not that person? (unable to understand) is
not that much. Maybe they have another job, definitely, or maybe they have insurance
(unable to understand) but this is the same thing. I really encourage you to do this
because there is people over there, we are just delaying insurance for people who work
hard for the City and just this is not okay.
Throgmorton/ Okay, Maz, I .... I personally recognize that you feel very strongly about this.
(both talking) What we have before us is a question about what to do with regard to nine
positions, actually seven given what Geoff said, so there.... from what I've heard, there is
insufficient support for.... converting all of those seven positions to, from hourly to
permanent. Insufficient support, meaning there's not four people.
Salih/ I understand insufficient.
Throgmorton/ And likewise, there's insufficient support for doing what Ma ... uh, what Susan
recommended, which is defer the discussion entirely to when we get to the budget. So
the question then becomes.... where.... where do we get four votes, basically, and I think
there are four votes, we'd find out, I think there would be four votes for, uh, instructing
the City Manager to convert two or three positions now.
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Salih/ Can we come with exact number? Of course for me if I don't ... if you are not gonna do the
whole line, and some people saying three or three position, I ... I'd rather say yes for those
than just saying no for the whole thing, but I really want the whole thing.
Throgmorton/ Yeah, I understand. So .... let me throw ...put out a number and .... all it is is a
number at the moment (laughs) Uh, three positions.
Salih/ Okay.
Throgmorton/ And....and delegating to Geoff, uh, the responsibility of identifying which
positions those would be. Is that meaningful, from a city manager point of view, Geoff?
Fruin/ Yeah, I'd be prepared to do that. Within a couple of meetings we could bring that back to
you.
Salih/ Sure. But I really wanna mention that a lot of problem sometime.... people are
complaining at the... at the Ree Center, especially I mean immigrant people, uh, because
you know some people they go there. Each time new staff. They don't know anything
about what going on and if front desk it will be like a permanent position would be great
because the people would be trained to deal with people and not like each time have
different student who don't know anything.
Taylor/ Well it sounds to me, Mazahir, like hopefully Geoff will see that as .... as one of the
primary positions that we need to seriously look at, and again, I repeat, in conjunction
with AFSCME. Uh, I don't think he should have total control over making decisions
about, uh, personnel.
Mims/ I do. I think that's what we hire a city manager for. And that is .... that is his primary, one
of his primary roles.
Throgmorton/ (several talking) ...something we delegate to the city manager (both talking)
Mims/ ...city manager without question.
Salih/ Yeah but we ... we can....
Mims/ Can I .... can I continue just a minute?
Salih/ (mumbled) while you talking. Not only me. Okay, go ahead!
Mims/ Thank you. Um, I think Geoff did give us, and I'm not finding it immediately what his
priorities were, and I think to impact the fewest people, um, it's not going to be those Ree
Department positions. Um, and I think that's one of the areas, and maybe.... certainly not
the only one, where I think we have to acknowledge and accept the fact there will be
people who lose their jobs. Um, we don't know how many, but as these positions are
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upgraded and some of'em, um, you know, maybe bilingual as the preference, um, we
look at some of them going from a requirement of a high school education to an
associate's degree requirement, etc. So .... you know, and I mention it because you've, you
know, you said, Pauline, you hoped they didn't lose jobs. Well we are going to have
people losing jobs. We don't know how much, and we can't just say we hope AFSCME
can find them jobs. AFSCME doesn't control the number of positions in the City. They
don't create jobs, I mean that is management's role, and we have a union, and I respect the
union. I was a union negotiator at Kirkwood for the faculty for a number of years. I sat
on their executive committee. I have been at the union .... at the table, as a union rep, so I
understand that and I respect that. But that is not their role. It is management's role to
determine the positions, with our support, and I think it is very much appropriate that is...
that it is management's decision to, if we choose, just go ahead with three positions now,
that it is totally in Geoffs hands to prioritize and determine which of those positions
would go, uh, permanent. I'm also really, um.....I guess frustrated and .... and
disappointed in that we have two positions which we've said, okay, we'll leave out of this,
because basically Geoff has said, well, you know, if you make them permanent full-time,
we're just not even going to fill them. Stop for just a second and think about also then
what those ramifications are. That means we have staff in this city who need some extra
help .... who can't get it, because what we're saying is .... it's either permanent part-time or
not at all. There is a place for part-time employees, and I think in seeing this memo that
we've stayed right around that 650 level, um, and I can tell you when I was at Kirkwood,
we argued for them not to increase the number of adjunct faculty and you know it
becomes a budget situation and how many dollars you have as an organization, but I ... I'm
impressed that we have not increased, um, that part, those part-time numbers, but we also
have not increased enough our permanent full-time staff.
Throgmorton/ Okay, uh, we clearly have multiple perspectives about this, but I think I have
heard that there is support for directing the staff to convert three positions from hourly to
permanent, and to direct the City Manager to .... exercise his discretion about, uh, which
positions those will be, and that we will return to the larger question when we do our
overall budget discussion.
Salih/ But I just wanna say something, because when you and, uh, John Thomas said ... some of
the position, he mentioned that to phase them out, like ... just like the minimum wage.
Now three, maybe in the future we will do like the rest of them. Are we still like on that,
because we can do this like every year?
Throgmorton/ You mean phase in?
Salih/ Yeah, phase in (both talking)
Throgmorton/ Well that's what I meant (both talking)
Thomas/ That's my intention (several talking)
Salih/ Yeah, like now ... doing the three position now and phasing the rest.
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Thomas/ It's like the minimum wage, phasing in (several talking)
Mims/ I wouldn't say that we're committing (several talking)
Thomas/ ....but the potential for, ultimately Council will be making the decision in the future as
to whether to move ahead with the phasing, but that's my intention is....
Salih/ Yes, that what he .... he meant. Do you mean the same thing, Jim?
Throgmorton/ What I meant was that the decision about whether to convert the remaining, I don't
know, four positions, would be made during the budget discussion, with no commitment
ahead of time about whether those positions would be converted. It would be a topic to
be discussed during the overall budget (both talking)
Salih/ Sure but I .... have the City Manager will know that so he can bring the .... the budget for
those remaining positions, so we can discuss it during that time (both talking) and I really
warm ask you something. Temporary, my understanding for temporary, something like
for specific time, right? Maybe I don't know English very well. This is my second
language, but what temporary mean? Mean, somebody? Is opposite of permanent, I
mean somebody will work from this day to this day. Temporary. How come we have
people work permanent and we call them temporary? And now he need .... that the
position that the Communication position that he eliminated two position and now we
make it seven. Those people will be working there all the time, right? If you hire them,
for example. Are you gonna make them work like six months, seven months, one year?
Fruin/ No, it would be year-round. Just as (several talking)
Salih/ ...is needed.
Throgmorton/ The memo that we've gotten from Geoff refers to hourly employees (both talking)
Salih/ No, you don't understand me. He want to hire the people, hourly, in a permanent position.
Hourly in a permanent position. Okay, if we have permanent position, why you don't
make them permanent? Yeah, I'm talkin' about the .... the two position that he said he's
not gonna do it because ... like budget and things, yeah. Do you understand exactly what 1
refer to?
Throgmorton/ I'm sorry, I'm not (both talking)
Salih/ I'm saying in general, let us talk in general then. Permanent, like temporary, like when we
say temporary, that means for like period of time. And I ... I mean most of the employees
(unable to understand) the 640, most of them are hourly, right?
Fruin/ Those are all hourly (both talking)
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Page 34
Salih/ All of them are hourly! Which is temporary. They come and work for some of them they
just hire between, for the winter and they don't come back. Some of. ... but all the
position that year-round, we should really think to do those permanent. Not hourly.
Throgmorton/ Okay (both talking)
Thomas/ ...couple of other additional comments. One, maybe, Maz, one thing you're referring
to is the tenure of the .... these hourly employees.
Salih/ Exactly!
Thomas/ I don't know that we have that information.
Frain/ It's in your cover memo that I provided.
Salih/ Uh huh (both talking)
Frain/ Yes, page 84 of the, uh, information packet.
Thomas/ Okay.
Frain/ So for example we have two hourly staff that have worked for us for 20+ years and they
average 3.5 hours per week.
Thomas/ So that I think may be another factor that when we have the budget discussion would be
useful to know. And then the .... the other thing I would, it's kind of following up on
something I mentioned at our last discussion of this, uh, where, you k now, in my looking
at .... at, uh, what I consider to be comparable institutions, the .... the, uh, the hourly
employees did have benefits that, uh, such as .... a certain percentage of their wage could
go toward healthcare systems and so forth, and Geoff, you mentioned that that's not part
of our, the City does not have that option.
Frain/ We cannot offer hourly employees health insurance benefits. It would be prohibited by
the Collective Bargaining Agreement with AFSCME.
Thomas/ Is that something that could be revisited? (several talking)
Frain/ ...willing to ... to negotiate that out of the, you know, out of the contract then yes, but they
would have to do that.
Salih/ Are they part of the AFSCME bargaining agreement?
Frain/ No, they're not part of the bargaining unit. Hourly employees are not, but our agreement
with AFSCME prohibits us from offering health insurance to hourly.
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Salih/ Sure. I have another like question. Are they eligible to be a union member if they been
organized by another union? Not AFSCME.
Fruin/ I don't know that off the top of my head.
Salih/ Okay, I need really to figure out the answer for that because if the City don't wanna do it, I
guess a lot of another will be having to do it.
Throgmorton/ Okay, we"11 revisit some of this conversation, uh, when we get around to the
budget, but for now we, a majority of the Council has made a judgment about how to
proceed. Okay. Given the time, uh, let's skip the Council updates. We can mention them
when we come to that closing part of the meeting. Okay, so we'll adjourn now, adjourn
the work session to the formal meeting when it starts at seven.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work
session of September 3, 2019.