Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout2019-12-17 TranscriptionPage 1 Council Present: Cole, Mims, Salih, Teague, Taylor, Thomas, Throgmorton Staff Present: Fruin, Monroe, Andrew, Dilkes, Fruehling, Havel, Hightshoe, Laverman, Bockenstedt, Bowers, Faye, Nagle -Gamin, Matherly Others Present: Wu (UISG), Representative Mary Mascher, Senator Joe Bolkcom, Senator Kevin Kinney, Senator Zach Walz Discussion of City Legislative Priorities with State Delegation f IP31: Throgmorton/ Okay, folks, I'd like to call to order the .... uh, work session, Iowa City City Council work session for Tuesday, December the 17th, 2019, and we're going to start by discussing, uh, Iowa City's legislative priorities with ... with our State delegation. So I wanna welcome all of them — Mary Mascher, Zach Wahls, Kevin Kinney, Joe Bolkcom. Thanks for coming! And I think you've had a chance to see our legislative agenda. A few of the items are ones that are important to us, but we are not terribly hopeful that the State legislature will act on. I'm thinking mainly of support for climate action initiatives, possi.... well, I don't wanna mention that one. Um .... well that one in particular, I don't expect the State to act on it, but if they do that's great! It's important to us and important to the State, I think. But we have several others. I'll just name them and at a certain point ask individual Council Members to say a couple words about them, and then .... can ask questions or, uh.... uh.... whatever you wanna do there. I know you don't have much time so we'll stop at, not later than 20 after, is that fine? Okay. All right, so support the climate action initiatives. The next item is support University of Iowa Student Government proposals regarding rental property move -in checklist. Yeah, so, uh, Austin Wu is here, uh, yeah .... (several talking in background) Maybe you can say just a few words, Austin, just come over and just state your name when you get at the microphone and .... and.....speak succinctly if you can. Wu/ Yeah. Uh, hello there, Austin Wu, UI Student Government City Liaison. Basically this is something that's was ... that's been floated for the past, uh, year or so as a proposal to mandate at the State level. There's a couple other states in the Midwest that already have, uh, legislation to this effect in their state code and basically this would mandate move -in checklists for prospective tenants across the state, not, um, not just in Iowa City or for university students in mind, but just to, um, the intention is to help renters collect information, so uh, they're not stuck with unnecessary fees or possibly illegal ones as well. Thanks! Throgmorton/ Yeah, great! The next item is support legislation protecting the rights of manufactured housing residents. Zach, I know you've focused a lot of attention on this. thank you so much for doing that. And three of our Council Members, as you know, worked hard on the task force that generated a set of proposals. So, uh, that's the next of our items. Rockne, you wanna say a few words about that? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 2 Cole/ Well yes, as many of you know, we've had a real challenge in this local region dealing with out-of-state companies purchasing mobile homes. Um, a task force was convened involving local Councilors, people on the Board of Supervisors, local legislators. Um, Zach Wahls was on there, and one of the things obviously we looked at is what authorities the municipalities have in connection to mobile homes. One to make sure that we're daylighting any existing programs, and two to the extent that we have any regulatory authority, in what way can each, um, individual city update the regulations to make sure that there's adequate protections, and in what way can we work as a region, but of course one of the key issues is what authority we have, and as .... as all of you know, the legislature has been taking away authority from a lot of our local jurisdictions. So some of the things we're looking at, we can't get into a very in-depth, uh, sort of list, but you know for -cause termination I think is something that we were looking at. Right now mobile homes are treated differently than multi -family residential, um, so maybe some additional procedural protections. Um ... we don't like to use the word 'price control,' but proh.... perhaps, um, 'price justifications,' if there are increases that we'd almost be looking at a sort of the utility. That's obviously going to be pretty challenging in this legislative environment, but these are the sorts of things that I think are going to be very important for us moving forward. Um, because really until we get some of that local, uh, authority, it's going to be difficult to advance in the way that we want to. Um, this is going to be my last meeting on Council. Uh, I anticipate that we'll continue to be involved with this particular task force, so I'm looking forward to being in touch with you, um, on these particular issues related to mobile homes. Wahls/ Well I'd just .... I wanna thank Senator Kinney. He's been an invaluable ally in working to generate bipartisan support for our legislative agenda; Sara Barron and the, uh, Affordable Housing, uh, Coalition here in Johnson County; and the task force that was put together were very helpful from .... from my perspective. I .... the phrase I'll use is 'cautiously optimistic' about reform in 2020. I don't think it's a slam dunk, but I do think the situation has gotten to a point of crisis that .... the legislature certainly understands how ... it starting to understand how big of an issue this is. So, cautiously optimistic. Cole/ Wonderful. Throgmorton/ Great. All right the, I guess it's the fourth item on our legislative agenda is to ensure the continued funding of commercial and industrial property tax replacement payments. No surprise there, right? This has been a continuing theme. Susan, could you elaborate on that a little bit? Mims/ Well as you know, that's obviously a huge issue and for, uh, for certain communities, parts of this have been more important than others. Um, I think when this was first going through the State legislature, I think our staff estimated, um, a $50 million impact over 10 years, if I recall correctly. Simons nodding yes (laughs) um, you know, impact, and so that back ....... and obviously not all of that is backfilled, but what is designated for backfill is just incredibly important for us in terms of keeping, you know, our budget as balanced as possible without having to raise taxes. So certainly would encourage, and I know you're already there in support. I would just .... I go back just one quick second on This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 3 the student government proposal on the rental property move -ins. If you ever want any good ideas on that, look at the state of Kansas, landlord, uh, landlord -tenant laws. I had two kids go to school in Kansas and they've got some of the best laws, I think, in the country.... that deal with that, so.... Thank you! Throgmorton/ Thanks, Susan. We constantly get complaints early in the school year from parents about how things are going, or not going, for their kids who have just rented apartments and all that kind of thing. Wahls/ Austin and UISG have done a good job of reaching out to some of the legislators and, again, cautiously optimistic. (several talking in background) Throgmorton/ Great. Okay, the fifth item is to protect Home Rule authority for local governments. Uh, this should come as no surprise to you. As has been the case in numerous state governments around the country, our state legislature, uh, for whatever reason, has chosen to preempt local powers with regard to specific topics. And I don't need to reiterate what those topics are, but it really undermines our ability to govern well in Iowa City, and .... and we need support, hopefully can get some better, um .... see some language here. Um ...... hm, just make sure we're enabled to respond, uh, as we think we should, uh, as the elected representatives and people of our city. The sixth item is to support the continued excellence of the State's primary, secondary, and higher education institutions, aka the University of Iowa and others, and also Kirkwood, and advocate for additional education funding, and of course that applied to K through 12 as well. So I don't know if any particular Council Members would like to say anything about that particular topic, but it's important to us. We can't thrive in Iowa City unless our schools thrive (mumbled) public educational system thrives. We all know that. Mims/ Well and just well beyond Iowa City, I think, you know, as we look at the entire state and trying to encourage people to come back whether they're interested in living in one of the urban areas or more the rural areas, there's gotta be good school systems or they're not interested in coming back, and that affects the economy. It affects the job opportunities. So...just encouraging whatever support we can get for education at all levels across the state. Throgmorton/ Right. Okay, the seventh item, and last, is to support the legislative efforts of the Iowa League of Cities and the Metro Coalition. This is the standard thing for us. We're affiliated with the ILC and the Metro Coalition. We don't always agree with the specific items that come up from the ILC or the Metro Coalition, so there're mechani.... mechanisms by which we can distinguish ourselves from others. But normally we support their legislative agenda, and ... therefore we would like to encourage you to, in general, do that as well. Mascher/ Jim, do you know what their top.... priorities are this year? Are they similar to yours or not? Throgmorton/ Gonna ask Simon to deal with that. Thanks, Mary. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 4 Andrew/ Yeah, it's very similar to ours. Uh, their focus is generally on Home Rule authority issues broadly and, uh, backfill funding is, uh, very important for cities across the state. Um, you know the dollar amount for us, as Susan quoted, is a lot. Higher than a lot of communities in the state, but for the smaller cities that, uh, even if it's a .... a small piece dollar amount comparatively to us is so important for their budgets, that that's really their .... their top priority this year as well. Mascher/ Thank you. Throgmorton/ So if you have other questions, feel free to ask Simon. He usually has the answer. (laughter) All right. Do y'all have any questions you wanna ask us or do any other Council Members have any... other.... comments they would like to make? Mascher/ Jim, I was, I .... sorry, Mayor. I've been looking at your reaction to the northend and zoning, and what has been happening there. So I've been kind of following with what the Council has been doing to address that issue, uh, on the northend. Obviously many of us did not support the legislation that was passed last year and then how it impacted our community, because I know those are things that you've been working on for quite some time. I'm hoping that ... they don't do anything again, but I always remain cautious and fearful that, uh, there'll be another hit, or another attempt to do something that restricts your ability to do, uh, the zoning and .... and restrictions and I looked at the parking, all of those things that you've been addressing. I don't know if you have anything else to add there, but I'd be, uh, it always helps us to have talking points. Throgmorton/ We're acting on a couple items tonight. They aren't huge items, but they have a bearing on this particular topic and the Northside neighborhood. It ... with regard to that ....preemption that you're referring to, it caught us by surprise and .... I think we are disappointed to be caught by surprise in that particular way. Uh, but as you know we had conversations with State legislators and .... tryin' to work out a compromise and it just didn't happen. Ura .... but, uh, I wanted to make sure you know, and that Vicki Lensing knows, how much we appreciate the way in which you helped us, uh, engage in conversations with, uh, the (mumbled) leader of the House, last spring. Yeah. Teague/ One of the things is, is in order for us to meet some of our climate action goals, that we have comin' up that are very aggressive, um, by 2030 and 2050, um.....the, you know, the Home Rules that we have, or the ability to do what we need, um, is gonna be, um, we're gonna need more .... more ability to really reach it, and so that's why I feel that within our state, um, every community is very different. Um, you know, we're .... we're Iowa City, we're, you know, a pretty large city, but and there are smaller cities and they have unique needs that Iowa City don't have. But it is gonna be very vital that, um, the State really do look at allowin' cities to have more Home Rule for the uniqueness of its own community. Taylor/ I think on the lines of that, all the talk about the climate control. One thing we've discussed as a council are ... is looking at our codes and our standards, and some of those are hindered by the State guidelines that we can't be any more strict than what the State, This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 5 and we would like to be a little more strict cause we've got some very, uh, good .... rules and guidelines that we wanna follow, uh, to reduce our carbon footprint. So I think, uh, those kinds of things would be helpful too. Throgmorton/ Yeah. Anything else? Joe? Kevin? Zach? Mary? Bolkcom/ Yeah, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, first, Eleanor has a fantastic view of the City Council from this seat, (laughter) bird's eye view (laughter) thank you. Throgmorton/ In a few years you can apply to be City Attorney (laughter) Bolkcorn/ I just wanna say to both, uh, you, Mayor, and Councilor Cole, thank you for your service to the people and city, uh, of Iowa City. It's been greatly appreciated. Congratulations. Uh, especially to you, Mayor. You'vedone a fantastic job leading our city. You've attended.... you've put the time in, and uh, you're prepared for meetings, and I just think you've done a fantastic job, uh, representing us, uh, over your tenure as Mayor and I just wanna publicly say that. I was gonna come to the meeting tonight and do that, but I'm here now and thought I'd .... I'd share that. In terms of the legislative session, um, I think we've got a really tight budget. Um, we're gonna get in there and probably do our work and get done. Um, there ... I don't expect much to happen on climate stuff, right, from the Republicans. They still are kinda.....we wanna protect the solar, uh, credit, solar work we've done. There was an effort to undermine the ability of, uh, businesses and homel .... homeowners to do that. There .... I think there might be a conversation about a sales tax increase, another penny, uh, to fund the I .... IWIL and the water, uh.... conservation .... water and soil conservation work. It's hard to imagine in an election year we're gonna raise taxes. Uh, but that's out there as something that would be, uh, considered apparently in some sort of revenue -neutral way. Um, on the .... on the building ....the building codes and the energy code, it'd be fantastic if we gave local governments more flexibility and more ability to do more. We've .... we need to stay up as a state on... on the latest updates to the energy codes and building codes. I'm not sure that we are (both talking) Throgmorton/ We're not there (both talking) Bolkcom/ .... on .... on top of that but, um ... I think we'll hopefully, uh, have a .... have a decent year for public education funding and Regent's funding. Um, and maybe meet a little bit of the goal that you've identified in that regard. Throgmorton/ Okay! I think y'all have to run to another meeting, is the way I understand it. Thanks so much for everything you do on behalf of the people of the state of Iowa and for your legislative districts and to an extent for us too, so... Mascher/ And Rockne and Mayor, thank you very, very much (applause) Discussion of Houses into Homes Funding Request [04, IP51: This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 6 Throgmorton/ Okay, we're going to have a new City Attorney come up (laughter) (several talking in background) Okay! If y'all are ready, I am .... finally! The next item is to discuss Houses into Homes funding request. So I wanna say a little bit before we get into this and then ask Geoff to elaborate on a couple points. In our November 19th meeting, we informally signaled a willingness to provide 25,000 in funding to Houses into Homes. But we deferred a more formal decision until tonight's meeting. At the same time we instructed staff to invite Houses into Homes and four other organizations to meet and discuss how delivery of furniture can be provided more collaboratively and effectively and so on. That meeting took place on December the 9th. Unfortunately Houses into Homes was unable to attend, due to a scheduling error about which, uh, they were profusely apologetic. Geoff might more .... talk more about this, but I understand from your December 12th memo, Geoff, to us, that the meeting proved fruitful and will be followed by another meeting, at least it's expected to be followed by another meeting early next year. So, I .... I remain, I personally remain unclear about how much .... uh, in the way of funding actually will be .... oh no, I skipped something did I? Oh yeah, last week we learned that, uh, a donor had decided to award 15,000 or more to Houses into Homes, but I remain unclear about how much actually will be dono ... donated and when the funds are likely to be available. So, Geoff, I know you and I communicated about this by email. I wonder if you could provide, uh, as much detail as you can and .... that you think is useful, both about the amount of funding and about the timing of the funding. Fruin/ Okay, sure. Uh, so full disclosure here, I am the board chair of the 100+ Men Who Care, uh, which is a charitable organization in town that, uh, meets quarterly and through a vote of its membership, provides, uh, grants to non -profits. Um ... uh, at our latest meeting, which was, uh, in early December, first week of December, um, I was not able to attend the event, but Houses into Homes, uh, was the selected charity at that event. Um, we typically our .... our typical award, uh, again for 100+ Men Who Care is $15,000. Um, my understanding is that, uh, a generous donation from Randy's Flooring will .... will double that, and that there was another $10,000 anonymous donor. So my understanding is .... is, uh, it'll be, probably about a $40,000, um, grant in total to Houses into Homes, but .... kind of what I'm more responsible for as a .... a board member of the 100+ Men Who Care will be about 15,000. Uh, the timing of that fund, uh, funding, it comes in two stages. A very small amount, just shy of 3,000, will be distributed within a week or two. Um, that's cash and checks that we collect at the event itself, money in hand. Uh, but most of our members pay through a credit card donation. That's automated, and we don't .... we clear those every quarter. So the bulk of that 15,000, probably about 12,000 or so, will be distributed in early February, uh, to the Houses into Homes organization. I can answer more questions about that donation. I don't know anything about the match or the $10,000 donation. You'd have to inquire with the, uh, representatives of Houses into Homes, who are .... who are here tonight, uh, regarding those, uh, donations. Um, you want me to speak to the meeting at all, as well? Throgmorton/ Sure! Fruin/ Um, you have my memo from, uh, December 12th in there. Uh, we did meet, um, Tracy Hightshoe and I met with four agencies. Uh, that was, uh, DVIP, Shelter House, Habitat This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 7 for Humanity, and Inside Out Reentry. Uh, it....it was, uh, it was a great conversation. I learned quite a bit, because the history of the Furniture Project, uh, certainly predates my time here in Iowa City, and uh, a couple of these organizations have experienced, uh, running that program. So we heard from DVIP, who ran the Furniture Project in the 1990s and early 2000s. Uh, and we heard from Habitat, who recently ran the program for several years before stopping it in 2016, I believe. So they were both able to describe, uh, their experiences with that, uh, project and .... and talk about why they weren't able to sustain it as an organization. I can get into those details. I mentioned, uh, some of the, uh, the causes that we heard in the memo, a lack of stable funding sources, the complexities of the logistics, uh, inadequate staff, uh.... um, burnout factor of volunteers, and ... and then kind of the, what I ... what I said here is, um .... the erosion of agency resources that were needed to focus on the core missions, right? So those ... those organizations had some other core missions that they felt that eventually the furniture delivery aspect of their service was .... was draining from them a little bit. So that ... that's, we .... we discussed those and that was helpful, again for me to understand a history. Uh, then we got into what are you currently doing, what are each of those four agencies doing when it comes to, uh, managing furniture, whether that's accepting donations and delivering them. They all do, uh, to some degree something with furniture delivery. Again, the memo describes that .... on one side you have Habitat for Humanity, which will go out and collect furniture donations, store .... and stores them in the Restore, sells those, and on some occasions will donate those to, uh, the non -profits that they work with. Uh, the Shelter House, uh, has a crew of. ... of five that, uh, deliver furniture on a weekly basis and they estimated about 670 hours of staff time that's.... that's dedicated annually to furniture delivery for their clients. And DVIP and Inside Out Reentry both, uh, work with furniture on a much smaller scale. They don't have storage, uh, but certainly they do what they can to make sure that the clients that they serve have furniture. That's often referring folks to Houses into Homes, uh, working with Habitat, putting a call out to donors, and trying to figure out really, again, doing whatever they need to do to get those clients, uh, furniture. And then we wrapped up the meeting by talking about the capacity and the willingness to collaborate to, um, help meet what was acknowledged to be a very great demand in the community for, urn .... uh, for this type of service. And, uh, I think every, uh, organization expressed a desire to continue to have those discussions. They... they said they'd like to be of a, uh, a collaborative solution, and that ranged everywhere from Habitat having insured trucks and some extra storage space to, uh, Shelter House sayin' there's maybe some Vista employees that can help with some coordination, information sharing, that sort of thing. Uh, DVIP and Inside Out basically saying we have access to some donors, some volunteers, and certainly a lot of information that we can share. We didn't, uh, we didn't have the full discussion because, uh.... uh, certainly we didn't have the expertise of Houses into Homes in the room, so we all acknowledged at that December, uh, 9th meeting that we'd try to get back together again. After that meeting a couple days later, I met, uh, Tracy and I met with, uh, Lucy Barker from Houses into Homes and .... and had another fantastic discussion. Again I learned a lot about their organization and what they do. Um, certainly they were able to demonstrate the need in our community. You have the information from them in your packet. That was shared with Tracy and I, uh, in the follow up meeting that we had and I think that data kinda speaks for itself. They .... they do get a lot of referrals from a number of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 8 agencies in town, uh, both that were at that meeting and other agencies. Um .... and, uh... yeah, again I think that .... I think that information kinda, uh, speaks for itself there, the charts and graphs. So .... I'll be happy to try to answer any questions, uh, I wanted to wait until the end of this meeting so I could understand where the Council's gonna go with this, but I do regardless of what you decide tonight (mumbled) try to convene that group again and .... and continue those discussions. I think if nothing else, even if there's not service collaboration opportunities there, which there ... there probably are some. There's definitely an opportunity to share information and .... and to, um, better collaborate, you know, there's overlap with the clients that are bein' served here. So just sharing information and making sure everybody's aware what ... what the others are doing would ....would probably benefit everybody. Throgmorton/ Any questions for Geoff? Sounds like a very fruitful meeting. I'm really glad that it took place, but we also now, uh, are in a situation where we have new information that involves new funding that we did not expect. I don't know about you, but that affects my thinking about how we should respond. Uh, I'd be happy to elaborate on that, but otherwise I'd like to hear from you about what you have in mind. Taylor/ I did have another question for Geoff. Had .... had you heard anything with the DNR grant in that... cause that was 10,000. Fruin/ Yeah. Um, we have not got anything official from the DNR. I can tell you, our staff is pretty well plugged into that grant process and they feel very confident, uh, that it will be funded, uh, if not at 10,000, at a .... at a number probably pretty close to 10,000. Uh, given the holidays approaching, um, I don't know if that'll be announced before, uh, before those holidays or if it will more likely be announced shortly thereafter. So it could be any day when that announcement comes out. That will be a reimbursable grant. So the way that will work is, um...uh, Houses into Homes will be able to submit an invoice to, uh, the, uh, Iowa City Landfill. Our staff will then cut a check to .... to cover their invoice and then we will get the funds from the State. So that turnaround time, assuming an early January announcement, they .... they could be paid out in .... in January, probably as late as February, for that 10,000 or close to $10,000 award that we are...sure but not completely confident that we will get. Throgmorton/ (mumbled) concerned about the transitional time between now and .... mid-January or maybe as late as mid-February, depending on what source of funding we're talking about. So that's affecting my thinking also that... may.... maybe we should do something to ... fill the, a gap in that transitional time. But it no longer seems reasonable, to me, to fund it entir.... the $25,000 entirely, because now there's what appears to be $40,000 coming from one or more other entities. So .... but I think some transitional funding makes sense to me. Salih/ Can I just ask a question Mr. Mayor uh.... do you think like the 25,000, or even the 40,000 .... you know, you think that because they get the 40,000, maybe the 25 is not needed. Just to hire a full-time administration position, and also rent a truck and space and do all this data entry and do all this job, do you think this could be done by 25,000 or This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 9 even 40,000? Number one. Number two, do you think they can just go and advertise for a position that could be just for six months or maybe eight months, who gonna accept this kind of position? They have to, when they advertise for an administration or a staff, it'd have to be like .... they have to have sustain money, and my understanding from day one, they will ask us for 25, but this is not .... that's it. No! 25 is nothing if you compare what actually they need, because they have to .... they said they gonna seek another funding. I knew that from day one that, I ask 'em did you reach out to like another organization asking for fund. They told me yeah, we gonna do that because we asking the City for 25 We gonna find out (mumbled) because this is not only about the staff. This is about rent and about all this, and they cannot really advertise for a job without securing the fund. I think we should move for the 25,000 regardless of they gonna have another organization, and I would encourage them to come back when the time that come for the agency, Aid to Agenc... Aid to Agency program to apply, and if they can go and apply somewhere else. This is great need from all the data that we see here. This is regarding your point. I really just want to address your point but I have a lot things to say here. To prove that this is really great need. And also I .... (mumbled) for me was the meeting. The goal for the meeting, like to meet the other agency, I always, you know, I been struggling finding out why we wanna do that, you know, just to cooperate with each other? They been doing that. From the material that I have, I have bunch of, uh.... you know, referral agreement with all the agency. That means Housing into Homes reach out to those agency and they file agreement that they're going to work together and provide furniture if they ask for, and also I ... I thinks like now before I saw, two email has been sent, one in the summer, during the summertime. One in September. They ask the agencies, they telling them, hey, we are (mumbled) here. We need help. If you have referral, send us referral. If you have volunteer, send us volunteer to help us out. Otherwise we will be closing. And those people, they never talk about they have truck that being stored there. That what they just talk Geoff about it. Why they didn't provide this help ... help long time ago. They never talk about what they .... the way that they can help. I'm grateful, thankful that they.... they're gonna do this from now and on, but why now, after like one year of those people struggling, those two volunteer and they have another volunteer working, going from their own time, from their kids' time, to go and help a member of our community and those agencies they been existing there for.... forever. They never, ever said that they have a truck! I will really wanna hear from you guys. Did they ask ... did they say all this helps. Have they said if you need a truck we have a truck just like the Habitat, did they say if they have .... if you need volunteer, we gonna give you. Why now? This is interesting to me, and .... I will really love to ask the Shelter House (mumbled) but I have a lot question for Shelter House, even though they are not here. How do they receive the donation? My understanding, and I hope if they .... they can answer this question. They receive donation from.... the..... the donor to the Shelter House because they are not specialize in furniture. Of course they don't have storage for furniture. Like for example, I'm gonna donate a (mumbled) to the Shelter House. I will take to the Shelter House, and from me direct to the client. No inspection. If the ... if this have a bed bug, if it have... we need people who specialize in this. Housing into Home, they inspect their mattress, their beds, everything before they give it to nobody. Because if you ... if not good, why should I give somebody bed bug? And I don't .... I'm not saying that or accusing the Shelter House as giving bad furniture. No, by any means I don't want This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 10 nobody to understand me wrong, but when we have somebody is specialized in just like (mumbled) inspect all the famitures in the store. That's work, Jim. When we put ... when we go out and accept the donation from those people, that's work. When we come and enter this data, the way that they go to the house and inspect the house and see, hey, what you need? You need furniture, you are living on the third floor. Maybe you don't need big one. They go out and do like survey. All this need time! And need full-time position in order to fulfill the need of the .... of the community. And I don't ... I appreciate the other organization but they are not as specialize in this, even the City. I just figure out that after the .... the Furniture Project close, this is even .... came to the City, and the City cannot do it because they have to dedicate the time to do this, and there is no time. I thinks that clearly tell me, uh, all those agencies couldn't do it because they don't have a special person to take care of this. This need a full-time person. A full-time person need to get paid, and if those people are passionate about it right now, and they are volunteering, this will be closed if we don't have sustained staff to be there forever, so they can sustain this program. Those people, if they suddenly something happen to them, hopefully good thing and they move out! This ... this will really (mumbled) to sustain. That's why we need the staff. If they have somebody right now and they don't (mumbled) they can advertise before they go and make sure this program is still in place. Thank you. I hope you support it. Throgmorton/ Okay, thanks, Maz. Uh, what do the rest of you think? Cole/ I guess I would like to speak next. Sort of a follow up to what Maz had said. I look at this as sort of like a series of Venn diagrams, with the core function in terms of what Houses into Homes does with the furniture. There are some other organizations that have some overlapping, you know, needs and services related to them, but I think as Maz points out, that's not their core competency. Um, Geoff, your history of the prior efforts, I think, was very important. Um, you know a lot of times when we have new ideas in the city of Iowa City, there's usually a couple different things that you have is the people that have done it before indicate, well you realize we've done that before, and it either did or did not work. Um, Geoff identified a couple causes for why those previous organizations no longer exist or no longer fulfill that function. The first one he mentioned was the lack of a stable funding source. Which I think is an issue here. Uh, the second is, is .... employee burnout. I mean we essentially have the work that you gays are doing, and the work that your volunteers are doing. That is extremely intensive. It's physically taxing. It's mentally taxing. Um, and to expect.... especially over the winter that they're just gonna be able to do that at the rate they have in the past, I don't think that's really realistic. The third relates to the new funding sources. Those are obviously great news, and I think that reflects in terms of the work that you've done. Um, but I don't think those are gonna be sort of things that can be repeated on into the future. I don't think you can expect, uh, 100 Men Who Care donation yearly. I mean that's my understanding, Geoff, with .... with 100 Men Who Care, these are sort of one-off grants. Um, to Maz's point, you're right. I mean 25,000 is a lot of money, but when you're talking about institutional, you know, resiliency over time, that's not very much as far as that goes, and you know, during my time in Iowa City, I've never really seen an organization that's been this long, this competent, has had the greatest impact. So I'm going to support still the full 25,000. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page I l Um, to the DNR point, I mean if that funding does come through, I mean maybe we could have a discussion whether we could get maybe a credit towards that, so maybe the City's contribution would be like (coughing, unable to hear speaker) for now I would like the 25,000, um, and then potentially if we do get the DNR grant, terrific. Then maybe we could give a credit. Um, so maybe with 15 of new money, but that's something I think we definitely need to support. Um .... as far as that goes, and the final thing is too is DVIP and Inside Out are terrific organizations, but they have very specific missions. You know Inside Out Reentry is for people that are coming out of prison! Um, which is terrific, I'm glad we're providing those resources and we'll welcome those inmates in and ... and try to provide them opportunities. DVIP does, you know, wonderful work, um, domestic violence. What more higher calling can you have than that, but that's a very limited case - specific mission as well. What I'm thinking about is what do we do with a ... with a family who just happens to be resource -challenged? Um, but they're not, fortunately, domestic violence. They don't have any criminal history. What about them? And I think we've seen too many of those kids have been living on the floors, and that's not being melodramatic. There have been too many of our .... members of our community that do not have access to those basic needs, and I think the final point that I would make is, although we've had some tension in this process, I think we should also recognize and celebrate that what is the conflict that we have in the city of Iowa City, is the conflict that we have is organizations trying to help and serve too much. So I think in terms of the big picture, even though there's been some tension, hopefully this can be a creative tension that will create growth, and there will be follow up meetings. You guys are gonna have to have some very difficult conversations moving forward, but I think this is a creative tension we need to celebrate, um, even though we've had some of these .... these anger and, you know, hurt feelings a little bit in terms of this project, and I think we all recognize, this is likely to be a one-off thing. Um, as people know, this is gonna be my last meeting (laughs) tonight. I, you know, hopefully in the future there can be some discussion, what do we do when we have these new funding requests, how can we standardize this if there are some additional needs, maybe there needs to be an ad hoc funding committee, these sorts of things. So we can institutionalize it a little bit. But I'm still going to support the full 25,000. Throgmorton/ I'd like to ask a clarifying question, Rockne. I .... I don't quite understand what you mean about giving a credit for $10,000 from DNR? Cole/ Well my .... my point is (both talking) Throgmorton/ How did you mean it? Cole/ (both talking) My point is I'm talking about a ... a funding level of 25,000. I understand the grant. We don't know whether that's going to go through. We think that it will come through. And if it does come through, essentially that would lower the .... the new money awarded. If it doesn't come through, it'd still be at the 25,000. Throgmorton/ Okay. I understand. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 12 Teague/ So I guess for me, I ... I go back to the original need,um, and the original need was related to, um, havin' a....a full-time staff. So that's what I think about, and when I think about, um, the operational costs of any agency, it is typically larger thanjust one staff. So.... Houses into Homes request was .... for staff, and at that point when they came to us, they were at a critical point, where they needed .... they sought, um, funding from several different people to try to meet their mission. And so .... it was unique that they ask .... that they actually asked for staff because that's somethin' that I think people typically don't see, um, from agencies askin' for staff and so when I think about the staff that they're askin' for, it is really for someone to kind of coordinate all the pieces together, kind of like a social worker in that, you know, to me is ... um, makes sense as far as what that agency does need. Uh, would be like that, um, that hired individual that can really dedicate time to makin' sure all the pieces are together and .... and.....and navigate it that way. As far as like their, um, overall operational costs, we're.....I think many of us know business where you do have a large operational cost, uh, to try to meet some of the needs within your agency. I think Houses into Homes is really, if we look at where they are and all the efforts that they've done, they're kinda at ground....I'll use this lightly, they're kinda at ground zero. Where they really see the need within our community and they want to do all that they can to meet the need. So .... the one good thing is, I'm very happy to hear Geoffs report about the collaboration, um, the meetin' that took place and some of the things that may be collaborated, uh, amongst the agencies. I think that's powerful, especially given the state that there was .... in several agencies that tried to move this along with our .... within our community before. The need is there. So there's no question about the need bein' there. Um .... the money that, um, Houses into Homes got, I think that's awesome. Um, what I believe is people are hearing their.... people are hearin' the need of those within our community that are .... in need of furniture, and you know, I can put the picture in your head about beds and people sleepin' on the floor, but ultimately we're talkin' about just human basic rights. Um, that I feel people should endure and have within our community and so .... again, I think it's great that they got funding. We... as Maz stated, I believe in the ... in the first initial, uh, conversations that I had they were still lookin' for funding. So that wasn't a surprise tome, that they did get fundin' from a (laughs) unexpected source for them. Um.....for me I am, I am still with the need to support them for the 25,000. It, you know, their budget .... I think needs the 25,000. Their budget needs the 45,000. They came asking Council to support the mission of those that are in our community. Um, and .... and I think that we're still there, we're not... even though they got 40,000 potentially, they'll probably get another 5,000 or 10,000 somewhere else. They have ... the agency have needs, and so, urn .... and that's just operational costs. That's not staff. I mean $40,000 for operational, and any of the other programs that they're gonna be applyin' to, whether it's through our emergency funding. That's always subject to not bein' approved. Um, I think right now today the, you know, the .... their original request was to, and you know, help to ensure their success, and I think that we are still back to that. We know that they're gonna be seekin' more funding. I would love for them to be independent. Given the fact that there's two other agencies that have started this and .... for whatever reasons ended that, um, program .... I .... I feel like we need an agency that can focus in on this and, um, that is Houses into Homes at this point. And so I'm gonna support it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 13 Throgmorton/ Okay. How bout the rest of you? Thomas/ Well I'll .... I'll chime in here. I'm, you know, I must say I was.... working under the understanding that the funding request of $25,000 that we first, uh, we first heard of from Houses into Homes was their full financial need, you know, that this was ... this was the gap in financing, and uh.... if that financing, the 25,000 were furnished to them, they would be financially whole. I .... I now understand that that's not the case. Uh (clears throat) but it....it did take me by surprise. I thought, um, you know, when we .... we heard about the $40,000, you know, that certainly was good news (laughs) and it's certainly good news now that I understand that, uh, the need was actually far greater than what I understood it to be. I .... if. ... if that $40,000 hadn't, uh, emerged out of this process, we would be significantly short of even coming close to their financial need. But where... where I've landed now is that .... you know, it's clear now that their funding need is greater. Uh, I think, Rockne, your suggestion, uh, is a reasonable one. Um, I would just add to it that it seems to me of the funding sources, the one that's ... we have the most discretion over and is the most secure in terms of, um .... you know, that it will be there, would be the, uh.... the affordable housing opportunity fund. Uh, so .... ideally what would happen here is .... is we'd get the 10,000 from the State and then supplement that with 15,000 from .... the affordable housing, um, opportunity fund. Uh, as I think Geoff, uh, in a previous memo stated that, urn .... the Houses into Homes request is in line with the intent of the opportunity fund. So I think that seems to be the, if we're .... if we are going to fund this .... the 25,000, in addition to the 40, it seems like that's an appropriate place to go. Salih/ Sound good! Throgmorton/ Okay. Uh, Pauline? Susan? Taylor/ Well I like, uh, as with, uh.... um.....John.....I was confused because I thought the original intent of the request, uh, was just to bridge that gap and I .... when I go back and read the original memo, uh, that if they were able to fund a director that could help with fundraising, etc., uh, they would be able to use what funds they had for storage and those kinds of things, and .... and, uh, truck rental. Uh, so I was a little confused that the most recent memo, uh, elaborated that it's only a part of the budget needed to create an administrative position, pay for storage, and truck rental. Um ... I .... like John, I was ecstatic. I jumped up and down when ... when I saw that they had gotten the donation from the 100+ Men and Randy's Carpet, and thank you to those groups, and the private donor that, uh, bumped that up. Uh, that really, I thought, provided a major infusing financially to that.....to the ... the Houses into Homes, and, Rockne, you mentioned, um, that other, uh, groups have very specific missions, but I think that they all overlap, and I think that was apparent by, and thank you Geoff and, uh, Tracy, for meeting with the four agencies and then a follow up, uh, with the Houses into Homes person, uh, because I think that was what was needed and I think that's what we requested initially is they need to get together, cause what I'd seen was kind of a he -said, she -said and ... and as I think Rockne talked about too, some .... some, the anger and hard feelings. That.... that was really unfortunate that that happened. Uh, but I think that helped to clear up for, at least This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 14 me, that those other agencies are willing to collaborate and help, and I think if we give them some time to do that, another follow up meeting, and uh, perhaps we could do an initial ... I'm .... I'm still not in favor of doing the entire 25,000. Uh, but do an initial, uh, donation and as, uh, John said, the affordable housing opportunity fund that Geoff recommended sounded like a good place to start. Mims/ Well .... I've tried to sit here and listen, and .... and really hear very carefully what everybody has said, because as you know I came at this from a different perspective, I think, than pretty much everybody last time. And .... one of the things that I keep hearing is .... um, how much money they need, um, different interpretation maybe of what ... came out in that original memo, versus what everybody, um, is ... hearing now in terms of their need, and still, uh, a gap. But when I look at it .... unless I've missed something, I haven't seen any financial data. All right? And so when we .... we have a very specific process for agencies to go through and .... fill out some fairly significant forms in terms of their budgets, their expenses, you know, what they need, what they're going to use the money for, etc. Um, there's a timeline to do that, and there's a very, uh.... specific data and .... and considerable amount of data that's required so the HCDC can evaluate those, or if it's the social equity and racial justice grants the Human Rights Commission can evaluate those and make, um, hopefully very fair and .... and good decisions in terms of how .... we are allocating, uh, the resources that as a council we have indicated will go towards those kinds of grant programs. So as I sit here and .... and certainly warm commend Houses into Homes for the work that they have done, um, and obviously, you know, tons of referrals, etc. What I am still not seeing is a process that I think is fair and equitable to all the agencies in the community. Um.. A.....I don't doubt that they need to hire a staff person, um, I .... I have concern when I hear that the hiring is an executive director, cause what does that mean in terms of salary and benefits, etc., uh.... so again, I'm sitting here and I have no .... I have no idea how this money's being spent. There is, I have not seen any documentation that tells me actually, exactly what their commitment is in terms of how this money is being spent. And yet we .... we requi.... we require that of every other agency that goes through our application processes. So not only is it ... not timed with our processes, we're not even requiring a modicum of the information that we require of those other agencies. I totally agree that this is an incredible need in our community. We have lots of agencies that are providing for needs that I would say are, they could come in here and make just as compelling an argument. Okay? A suggestion that I would make, um, it would be......it would be a bit of a delay and there would not be a guarantee, but we do have the applications starting for, um, the emerging agencies. And to have them apply through that process, and if they get selected, then to ... fund the money before July 1 st of next year. I've asked Geoff is that ... if that is a possibility, that could be done. Um, but at least then we would essentially be allowing them, and I'm not sure what that deadline is. I think it's January. But there still would be that possibility of them getting that money if they were awarded, prior to July 1 st. But at least then we are requiring them to go through the same process that all the other agencies do. Teague/ One of the things that I think we talked about the first time we had this meetin', was there is no emerge .... in the emergency request or the out of sequence requests, for any funding from any agency, um, I .... I still call it the best kept secret, or a secret, um, is a This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 15 direct ask to Council, and so, um, and I don't think that Houses into Homes, you know, um, totally knew what all they were gettin' themselves into because for them this has also been a little bit of a stressful ask. Um, but .... but what they did do is bring light to this particular need within our community. I agree, Susan, that we don't know the numbers, you know, totally verbatim, and all the other things that I know that the other agencies go through. I've been a part of grant processes before, and when you have a new agency, typically they don't have a lot of data. Um, and that's one of the reasons why we have the emergency agency funds, because those .... you look at those, um, programs and agencies a little bit different. Then kinda your legacy agencies, and .... and it was developed to really give an opportunity for newer agencies to kinda, um, have an opportunity for... for funding. I ... I .... I think, um ..... again I go back to .... like their original ask, and that was really to help meet this need in the community, through .... the specific ask of an administrator, so that this agency can be, um .... successful. All the other costs, that's not what they're askin' for. They were askin' for a staff, and we know that $25,000 does not, even if it's part-time staff, um, the work of, and I .... I really see this as more of a social worker type, um, navigatin' the needs, meetin' with families, um..... Mims/ Is that what they see it as? Because (both talking) but that's.... that's, see that's part of my question, Bruce, is .... I haven't seen real documentation about .... cause everything I've seen has said executive director. So again, it's just an indication to me of the lack of information, which I think is ... is inappropriate then in terms of (both talking) Teague/ ...and I hear what you're sayin'. I think it....um.....it is an executive director title, but it's almost like, um.....when a .... when a individual starts their business, in a way, where they are doin' everything! They're.... they're the janitor. (both talking) Mims/ Oh I get it! Teague/ And ... and I think that's where they are, and so their request was very specific for the 25,000. So .... I know that that .... that that role will require more than 25,000, but I ... I do hear what you're sayin', and I do believe that when we go and we create, um ... we've already asked staff to start to work on that, um, emergency ask to Council. We do want it to be, uh, somethin' that will be predictable and .... and like a process that Council is not at the forefront of that. Um, at....at this point, it is Council .... it is, we're responsible for any requests that goes outside of that Aid to Agency, emergency type, uh, or the ... emergin' agency requests. So this is what .... it lies with us right now. Otherwise Eleanor would say, 'Council, you don't have that ability.' So right now we are that emergency ask, and I'd like to keep it at ... a good secret (laughs) because I don't warm be in this position (both talking) Throgmorton/ So I .... I'm conscious of the time and conscious of the fact that I think we all wanna have a decision come out of this discussion. So, and I'm aware that four people have indicated that they support $25,000. Uh, so I just wanna ask a basic question. Has anybody been persuaded away from their support of the $25,000 by what ... as a result of what the rest of us have .... have said? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 16 Cole/ No. Salih/ No. Teague/ No. Thomas/ I ... I would .... I don't, I still support it. I think I too have had some concerns about, um, having a better understanding of what the business plan is, moving forward, especially in that it is .... you know, as I think you, Bruce, you were describing it. It's transitioning from .... in a very significant way from what's essentially a volunteer organization to a more, you know, a ... actually paid staff and .... and a certain organizational presence. And ... and so I am concerned about how the funds will be applied. So ... so if. ... and ... and this is in a realm of, you know, or work that I'm not as familiar with, what ... what role staff could play in terms of helping.... articulate.... a business plan so to speak, if that's possible. Salih/ And I think also we can .... I just ask Geoff if that's okay, but he said yes. The Council can ask them to tell us like after you start working for a certain time maybe we can ask 'em in six months we would like to know how did you use our fund. Or in one year you can do that. And I remember there is some fund that we .... like say for example, I always like .... Rockne, he just suggest some time like $10,000 for the Shelter House. You did suggest that when, like during the (both talking) Cole/ ...the bench controversy. Salih/ The bench, you know, but we did not ask'em.... like how you gonna use this 10,000 or tell us .... because they didn't ask for it! We just give it to them. That's to be honest, because they didn't ask for it, but now as you said this is new organization. They done exactly now how, you know, this is part of the administration. It's not the whole (mumbled) We know they like gonna use it for that and they gonna use it for something else. But I guess we just really (unable to understand) to tell us ... sometime, like in like after six months or after eight months, tell us how did you use our money, because we would like to see, uh, how did the City money being used. Cole/ Just to be clear though, John, your position is no, your position has not changed from what you previously (several talking) Salih/ Yeah, and I wanna.... I wanna just say that I thinks, um, that the DNR money, 10,000; 15,000 from the affordable housing; that's will make it 25. Cole/ So .... so you would agree to the credit concept, Maz, that we essentially authorize 25,000. If in fact the DNR is granted successfully to them, um, we would reduce the award then to 15,000. Is that.... Throgmorton/ And they get (several talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 17 Salih/ I wanna propose (several talking) Cole/ They'll get a .... and if they don't get the grant, they still get the 25. Salih/ From the affordable housing (both talking) Cole/ Yeah. Salih/ Yes! Yes, that what I really propose. If you, you know, 10,000 from the grant. For any reason that grant is not like successful, they can just get that 25 (both talking) Throgmorton/ ...and the other 15 from the affordable housing (both talking) Salih/ Yes! Throgmorton/ ....uh, opportunity fund, right? (several talking) So, Geoff, does, do you track that and does it make sense? Fruin/ Yeah. I .... I track that, and when it comes to the annual report, you can certainly ask for a annual or a six-month report. My, urn .... I .... I would think that the, uh, Houses into Homes, if they wanted continued fron... funding from the City, they will begin applying through the Aid to Agencies process, and .... and the application, uh, requirements will basically, uh, have them spell out all that information anyway. Uh, so those emerging agency applications come out in January for next fiscal year's awards. Um .... so I don't know that you need, you know I told ya (mumbled) you can .... you can do that, but if they're gonna go ahead and apply for that anyway, it might be a duplication of (several talking in background) of, uh, information. Throgmorton/ I .... I (several talking) personally would like to receive a very, very short statement, like one-page memo (laughs) equivalent from Houses into Homes about how they anticipate spending the 25,000 they would get from us, plus the... anywhere from I5 to 40,000 that they will get from, as a result of the 100+ Men Who Care donation. Does that sound like a reasonable thing? I mean I don't wanna allow a lot of elaboration, but just some sense of (both talking) Salih/ ....just give them time and... when.... when the Aid to Agency program is, when they supposed to submit that application? Monroe/ (several talking) There's a meeting I think on January 15th and then, uh, they're due on the 18th of January. (several talking) Salih/ We don't need that, because it will be next months they will apply again for another things I guess. And we gonna have that! (both talking) Why we make them do the job twice, especially if they don't have staff right now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 18 Throgmorton/ Okay. Um .... it sounds to me like we have an understanding here. With clear majority support, right? Salih/Yes! Yes! (mumbled) Clarification of Agenda Items: Throgmorton/ All right. So, uh, unless you tell me otherwise, I think we can move on to our next topic, which would be clarification of agenda items, and I want us to do .... hold on, I gotta find it in my notes here. (clears throat) I wanna do Item 12 first, which has to do with the moratorium. Someone how I gotta find Item 12. Teague/ Can we also do 6.f.? Throgmorton/ Yeah, uh, I mean I wanna do Item 12 first is what I mean (several talking in background) Yeah, okay, so .... all right. Yeah, so this has to do with repeal of the permit moratorium. So .... we've gotten several memos or emails or whatever, uh, from John, from Austin Wu, from Sara Barron, and from individual residents that recommend further action for us to consider, prior to ending the moratorium. My personal sense is that we are already taking some of the actions they recommend. Also, some of the recommendations won't help us ensure a diverse population and hou.... in housing choices in the relevant neighborhoods, and .... third, I think some of the actions are probably not legal, though I'm not an attorney. Eleanor would have to advise us on that. But .... I also think some of the recommended actions might be worth considering carefully. And that's the most relevant point, I think. So .... to help us decide how to proceed, that is whether to vote up or down on terminating the moratorium early, I'd like to ask ... Tracy or Geoff to walk us through IP #8 from the December 12th information packet, which has to do with what we are already doing. Or have already done. And then I'll ask John to briefly summarize his recommendations. And hopefully we can.... have a better understanding as we go into our formal meeting discussion. Make sense? So, Geoff, can you do that, or Tracy, I'm not sure which (both talking) Fruin/ Yeah, um .... Tracy, why don't you come up as well. We'll.... we'll.... between Eleanor and Tracy and I, we'll get through this. Sorry, I just need to pull it up here. Teague/ I....I think it's very important that we hear this, but I think .... there may need to be a little recap (several responding) Throgmorton/ Yes, absolutely! Teague/ ....uh, public meeting. Fruin/ You have it on a PowerPoint, Tracy? Is it all listed out there or.... Hightshoe/Uh..... yep! Here it is! This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 19 Fruin/ Um, so just real briefly as Tracy's organizing, uh, the PowerPoint up there. Um, an important thing to keep in mind is that, you know, a lot of focus has been on the rental cap, but the rental cap was one of only .... was just one of several strategies that we implemented after the State, uh, legislative changes. Certainly was the most powerful and impactful strategy, uh, I think, clearly. Um, but we did do a lot of, uh, adjusting to the, both the zoning code and the housing code. And .... and that's what we're sayin', uh, in our communication to you with the addition of the radon and the paving, we think that we've.... we've found the balance that .... that, um, we're striving to achieve. We won't know that until we get a few more years under our belt - post rental cap, post moratorium - and really see how the market responds, but we feel pretty comfortable with where we're at. You can continue to pull these levers and twist these dials any way you .... you can, as Tracy walks through these. Um, we can make stricter parking requirements. We could .... we could change open space requirements, common space requirements, bedroom size requirements, but every time you twist that dial a little bit, just know that there might be an unin.... unintended consequence, uh, elsewhere in the community, and you might actually be working counter to some of your other goals that you set. So, with that I'll let Tracy walk through these. Hightshoe/ Um, most of these, when we did the zoning housing code, most apply citywide. So we're always careful about what we do, because what you do in one area of town, if it's citywide, you limit options in other parts of town or for different property owners. Um, there's some that apply to the University -impacted neighborhoods, or the central planning district, but not a lot of'em are citywide. Um, so we've made several changes since 2017. The zoning code changes included updated rear setback to discourage inappropriate expansions in certain zones. So if you have a house, it just couldn't keep expanding in the back. So .... to the point where you'd have no rear yard. We've limited the number of bedrooms in attached single-family and duplexes to four. We updated the private open space requirements for single-family, duplexes. Also, um, multi -family. And we moved to annual inspections for certain type of rental properties. Um, so if you have a single- family home with more than four bedrooms, if you have multi -family properties older than a certain .... I think it's 1996, um, sororities, fraternities, and SRO -type housing. Those are annually inspected now. We've also made some budget changes. So we hired a full-time staff person to proactively go out there and enforce nuisance -type violations that you see, um, throughout the city. We hired another full-time inspector due to all those increased inspections we would be having since we moved from a every -other -year inspection cycle to an annual inspection cycle. We also now pay for a, um, half-time, part of the police officer's salary to go out and, um, work on enforcement, especially neighborhood nuisance issues that you see after 5:00 P.M. or on the weekends, when our .... our standard staff (mumbled) the office. We made several housing code changes, and a lot of this goes back to .... (mumbled) is the house appropriately sized for the .... the intended use. Um, lot of single-family home uses are not intended for multi -family. They weren't intended for multi -family. So we try to address some of those issues by defining the habitable room and setting minimum requirements. We limited space, um, how much bedrooms could occupy, um, the house in single-family and duplex units. We require inter -connected smoke alarms. So if you're gonna add a bedroom, you would have to have inter -connected smoke alarms. We define and set requirements for This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 20 minimum shared living space. Um, we require permanent separation between duplex units for privacy, for safety. Um .... we require deadbolt locks for each dwelling and rooming unit, and we limited parking to the rear of the lot for single-family and duprex ....duplex properties. Those were .... and then your goals as we looked....you're gonna see those front paving restrictions and radon, were to address some of these City Council goals for new regulations. Um .... that (mumbled) listed....above. Do you have any questions (both talking) Fruin/ We shared in the memo, if I can add that, if you didn't get a chance, at the end of the memo, we shared the limited data that we have. Um .... so there are, uh, 2,300 single- family and duplex rental properties in the University -impacted neighborhood area, and since we adopted this long list of changes that Tracy just went through, uh, 13 properties, uh.... uh, have added or .... have added bedrooms, a total of 21 of those, and 10 of those 13 properties just added one bedroom, which I don't think, you know, anybody sees as .... as a.....a, too drastic of an action. You know, we do have the one outlier, which has received a lot of focus in this discussion, which is 938 Jefferson, which was a six -bedroom addition. That was a, actually an occupancy increase of three. So it was previously authorized for an oc.... occupancy of four. Now it's an occupancy of seven. So to date, we haven't seen a whole lot of expansions of bedrooms with rental properties. But, you know, until the moratorium's pulled off and we know, you know, exactly how the market's gonna react, we can't tell ya for sure again if we've made the right level of changes. Uh, in response real quick, just to set the table for your .... your discussion with, uh, Councilman Thomas' memo, we really think that if...if you feel that more is needed, you probably need to work within these .... these levers here. We don't necessarily think the answer's in the definition of a use. Um .... certainly you could explore incentive programs, but from a regulatory standpoint, you're probably looking at bedroom size, open space, common space, all those types of things, and whether it should be 35% or 40% or 37%, we honestly don't know. We've.... we've.... we've made our best guess with this and I think only time will tell. Dilkes/ I'd just add, um, as maybe an indication that .... these efforts have .... have made some differences that, um, after the .... the State passed the occupan.....said we couldn't do familial occupancy, um, familial status occupancy, um, you'll remember when we put that moratorium in place to give us time to study the issue, one of the things that told us that we had a problem is we got after that legislation 40, um, applications for, uh, expansions (mumbled) bedrooms. That was 40 of them, and we haven't seen .... since we put these in place and we've .... we have not seen near that number of bedroom expansions. Throgmorton/ Okay, does anybody feel the need to ask Geoff or Tracy or Eleanor a question? Or maybe we just turn to John (several talking in background) Cole/ Maybe just one basic question, um, you know I'd sent you an email, Geoff, and said, you know, what were some of the issues that were possibly considered that we could do but maybe we didn't get to Council, and ... and one of the responses you gave was the evaluation of sprinkler systems for, um, houses that convert, um, from a ... single-family, you know, owner to a rental situation, but that that would probably be an expensive This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 21 change but do you have any sense of, um, how significant an expense that would be, you know, if there was that sort of change, cause that .... that stri... cause one of the concerns, and we'll talk about it later during the meeting, is .... is to Tracy's point that these older structures especially were never designed for densities of eight and nine. Um, one of my good conversations that I had with Stan a long time ago was what are the enforcement challenges on these houses, um, that really were never designed for this density and we have this common sense limitation with the three or more on oc.... on relateds, but um, so I still have some real big health and safety concerns. Um, maybe if you could just comment on that to put you on the spot a little bit, um, (both talking) Fruin/ Yeah, we share (both talking) Yeah, we share those health and safety concerns, and we did.....that was our primary argument when this first .... when the familial status thing first came up in the .... in the legislature, uh, and that's why we moved to annual inspections for those properties that were at highest risk of. ... of public safety, uh, issues, uh, those older homes. We wanted to get in there every year and .... and check it. Um, that's why we did the inter -connected smoke alarms. We felt like that alert was, uh, important to have all those interconnected. Um, so .... we stopped short of the sprinklers. Obviously we were thinking about fire, uh, risk with the .... with the smoke alarms, uh, but we stopped short of the sprinklers. Uh, the sprinklers are .... would be incredibly expensive. I....I.....I can't give you an exact number but my best guess, just sittin' here off the cuff, is probably on the low end $7,000, $8,000.... depending on the home and the age and its, you know, the infrastructure it has. I wouldn't be surprised if you'd have some that would go 15 or .... or.....or north of that even, and we just didn't think, you know, there.... there's a balancing act there, and we felt annual inspections and the smoke alarms is probably a good place to be. We don't see a whole lot of structure fires in the community. Uh, certainly if we felt like we needed to put in the sprinkler provisions, we would do that, but again we're .... we are trying to think of affordability and .... and weigh all those into every regulation that we .... uh, we recommended and we just stopped short on that one. (several talking) Hightshoe/ ....I know it's not mentioned in the .... in the PowerPoint here, but we also .... we also consider historic and conservation district in our downtown neighborhoods. So if the historical use of a house was for single-family uses, if they wanted to put a large addition, that would go through the Historic Preservation Commission and they would look at the design. Is it compatible with the neighborhood? Is it compatible with the use, the intended use of the property. Um, not to say that they wouldn't allow an expansion, but it would go through an extra level of review, and for some if it's that expansive, it'd be hard to get approved, if you're in historic or conservation district. Throgmorton/ There might be lots of other questions we could ask, but let's find out what John has to say, what .... what, to summarize what was in your memo. Thomas/ Right (both talking) ....focus on, um, you know I basically tried to .... identify what I would call a more comprehensive approach toward ..... the question of how do we promote a diverse demographic in housing choices in the core neighborhoods. Uh, I did meet with .... in the preparation of this memo, real estate agents, the Affordable Housing This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council session of December 17, 2019. Page 22 Coalition, uh, Austin Yu ... Wu, a former pastor of a church in ... in the Northside, uh, so these .... these came out of those conversations. I .... I would say.... basically what staff has been doing.....is going in the right direction. What .... what concerned me was that the, uh, 938 E. Jefferson seemed to indicate that despite all the changes, uh, it was still possible to build, uh, an addition which resulted in seven baths....seven bedrooms, seven baths, but .... more than that, um, once the moratorium was lifted, uh, on lots of similar size, uh, and there are many of them. I don't know.....could you show the, um.....that graphic of the, uh, the residential density? Hightshoe/ Sure! I was just, this is the 938 E. Jefferson house, so if people wanna seethe elevations (both talking) Thomas/ Yeah. So the, yeah.....if you can turn it or not (talking in background) Um.....the area of concern that I have is .... is with .... the Univers .... UniverCity zone, which is a little bit different than the University -impact zone. It's a little bit smaller, some of the areas, with high density, multi -family would not be .... within the boundary of the UniverCity zone, but you .... you can kind of get a sense. It's a little difficult on this, uh, at its scale, but.... the .... the lot size at 938 Jefferson is not uncommon in the core neighborhoods. So the possibility of, uh, developing a building of similar size and .... and really the issue is .... is not so much the size of the building, but the bedroom count. So .... it seems to me, um, given our .... our goals that, uh, we need to spend some time looking at how .... to.....to further, um, regulate outcomes in terms of, uh, additions and new development. Um .... I ....I think we are moving in the right direction, but I.....I.....I......I'm just not comfortable, um, saying, yeah, let's lift the moratorium when .... when there's that potential for, um ..... houses with .... with bedroom counts that are, like we haven't seen in decades. Um .... and I've also had some preliminary conversations and .... and contact with Ames and, uh, Cedar Falls, and I'm sensing that, uh.....their controls would not result in seven baths, seven bedrooms. Uh, it would be a smaller number. Um, so I .... I rn.....I would like .... and you know, I ... I don't know that we'll need till March 1st. I, you know, I really can't say, but uh, it....it does seem that there are ways in which, um, you know, our kind of. ... sister university towns are looking at this issue, and that there .... there may be ways we can ... further control outcomes, which as I said, the .... the other aspect of this is that, and this gets into some of my other policies that I've .... I'm suggesting. If we find that there is a loophole and there are these buildings with, um, high bedroom counts, it will pret.... in my view it will most likely preempt the opportunity to do something which would, uh, much more clearly achieve our .... our goals of diverse demographic and housing choice, and that's.... that's where the, you know, the Affordable Housing Coalition's, uh, position came in. I think they understood that and, urn .... felt that there... if there is an opportunity to achieve that, uh, it's something that we should consider. Um, so I think those are the key things, but as I said I .... I really wanted to put everything on the table because it's, in my mind, it's not just regulatory control. Uh, it's also about offering some opportunity, incentivizing what we want. Not just simply preventing what we don't want, but advocating for what we want. I think we have a pretty clear goal there. Let's point everything in that direction, and I think if you read the, um, you know, some of the neighbors' responses, there are some issues that .... that core neighborhood residents really struggle with. And, uh.... it goes everything from, you know, the fear of This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 23 further destabilization to issues of trash .... you know, that.... overflows and .... and impacts the, you know, the experience of public right-of-way. So I just wanted to get everything out there. I realize some of these are more long-term goals, but urn .... I think they're all important in the end that we .... that we are mindful of them and .... and make progress with them. Throgmorton/ Okay. So we can process this more during our formal meeting, but I wanted to make sure that we had a chance to hear this background information and process it a little bit before we got into the formal meeting. And we can go back over this territory, like you said, Bruce. But based on .... on what we've heard, I think the question before us is very clear. Do we see good reasons to keep the existing deadline for the moratorium or do we want to terminate it earlier, as ca ..... as called for in the proposed ordinance. That .... that's the choice before us. So .... we can come back to that, uh, when we get to Item 12 in the formal meeting. Okay, so other agenda items? Salih/ IP5 I guess. IP3. Throgmorton/ IP3? Salih/ Yeah, December 5 package. Racial equity report card. Throgmorton/ Oh .... no, the .... we're still on the agenda items, Maz, not the information packets. Mims/ I think Bruce had started to mention 6.e. and 6.£ I know I got an email from Karen Kubby, um, and I don't know the history of this, but her comment in her email was that Emma Harvat was very .... um, specific about the use of her middle initial, and so Karen was.... proposing, wondering, if we can make the chance and how difficult that would be to, in the name of the .... in the naming of the park, Emma J. Harvat and also in the maintenance agreements. So I mean .... I hate to throw these things out at the last minute (laughs) (mumbled) documents have been done, but Karen brought it up (several talking) Taylor/ Right, I think how easy would it be just to amend that (both talking) Frain/ I think you could ..... you could amend those items on the .... on the floor, um, tonight, if you wanted to do that. Um.....from, you know, from our standpoint, it's, uh.....um, you know, a name on a web site and then there's a park sign. There's already an existing park sign. It's been Emma Harvat Park unofficially for a while, and there's a nice stone monument that has the name on it. So if you ..... if you wanted us to go out and change the sign, you're.....you may be lookin' at a 7 to $15,000 expense depending if we put in our standard park sign or work with our stone monument. I don't see a need to rush out there and do that, but we can certainly officially name it with the middle initial and list it on the web site, and in Parks and Rec publications with the middle initial. Throgmorton/ So I noticed that the agenda reads, uh, motion to approve by a .... Items 3 through 8 with a change to Item 6.e„ naming new park in Peninsula (mumbled) Emma J. Harvat Square Park. So that's good. But it ..... it's also f., isn't it (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 24 Taylor/ Items 6.e. and 6.f. Dilkes/ I would say d., e., and f., as needed, to make that correction. Throgmorton/ Okay. Salih/ 6.j. Throgmorton/ Sony, which one? Salih/ 6.j. Throgmorton/ 6.j. Salih/ The personnel policy update. I just wanna ask Geoff how that goes, like they met with you (both talking) Fruin/ Yeah (both talking) We had a labor management meeting, uh, last week I believe and, uh, we answered some questions they had, clarified, uh, some of the changes that we made. Um, and my understanding is that they're comfortable with you voting on that tonight, but they are here and they could speak to that. Taylor/ I also wanted to speak to that, and I wanted to thank you, Geoff, for meeting with them, Um, because that is kinda what I initially asked, and I do appreciate that and it sounds like the meeting went .... went very well and it helped to alleviate some of the concerns that .... that they had. So I thank you for that and (mumbled) and I would now vote to approve that resolution. Throgmorton/ (several talking) ...part of the consent calendar (several talking) Taylor/ ...the consent calendar. Throgmorton/ Okay, so without objection that's what we'll do. Okay, so .... any other agenda items? I know we got some correspondence from Charlotte, uh, who's not here I guess tonight, Austin, but she .... makes the suggestion near the end, it has to do with our... topics for our meeting, the Council's meeting with the Student Government. You warm say just a few words about that? Wu/ Yes, so she is (both talking) Throgmorton/ This is Item 8.g. that I'm referring to. Wu/ ....in the correspondence, uh (mumbled) um .... she had some things to take care of for, uh, tomorrow, I think couple exams, papers and that sort (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 25 Throgmorton/ Oh yeah! Wu/ ....(both talking) .... but .... uh, the results are .... the correspondence is regarding a survey that was distributed to members of the undergraduate and graduate student government, um, about potential meeting items for the upcoming joint meeting in, uh, 2020. Um, the results were pretty standard, nothing out of the norm. Housing .... by far is the predominant concern. Uh, think couple other health and safety related things, uh, as well as, uh, addressing how to .... um, addressing solutions or items for climate change, so.....um, that's what's contained in that. Information Packet Discussion [December 5, December 121: Throgmorton/ Okay, good deal. Thank you. Any other agenda items? Okay, let's go to the December 5th information packet. Salih/ Uh, Item.....IP3. Throgmorton/ Yep, the .... the memo, uh, from Stefanie Bowers about (both talking) Salih/ Yes .... what a nice colorful report, I love it. I have some question. You know .... uh, first I know this is report, but uh, I ask Geoff also this question. This is just a report or they want the Council, is .... what this report tell us and .... what you want us to do about this? Throgmorton/ Stefanie! Bowers/ So this was an attempt to, um, make it clearer where the City was on racial equity. Um, in the past we've always published a report, but with all the years that we've been collecting the data and publishing it, it probably at least would have been a little under 20 pages if not a little over, and so, um, this year we, urn .... just tried .... tried to make it simpler to .... to let, um, the public know and the Council know where we're at, um, what things we need to improve on, and what things we're making progress in. Salih/ Sure, and .... and when you say like (unable to understand) the bad one, uh Black or African American.... increase by 26%. Do you say like this by or to or .... what is 26% is? Like is it increase by 26% from what we had before or this is now 26%? Bowers/ So the report card is looking at the numbers we had in 2014 and comparing them to the numbers that we had in 2018, which (both talking) Salih/ Okay! Bowers/ .....which are the most recent numbers we have .... to publish. Salih/ I see, but increase by 26. We gonna add it to the one so we can know now how many. No, no.....26, that's increase happening between that time and now. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 26 Bowers/ If you look at 2014, so it's not accumulative. So it's not 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017. It's... the number from 2014 and the number from 2018. Salih/ Okay. Okay. Urn .... this is not question for you but I really wanna.... the number of traffic stop from year to year for black or African American males is not reported. And is not in the police department's annual report. Without having that information, I cannot access (unable to understand) of the traffic stop number on the black drivers. What I meant is, we don't see actual number, how many people did we stop like .... 30 or, I don't know, if. ... if can.... Matherly/ Good evening, Jody Matherly, Police Chief. So I'll give you an example. In 2018, um, we, uh, stopped, uh, for male, African Americans, uh, 1,600 male African Americans. Um, and for white males, um, for traffic stops in 2018 around, uh, 5,000. So that kinda gives you an idea of those numbers. We do, and this is in our annual report, about 12,000 traffic stops per year on average. Urn .... and so those are kinda the numbers we're dealing with. We probably want the females, uh, for African Americans about 700, just over 700 females in 2018 and about 3,500 white females, uh, in 2018, if that helps you with ..... put it in perspective. Um .... and these are raw numbers. These are numbers we keep track of, the number of stops by race, ethnicity, and we report it to Stefanie's office. Dr. Barnum's report is a little more dialed in. It deals with not just, uh, the number of stops itself, but compared to the benchmarks of the numbers on the roads, days, nights. So he indexes that so .... you know, he really drills down a little bit more in the science of how successful or not successful that we are on traffic stops, and as you'll recall last year we had a, um, saw some positive, uh, things in the extreme values for the index for officers that don't have 'ern out in right field that they're six times more likely to stop a black driver than a white driver. That is now peeling back. The median of all our officers has now decreased as well. We saw some success there. But those short-term trends are nice, but I like the fact that Stefanie put out a five-year, hey, what does that look like, and Mayor, you mentioned it several times — trends are what we need to look at, not just year by year successes, but what is the trend. We need to continue to trend this in a positive direction. Um, we've had success with the outcomes, with citations and arrests, uh, from traffic stops arrests, but also overall arrests, as you can see. So we.... we've got some things to celebrate, but we've got a lot of work to do. Cole/ Chief (both talking) Go ahead! Salih/ Speaking about work to do, I know that since you come here been working very hard to produce this kind of number, but do you have, the Police Department have really clear plan or programs or whatever to reduce this number? I really don't like this number. Matherly/ Sure (both talking) Salih/ And increasing is not decreasing. That's really not good for the people that live here. Matherly/ I .... I think it speaks volumes of things that if you're a person of color driving that you're, you know, one and a half times more likely to get stopped than if you're a white This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 27 driver. That's an issue and we .... we understand that, and the officers are starting to understand that as well. Um, I submitted a strategic plan to you last year during Dr. Barnum's, uh, presentation that, you know, we continue to deploy resources in a proper manner. We're, uh, continue with the education, with implicit bias. Matter of fact we're working with the Iowa Chap .... Iowa City Chapter of the NAACP now on another implicit bias training. Um .... and also the, uh, the community policing efforts, we just hired a new person for that, for the outreach assistance, so .... we have the plan in place. It's .... it's gotta be constant. We can't let up off the gas pedal and, uh, we hope to continue to .... to see it move in the right direction. Salih/ Okay, thank you (both talking) Cole/ ....my understanding too that you have gotten rid of the consent search, in terms of. ... you're not doing the consent search any more, which is a key driver that we found with the data. Matherly/ Right, and ... and the good part about that is we never said you absolutely can't do it. Sometimes there's probable cause involved, but what we've trained 'em to do (both talking) fishing expeditions are not successful, and so we, those are almost zero now, the consent searches, which is what we were after, um, so that's.....we've taken some really good steps. Some of those aren't reflected in some of these report cards because they're ....they're numbers that, you know (laughs) they would take hours to talk about, but there's some successes, but this is a great report to .... to remind us we have work to do and to keep the community, uh, informed. Throgmorton/ So, Stefanie and Chief, I like the report card. I wanna get that out very clearly. The previous report, there's just way too much information in it. Hard to process, hard to digest, and so on, so this draws attention to some key factors, that that's the best thing about it. But here's my recommendation, that you, if you haven't already done this, that you ... um, test it .... uh, with other members of the community to see how they respond to the report card. See what kind of questions they ask, see what they don't understand, try to figure out how to fill in the gaps, because I .... I think this could be interpreted in a whole bunch of ways that would not necessarily be good, but still you need to find out, and that means gettin' out and talkin' with diverse members of the community. Matherly/ Channel 7 just, matter of fact, talked to Charlie. Uh, he was on TV regarding this report as was, um, the Johnson County, uh, Neighborhood Centers. And so .... (both talking) Bowers/ And I know the Daily Iowan ran an article and the Press .... I talked with the Press - Citizen today so they should be .... and we have the City Manager's roundtable in January so this was going to be a topic that would be discussed with that group, and the .... the report card is also a....a way for us to kind of set up more of an action plan or goals when we look at the City in terms of racial equity. So I think that was, you know, the intent to .... to map it in a way that was clearer, um, to the Council, to the community, and then This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 28 use it to .... to really begin to focus on what we're trying to achieve with racial equity instead of just kind of being vague. And improving, so.... Mims/ Can I just clarify one thing (both talking) are the .... are the raw numbers that, um, these statis.... that these percentages are coming from, are they in like the police annual report, Police Department annual report? Matherly/ There are some numbers..... the number of drivers is not. The number of traffic stops is in the annual report. You can see it, uh, go back and forth, but (both talking) Mims/ ...by race and gender and (both talking) Matherly/ Uh, no, no, just the number of stops. So we could certainly start adding that, um .... but that ... that's, Dr. Barnum's report (both talking) Mims/ Sure. Matherly/ .....it's on the internet, you know, our web page, and I think that's more dialed in because we use benchmarks instead of just raw numbers (both talking) Mims/ Uh huh. Matherly/ Raw numbers can be misleading..... Mims/ Sure! Matherly/ ...without being put in perspective and have the science behind it, so.... Salih/ But as the Mayor just said, this is great and this is like really a version that everyone can look at it and read it and know the problem without like going to the web site and .... look at the details, and I.....you know who the people who go to web site of the City and like read all those report. Not the people that we want them to see this. That's why I really encourage this report like for me I said 26, ya it's ugly but I really don't know actual number. You know like instead of saying 26, maybe you can still have that 26, but the report just tell me like 500, uh, like white male and I forget the black male how many. Put that! (several talking) Yeah, 1,600! This is most important than you put 26. When you say 1,600, as black male who been a stop and 500 white male (several talking) 5,000 black male, you know, this is .... after that you know people can compare it very easy and can understand the report. You can put both I guess and this is will snake 26 or this is will make, you know. Matherly/ Right, and Stefanie mentions it in the narrative on the memo side, you know, everyone from 18 to 2, it shows a percentage drop, the sampling's so small because there was 18 and, uh, 14, and 2 in 2018, you know, that percentage drop can be misleading so you ....you're right, um, the more information the better. Sometimes it's harder to digest but (both talking) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 29 Bowers/ Yeah, and (both talking) the memo did also, the .... all of the reports for the Human Rights Commission and for also the employee stats are available online for people to .... to, if they wanted to take a closer look at what those actual numbers look like (several talking) Throgmorton/ Okay, this .... this requires a closer look, but I'm conscious of the time and I'm hopin' we can get through the work session agenda before the formal meeting, but.... follow up on this, if you would, with Chief Matherly (both talking) Salih/ ....Jim, I .... I really wanna say something final, but this is something like on the IN and I ask for it, I guess I should deserve to continue even if we can do the work session afterward, but I, what I really believe .... you make me forget even what I want to say. Throgmorton/ (laughs) Salih/ (laughs) ....but just....I warm see those number. Yeah, the web site things! I understand that still, but I tell you I don't go to the web site and all the people who look like me who don't go to the web site and look at things of the City unless I want something. That's why we always say wanna make it inclusive for everyone, if you put it in like small sheet like this, wonderful! I love it, and if you just add more number for the people to understand it, and easy to understand it, it will be great, but this is really great. Thank you very much for doing that. Throgmorton/ (several talking) Thanks, Stefanie. Any other items on the December 5th (both talking) Taylor/ Just real quick, IP2, I wanted to thank Geoff for that information, uh, I really appreciate that. The snow and ice operations, cause I get the most correspondence regarding clearing of the streets, you know, why didn't they plow my street, but with that color graphic and .... and the red/blue'/green, it really showed, you know, where the priorities are and that it will get done, just be patient and .... and so having that actual information to share with, uh, the community members is helpful. Thank you. Throgmorton/ It's quite a map! I'd call it art (several talking) Thomas/ It was really useful to kind of understand the, you know, the nuts and bolts of the system. I .... I, you know, the maps also highlighted for me, you know, the .... the core areas where most of the, uh, infractions are, you know, sightings. So, it's a .... it's a really difficult situation in the core neighborhoods and .... and so one question I wanted to ask, uh, you know, what .... what would be, is there a process by which we could explore the idea of some form of assessment district or something which would, urn .... first of all address the curb cuts, the curb ramps, which are .... I .... I would say an ADA, you know, a complete breakdown of the system at the corners, and then, um, the number of. ... of property owners who do not properly remove snow from their sidewalks is also an issue. So .... in the .... and the enforcement process just drags everything out. Um .... so .... so This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 30 some way of trying to do a .... you know, if. ... if it's possible to consider creation... creating an assessment district, I .... I just wanted to ask if that might be (both talking) Dilkes/ We have the ability to assess the cost, so you're not talking about that (both talking) Thomas/ I'm talking about assessment to pay for, uh, snow removal upfront. Dilkes/ That's a tax. Fruin/ No, and we .... we can't even require the curb ramps. We .... we promote that on our social media and we say please be mindful, please do that, but that's.... that's not the property owner's responsibility. Throgmorton/ I .... I'd suggest if you wanna pursue this further, you .... defer it to a future meeting or bring it back up in one way or another. Can we move to the December 12th packet? Taylor/ Kellie'd probably like us to take care of, uh, IP 10, the KXIC schedule. Throgmorton/ Yeah, Kellie, what is, uh, pre -record for December (both talking) Fruehling/ You have the option to pre -record your (several talking) Throgmorton/ But they'll be on the radio anyhow (several talking) Okay. Well.... Thomas/ I'll volunteer for January 8th. Mims/ I'll take the 15th. Taylor/ I'll take the (several talking) 22nd. Throgmorton/ Pauline said the 22nd. Rockne.... no, Rockne (both talking, laughing) Taylor/ ...cause he won't be here (laughter and several talking) Throgmorton/ How bout the 29th and the 5th? Teague/ I do know our new Councilors might want to (several talking) Maybe can we .... can we do an email? Well I guess we can't all respond. (several talking in background) Taylor/ What do we have so far, Kellie? (several talking) Can you review what we have so far? (several talking) Fruehling/ Right, it's through January 22nd, other than the two holidays. Teague/ So maybe pick it up after ...the 15th is what I would suggest with the new Councilors. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 31 Taylor/ Who was the 15th? Mims/ Iam! Taylor/ Susan! Okay. Thank you, Susan. Throgmorton/ Yeah, I'm sure you'll be able to figure that out .... at our next meeting. Teague/ (both talking) ...to the test right in their first month (laughs) Fruehling/ No takers for the 25th or the 1 st? Taylor/ To pre -record. Throgmorton/ To pre -record for (several talking) Fruin/ We can have staff (several talking) We can have staff fill it if -if you want. (several talking) Fruehling/ Have staff do the 25th? Fruin/ 25th and the 1 st? (several talking) Mims/ I'll take the 1 st. Council updates on assigned boards, commissions, and committees: Throgmorton/ Is that okay with everybody? We'll just.... have it filled through the 22nd and deal with the rest later. Okay, can we move to Council updates? We can (coughing, unable to hear speaker) on assigned boards, commissions, and committees. Start with Pauline, move to the left. Taylor/ I don't have anything. Throgmorton/ Susan? Mims/ I do not either. Throgmorton/ John? Thomas/ Uh, nothing although, um, you know, ICAD, Mark Nolte is, uh, offered his resignation, so he's moving on. Throgmorton/ What do you mean nothing then? (laughs) That's pretty big news. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019. Page 32 Thomas/ I know, but in terms of our meetings, but the .... the organization, uh.... is definitely going through a major shift. Throgmorton/ Okay. Rockne? Cole/ Not too much. I just touched base with John Kenyon about 30 minutes ago and we talked a little bit about, you know, um, when they're gonna learn about the new Councilor that's gonna serve, so other than that I don't have anything else. Throgmorton/ Maz? Salih/ Nothing. Throgmorton/ Bruce? Teague/ Nothin' for committee. Throgmorton/ All right, I'll report one thing about the Convention and Visitors Bureau! They held their annual Bravo Awards event on the 11th of December, and I was enormously pleased to give Brave Awards to three terrific Iowa City people, Angie Jordan from the South District, Joe Tiefenthaler from Film Scene, and Rachel Carson from ICAD. I'm sorry, City of Literature. I made that same mistake at the Bravo Awards event. Rachel Carson, City of Literature. So, it's a real treat to be able to do that. And Partnership for Alcohol Safety is meeting on the 19th of this month. So, that's it for me. I think that means we're done with our work session. Okay, so we'll take a break until our formal meeting at 7:00. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council work session of December 17, 2019.