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2. Proclamations
2.a. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. Day
Teague: (reads proclamation)
Fruehling: Zachary Rochester is here to accept. (applause)
Rochester: Uh, good evening, Mayor Teague and City Councilors. Uh, my name is Zachary
Rochester and on behalf of the Human Rights Commission, it is my honor to
accept the MLK Day proclamation. It has been 57 years since the March on
Washington for jobs and freedom, when over 250,000 people gathered in front of
the Lincoln Memorial in D.C. to draw attention to the continuing challenges and
inequalities faced by African Americans, a century after emancipation. It was also
the occasion of the Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s "I have a dream"
speech. Standing here in front of you in 2020, we all know that in this country, in
this community, we have work to do to address and overcome the inequalities
faced by African Americans. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. believed
that a person's worth should not be measured by their color, culture, or class, but
rather by their commitment to creating a better life for all by living a life of
service for others. The Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.'s dream of racial
equality, understanding, service, and social justice is an inspiration to all of us and
service to others is a bond that unites us and helps us to define a vision achievable
by working for the common good. It is with this in mind that the Iowa City
Human Rights Commission would encourage each of you to join us at Mercer
Park Aquatic Center at 9:00 to (mumbled) to participate in that MLK Day of
service and celebration. Um, for more information on event .... on that event and
other events going on throughout the month in honor of this event, or this holiday,
um, you may visit mlk.uiowa.edu. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Zachary (applause) Looks like you have some people here with you
from the Human Rights Commission. Would .... would you all stand to be
recognized please? Thanks for all the work that you do. (applause)
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8. Community Comment (items not on the agenda)
Teague: This is the time in our meeting where it is community comment and we welcome
individuals from the community to come up and speak on a item that is not on our
formal meeting. We do ask that you keep the .... the comments to five minutes or
less. Thank you!
Jaynes: Hi, my name's Allison Jaynes, Iowa City resident and I'm going to, uh, show a
couple visual aids today. I'm here to talk to you about, uh, the act of killing the
deer in Iowa City. You authorized White Buffalo to come in last year and they've
just finished up one of the rounds of mass killing of deer in Iowa City. And I
wanted to show you some examples of their behavior, how they act, and what
they think of this community, just to give you an idea of what's happening. Uh...
let's see, so first of all one of their kill sites was located within Oakland Cemetery.
Everyone knows this place, it's beautiful, it's serene. A lot of people go there to
relax and to mourn their loved ones. White Buffalo decided to set up a bait site to
kill our deer, within feet of people's gravestones, where they go to enjoy the day
or they go to mourn their loved ones. So this is a picture, in the circle there is
where that bait site was where they set up to attract deer and then .... I'll show you
later how they sit in their truck and wait for the deer to come by and shoot them.
Again, these are hired guns that come from out of state, and they sit there in the
cemetery waiting for deer to walk by and then, uh, from that truck, with a gun
mount, they aim at .... over the tops of gravestones. So you can see right there
they're actually shooting over the tops of gravestones to kill the deer that they can
find that come to eat the bait. Here's the kill site from Hickory Hill, again from a
different angle from within the kill site, and you can see that again it's within feet
of gravestones and the pathways through the cemetery. Um, I think it's incredibly
disrespectful that they set up one of these sites here and just wanted to give
photographic evidence of this. When they come, uh, overnight, they kill the deer,
as many as they can get, within a night, and this is what they leave behind. So
there's areas of blood that has been soaked into the ground. This was just going
there one Sunday, uh, a given Sunday after the killing had taken place and you
could see that out in the sunlight there, and just again, steps from the graves.
There's these blood soaked areas, uh, where they've killed these animals. There's
bits of tissue and flesh left behind. There's blood splattered on the leaves there
and it's just all rather disgusting. Here's a close up of one of the, uh, one of the
killers that ... that is hired. They sit in their truck like this and they just wait for
deer to walk by. These are not honorable hunters. These are not, um, I would say,
uh, men of good repute. They are sitting there and waiting for deer to walk by so
they can shoot them in the head. They're out of state. We've seen license plates
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coming by through these areas from Montana, from Connecticut. They don't
know our city, they don't respect our city, and they certainly don't respect life. I'm
asking you to ask them not to return in February for a second round of mass
killing of our deer. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Allison. And thanks for signin' in. And stating your name.
DeForest: Hi there, my name is Matthew DeForest and I live here in Iowa City. Actually
that's my wife.
Teague: Hello, Matthew!
DeForest: Hi, uh, and uh.... yeah, I, uh, came to the meetings, uh, when this was being
discussed, and I was just really surprised that it was agreed that it was going to
carry on. Uh, this is what I found in Terry Trueblood Park. Uh, this is within
200 -feet of a bait site. Uh, they had shot these deer. Uh, the one on the right has
an obvious, uh, bullet hole in its head. They didn't even collect'em. That was
within six, eight feet of a walking path, and this is in broad daylight, uh, that...
who knows, probably the next day, urn.... but.... so again, this is just the way that
White Buffalo seems to be behaving and, uh, you know, I would just appeal to
your reason. I don't understand how this was approved. Uh.... there was no
science behind it. There is ... it speaks volumes that White Buffalo is the only....
only company or...or organization that does this. And they travel all over the
country. If this was actually an effective method, it would be, uh, a boom
industry, but deer populations are controlled not by shooting every deer.
There's .... if there's deer in Johnson County, they're gonna be in Iowa City. If you
want to shoot them all every year, that'll work but it .... carrying capacity and
eliminating, uh ,food sources; people fencing their yards; not planting things that
attract deer and make them thrive, and have more babies. Uh, when they're killed
like this, they're going to reproduce exponentially. They're gonna .... if they
continue doing this, there's gonna be five times as many deer, in five years, as
there are, you know, when they're done. They.... there's real science behind it and
none of that has been brought up in any of these meetings I've come to. There's
been public comments by people who have degrees in other areas, but there's been
no studies done. The only study of deer population was done by White Buffalo,
who is the only company that shoots deer for a living! It's .... just isn't reasonable.
If there was a, you know, real interest in .... in a sustainable way to deal with the
deer and live with the deer, then that would be money well spent. Hiring people
to come and shoot deer out of the back of their truck ... the only thing missing from
that photo is the six-pack. It's ridiculous. That's Oakland Cemetery! Beautiful
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place. Um .... yeah, so I ... I very much hope that the Council would reconsider, uh,
having them back here. At least take them to task over this sort of behavior. I
mean I wasn't out looking for dead deer. We were out looking to see what was
going on with the bait sites, and it was .... didn't take very long. They shot them
and just left them there. So .... anyway, thank you for your time, and uh, yeah.
Teague: Thank you, Matthew.
Crawford: Mayor, congratulations!
Teague: Thank you!
Crawford: And Council Members. I'm Laurie Crawford from Iowa City. This photo is
really .... I'm kind of out of order. Somebody else is gonna speak to the fact that
they weren't allowed to have salvage tags on the deer that you just saw, for the
reason that they .... there were no antlers to retrieve and that the body wasn't able
to be eaten. This was a deer that died in my yard, and you can see where his
antlers came off. (noise on mic) Oops, excuse me, where the little round thing
was is where his antlers were. They came off a few days before he collapsed in
my yard. This was a bow shot deer, but my point is that I was allowed to have a
salvage tag, and he, urn .... see if I can do this. (mumbled) Okay .... oops! Well I
don't wanna use my time. Anyway, um, he was emaciated. There, in the next
photo, which I can't show you right now, um, you can see the infection and it took
him .... thank you .... about six weeks to, uh, die after he was shot by the arrow, but
again my point is the salvage tag was permitted. Um, the second point I wanna
make is (mumbled) There it is, yeah, yeah! So you can see how emaciated he
was in that. Still I was allowed a salvage tag. I'm concerned about, um, the
secrecy and the limited involvement by the Iowa City Police Department. I
consider these to be safety issues. Public safety issues. I was told the City doesn't
have a list of private property where deer are being baited and shot. I consider
this to be a public safety issue. The City thought it was important enough to list
for us the parks, the cemeteries, and University of Iowa listed areas where the
deer were going to be killed, but we aren't allowed to know the private properties.
I'm wondering if public safety only matters on public property and University of
Iowa, or whether we have concerns also on private property. I'm also concerned
that tax...about, I don't know the answer to this, but if taxpayer money is being
used for the sharpshooting on private property. I think we have a right to know
where that's occurring. I think the City should know and I think the citizens
should be permitted to know. As far as .... I've been told Iowa City Police
Department isn't supervising the people that are using the weapons inside city
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limits. I was told that they were told every day where White Buffalo's going to be
doing the killing. They're told the general vicinity. They aren't even told specific
areas. So I don't know how the police can police these people if they don't know
where they are. The City also has no knowledge of the names of the people who
are hunting, killing I should say. They don't know their background checks. They
don't know if they've, um, done proficiency testing, yet these people are free to
bring weapons and use them in our parks, cemetery, and neighborhoods. A felon
was permitted to hunt in Cedar Rapids because he wasn't properly vetted. He was
removed from the hunt when I reported him. We have shooters moving freely
into our parks, cemetery, and neighborhoods without police supervision. That
seems very concerning to me from a public safety issue. My third point is...
killing in parks is going to drive deer more into residential areas. So I predict
that you're going to be getting even more complaints from people about deer in
neighborhoods. Early on I suggested that we set aside parks and green areas as
safe places for deer to reside. As a way to move them out of residential areas. So
the step that we're making right now .... I predict will move them back into
residential areas. That's all I have. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Laurie.
Kendrick: Hi, Lori Kendrick. Congratulations, Mayor Teague!
Teague: Thank you! Good to see you, Laurie.
Kendrick: Yeah. So, as you can tell the consensus among the ... animal welfare people is that
DeNicola, um, shot deer at Terry Trueblood and left'em there. From the
beginning, I have .... if there was gonna be deer killed, I stood firm that I would
rather have them sharpshot than bow hunted. So my knee-jerk response, when the
deer were found on the weekend of the 7th .... of December.... was that it wasn't
DeNicola's deer. So I called the Iowa City PD and of course they wanted to go
retrieve the deer, and I said not until we're there with you, because I ... at this point
we don't trust the officials. Everything's been done with a lack of transparency.
Everything has been to protect the killing of the deer, to not be fair for the people
that are concerned, that are just wanting to .... to know what's going on with this
project. And furthermore, what's going to happen when bow hunters come in?
So, it was a week before we could get out there with the Police Department, to
retrieve the deer. At that point they bagged the deer up and them'em to Animal
Control. Immediately I requested salvage tags, for those two deer. I was told by
Erika Billerbeck, with the DNR, that yes I could have tags as soon as they were
finished with the investigation. So I called back daily and nobody knew what was
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going on. Then Erica said, no, Iowa City PD would issue the tags, so I contacted
them, talked to Bill.... Campbell. He said, no .... um, Sheriffs Department. Called
Johnson County Sheriffs Department. I talked with Sheriff Adolph. Now that's
DNR. So I was right back full cil... full circle to Erica. And she said, well, we're
still trying to figure out what happened there, but as soon as it's.... everything's
settled, you know, you're the first po... person we'll contact. Yes you can get tags.
So I kept calling..... and ended up.....that the DNR picked the deer up, from
Animal Control, and decided, oh, they're so decomposed at this point, there's
nothing to salvage, so no we're not going to issue you salvage tags. Furthermore
we have no idea whether the deer were shot or not. If they were shot, maybe
somebody else shot them and brought them into Terry Trueblood, and the entire
thing is a fiasco that nobody knows what happened to those two deer, where it
happened, when it happened, why it happened, how it happened. And this is a
supposedly tightly organized, professional project. So what's gonna happen when
we have amateur bow hunters.....just everywhere in town! An 18 -year-old can go
buy a bow and arrow, and go pay his ticket to kill a deer. He can't drink a beer
when he's done to celebrate it. Why? What's going on here? And why .... is it
being so protected? Why don't we know.....what happened? We don't deserve
that? And private property hostas are more important...... than a family on a .... on
a fun outing .... to see nature at Terry Trueblood or Hickory Hill, or a loved one at
the cemetery, to visit their deceased loved one? We don't get a trigger warning.
Splattered blood! Guts! We don't get that. We don't have that benefit! But that's
what we get to deal with? So that somebody's hostas are protected. Please
reconsider.
Teague: Thank you, Laurie.
Rocco: Hi, my name's Carol Rocco. I .... live in Iowa City. I'm not a public speaker.
Uh.... I wanted to comment. I was with Allison and Laurie at Terry Trueblood on
the 21 st, when we went out to see those deer. And, uh, the one on the east side of
the trail had been decomposed, but you could see that there was an entry wound
on its back. The one on the west side of the trail that was by the river, uh.... you
could see that there was a bullet hole underneath its right eye, and when the, uh,
police officers came out, um, I believe they recognized that. We .... we talked with
them about that, um, and uh.... it was a clean .... you could see it, you could see the
exit, uh, excuse me, the exit wound. Uh.... I find this, uh, whole thing completely
emotional and I .... don't understand why it's happening, and uh.... I don't believe
that this is serving the public. I believe this is serving a special interest group and
I hope you, uh, reconsider. Thank you.
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Teague:
Ross:
Teague:
Ross:
Teague:
Ross:
Teague
Thank you, Carol.
Uh, good evening, Council.
Good evening.
Mayor Teague, uh....
Hello, Brandon.
And, uh, welcome new Councilors. Uh, you certainly have big shoes to fill. Uh, I
believe Jim Throgmorton had size 12 (laughter) and Rockne Cole I think was
about a 14 (laughter) so, good luck!
Please state your name for the record, please.
Ross: Brandon Ross, uh, yeah! I'm here at the beginning of the year to, uh, to propose
that the City focus, and focus hard, on a couple of issues that I .... I feel are major.
They're national, they're global. Uh, one is, uh, naturally global warming and, uh,
the other, uh, is equality, uh, which I think should be a major thing in the
forefront, uh, of our city, and uh, I had a friend who is in nursing school, and he's
been going to nursing school and he lives out of his van, and I said why you living
in your van? He says, well (laughs) he said Iowa City is unaffordable, and I think
that affordable housing should be a major thing that we should focus on for this
year. So, uh, global warming, I mean we hear this every .... every day we've got
things. We've got to move faster than we're moving. We are doing things in the
city, but we have to go faster because it's coming faster. I would say a couple of
other things, uh, you know, Adam Smith is considered the father of, uh, of uh,
capitalistic economics, and he believed that if there could be a free market that
there should be a free market that was free of,uh, of monopolies and, uh, also ... of
landlordism. Now I didn't believe that there'd be zero landlords but, you know,
you .... he thought that that would go by the wayside. And I think that in our ...our
town, uh, landlordism is.....is something that has to be dealt with. And, uh, I
think that .... if you are a capitalist or a socialist or something else, I think it's....
it's somethin' that we know. Um ... he also used this expression once in the ... his
book Wealth of Nations, which was the invisible hand. Uh, which is
often....abused by economists who believe that the invisible hand meant that just
let the market do everything, everything'd be cool, but he didn't mean that. Uh,
what he meant was that when the market failed, as it would probably do. He
didn't think it'd be perfect. Then provisions would be made for the poor and the
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aged and the handicapped and the injured, and that there had to be an agency for
that. And that agency is you. And the rest of us, uh, so that he believed strongly,
uh, that a government would be in place, uh, not just everybody just goes wild.
So again .... and I would just in the same, uh, vein, I would mention that, uh,
another great economist, Karl Polanyi, who wrote the book, uh, Tke Great
Transformation, had said that if everything is in the market, even the
environment. If the environment is commodified, as to make something that can
be bought and sold, he said eventually the environment will be destroyed. He
wrote this in the 1930s. So ... I would say to the City Council .... uh, to focus on
these two areas. One is the equality, and helping people who are working class,
poor, uh, who may be older, uh, artists, uh, I spoke to a friend in San Francisco
and he told me that the music scene was dead there. And I said why is the music
scene dead, and he said because the landlords ate it. Okay? We have festivals
here, which is great for the middle class and everybody, but do we take care of the
artists on the ground and provide affordability so that they can create and have
expendable time and expendable energy, and expendable money! So .... I bring
these points up, uh, because I think the Council has a job to be a buffer between
capital, which is always bearing down. Capitalists want you to do what they
want. They want to build buildings. They wanna make money. They wanna do
everything, and the people who make up the vast majority here, and as I look
here, I wanna say this is really something that we have five women on the
Council! And two men! And I believe that's the first time that's ever happened
here, and I just wanna congratulate you, and the City, for .... for having this, and I
really believe that women, uh, are great communicators, better than men. I
(mumbled) think that in the police force, the women should be the only ones to
have the guns. The only ones, and the men should not have the guns. They
should work on their communication skills. So I just wanna say, welcome to the
Council, 2020, let's have a great year and, uh, yeah! Work on inequality and
global warming issues. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Brandon.
Fixmer-Oraiz: Hello, Council. (clears throat) Um, my name is Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz and I had
correspondence in your packet, but I thought I would just read it, if that's okay.
Teague: Will you please sign in?
Fixmer-Oraiz: I will, yes.
Teague: Awesome! Thank you, Vanessa.
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Fixmer-Oraiz: Okay, so my name is Vanessa Fixmer-Oraiz. I'm going by V these days, but I'll
state that for the record. Um .... so I'm chair of the Housing and Community
Development Commission, and uh, I've been really honored to be in that position.
I've really enjoyed the Commission. Um, and I just wanted to read this letter, so,
uh, I'm just going to read it! So, Dear Council Members, I'm writing this letter as
a narrative companion to the memo sent .... staff sent regarding our request to a
joint meeting. As you know, the Housing & Community Development
Commission, HCDC, has been working with staff and agency representatives on
reevaluating and adjusting the Aid to Agencies funding process over the course of
the last year and a half. We are striving for three goals. One, to adequately and
consistently fund our human resource agencies. Two, to provide a clear,
transparent, and fair application and selection process. Three, to align City
Council's goals and the City STEPS consolidated plan with the funded services
our human resource agencies provide. In the recent memo sent by staff, you'll
know that there have been a range of budget requests from the Agency Impact
Coalition, AIC, which I think several of you are familiar with, um, all of the
organizations have come together, most of them have. Um, please note that these
must be taken within context, these numbers. Uh, this past summer and fall, uh, I
was fortunate to be able to attend two meetings held by the City Manager and his
staff, and AIC representatives. Um, and during the course of the dis... these
discussions, a variety of factors were discussed, such as the larger timeline and
budget the City works within, and the budgeting process for each department,
which was very helpful. The AIC representatives were able to voice challenges
that specific agencies are facing, such as a growing at -risk population and
disinvestment from state and federal funding sources. While these meetings were
enlightening and informative, one issue has loomed large and remains — how
much funding is enough? Something you're probably familiar with. The AIC
includes several agencies, and they have worked hard to ensure that each agency
is accurately representing what they need. Much like any budgeting process, this
negotiation period requires a bit of back and forth between agencies, and
communication with City staff, and the Commission. Hence, the HCDC does
support the final budget number that the AIC requested at our last, December
19th, meeting of $675,000. Um ..... I would also like to remark on the person-to-
person relationships that the Commission has been fortunate to build with our
human resource agencies. Several times this year we have .... we have
experienced people in the room talking about valuing our agencies, beyond the
numbers and budgetary figures we encounter every year. These people, our
people, are providing essential services by saving lives, creating more dignity in
our town, and making Iowa City, and Johnson County, the vibrant, equitable, and
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diverse place we all want it to be, and for this we are filled with gratitude. I am
deeply appreciative of the work that City staff and City Council Members have
invested and provi.... and improving the Aid to Agency process and funding
source,and the Commission looks forward to discussing this at your earliest
convenience, which I hope to have that discussion later this month, um, our ...at
your earliest convenience. So .... thank you, and um.....and congratulations again,
everybody, on there.
Teague: Thank you. This was a part of our .... V, this was a part of our consent calendar.
In earlier discussions with Council, um, we have agreed to meet with HCDC, so
thank you.
Fixmer-Oraiz: Thank you.
Alter: This is impromptu, but what the hell!
Teague: You'll have to state your name! (laughs)
Alter: Hi there, my name is Megan Alter, and congratulations to everybody at the 2020
Council. Very excited for this, for you all. Um, I just want to take this
opportunity, both as a member of the HCDC and then also the South District
Neighborhood Association, to um, put forth a general comment and a general plea
that, um, Council .... and the various commissions attend to the needs of the South
District. It's a vibrant place. It could use more support, and especially with the
news of Amazon coming in, I think that there is real opportunity for, um,
neighborhood betterment and community building that can really help the existing
residents, as well as people who are going to be coming to work there, as well.
Um, there still is a retail desert there. Um, even while we do have grocery stores,
there needs to be better transportation. There's going to be many people who are
going to need to get out to the warehouse, right, who may not have a car. As we
are also trying to figure out climate change action, we don't necessarily want a lot
of cars up and down. Amazon as it is is going to be creating some more of that
vehicular traffic. So I just encourage Council to sort of think of this holistically. I
know that through budget discussion there's been a lot on looking at the whole
picture, and so I just want to remind and ask Council to consider the South
District as a part of that, um, because I think that there are some very key ways
that helping bolster that area of town can really further your strategic plan. Thank
you.
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Teague: Thanks, Megan. Seein' there is no one else.....all right, we're gonna end public
comment.
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9. Planning and Zoning Matters
9.a. Rezoning American Legion Road - Ordinance conditionally rezoning
approximately 35.29 acres of land located north of American Legion Road
and east of Eastbrook Street from County Residential (R) zone to Interim
Development - Single Family Residential (ID -RS) zone. (REZ19-09) (Second
Consideration)
Teague: Could I have a motion to, um, give second consideration?
Mims: So moved.
Thomas: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Discussion?
Mims: Just reminder, maybe to our new Councilors and to the public that this is just to an
interim development, um, so it'll have to come back again for another rezoning,
uh, before anything is actually built out there.
Teague: Roll call please.
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10. Spruce Street Water Main Replacement - Resolution approving the project
manual and estimate of cost for the construction of the Spruce Street Water
Main Replacement Construction Project, establishing amount of bid security
to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to bidders, and
fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) (laughter, talking in
background)
Welter: Joe Welter. I'm with the Engineering Division, and uh, have a short presentation
on this project. Uh, which is to occur on, uh, Spruce Street, over by, uh,
Sycamore Mall. Uh, the intention is to replace existing six-inch, uh, cast iron,
um, pipe with a new eight -inch PVC pipe. It's about 900 linear feet of pipe. The
existing pipe is 1950s and 1960s pipe. It has a history of breaks. Uh, we are
using trenchless methods to, um, limit the amount of surface, uh, dis...
disturbances so there'll primarily be, uh, three pits along .... along the way and
most of the rest of the way will be done, uh, with smaller connections of the 23
houses that are served by this. Um .... the new services will go through the .... the
right-of-way, so up .... up to the edge of the right-of-way, the .... each of the 23
services will be replaced. Uh, new ADA -compliant ramps'll be put in on the west
side, uh, the project's on the west side of Spruce Street primarily and so that ... that
area'Il be getting new ADA -compliant curb ramps. You can see the, uh, general
schedule that we're doing here. So, um, we intend to open bids with the Council's
approval of the project manual tonight. We intend to open bids at the end of
January. Start construction at the beginning of March. Have a substantial
completion date at the end of April, and a final completion date at the end of May.
That corresponds, end of May, corresponds with the seeding deadline. Um, the
opinion of cost if roughly $280,000. And for those that are in the public that are
interested, uh, the, um ... design was done by Watersmith Engineering out of
Muscatine. Uh, Brad Roth is the president of that company. His contact
information is up there. My conta... tact information's also up there. Any
questions for me?
Salih: You know how long this project will be going on, until it done?
Welter: How long the construction will be?
Salih: Uh huh.
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Welter: Yeah, basically beginning of March until end of May.
Salih: Okay, and is this gonna interrupt the service for the residents around the area or
how this work?
Welter: So we have, uh, we have the westbound lane will be closed. Uh, the eastbound
lane, uh... will....will still be open and allow access, local access, for the residents.
There will be detours, um, actually do have a slide on that. There will be detours
around, um, using, uh, Friendly, Pine, and Deforest for .... for residents to get
around that. Sycamore Street is right there on the east side of this as well.
Salih: Sure. Okay. Thanks!
Teague: Thanks, Joe. Anyone else from the public who would like to address this topic?
Seeing there is no one I'm going to close the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
2. Consider a Resolution
Mims: Move the resolution.
Thomas: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by.....Thomas. Discussion? Roll call please.
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11. McCollister Boulevard — Gilbert Street to Sycamore Street Improvement —
Resolution approving project manual and estimate of cost for the
construction of the McCollister Boulevard Extension Project, establishing
amount of bid security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post
notice to bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel)
Clow: (speaking away from mic)
Teague: Can you repeat louder please?
Clow: Um, I'm Melissa Clow, I'm with the Engineering Division.
Teague: Hello! Welcome!
Clow: (talking in background) There we go! Um .... I'm working on the McCollister
Boulevard extension project with the Engineering Division. Again my name's
Melissa Clow. Um .... this is a quick overall, um, aerial of the project. It will
include new construction from Covered Wagon Drive to the existing Sycamore
Street roundabout. Traffic signal installation will occur at the intersection of
South Gilbert and McCollister. Um, improvements include new sewer, water
main, fiber, and street lighting to serve future development. Um, street lighting,
permanent street lighting will occur at Covered Wagon, as well as at the future
Russell and Armstrong intersections, and improvements at the Sycamore
roundabout. We have two twin .... twin culverts installed to provide drainage, um,
through the existing property. And then a 10 -foot wide sidewalk on the south that
will connect the regional trail network. Um, up here's a typical section. We have
a 100 -foot right-of-way with the addition of a 20 -foot center median. This
median was added, uh, based on conversations with the consultant that's working
on the form based code for the South District. We have 11 -foot vehicular travel
lanes with potential for future street parking when development occurs. We have
a six-foot bicycle lane between the travel lanes and the future street parking. A
six-foot sidewalk on the north, and the previously mentioned 10 -foot sidewalk on
the south. Trees will be planted with the project in the median, and in the
parkway they will be planted at the time of development. Here's the planned
view. Um, we're developing full intersections at Armstrong and Russell for future
connections during, urn .... during further development .... of the property. Um....
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we have future right-of-ways shown. Um, you can see it over on the right. For
future right in/right out neighborhood connections. Water and sewer connections
at these.... full intersections will be extended to the right-of-way for an easy
connection during development. And then the future parking areas are also
dashed on the north and the south, and they will be located between the storm
sewer intakes so those will act sort of as bump -outs and buffers. Um .... we also
have a field fence at the request of the property owner to the south that will be
installed at that right-of-way. For phasing, we'll construct in two phasing plans.
We'll begin at the east with the new construction on McCollister, from Covered
Wagon towards Sycamore. Um .... starting in June we'll have a complete closure
between Gilbert Street and Covered Wagon. Uh, we have the existing roadway
out there, um, about a third of it has some cracked panels that we will be
replacing, and .... we will be taking advantage of that closer.... closure to connect
to the existing, expand, um, out to out new section. Pedestrian, vehicular detour
will be provided at the time. And then as far as estimated cost, um, construction
cost is about $4.3 million, for a total cost of, um, just under 5.2. Um, the
schedule, uh, spend and design for a little while. We had anticipated construction
Us past summer, but due to the South District form based code, we revised that
section and worked with that consultant. Um .... we're completed with acquisition
and our bid letting will be at the end of this month, with construction beginning in
April, through the end of November. Do you have any questions?
Teague: Thank you, Melissa. Is there anyone else that would like to address this topic?
Seein' there is none I'm gonna close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I get
a motion to approve the resolution?
2. Consider an Ordinance
Salih: Move to approve.
Bergus: Seconded.
Teague: Moved by Salih, seconded by Bergus. Discussion?
Taylor: I was a little surprised to see the mention of the traffic signal at Gilbert Street.
I ... I know we just recently, uh, not too long ago, put the four-way stops there,
which seems to have helped to control the traffic. Has there been issues or is
there a reason we would go to signals then?
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Frain: (mumbled) ....we put the stop signs in as a interim measure. There were some
concerns .... we had a rezoning proposal there a few years ago that failed, and
there were some concerns raised during that rezoning about traffic controls there,
and we had mentioned that this project was coming up with, um, the prospect of
signals, but uh, the Council and public didn't want to wait that long. So we put
the stop signs in (both talking) interim measure.
Taylor: Right, right. Okay.
Thomas: Well we had a letter earlier this evening from a resident on Langenberg, so this
........this really is going to be the ... the remedy to the, um, the through traffic
that's currently running through on Langenberg. So I think we're all looking
forward to seeing, uh, construction of McCollister. So this is a major step, and
um (clears throat) this extension will be kind of the .... one of the main corridors
running through the South District, with, uh, mixed-use proposed, uh, at the
corner of McCollister and Sycamore. So that's.... that's part of the form based
code concept of creating a .... a neighborhood commercial center, uh, in a .... in that
way that we often like them, which would be more kind of pedestrian -oriented.
So .... uh.....I'm looking forward to seeing this project completed and then the
eventual development following the form based code that it will serve.
Mims: I think the community's waited a long time for this. I'm ... I'm not convinced it's
going to be — I wish — it was going to be the solution to Langenberg, but I think
with the .... when this was presented as an arterial street, and it going more to, um,
a collector type thing with 25 -mile -an -hour speed limit, I'm .... I'm not convinced
it's going to be the solution. I'm concerned we're going to continue to see the
problems with Langenberg, cause it's going to be a little bit more direct route to
where people are going on some of the east side, so .... but that's what the
Council's decided, so we'll see.
Teague: Any other discussion? Roll call please.
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12. Repeal Rental Permit Moratorium - Ordinance repealing Ordinance No. 19-
4793, a temporary moratorium on new rental permits for single-family and
duplex units. (First Consideration)
Salih: Move.
Mims: Second.
Teague: Moved by....
Salih: Salih!
Teague: Salih, seconded by Mims (laughs) Discussion?
Thomas: Did you wanna have any ...allow for public comment? (talking in background)
Teague: Um, we can do public comment. So I'm gonna open public comment.
Mims: It's not a public hearing.
Teague: Oh, just public comment, all right.
Ayati: Um, my name is Bruce Ayati. (mumbled).... Iowa City. Uh.... so I spoke last time
a little bit more about my, uh, specific situation and, uh, we're .... we're still
workin' on that. Uh, I was hoping to make some, uh, general comments
(mumbled) feedback from my perspective on how things went. Uh, the, um....
first is when I look at my neighborhood. It wasn't placed there, uh, by some deity
that we all happen to stumble in with like a forest or whatnot. Uh, it was built up
over time by little people doing little things. And that's why even compared to
newer developments that aim to mimic it, say like a Peninsula neighborhood,
doesn't capture the essence oi... of that, uh, of this community, and of the, uh....
uh, urban layout. Um, we have stately homes, uh, in close proximity to much
more modest homes, and those all occurred because of, uh, a much more organic
process, and that came about, as I, you know, as I said by little people doing little
things and taking care of that neighborhood in which they live. Uh, the .... uh,
ordinance, uh.... that are being developed to address some, you know, legitimately
serious concerns, uh, I'm afraid have the, uh.... uh, effect of a spider web in which,
uh, little things get caught, and all the big things get through. Uh, you have
individuals who, uh, or entities, who have, uh..... um.....work on a full-time can
get around the ordinances, and if they can't, they can hire a lawyer. If that doesn't
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work they have the ear of the legislature. And that, uh, a very preventive defense -
only approach, I'm afraid, is not going to keep, uh, my neighborhood as vibrant as
it can. You really, I think .... need people who, uh, for whatever reason developed
a deep affection for the place and want to put their own resources and their own
energies, uh, towards that, and so when you, uh.... uh, consider your regulatory
systems, uh, to keep .... keep that in mind, uh, cause I'm not sure (mumbled) You
see a problem, I've been there in my own line of work, uh, and you hyper -focus
on something and that issue becomes .... and that example becomes dominant all,
you know, so sort of a one -size -fits -all. Um, in terms of things that are, uh, a little
bit more concrete, one of the remedies was the, uh, parking, and I understand
where that comes from. But I think it's an example of, uh.....uh, the kind of
homogenization in terms of your .... your mental model of the neighborhood.
Uh..... even compare, you know, if I go into .... I .... I'm a, I have a dog, you know,
walk my dog, drive through the Peninsula neighborhood, despite the efforts of
the, uh, developer to create diversity in the housing in that area, uh, lot
configurations are very standardized. They're very FHA oriented. In the
Northside neighborhood, these lot configurations are not homogenized. And so
you can go in, you can say, well, we're going to put a limitation — nine -feet here,
nine -feet there, four -feet here, whatever, and that's wonderful, you know, for the
most part it'll work, but it'll cause perhaps problems that a, uh....more
straightforward solution might not. Or maybe, and even with straightforward
solutions you have hidden assumptions. You have to think of that. In my own
field, I'm a mathematician, uh, we refer to things as 'elegant solutions,' uh,
computer scientists have the same notion. In this case, uh, there's something that,
you know, various new urbanists here and there like to use, uh, parking
maximums. It strikes me that a parking maximum would have gotten to the
(mumbled) of the issue. When I read the descriptions, the issue was, oh my God,
we have five cars here, four cars here, six cars here. Well, if underlying, if the
problem was that there's too many cars in people's front yards. You say, well,
don't park five cars (mumbled) only park two on your front yard, and ... will there
be situations where people really shouldn't even have two on their front yard?
Well yeah, but I think you've now cut down on the number of egregious issues,
small enough, and you have a regulation that isn't going to cause problems for
individuals whose lot configurations are not, uh, like what's modeled in your head
when you wrote that, uh, ordinance. Uh, so again, I hope you vote to repeal, so
that those of us tryin' to, uh, invest in our neighborhoods can go forward and do
so, um, but also as you go forward with these, uh, regulatory structures, to think
about the effect on people whose full-time job is not to figure out how to get
around 'em, but rather are trying to do the best they can within the rules. Thank
you.
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Teague: Thank you.
Carlson: Good evening, I'm Nancy Carlson. I live at 1002 E. Jefferson. And I'm not very
good at getting these labels off (laughs) Good evening. I am asking that you
limit the number of bedrooms in single-family detached houses to four in the
RNS-12 zone. This is the number allowed in single-family attached houses and in
duplexes. Although apartment buildings can no longer be built in our
neighborhood, I call attention to the fact that where they are allowed, three
bedrooms is the limit per unit. Regulating the number of bedrooms seems to be a
normal occurrence. We have experienced a lot of redevelopment in our
neighborhood. I call your attention to the map that I have given to you, which
details many ways of increasing density while being compatible with the
structures and densities in our neighborhood. As all other types of rental units
have a limit on the number of bedrooms allowed, I don't believe asking for a limit
of four bedrooms for single-family detached houses is unreasonable. Instead it
helps provide a playing field that both the developer and the neighborhood
understand and respect. Please support placing limits of four bedrooms for
single-family detached houses in our neighborhood. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Nancy. Council discussion?
Mims: Well I'm going to support lifting the moratorium. I think our original, um, intent
was to have the moratorium until, uh, staff had had an opportunity to come back
to us with any solutions or new regulations or iss.... you know, changes that we
could make, that's been done. Um, I think at the original time, I know at least a
couple Council Members wanted the moratorium only six months and staff, I
think, wanted 10, and we compromised at eight. Um .... we don't have anything
before us at the moment that will make a regulatory change within the next few
weeks and so I think we should follow that initial direction, and that is to end the
moratorium now that we don't have anything.... imminent in terms of changes.
Salih: Yes, I thinks, you know, if we talk about rental cap itself it bein' done by the City
and the Council to do this, but since last spring, you know, the City has been
prohibiting from (unable to understand) and also we did this so the .... the City can
come up with a solution to help everyone, but the ... last time I encourage to defer
it because people still like, uh, come to me and send me emails and saying that
there is some solution, we have to look into it, and I said people will come up
with like really solution for this and we give them the chance. I .... I just see that
the City now try to do a lot of thing, from the radon testing to the single-family
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site development. I .... I think (unable to understand) and all this, this is will help,
uh, reduce, uh, you know, the fear for the people, but I .... I just think that it is time
and I will go ahead and support the (mumbled)
Thomas: Well I just wanna try to briefly summarize, you know, what took place since we
started listening and hearing this issue. Um .... back in December, for the new
Councilors, I did prepare a, uh, memo to the Council, uh, suggesting in a sense
what I think Bruce was referring to, the notion that .... as I began to look at it more
deeply, it seemed to me that trying to rely simply on regulatory frameworks to
achieve the outcome we were after was not going to accomplish our goal. Uh,
trying to prevent, in other words, something from happening rather than .... what,
and what I tried to explore in the memo was how can we promote what we want?
What is it .... what is it we want? What are the obstacles to achieving it?
And ... and trying to develop a more comprehensive program ... to that end, which
may include, and I suspect would have to include more than reg .... a regulatory
framework. And so that was the (mumbled) of the memo and I hope ... you know,
Laura, you and Janice have an opportunity to look at it. I still believe that if you
look at any neighborhood revitalization program in historic neighborhoods, they
typically have an array of features to them, to try to promote that revitalization.
Um .... in the last couple of weeks I did reach out to, um, Bruce. Didn't make
contact with Bruce, he was out of town. Um .... but, urn .... I also talked with
Thomas and .... and you know, I .... I ..... I'm hoping we are the potential impacts
on .... on Bruce and Thomas, uh, will be resolved over the next month. The, you
know, I will be supporting this tonight. Um .... but I did in the, uh, interim look at
the codes for Ames and Cedar Falls, which are the two kind of equivalent. Um,
meet with staff to discuss them. Uh.... it is interesting to note that both those
cities have ordinances which have a more .... a greater restriction on the level of
occupancy. However, the issue ... is that Eleanor feels that those ordinances have
some cone .... she has some concerns with'em, which she expressed, uh, at one of
our more recent meetings. So, you know, we are .... we are in a situation where we
will be without what conventionally in university towns are the two methods of
controlling, uh, the degree to which neighborhoods have student rentals, and those
would be the occupancy caps, which we had in the past that were then replaced by
the percentage cap. So those are typically how, uh, some measure of control is
exercised. We don't have either. Unt .... and so my concern was with 938 E.
Jefferson that, you know, the .... the fine-tuning and changes to the regulatory
framework that we're working with had not .... in the end.... resulted in a situation
where we weren't seeing high occupancy. Uh, in this case high occupancy
addition. So ... so as I said, I will be, um, supporting this. I still have concerns
about what might happen. Um .... uh, you know it's .... there I think staff and I
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were .... uh, had .... had different views as to what might happen. Um, as far as I
can see there .... we just don't know and we'll have to, you know, I .... I would ask
that we monitor this situation. Um .... uh, because it is a fragile one, and uh, I .... I
think we just need to see how current.....current controls we have in place, how
effective they are. Um .... and.....respond as necessary to what we see happens
out, you know, in the future. Um, but for now I'm in support of, you know,
repealing the moratorium.
Taylor: I was originally not in support of repealing. As I said we set a date of March and
we should stick to it, but now so much time has passed and by the time we get
through the readings on this it will practically almost be March. So I will be in
favor of going ahead and repealing it. Uh, to John's credit, I believe he did offer
some suggestions and offered some very good suggestions and I respect his urban
planning background and the research he's done on this. Uh, obviously
controlling rental numbers is, uh, something that deserves ongoing discussion, uh,
by the Council and uh, we'll have to continue, uh, getting thoughts on .... on this
issue, but I .... I will be in favor of repealing it.
Weiner: I think our hands have been tied to some extent. Um, I really applaud staff for all
they have done to .... to really attempt to get a grip on this situation. Um, I .... I
applaud you, John, for what you have .... what you've brought forward. I agree
that we need to, that we should repeal it for now, and keep a close look and see
then what can develop in the future.
Bergus: One thing that's been apparent to me watching this process from the outside is that
I think staff and Council are on the same page, um, with the majority of the
neighborhood as to what we want to have happen, and so being able to be
proactive on the things that we can influence and control, I think, is really
important and when we're faced with something, uh, that isn't, you know, helpful
to or is harmful to particular property owners, and we have the data from staff
showing how other regulatory changes that we've already implemented seem to be
improving the situation, I'm in favor of repealing the mor.... moratorium also.
Teague: I am as well, and I think, um.....to all the residents within this community that has
voiced concerns for us to hold this, I think many of them understand where we are
as a Council and ... and our inability to, um.....to really create, uh, some things that
can meet some of their needs, but this really is about the neighborhood and
preservin' it to be a neighborhood, and also ensurin' that everybody is welcomed
in this neighborhood. Um, home owners, uh, renters, uh, they do include students
and so I think that's very important for us, you know, to kinda state and ... um, the,
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everyone within this neighborhood is, uh, is welcome. There's some things along
the way that I think, um, may become a burden in the neighborhood and that we're
going to be faced with and I think that's the time when come together, let us talk
about it, let us figure out ways to, um, create a solution in the moment. I do
applaud John for his work, uh, and his research in bringin' items to Council, uh,
for us to consider. I would say, you know, don't stop now. Let's continue to figure
out, uh, some things that we can do as a Council, um, and it doesn't have to be
regulatory, you know, it can be somethin' different that we can even, you know,
begin to just, um, as a concept to those developers or those landlords or even
home owners, um, to consider when they're purchasin' properties in that
community. So I will vote to .... re .... repeal this tonight.
Thomas: I .... I just wanna add by (clears throat) thanking all the, uh, yeah, um .... those who
gave their thoughts on this to Nancy. Nancy's been (clears throat) working in the,
her neighborhood for 40 years, trying to preserve its character. Um, so thank you
to Nancy. Sara, uh, Barron, I also wanted to thank her for meeting with me to talk
about strategy .... the strategies for how we can view the core neighborhoods as an
opportunity for affordable housing. Um, I .... I ...... I reached out to the Affordable
Housing Coalition years ago and I think Sara was really, took it very seriously,
and um, you know, I .... I really appreciate the support of the .... the board, uh, the
Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition for, uh, supporting the .... the effort
to try to, uh.... pro.....provide ways for affordable housing to happen in the central
neighborhoods.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion to accept correspondence.
Mims: So moved.
Salih: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Salih. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion
passes.
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13. Approval of the 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan Resolution adopting Iowa
City's 2021-2025 Consolidated Plan (known as City Steps 2025 ), authorizing
the City Manager to submit said plan, technical corrections, and all
necessary certifications to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban
Development, and designating the City Manager as the authorized Chief
Executive Officer for the Consolidated Plan.
Teague: Could I get a motion to move .... to approve this?
Mims: So moved.
Weiner: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by .... Weiner. All right! Discussion?
Hightshoe: Tracy Hightshoe with Neighborhood and Development Services. I am the JV
tonight. Our neighborhood services coordinator had this presentation prepared.
(mumbled) home with flu so you got me! (laughs) Um, if there's anything I can't
answer, I will get that information back to you. Um, but Erica was great. She
prepared this before she left (laughs) so .... um, our consolidated plan for housing,
jobs, and services for low to moderate -income folks, we call it City STEPS, is a
five-year plan. It's how we allocate our federal funds. We estimate about $1.1
million a year. Those funds have to be primarily used for people under 80% of
median income, or in your census tract that .... that are eligible for, we call it LMI
populations. Um, this is a plan that will take us from July 1 st, 2020, to June 30,
25. There was a huge citizen participation process that we do every five years.
We hired a consultant, Mullin and Lonergan Associates out of Pittsburgh, uh,
Pennsylvania. They take us through that stakeholder involvement, they go
through needs assessment, market analysis, strategic planning process. They did a
survey of our public, um, our agencies regarding public facility needs. They
come up with a plan, um, this is just a series of public input that was involved,
and we have two HCDC members here tonight, two that went through the process
as well. Um, the City STEPS is a great way where we consider what our
priorities, how we're going to spend our federal dollars over the next five years.
So the priorities for this upcoming five-year period is the creation and
preservation of affordable housing in both our rental and sales markets; um,
housing and services for persons experiencing homelessness; public services for
these folks, the non .... sorry, non -homeless LMI persons; urn .... we always have
public facility improvements that serve these populations; and economic and
workforce development initiatives. Um ... like I said, we get about (mumbled) for
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CDBG and Home. Our set -asides, our Council set -asides that you approve, that
people don't have to competitively apply for. So we have that 15% for public
services, and actually we do have a separate allocation round for Aid to Agencies.
We have 75,000 that was in the last plan reserved for neighborhood, um,
neighborhood amenities, such as park shelters or sidewalk improvements. This'll
be used to help us with our climate action initiatives and I believe for fiscal year
21 we're going to, uh, look to see how many trees that we can plant in areas that
lack tree canopies in our low to moderate -income census tracts. We do have a
housing a rehabilitation, those dollars that we, uh, we rehabilitate about 30 homes
a year. We changed that 90,000. We still have that home set-aside, but we
expanded that to landlords. So if they want to improve their properties it won't
just be for owner -occupied households, that landlords can apply for those funds,
as long as they're assisting people below 60% of median income. We changed the
set-aside for CHDOs, those community housing development organizations.
HUD rules require that 15% of our Home entitlement must be used to, um, benefit
CHDOs, um, and in Iowa City we have two. We have the Housing Fellowship
and HACAP, so we already have to reserve 15% and it has to go. If we don't
allocate our money to a CHDO, then we just don't get those funds and so they...
Iowa City doesn't have access to it. So we're gonna take that from the competitive
pool and now CHDOs can apply until we've committed the funds. Now if they
wanna apply for more of that 15% set-aside, then they'll have to come through the
regular application cycle. We have 50,000 to support economic development
initiatives. That will be in our funding for two years if it's not used. Then it'll free
up for public facilities or housing applications. And then there's admin dollars,
and that admin dollars pays for whatever surveys or plans that we need, such as
the (mumbled) impediments to fair housing. We used our admin to pay for Mullin
& Lonergan to do the consolidated plan. Um, and then just for staff salaries
to .... to support the programs. Some of the additional changes that we'll you'll
see in this five-year plan, we've been talking a lot about the Aid to Agencies'
process. Um, in this plan we .... we took out those .... we identified those legacy
agencies. Over that five-year period, those'll be the only agencies that'll be able to
compete for funding for legacy funding. Now that doesn't mean they're going to
get the same amount throughout those five years, but those are your applicant
pool for that five years. If you wanna add an organization, then we'd have to go
through a .... we call it action plan amendment, uh, and then we plan on reviewing
those every five years, cause every five years different priorities or challenges
emerge, so every five years you'll be reviewing those agencies that are allowed to
apply for legacy. Um, we still have that set-aside for emerging agencies.
So .... every year they'll compete. So if there's a agency that doesn't qualify
legacy, they can still apply for emerging funds with our regular allocation fund.
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After you approve the plan tonight, uh, we will start with our fiscal year 21
application process. So we'll open up the applications, probably next week. Um,
public facilities went from a minimum of 50,000 to 30,000, a preference. Um, we
instituted that, I think, last five years ago. It's to get our agencies to start looking
at their .... their larger needs for capital improvements. Um, for several years we
were getting,'We need new carpet for $5,000. We need a new bathroom for
$10,000,' and we really wanted agencies to start looking at how do we make an
impact with the limited federal dollars we get. So .... (coughing) excuse me! So
we still have that preference for 50,000, but we'll allow applicants to apply for
30,000. There's also a bunch of policies that we have with it that are unsuccessful
or delayed project policy, urn .... our citizen participation plan, administratively we
have those piecemeal. We came to Council or HCDC at different times. Now we
just consolidate'em, update'em, and they're all part of the City STEPS plan, so
it'll be helpful to us cause that means they get updated every five years and they're
not scattered. So people who are getting the money will understand what policies,
um, are relevant to them. HCDC asked us to include money .... um, or language
on mobile homes. So we'll clarify in that plan that mobile homes are an eligible
housing type and we do housing rehab on mobile homes. Um, the homeless table,
you did see, there was a late pa .... information that we received, um, a late
handout from a lot of our service providers, especially homeless service providers
and they ask for some technical corrections, and so we can do that
administratively, as long as it doesn't change the intent or it's nothing substantial.
So we just got those today. Um, so we will ..... if it's an edit on our end and it
doesn't change substantially, we can change those edits. Um, do you pass those
out or .... do they just get (mumbled) Okay. All right. So next steps, you have the
public meeting. You can approve it tonight, you can tweak it, uh, but we do need
(mumbled) so we have this process that we go on where we get applications, we
review'em, we have to get our plan to HUD 45 days before July 1st, so
everything is backed down so it's a pretty tight schedule from your approval until
we allocate the funds. Um .... February 1st will be the date applications are due.
HCDC will review in March. You'll get that plan, we call it the annual action
plan, that lays out how we're going to actually spend the money for fiscal year 21.
That'll come to you in May, and then we have to get it to HUD by July 1 st. They
go through their process with Congressional approval, they approve it, and then
we start spending the funds. Um, the only thing HCDC recommended that wasn't
incorporated into the plan was HCDC did recommend with the owner occupied
housing rehab to limit beneficiaries to 60%. Staff is recommending to keep it at
80% for several reasons. Um, from fiscal year 18 through the first of fiscal year
20, we've completed 60 projects. 73% of those are for people below 60%. The
rest were for people between that 60 to 80%. Um, people at 80% still, I believe,
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need this assistance. So we looked at those people at 60 to 80% that had work
done that we completed, several were emergency projects, as well as mobile home
repair. If our job is to stabilize neighborhoods and that's where modest homes are,
then I believe we need to keep that ability to assist people at 80%. Um, for
example, if you're a single mom with two kids, below 60 to 80% and you have a
roof repair and windows for 25,000, it is going to be hard for you to afford that.
So our program provides that assistance to stabilize our neighborhoods and to
keep our modest homes in good condition, safe and healthy condition. So that... so
the recommendation is to keep the 80%. If you wanna move it to 60%, you just
have to make that recommendation and we'll .... and we'll change it.
Teague: All right! Any questions for Tracy? I (mumbled) know I have some but .... John,
go right ahead!
Thomas: (mumbled)
Teague: Oh, okay I thought you were leanin' forward. Well, thank you for presenting. I
think you did good! Um, so the priorities are really appreciated. Hearin' about
the affordable housin' for rental and owner occupied. Um, when it comes down to
the legacy agencies, I understand that for five years, you know, if you're in the....
if you're a part of that pool then you'll remain a part of that pool. In regards to
emergin' agencies, do they switch to legacy agencies?
Hightshoe: No. Every five years it'd be evaluated. So when we go through this process five
years from now, we would look at those legacy agencies and we decide with the
HCDC's recommendation if we wanna remove one, add another one, or if we just
wanna add another one, they would determine that and that would set it for the
next five years.
Teague: And the emergin' agencies, is that only a .... how long can you remain within the
emergin' agency?
Hightshoe: As we have set it up, you can continue on as an emerging agency, but you'd be
reevaluated every five years, and then it'd be up to HCDC and the Council to
move an agency if you wanted to.
Teague: Okay.
Hightshoe: Um .... the problem we've had with ongoing, when we keep adding agencies to
those legacy, it watered .... it filtered down to the pot and then you're .... then you
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see those agencies who have historically gotten funding, and they rep .... they're all
doing good work, um, but you're gonna see those agencies who have been relied
on ... who've been relying on 40, 50, 60,000. When you keep adding the amount of
agencies, they keep gettin' watered down, to now they're gettin' 25, 30,000, and
that's when you see 'em coming back and expressing frustration just because when
the Aid to Agencies was set up, it was supposed to be like a fund .... a stable
Funding source for those agencies that we rely on to provide services to primarily
low to moderate -income folks. So it's kind of a balance of that. It's ... it's
providing funding stabil.... stability for every five years, but allowing us every
five years to reassess our priorities and determining what agencies should be
included and which ones can still apply for emerging.
Teague: I don't know that I'll ask you to give any names of agencies that want to be in the
legacy, um, but do you have any example of, uh, just (both talking) individuals
that warm be in legacy that aren't?
Hightshoe: Um, no one has called me expressly to say that I warm be a legacy agency, but
I'm sure they have to be, I mean if I was an agency that wasn't getting funded
through legacy and I could get into that pot of funds and get 15 grand, I'm sure...
I'm sure there's agencies out there that would like that.
Teague: Okay. I think you're good. Thank you, Tracy! All right! Council discussion?
Oh, we .... please come up! Yes, yes, yes!
Fixmer-Oraiz: As the chair I've been part of this conversation for quite some time and I really
appreciate that you brought up the emerging and the legacy. This is something
that we've really gone back and forth with quite a bit because we really do value
and recognize that our legacy organizations have been around for 30 or 40 years,
and you know really seeing the squeeze from, you know, federal and state funding
depleting, and the need only .... only rising. Um, over the last few years, uh,
and .... and really over the last few decades quite honestly, but urn .... to answer
your question about the emerging funds. So ... or the emerging, uh, organizations.
We really looked at, you know, we want to be able to support new things, right,
but if there are new needs in the community that aren't being served by, you know,
kind of those legacy organizations, how can we help, uh, give them a leg up, and
so it's actually not a ton of money, um, it's really just enough to cover somebody.
I think it was like 15 hours a week for, you know, minimum wage, because we
realize that these funds are very important because they're also ... you can use them
for operational expenses, and uh, so it was just to really kind of give those
organizations or, um, ideas really, kind of a seed money to just see how they
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would do, um, and we had some really great applicants. We had, um, like solar,
'Solarize Iowa City,' um, we've had some really interesting, I think particularly
because climate change is such an issue. You're really starting to see, um,
organizations start to form and, uh, try .... try and do their part too. Um .... so, but
to answer the question about like the five-year, how do you become like a legacy,
emerging kind of thing. We .... we saw that .... as those emerging organizations
started coming and applying for funds, um, if they were awarded, um, and could
show that they were stable, then we thought in five years that would be enough to
say, oh! You know, maybe we could then consider, uh, weighing, you know, our
legacy, adding another organization or, you know, changing things out, but ... so it's
not black and white (laughs) at all! It's sort of a, kind of a 'clear as mud' thing, but
I think that we're really trying to balance and respect the work that's being done in
the community. I know that there's been some, uh, some folks have expressed,
you know, uh, because there's such a small pool of, uh, legacy, or such a small
pool of funding in some sense, to really get a lot of this work done they, a lot of
legacy agencies just .... they wanna make sure that everything's coordinated. So if
there is a need in the community, maybe there's an opportunity to coordinate with
an organization, as opposed to creating a new organization. So that's .... some of
that was sort of unexpected, that I really didn't foresee but anyway I hope that I
answered some of your questions about emerging versus legacy. It's a little bit
squishy but I ..... I think that this will at least give folks some time, some five years
to feel like they're having some set funding, and at the same time recognizing that
new needs come up in the community all the time. So, hopefully we can help 'em
out a little bit. So .... I just wanted to put that out there. Thank you.
Teague: Thanks, V. Anyone else from the community? Council discussion?
Weiner: It's an incredibly comprehensive report that I .... that for me really.... pointed out
some of the .... some of the areas of continued need that I think actually coincide
very well with some of what Council was focused on up until now, and give us
additional focus and direction going forward potentially. I mean it's good, I think
it's good to have .... had this enormous amount of community input, uh, and it's a
valuable document.
Bergus: I maybe do have a question for you, Tracy. Other than the, um, question of the
60% versus the 80% LMI eligibility, um, do you believe that the changes that the
organizations requested in these late handouts are of that technical nature and it's
not a problem for us (both talking) to move forward tonight?
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Hightshoe: From what I read through it was like on page 108 change this definition to this
or .... so I think, yes, I .... they would qualify as administrative.
Bergus: Okay. Thank you.
Hightshoe: Yeah I think (mumbled) looked at'em, yes, they looked administrative.
Taylor: And the changes, Tracy, also included, uh, more language or more in-depth
language including about mobile home owners and (both talking)
Hightshoe: From what I understand it was to clarify that mobile home's already a eligible
activity, urn .... and that they provide affordable housing. So I think we can do
that.
Teague: Any thoughts on the 60% versus 80%?
Mims: I would encourage that we keep it at the 80. I think as Tracy explained, like over
70%, 73%, that they're doing it to go to those people below 60 but there's
occasions where you get a few people in that range and you don't want her not to
be able to assist them if necessary. I mean I think with the vast majority of it
going to people below 60, it's clear that that's where the emphasis of staff, uh, is in
awarding those funds, but to give that little bit of flexibility, I think, is always
good.
Taylor: I agree.
Weiner: I would hate to see someone out of their house because they couldn't afford a
relatively minor repair and they're at the level between 60 and 80%.
Teague: All right! Roll call please. Motion to accept correspondence.
Salih: Move.
Teague: Moved be Salih.
Bergus: Seconded.
Teague: Seconded by Bergus. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion passes.
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14. Council Appointments
14.a. Board of Adjustment Board of Adjustment - One vacancy to fill a five-
year term, January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2024. (Term expires for Constance
Goeb)
Teague: Uh, discussion?
Salih: (mumbled)
Teague: There is no gender requirement (both talking) Yeah, and only one person applied.
Taylor: (both talking) ...no gender requirements since there was one male and three
females on there but we have the one applicant and, uh, he had been on it for just
a short time before but had to leave for the service. So I would be in favor of
appointing him. Bryce (both talking)
Mims: (both talking)....we're past the date on the gender. There was a gender
requirement but we (several talking) Yeah, I'm fine with Bryce.
Salih: Yeah.
Teague: Okay, and we'll probably, as we've done in the past, kinda go through, uh, 14.b.
and then, um, just make one vote at the end.
14.b. Senior Center Commission Senior Center Commission - Two vacancies
to fill a three-year term, January 1, 2020 - December 31, 2022. (Term expires
for Kenneth Bowen, Hiram Webber) AND Senior Center Commission - One
vacancy to fill an unexpired term. Upon appointment - December 31, 2020.
(Cheryll Clamon resigned)
Teague: And there is a....
Salih: Gender requirement, one female, one male, and one not.
Teague: Okay.
Salih: I .... I really wanna appoint George Nelson. He been in Iowa City for 25 years.
He been active member of the Center since 2008. He taught different programs,
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uh, like in, uh, for about three years at the Center and, uh.... I guess he's really will
be a good add to this, for the male.
Thomas: I'll, uh, I will support Paula Vaughn, who, uh, I think has done extraordinary work
on the Housing and Community Development Commission and, uh, I'm just really
impressed with the work that she's done in the community.
Taylor: I agree. She's been very active also on the League of Women Voter's. She's, uh,
dedicated and reliable in everything that she does and uh, I would recomm...
highly recommend her.
Teague: The ... the one, you know, I think we .... I think we've talked about this a little bit
before. Um, so there are three female applicants. So, um .... Linda has only, has
been in Iowa City for 36 months, and then Glenn has been in Iowa City for two
years, but Paula's been here for eight years.
Salih: Eight years.
Teague: And so I ... typically we've always kind of based our .... some.....some portions of
our judgment on if they've had an opportunity to serve on a board or commission.
Paula certainly has, um, but given the three applicants, I think, um, my mind goes
to, urn .... um, supportin' Paula to be on there for various reasons that's already
been stated. Um .... and then I, um, would also.....um.....propose Linda, even
though she's, um, been here 36 months, I, um, just readin' some of the things
resonated with me and I know that, um, she has also been in conversation with
LaTasha, um, a real desire to be a part of the Senior Center, but urn .... that is kind
of my recommendations.
Thomas: Well I support those too, and George as well.
Mims: Then the question is which one is filling the unexpired term and which two are
taking the full terms.
Thomas: I had Paula and George as the two three-year terms and Linda serving.... filling
the vacancy in the unexpired.
Mims: That's fine with me.
Salih: Yeah, fine with me (several talking)
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Teague: Okay. All right! Could I get a motion to appoint, um, as John just stated (laughs)
Salih: So move (laughing)
Mims: Second.
Teague: Moved by Salih, seconded by Mims.
Dilkes: Is that for both the Board of Adjustment and the Senior Center?
Teague: Yes! All in favor say aye. Any opposed? It passes.
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17. City Council Information
Teague: Um, well also, um, doing boards and commissions, you can add that here as well
if you have anything. And I think we'll start with our Mayor Pro Tem, Mazahir
Salih (laughing)
Salih: Okay, I .... I don't thinks I have like any commissions that I want to report on,
and.....also.....I don't thinks I have anything to report on! I pass!
Teague: And I'll go to the right. So we'll go this way.
Taylor: I also have no boards or commission meetings to report on, and .... no community
information!
Weiner: Continue the trend, I have nothing to report on right now.
Bergus: I'll just say I'm really excited for my first ICAD board meeting on Friday, and my
first UNESCO City of Literature meeting next week. (several talking in
background)
Thomas: Uh, nothing on the commissions. I would, uh, I did wanna mention, uh, Maeve
Clark's retirement, you know, in the recent past on the 20th, it was a wonderful
event. Glad I had a chance to make it, and uh, on the 13th ICAD, uh.... I ... I, the
Iowa City Downtown District — not ICAD — the Downtown District, uh, is
sponsoring a .... an event at Big Grove from 6:00 to 7:30, titled "Building
Neighborhood Districts from the Ground Up." So, um, you know, this topic of
neighborhood development, um, that might be of interest to those who would like
to attend that.
Mims: Um.....JECC has approved their budget for the coming year. That's the only thing
I've had in terms of boards and commissions since our last meeting. So they're
moving forward on that. Um, just kind of wish everybody a happy new year and
just while this is not news, I just wanna take a minute cause I've had a lot of
connection with a number of people that we lost in the last few weeks. Um, as
many of you know, my husband spent 37, 38 years in the University of Iowa
Athletic Department and we lost, um, Bump Elliott and Hayden Fry in December,
and you know as I thought about that, and sitting here on City Council for the last
10 years, um, while we've always had the University here .... a successful athletic
department in the Big 10 makes huge difference in the city. Um, it makes a huge
difference for the University. It attracts a lot of people to that university, both
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students, faculty, etc. And if it weren't for Bump Elliott and Hayden Fry, the
University of Iowa Athletic Department would not be what it is today. Um, Bump
came here after an incredibly successful time as a student athlete at Purdue, and
as .... at Michigan, um, he was an assistant coach and then he coached at
Michigan. Um, and came here to be athletic director, and then of course two or
three years after coming here, hired Hayden Fry. Uh, we lost Diane Finnerty, um,
I'd known Diane off and on for a long time and just a wonderful, wonderful
human being that gave an awful lot to this community, um, and Jerry Loewenberg
who was the Dean of the Liberal Arts College at the University for a long time.
So, um, I know there's plenty of other people, um, that did wonderful things in
this community and across the country in the last year, but those are (mumbled)
four that .... that just kind of hit me in the last month, as we were going to some of
these my husband and I looked at each other and like, 'We're next!' (laughs) All
these older, you know, all these older folks are going. So I just, you know, wanted
to kind of give a public acknowledgment to those four who have contributed so
much to .... to the University, um, and to the community, um, and other than that to
wish everybody a happy new year.
Teague: Awesome! Yes, and I would agree to, um, Bump Elliott and Hayden Fry and to
all the work that they've done and to all the other ones that have passed on before.
So, thanks for all their work here in Iowa City, and it's been very appreciative.
Um .... I did have a committee meeting, uh, with the Assessor Office, um, Brad
Colmer yesterday, um, and we did his evaluation, as well as, um, go over the
budget and that type stuff for that department, and so that'll be becoming before
Council, um, to be finalized as well. Um, other than that, um, as far as
commissions, um, or committees that I'm a part of, that has taken place. There's a
few things comin' up that I'll reserve until afterwards, and then, uh, bring 'ern
back. Um.....the one thing that I did wanna make mention of is, um, I made a
mistake and stated that, um, I think I said that this was the first woman -majority
Council, but this is the first five (laughs) woman -majority Council. There was,
uh, a woman -majority Council before, where there were four. Yes, so I wanted to
make sure that I made that public correction. The other thing is I know that
Councilors have received, um, from Geoff, uh, invitation from the Mayor
Innovation Project and so I wanted to make sure that I just mention that. Um, that
invitation is for all Councilors. Uh, the City of Iowa Cityis apart. We have a
membership with the MIP, and I do plan to go, and if you, um, do need to have
more information on that, you can certainly see me or Geoff, uh,, about it, or go to
the web site. I did attend last year with Mayor Throgmorton. It is open to mayors
and city council individuals, um, it was .... I found it to be very beneficial just as a
councilor, and so definitely I think if anyone wants to go, uh, you can certainly,
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um, connect with Kellie. Um, she is the one that makes it all happen (laughs) so I
just wanted to talk, you know, make sure that I mentioned that about the Mayor's
Innovation Project, and um, if anybody.....
Salih: I guess I .... I .... I thinks I had an email from Geoff saying that we can talk about it
here, right, if we wanna go. I (unable to understand) really would interesting to
go, if that's okay with you guys.
Thomas: Sure. Where .... where is it being held?
Teague: Washington, D.C. (several talking) Uh huh. Yep. Uh, so anybody is welcome,
and um.....so! All right!
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18. Report on Items from City Staff
a. City Manager
Fruin: Just a quick thank you to you all for, what, three meetings in five or so days,
including a really long one on Saturday. Really appreciate it, uh, you don't have
to come back here for a couple weeks (laughter)
Monroe: I have two reminders. One is the census is coming. April I st is Census Day, uh,
we are continuing to prepare with our regional, uh, group, and everybody's
continuing to work hard at getting the word out. Um, and we'll give you more
information as .... as it comes. Uh, the second notice, just that we had our second
meeting of the Climate Action Commission as a full group. They're working
together very well, lot of really great discussion that'll be in the minutes for your
upcoming, uh, review, and uh, they did their first overview of the 100 -day report,
which seemed really positive. Like I said, lot of really good discussion.
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