HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-03-24 TranscriptionPage 1
1. Call to Order
Teague: Well good evenin', everyone! Um ... we are definitely in a new space and ... where
the Councilors are .... um, at their homes or.....um, very different tonight, and for
the public that is joinin', we wanna welcome you and this is kind of the .... the new
way of the world across the globe, and so we're very cognizant of the challenge it
may be for some to join us by Zoom and we're gonna be as careful as we navigate
tonight to make sure that if you're on and you want to speak, um, we wanted to
make sure that you had that opportunity. Um, I would ask people to navigate a
little bit at...at the bottom of their screen, and you'll see a comments section. So
if you are on, uh, from the public and you would like to, urn ... uh, to make a ... to
speak tonight, if you can just write your first and last name. We have staff that's
going to record, uh, your name and alert me when you're present, uh, when it's
time for your item. If you can also list that, either your item number or the name
of the item that you want to talk about, and then I will be sure that we include
you, uh, on that item. For those that don't figure out how to submit their name,
uh, at the bottom, I'll always take a moment at the .... at the end of those names
that I've called from the public, just to allow people to chime in. If you're on the
phone, I understand that you won't have the opportunity to type and say that you
wanna join us. So we're gonna go a little slower, uh, when it comes down to the
public comment, but I want you to know that we are certainly, um, gonna navigate
this as best as we can tonight.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
special formal meeting of March 24, 2020.
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2. Proclamations
2.a. Transgender Day of Visibility
Teague: (reads proclamation) And I understand that we, uh, have, uh this proclamation
will be accepted by the Human Rights Commissioner Cathy McGinnis.
McGinnis: Yes, thank you, Mayor Teague. Thank you to the City Council Members. I
appreciate your recognizing this important day. As you said, uh, the International
Transgender Day of Visibility is important to celebrate and recognize the living
members of transgender community around the world, and I appreciate that we
can recognize this day as a way to raise awareness around a discrimination that
transgender people still face, while also appreciating the courage it takes to live
openly and authentically. Thank you.
Teague: Great! Thank you! Thank you for joinin' us.
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special formal meeting of March 24, 2020.
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1-8. Consent Calendar—Adoption of the Consent Calendar as presented or
amended.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve Consent Calendar as amended? We're movin'
Item 5.a.2. and 6.e. from the agenda as requested.
(female): So moved.
(female): Second.
Teague: Um, and I may have you (mumbled) moved by so that I ... cause it's .... it's a little
challenging. So moved by....
Taylor: Pauline.... Taylor!
Mims: Seconded by (both talking) Seconded by Susan.
Teague: All right. Moved by Taylor, seconded by Mims. Discussion? So I do know that,
um, Item 61, um, I would like to call Kent Ralston and I also know that there's
one individual, uh, that has submitted their name (noises, unable to hear speaker)
public (mumbled) Rachel Carlson and if there's anyone else that would like to
speak (mumbled) public, please, um, if you can find, urn .... that way to chat and
submit your name, if you would like to speak on any of the items on the Consent
agenda. Um, Item No. 61 for, uh, just the knowledge of the public is the
Jefferson Street/Glendale Road traffic calming. Uh, so, Kent Ralston, if you can,
uh, present to (mumbled) requested.
61 Jefferson Street/Glendale Road Traffic Calming Resolution authorizing
the installation of speed humps on Jefferson Street and Glendale Road,
between Clapp Street and 7th Avenue
Ralston: Yeah, thank you, Mayor and Council. Can everyone hear me okay? (several
respond) Okay. So ... so as the Mayor mentioned, the resolution before you this
evening authorizes the installation of speed humps on Jefferson Street and
Glendale Road, between Clapp Street and Seventh Avenue. Uh, as, uh, residents
of that corridor have successfully completed the City of Iowa City's traffic
calming process. As the 85' percentile speeds along that corridor, uh, were
roughly between 30 and 40, uh, 35 and 40 -miles -per -hour, excuse me, uh, as is
shown in your packets, uh, with a posted speed limit of 25 -miles -per -hour
(mumbled) quite a bit faster than what we would like to see. Uh, staff discussed
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traffic calming options with those residents (mumbled) public meeting on
November 12s', and the consensus of the residents who attended the meeting was
to move forward with request for traffic calming, uh, which we're discussing
tonight. Uh, on January Yd a survey was then mailed to residents of the corridor,
in order to measure support for that proposal, and in all staff received responses
from 69% of the households along the corridor (noise, unable to hear speaker)
72%, uh.... indicating support for the proposal. Uh, I did wanna mention just a
few things that make this, um, a little bit unique. Staff first, uh, tried to seek out
some alternative options to speed humps in the corridor. As we know the larger
public does not favor speed humps, uh, as well our several Council Members, uh,
just because they don't really provide an aesthetic amenity, uh, to a corridor, um,
just a matter of slowing down speed. Uh, in this corridor we did look at the use of
median islands and traffic circles, and actually, uh, discussed that at a public
meeting last summer. However, once we got a little bit further along with
preliminary design, uh, the City engineer and his staff concluded that we just
weren't going to be able to fit, uh, those traffic circles into the corridor in a way
we would have liked to of. Uh, the second thing I'd note that's a little bit unique
is the speed humps being proposed tonight are slightly different than the other
speed humps in and around town. Uh, they're exactly the same, although these
speed humps would actually have a .... a break or a separation in them, uh, to
allow emergency vehicles and, uh, transit buses and other large vehicles to pass
through the corridor, uh, and essentially straddle those speed humps. Um, in
some of the preliminary traffic calming committee discussions that we had, uh,
the Fire Chief had noted some concern about response times in the neighborhood
to the east of Seventh Avenue, uh, and after doing some research and providing
that to him, uh, he concluded that these modified speed humps, uh, were
satisfactory. Um, just in a nutshell by way of background, the traffic calming
process is really a five-step process. Uh, the first being that staff needs to receive
a petition, uh, which we did. Uh, the second step is a study and evaluation, uh,
which we also did and concluded the speed, uh, were much faster than we would
like to see, as I mentioned previously. Uh, we then held the neighborhood
meeting, uh, that I also had mentioned earlier, and had some pretty good, uh,
attendance at that meeting, and then we conducted that neighborhood survey,
which I had mentioned. Uh, that survey, uh, re ... the .... the adopted traffic calming
program requires a 50% response rate to the mail -out survey, with a 60% approval
rate, and I had ... I had mentioned we exceeded both of those, uh, with this corridor.
And then the fifth and final step is really just approval, uh, by this body, and I'm
happy to answer any questions that you might have.
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Thomas: Uh, Kent, one of the, uh, this is John, one of the questions that we saw in the
correspondence had to do with how this could im... impact bicyclists along this
corridor. Could you speak to that?
Ralston: Yeah, uh, you know, that's a little bit of a matter of opinion, although I would say
that we have speed humps, uh, you know, in more .... in well over a dozen
locations around town now and we really don't hear that it affects bicyclists in
any really, uh, detrimental way. Uh, the way that speed humps are constructed,
they actually stretch, uh, across the street, the width of the street, uh, but they do
stop short about two or three feet from the curb line, uh, on either side to allow for
drainage, uh, so if a bicyclist didn't want to ride over the speed hump, they could
actually, uh, head toward the curb line and... and (noise on mic, difficult to hear)
around it, uh (mumbled) there'll be a gap in the middle as I mentioned because
these will sort of be a modified speed hump, and then the last thing I guess I
would say is that, uh, the speed humps are much longer than most people actually,
uh, I guess think they would be. They're actually 12 -feet in length, as the way the
car travels, um, and really when riding over them, uh, you know, a personal level,
I've not noticed that they'd be really detrimental. So these aren't speed bumps
like you would see in a, uh, a parking lot of a large retail store. These are actually
speed humps, so they're constructed a little bit differently and .... and shouldn't
really be a problem.
Thomas: Thanks!
Teague: Any other questions for Kent? From the Councilors? We have, uh, someone
from our community, Rachel Carlson will go first and then followed by Theresa,
uh, Biancheri will be followed .... uh, will follow Rachel.
Carlson: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Carlson: Thank you for, uh, the time. I just wanted to follow up with what Kent said. Uh,
as neighbors we've followed this process for several years to get this to happen.
Um .... we .... it's a very, very, very dangerous stretch of road. We all call the
police all the time, uh, trying to get solutions and ... and this is the solution that
we've come to now, after a couple years of, um, trying to figure something out,
and I will say that, um, Councilman Thomas' question about bicycling. It's
currently not safe to bicycle because people are speeding so quickly through
there. I wouldn't let my child bicycle on this street as it is right now. So we ... I
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am very, very, very strongly support traffic calming measures on our street.
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Theresa?
Biancheri: It's already been said, uh, by Rachel, and .... and, um, especially, uh, and even
though, uh, there aren't a lot of, um, of our neighbors present, I know that we
have a lot of people who are also in support of this. Um, it ... it's very dangerous. I
know that, um, the average is 35, 40 -miles -an -hour, urn ... of people going over the
speed limit, but I've seen it much higher, um, and .... and I don't feel safe, and not
only are there bicyclists, but a lot of people use this road to walk to work down at
the .... well, they used to, uh, to walk to campus, um, and also a lot of dog walkers,
um, so, uh.... yeah! Please, uh, please vote for this. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Is there anyone else from the public that would like to talk about Item
6.0 Or any item on the Consent agenda? Council discussion?
Mims: This is Susan, and I would just say, and I mentioned this in the work session, that
we have, um, a pretty good process in place for our traffic calming. Uh, it's
something that we have worked and revised at least a couple of times, and I feel
really strongly that if the neighborhoods have gone through this process and meet
the criteria, that we need to follow that process, and it's certainly from, you know,
I know Kent's process in his presentation that that is exactly what's happened and
so while I understand there are people who may not agree with that, we do have a
process in place and I feel like we should follow that. So I will be supporting this.
Thomas: I .... I will be supporting it as well. Uh, you know, I've mentioned in previous
Councils that, um, I .... I'm always looking for another solution to the problem of
speeding than speed humps, but as Kent said, they looked at some options and...
and they just didn't seem to work on this particular corridor. So I will be
supporting the ... the speed humps. I was looking at the, uh, traffic data here. I
was, and I drive this corridor fairly frequently. I was really surprised to see what
the speeds were. Ulr, in some cases between Parsons and Seventh for example,
15% of the vehicles are traveling at or above .... over 42 -miles -an -hour. So that...
that's not just a safety issue, in my view. That's .... that affects anyone, uh,
experiencing that corridor, whether they're walking, bicycling, perhaps just out in
front talking with their neighbors. So it's.... it's both, uh, safety and quality of life
that is impacted by this. I .... I wish it weren't so. I wish people would simply
drive more respectfully of the places they drive through, but ... this is .... this is
where we are and so I will be supporting it.
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Taylor: This is Pauline. I, uh, I was one that asked to .... to have discussion on this. Can
you hear me? (several respond) Oh, okay, uh, and I'm glad to have gotten....
been able to have this time, especially (mumbled) from Kent and hearing from
Rachel and Theresa, and especially from Rachel saying that it's not safe for
bicyclists now and ... and certainly wouldn't be if the cars are going 35 to 42 -miles -
an -hour. That's... that's not safe. So I would think that, uh, hopefully, um, most of
our correspondence were from the bicyclists. I would hope that this will help to,
uh, get them to understand that this'll make it even safer for them. So I ... I'm in
favor of it now.
Weiner: This is Janice. Uh, there is a .... I'm glad to hear that there is a process, that
they've been able to accommodate emergency vehicles. It's definitely a safety
issue and it sounds to me as if it's been through a really exhaustive process, so I
will also be supporting.
Salih: Well I'm (mumbled) It is on the Consent agenda still? I'm still supporting it,
right?
Teague: Yes. If no more comments then roll call please. Can I get a motion to accept
correspondence for Item 5.a.2., Item 6.a.....Item 6.e. and Item 61?
Mims: Moved by Mims.
Weiner: Seconded by Weiner.
Teague: All right, and we're gonna do a roll call on this item. Roll call please. All right,
we got through out first vote! (laughs) (mumbled)
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10. Lease Agreement with MidAmerican Energy Company for a Solar Energy
System at Waterworks Prairie Park — Resolution approving the lease of land
at the Waterworks Prairie Park to MidAmerican Energy Company for a
large-scale solar energy system.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And I'm gonna, um, have....
Geoff Fruin, our staff here at the City, our City Manager, uh, kinda give, um,
some .... some comments on this item and then I'll follow that by MidAmerican
(garbled) and then I do have (garbled) community that have submitted their
names, that wanna (garbled) which is Steven Loescher, Jerry Wetlauf...Wetlaufer,
and Regenia Bailey. Um, if there's anyone else in the community that wants to
talk on this item, please add your name to the comment section and then I will call
your name. If you are on the phone or, um, wasn't able to submit your name
(garbled) in the comment section, I will (garbled) uh, allow time for people to
chime in. At this time we're gonna get Geoff Fruin, um, City Manager.
Fruin: Uh, thank you, Mayor. Uh, good evening, Mayor and Council, uh, the item
before you is the lease agreement with MidAmerican Energy Company. Uh, this
has been something that we've been working on, uh, for the last, uh, probably
nine months to a year or so. It is the lease of just shy of 19 acres of land at Water
Works Prairie Park to MidAmerican Energy for the purpose of establishing a
large-scale solar energy system. As I mentioned, it is a 30 -year lease, but there is
an additional 10 -year option that MidAmerican can exercise. The annual rent
payment is going to start at $13,440 and has a 3% annual escalator. The, uh... uh,
good folks at MidAmerican Energy are here and they'll tell you a little bit more
about the, uh, the....the project itself, but we did note in the staff report, uh, that is
estimated to generate three megawatts of energy, uh, which is roughly the
equivalent of 580 average single, uh, family homes in the state of Iowa. Uh, this
project was identified in the, uh, accelerated... the 100 .... the 100 -day report to the
accelerated actions for our climate plan, and our climate plan did call for, uh, staff
to pursue partnerships with, uh, key stakeholders, including our energy
companies. Urn .... the, uh.... uh, MidAmerican staff that will present next will tell
ya a little bit about why this property, uh, was selected. Um .... I wanna focus in
on some of the correspondence that we've received, uh, with questioning the
placement of the solar panels over the established prairie, uh, at the park. Uh,
those concerns are certainly legitimate. Those are, um, questions that were raised
by both the City and MidAmerican early on on this project. The lease agreement,
uh, if approved tonight, or in the future, does require MidAmerican to have a
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vegetation plan approved by the City before work can start. Um, we do not view
a .... a, uh, successful, the solar project and the, uh, quality prairie area as two
mutually exclusive goals. Matter of fact we think that they can co -exist and be a
model, uh, that can be shown across the state and the country, and we're
committed to that ideal. You'll hear a little bit more of that from, uh,
MidAmerican when they, uh, when they present. Um, the vegetation plan is
currently being worked on. Uh... uh, that is bein' led by MidAmerican Energy.
Uh, but they have brought on a .... a couple of consultants to ... to help them. One is
very familiar with the city, uh, Applied Ecological Services. They were our
consultant for our master plan, uh, for our natural areas, and if you, uh, noticed on
the Consent agenda, the prairie project that you approved at Hickory Hill Park
was also, uh, designed, uh, and reviewed by Applied Ecological Services. So, uh,
they're very familiar with our, um.....uh, situation here in Iowa City and .... and
have a to contribute to the vegetation plan for this project. Uh, MidAmerican
Energy has also been in contact and, uh, seeking the assistance of the Centers, uh,
of Pollinators and Energy, uh, which has a lot of experience in trying to marry
renewable energy fields and, uh, quality prairie plantings that contribute to the
habitat. Uh, so again I want to recognize that those, uh, those concerns are
certainly valid, um, and uh, should the Council decide to move forward, uh, staff,
uh, both at the City and MidAmerican Energy are committed to trying to, um,
create the .... the best marriage between the natural area and, uh, the solar array. I
do warm point out just a couple of other small pieces to this project. Um, there
will be a little bit of tree removal. Some of the trees that are currently in the, uh,
Department of Transportation right-of-way would need to be removed, uh, in
order, uh, to prevent them from shading the first, uh.... uh, several rows of the
solar panels. MidAmerican has committed the, uh, to a tree replacement fee.
That'll total between 25,000 and 30,000 for all the tree removals associated with
this project. The City would use those funds for additional tree plantings in the
community. The, uh, location along I-80 does give this project significant
visibility, uh, which was one reason it was selected, uh, or identified by both the
City and MidAmerican. It will be a, uh, not only a meaningful project but also
one, uh, to showcase our commitment to climate action. Uh, as part of this lease
agreement, MidAmerican would also create a wayside at, uh, right off the trail,
next to where solar, uh, panels would be constructed. Uh, and they would, uh,
pay for the construction of a small shelter facility, as well as educational signage
that would highlight, uh, both MidAmerican Energy's commitment to renewable
energy and the City's climate action plan. Be happy to take any questions, uh, or
if you prefer, Mayor, we can, uh, allow the MidAmerican Energy representatives
to share a little bit about the project too.
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Teague: Um, does ..... does any Councilors have questions for Geoff? We can always
swing back around. All right, we'll go ahead and have Matt Ott from
MidAmerican Energy.
Jablonski: (garbled) ....Adam Jablonski, um, I'm the Director for Renewable Energy
Development for .... for MidAmerican. Uh, thank you for your time to the, uh,
Mayor and Council, and um, a very good introduction by Geoff. Thank you for
that. Um, just kind of running through the slides. Hopefully you can see those up
on your screen, um, some of this'll be a little bit of a repeat with what Geoff said.
Um, but this is, kind of jumping down to the last bullet, but this is
MidAmerican's, uh, first solar project, uh, so we're excited to be able to partner
with the City and showcase renewable energy and our commitment to
environmental respect, uh, both the City and MidAmerican have. Um, it's a
three -megawatt project. It's made up of over 10,000 solar panels. And it will
produce enough electricity to power approximately 580, uh, average Iowa homes
and I'll touch on this a little bit later, but we are interconnecting into the
distribution system, which is just across the interstate from this, um, which will be
able to serve, um, you know, local load, Iowa City residents, as opposed to a
project, uh, interconnecting to the transmission system, where that energy would,
uh, travel farther. Uh, annual lease payments under this lease, um, start out at
$13,440, going up 3%, uh, but also with that there is a property tax payment
currently estimated about $3,000 annually that'll.... that'll come into the City.
Um, so this along with our, uh, investment in other renewables, such as wind
projects, is part of our plan to provide 100% renewable energy to our customers
through our Green Advantage program. And that is a program, uh, that is certified
by the Iowa Utilities Board. Uh, next slide, Matt. Uh, so just why we chose this
location, um, you know, first when it comes to solar, you need a, uh, wide open,
uh, relatively flat area, uh, to support a solar project. Um, and there are only, you
know, so many of those unimproved areas, uh, available with.... within the city on
City property, uh, where we're able to, you know, accommodate this partnership
with the City. Uh, so this one was identified as ... as a good location, because it's
flat, uh, it's proximity to the interstate, like Geoff said, will be good showcase, uh,
for ...for both the City and MidAmerican. Um, and again it's proximity to the
local electrical distribution system that's, uh, just right across the interstate, which
is where we're gonna interconnect into, and be able to serve the residents of. ... of
Iowa City, uh, with this renewable energy. Um, again it's highly visible to the
public, uh, it'll help raise awareness of the project, renewable energy, and
associated environmental benefits. Um, will also like the, uh, lease requires, uh,
be installing, uh, that rest and educational area in the park, uh, and then turn that
over to the City, uh, so we'll .... we'll be responsible for those costs, the
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installation, and then we'll, uh, give that ... give that to the City. Um, we're also
able to, on an area like this, use single -access tracking, um, so this .... this allows a
solar project to track the sun from east to west, and it has a better production as
compared to a fixed tilt system that you'd put on, you know, hard surfaces or
surfaces you can't penetrate. Next slide. All right, yeah, one thing we identified
early, uh, that we knew we needed to address, uh, in .... in talks with the City was,
um, basically restoring the prairie. So, you know, this isn't, um, hopefully there
wasn't any confusion, but, you know, we're not, you know, clearing and graveling
or paving or anything like that, this area. Uh, it will be temporarily disturbed, uh,
but once a project is construction .... constructed, it'll be reseeded with a
pollinator -friendly seed mix and preliminary estimates, uh, only have about less
than one acre, you know, being taken out of that prairie, um, due to the, you know,
the .... the access road down the east side and then where the pilings are pounded
into the ground to support the solar system. Um, you know, as Geoff mentioned,
we're working with, uh, Applied Ecological Services, which the City has used in
the past, and I believe is comfortable with, um, and also the Center for Pollinators
and Energy, um, they are a, you know, well regarded entity. They go to, uh, a lot
of renewable energy, uh, conferences and present on, you know, how prairie can
coexist with ... with solar. Um, so we will work on that, uh, vegetation and seeding
mix plan, um, with .... with a consultant, like Ecological Services, and again that'd
have to be presented, uh, to the City and the City must .... must approve that plan.
Um, mentioned it before, but the educational rest area will probably touch on, you
know, how solar works, the City's climate action, uh, goals, and uh, also, you
know, we'll probably touch on some prairie and how we've been able to
in .... incorporate prairie with the solar project and make sure they.... they..... they
coexist there. So, that is the, uh, end of the, uh, quick presentation, but uh, we've
got a few people here and uh, happy to answer any questions.
Teague: Thank you, Adam. Does Council have any questions for, um, Adam from
MidAmerican Energy?
Thomas: I have, uh, one question, uh, this is John. Uh, on the .... on the solar field here,
will this .... I'm assuming it's going to be secured with fencing?
Jablonski: Yep, that's correct and we've been in discussions with the City already on what an
acceptable, uh, fence would be. Keeping aesthetics in mind and the ability for,
uh, small wildlife to still move through, um, I think we've landed on an
agricultural knot fencing. That's, uh, got the bigger squares in it, um, so it's less
industrial looking. It'll be, uh, wood and fence posts and we think will fit in, uh,
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you know, well within the area while keeping people safe and out of the solar
facility as well.
Thomas: And .... and how tall will it be? Or do you have that nailed down?
Jablonski: Uh, right now it's about seven -feet. So it'll be about six foot, uh, that agricultural
(mumbled) and about, you know, one foot of three strands of barbwire, so about
seven feet.
Thomas: Is .... is the barbwire required in your mind?
Jablonski: Um .... yes. We think it is, uh, for security purposes. Um, it is a electric -
generating facility. You know, it's got electrical equipment in there and moving
parts. It moves slow, but it still moves. So for .... for safety purposes, we ... we do
think it's required to, um, you know, basically keep people out, keep people safe.
Thomas: And, um, you know, one last question, I ... I'm trying to get a sense from the
drawing of where this fence would be, but it looks like it would be, uh, fairly
close to the existing trail. Is that right?
Jablonski: Uh, yeah. It'll be .... it'll run parallel with the trail. I don't know, Matt, do we
know exactly what the distance is, um .... I think it was somewhere between five
and 10 feet off of the trail.
Ott: At a minimum I believe it's 10 -feet is what the City had asked us to (both talking)
Jablonski: Okay, minimum 10.
Thomas: Okay, thanks!
Jablonski: Yep!
Ralston: Just kinda add to the .... to that a little bit, um, you know, our .... our timeline, you
know, we're workin' with the developer right now. This is the last, uh, piece of
development, the key piece of development, we need to complete, uh, to be able
to, you know, give that contractor the .... the go-ahead to .... to start construction so
they can finish up their final designs, uh, order materials, and then right now
looks like construction would start about, uh, probably early July time frame is...
is where the current schedule sits. So, um, you know, right now with finishin' this
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lease up here ... here shortly hopefully, uh, with .... with City approval. Um, we'll
be able to stay on track and get this project, um, online by the end of the year.
Teague: Any other questions for Matt or Adam? From MidAmerican Energy, or for
Geoff .... from the Councilors?
Weiner: This is Janice. Were there any other tracts of land under consideration when you,
uh, you described why you believe this one is ... is a really good location for this,
but were there any other tracts of land that you considered, that, uh, may have
been a mix of land that would not affect the prairie?
Jablonski: The only other, this goes back I think a year to initial discussions. Uh, with ... with
the City, but you know, to ... to accommodate that partnership it had to be on City -
owned property. Um, if my memory serves me correctly, it was this one or, uh,
the Airport, and at that time, you know, we didn't have a lot of experience with
solar projects and uh, FAA approval to put it at....at an airport. Um, so we did not
think that was possible to navigate that in a short period of time, uh, to put this
project online in 2020. So, you know, it came back to, you know, this was the
best fit, we thought.
Teague: All right, seein' there are no more questions, um, I just wanted to remind the
individuals that want to speak on this topic from the public, um, in a second I'm
going to be calling you one by one. For anyone that has not, that do wanna speak
on this topic, if you can write your name and submit it through the comments at
the end, I will also take a moment to see if there's anyone that would like to speak
on this topic that didn't write their name or they're on the phone. The other thing
I wanted to just say, uh, prior to the public coming, is that during our work session
there was discussion by Council on this topic, um, where I believe there could be
a motion to continue the public hearing and defer the resolution until April 7a . So
just know that that may be coming, uh, where we will not close the public
hearing, and there potentially could be a deferral. Um, I'm gonna call up the
names of the individuals that want to speak. I will ask that you (garbled) no more
than five minutes to speak, and uh, the first person that I have is Steven Loecker.
If you're on the phone. Or .... or present. We don't see you present yet.
I'm .... I'm gonna go to the next person. Jerry Wet, uh, laufer.
Wetlaufer: It's Wetlaufer. And, um .... (noises in background) I (difficult to hear) I wanna
speak chiefly on behalf of (noises in background) (mumbled) (both talking)
Teague: We can barely hear you. Oh, there!
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Wetlaufer: (noises in background) Let me see if I can cure that. Um, I have a deep personal
commitment to the development of alternative energy and .... yet I agree with the
Sierra Club and others who have raised environmental and ecological concerns
about costs associated with this project, but I'm here to speak for the many people
who love and use the Water Works Prairie Park, uh, many of us year-round. It's a
park that's heavily used and greatly loved as a park. It may not be covered with
sod and weed killer and soccer fields, but it is nonetheless, um, what the City has
always claimed it to be, mainly a prairie park, filled with native prairie plants that
support all manner of. ... life and all manner of public use. Um, to suggest as has
been suggested that this land is undeveloped or undevelopable is respectfully, I
think, to show disrespect for Iowa's native eco -system and eco -system that has all
but entirely disappeared, and I think it further shows disrespect to those who
originally dedicated this land as a prairie park, and to all the .... all of us who use it
and love it as such. I was hoping primarily to speak in favor of deferring action
until .... there was a better opportunity for the public to be heard. I .... I don't think
it's .... that the argument in that favor ...in favor of that is very complicated. The ... I
can't imagine that this would qualify as a public .... as the public hearing that was
promised, given that so far as I've been able to determine, there has not been a
single word either in the Press -Citizen or on the City's web site concerning this
proposal, apart from the agenda for this meeting, concerning this proposal or
announcing a public hearing. Those who kn ow about it know about it only by
virtue of word of mouth. Further, clearly the Council and, um, and .... the citizens
have far more important matters that they ...that have to be .... that are demanding
their attention now and that require action by the Council. Um .... and this
technology is for all of its virtue and as seamlessly as so far it has worked, it
has ..... it is new and deeply unfamiliar and challenging to most of us and stands as
a considerable impediment to public participation. The .... as to the use of the
park, um, it's used for....... the trails are heavily used by walkers of all ages and
characteristics, by brisk walkers, by older walkers, by disabled walkers who are
(unable to hear) um, it is paved and leveled, uh, by people (mumbled) walking
dogs on leashes, and .... it is used by some of both our oldest and our youngest
bike riders for whom the flat terrain and the absence of traffic and the prairie
setting hold great appeal. The, um, I know it because when my wife was
suffering from cancer, um (mumbled) that we began in ... in 2003 to walk in this
park virtually every day, year round, until she passed. Um, and it was of
enormous value to us, and I know that other people value it similarly. The... are
there other questions to be raised? Sure. I still struggle to understand what the
proposal is. I have .... a map, of sorts, that I have found after a good deal of
digging. Uh, it certainly shows no fence, it certainly shows no rest area or
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educational facility designed to promote the contributions of MidAmerican
Energy, and um, and I'm deeply interested, and I think others are deeply
interested in what the details would look like. Uh, the map that I've seen suggests
that there would be no trees removed. And yet now I hear for the first time that a
significant number of trees would have to be removed. And, um ... and there has
even been a suggestion that this would not interfere with .... park users who want
to use the trails, and .... and I just have to say that by that standard, the entire
parkland could be paved. Uh, if ...if the .... if the trails were left intact, we would
be able to say that nothing has interfered with the trails, and um, and I think that
this is a .... a huge and .... costly intervention. It is not a matter of the park and the
energy company coexisting. It is a classic win -lose situation in which .... land is
being taken, from the park, and turned over to the energy company, um, at what I
believe to be an extremely favorable rate, uh, so favorable that while the
committee.... while the company concedes that the better way to meet
its... objective of ...100% fuel efficient is by wind rather than by solar. Given the
subsidy that we're providing here, um, suddenly it becomes appealing to them and
I think that we need to take more time. I think we .... um, I think consideration
needs to be given to the people who use it, twice in the last .... week and a half I
have driven past that parking lot and .... and seen more than 25 cars in the lot and
those were not people going to a church picnic. Those were individual cars,
individual families out walking and biking and using the park. And, um, and I
sincerely hope that .... that (mumbled) decision will be deferred until we can have
a proper hearing.
Teague: Thank you! Thank you for, um, Jerry, for chimin' in. Um, Regenia Bailey,
Mayor, are you here?
Bailey: Yes, I'm here. Thank you.
Teague: Great!
Bailey: Um ... before I start I want to thank all of you for your leadership in this difficult
time. Um, natural disasters are tough enough, but a natural disaster without a play
book, um, really tough. So thank you for your service. Um, I like so many others,
um, am very concerned about this, uh, juxtaposition of an intensive industrial use
that ... that takes up about 10% of the parkland, as far as I can understand.
Uh.... and it just doesn't seem .... it seems incongruous with the use of a park. A
park is not just where you place your foot. A park is also the viewshed. Um, we
seek our natural areas, in an urban space we ... we go to our natural areas so we can
be around nature. This, I haven't heard anything about how, uh...how it's
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intended to mitigate the impact on that viewshed. In fact visibility seems to be a
prime....primary criterion for this location. And so I ... I'm just .... I just have a lot
of concerns. This is a park and in this town we really have a community value of
separating and buffering our intensive industrial uses, uh, from our less intensive
land uses. A park is a less intense land use. I mean we should embrace that and
we value those parks and green spaces in this community, and so to put this in the
middle of a prairie, even if the prairie is restored, there's still a huge impact. Um,
the fact that we would have a fence with barbed wire in a public park, um, the
fence that ... or the fact that, you know, that we need to be buffered from elec...
electric generating activities. The public needs to be buffered from its own land.
That's a little, um, it's an incumberas use. And so I would ask you to consider. I
know how difficult it is to, um .... to start rethinking things about nine months into
a project. I mean you have resources, you have staff time, um, you've spent time
developing this partnership with MidAmerican. I understand that this is far down
the road, um, in discussion in your minds, but as you heard from Jerry, many....
many people from the public are just now wrapping their heads around this
project and just hearing about it, and .... and you've seen the concern from the
public. So I commend you for consideration of deferring this item. I would also
urge you to really take a look at alternative locations. The Airport seems to be an
ideal location. Having worked on their strategic plan, I think that it would be a
nice partnership with them. I understand, yes, the challenge of working with the
FFA, but um .... I think that it would be worth exploring, given the value that all of
us place on this park, and uh, the importance that our urban open .... public spaces
have in the hearts and minds of people in this ... in this community. So, please, uh,
reconsider this location, as difficult as that might seem, as .... as far as this project
is in its development, please reconsider a location. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Is there anyone else from the public that would like to address this
topic that hasn't, um, signed up or maybe are on the phone? Hearing none, um,
because of the, um, information that was, um, shared amongst the Councilors at
the .... at the work session, could I get a motion to continue the public hearing and
defer the resolution until April 7, 2020?
Taylor: So moved. This is Taylor.
Mims: Second by Mims.
Teague: Moved by Taylor, seconded by Mims. (vote taken) Could I get a motion to
accept correspondence?
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Salih: (mumbled) move.
Mims: Second.... second by Mims.
Teague: Moved by Salih, seconded by Mims. Roll call please. All right!
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11. $11,600,000 General Obligation Bonds — Resolution instituting proceedings to
take additional action for the issuance of not to exceed $11,600,000 General
Obligation Bonds.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And .... um, I do know that, um,
Direct.....uh, Finance Director Dennis, uh, Bockenstedt is on ... in on here as well.
If staff, um, have questions for him, um, but do you have a presentation you
would like to do on this (both talking)
Bockenstedt: Yes, I do have a brief presentation, Mayor. I can go ahead and set that up.
Teague: Great!
Bockenstedt: I hope everybody can see that. Uh.... good evening, uh, as the Mayor said I'm
Dennis Bockenstedt, the Finance Director for the City of Iowa City. Um, tonight
there's a series of public hearings and resolutions, uh, in order to facilitate the
issuance of the 2020 general obligation bonds. Uh... the timeline for the issuance
of the general (mumbled) obligation bonds is presented here. Uh, tonight, uh,
March 24', there is a .... two public hearings. Each one is followed by a .... a
resolution, and then there is a third resolution, uh, to authorize the property tax
pre -levy. On, uh, April 14th, uh, we will conduct our bond rating call with
Moody's Investor Service. Uh, there'll be further Council actions on April 21",
and on ... on May 5, uh, we will receive and open the bids, uh, that we would
receive from investors and banks. Um ... and then on May 19th, we would have the
resolution authorizing the actual issuance of the bonds, and then on June 1" we
would close on the sale of the bonds and receive the proceeds. Uh, those projects
being funded by the 2020, uh, general obligation bonds, uh, it's primarily park
and street improvements. Uh, the largest project is the American Legion Road
reconstruction at $4.85 million. Uh, there's an additional $1.4 million for the
First Avenue and Scott Boulevard intersection improvements. Uh, there's also
additional funding in there for the asset matrix software and a fire truck
replacement. Uh, the 2020, uh, general obligation bonds were a part of the 2020
amended budget and five-year capital improvement program. Uh, they were
incorporated into the current and future property tax levy projections. These will
be sold in a competitive bidding process, and as I said there's, uh, a couple public
hearings and resolutions and then a third resolution. So it's actually Items I 1
through 13 on tonight's agenda, uh, that I'm presenting for right now. And then I
will try to answer any questions you have.
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Teague: Seein' there's no questions, uh, public discussion? Is there anyone from the
public that would like to address this item? I didn't see anyone, um, on the
sideline. I'm gonna close the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I get a motion
to approve the resolution?
2. Consider Resolution
Salih: Moved by Salih.
Thomas: Seconded by Thomas.
Teague: Moved by Salih, seconded by Thomas. Council discussion? Roll call please.
Motion passes 7-0.
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15. FY2021 Budget Public Hearing — Resolution adopting the annual budget for
the fiscal year ending June 30, 2021.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open the public hearing. (bangs gavel) And I believe we have our, um,
Ashley that is going to talk on this item. Ashley Monroe.
Monroe: Okay, thank you. Hello! Um, I will share my screen. We have just a couple of
slides to briefly walk you through this, uh, walk you through our budget.
(mumbled) ...just a moment. Okay! So ..... we have ... this just shows a calendar
of budget review and adoption. We began the budget process nearly a year ago in
July and Council had an initial discussion in August last year. Uh, we worked on
these items and presented to Council in early January of 2020. In, uh, February,
on the 18`h, we set the max property tax levy rate. So that was a new, uh, process
this year, required by State legislation changes, and um, and then today we're
holding the public hearing for, uh, final adoption on the budget. It needs to be
certified with the County Auditor, uh, by the end of the month. So couple of
things to be very proud of is we've included in the budget just high level, uh,
strategic initiatives that we've included in this budget. Uh, we have $1 million
general fund contributions towards our affordable housing efforts, uh, and then
Council, uh, approved a significant increase to our Aid to Agencies grant
programs, so both of those items are included here. We have investment of course
in our road improvements program. We're continuing work on our bicycle master
plan, our parks master plans and natural areas master plans. So we're moving
along there and, uh, the budget also addresses some of our major, uh, facility
planning needs. We've invested per Council's direction in increases to hourly
wages for City employees, and also make conversions for some of our temporary
employees into permanent status employees, and also added some new positions
with this budget. Uh, we've significantly invested in staff. And then finally just
another highlight is that the budget addresses a significant climate action and
adaptation efforts, per our recent, urn .... or recent 100 -day report. Uh, we have
continued to reduce our tax levy rate. Uh, so we are bringing ourselves more in
line with other Iowa cities. We're now in the mid-range of the top, uh, largest
cities in Iowa. We're building stronger reserves for our future. So both
emergency reserves and also facility reserves. We're avoiding spikes in our utility
fees by making just small incremental changes to our ...our fees, and I'll touch on
both that and the property tax just now. So here we have, uh, a statement of the
property rax .... property tax rate trend and our tax levies. So as you can see, our
property tax rate has decreased. With the single line, the bars are showing, uh, tax
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valuation and the .... the difference between those. In the chart on the right, we're
just showing the, uh, tax levy totals. So we have our combined general fund tax
levy. It's staying at $9.61. We're increasing the employee benefits levy by 10 -
cents. So it goes from $3.24 to $3.34. We're increa.... we're adding an
emergency tax levy, uh, for the first time in a while. We have used that in the
past, the City has, but this time will be 24 -cents and that's being dedicated
specifically to climate action initiatives. And then finally we're dropping the debt
service levy by 40 -cents. So from 2.97 to 2.57, uh, with a final tax levy proposed
of $15.77. It's a drop of 6 -cents in the levy. And then the final thing I'11.....I'll go
through is that, uh... our fee changes proposed. There are no fee changes, uh,
recommended for stor.... storm water, sewer, parking, or transit. We have 5%
water rate increase that was previously approved in the .... in the last year's
budget. It was a two-year approval, uh, to fund system upgrades and
maintenance. There's a 90 -cent monthly refuse fee increase, recommended for....
based on the .... the fluctuation and increase and use of our recycling programs,
and then the last recommended fee changes in the budget are $2.50 Landfill trash
disposal tipping fee. So that would be applied when you go to the Landfill, and a
$3.00 increase for recycling large-scale TV monitors over 18 -inches. So with that
I will wrap up and Geoff, Dennis, or I can answer any questions. Thank you!
Salih: I just have a question.....when you say we increase the affordable housing fund to
one million and after that you adding the .... the (mumbled) Aid to Agency grant,
my understanding that's only for like, uh.... house into home fund? It seem like
for all the agency.
Monroe: Yes! So (both talking)
Salih: ....from the one million?
Monroe: No, um (clears throat) excuse me! The $1 million was applied to the affordable
housing fund, right, just like it has been in the past years, um, and then we have a
separate pool of money that, um, is in the general fund, that 675,000 for Aid to
Agencies support. That is separate from the affordable housing fund.
Salih: Okay. Because you know, the million there (both talking)
Monroe: Yes! They're two separate items (both talking)
Salih: Okay, sure. Thank you.
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Weiner: This is Janice. I'm .... I'm really happy that one of the things that we built into the
budget is .... is, uh, our reserves, because as we....as we look at this year now
we're faced with enormous uncertainty about some of our revenue, with ... with
COVID-19, hotel/motel taxes, transit, a variety of other things. So, um, I just
wanted to ask what .... what flexibility is there for .... for us going forward? As
some.... speaking as someone who's not tremendously (mumbled) with City
budgets.
Fruin: (garbled)
Bockenstedt: Uh, yeah I can adjust that and we do have a, uh.... a substantial general fund
balance, and of course that's helped to, um, build contingencies and flexibility.
Um, you know, if we have revenue fluctuations or, uh (mumbled) but then also,
uh, several years ago we built the emergency fund and part of that was on the
backs on, um, you know, the State changes, uh, to what they were doing with
property taxation. Also it was, uh, coming following the .... the flood of 2008,
which the City faced a lot of, uh, financial stress at that time. So we really
developed, uh, that emergency fund to tackle those (mumbled) and contingencies,
and this is one that, uh, we feel if. ... if. ... either lost revenue or excessive
expenditures that we would fall back onto and be able to reach into and... and help
sustain operations, to the extent we can, and ... and right now that fund has about a
$5 million balance in it, uh, which hopefully would be enough to carry us through
whatever time period we're gonna go through here.
Weiner: Thank you very much.
Mims: I would just .... make a couple of comments. We've worked.... we've worked
really hard on the City budget, I would say, over the last eight years. Um, I've
been on Council for 10 years and I think we've .... we've made a lot of progress. I
think this is our eighth year of reducing the tax levy. Um, but even more
importantly in this year I think is our continued building of that emergency fund,
uh, the continued building of the facility fund. We have some huge facility needs,
transit facility, probably a new police station, other things like that that are gonna
be, you know, tens of millions of dollars, um, and so to start building that fund so
that we would have matching funds for hopefully some federal grants down the
road. Um, as Janice mentioned our reserves are so important. Um, and .... and I
think the other thing that I'm really pleased to see was our ability to add
significant staff, significant permanent staff that .... that deal with a lot of our core
services for the City. Um, we've been .... our staff has been stretched as we, as our
community continues to grow, and so it's ... I think it's important that we get some
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Page 23
assistance and relief for them. So think we've got a good budget, uh, we may
have some challenges as we go forward with what we're facing right now, but I
think we're in a good place to deal with that. So thanks to staff.
Teague: Would anyone from the public like to, um, to address this topic? I'm gonna close
the public hearing. (bangs gavel) Could I get a motion to approve the resolution?
2. Consider a Resolution
Mims: Moved by Mims.
Thomas: Seconded by Thomas.
Teague: Council discussion? (both talking)
Thomas: I'll just, uh, quickly echo what .... what has been said thus far. I think it's, um, you
know, I think budget is a good reflection of both a, you know, conservative
approach with our contingencies, as well as making progress on a wide range of
fronts actually in terms of our Aid to Agencies, improving our infrastructure, our
park system, uh, so the quality of life has been steadily improving over the years
that I've been in Iowa City and I'm really pleased with that.
Weiner: And I think this year in particular we will have no regrets about increasing Aid to
Agencies.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion.... passes 7-0.
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Page 24
17.
Teague:
Thomas:
Taylor:
Teague:
EPA Consent Order - Zinc effluent limits — Resolution Authorizing the
Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest the Consent Order between the
City of Iowa City and the Environmental Protection Agency regarding zinc
effluent limitations at the Wastewater Treatment Plant.
Could I get a motion to approve the resolution?
Moved by Thomas.
Seconded by Taylor.
Council discussion?
Taylor: This is Pauline. I just had a quick question for Eleanor. Uh, just as I was
scrolling through it, uh, on page 4 of their, um, statement, the EPA statement, it's
actually number 29, under the general obligation. I don't know if you can find
that in there. (garbled)
Dilkes: Yes.
Taylor: So page (mumbled) down at the bottom, 29, it says a copy of the audit report was
sent to the IDNR and the City on or around December (garbled) 2020 (laughter)
Dilkes: That's .... good catch! I'll .... I'll let the EPA know that (garbled)
Taylor: Okay, thanks. Just a minor detail, that's all! (laughter) Thanks!
Thomas: I just had a question as to what the source of the zinc is?
Knoche: Uh, Mr. Mayor and Council, this is Ron Knoche, Public Works Director. Uh, we
have.... there's two sources really of zinc in our community. One is the
background zinc, which is basically, uh, if you take zinc as a .... a vitamin, um,
that's passed through and ends up in the (garbled) comes into the plant. Our
second source, and....and probably about equivalent as far as size, is from Procter
and Gamble, uh, in their hair care products. Um, and so .... uh, you know, as .... as,
this has obviously been an issue for .... for us for a few years, um, and .... we've
been trying to find the source, and ultimately at the end what we've come up with
is, uh, that when we set our local limits, uh, back in 2015, uh, that the ... uh,
efficiency that we had assumed in our new plant. So if you recall 2015, we hadn't
started the new plant, basically the south plant renovation was being completed
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Page 25
but we hadn't really had any experience in operating the .... the new process, uh,
and ... and what we found (garbled) my conference room, um (laughter) what we
found is the ... through some help with the EPA, uh, our assumed efficiency of 79%
which was an industry standard at that time, uh, is in reality 57% removal through
our plant, and so basically we had created our own problem, with some help from
other experts, uh, in ... in setting that local limit too high, or too low ... or too high
because, uh, in the end we had a, um, ended up hurtin' ourselves, and so basically,
uh, we worked with the EPA. Uh, they've helped us through that process to
identify basically what our .... where our misstep was, uh, and we're in the process
of working with P&G now to, uh, both... the.... the next resolution will, or
ordinance, will establish.... start the process to establish a new local limit, but then
also working with P&G to make sure that their pretreatment process is .... can ... can
get us to the point we need to be at, uh, at the plant.
�I HT I1; M.,
Teague: Any other Council discussion?
Taylor: Um, Ron, do .... this is Pauline. Do you think then that, um, with them decreasing
their hair care products line over time that that will help to bring it down?
Knoche: That's correct. And that's.... that's one of the things that they've.... they've
already brought up with us is ... is as they start to move their product lines to West
Virginia, you know, it will reduce, um, for them what that, you know, basically for
them what it does is it reduces the amount of pretreatment that they'll have to do,
um, to the .... their affluent that comes into our system.
Taylor: Thank you.
Teague: Hearin' no more comments, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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18. Wastewater Code Modification — Ordinance amending Title 16, entitled
"Public Works", Chapter 3, "City Utilities", Article D, "Wastewater
Treatment Works Users", Section 6, "Building Sewers and Connections";
and Article E, "Wastewater Treatment Works Indirect Discharge", Section 4,
"Pretreatment Standards", Subsection B(2) to establish updated influent
limitations for Zinc. (First Consideration)
Teague: Could I get a motion to give first consideration?
Thomas: Moved by Thomas.
Weiner: Seconded by Weiner.
Teague: Council discussion?
Knoche: Mr. Mayor and Council, this is Ron Knoche, Public Works Director again. Um,
basically what this ordinance is doing is .... is two things for us. One is, um, the
first piece of that is in regards to building sewers and connections, uh, our current
practice has been that the .... any building sewer line that's being abandoned is
abandoned at the main, uh, but that has not been codified. Sothis is basically just
codifying what our current practice is, uh (mumbled) ordinance would then
reduce the zinc, uh, local limits from 91.88 ounce per day, uh, down to 44.1 ounce
per day.
Teague: Okay. Any other Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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19. 28E Agreement for Access Center — Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign
and the City Clerk to attest the 28E agreement between the City of Iowa
City, Johnson County, the City of Coralville, and the City of North Liberty
for the Behavioral Health Urgent Care Center, a/k/a the GuideLink Center
("the Center").
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve the resolution?
Mims: So moved .... Mims.
Taylor: (mumbled) Taylor.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Taylor. Council discussion?
Mims: I'll start, if you don't mind, Mayor. Um, this is Susan Mims. I've been on the
committee that's been working on this for the past, uh, well I've been involved
probably for about a year and a half or so. The committee's been going a lot
longer than that. Um, I think as Council Members know, uh, the City has
committed to $2.5 million towards the construction of the access center. Uh,
Coralville and North Liberty have each committed about 500,000. Um, the
County will be the managing entity ...well, it will be run by the County. They will
hire a managing entity to actually provide the services. Uh, for members of the
community who might be listening and may not be familiar, this is a behavioral
access center. This is going to be a place where, um, the community, uh, law
enforcement can bring people who might otherwise, uh, need to go to the
emergency room, or in the case of law enforcement, to jail. Uh, people who are
having some sort of a crisis that might be due to mental health issues, um, there
will also be a sobering area. There will be detox. Um, and also people who are,
urn .... uh, substance abu.... substance use issues as well. So there'll be a lot more
iss.... lot more information coming out about the various services, how people
can, uh, bring a family member there. It will be for adults only, 18 and over. Um,
one example would be, you know, a family who has an adult child or a spouse
living with them, um, who has a .... an issue that they need assistance with, that
doesn't necessarily need to be (mumbled) emergency room, doesn't need to be in
jail, but they need special assistance because of some sort of behavioral issue. As
I said it might be mental health, um, it might be substance, alcohol, etc. So we're
excited about the progress with this. Uh, this 28E agreement is a contract, um,
between the municipalities and the County, as to, um, how this will be run, the
expectations in exchange for the money that the Coun.... that the City is
committing to this, um, and there is also, um, language in there that if for some
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reason the services were no longer provided within five years, that we would get
20% of our money back, uh, on a prorated basis. So really looking forward.
This .... this fits in with all of the, um .... uh, CIT training that we've done with all
of our officers and first responders in the community. So really excited to see this
get up and running hopefully later this year.
Teague: Great.
Taylor: This ... this is Pauline. Uh, I, like many folks, uh, in the area, uh, have visited the
San Antonio facilities and, um, they're.... they're really remarkable and I've been,
uh, anxious for a long time to see what we as a community, uh, could do on those
lines, um .... and I thank Susan for being a part of those discussions to get this
project off the ground, uh, because doing something like this from scratch takes a
lot of work. Uh, I'd also like to thank the cities of Coralville and North Liberty
for being a part of this agreement, uh, cause it'll benefit their communities too,
and I .... I think it's a perfect example of our strategic plan, goal number five that's
enhance community engagement in our governmental relations, cause we're all
working together on this and it's going to be something that really benefits all of
our communities. Every time I drive by where, uh, they're starting the
construction, it's very exciting to see that.
Thomas: Yeah, I'll just add this is a wonderful project. It's wonderful in the sense that it is
a joint, uh, agreement involving, uh, the City of North Liberty, Coralville, and
Iowa City. Susan, thanks for your work on this over the last year and a half. Um,
it's a $7 million facility. It's a major, major piece of public work, uh, that we're
adding to our community. It also has an advisory board, so that, you know,
there's an opportunity there to kind of. ... oversee the .... the operation on a regular
basis. And I believe the winter shelter is (several responding) Yeah, so it's ... it's
really I think a wonderful example of cooperation and vision.
Weiner: I'm really happy to see it moving forward. Uh, you just mentioned the emergency
winter shelter, John. It's going to be a tremendous, uh, boon to the community to
have it permanently in one place, that's.... that's a .... that's really designed for it
and at times when it does need to be used, it can be used for other purposes, but
that .... that really is a step forward for .... for this community, and I'm very happy
that all the law enforcement issues have been sorted out. Just very happy to see
this going forward.
Bergus: I think another good element.... this is Laura, uh, another good element, um....
relating to this 28E agreement is the reporting that we'll have so that there will be
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data available for things like the .... the number of visits and, um, discharge and
we'll be able to quantify I think the successes and a lot of the good that's
happening with the access center. So I'm really pleased to see that as well.
Teague: Yeah, I think many people know that, um, that access center, for the most part,
different forms, uh, of and has been in the works for years and years and years.
Um, the five elements have come together nicely and I'm very happy to see that it
is actually gonna happen (laughs) because I know that, um, it was definitely a
hope and a dream, and to know that all the work that's gone into it, uh, gettin' to
the part where it is is, uh, really great for our community. Um, when I think of all
the needs in our community, especially from just the mental health, uh,
standpoint, this will be great and so very happy about this. Uh, I .... I think we're
ready for roll call please.
(male): You might have some folks that warm speak (both talking)
Teague: Oh, absolutely! I am so sorry! Um .... is there anyone from the public that would
like to address this topic, and I do know that we have, um .... um.....maybe
someone from Johnson County Attorney Office on, potentially. Is there anyone
that would like to address this topic? From the public? Hearin' none, roll call
please. Motion passes 7-0.
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20. Council Appointments — Applicants MUST reside in Iowa City and be 18
years of age unless specific qualifications are stated.
20.a. Civil Service Commission - One vacancy to fill a four-year term. April
7, 2020 - April 1, 2024. (Term expires for Richard Wyss)
Teague: (mumbled) um, could I get a motion to .... well we need to actually discuss, um,
the applicants and I only saw one applicant, uh, that was .... that fit the requirement
because we have a one male requirement.
Taylor: I...do we move now then (mumbled) discussion? (garbled)
Teague: Yeah, we're gonna discuss and then appoint.
Taylor: Okay, um .... yes, it makes sense that there's just the one male applicant and he's
currently on there. Did one term, and we've allowed people to do, uh, two terms
before. So that would make sense.
Mims: Well and the other comment that I would make is that .... of all of our commissions
this is one where, um, some familiarity with State code and the whole civil service
process in this case is really, really important, and Rick, um, has .... is a former
police officer for the City. So he's very, uh, familiar with the civil service
process, cause of all the testing that they have to do for police, and he's served on
this commission for a while, and ... what we have to understand too is ... we use this
for hiring, but also when there are other issues that come up on the back end, this
is an incredibly important commission; having somebody with some expertise and
familiarity is really important, so, um, I would highly recommend that we
reappoint Rick to this.
(female): Agree.
Teague: All right!
Salih: (mumbled)
Teague: Oh, I kinda thought that was ... urn .... a comment.
Salih: I move to reappoint Rick to this position.
Taylor: Second. Taylor.
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Teague: Moved by Salih, seconded by Taylor. Any discussion? Roll call please. Motion
passes 7-0.
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22. Community Comment
Teague: And in a second I'm gonna invite Austin Wu, um, who I believe is ... maybe on the
phone or maybe not! Um, but because this (garbled) our ...Austin, you're there?
Wu: Yes I am.
Teague: All right! There you go!
Wu: All right, so .... um, unfortunately there's no campus events to speak of,
unfortunately. I don't think there will be for a while. Um, let's see I'd first like to
wish good-bye to all students who lived in the residence halls, many of whom
were first-year students, uh, over spring break, uh, the process for, um .... for
evacuating most students out of the dorms, uh, took place. So I'm sorry that their
first year in Iowa City has been cut short and I wish them a quick and safe return
to their hometowns, to the extent that circumstances allow. Um .... I would like to
commend all University workers continuing their functions in critical roles,
including those currently working at the UI Hospitals and Clinics. Uh, I would
also like to recognize, uh, faculty, staff, and students of the College of Public
Health, many of whom have been working very hard and, um .... compiling, uh,
lists of community resources for people to use, as well as, uh, media and graphics
encouraging people to do social distance and stay-at-home. Uh, let's see, many
students are graduating this year, such as myself (mumbled) commencement is
disappointing. However, uh, the sense of loss is immeasurably greater among my
first generation classmates, of which, uh, the University of Iowa can count
thousands among its ranks and many of whom I call my friends, and then finally I
would also like to recognize the Iowa Supreme Courts halt on virtually all
evictions until the 4' of May or later. Uh, this will undeniably keep people in
their homes until the worst of the crisis subsides, and during a time when many
people are out of work or otherwise have reduced abilities to pay rent. Uh, the
link between health and housing has been well demonstrated, and the risk of
losing housing increases stress and anxiety, diverts money from healthcare to rent,
and places additional burdens on public services. Losing access to housing means
additional pressure on already strained social services, not to mention exposure to
the elements. Uh, in this environment losing housing can mean increased
exposure to disease, which is .... uh, which is not ideal under any circumstance, but
especially these, and as someone studying.... someone currently studying the
subject, protecting people's housing is protecting public health and I'm proud of
our state for taking action to that end. So, that's it, urn .... this'll be a strange
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semester, at least for the remainder, but uh.... we'll find a way to make it work.
Thanks!
Salih: I have a question for you, Austin.
Wu: Yes!
Salih: Yeah, you know there is many students that, uh, they reach out to us and saying
that they really have difficulty continuing the online classes. (mumbled) because
they live in common they could cough and they don't have nowhere to go, and
also some student they say they don't have access to internet. Basically some
students they just don't live by just online. They .... they need to do like (unable to
understand) uh, what is Student Government is doing to ensure those student will
pass their classes?
Wu: Sol...I, yeah, I think you point out a lot of the difficulties that people have, um,
that lot of people might not learn as well in this detached online environment. I
know I certainly don't. Uh, yeah, lot of students probably relied on a lot of
University resources at the Library, because of study spaces, intemet, um, the
computer labs (garbled) are closed off to students yesterday. So like I don't have
a printer anymore. Uh, so there's... there's, yeah, so now those students don't have
internet. Maybe if they're in their hometowns they won't have as good of internet
connectivity as at the University. Uh, I know at Iowa State most undergraduate
classes have been converted to a pass/fail system. So, um, and they won't affect
people's GPA or, um, the .... the standards for passing have been modified. I know
there's, um, there's a petition going around for the same efforts to take place at the
University of Iowa. Urn .... I can certainly ask Noelle and Sarah, the
Vice... President and Vice President about, urn .... um.....their take on pass/not pass
status or any other assistance, uh, that students might need.
Salih: Yes. Thank you.
Wu: No problem!
Weiner: And, Austin, this is Janice. I comment also the DI for continuing to publish
throughout this semester, even though they have to do their editorial board
meetings virtually. I think that will also be .... continue to be a really helpful
resource for students.
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Wu: Yeah, it really is spectacular. So, um, I, uh, I actually went to the hospital to
donate blood today, and I walked instead of taking the bus, like I usually was, but
I saw on the newsstand they're still printing the DI, but I reckon in 15, 20 years
those copies'll be local historic artifacts. (mumbled) hats off to them!
Teague: Thank you, Austin. Councilors, there .... there may be some people from the
public that did not, um, address us earlier during public comment. Are, uh,
wondering if people are agreeable to allowin' public comment, at this time?
(several respond) Great! All right, so we're gonna open up public comment. If
there's anyone on the line or on the telephone that wold like to comment, um,
because I'm not exactly sure if people are still here. I may just have people chime
in, give their first name, first and last name, and give public comment. And
keepin' your comments no more than three to five minutes. Hearing no one, I'm
gonna (both talking) Oh! Go right ahead!
Shaw: What was the topic?
Teague: Oh, it's just public comment. Anyone who would like to address any topic with
Council. That was not on the formal agenda.
Shaw: Well this is Dan Shaw. Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Shaw: Okay;. I've been sending you some information and research in emails today
about the coronavirus and some insights that people in the community have been
seeing about the way it was, or was not, contained, uh, the initial outbreak, uh,
when it first got to Johnson County on Mach P. Um, really just wanted to
impress some of the.... epidemiological modeling that shows the rate of infection
spread based on known cases of community spread. And .... some specific
oversights in the containment protocol that did not appear to capture, um, all of
the infectious transmission that happens with coronavirus. I really think Iowa
Department of Public Health here and our local Johnson County Department of
Public Health are radically underestimating the contagiousness and the
transmission mechanisms of coronavirus. And that's not based on my opinion.
That's based on epidemiological researchers connected all over the world who are
sharing this in real-time and sharing their findings, and I've been trying to share
those findings since March 11`x', with the Johnson County Health Department,
with Johnson County Emergency Management, uh, local officials. I've been
trying to get this information in the hands of people that make that decision, and
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we're getting very little feedback or dialogue I guess about why they are so out of
step with the world expert .... the expert communities opinions, or...or I should say
their evidence that's emerging, about how the virus is spread. Lasting up to three
days on plastic, two days on steel, or, you know, we're talking about door knobs
and hand railings. We're talking about other studies that show it lasting up to nine
days on hard surfaces. We're talking about significant evidence of. ... transmission
effects that are not accounted for by our containment protocol or our investigation
of the initial (mumbled) contacts as they first came into the community, and that's
really what's presenting the danger here. If this is .... the kind of spread that's been
observed in other places and was not contained initially, the scale of what we're
talking about, um, is enormous. We're talking thousands of cases already present.
So that .... that's really what's driving the frustration. The community is seeing
this expert opinion from all around the world all coalescing around the danger that
we're in, uh, because we have known community acquired transmission. The DJ
who announced it publicly, his estimated infection date was as far back as March
86i, when his .... his symptoms spiked on March 13". So what we're looking at is
a long period of time where we've got this virus that doubles its growth rate every
three days or more, according to recent data, and no real.... understanding or
acknowledgment of that from any of our government agencies. So I .... I, happy to
share any information I know oranswerany questions that are creating stumbling
blocks. I understand there's differences of opinions about the best way forward
from our local stakeholders, including the hospitals, um, but I just warm express
a very strong community position that it is growing around us and we're not doing
anything about it.
Teague: Dan, thank you for sharing. Council, um, typically can't, um, talk during public
comment or have discussion, but we appreciate you sharin'. Is there anyone else
on the phone who would like to address Council .... or on Zoom?
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23.
Teague:
Taylor:
City Council Information
Um .... and I know that things are, have been a little light but .... tun, maybe if any
Councilors have something you can just chime in. Otherwise we don't have to go
to everyone.
This is Pauline. I just had, this is kind of a question for Geoff. I had on my
calendar, uh, a couple of upcoming things, but I suppose probably we reschedule,
including tomorrow I think there was supposed to be a demonstration of an
electric bus. I would imagine that's been put off?
Frain:
Yeah. ,
Taylor:
Okay.
Fruin:
(garbled) cancel that.
Taylor: Probably re .... reschedule in the near future, cause I'm excited to be able to see
that at some point, and the other thing was that, um, I think on April 2"a in the
afternoon we were invited to a grand opening for, uh, the Element Hotel, which I
was also excited to see that, but I imagine that's being postponed also.
Frain: I don't have confirmation on that, but it's a pretty safe bet.
Taylor: (mumbled) Okay, that's all I had.
Mims: This is Susan here. I would just say, um, remind everybody, and I don't know
how many people are on here other than Council and staff now, but to keep
lookin' out and reaching out to people you know in the community that are ... that
are staying at home, whether they're retirees or working at home or elderly or
whoever. Um, just....I'll tell ya, I've been working from home the last week and
a half and it is really different. Um .... when you're used to being out and around
other people all the time, uh, it's a real change, and so for people who, you know,
who are home and doin' the best they can to self -isolate, um, you know, just I
think, Bruce, I think you've used the words and others have used them, be kind,
reach out, check on people, um, and do the best you can to, uh, keep yourself safe
and healthy and do all the social distancing that you possibly can and... and just a
real thank you to ... to staff and the Mayor for all the work that they've been doing
behind the scenes.
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Weiner: This is .... (several talking)
Bergus: I thought Janice was gonna chime in. Um .... this is Laura. I just wanted to echo
some of the discussion that we had during our work session, um, in case folks
didn't tune in at 5:00 for that. We had the opportunity to get a really
comprehensive and helpful update regarding the City's, um, response to the
coronavirus pandemic, and I also just wanna highlight for people because things
are moving so quickly that we wanna make sure, uh, folks are staying home, if
they are able, and the mayors of Iowa City, Coralville, and North Liberty, uh,
came together on Sunday and, um, pronounced that advisory to people to ensure
that they are staying home and so I think that's pretty clear and explicit guidance,
and wanna make sure that people understand that that is ... that is serious. We don't
take steps like closing public buildings and, um, making statements about
advisories to work remotely and .... and not leave your house unless you absolutely
need to for essential items. So, I think that, urn .... I hope people are able to find
good, reliable sources of information. I would continue to direct them to the City
of Iowa City and to Johnson County Public Health, and to the Iowa Department of
Public Health and the CDC, um ... you know, regardless of the data we may have at
our fingertips at any given moment, we do k now that if we act as if we need to
contain, uh, the spread of the virus and we stay home if we can, that that will
definitely help. So I just wanted to thank City staff and all of the people in our
community who are able to do that and contribute to that effort so that we can
help, um, protect our most vulnerable, as well as, uh, everyone in the community.
Weiner: This is Janice. I echo what, uh, Laura and Susan said, with a special.... with some
special thoughts to ... if you know folks who are in nursing homes in particular,
they're really isolated right now because they can't have visitors in. While we're
meeting, Iowa had its first, um, COVID-19 related death. Um, my heart goes out
to them. It won't be the last unfortunately. It's why we're all asking people to ... to
practice, um, social distancing and to stay home if it's at all possible. Um, it's a
little bit jarring (mumbled) doing normal business. We still need to be doing
some normal things as we can, um, but really do ask everybody, uh, to look out
for people as they can and echo the .... the notion to please.... please be kind and
where you can be please, as Mr. Rogers would say, please be a helper.
Teague: Thank you, Councilors, for chimin' in on there, and my last comment on that, uh,
in relation to COVID-19 is that, um, our actions do affect other people and so,
um, just be aware that we're in this together and we can get through this together,
and so I'll leave it at that. I'm gonna switch over to Item 23. Wait a minute, Item
24, and we'll get any updates from our City Manager.
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