HomeMy WebLinkAbout2020-07-21 TranscriptionPage 1
1. Call to Order
Teague: So I did wanna just mention that, um, today was a major day where the, um, I did
a procla.... a.....an order for face coverings, and again I just wanted to re ... uh,
reiterate the importance that we all abide by that; and when we wear a face
covering, we not only protect ourselves, but we protect others in our community,
and so ... with that, urn .... we can really curve the numbers of COVID cases within
our community and because we're in this together, let's all do our part. So thanks
to everybody!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council
regular formal meeting of July 21, 2020.
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7. Community Comment (items not on the agenda)
Teague: This is community comment. This is a time to discuss, we ask the community to
come and discuss any item that is not listed on our formal agenda. Now is the
time for you to discuss. And I see one hand raised, and if, um, you're wantin' to
talk on this, please raise your hand and I'll recognize you. And if you're on the
phone, please press *9. I'll start with Nicholas, followed by Sara. Nicholas!
Theisen: Sorry, I just had to unmute myself there real quick (laughs) Um, I wanted to talk
briefly about ... oh, god, so I was listening in to the work session earlier, and I have
to say I'm just so profoundly frustrated, every single time I hear you all talk about
housing. Because (laughs) I mean this even came up in the discussion, how
things just keep pushing further and further and further down the road. I mean
y' all don't even really understand how far behind you were years ago. So you're
even further behind now, and now you're talking about like all these discussions,
with all these various NGOs, and you don't even really have the bureaucracy
in ..... in your own staff, like to deal with these issues, and (laughs) basically an
eviction bomb is going to be dropped on you basically in the coming months, and
you have no preparation whatsoever for it, and if you want my more measured
thoughts on these matters, I published a piece in Little Village. You can go read it
or not read it, I don't really care, but .... it just, it astounds me that you all don't
even have like the urgency. You don't even have like just the sense of how
terrifying this is all going to be for people. Basically because it doesn't affect
you, and that is what is so ... infuriating about all of this. It doesn't affect you and
so you just don't care! Like you'll say you care, but you don't actually care! And
I'm having a rage stroke and it's pissing me off so I'm just gonna stop. Thank
you for listening to me. Whatever!
Teague: And we will have Sara, followed by, uh, IFR. Thank you, Nicholas, for your
comments.
Barron: Hello, everyone. Um, I (both talking)
Teague: Hello!
Barron: ...I would like to talk with you about a report that the Johnson County Affordable
Housing Coalition released. Um, this is Sara Barron, Executive Director of the
Johnson County Affordable Housing Coalition. Um, on Monday we released a
report entitled "COVID-19 Housing Needs and Solutions," and I did send it to
each of you and a few key staff members as well. Um, I just wanna highlight, uh,
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a couple of things from the report. The first is that, um, before COVID was ever
on the radar, 51 % of Johnson County renters and 16% of homeowners were
overextended by their housing payments. Um, we have 8,000 households in
Johnson County that were already paying more than half of everything they bring
in each month, um, just to keep a roof over their heads. Um, and obviously, um,
COVID is going to both deepen and widen the number of people and the level of
impact, um, economic instability and housing instability on people in our
community. Um, we surveyed households, um, and also non -profits to get a sense
of how people were, um, feeling about their housing stability, how they were
paying for their housing, and what they saw on the horizon. And what was very
clear, um, was that households have mostly gotten by so far on short-term, one-
time interventions. We know those are expiring. The stimulus check is gone.
The $600 a month is expiring. The eviction moratorium expires in four days.
Um, and there is nothing left in its place for longer term support. Um, we
additionally saw a really increased number of households that are relying on loans
and credit cards to pay for basic needs, expenses including housing, um, and that's
mirrored by national data that's seeing a sharp uptick, um, in credit card and loan
use for housing payments as well. Um, we have some really basic policy
recommendations for you to consider and I would be so glad to do the work to
pull together other people you can sit around the table with and discuss this as you
mentioned in your work session. Um, the first is that unfortunately we can't
depend on future federal rent or mortgage relief. Um, our national partners are
not very optimistic that is coming, um, a second wave of that, although we'll hold
out hope. Um, we do know that we have $20 million from the State of Iowa and
as Tracy laid out for you, there are some real limitations in who can be reached by
that. Um, although it is a very important resource and we can and should
continue to advocate for an easing of those barriers and making sure that every
single person who can (mumbled) benefit from that knows how to apply. Um, we
also are really seeing this need for utility relief. Glad to see you picking that back
up again. You'll remember in April we first approached you about the need for
that, um, and the numbers certainly support that that is a concern for many Iowa
City households. Um, a couple of other things, one, we really need to think, um,
not just about waiting until households are behind in their payments to offer them
assistance, but really looking at how we can provide a longer term, but still
temporary rental assistance program, where people pay what they can afford for
their housing, and a subsidy pays for the rest. This would provide some much
needed stability through the course of this pandemic, um, it would prevent people
from getting in the cycle where they're falling behind all the time and constantly
in crisis, and give households a chance to get back on their feet. There are
obviously some challenges to a program like that, but this is Iowa City, this is
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Johnson County, we can figure out those challenges and fix it. Um, and along
those same lines, um, as, uh, I think Mazahir mentioned, we have invited all of the
housing partners to a meeting on Friday where we're gonna sit around and look
at, um, even further strengthening the coordination among agencies, so that we
are not sending someone to one stop, and if that doesn't work for them we're
sending them to place number two, and if that doesn't work place number three.
If you're a person in crisis, how many doors do you wanna have to knock on
before you can get the help you need? We want the answer to that to be just one,
and your non-profit partners are here willing to make sure that that happens. So
please if you haven't yet, look at the report. There's a lot of data in there. Um,
and also some really critical stories from people first hand who are saying they are
desperate, they're feeling at the end of their rope, they're waiting for their city to
act, um, and there's never been a time more than now where we have to abandon
business as usual and respond to this crisis so that we can get through this
together. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you, Sara, and we'll have IFR. Please state your name.
Hamad: Hi, this is Raneem, um, and I noticed that this was not on the agenda and just
wanted to bring it up again (mumbled) comes up again in discussion later on, um,
regarding the two spots, two representative positions, or spots, um, seats for IFR,
um, members to be a part, um, with .... to be a part of Council discussions
whenever, uh, whenever the Council's discussing IFR demands, um, or other IFR
things on the agenda. So I'm hoping that the Council would speak on that as well
tonight.
Teague: Thank you! Anyone else like to address Council? Please raise your hand; if
you're on the phone, please press *9. Okay, hearin' none we're going to move on
to Item #8, which is the formation of Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
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8. Formation of Truth & Reconciliation Commission
Teague: Um, and we're gonna allow time for a public comment, uh, first followed, and
after public comment we will have Council discussion on the item, and I think
most people that have already spoken do know that Council, urn ... uh, has three to
five minutes that we ask people to speak, and so we'll start with public comment
on this item. And maybe before we actually go into public comment, I ... I would
like to say that Council hope is to really hear from the community, urn .... in... in
this fashion. I know that many people have reached out as well, to kinda give
their ideas on .... what the Truth and Reconciliation Commission could mean,
um... uh, within our community, the charges that the Council could set for the
Truth and Reconciliation, uh, Commission, uh, what we're hopin' that they'll be
able to provide, um, in relationship to, um, Black Lives Matter, um, some of the
things that, um, Council has already done is the 17 .... urn, resolution items relatin'
to the Black Lives Matter and the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, as many
of you may know, actually has a million dollars attached to that commission and
so one of the, uh, things that we wanted to do first was to really hear from the
community, in a formal setting, to allow people to, uh, talk to us about how they
see that commission, urn ... urn, some of the charges. Also who will be a part of
that commission, how would the community like us to elect that commission. As
many of you know, commissions, um, if you, um, commissions are actually
appointed by Council, people apply and then Council will go through the
applications and then determine who will be a part, and so .... at this time we'll,
um, ask for public comment, just to weigh in, so that Council hears in this official
fashion from community members. If you would like to address this topic, please
raise your hand, and then I will call on you. I see Royceann Porter. Please, uh,
address this topic! You're on mute! All right, I think .... there you are!
1. Public Comment
Porter: Uh, hello, uh, this is Royceann Porter. Hello? I think I'm off.
Teague: No, we can hear you!
Porter: Oh, okay! Thank you. Um, this is Royceann Porter and I just wanna report out
that I am the President of the Black Voices Project and I do want to let you all
know that, uh, we had a meeting last Monday with the Black Voices... Project, and
um, we have, um, broken (garbled) um, our group into committees, um, and as in,
uh, education for the Iowa City Community School District, law enforcement, uh,
policing, which would include, urn .... Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty, and
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University Heights, and housing, affordable housing. Uh, those are some things
we have broken down into committees, um, and with these committees we are,
we ... we just put these, we just formed `em and they will .... um, meet (garbled) but
they are for, um, comin' together in support of the Freedom Riders, the Iowa
Freedom Riders, and it's just to show what we can do and, um, we haven't had a
chance to, uh (garbled) all come together in these committees and what we're
gonna do is meet up and we're gonna talk about it and then we're gonna (garbled)
to how we can support the Freedom Riders, um, with these 17 core demands that
they put out to the City, um, Council. Um, I ... I .... in, um, choosing, um, this, um,
this commission or whatever you're gonna call it, I am hoping that you will take
your time in choosin' the people to put them on this board. Um, I'm hopin' that
you will put somebody on this board that is interested not only ...um, for their own
(garbled) that we (garbled) Citizen Review Board. I can truly say, um, we have to
have a commission where, um, the ... uh, the City Council is going to take this
commission's recommendations and ... and .... and (goes silent, garbled) and, um, I
don't know, I just ... I .... I think it's very important. I'm really proud of what y'all
are doin', but it's gotta be fair and consistent across the board. Um, you gotta
have the right people, and I don't know how you gonna, who you gonna put on
there or how you gonna go about it, but (garbled) but, um, I'm just hopin' that you
just don't choose somebody cause they say `yeah, I warm be a part of.' I'm
hopin' maybe interviews or somethin', but, um, that's just my little take. I wanted
to put my little two cents in it, but I did wanna let you know (garbled) Black
Voices Project did, uh, come together, have put together some committees, to
show how we can support the Iowa Freedom Riders.
Teague: Thank you! And I see IFR. Please state your name.
Hamad: Hi, this is Raneem, um, and I just wanted to, um, just inform everyone that with
regards to TRC, um, IFR is hoping to work with, um, everyone in the community,
and our vision is that this is a wide, um, spread community effort and that
everyone is involved in the community, and ... we really hope that everyone works
in this project together. Um, second thing that I wanted to point out, we have a lot
of, um, in terms of how we want the commission to be, we want this to be an
independent commission, and um, to what Royceann was earlier speaking about,
we also want it to be not once ... not only independent, just because of the
importance that recognizing that we're working, that the commission also would
be working, you know, and investigating government, uh, departments, but also
because it would increase the legitimacy, you know, of the commission within
BIPOC communities, and the whole Iowa City community. And so with regards
to having that independence, we would want ... are envisioning to have people
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apply to the commission and having a majority of members who are from the
community, um, and BIPOC people in the community, um, who will be leading
the commission and having three other members who are, you know, probably
from academia who have history working with, um, human rights processes and
truth and reconciliation processes to be on that commission as well. Uh, so that's
just one, I just wanted to, you know, throw out some ideas beforehand just in case
every... anyone wanted to understand what we were coming up with and if anyone
wanted to add any more comments to that right now during the public comment
session. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you, Raneem! Jessica!
Andino: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes we can!
Andino: Hi, this is Jessica Andino. I serve as the Vice Chair on the Human Rights
Commission for the City of Iowa City, um, and we have been meeting, three of us
from the commission, have been meeting with Raneem from the Iowa Freedom
Riders and then also with Aaron Page's group from the University of Iowa, Center
for Human Rights. Um, on this initial formation and grassroots efforts the IFR is
trying to establish here of the TRC, and I really just wanna commend IFR's
leadership for their overall vision and their patience in understanding how slow
some things work, but they're really taking their time to create a strong
foundation for this TRC, thinking about an overall budget line -by-line, thinking
about how we're gonna do the truth seeking, how we're gonna be able to do all
these different components, um, on this actually very short timeline. This is a
very, very, very daunting task that's being led by such young and brilliant
community leaders, and I just really wanted to commend them for bringing in, as
Raneem said, these ... these other groups that can help facilitate but not take away
the efforts that IFR started making. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Jessica. We'll hear from Aaron.
Page: Yes, hi, um (clears throat) This is Aaron Page. I work with the Center for Human
Rights and just wanted to, uh, sort of follow up with Jessica that, yeah, we've got
a group going and our ...our mandate is really just to provide any help or support
that we can. So we're a center for human rights, we kinda have roots in all
different departments of the ... of the University, all the different colleges, uh, I
teach a little bit of human rights at the College of Law, um, but ... but, you know,
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there's all sorts of different, uh, aspects to this, and so, uh, you know, we're...
we're here to listen to IFR and to provide kinda of research support, logistics
support, and whatnot, and they've been, the IFR representatives who ... who have
already participated in this meeting have been great about, uh, directing our
efforts and reaching out to us, and starting, you know, really interesting
discussions about what this could mean and different models, and um, I would
also echo Jessica's point that, um, there's, you know, these foundational issues
about, um, the scope of the commission, independence of the commission, stuff
like that are super important and so we really wanna take our time at the
beginning, um, you know (mumbled) for incentives but we also really wanna take
our time at the beginning to get it all right. That makes a lot of sense to me when
I hear that. So, uh, just chiming in to say that, uh... um, you know, this process
is ... I like what I see so ... going forward and we have a good team lined up, and if
anybody's interested in .... in joining our team, from the University or the
community, they can contact me directly as well. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Aaron. If anyone is on the phone and they wanna address this topic,
you can press *9 and if there's anyone else that would like to address this topic,
uh, please raise your hand at the bottom of your screen. Angie Jordan, welcome!
Look like you're connecting ..... look like .... all right, there's Angie Jordan!
You're on mute!
Jordan: (garbled) Um, just wanna apologize if I cut out. My internet's kinda on and off.
Um, I just wanna say for what it's worth, uh, when I was reviewing IFR's core
functions and requirements, to the TRC, I just really wanna highlight something
that they brought up, um, evolving and creative design. I think it's so important
that we don't stick with the traditional ways of collecting information, especially
people's stories. Um, and for those that are helping, uh, develop the commission,
and when the commission gets out there, there are so many groups and individuals
too that wanna help the process, maybe even share their stories (garbled) um, and
so finding those folks or engaging those folks, it's not gonna look traditional. I
personally don't think it is, and so I just wanna highlight something they've
brought up and that's (garbled) how important evolving and creative design for
this commission is.
Teague: Thank you! And IFR, um .... please state your name.
Hamad: Hi, this Raneem. I just wanted to check. Will IFR have more time to speak
about, um, the TRC after public comment or .... is it just (both talking)
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Teague: Yep, it's durin' public comment right now.
Hamad: Oh, okay, all right. So, um, I wanted to speak about a couple more things, um,
other than just the, um, document that you guys have already received, um, with
regards to the budget that, um, Jessica actually referenced a little bit while earlier,
um, IFR has been working, so we .... the City, the Council has allocated
(mumbled) $1 million for racial justice, um, initiatives in Iowa City, um, you
know, with regards to the work the IFR, the protest the IFR has done in the Black
Lives Matter move... Lives Matter movement here in Iowa City. Um, and so with
regards to that, IFR, um, and the TRC, we believe that we can use that, um, use
that money to, one, fund the IRC and two, um, secondly, um, fund reparations
initiatives with Iowa City that can include housing initiatives that (mumbled) that
can also include transportation initiatives that, you know, all these things that
we ... other people have been working on and trying to achieve for Iowa City and
we can use the TRC process to, you know, move forward, to these things ... to do,
to these things as the end goal. Um, and I think that in terms of the budget, I'm
just gonna give you guys a breakdown of what ... how we were thinking, um, some
...you know, as certain important aspects of that budget. So for reparations we
were thinking of, um, around $750,000 would go to reparations, um, and you
know, that would go to projects such as housing development, transportation
projects, such things as that. Um, for the, um, like Angie said, this would, um, for
....to have public hearings, um, that truly.... encompass everything that this
process really needs, um, to achieve, it's really, really important that we ha ... we
use multi -media as a tool to, one, create promotional videos for this, um, for the
TRC so that the TRC can get the wide participation that it needs, um, for it to get
the respect that it deserves and for the process that, you know, the community will
go through to get the respect it deserves, and so we allocated, um, originally
$30,000 for, um, multi -media recordings, but knowing that we would need extra
money from the City for higher production value. Um, for example we were
hoping to create a series of promotional videos for the TRC and the (mumbled)
process in and of itself, before the commission, you know, was even to set out for
its work, so that the community understands the importance of this process and
the importance of this transformative movement that we are creating here, with...
via Black Lives Matter. Um, in terms of for example space and, um, you know to
hold public hearings and these procedures, um, and to hold, um, commencement
ceremonies (mumbled) as well, we were thinking that, you know, instead of using
the $1 million for this cost, the City could allow us to use space such as the
Hancher, the Englert, um, and in terns of also creating this, these multi -media
productions, we could also you know get help from Film Scene, um, and these
other institutions that are within the community that can help us really make this a
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wide, um, spread participation effort. Um .... and then also, um, with regards to,
um, people who come out, you know, victims .... (noise in background) Sorry!
My dog is by me (laughs) for victims who, um, come out and share their stories at
these public hearings, they need to feel that .... they have to feel that they are safe
and they need to have a safe space for them, where they won't, you know, expect
retaliation for them coming out to share their stories about racial injustice in all
aspects of Iowa City, whether that'd be the business community, the University
community, or just the school community, um, and so to do that, one, the City has
to, um, create a victims legal defense fund that can provide those services, you
know, for victims if there... there is retaliations, you know, from businesses or
anything else. Um, and then .... the, um, the commission also needs to hold really
real, real power, um, it needs to be able to, one, be able to subpoena, have
subpoena power to get documents in terms of actually... trying to ... create, you
know, the fact finding aspect of the commission and figure out what is the truth,
you know, of racial injustice in Iowa City. Um .... and then we could also, the
commission should also have the power to, you know .... have (mumbled)
consequences for people in the community who do retaliate, um, against victims
who share their stories. Um, because that is not in any way what this movement
is trying to do here. Um, IFR is envisioning that the TRC provides a space for
people, for Iowa City, to create a shared ... sense of community that is based on
understanding and education, um, and to use that to move on and to a new, um,
you know, a new fold of Iowa City where everyone feels that they are a part of the
community, where everyone feels that they are safe, and that they belong, um, and
sol...IFR truly, truly believes that, you know, having an independent commission
set up led by community leaders and by BIPOC community leaders leading this
process who can really have that enormous effect and make Iowa City a beacon of
hope for other cities across America, and this can actually be, you know, a process
that can bring people to Iowa City because people can finally see that, hey, this is
a place that is deciding to make a change and actually about that change, and is
actually committing to it. So ... I really, really hope, um, that the Council takes this
seriously and takes IFR's, um, recommendations seriously, and is willing to work
with us moving forward, um, especially in terms of getting widespread
participation from all communities in Iowa City.
Teague: Thank you! Um, we're gonna hear from Eric, followed by Susannah.
Harris: Yes, my name is Eric Harris and I'm a part of the South District neighborhood, as
well as Angie. Um, the one thing I wanna say is that I hope in making a council
or commission that the South District is also involved because we are the
neighborhood with the most people of color in Iowa City, and so in this area
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we've seen most of the injustices that have ... have happened. So I'm gonna be
brief. Um, I just wanna make sure that we are a part of any conversation that goes
on because we're kinda on the front lines of things in like neighborhoods of color,
and I ... with that I would like to say thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Eric. We'll hear from Susannah.
Middaugh: Hi, um, this is Susannah. Yeah, I live in the Orchard neighborhood. We own a
house on Douglas Street and, um .... we have ... it seems like there's more of us that
are being out in our yards more and I feel like we're really getting to know each
other better, and um, it's been really wonderful. Um, I have a concern about the a
couple of things, um .... one is with the school situation. Um .... I don't think any
one child's life is worth being taken for us not knowing all the... having answers to
all the questions that we do about children and how they will, it'll effect their...
their growth or whatever or if one of them should, you know, have something
terrible happen. So I think it's important for us, um, as a community to take a
pause and say, you know, are we ... um, what is the hurry? The hurry has to do
with Trump. It does not have to do with us. I think it would be wonderful for our
communities to say we want the money back that was supposed to go to all the
businesses, not Trump and his people, if all that money would be given out, how
can people stay home and not (both talking)
Teague: Susannah? Susannah (both talking)
Middaugh: Yes?
Teague: Um, are ... are you, uh, addressin' the Truth and Reconciliation Commission? The
formation of a....
Middaugh: Am I? Is that the, what the topic is? I'm sorry, I had to get on Zoom to be able to
put my hand up and so....
Teague: Okay.
Middaugh: Just tell me what I need to do. (laughs)
Teague: Yes. So it sound like, um, what ... you tried to get on earlier and weren't able to
make comment earlier, is that what I understand?
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Middaugh:
Teague:
Middaugh:
Teague:
Middaugh:
Uh, well I'm not ... yeah, I was just on another .... I was watching from, um, a
different, uh (both talking)
...device.
Yeah, YouTube or whatever.
Sure.
Okay, just tell me where, what I need to do. If it's a different week or...
Teague: Yep, I think, um, because we're adjustin' to, uh, Zoom ourselves, um, after this
item, I will allow you to address, uh.... uh, open comment, if that is okay with the
rest of the Councilors.
Middaugh: Okay.
Teague: If I canjust see shakin' of heads. Yeah, so after this item I will come back to you
and allow you to address Council. Thank you! All right, and I see IFR and, um,
please state your name.
Hamad: Hi, this is Raneem. Um, so I wanted to share some more information about how
exactly IFR was envisioning, um, this transfer... this transformative process in
Iowa City, um, happening exactly. Um, our plan is to, um, yes we're going to
have the fact finding commission. Yes we're going to have the truth telling
aspects of public hearings. But we're also going to have community wide
teachings at the end of the process where every single member of the community
is present and is educated on topics regarding race, racial issues in Iowa City in
and of itself, um, and yeah (mumbled) within .... in and of itself as well so that
people are, one, you know, we all know that ignorance is the root behind a lot of
these issues, and um, we hope that by having a ... through this process and having
everyone, you know, be actually educated and you know, actually understanding,
um, each other and where the other person comes from, we can have that, you
know, we can have the Iowa City community move forward into a shared sense of
a community and a shared sense of, um, experience in Iowa City. So, um, within
these community wide teachings, um, I ... IFR was planning to, um, our intention
were to have, you know, have actual educators who teach anti -racist, um,
curriculum and curriculum on these issues, to, um, community members and that
these teachings could happen, you know, in various, um, you know, public spaces,
like you said earlier, um, that the City could, um, reserve for the community. Um,
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with .... also with regard to the community wide teachings it's really important that
the City, you know, have a lot of funding in terms of promoting these events and
in terms of, uh, making sure .... having ways to, you know, to hold institutions in
the community accountable for participation in the wide, community wide
teachings. Um, you know, businesses have to be there. University, um, members
have to be there, and officials have to be there. Students, University students,
high school students, could be there. Um, we were ... IFR was discussing ideas,
thoughts on, you know, maybe partnering with the School Board, um, since the
School Board already has such, um, you know, experience regarding, um, certain
committees that do work on this. And partnering with the School Board to figure
out how to exactly do that, you know, reaching out to this, you know, the District
advisory committees and learning from them as well. Uh, so there's a lot of, you
know, room for creativity and a lot of room for, um, you know, just collaboration
and, um, we're hoping that, you know, the Council agrees with that, and you
know, reaches out to other members.... other community members as well. um, to
bring their support, and then in terms of accountability, um, we were also thinking
that, um, to hold .... to make sure that businesses show up to these public hearings
and hear exactly what community members of Iowa City have to speak on them
and what they have to say about them regarding racial justice. Um, we have to
have an accountability system, right? And so, you know, we can even, we were
thinking of, you know, maybe having like plaques. If a comm .... if a business in
the community comes out to the public hearings, and comes out to ... and is part of
the process all the way, you know, to the end with the community wide teachings,
they receive a plaque that states, you know, they've, you know, done this, this,
and this, and that they're a part of, you know, our new community. Um, and so
it's important to have some, you know, type of accountability measures that, you
know, people can understand that this is a wide spread participation effort and that
everyone must be involved. This is not just about black people coming out and
sharing their stories of brutalization and oppression, um, in the community. This
is about every single person coming out and understanding and starting a shared
experience for our city. Um, so yeah, thank you.
Teague: Thank you. And is there anyone else that would like to address this topic?
Newman. Please join! Welcome!
Abuissa: Thank you for having me. Uh, I just wanna add that drug use is in Iowa City, uh,
and its affect on minorities is ... is a big part of our, uh... uh, law enforcement and,
uh, incarceration system. I would like to shed some light on that issues, at some
point, and also I would like to thank Mayor Pro Tem for speaking against the
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council, uh, person in Coralville, and uh, after making his statement a few days
ago. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? If you're on the phone
you can raise your hand, uh, by pressin' *9. Okay, seeing no one I'm going to
transition over to Council, and, uh, thanks to everybody that participated in the
public comment section. Um, I did wanna just make statement, uh, in relationship
to IFR and the one speaker that spoke, um, a couple of times. We know that IFR,
uh, kinda appointed someone to be their spokesperson and so that is kinda, um,
why there was multiple conversations, um, allowed, uh, from.....from IFR today.
So, um, I just wanted to make that statement that I know what the typical process
for Council is, is we have a three to five minute per person, um, but we did have
IFR, um, that was asked to be here with their one representative, so ... thanks, um,
to everybody that joined in on the conversation. All right, we're going to
transition back to, uh, Council discussion and .... um, I .... does anyone have any
initial thoughts or .... or comments?
Bergus: Mayor, I'd be glad to jump in. Um, at the, uh, last meeting, Councilor Weiner and
I, um, kind of formed a subcommittee, um, with the hope of bringing back a draft
resolution for consideration by Council on this item, and we're not quite there yet.
We wanna make sure that we received, um, public input and had the opportunity
for the discussion for creating the framework for this commission. So just very
briefly to make sure that the public hears the context of what we're talking about,
as you had mentioned, Mayor, we adopted the 17 -point resolution in .... in
response to the Black Lives Matter movement in support of addressing systemic
racism in Iowa City. One of those items is the formation of this commission,
which, um, under the model of other commissions that the City of Iowa City has
created would have members appointed by the City Council, and then would
make recommendations to Council or .... or, um, conduct activities as set forth in
that resolution defining the operations of the commission. So, uh, in that process,
we received, and there was in your packet, um, both the document from the Iowa
Freedom Riders setting forth the core functions and requirements of a process for
truth and reconciliation and I hope we can, um, just kind of highlight some of
those aspects. I think from talking with Councilor Weiner, at least she and I are in
agreement that, um, the core functions and requirements of. ... of a commission
like this or the process that the commission would undertake are certainly those
that are represented in this document. That's what we hope to do, and I think
that's what was set forth in our resolution. Um, as IFR indicated, as .... as Raneem
spoke to, having, um, accountability, having .... full participation from the
community, having this resource by the City of Iowa City that not having it be,
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um, the Council itself, you know, carrying out these activities, that having a level
of independence is very important, creating a, um, structure for safety so that
individuals who choose to participate understand that they .... they can have
some .... some kind of protection from retaliation, from retribution, um, if they're
speaking truth that other people may not wanna hear, that they might want to
react, um, badly against is certainly important, and having, um, something else
that .... that Raneem spoke to that I think is critically important is ... the way that we
present what we're collecting to the rest of the community so it really is
compelling and, um ... just of. ... I think she spoke to multi -media and that's
certainly I think is .... is something that ... that we should encourage the commission
to do is to undertake, um, different types of media for both collecting the stories
and the truth from members of our community, as well as sharing that with the
community and preserving it for the future. So those were just a few of the things
that, you know, in our work to think about what should the commission do, we
considered, and I wanted to highlight, and then, um, certainly the brass tacks of
the commission itself, we heard from a few community members tonight about,
um, groups that may want to be represented on the commission. So as we're
considering how many members and what the composition of the commission
should be, um, you know I've heard obviously Iowa Freedom Riders, Black
Voices Project, Human Rights Commission, South District, um, or South District
Neighborhood Association, uh, I think we.... several of us received comments
from an individual advocating for a member of the Community Police Review
Board also serving on the commission. Um, so those are just a .... a few examples
that we could, as we did in the Climate Action Commission, have sort of, um,
specific spots that were held for representatives of different groups. So that's one
thing for us to consider. So there's just a little bit of background and I think the
context we're working on, but hopefully we can discuss!
Teague: All right, any other initial comments?
Thomas: Well I ... I will introduce, um .... some thoughts I was having over the last two days,
and uh, you know, I was responding, you know, to the agenda, which talked about
the question of developing the ... the resolution, and urn ... so it wasn't clear that...
that Janice and Laura were working on a draft, um, so that's... that's interesting to
hear. Um, one .... one thought I was having with...with this, and it's, um, as many
of you know, I often like looking for precedent and examples, uh, that perhaps we
can draw from in developing, uh, such resolution, and um, I found there really
wasn't much, uh, to draw from, at least in the United States. There was only one
truth and reconciliation commission that I could identify. So it's ... it's sort of, uh,
to some degree uncharted territory, I think, as we move forward. One thought I
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was having was that, urn .... proposing the idea that the Human Rights
Commission draft this resolution for Council review and approval. Um, I'm ... I'm
impressed with the ... the engagement over the years that the HRC has had on
issues, uh, related to human rights, uh, and social and racial equity, uh, I'm
impressed with the work of Stefanie Bowers and the commission as a whole, and
it seemed to me an opportunity to kind of bring in some of that experience that...
that they've accrued over the years in helping to craft the, you know, the scope
and .... and structure of this commission, um, for our review and approval. It also,
in my mind, would help distribute the load. I am really concerned with the
amount of work Council is doing. Uh, you know, we just had the meeting, um, in
our work session over COVID, which I think is kind of been lost to some degree
just simply because we're responding to so many issues simultaneously. Uh, so
it...it seemed to me it might be an opportunity to .... to bring in, uh, a commission
whose .... whose charge is for many years been addressing this kind of issue. Uh,
provide a framework that we could review and approve, uh, and... and then move
forward in, uh, creating that commission. I just wanted to suggest that as one
possible way we could ... we could approach the creation of the ... the resolution.
Mims: I ... I think the (sighs) what do I wanna say? Laura, I know Laura and Janice have
spent a lot of time, both, uh, talking with IFR and, you know, looking at their
input and their suggestions, and obviously this ... this is a Council decision, but I
think we're all here obviously because we ... we believe in what the IFR has
brought forward, um, and as I've said before, their passion and energy is what has
gotten us here, and ... and I fully respect that. Um, that doesn't mean we're always
going to agree on everything, but I think they've set us on, um, an interesting
path. I think they have done a lot of research, um, and I guess.... because of that
connection, um, I feel like .... and Janice and Laura, tell me ... tell me if I'm wrong,
but I think you folks are maybe already further down a path than we would be if
we handed this off entirely to the Human Rights Commission, who maybe hasn't,
at least as a group, been as involved. Maybe certain people have been. I'm
certainly more than ... than willing to, if, you know, to have their input obviously
on this as well. Um, but I would hate to do anything that would slow the process
down.
Salih: I just wanna add something on that line. You know (mumbled) talking about this,
but I really wanna comment on what (mumbled) I agree with Susan. I just feel
that Laura and Janice, uh, all of us are passionate about this issue, of course, but,
uh, I can see your passionate about like really you ... you work hard on, uh, workin'
on this issue. The thing that I really don't like, and I'm going to be honest, I love
the Human Right Commission. They're great people. They do a lot good thing.
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There is no doubt. But for me that, uh, all during this Black Life Matter, we heard
from IFR, we heard it from other people, I said it. We don't want City related
commission to come up with something. We don't want staff to come up with
something. That's why when we said, uh, you know, Laura and .... and Janice,
they .... they are not coming up with something from their mind. They are
reaching out to people. They reach out to all the groups and now they still
listening to the public comment, as Laura mention early, that she's not ready to
give something because she want to listen what the public, uh, going to say toni...
tonight. So she can add that to the thing that she will craft it and bring it to us.
My understand (garbled) Human Right Commission is in ... very involve on this
discussion, where they work with the University of Iowa, also Center for Human
Right, IFR, and you know, the rest of the group, and now just, uh, also Royceann
Porter. She mention that she have committee from the Black Voices Project. So
all those people, they work together and come up with something, and, uh, of
course if somebody did not reach out to Laura and Janice yet and they still have
(garbled) input, I will encourage them to reach out to them so they ...they can add
their comment, uh, you know (mumbled) I ... I really support that we don't have to
hand this to any commission, but we encourage commissions to work with them
so they can come up with something, and I believe the Human Right Commission
already do.
Teague: Well I'll definitely chime in here. I think one of the hopes that I had for today, uh,
it happened. It was really to hear, um, in a formal setting from the public on what
they would like to see the commission, the ... the TRC be, the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission, um, be. They talked about, um .... there is people
talked about their participation. We've already, uh, had it mention, which are
the ... you know, some of the people that want to be a part, such as South District,
IFR, uh, Black Voices Project, Human Rights Commission, even CPRB. Those
are, uh, interested parties that would like to be considered on some ... well, to be a
part of this commission. I think maybe what, uh, Council could do tonight instead
of, um, focusin' on the .... the items that will be in the resolution, maybe we can
somehow.... either get a number, when we look at, um, how our commission...
commissions are typically set, um, we saw examples of...uh, of what... what... what
needs to be addressed, and one would ... would be the number of members, and
then, um, two would be whether positions would be designated for persons with
specific expertise or from a specific organizations, and there's some more things
there. So I don't know if that is somethin' that, um, we wanted to kinda pass on
to, uh, Councilor Bergus and Weiner when they're havin' their discussions, to put
that in the mix, or is that something Council ... want to address tonight? What I
will say is that, uh, for me, the conversation from the public, um, was .... was what
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I wanted, what I needed and I actually don't have a lot of comment that I want to
give because I wanna walk away, and I think we need to really develop ... uh, a
template for the resolution that Council will come back and, um. ... and .... and be
ready to vote on. So .... tonight was very beneficial for me, and I ... even though I
know it seem like government go slow, but I would rather go slow and get it right,
than to go fast and do something that we're gonna retract.
Mims: I'll just add a couple of comments and I don't necessarily wanna get into the ... the
specific nitty gritty, but just kind of to the points that you just mentioned, Mayor,
on that list. Um .... on the number of members, I don't have a specific number.
My comment would be I think this is a commission that unlike some of our others
may need to be a little bit larger, um, than we normally have. I ... I actually think
our Climate Action Commission is fairly large as well. But I think this is a group
that is going to have, um, a lot of work to do, and I think it's important that we
have a very, um, diverse group, even from within the BIPOC community, so that
we make sure that there is plenty of representation. So I would encourage, Janice
and Laura, as you're looking at this, to, urn .... you know, think maybe (laughs) a
little bit on the larger side than we....than we have sometimes. Obviously I would
hope that we would allow them to form subcommittees and bring in other people
from outside of the commission to help do the work, if needed, um, because I do
think there's going to be a very ... very large workload here. So that would be my
comment on number of members. Um .... on whether positions will be designated
for persons with specific expertise or from specific organizations, I would say yes
to both of those. Um, 1 ... I think there are organizations, um, within our
community that have been doing a lot of work, um, some for a short period of
time, some for long, and they .... they I think have qualified themselves for having
representation here, but certainly we have people within the community who
could provide a lot of expertise and/or just ... you know, their longevity in the
community and their involvement and their experiences as a person of color, um, I
think would be valuable. So I think we want to think very broadly, um, as we
look at that membership. Um, I think you already have a lot of information on the
duties and responsibilities (laughs) probably a ... a long list that you'll be putting in
there. Um, I think, personally, I think members should be required to be residents
of Iowa City. Um, this is something that really has been put in our lap, by IFR.
Um, they've had some conversations with other areas, but not as much, and I
think this is something, uh, while certainly we want to, urn .... encourage and
involve people, uh, from the University community and businesses, etc., and ... and
to me if other people want to come and tell their stories and be involved,
businesses, whatever from outside, I think we should welcome that, but I think the
commission members themselves should be Iowa City residents. Um, and one
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thing we've done sometimes, and I think this can be, uh, problematic from the
public perspective, um, was the number seven — will the Council appoint the chair
or will the commission, once created? I think the commission should appoint
their own chair. Um, again I think that sense of independence, um, that is so
important I think they should select their own chair, so .... that's the only input,
maybe more than you wanted, but little input that I would give you from my
perspective.
Salih: If no one, I can chime in?
Teague: Yeah!
Salih: Urn .... I just wanna, yeah, I ... I agree with most of the thing that Susan Mims said.
The only thing is, uh, the residents of Iowa City definitely that's something, uh,
you know, is .... is .... as much as we can it's supposed to be, possible you know,
but the problem is for example, you .... we talked about the, uh, representative
from organization that they have person of expertise, like for example the
University of Iowa, uh, Center of Human Right. If the person that they want to be
involved in this is not .... Iowa City residents, but they are representing, uh, like,
uh, for example for the human (garbled) climate action when we have some
person from Mid America, they ...they will send that person to us and we don't
have to ask them if that person live in Iowa City or not. Can we also add this to
consideration, uh, when ... when we say Iowa City resident?
Mims: I would agree with that. I mean I would agree with that — if there's somebody that
we're looking for that has a (mumbled) a specific area of expertise that we really
want and need, I would agree with you on that, in terms of making that exception.
Salih: Sure, and the ... the other thing I really encourage Laura and Janice, uh, before they
come back to us, uh, as the Mayor said, this is very like good, uh, meeting tonight.
We heard from a lot of people, uh, we heard from the South District, and Human
Right Commission, and, uh, CPRB, and University of Iowa Human Right, IFR,
and uh, we did not hear CPRB, but I think they are involving too, because part of
them are in, uh (mumbled) the Black Voices Project. Uh, I thinks those group are
a lot good group that they can bring us a lot of good informations, and I
encourage, uh, Laura and Janice to also meet with them, uh, individually, or
maybe have a meeting where they have representative from all those people, uh,
to come and give you the final (mumbled) maybe, uh, so you can bring us, uh, a
draft that has a voice from all those, uh, representative. That ... I ... I would
encourage you to do so.
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Teague: I do think that, uh (laughs) Councilor Thomas talked about, um, how Councilors
are (laughs) very, uh, involved with a lot. I wanna make sure that this isn't a...
that this request is something that Councilor Bergus and Weiner have the ability to
do between now and next meeting.
Bergus: I would say yes to that, Mayor. I appreciate that concern very much, and I know,
um, the last couple weeks with, um, certainly the .... the spike in COVID-19, and I
know, um, Councilor Weiner in particular put a lot of time and energy into getting
us where we needed to be on that issue, but I think we will continue to work
together and be able to bring something back, um, to you. This .... this input that
we're getting is tremendously helpful. I would be interested in hearing more
Councilors, um, preferences I guess on the questions of residents of Iowa City and
kind of holding spaces for different, um, groups or areas of expertise, and uh,
Janice, of course, I'll let you speak for yourself.
Weiner: Um, I'm uncharacteristically quiet because you .... you've said it very well and I
really have been sucked up with other things, so getting back into this now.
Teague: For me as, um, I ... I think .... the number of members, I imagine it will be 11 or
more, but I'm gonna kinda, urn ... not give a hard number and just wait for that to
kind of play itself out. In regards to .... um, members .... bein' residents of Iowa
City, I think if it is, um, if it's not .... an organization, uh, I think we should appoint
some organizations, personally. I've talked about this in the past. (mumbled)
where I believe that, um, we should .... um, ask for, uh, organizations to apply to
whatever board or commission we, uh, set up. And then we would have, um,
space ... for those, uh, for them to appoint someone from their organization .... to be
a part, and we've already had, you know, five organizations speak tonight, but I
think these organizations are all organizations that, um, we would seriously
consider them havin' a space on this commission and almost any other work
group (garbled) that we create. So .... in regards.... so to answer the question
specifically about the residents, should the resident be of Iowa City, I think, um, if
it is someone that comes from an organization, they do not, but if it is definitely
someone, um, that we need to, um, I don't know if we call `em at -large positions
or what we call them, but we need to .... let's say we have nine, uh, unreserved
spots, then those would need to be residents of Iowa City. Am I... from my
perspective.
Thomas: I think Susan pretty well, um, summarized for me what .... how I would of
responded to those specific questions. Uh, I do think, urn ... I think.....I think the
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climate action is 11, if I'm not mistaken, and um, I think one of the advantages of
having a large group is it can better capture the diversity, but also it allows for the
group to break down into smaller groups, uh, because there probably are going to
be committees, like climate action, that will form within the commission. So it
allows for people to fill those assignments. Uh, and then making an exception for
residency for anyone who has a special expertise, I think, makes sense, although I
think, you know, it's ... it would be preferred if it .... they lived, uh, locally. I think
the Mid American representative lives in Iowa City, so it is ... possible, uh,
especially if we make that a preference.
Taylor: This is Pauline. I'm .... I'm back on now. I had some technical difficulties, and I
won't repeat anything that might have already been said. I just caught John's
conversation and I ... I agree with what he said. I did have one point and it may
have been brought up that, uh, I think the Human Rights Commission needs to
play a ... a major role in ... in this, uh... um, commission or committee, whatever we
wanna call it, and I kind of had a question maybe for Eleanor, and this might have
been brought up. Uh, someone pointed out to me that, uh, a person can't sit on
more than one commission, uh, for the City. If...if that's true, cause I ... I was
hoping that somebody from HRC, uh, might be able to .... to be a part of this, uh,
but maybe they can be a part of it, uh, like a consultant, um, as opposed to
actually being a committee member.
Dilkes: Um, Pauline, we do have a resolution like that, but I think this resolution could...
could override that, er, speak specifically to it for this particular commission, if
that was what the Council wanted to do.
Taylor: Well that's good! Thanks, Eleanor.
Salih: I really think that if for example a person on, uh, Human Right Commission
would like to join, uh, this, uh, the Truth and, uh, TRC Commission, I think they
should of. ... they just choose, you know, or resign from the ... from the Human
Right and (mumbled) unless they have (garbled) representative of one person
from organization. So, uh, what we talked about early, uh, if (garbled) University
of Iowa Human Right wanna send a representative, uh, it....it depend on a person,
am I applying as individual? Or am I applying to this representating the whole
Human Right Commission? That's... that's have to be in consideration, because,
uh, the ... the commission can elected or appointed one person from the Human
Right Commission to be represent the Human Commission in there, but otherwise
if for example a person who is in the Human Right Commission would like to
apply as individual community member to this ... to the TRC, they have to resign in
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order to do so. Uh, I don't know what Eleanor going to say on that but that what I
think.
Dilkes: That's.... that's really up to all of you.
Mims: I think one of the ... one of the things that it brings up to me as I'm listening to this
discussion is .... how long are we thinking that this commission is going to be in
existence? I mean are we looking at this as .... an ad hoc type of commission that's
gonna be in existence for 12, 18, 24 months and then it's done, or are we looking
at this .... as something that's permanent? I guess ... until I started hearing this, in
my mind I've always looked at it as more of an ad hoc, temporary type of
commission, because if it's not temporary, then I think we have to be very
cautious about .... do we have people serving on more than one commission? If
it's ad hoc, then I see that working better in having that representation from
Human Rights and from CPRB.
Dilkes: Your resolution adopting, um, the ... the 17 points, um, characterizes as an ad hoc
commission. That doesn't mean that it couldn't be permanent at a later date, just
like the Climate Action Commission was initially ad hoc and then became
permanent, but I think it's envisioned... yeah, uh, in the Council's resolution as ad
hoc.
Mims: Thank you (garbled)
Fruin: (several talking) If I may, uh, just real quick, um, the .... the last two ad hoc
committees that the City Council created, um, those .... uh, resolutions are in your
packet, and if you dive down into the details on ... on those, that would be the
Senior Services Committee and the Diversity Committee, they both allowed, um,
in the resolution for members of other boards and commissions to participate. So,
uh, not that you can't restrict it, but the last two times this issue has come up, the
Council has allowed applications from other peop.... from people serving on ... on
boards and commissions.
Taylor: Again, I would be in favor of that. I think the HRC for years has been, uh,
looking at, uh, those kinds of, uh, diverse issues in our community, and .... and
doing wonderful things — putting on wonderful, great events, uh, to, um ... point out
the, uh....people of color in this community and give awards and such. So I
would be in favor of that. They (mumbled) in, uh, their minutes talked about a
subcommittee that they have, the HRC, they recently renamed Anti -Racism
Working Group. So they're working on similar issues and they sha... they should
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be able to work hand-in-hand with that. We're .... we're not asking somebody
from the say the South District Association to ... to drop out of that, or even from
the IFR, to dropout of that and just be apart of this. It's all people who are
concerned about the same things and wanna work together. So I see no problem
with somebody from HRC being on it.
Salih: My two cents on this really, you know, maybe this is too early to discuss it, but
TRC need to be permanent. Even if the other, we going to have like some kind of
housing and... those.... those could be like, uh, really, you know, temporary or
whatever, but the... the.... the TRC, this is should be permanent, and everybody
who serve there, if they serve as individual, I think they have to serve on only one
commission because this is will be just like the other City commissions, uh, but...
but TRC, we need it. We .... if we, uh, they are not doing like something Black
Life Matter, we gonna ... we going to talk about this, uh, until the end of living end
of (mumbled) (laughs)
Teague: Yeah. I ... I guess my .... my person thought is I think it can definitely start out as
the ad hoc and as it, um, continues and develops, um, we can certainly consider
makin' it permanent. The other thing I just wanted to chime in on and this'll be
my last comment on this, um, is when it comes down to how many members, I
believe that we should, and maybe that'll be more organic, um, through, uh, the
next couple of weeks of how many people are interested or maybe we wait and
see, um, how many organizations actually apply, because where we think we, you
know, know the organizations, uh, that are, um ... surrounding, uh.... Black Lives,
um, such as, you know, IFR, Black Voices Project. There could be more that we
don't know about and so ... one of the things that I ... that I think we have to have,
no matter what happens, is a balance of organizational represn.... representatives
and just committee, uh, community members. Um, it doesn't have to be totally,
you know, equal but I ... I believe that we have to have independent voices on there
as well that don't represent an organization.
Salih: I agree with you. Yeah.
Dilkes: Mayor, I have a couple points I'd like to make, but I can wait until Council is
done.
Teague: Uh, please... please go right ahead!
Dilkes: Just a couple things. Um, just a reminder that as a City -created commission, this
commission will be subject to the open meetings laws and the public records laws,
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just as the City Council is. So there will have to be notice of any meeting of a
majority of them. There will have to be minutes of...of the meetings. There have
to be .... all votes must be recorded, uh, etc. Um, in terms of public records, any
record of the commission, any communication between commission members
about matters that are within the purview of the commission will be public
records. Sol just wanna... there's ... the talk of independence, I think, we just need
to be clear about those restrictions that come with any City commission. In
addition, it is the City Council that has budget authority and ... rec...
recommendations, just like you get from any commission, can come from the
TRC as to how to spend City dollars, but ultimately it will have to be the Council
that makes that decision.
Salih: The last thing I will add, I just wanna remind again, Laura and Janice, uh, when
you reach out to the (garbled) community groups, uh, don't forget also I wanna
remind IFR, and uh, also both of you, to reach out to the interfaith, you know,
community group, uh, because those also are lot of them have a very good, uh,
input on that, so we can just include it, and as much as you remember somebody, I
really just would like everybody to have input on this, as the Mayor said, uh, this
is will be really good when, uh, everybody have input. IFR also (mumbled)
Weiner: So I'm actually already hooked into the interfaith group and have been for quite a
while. I get emails from them (both talking, garbled)
Salih: Okay. Okay (mumbled) do that then. Thank you! You are on top of it. Yeah!
Good! (laughs)
Teague: Any other discussion on this topic?
Bergus: Yeah, just a ... a couple of points to kind of pull this together, particularly for the
public who may be watching, um, I think, uh, Raneem from Iowa Freedom Riders
made a really excellent and compelling argument for pulling in the entirety of our
community into this effort, and so as we as the Council set up the framework for
this, you know, we just have to be cognizant of sort of who we are and what we
can and can't do, and what we can facilitate or encourage other people to do. So I
think as we navigate through the process, there will be some kind of learning as
we go and keeping that flexibility is tremendously important. Um, I really
appreciated the highlighting of collaboration with other groups in the community,
talking about things like non -profits who might be able to provide spaces that
again we as the City can't mandate that, you know, the Englert provide their
theater, but we can certainly, um, encourage the commission to reach out, if we
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have that connection, and we can facilitate some of those relationships and
connections. Um, to Eleanor's point about the public meetings and the public
records, that's critical for transparency and accountability for this group, and so
again, that's the piece of this whole process that is City, right, that is government,
requires those mechanisms. So I think we're .... we're gonna have to talk
internally or get .... you know, talk with staff about what that looks like as far as
who can be supporting that, those mechanisms from kind of like the clerk or
secretary side of things, to make sure that the ... the management of the public
records and meeting notices and that kind of thing is happening with the
Commission. So we will be bound by those things, but hopefully supporting
endeavors that are truly community wide and can help, um, can really help, you
know, get everyone involved. The last thing I just wanted to highlight for the
public was we're talking about this commission that will be a limited number of
people who will be appointed by the Council through some kind of application
process, but the participation will be everyone, right? We want ... we want the
whole community involved. So just because a person or a group, uh, may not end
up serving on the commission, we wanna make sure that people understand that
this will be .... the opportunities to tell stories, to come forward, to have that
supported and safe conversation for the sake of, uh, seeking justice will be much
more inclusive than just the membership of the commission.
Teague: Great! All right! Well, well said, thanks for, um, addin' that part there. Any
other, uh, ite.... anyone want to add to this discussion? All right, we're gonna
move on. Before we move on to Item #9, I did state to Susannah, uh, Middaugh
that I would allow her to speak, if she is still.... Susannah, if you can raise your
hand. Yes! And then now we'll, um, allow you to speak, and please keep your
comments to three to five minutes.
7. (cont.) Community Comment
Middaugh: Okay, um, yeah, I .... I really appreciate being here. It's been a while since I've
been, um, showing up. Uh, so it's been really good for me to (garbled) and uh, so
I really appreciate, um (mumbled) communicating with ... when was the best time
to talk, etc. Um, yeah, I ... I just .... hope we can all (garbled) evening just give
pause for what's going on in Portland and just wondering (garbled) like that
happening here, you know (laughs) and just with little problems, urn .... guess I
don't really wanna keep talking about those things right now, cause I can see you
folks are really doin' some work here, uh, and I'm sure school's on everyone's
mind as well. So thanks.
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Teague: Thank you, Susannah. All right! We are movin' on to Item #9.
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9. 2019-2020 Annual Sanitary Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation Construction —
Resolution approving the project manual and estimate of cost for the
construction of the 2019-2020 Annual Sanitary Sewer Pipe Rehabilitation
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. And staff presentation!
Havel: Good evening, Mayor (garbled) Just gonna kinda walk you through a brief
overview of the project. Uh, this project is really a ... a sanitary sewer lining
project. So probably not gonna win a lot of awards for the City's most glamorous
project, but certainly something that's important for the City's infrastructure. So
the sewer lining, you may remember from our conversation back, way back in
January with CIP, as that is part of the City's larger sanitary sewer, um .... their
repair .... our repair and rehabilitation program, and so what that does is we not
only do the line of, uh, sewer mains, but we also look at doing similar
rehabilitation of sanitary sewer manholes, as well as larger replacement projects
for sewer that may be damaged or reaching the end of their useful life. So
obviously the sewer lining is an important piece of that. With this project what
we look for is typically locations that are in decent shape, they may have minor
defects, but aren't, uh, completely damaged and so this project basically allows us
to ... to do some preventative maintenance, to do in an economical fashion to
basically significantly, uh, extend the life of the sewer main and do it in an
efficient manner. So that's really the goal of this project. Like we do every year,
this one will also, uh, impact various locations in the city, so we try and kind of
spread it out and... and find those candidates that are really the best fit for this
project. This year we're looking at lining approximately 10,600 feet of sewer
main. So, um, in the neighborhood of two miles of sewer mains, so it's obviously
a sizable project. Um, and with that the estimated cost is $420,000, with the
schedule, uh, scheduled start for the project in mid-September and then
completion scheduled for mid-December. So I'd be happy to answer any
questions if there are any. Um .... not unexpected.
Weiner: My...actually only question is are there issues working on it as the weather gets
colder, because you're talking about starting this and then going into a season
when .... when we typically get a lot of freezing weather.
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Havel: Yep! So not really, um, what they do is .... the process, they go between manhole
to manhole, so what they'll do is they insert a ... a felt liner. So with that, when
they insert it they pump hot air or steam down into it and that helps to cure the
pipe, but because they are relatively deep, you know, you're below the frost line
and all of that. So it's really not weather dependent.
Weiner: Thank you.
Havel: Sure!
Teague: Any other questions? All right. Thank you! And is there anyone in the public
that would like to address this topic? If so please raise your hand and I will call
you, and if you're on the phone, please press *9. Seein' no one I'm gonna close
the public hear .... oh, I do see one person! Um .... Anna Marie. I'm gonna call
you at this time! Anne Marie.
Kraus: Yes, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Kraus: Okay. So I've got a couple questions. Uh, I believe that the sewer in my area,
although I'm not sure of this, I believe that it runs behind the property instead of
out on the street and how can I ... can I call to find out which side they're comin' in
from, and then my other question is ... after the digging and all that stuff, um,
who's responsible for restoring grass and plantings and all that kind of stuff? Is it
the resident or the City?
Havel: Uh, Kellie, can you connect with, uh, Anne Marie and get some information so we
can respond to her please?
Fruehling: ...think so.
Fruin: Mayor, we can probably address that right now. I see Jason, uh, ready to chime
in.
Havel: Yeah, so as far as digging goes, there really shouldn't be any digging with this
project, so it really takes place between existing manholes. So all that will be sort
of within that existing infrastructure, um, as far as the ... the specific questions
about that location, I ... I certainly, if she wants to get in contact with me, I'd be
more than happy to help her answer those questions.
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Kraus: Thank you.
Teague: Great. Thank you! Would anyone else like to address this topic? If on the phone
press *9. Otherwise raise your hand. Seein' no one I'm gonna close the public
hearing. (laughs) All right! Could I get a motion to approve? (several
responding)
2. Consider a resolutions
Teague: Move from .... Salih?
Salih: Yes.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Seconded Taylor. All right! Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes
7-0.
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10. Simple Misdemeanor Fines — Ordinance amending Title 1, entitled
"Administration," Chapter 4, entitled "General Penalty," Title 4, entitled
"Alcoholic Beverages," Chapter 5, entitled "Prohibitions and Restrictions,"
and Title 8, entitled "Police Regulations," Chapter 5, entitled "Miscellaneous
Offenses," to increase the times for unscheduled simple misdemeanors,
PAULAs, and hate crimes. (Second Consideration)
Teague: Could I get a motion? And actually this is a motion to waive second
consideration.
Weiner: You're muted, Susan!
Mims: Sorry! Thank you! I move that the rule requiring that ordinances must be
considered and voted on for passage at two Council meetings prior to the meeting
at which it is to be finally passed be suspended, that the second consideration vote
be waived, and that the ordinance be voted on for final passage at this time.
Taylor: Second. Taylor.
Teague: All right! Uh, is there anyone from the public that would like to address this
topic? If so please raise your hand or press *9. Hearin' and seein' no one we're
gonna move to Council discussion. Roll call please. Oh, one second.
Salih: I'm sorry, I was talkin' and my .... my, I was muted.
Teague: I'm sorry!
Salih: I just ... for Council discussion, you know, I'm not (mumbled) by any mean. I
voted yes last time. I will continue to vote yes today, but I just wanna throw out
there my two cents. Uh, by lookin' at ... when Dennis talked to us about the
finance situation of the City, and I find out that the fund for the parking is so bad,
and we are, uh, you know, refunding this $200,000, uh, just like that with a
minimum discussion, uh, just like interesting. So .... that's all I wanna say. Very
interesting!
Teague: Okay. Any other comments? Hearin' none, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
Could I get a motion to pass and adopt?
Mims: So moved. Mims.
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Weiner: Second, Weiner.
Teague: All right! Anyone from the public like to address this topic? Council discussion?
Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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11. Financial Request from Center for Worker Justice — Resolution approving a
$25,000 funding request from Center for Worker Justice for emergency
needs to households due to COVED -19.
Teague: At this time we're gonna have Councilor Salih, Mayor Pro Tem, um, she'll have
to recuse herself from here!
Salih: Yes, please, uh, text me, Kellie. Thanks!
Teague: All right!
Fruehling: Will do!
Teague: All right, so this is, um, Item #11 (reads description) Could I get a motion to
approve?
Taylor: Taylor, so moved.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: Okay! Is there, um, staff presentation?
Fruin: Tracy Hightshoe is going to give you a quick overview of the, um, of the
proposal.
Teague: Okay. Welcome, Tracy!
Hightshoe: Hello! Urn .... I'm assuming all of you can hear me now?
Teague: Yes!
Hightshoe: Okay, great! Um, as you're familiar, uh, you received a request in the Council
packet from the Center for Worker Justice, um, requesting $25,000 to support
their program that they created in response to the COVID pandemic, called `From
Our Home to Yours.' The program assists primarily immigrants and (mumbled)
refugee families that are experiencing financial difficulties, um, typically because
they're not eligible for unemployment or the federal stimulus funds. Um, the
request is for 25,000. They did recently request 40,000 from the County. The
County did approve. Um, Center for Worker Justice is asking for amendments to
their agreement. The City, if you approve this request, would like to have
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substantially about the same requirements and program parameters as the County.
So we ... I also included that, um, the language that the Center for Worker Justice is
requesting from the County as well. Um, the program pretty much pays $300 to
$600, a one-time payment. Um, basically we'd limit it to two payments within a
12 -month period. It's eligible to families experiencing needs. Um, eligible
payments would be for rent, utilities, childcare, healthcare, um, essential needs
such as that. We met with, um, City staff met with their board and, um, some staff
and board members discussed the request for City funds. Um .... basically their
process is that somebody applies. They get a referral from some source. They
apply. Then a committee from Center for Worker Justice meets with them. They
determine the household situation, their financial need, and then if eligible they
issue a one-time... that... that payment directly to the applicant. Um, after
discussing the program with them, we had a few things. Um, we didn't draft an
agreement, but basically.... based on your approval, uh, we will draft an
agreement that Geoff can enter with Center for Worker Justice and several of
those requirements are outlined in that memo, such the applicant has to live in
Iowa City, the household has to be below 80% (mumbled) certify their income, as
well as they can also self -certify that the reason why they were requesting the
funds (mumbled) because they're impacted financially by COVID. Um, what are
some of the other .... in the agreement it'll basically say that Center for Worker
Justice has to exhaust other sources of funding that vail.... that is available, such
as, um, our CDBG funds that we're gonna route through Community, um, Crisis
Services. And that they have to do some reporting. We're allow 10% in admin
fees so that they .... they can have the staff to administer this program. And
provide the monthly status updates regarding beneficiary (mumbled) what the
assistance was for, and that payment (mumbled) to the vendor and when it can't
be to the vendor, uh, that receipts are kept with their ...the appli, um, the
application. Those are basically the .... the points of the program. If you have any
questions about the request, I can answer. Um, I know Geoff's familiar with the
program too. So just let us know!
Mims: Tracy, I guess I missed what it is that CWJ wants different in the contract with the
County. I ... I thought I read through here but I'm not seeing what they want
changed.
Hightshoe: The .... the red line version .... (mumbled) didn't have like the specific, um, points
red lined. I think in the original agreement with the County it basically said it was
only for, um, immigrants and refugees, primarily for. So if they had some
applicant that didn't fit in that referg... refugee or immigrant, um, category, they'd
still be eligible. Um....the County had it that only the vendors could be paid. I
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Fruin:
Mims:
Hightshoe:
Mims:
Hightshoe:
Mims:
Fruin:
think Center for Worker Justice is asking for flexibility with receipts. Um ... and
I'm .... Geoff, do you remember was there anything more significant of the
changes?
Yeah, my apologies. I thought I had the red lined version in there and I must of,
uh, I must have picked the wrong version there. So my apologies. Um, yeah, I
think, A ... uh, Tracy, um, hit most of those, uh, pretty well. Um .... uh, they did
have, uh, the, um, documentation piece in there. The County agreement said it
would be just directly to the vendor, whereas the ... the CWJ proposal was ... will
pay to the vendor where feasible, but um, will provide receipts to .... to document,
uh, where that .... when that's not possible. Um .... and I think Tracy, uh, Tracy hit
the other ones. I think maybe one of the differences, um, that I would point out is
I do believe the CWJ, um, wanted, um, to ... include, um .... uh, kind of a ... a broad
definition of essential, uh, essential uses. Um, they .... they gave us some
examples of perhaps buying back -to -school clothes or shoes, uh... um, for, uh, for
children. You can see in our staff report that we have expanded what we have
applied, uh, what we have, um, purposed other funds for. So instead of just rent
and mortgage, uh, and utilities, um, we've expanded, uh, the use out to things like
healthcare, childcare, urn .... uh, to .... to have .... to be a little bit more expansive,
but we did want to put some limitations on .... on what the funds could be used for.
I think those are the critical differences.
Thank you. I guess (both talking, garbled)
...request for admin, sorry! So the original 40,000 didn't have admin dollars, but I
believe the request requests, um, admin dollars as well.
Thank you.
That's it! Sorry!
Okay, yeah, this for Zoom, try not to cut people off (laughs) I guess my only
other question, and we're ... you know, we're two-thirds of the way down the path
on this, so I'm not gonna make a big deal about it and we talked about this earlier.
But I would hope that any additional requests like this that comes in, we
immediately follow our emergency request procedures that we have put in place.
Yeah, I ... I can address that, and I think that's fair and ... and perhaps what we
should have done at the beginning. That was my call, um .... I .... and the reason I
distinguished this from the emergency path was because we as a ... uh, we as the
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City, and the Council, you had already had some discussions about, um, COVID
relief. So I felt like we had opened, uh, the door to that. Um, we had, um, already
provided the ... the relief, um, our own housing relief assistance program. So I felt
like since there was already some public discussion on what the City recovery, uh,
process should be that this would kinda bleed into that discussion, um, as opposed
to say for example the ... the Houses into Homes request, which was the most
recent one before this that you had received, which didn't really have anything to
do with an ... an ongoing City discussion. So I made that distinction, but um, with
Council direction we can certainly funnel future requests through, uh, through that
emergency, whether COVID related or not.
Mims: Well I think you also ... in full fairness and candidness to you, Geoff, and staff, this
one also would have been a difficult one for you because we have a Council
Member involved with a conflict of interest here, and so I think that put you as
staff members in a difficult position. So I fully understand if that was any part of
your thought process that you wanted this to be in front of a Council decision and
not a staff decision, um, because of that issue, because I think that put you in a
tough spot too. So....
Teague: Any other questions for staff?
Bergus: I would just, um, really quick like to clarify. I think the ... I think I heard that the
version of the County agreement that did make it into the packet, it looks like it's
the final version. It has the admin fee and it has the payment to vendor or directly
to the applicant. So that... we're looking to conform to the version of the County
agreement that's in our packet, because that does have the changes?
Fruin: No, I should clarify that. So, um ... uh, the Center for Worker Justice sent me a .... a
red line version of the changes they were seeking from the County. And then they
also, uh, sent me a version with those changes incorporated, and I think I grabbed
the wrong file. Instead of trying to send you the red line version I think I just, uh,
grabbed the one that had accepted those changes. Um, so as ... as far as we know,
the ... there are still ongoing discussions between the County and the Center for
Worker Justice. So what you see reflected in the packet, um, is really, uh, a
proposal from the Center for Worker Justice back to the County, and not an
accepted agreement, and again I apologize for that.
Teague: Um, I do have a question about... because based on the staff conversation
(mumbled) um, CWJ I believe there's two, four .... eight, eight bullet points. Of
those eight bullet points, um, maybe it might be helpful for Council to know
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which ones, uh, CWJ... kinda wanna change, because as I'm looking, um, I ... I
think these are some ... some good .... uh, provisions for the program. Do you know
which ones of these they wanna change?
Dilkes: Um, can we pull up the ... can we have the red lined version, which I'm havin' a
hard time finding, but maybe we can just have Kellie share that or we can share it.
Fruin: I ... I can share it. I .... I brought it up here. Um .... (mumbled)
Hightshoe: Those bullet points in the staff memo, those are the ones that we're
recommending. We are agree with .... we were in agreement with Center for
Worker Justice. So that's staff recommendations. So if it's in the memo, those
bullet points, that is what we negotiated and that's what we agreed to. If you guys
approve it!
Teague: Yep! I guess one of my questions was, um, of those bullet points, was there any
item there that we should be zoned in on, that was maybe, um ... changed based on
the red line version? But if Geoff's gonna pull it up then maybe we'll see the red
line version.
Fruin: Um ... Mayor, I know there's a few folks from the Center for Worker Justice that...
that warm speak to this issue tonight. Um, so they can certainly let us know, but
um, when we drafted the staff report, um, we did so with the belief that it would
meet their ...their expectations for the program. Um, I ... I would say the only, uh,
potential difference is that we have defined, as I mentioned before, we have
defined the potential uses of our dollars to ... to indicate food, rent, mortgage,
utilities, healthcare, or childcare. Um, and, uh, I believe their program, as it exists
today, is ... is more expansive and they're more open to, for example, things like
clothing. Um, but we felt like we had to .... to limit that. Um, so it's a pretty
expansive list, um, but that would probably be the only thing that I'm looking at
that we didn't, uh... uh, directly discuss on our, uh, on our phone call. Uh, but I'm
happy to share the screen and go through the red line version if you ... if you would
like to do that.
Teague: I would like to, just to see the comparison. I don't know what other Councilors
warm do.
Frain: I can do .... I can do it real quick.
Teague: All right.
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Fruin: I'll bring up the right screen here. Okay, um ... can you all see that okay? I'll
zoom in a little bit. Okay, um .... uh, again, uh, you can see at the top here, if you
can see my cursor, other essential expenses of daily life. That's what I was, uh,
just getting at with a ... a more broad....you can see the County had a ... had
originally limited it to rent, utility, food. You can see the Center for Worker
Justice, uh, looking to expand that. Um, again, we expanded it, or we're
proposing to expand it to include childcare and.....and healthcare, um, in addition
to rent, utility, and food. Um, same sentence there in I, or in paragraph A under
`scope of services.' Urn .... uh, it...it specifically states that the Center for Worker
Justice will help the applicant review what other, um, assistance programs they
may be eligible for, um ... uh, has a confidentiality note. Um, there's, uh, they
wanna make sure that while they're more than willing and happy to ... to cooperate
with the other housing providers to ensure, uh, that there's no duplication of
benefits, they ...they do, uh, wanna protect the confidentiality of the folks that
they're working for, which is, uh, noted there in the change. (mumbled) we ... we
talked through on the phone call; we're comfortable with that one. Um, there was
a ... a stricken provision, uh, in 2.13., that 75% of the households receiving utility
assistance have to report that without that help they would have likely
experienced disconnection of utilities. Uh, so in that case I think they're... they're
saying even though there might not be a threat of dislo... uh, disconnected utilities
that there may be instances in which they.... they're in arrears on their utility
accounts and ... and need to catch up on those. Uh, that still gets, uh, back at the,
uh, the eligible expenses there. That's some word changing there. Uh, and then
you have the 10%, uh... uh, administration ... administrative fee and from a staff
perspective, um, while we wanna get as many dollars into the hands of...of those
that need it, uh, we do think that, uh, administrative, uh, expenses are needed to
ensure that, um, prop .... proper documentation of...of the City funds can be used,
or .... or can be noted, and um .... uh, that there's the ability for the Center for
Worker Justice to do a good job in ... in reporting back to us, uh.... uh, how they
used the funds and ... and certainly that type of report, um, helps ... helps us evaluate
future requests for dollars and whether we can continue to collaborate with them
in the .... in the future. Um, so I very much support the administrative, uh, fee, uh,
in this particular case. And (mumbled) that looks, uh, like it's it, so nothing too
significant.
Teague: All right! Any questions for Geoff? All right, I do see a hand raised. Um, we're
gonna go to public discussion on this item. So if you wanna address this topic,
please raise your hand. I'll call you by name! And so I do see ... uh.... Mayra, uh,
followed by Shel.
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Garcia: Hi, um, this is Mayra. I'm the Community Organizer at the Center for Worker
Justice. Um, and I just wanted to speak on behalf of the, um, the funding that the
CWJ requested. Um ... uh, so far we've seen the donations that people have
donated to our `From My Home to Yours' campaign. We've seen it, um, reach a
147 families, and the funds that we've raised so far by .... without any of the, um,
City or County funding have been upwards of 130,000 ... 130,000, um, dollars, and
um, I just kinda wanted to point out that .... we've been able to give all... distribute
all that money to these families and it's only been, um, five .... ish months since
the onset of the pandemic, and so....it is very important that we keep.... bringing,
or .... raising funds for this, because, um, comparison to what we've been able to
raise, you can see that it hasn't ... those funds don't last a very long time because
there is a lot of need in the community, especially from the undocumented and
refugee population. Um, I've first-hand seen, you know, how relieved some of
these people have been when they have been able to be helped by this campaign.
Um, a lot of these people have been .... um, very far behind on their rent and utility
bills. Some people have been, um, they weren't charged for several of those
months, but then all of a sudden on the fourth month they were given a bill of
upwards of $1,000 for the past three months that they were, um, given a break, I
guess, and so this money is ... is really .... is really beneficial for the families, um,
and it ... what is really important is that these families can't go and apply for
unemployment or receive a stimulus check, and a lot of these families have three
or four children or they don't have employment at the moment and that's where
they can't even apply for unemployment. And so ... we really, really ...want to keep
going with this campaign. It is very important for us, it is really necessary for the
families, especially those that don't qualify for other government funding, um,
and so we really, really, um, want to keep bein' able to help families and we want
to be able to do it in the most, um, smoothly way possible. We don't wanna put
any more barriers in front of these people in order for them to pay their bills or
provide food or...diapers for their family, and also like hospital bills, um,
so ... yeah, the...the need is ... is very much there, and it's going to be there for ...a
long .... awhile longer. So ... all of this help is ... is highly appreciated and very
much necessary. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. We'll have Shel, followed by Jessica. I think you're still on mute,
Shel. And we're askin' everyone to keep their comments to three to five minutes.
And, Shel, once you are uninuted I will let you know that we can hear you. We
still can't hear you, Shel. We're gonna jump to Jessica and then we'll come back
to Shel. So, Jessica, we'll have you speak and then we'll come back to Shel.
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Andino: Okay, hi, so again I spoke earlier, but my name is Jessica Andino. Um, I wear
many hats (laughs) while being on the Human Rights Commission as the, uh,
Vice Chair. I'm also a volunteer with CWJ and I have been helping, uh, the CWJ
leaders work on more or less formalizing their application process and a reporting
process, um, for this program. Um, I've worked at UIHC for seven years in
different community-based organization research projects, and so, um, I've been
really, really involved in evaluation and I really want this program to succeed, and
I also understand that there are very, very important and needed, urn ... I guess...
accountability measures that are put into these larger government fundings.
$25,000 would go a long way, uh, for these families, and then also, um, I
understand that you would consider the 10% admin time. Um, there are tons of
volunteers like myself at CWJ, but they also hire people that are from the
community. So you're working with community workers, serving the community
of Iowa City, in ... many different ways, not just in housing and rental assistance
and utilities, but the concept of food and groceries, diapers, formula for children.
All of these things are very much necessary for these individuals that don't
qualify for other programs. Of course we're going to have a formalized process
in which we can call Community and we can call the Shelter House and see if
these families apply, applied to them first, were approved or rejected for
assistance, but we really kind of are the last line in this safety net for these
families to get the assistance that they really need. You can see when they come
in or call or just ask for help, they're... they're not... they... they need it, you know?
They are trying their best and they're just stuck on hard times because of COVID,
and so we have different accountability measures, we have different
formalizations of processes. This isn't just something that's thrown together.
We've had many, many meetings and I'm sure Shel will speak to that as well, just
as Mayra has. This has been going on and we are here to help support the City,
just as much as the City can support us. So thank you!
Teague: Thank you, and Shel, I think you're unmuted now! So ... (both talking)
Stromquist: Terrific! You can hear me, right?
Teague: Yes, I can hear you!
Stromquist: Good! Yes, great, um, well I'm ... I'd like to thank the Council and City staff for
taking this issue very seriously, and uh, as you know, as Mayra and, uh, Jessica
spoke to, uh, the ... the need is tremendously urgent, and um, as ... as we all know,
these are folks in our community who are doing vital work and are vital members
of the community, but who are falling through the cracks, and uh, you know,
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when CWJ instituted this program, um, one we had no idea what the outpouring
of support from the community might be and to have generated $130,000 of
support from private, uh, sources over the course of these couple of months has
been tremendous, uh, but also more importantly to be able to help families who
are desperately in need, uh, with small grants that we have, um, been able to
provide is ... is really gratifying. I ... I ... I think what I'd like to do is just update you
on the final version of the agreement, um, as it's drafted with the County. Uh, we
made some changes, fairly minor changes, um, this morning in a meeting, um,
with Lynette Jacoby, and those are gonna be taken to the County Board of
Supervisors at its next, uh, session. Um ... the, a lot of discussion went on over this
question of whether payments should be made exclusively to vendors or could be
made directly to recipients, um, where it's a case of a need that's not so, um,
easily managed in terms of a payment to a vendor. Um, and the County, or
Lynette and then I think the Supervisors are, uh... uh, are, um, understanding of the
fact that there are expenses that come up that don't fit neatly in the categories of
rent and utilities and some of the major, uh, items, which obviously, uh, many
people desperately need as well. But, um, smaller items, having to do with
groceries and health insur...healthcare and, uh, transportation, diapers, um, and so
we felt that there had to be some flexibility so that, urn .... so that payments could
be made directly, uh, to recipients so that they could go out and purchase those
need ... those items or those services that they needed, and then provide
documentation for how that money was spent, um, and I think, um, I think we
came to agreement that that's a reasonable way to structure that part of the
program. In terms of. ... of whether the payments are gonna be limited to some
specified, itemized list of, uh, needs, and I understand .... I haven't actually seen
the City's draft (garbled) Geoff was talking about, uh, but I understand that that
draft now has ... um .... a sort of limited set, more expansive than it was, but still
limited set of specific needs, um, and again, uh, I .... I think that's understandable.
Uh, it's important to itemize what we can, but there are gonna be people coming
into this process, applying for support, who have unique and specific needs that
we haven't anticipated and we've seen that already. So, um, some language that
allows for those circumstances where an unanticipated need, uh, needs to be met.
Um, it seemed to us was important, and so that's why, uh... we used the language
of `essential expenses' for daily life, in addition to an itemized list, uh, set of
expenses. Um ... and the ... the, I guess the only other one, uh, change that I would
mention is under the `outcomes,' um ... we, uh, all agreed that 100% of the
households receiving rent, mortgage, utilities, or other assistance, um, will report
that without help from Our Home to Yours program they faced significant
hardships related to the impact. In other words we're not talking about 75%.
We're talking about 100% of the population who are in significant hardship and,
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uh, as a result of COVID-19 and who, um, we are trying to, uh, help with this
program. Um, so, uh, that ... I just wanted to add those items, but again, I think this
is a program that's proven its track record, uh, over the last couple of months, and
the application process has been a rigorous one, um, and the fact that we've been
able to help so many people, um, is really a testament to, um, to the generosity in
the community and... and we hope that being able to augment these funds with
public funds from the County and the City will be able ... will enable us to extend
this assistance even further. (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Shell (both talking)
Stromquist: ....so if you have ... yeah!
Teague: Yep! Thank you! And we're gonna have Dan at this time. Dan, you're muted.
We still can't hear you, Dan.
Daly: Thank you, Bruce. Am I coming through?
Teague: Yes you are!
Daly: I'd like to take a moment just to acknowledge, with appreciation, uh, the work of
Council and City staff, uh, who've helped us to bring to bear the translation
services and the skills that CWJ can bring to help reach very needy families, that
are underserved by more traditional assistance. Now the administration burden
placed on our very small staff, aided by hard-working volunteers, is substantial.
Therefore the City's financial support to the Center for Worker Justice and the
From My Home to Yours, uh, program will go to help many families in desperate
need. So good work, City! Thank you!
Teague: Great! Thank you, Dan! Would anyone else like to address this topic? If so
please raise your hand, and if you're on the phone, pres... please dial *9. We have,
uh, Royceann Porter. Welcome, Supervisor! We can hear you ... well, you're
unmuted! Well we can't hear you. We can't hear anything. Still can't hear you.
Yep. Um .... would anyone else like to address this topic? Supervisor Porter, are
you there? We still can't hear you. We can't hear you. Yeah, I'm not sure what's
happenin' there. Um, but we welcome you to maybe ... uh, dial the number.
Maybe that might help and we'll be sure to get you .... your comments if you call
back in.....um, here before Council votes. Um, all right! Anyone else like to
address this topic? Seein' no one, and I'll see if Supervisor Porter.... can you hear
us at all or can you .... we still can't hear you. Okay, Council is gonna move on,
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but if you jump back on and just start talkin' we'll... we'll let you chime in. We
know that Zoom is .... is a challenge at times. So .... all right! Um, hear ...seein' no
one else wants to address this topic, we're gonna move on to Council discussion.
Weiner: I'd like to, um, just sort of address a couple of things that were discussed earlier. I
really, I appreciated what Councilor Mims had to say about the emergency
process. I would, A ... and I understand the ... the constraints here that likely were
in play. I would really appreciate it if we could end up using that as part of...as...
as an important part of our process going forward, because this clearly ...when I
looked at the ... when I looked at the criteria, this clearly, um, would have met that
bar. Um, the ... urn, we're doing a couple of things here that I think are really
necessary, even if they're out of our normal order, because we're serving a
population that otherwise is un ... un ... underserved and in many cases unserved,
um, un ... un documented immigrants and refugees, so we're allowing self -
certifications so I'm very .... I'm very happy to hear that there will be, um, at least
some form of, uh, of documentation required. Nevertheless I'm very happy if we
are able to ... provide assistance to that segment of the population. Um, it's a...
these .... these are unprecedented times, as we keep saying, and so sometimes we
need to go a little bit above and beyond what we normally would do and .... and...
and sort of stray from procedures that we would normally stick to.
Taylor: I think with the population that the ... this is going to serve, it's .... it's some of the
most vulnerable people in our community, and I think that's very important that
we pay attention to that and ... and do what we can to help them out, and if it's
through the Center for Worker Justice, that's great.
Thomas: I just wanna express my, uh ... appreciation and gratitude for all the folks who
worked on this, and I'm .... I'm happy also that, um, the City had an opportunity to
work with the County on drafting the language, uh, for both ... both entities, and
uh, you know, as Shel noted, uh, these are families that have fallen through the
cracks and we're not living in normal times. So, urn .... this is .... this is a small but
necessary, uh, offering of support to those families.
Mims: Well and I would agree. This is ... this is literally humanitarian aid, urn ... it is not
a ... it's not a large amount per family and it is really for people who are in crisis
and who, um, either are having extreme difficulty or impossible qualifying for,
um, some of the other funds that are available out there. So, um, I'm comfortable
with the amount of reporting that we are requiring, even though, um, certainly
(garbled) less documentation than we would have in other cases, but that's
indicative of this population, but I think, um, the reporting that .... that staff has
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worked on (garbled) um, allows us, at least allows me to be comfortable that we
can document what we're doing with City money.
Teague: So I do hear Supervisor Royceann Porter. Um, we're gonna allow her an
opportunity to speak at this point.
Porter: Hello, can you hear me now?
Teague: Yes, we can hear you!
Porter: Okay, okay, uh, I just wanted to chime in really fast, um, and just wanted to say
(mumbled) you all have already said. Um, I literally ...we had the discussion with
Johnson County and we brought Lynette Jacoby in for the, um, purpose of makin'
sure that there was not duplication of services, but um, I do wanna let you all
know that it was very important and yes, this is, um, due to COVID, this is an
emergency, um, bein' that these families who go to work every day, um, are not
able to attend work because for one, we have families, not just undocumented
people, um, but we have families that worked at Tyson. We have fam... that, um,
caught COVID, and we had families, um, that worked at the Amana's and ... and
there was a COVID infestation. We had families that worked at, uh, right here in
Johnson County that drove down to Cedar Rapids that worked in nursin' homes
and where the COVID was. So these people were affected, um, these homes were
affected, and many people got sick and a lot of people could not work, lot of
people, um, did not get the unemployment. There was a lot ... it's not that these
people are not working. They were working, um, but because of COVID, this...
this most definitely is an emergency, and I just wanna let you all know, um,
Susan, when you said that, um, this didn't meet the criteria of the emergency, uh,
it does meet the criteria of the emergency, uh, because these are the people who
cannot afford to pay their bills, uh, their housing, um, water, utilities, and stuff
like that. Um, this was totally an emergency, and working with Lynette Jacoby,
um, Lynette works with various grants in our community with various, um,
agencies and organizations and so, um, everybody have to do a contract and the
miscommunication or misunderstanding from Mazahir not knowing, um, how,
um, these contracts work, um, was to just make sure that there was not duplication
of service. So instead of duplication of service, there was collaboration of
services, where now Mazahir is able to work with Community, as well as the
Shelter House, because for, uh, a lot of the people that we're working with, that
we're talkin' about the CWJ, there's language barrier, which Shelter House and
Community, um, wouldn't be able to provide or...or would have to, um, provide it
through addin' an extra expense. So with them all working together, this all
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worked out, um, for the better of our community and I just wanna say thank you
to each and every one of you. Um, I do wanna say that this money, it's very
important and I think, um, workin' with Lynette, Lynette will get them on track as
to what it is they need. They have everything they need. Um, there was no
understandin', but now there's understandin', just makin' sure that there's no
duplication of services and that people are applying .... and a lot of these people
too was not able to apply for general assistance. So, uh, that's where a lot of this
came into play, where Lynette was able to help out a lot. So, um, once again I just
wanted to give my little input and to say thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Supervisor Porter.
Mims: I would just like to make a quick comment because either I misspoke or I was
misunderstood, because I didn't ... I certainly did not mean to say that this was not
an emergency. I certainly agree that it is an emergency, um, I was talking about
the different procedures that we can go through. So I just .... I wanna clarify that if
I said that, that's not what I meant. Um, so either I was misunderstood or I
misspoke. So, just wanna clarify.
Porter: It probably was me. I'm ... I apologize as well. I just wanted to just... yeah. That's
how I took it, so ... okay!
Teague: All right! Any other comments?
Bergus: I would just agree with what all the other Councilors have said and I really
appreciated hearing from Tracy Hightshoe earlier about all the different programs
that are available, trying to coordinate, um, opportunities so that we don't have all
these multiple points of entry and the possibility of duplication of services and it's
exciting to see an organization that's, um, kind of coming into this administration
of some public funding and everyone working together to do that in a way that...
that, you know, makes, you know, that we can get to that point of comfort for, um,
both the City side and the organizational side, and actually be that final, kind of
final safety net. So, I'm really pleased with how this process worked out and I
just had one tiny procedural point that I would maybe clarify for ...for staff, that,
um, you know, earlier when we were talking about the emergency process that
Council had adopted, um, earlier in this year, I think that provides, um, staff with
the discretion to kind of go through this process and ... and approve, uh, a request,
and I think it would always be appropriate that if staff feels like it's something
that should still come before Council, that's great, but maybe using that as an
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initial screening was kind of what I was hoping for for the future. If that makes
sense. But, thank you.
Teague: I do think that this, uh, project has spoken for itself. Um, they .... they have, uh,
some.... numbers that they gave us. They raised close to 130,000, from the
community. The County is chimin' in some money. And I think it's, uh, and a
great opportunity that I hope ... hope that our City will give, uh, the 25,000 to CWJ.
I ... I also don't wanna shy from the fact that we have a sitting Councilor, sitting
Mayor Pro Tem, that this is, um, where she works, and so I think one of the
challenges I ... that I ... that I've sensed is, um, yes there is ... the reason she has to
recruse herself is because she can't make a vote on this, but I also don't believe
that Council should, uh, shy away from lookin' at this opportunity. Um, this is
somethin' for the people in our community and I'm very proud to support this,
even though we know that we have someone that needed to recruse themself, so
um, I ... I just wanted to make ... make that known that, um, there will be many
opportunities maybe in the future where Councilors may have to recruse
themselves because there's an item that specifically addressed them and so there
should be no shame in the game, when somethin' needs to be, uh, promoted, um,
and especially when it's somethin' that deals with, uh, human -just, uh, human
right type situations and so I'm very proud to, uh, support this. And the only
other thing that I .... I'm a little unclear on is what is the difference between the
staff conversation with CWJ and the red line items? I am still a little confused on
like what would be maybe the one thing that CWJ wanted changed with the red
line items? Maybe if there's one thing that you can share with me would be the
most critical, because as I look at the things with... that... that staff, uh, mentioned
with CWJ, it looks good to me. I do know that one of the speakers, uh, durin'
public comment, mentioned the burden for the staff in relationship to ... I believe in
submitting reports, um, because they use a lot of volunteers, and so LA guess I'm
a little unclear as to what of these items, or maybe even one of these items might
be most burdensome, uh, that CWJ has, urn ... kinda resubmitted to the County.
Fruin: Mayor, if I ... if I may, certainly if the CWJ representative wants to speak, they
can ... they can tell you where ... where they may have concerns, um, but I wanna
clarify that the red line version that I shared my screen, that was, uh, a red line
markup of a County agreement. The City has not drafted an agreement yet. Our
hope is that our agreement will be exactly the same, if not substantially similar, to
the County. Uh, therefore when the CWJ is administering the program they're not
having to have this set of rules with the 40,000 from the County, another set of
rules with the 25 from the City, and then another for their private funding. So we
wanna marry the ... the two government fundings as close as possible, and ... and
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based on their ...based on the comments today, urn ... uh... uh, from CWJ and
Supervisor Porter, I think we'll be able to do that. If there's one point of
negotiation, um, it's probably on the eligibility of expenses, and if that's
something that, uh, the Council feels strongly about then you should discuss that
tonight, and again that difference is we have limited categories — rent, utilities,
food, healthcare, childcare. Whereas CWJ would like a broad definition of
essential, um, daily services, which again could get into any number of, uh,
things, uh, again the best example I can provide is clothes. So that's... that's
maybe, urn .... uh, the one difference that I note right now. Um, but, uh... uh, again
a CWJ representative may ...may be able to point something out that I'm missing.
Teague: Well I ... I think you clarified. I ... I just wanted to, um, just hear one more time,
cause I hadn't saw the red line before and so I just wanted to be a little informed.
I guess for me, I ... I'm gonna, uh, approve this or vote yes for this tonight. Um, as
far as the essential expenses for daily living, um, or for daily life, I don't know
what Councilor thoughts are, um, I ... I do know that ... you know, during COVID,
novel things can come up. Um .... I don't know if. ... I mean it's their program.
I ... I think...I always, you know, try to walk a fine line when we're trying to totally
redefine, or have somebody's program coming to us totally and not give them
that .... um.....I don't know, just ... but I ... I guess for me I would entertain if anyone
else thought that essential expense for daily livin' would be okay as a .... um,
expense. And I guess we can probably just say yes or no, so we don't belabor the
item.
Mims: I guess I would say no. I .... I think the staff has .... has laid out, which is still a
fairly broad parameter in terms of the amount of money that's being given. Um,
they probably laid it out that way because certainly they start out with private
funding and I think you've got a lot more flexibility, very reasonable flexibility
with private funding. Um, I think with this being public funding, I'm more
comfortable with the little bit more restricted, um, list that the staff has done.
Teague: Sure. Okay.
Taylor: I agree, Susan. I think that we have a lot of community resources. I'm thinking
of the, uh, former Crisis Center, Community Center, uh.... does have items for
daily living that people need that they can get, you know, if it's .... if you're talking
feminine hygiene products or soap or detergent or those kinds of things, you
know, something aside from food, I ... I think there are sources out there, uh, for
people and perhaps that's something CWJ can ... working in collaboration with
those agencies, help people steer that way if those are the items that they need.
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Weiner: My suggestion would actually just be to have staff end up mirroring whatever the
County does.
Thomas: Yeah I'm ... I'm, uh, okay with letting, uh, the staff and ... and the Council, staff, uh,
work .... work this out.
Teague: All right, I think we have a answer that will (mumbled) (laughs) unless anyone
else wants to chime in, um....certainly you have that opportunity. Um, but it
sounds like that a majority of the Council wants to go with what's already written,
and of course if there is some changes, that'll be between staff and CWJ. Are we
comfortable now to make a vote?
Weiner: If I could (both talking) I just wanna add one more really quick thing, which just
has to do with going forward and the reasoning for using the ... the emergency
procedure going forward. Um, because when all the legacy non -profits and
others, when .... when they apply for something they have to go through a
(garbled) process. I don't want that to happen this time. I just would really like
for, um, folks to honor that going forward, at least with the emergency process.
Teague: I ... I think that's, uh.... really good to have, but we do have one more request that
we have to deal with, um, and that's Better Together. Um, and that's not on this
agenda, but it'll be on the next one. So ... uh, I guess we'll have that discussion
when it comes up, but nevertheless (mumbled) seem like we're ready to make a
vote. So roll call please. So motion passes 6-1 recrusal. Now we'll actually call
Mayor Pro Tem back on the line.
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12. Assessment —1222 4"' Ave. - Resolution adopting an assessment schedule of
unpaid mowing, clean-up of property, snow removal, sidewalk repair, and
stop box repair charges and directing the Clerk to certify the same to the
Johnson County Treasurer for collection in the same manner as property
taxes.
Teague: Can I get a motion to approve?
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Mims: Second, Mims.
Teague: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Mims, and I think I see Stan here. All right!
Laverman: Yep, good evening, Council, Stan Laverman, Senior Housing Inspector. Uh, there
was a report that was submitted, uh, for your information, uh, that summarizes the
steps that the City took, uh, to resolve the issue at this property. Uh, for general
background, it...it went through the usual steps. This one was a little bit more
involved as there was multiple complaints at the same property, um, and those
were laid out for you in the resolution to all of those. Um, just as a ... a note, um,
last year we had 887 tall grass and weed complaints. Um, of which 22 had to be
resolved by the City, by having their third -party contractor remove, and we're
down to one where we're having those charges conte... contested, so ... um,
our ...our goal is to always have, um, compliance and it's best when it's resolved
by the property owner, um, but we're here tonight. Um, the ... the report lays out,
uh, the steps that were taken, uh, and the options and opportunities the property
owner was given to resolve it, uh, including paying the, uh, the assessment.
Additionally there was, uh, submittals along with it, uh, the site plan of the
property kinda shows you, uh, the unique size of the property. Uh, we included
photos of the cars that were in the yard at the time of the complaint. Uh, a couple
different examples of the tall grass and weeds that we, uh, abated, and then the
contractor photos of the work that was actually done. Uh, let me know if you
have any other questions.
Salih: (mumbled) how many complaint he have?
Laverman: There was, urn .... there was cars parked on the grass. There was, uh, trash and
other debris in the yard. There was, um, exterior furniture in the (mumbled)
excuse me, interior furniture that was left outside, and then the tall grass and
weeds. So that would be four complaints.
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Salih: Like those, the public, they complain about him?
Laverman: Actually this wasn't a .... a public complaint. We were in the neighborhood
responding to, uh, a complaint — vehicles on the grass — and the inspector drove
around the block and came across another property with multiple cars on the
grass.
Salih: And have you give a warning for him to move all the (mumbled) just like when
you hang something on the door for grass?
Laverman: Yeah. So there was multiple door tags left on the door, um, and the vehicles, that
issue was resolved. Um, the ... the trash was resolved. Um, and the ... the furniture
was moved, but the tall grass and weeds was not resolved without the City hiring
a contractor to ... having it abated.
Salih: So what I, song, what the last one that is not, uh....
Laverman: The tall grass and weeds, the City actually had to hire a contractor. To have it
corrected.
Salih: (mumbled) I ... I, for somehow either I don't hear you well or I did not get exactly
what you talking about. Of the things that he get ticket for. I know that you said
some of the staff remove furniture, trash. What the thing that he's not resolved?
Laverman: The tall grass and weeds.
Salih: Oh, okay! (mumbled)
Teague: Any other questions for Stan? All right, thank you! Um .... and then is there
anyone from the public that would like to address this topic? If you would like to,
raise your hand. Seein' no one .... uh, Council discussion? I guess for me, um, it
does seem that there was sufficient notice to, um, this resident. It sound like, uh,
when I read through the complaints and, uh, kinda the summary from, um, and the
report ... it seem like he resolved everything else except for the grass, and I'm not
sure what the barrier was there. Um .... and .... I was hopin' that he would here
tonight to kinda, um, to kinda share again, um, but ... even though I know that he
did share the last time, of course I'm not gonna ... my vote won't be because he's
not here. My vote is just looking at all the information that's been presented to
date. Um .... I .... I do see that the, you know, I see that the weeds are there. I see
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that there was sufficient notice. Um, or proper notice, and um, so ... I guess on this
one I will, uh, withhold the ... the charges that the City has.
Salih: I ... I wish is he was here so we can ask him why, or I don't know if he address the
why last time. I don't remember. Uh, but uh, not only about this, but I just wanna
note that .... a lot of people they don't know what the difference between weeds
and .... myself, I don't know that, between what is (mumbled) call it weed or that
we can call it just regular plant, you know, especially immigrants who are new
and they don't know (laughs) I myself get a lot of complaint in my area, uh about
weed, and after I find out what weed is, I find out there is many weed in my
community nobody receive a complaint. Uh, but that's something we don't have
to talk about right now, but this is also fell on like a lot barriers, uh, when it come
to homeowner by immigrant or people of color, that you know, that things could
happen, but...no comment. I'm .... I'm gonna vote no for this. Cause I don't want
our people to be a target.
Weiner: I mean I'm .... I'm personally right now less concerned about people being a target
because it looked to me as if ..the owner or the ... made a .... made an effort to meet
....those, most of the requirements that he was able to. My concern right now
is... even though I understand the City has ... has taken financial hits, my concern
is ... is charging someone right now $350 that they really may not be able to afford.
Teague: Yeah, $350 is a lot (laughs)
Salih: Not only that, Mayor, we are ... you are right, we are in difficult time, uh, but the
fact that, uh, sometime the people who come and complain, they really suffer
(mumbled) they take the time and they watch the meeting. They come and say
that we cannot do this. It is ... it's sending like a lot of message then the people
who cite them and never come and complain, maybe they really are mistake, or
they, uh, they just know that they did not do it, or...I don't know what their
situation, I don't wanna speak for nobody, but when somebody like take the time
and come and do that and as a person who been targeted in my neighborhood by
receiving every month a single complaint by neighbors, uh, and (mumbled) the
only black live here, you know, that's telling me a lot. And you know, I was
trying to (mumbled) too at the City, but you know I just said let us pay it because
I'm with City Council. I don't wanna put myself in that position. But I'm gonna
vote no for this.
Thomas: Well my..my thoughts on this is ... is that there were multiple, uh, multiple issues
or complaints, which, uh, suggests to me there were multiple conversations on,
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you know, how to address these, uh, the conditions, and uh, so while I understand
there can be often misunderstandings when it comes to what precisely is a weed
and what isn't a weed. Uh, I ... my sense is that through those ongoing
conversations there was .... suf..there would... would have resulted sufficient
clarity so that, uh... you know, the question of what ... what was required in order to
eliminate the weed condition was conveyed. So in this particular case, I ... I'm
supporting assessing the property for the contractor's work.
Bergus: I would just say that, these are .... these are tough cases because if someone is
contesting the ... the fine that's been assessed, you know, we wanna hear their
explanation and understand it. I would say for myself, um, I very much
appreciate what, Mayor Pro Tem, you're saying about the possibility of there
being, you know, some other reason that a person would have a citation against
them, um, but I ... I think with this individual, you know, the report that we've
received that there were multiple conversations, um, and also that there were
multiple, urn.... properties of ..of his, where things were being addressed and
resolved, um, and so with the notice issue, as well as the Mayor stated, he
provided, urn .... the .... the opportunity to cure until October 3'", and then the
actual contractor didn't do the work until the 30"i. So they had, you know, the
month of October to ... to remedy that as well. So I think, you know, I don't warm
make, um, I don't wanna make assumptions outside of what we have in ... in front
of us, but I appreciate very much, you know, what .... where you're coming from
on that, and I think based on this, um, I also support this assessment, and I
commend staff for working to resolve as many issues as possible so we don't ... so
that we aren't having to assess the fines.
Salih: Why should a person have multiple citation, correct three out of four citation, and
not correct the last one? Why? And of course there is a good reason for that. We
never know what was going with them at that time.
Taylor: Mayor Pro Tem, that's why I ... I wish that he would have been here because I
believe this is the case that, uh, was on a list of assessments the last time around,
uh, but since he was contesting it it was pulled aside. So he would have had the
opportunity to be here and he could have answered that question. He's the only
one that can answer that, and I understand and appreciate. I mean $350 sounds
like an awful lot, especially now, and we don't know his circumstances, but dates
way back to pre-COVID conditions, way back last fall, uh, so I ... I think he had
the opportunity to come before us, and I wish he would have, uh, but I do
understand and appreciate your concern for his perhaps financial status, and the
question of why the others were resolved but ... but not the grass and weeds.
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Salih: You never know his situation that make him not come last time and protested, and
he knew that we are posting this ... we are postponing this to this Council meeting,
and he's not showing up. I'm concerned! I don't know what's going on with him.
Maybe something wrong going on with him or the intemet is not working. Uh,
low income people and people of color, they face difficulty every day. Maybe
they did not (mumbled) you know, I don't know! There is many things that
(mumbled) but somebody who came last time and knew that we going to have
this, of course something may be going on with him. I just ... that's my two cents.
Mims: Given the number of conversations and notices that were sent, um, and the
documentation as others have said, it would seem to me that there were, um,
ample opportunities for... for him to make sure that he understood what the issue
was and to try to get that resolved. So I will support it. And I also think people
are malting an awful lot of assumptions here about his financial status, which to
the we know nothing about.
Thomas: One ... one thing I might add and I don't know how, um, how staff typically
processes this, but Lan .... if. ... if it's possible to give a homeowner, a property
owner, an idea of what the fine would be, or what cost will be, uh, to remedy the
situation if they do not correct it. Um ... that might help, um ... with the outcome,
possibly. It maybe that they just don't.... some.... some property owners may not
understand what the cost of. ... a contractor coming in and doing the work will be.
Laverman: There's a lot of times that we don't even understand what the cost is going to be
on some of these larger cleanups. I mean if it's a simple lawn we can spell it out
there, and in certain situations we've had, um, the homeowner work directly with
our contractor and kept us out of it, uh, and just paid the contractor directly. This
was ... this was not the case. We did have multiple conversations with him, um,
and I don't know what the end result was, why he didn't resolve it. I ... I will say
that we have worked with, uh, Stefanie Bowers, because we do have some of the
same concerns that Mayor Pro Tem is sharing. Um, and we've used the ... the
equity toolkit as we've looked at complaints. Um, and we will continue to do so.
Salih: How many days have you give him, Stan?
Laverman: I'm ... he had over a month to resolve it. Um .... almost six weeks (both talking)
Salih: Over a month. How many times you mow the grass?
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Laverman: The .... the property was never mowed.
Salih: You mean after the citation it is .... for one months. It's not like more is growing
again. That what ... not the situation.
Teague: I ... I think one of the challenges, at least for me, is that, um .... he .... he's not here to
tell his side of the story. So we're makin..... I mean like the assumptions, I ... I
can't make assumptions. I have to look at what's before us. It's unfortunate that
he's not here tonight to kinda answer some of these unanswered questions that we
certainly have before us. So, any other comments on this item? Okay. Um ... roll
call please. Motion passes 7, uh, 6 (garbled)
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14. Community Comment
Teague: And I've seen ... Ryan. I don't know if he's on anymore. There he is! Yes! Hello!
Longenecker: Good evening, Council! Um, so not too much to report, urn .... outside of COVID-
19. Um, COVID is essentially everything that, uh, USG is working on currently.
Um, every one of our directors in their specific area is working to ensure that
when students return to campus and to Iowa City that, um, we have as best safety
precautions as possible and have worked through as many of the questions that so
many students and ourselves have, um, during this time, and so I certainly did
want to say that we are very supportive of, um, the mask mandate today. We were
very happy to see that. Um, we feel that that'll definitely help keep students safe
and hopefully help Iowa City and Johnson County, um, be able to return to
normalcy, um, hopefully quicker than was originally anticipated. Um, just to give
you an idea of some of the things we've worked on via COVID, um, in the last
few weeks, we worked with, uh, UIowa partners to lobby as much as possible for
the federal government to rescind its directive about international students, um,
and online classes, which, uh, was successful, uh, so we're very happy that, um,
the Trump administration rescinded that order, and uh, international students will
be allowed to stay, even if, um, all classes have to be moved online. Um, we've
been working on the #MaskUplowa campaign, um, with, uh, partners at UIowa,
in the community, um, to kind of create a unified effort of, um, to s how, you
know, everyone is wearing a mask to do their part for the community. Um, and
Anna and I have also been working with, uh, between City Council as well as the
Iowa City Downtown District and (mumbled) um, to work on various efforts
downtown for when students, um, might go to bars, restaurants, uh, etc., to
message, you know, please wear a mask, please social distance, um, please
practice safe activities. Please don't be having, you know, major house parties,
urn ... uh, because we don't want other, uh, students to be in danger and for a
massive outbreak to occur. Um, so those are some of the things we've been
working on and, uh, we'll be continuing. Uh, classes start in just about a month
and so, um, I know I'm excited to come back to school, um, but USG is definitely
working hard to ensure that... that, uh, comeback is as smooth as possible. So,
that's all I have for tonight!
Bergus: You're muted, Mayor!
Salih: Can't hear you!
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Teague: All right (laughs) here I am talkin' to myself! I'm like don't all talk at once
(laughs) Thank you, Ryan. And we are on to Item #15, City Council updates.
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15. City Council Information
Thomas: I'll just mention briefly that, uh, the Economic Development Committee met, uh,
on the 13' and the primary topic was the Tailwind project on the ped mall. So I
would encourage everyone on Council, I know ... I know Geoff has mentioned to
you, to all of us, that, uh, it was ... the meeting took place and encouraged everyone
to ... to look at it and if anyone from the public is ... is still watching us here, to take
a look. It's a very important project for the ped mall. Uh, it covers a significant
portion of the block, uh, west of, uh, the south side of the block west of, uh, the
Graduate Hotel. It's, uh, a $61 million project. So it's ... it's a major effort with
historic preservation, um .... incorporated into it; affordable housing; uh, the
provision of, uh, non-profit; Riverside Theatre; um, ground level commercial
tenants; LEED-certification status. It's a really long listed of. ... LEED-platinum,
which if we were to do this (garbled) LEED-platinum, multi -family project in the
state of Iowa. So, uh, a number of things to look at and consider. Uh, the price
has, uh, gone down a little bit and the TIF has gone up (laughs) so, um ... please...
please take a look, uh, and, urn .... you know, take a look at it and see what you
think.
Mims: Yeah, I would just echo what John said and because, um, the Economic
Development Committee is only three people, um, John and Mazahir and I cannot
discuss this at all outside of our Economic Development Committee meetings
cause two of us would constitute a quorum. So, um, I do think though it would
be...it would be nice, I think, to have a little bit of input from other Council
Members just on kind of what your reaction is. Um, if you had some information
on that project. So like John I would encourage you, um, to listen to that meeting
and reach out to any of us just to ask questions or give us your initial thoughts on
it before we have another meeting.
Teague: Any other updates?
Weiner: Um, yes, uh, I was fortunate to participate with Ryan and some others in USG as
well as Downtown District on ... on some of these student... student messaging, uh,
conversations, and I will just confirm that they're working really, really hard on
this (mumbled) figuring out control groups (garbled) (goes silent)
Teague: You froze!
Taylor: Technical issues!
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Teague: (laughing) Oh, it's getting' late I guess. Yep. So maybe she'll chime back in.
Um, any other updates from Councilors?
Bergus: Just very briefly (both talking) Oop, go ahead!
Teague: Please go right ahead!
Bergus: Well thank you, Mayor. Um, first of all I just wanted to thank you for issuing the
order today, um, requiring face coverings for everyone, and I hope by now people
have heard about it and will be, uh, reading it and complying, um, just to note that
it does, uh, inform businesses of their obligation to ensure that customers who
come into businesses in any public setting, um, have face coverings. So I just
wanted to highlight that aspect of it. And thank you for that. And then for the
City of Literature, I, um, we ... we had a strategic planning session, um, just last
week, which was a really fantastic opportunity to talk about the organization and
where it might be headed in the future. So, um, nothing really specific other than
it's a great group of folks really thinking about how, um, the work of the City of
Literature can be leveraged in this moment in COVID, as well as, um, I think
addressing systemic racism and all the issues that Council is talking about. So, it
was really inspiring.
Teague: Great, and I of course was going to make mention of the mask order. So you did
that, thank you! Um, I also wanna take an opportunity, and sorry, Janice, uh,
Councilor Weiner isn't on right now. But I wanted to say thanks to all the Council
for, uh, all the extra work that you're doin', and I am, um, reminded of when I
became Mayor, one of the things that Council wanted was to feel as if, uh, we
were a team, um, in .... in this movement, and, uh, that, um, I was a team player,
and I wanna say that, um, not only have I asked for help to be a team player, but
people have really, really, um, just showered with, uh, opportunities, um, and
doin' whatever is needed, um, as ... assisting me in doin' this Mayor role, so I really
appreciate each and every one of you. It's been busy, as we all know, and takin'
on projects, uh, has been very helpful. So thanks to all the Councilors for all
you're doin' and I will be remiss if I didn't mention our staff and all the work that
they're doin'. I can tell you that, uh, the load is heavily lifted with, uh, competent
staff that actually sits and listens, uh, and try to, uh, they ...they try to piece it all
together when you don't even totally have your ideas together. So thanks to all of
you, and our Mayor Pro Tem, I have appreciated workin' side-by-side with you.
Um, she was definitely weeks ago sayin' `do the mask order,' and I'm like `I just
need a little more time' (laughs) So, uh, thanks to everybody and all the hard
work that we're doing as a team. I really appreciate it. We'll continue to have our
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differences and .... and disagreements at times, which is normal. That's what we
need here and there, and I really appreciate all of you.
Bergus: Mayor, I ... I did just get a text from Councilor Weiner asking if Kellie can upgrade
her so she can rejoin as a panelist (garbled)
Teague: Yes, I see her there now! We'll wait for her to come over. While that's
happening, um, maybe we'll get updates from our City Manager!
Weiner: (several talking) .....for some reason didn't let me come back on as a panelist.
(garbled) But thanks for unmuting me (laughs) Um, so, yeah, I was talking to
Geoff earlier and I talked to several of you. I mean I really appreciate all the
work that went into putting this mask order out from ... from Eleanor's drafting to
...to Bruce's work and everybody else's work. Um, it strikes me that one of the
things that we really need to do is make sure there is few barriers as possible to
anyone actually wearing a mask or a face covering. Um, and there may be many
people who don't have them, can't afford them, um, maybe show up somewhere
and forgot them. Uh, there are a whole varie... variety of reasons that are not, that
are not included under the category `refused to do this, don't wanna do this.' So I
would really like to, um, to see the City, um, do a mask purchase, um, of...of PPE
masks or whatever, so they can be handed out through community organizations,
have, um, and ... and the Downtown District, um, and some non -profits and so
forth, so that we really take that barrier away.
Taylor: I would be in favor of that, and I would also include shields in that for those folks
that maybe do have a fear of wearing a mask, and the shields aren't much more
expensive than ... than the masks. I've been wearing the one the City provided
and ... and it's very comfortable, and I think that would be good, and I'd be in favor
of it and well perhaps if the City distributes, as well as places like the South
District or even CWJ to those folks that ... that are in need of them. Uh, I think it's
great idea, and I'd be in favor of it.
Teague: I think one thing that might very important as far as enfor...law enforcement to
have shiel... face coverings when they do respond, because I think... it's already
been said that, um, some people may have forgot it. It's not that they don't wanna
comply. They may not have one, and so I do think that that wold be, uh,
advantageous for law enforcement to come, and one, educate, uh, when they
arrive, as well as have some, uh, face coverings available, uh, because I do
believe that people in our community, they're great, they want to comply.
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16. Report on Items from City Staff
a. City Manager
Fruin: Assuming Janice can come on, uh, I ... I don't have anything, but uh, she ... she and I
were talking before about, uh, a mask purchase. So again, if...if Janice can't come
on maybe come back to me and I'll ... I'll fill you in on that conversation. (Weiner
resumes her comments) Mayor, if I may, um .... we outfitted all of our police
officers with extra masks today. Um, so they ...they have that ability and they will,
uh, seek compliance, uh.... uh, every step along the way. Our goal is to write no
citations through this whole process, but rather help people obtain the PPE they
need and to understand, uh, not only the order but the reason behind the order.
Um, staff.... staff can certainly purchase, uh, masks, and we would look to non-
profit, uh, and perhaps business partners to distribute those. Um, I think if you
want ... if you want to move forward on that, I think the guidance that I would like
is, um, whether you would intend these to be more ... one or, uh, a few time use
masks that may cost, uh, 75 -cents to 80 -cents per mask, or if you're lookin' at a
more, uh, permanent solution to be handing out to the public, which, uh, you
know, could be anywhere from $3 or $4 to ... to 7 or 8 depending on, you know,
how, urn .... how .... how high-quality of a mask or a shield you wanna provide.
And I don't need you to give me a specific dollar number but if you can kinda just
point me in the right direction (mumbled) for one-time use, someone that's
entering the store that doesn't have one, someone that maybe going to get a
service from a non-profit agency, uh, we can buy those in bulk fairly
inexpensively, um, but if you're gonna move to the, um, more expensive options
that they can wear day -in, day -out, um, it's gonna be a little bit more expensive to
do so.
Weiner: Um, this is Janice. I can't see anybody else, I apologize. My preference would be
for, uh, one or just a few time use, because we don't know if...if people will hold
on to these, uh, at least at this point.
Mims: Yeah, my combination was going to be .... my comment was going to be maybe a
combination of two, primarily the one or few time use, um ... and I guess the
question, you know, becomes .... a lot of people will wear those multiple times,
especially if they can't afford something else, and like you say, you don't know if
they're going to hold on, but maybe for some of the non -profits who would come
in contact with more of the people who really need them and really can't afford
them, um, maybe some smaller number of like the cloth masks that would be
washable and ... and reusable quite a bit.
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Teague: I think the one thing I'll say is we're probably gonna be here a little while with
COVID-19 and the need for the people to wear masks, and so, um, I ... I would
agree, one, the combination of both, uh, leanin' more towards, um, maybe
situational needs, uh, yeah! Non -profits might need it and .... who knows what
might be a need for, um, individuals that just reach out in our community as well.
Thomas: Yeah, I would just say off .... off the top of my head here, the, um, a combination
seems to make sense. Depending on the circumstances. I think if you have an
opportunity to kind of engage with whoever you're speaking with on this matter,
that perhaps a better mask or face covering would be an option, but otherwise
something that, uh, would be just for one or two time use seems appropriate as
well.
Bergus: My...my general preference would be to ... to favor the more durable, reusable, um,
washable masks. I ... I think to the Mayor's point, we're going to be here for a
long time and, you know, I kinda have like one cloth mask and one face shield
that I wash all the time and, you know, just keep using, but even just thinking
about how ma ... how much trash that would be generating if we were favoring the
disposable ones, um, I guess that ... that also plays into my urging that we have
more, uh, durable.
Salih: I will say the same thing, yeah, washable, uh, that we can use it multiple times or
all the time. Just wash it and use it again will be ideal.
Teague: All right, so there you have it! (laughs) I hope that gets you a little closer. Um,
I ... I do know that Iowa City Fab Lab, they may have face shields that are a little,
uh, they're durable but, uh, cost very little. I think their main issue is, um, labor.
Um, people to produce it. So, um, there you have it! Anything else you need
from us? (laughs) All right (both talking) Great! All right! Ashley Monroe, any
updates?
b. Assistant City Manager
Monroe: I have nothing this evening. Thank you.
Teague: All right, do we have all of our Census numbers in? 100% compliance?
Monroe: You got me! (laughs) Uh, no, we are still encouraging everyone to take the
Census. Uh, it's my2020census.gov, ub, we've put out information as well about
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phone numbers that can ... can be called. Um, there are new signs being put out in
the yards with ... and other properties, in coordination with the League of Women
Voters. Uh, we partnered with them on yard sign and signage campaign, and
you'll continue to see more signs out, uh, with that information. There .... those
signs also specify that, um, people can respond in languages other than English
and there's assistance in order to do that. So, uh, that is what we have at the
moment and we're encouraging everybody to respond.
Teague: Great, great! Thank you!
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