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2. Proclamations
2.a. Fair Trade Municipality
Teague: (reads proclamation) And here to accept this proclamation .... is Human Rights
Commissioner Zachary Rochester. And let's see if his....
Fruehling: Not seeing his name .... on the (both talking)
Teague: Okay.
Fruehling: ...on the panel list, um, there is one person that's not named and he's not an
attendee so .... I was just told he was accepting.
Teague: All right! Well .... um.....we will certainly, um, I think this is a great opportunity
for the City of Iowa City, this proclamation. This is very exciting and we will, uh,
definitely, um, I know that the Human Rights Commission and Zachary put a lot
of work into this and so ... um, grateful for their efforts at havin' this be before
Council, and thanks to Council for, um, makin' it a ... a, goin' forward with the Fair
Trade within our community.
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1-8. Beginning of Consent Calendar (Items 3 — 8) — Consider adoption of the
Consent Calendar as presented or amended
Teague: All right! We will move on to Items 3 through 8, but before we, uh, go there I did
wanna make mention that Item 5.b.1. will be pulled from the Consent Agenda.
So, uh, per, uh, staff request. Um ... so, uh, if Council agrees, could I get a motion
to approve Consent Calendar as amended, removin' Item 5.b.1?
Salih: Move by Salih.
Mims: Second by Mims.
Teague: All right! Uh, would anyone from the public like to address Council? If so please
raise your hand and this will be in relationship to any item that is within this
Consent Agenda. We do have other, um, items, urn.... throughout our....
through... throughout our, uh, meetin' agenda tonight. So if your hand is raised we
will, uh, entertain comments related to items within our Consent Agenda. I'm
gonna start with Raneem, and then followed by Ala.
Hamad: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes we can!
Hamad: Okay! Firstly, I wanted to talk about, um, I have two things to talk about today.
The TRC resolution that is going to be spoken about today and the events of June
3'a, um, that happened to IFR protesters. I would .... (both talking)
Teague: Raneem.... hello! Hello, and that, uh, the TRC, we do have that on our agenda
and (both talking)
Hamad: ...speak about the police. Yep. Um (both talking, garbled)
Teague: ...and then the police will have, uh, open .... open agenda and I'll call you back just
to make sure that you know when to come back.
Hamad: All right, lovely! Thank you!
Teague: It's after this item.
Hamad: All right!
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Teague: Yes, thank you! All right! Ala, followed by Lori. Hello!
Mohamed: Hello, sorry, I was wondering, were you talking about the police demands that
was on the agenda or are you talking about the event that happened June Yd to the
IFR protesters?
Teague: Yep, so, um .... the, we'll... after this item we're gonna have public comment and
then I'll just make sure that I call you back during that time.
Mohamed: Okay, but I had one more thing to say, um, before. I just wanted to speak about
the housing demands. Um, I haven't seen any work done on those, and I was
wondering (both talking)
Teague: ... and ... and also that'll be during the next comment. (both talking)
Mohamed: Okay. Okay.
Salih: We can just say, Mayor, they just don't know that we open the public comment
yet (both talking) uh, yeah.
Teague: Yeah. Yep, yep, so .... (both talking) yeah, no worries! Yep, we'll open public
comment after these Consent items.
Mohamed: Okay, sounds good.
Teague: Yes! All right! Anyone else? Like to address the Consent items? Seein' no one,
Council discussion?
6.c. Procurement of Axon Taser 7 Conducted Energy Device Bundles —
Resolution authorizing the procurement of Axon Taser 7 Conducted Energy
Device Bundles for the City of Iowa City.
Bergus: Um, Mayor, we didn't have a chance to get to clarification of agenda items during
our work session, so, um, I was going to request that we pull out Item 6.c., which
is the ... the taser procurement, um, and I guess maybe I can discuss and then see if
we can ... if others are interested in ... in dealing with that separately, but my request
or suggestion is that we consider that contract, once we have the report from the
Police Department that we requested about the military -grade equipment, that
we're waiting for that inventory, and I just think it would be a helpful educational
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opportunity to look at the acquisition of...tasers in the context of what the Police
Department has, as well as just what we're.... planning or knowing, you know, the
uncertainty of our .... item #1 from our June 166' resolution in terms of
restructuring the police. Um, I just think it would be prudent for us to consider
deferring this item until we have the .... report on other police equipment.
Salih: I will second that. I was talking about the same thing during our.... personal
meeting.
Taylor: Uh, I would agree also because that, to be honest I was a little surprised to see
that, uh, that item on our agenda ... at this time.
Teague: Okay. So any ...I heard from three and I would also, uh, agree to that. So, um, so
we ... we'll delay .... uh, Item 6.c.
Mims: Can I just ask, Geoff, do you have any comment on that or does Denise, in terms
of any implications of delaying that? I think it'd be prudent at least to get some
input from staff before we make this decision.
Fruin: Yeah, if it's a short-term delay, it will, um .... probably not .... not be an issue, but
as the staff report indicates that, uh, they're out of. ... the tasers that we have now,
many are out of warranty. Um, we have an inability to get parts to replace, uh,
any... any broken elements of those or...or, um, items that are .... that are failing on
us. Uh, so they .... they need to be replaced, um, and uh, I think they serve a, um,
a .... a valuable purpose. They're not used very often, uh, looked back as we were
preparing this agenda item. In the last, uh... uh, three years, uh, 2019, 18, and 17,
we used it nine, 10, and five times respectively, in our .... in our department.
That's how many times we deployed the taser over the last three years. So less
than 10 times a year is ... is our average the last three years. Um, and uh, they can
serve a valuable purpose and prevent, uh, higher levels of use of force. So I
would strongly recommend that, uh, we not delay it long term. Uh, this is coming
up to you because it's a .... we consider it a routine, uh, maintenance, um,
obligation, but I understand if you wanna take that decision into a ... a larger
context of other equipment that we carry, um, but we have found these to be
extremely beneficial and we think that, uh, it's beneficial for the public safety, as
well as our officers' safety.
Brotherton: I would just add that, you know, they compare `em to more like cell phones. So
it's a lot about the technology, and we certainly want the best and latest
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technology to replace our outdated equipment again that we can't get parts for, uh,
and it's really critically for the safety of the public and us.
Mims: I'm not gonna support the delay on this. I ... I think it's .... this is such a routine part
of, um, of the equipment that police use, and ... and again an alternative to more
deadly force, um if we've got part ... you know, equipment that isn't being used or
isn't safe to use or whatever isn't working properly, um, I think it makes sense to
replace it.
Salih: I just thinks we need, uh, even if we delay today, we just need to act very quick on
the like the police committee that the IFR requested, uh, and it is really good idea.
Uh, as Laura said, this is ... this is .... we are trying to put this committee together
and we have the idea of restructuring the police department, why don't just leave
it for that committee to do it and if we can create the committee very fast, so we
don't delay this, if we need it .... maybe you are not gonna need it! Never know!
Weiner: I just wanted to ask what ... what happens, urn .... when one of these doesn't, uh,
function property, or when .... when it gets degraded. Is it, do you .... do you end
up with greater force, less force, or it just doesn't ... it doesn't necessarily work as
you want it.
Brotherton: Well what it would do is take out that option for us to have less force. So I would,
you know, we had an incident here just in the last couple months where we had a
subject with a knife, um, who had assaulted another person and the officer was
able to stop the knife attack and disarm the person using the taser as opposed to a
more lethal force, which would probably be your firearm. So I would say that
would be our biggest threat there, um, you know, you have the malfunction. Then
you'd have to transition to that more lethal force. Or go hands on when we
necessarily may not have to go hands on.
Salih: Denise, how often do you guys use the taser? Like really in the (murnbled) Do
you have a record for that?
Brotherton: Yeah, I do. Um .... so, you know (both talking)
Mims: ...gave us those numbers.
Brotherton: Yeah, and we also use ... use it even more when we just display it. So those are
deployments and oftentimes just the display of the taser will deescalate the
situation without using any force. Just by that, um .... of displaying it. So just so
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far in 2020, um ... we've deployed eight times, displayed 19 times. So about half,
you know, double that, that we just have to display it and it deescalates the
situation. And keep in mind, you know, they're also verbalizing and using other
deescala.... deescalation techniques during that, but, uh, it just goes to show what
a valuable tool it is for us before we'd have to use, again, um, more force, go
hands on, or lethal force.
Salih: And each time you used it, uh, for 2020 (mumbled) is it like each time the subject
had the .... a weapon on them, like a knife or something else? Or just some time
just use it?
Brotherton: Well they would have to be, uh, they're either armed or they're assaultive. Uh,
so, you know, it has to reach that level of force before we would, um, deploy that
taser.
Taylor: So, Denise, I .... I suppose then that these officers are trained either in the police
academy or once they're on the Iowa City force, uh, trained in the use of it, the
proper use of it?
Brotherton: Correct, uh, we ... they receive continual training. One of the other problems with
having, uh, not being able to replace parts and batteries when they expire is now
we're coming upon to, you know, difficulty in training, cause the more we train
with them we'll wear the batteries out. So we've had to, uh... you know, hold off
for that training. So as soon as we can get our new ones, we can, you k now, start
training and training in the new equipment, but yeah, they have a continual
training. Uh, we have a taser instructor on the department.
Salih: I still thinks we need to delay it!
Teague: Well we do have four Councilors that have.... weighed in on delayin' it, unless
someone has changed their thought process. Okay. All right! So .... we have a
motion, urn .... with the amend... with the removal of the 5.b. So ... we probably...
do we wanna just, um, recall the .... the original motion?
Mims: How long are we delaying this? I think we need to have a specific date.
Bergus: My request is just..so that we consider it in the context of the inventory. So I
don't know if staff knows when that's going to be available, but maybe that can
inform ... that question.
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Fruin: Um, our target date for the inventory was August 27"i, which is next Thursday, uh,
if we can ... if we can (mumbled) excuse me, if we can hit that deadline, it would
be ready for your September I' meeting. Otherwise safe to say it would be at
your second meeting in September, uh, which is, uh, the 15'h.
Salih: I really encourage the public to, uh, also (mumbled) their ideas on this until next
meeting, especially the people who going to join the ... or they have interest on
joining the .... police committee, and I wanna hear from public, and especially
from Black Life Matter folks and IFR and .... uh, Black Voices Project about this.
Because we are, this is big deal. Uh, we are restructuring the police department
and we need to hear from them.
Taylor: I agree though that the taser is ... is a much different instrument than say the rubber
bullets and teargas. Uh, it ... it's used more ... more in particular. It's not like they
can taser a whole crowd of people. Uh, this is more like protection for the public
and the officer, so I can see that side of it too, and... and I think, uh, Geoff had said
that perhaps by the target date of August 270' on the inventory, uh, so for that
September meeting, uh, we would know and we would have had a little more time
to think about this.
Weiner: I ... I would support the ... the kind of two week delay or till the next meeting delay
that Councilor Bergus is referencing, so that we can ... we have it in the context,
um, and just have a little bit more information on the tasers themselves, such as
you were giving us right now, um, Acting Chief Brotherton.
Teague: Yep, and the reason I, uh, personally wanted to do the delay was because
Councilor Bergus mentioned, uh, just wanted a more comprehensive type of, um,
report on some of the, um, use. I personally have seen the taser in use and, once,
and it was definitely necessary for safety. Um, not only for the public, but for that
individual safety as well. So, um, it ... I'm just talkin' about one incident that I
witnessed. Not talkin' in general about, um, the use of tasers. So .... I do believe
that, um, we have more than four Councilors that wanna delay this, um, item until
...the question would be what is the date? Is there a date that we wanna delay it
to?
Salih: Next Council meeting!
Teague: Is it September IS` or is it the 109 Which one do we wanna go for?
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Mims: Well I would say the 1" and then (both talking) have it then, if we have to delay...
if the majority wants to delay it again if they don't have that inventory done, but
let's ... I would say go to the 151.
Salih: (several talking) You know I really want this item to be on ... an agenda item,
formal agenda item, not like Consent Agenda.
Mims: Do other Council Members feel the same or just put it on Consent? I ... I think we
have to be careful as we move forward that .... we're giving direction to staff as a
whole Council not just one ... you know, one of us telling Council to ... telling staff
to do something. So I (both talking, garbled)
Salih: (garbled) You guys never (mumbled) what I say immediately, and I'm not
expecting that. Please, you can talk about it. This is an idea. I'm not giving any
direction, and even if I did, never happen before!
Teague: So there's a proposal on the floor for this to go to the formal agenda. Any
thoughts on that?
Fruin: Mayor and ... and Council, if...if any time we know that there's a Council interest
in discussion, we're .... we're gonna put the item on the regular agenda. That's
common practice. Um, it...it was on the Consent because, again, staff considers it
a routine approval. Um, now that we know that you don't ... you don't think that
it's routine and it deserves greater deliberation, uh, that's fine. We'll put that on
the regular agenda, to ... to allow you to have that discussion, um ... uh, later on in
the agenda process.
Salih: Thank you, Geoff! So you made it easy for Council to decide.
Teague: And it sounds like, if I'm not mistaken, um, the majority wanted to go with ... the
next, September I", and then from there we'll decide if it, uh, gets ... what happens
to it. All right! So, um, so there's a motion on the floor, um, but we need to do a
deferral for 6.c. So could I get a motion to defer 6.c.?
Salih: I put the motion to defer 6.c.!
Bergus: Seconded.
Teague: Okay. So .... (coughs) Sue, correct me when I ... uh, if I'm doin' somethin' wrong,
when it's a bunch of items .... I know how to do it if it's an independent item! All
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right, so we have the motion to defer 6.c., um, roll call please. Motion passes 6-1.
All right, so ... uh, we have the original motion already on the floor, um, which is
the motion to approve the Consent Calendar as amended, removin' Item 5.b.1.
Um, any further discussion on this? Hearin' none (both talking, garbled)
Taylor: I had discussion on some of the ... on, uh, some of the correspondence. Is now the
time to do that or not?
Teague: Yes!
Taylor: Okay! Uh, the one item in particular that's been getting a lot of, um, comments
from the public is, it was 8.c., about the renaming of the park, and it kinda goes
along with an IP item, IP2, from August 6`h, uh, which I ... I think, um, I'm
thanking the staff for, uh, bringing up the City naming policy, uh, and we ... even in
this correspondence we heard from President Harreld that he's recommending this
little park space be renamed after that particular person. So I think we really do
need to give some serious consideration to that, but uh, if Sue's still online, I just
had a question about that, and I think this might be the time. Uh, in that policy
there was a difference in if it was a parcel of real property versus City property
(laughs) and ... I'm not sure if this little park space is actually City property or
(mumbled) cause the ... the only difference was how many people would have to
approve the renaming of it. Uh.... so that would be the question that we'd need to
know, and maybe they need to figure that out. I don't know if Sue knows that
right off the top of her head.
Dulek: I'm just looking for the agenda item. Or the, uh, which IP?
Taylor: Oh, IP2 from August 6m was the City naming policy.
Dulek: Course the one I didn't pull up. Okay.
Taylor: Okay! (laughs)
Dulek: All right....
Taylor: And it talked about an ad hoc committee versus just a department head, uh,
making the decision versus what it's called.
Dulek: Sure. Other property would be, for example, uh, a scoreboard in a baseball
stadium. That's what it's referring to (both talking) Yes.
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Taylor: So City property, perhaps this park space (both talking)
Dulek: Yes. Yes.
Taylor: An appropriate department head it said, uh, yeah. Okay! Very good, thank you
(garbled) really need to consider that, and I guess that would be Juli then!
(laughs)
Fruin: So just to clarify, a park renaming would be item .... would be under A, uh, of that
policy, uh... Councilor Taylor. The other property is gonna be smaller things like,
uh, Sue mentioned a scoreboard, or renamed conference rooms in City Hall
after.... after employees, um, that sort of thing, but a park would, urn ... trigger a
greater review and Council involvement.
Taylor: Okay. Thank you, Geoff. That clarifies that.
Salih: Mayor, I see people (mumbled) there is hand up. Do you wanna address that
or....
Teague: Um, I think the hands are for the .... we haven't gotten to open comment yet.
Salih: No, for the Consent Agenda!
Teague: Um .... so if we ... will .... will Council entertain, urn .... uh, community .... goin' back
to community comment? Or public discussion, um, on this item? For Consent
Agenda?
Salih: How many people?
Teague: I see one. Yep! I think we got enough. All right, so I'm gonna go back to public
discussion, uh, before we close this and take a vote. And then, uh, Raneem, um,
I'm gonna call you forth right now!
Hamad: All right. Hello! The City Manager has already proven, um, instruments such as
these tasers that we're talking about right now are not regularly used by the police
department and these funds of almost around $400,000. As the IFR has already
spoken to Council before, are much more needed in much other departments in
our, uh, city government, urn ... that need these funds, um, much more desperately
than, um, the police department specifically. Um, as you've already spoken,
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Mayor, you've only seen this instrument being used once and um, I think that in
and of itself brings a reason to why you brought up that comment. Um, we as IFR
don't believe that .... if the Council is really committed to discussions about
restructuring the police, we need to have this... discussion be on the formal agenda
and also be open to the public. Um, we have been for weeks now trying to create
a police committee with Council but have yet, uh, been able to get any traction in
terms of setting up that committee. Um, and I think that kind of proves this
discussion right now about funding allocations for these tasers just proves why,
uh, that delay has been happening. And it's really important for us to be able to
have, um, public comment on this issue moving forward and next, um, the next
mee... the next Council meeting, um ... um, if this, you know, topic is going to be on
the formal agenda! Thank you!
Teague: Thank you! Um, I see David, followed by Ala.
Drustrup: Thank you, Mayor, can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes!
Drustrup: Thank you very much. Yeah, I just wanted to second what Raneem was just
saying. I think, um, it's ... it's disappointing to see, uh, parts of Council and the
City Manager, um (mumbled) push through, uh, progress on something like
upgrading police weaponry, while, you know, we've been waiting a few weeks
here to try and get a meeting, let alone some action on some policing concerns.
Um, yeah, Denise used the analogy of the cell phone, and to be honest, I'm not
particularly worried that our police have the i -Phone 10 of tasers to use against the
public when they've already got the i -Phone 8. I mean we're... we're sitting here
asking some questions about whether tasers provide community safety, and you
know, some folks are ready to take action on pushing through progress on
upgrading tasers right now while ... IFR and other folks around the community,
University experts. We have concrete plans about things that we absolutely know
do provide additional safety to our community, and um, you know, it's tough to
get a meeting with people sometimes, uh, let alone some action. So, um, that
just .... that doesn't seem right. That doesn't seem just, and that doesn't quite seem
aligned with community safety to me. Thank you very much!
Teague: Thank you, David, and Ala!
Mohamed: Hello, I just wanted to third everything that Raneem and David had said, and I
also want to, um, talk about the fact that, as they said, we are talking about tasers
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and whatnot and what kind of weaponry is safe, not safe for the community, and I
feel like the community input, like I said, is very important because it's going to
be used on us, us citizens of...um, of Iowa City, and I thunk like just...hearing you
guys talk about it without IFR also brings up another thing, which is IFR is not on
the table. They're not at the table and they're not participating in that discussion,
and, um, yes, they have, uh, bullet points and stuff connected to the demands that
can help out whatever point you guys are trying to make with the, um ... uh, the
tasers and whatnot, but I feel like having the community speak is a very, very big,
um .... issue.
Teague: Thank you! All right! Anyone else like... from the public like to address this
topic? Or any of the items on the Consent Agenda? Seeing no one, roll call
please, or...for the Council discussion, I'm sorry, before roll call.
Bergus: Mayor, I would just like to highlight that, um, unlike past administrations you
always make a point of allowing for public comment on every item on the agenda,
even when it's not a public hearing, and I think what we're .... what we're literally
hearing from the public tonight shows your commitment and the Council's
commitment to having public input throughout the process. So I'm hopeful that
as we continue to engage with different members of the public that items that are
on the Consent Agenda, which are public, which are included in our packet, which
are published at the same time as every other item on the agenda, can continue to
have public comment. I just .... I just feel that it's really important that people
know that that is part of our business, it is our routine business and it is something
that we do every single meeting. Similarly I just ... I did just wanna call out Item
6.f, which is the Housing Trust Fund. It's wonderful! We're making a half
million dollar contribution to the Johnson County Public, uh, to the Housing Trust
Fund of Johnson County. And so again, this is routine business, but it is
published, it is on the agenda, and apparently we're not doing a very good job of
pointing some of these things out to folks, but it is there.
Salih: I was really trying to take that item from the agenda, but if it come to me all the
time, it just don't go nowhere, but I'm now wanna requesting really. I talked to
the Mayor before when we had the Mayor, Mayor Pro Tom meeting, I was talking
about those two item, Laura. This one and the Housing Trust Fund, and I really
would like, you know, we need further discussion on that by especially it come to
my understanding, the $5 million that we allocated last year is not been spended!
So we really need (mumbled) and also we always use this money to afford
new ... new apartment, which most likely will be expensive for affordable housing.
Just if I spoke about next building, the next project that they have it on the
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Herbert Hoover Highway, which we use some money from the Housing Trust
Fund. It is so expensive because it's new building, and I really would like to defer
this item to next time as well, if I find the support. I was trying to do so but
I ... just go ... don't wanna do it, because I don't thinks ... I'll have support (mumbled)
just bringing each item, it fall on the ground.
Teague: At least from, um, from my perspective, and I know we had a ... a brief
conversation about, uh, some of the, uh, thought processes on housing and
definitely, um, what other opportunities we have, we can have in our community
for housing. What I might suggest is that there's a larger conversation, which
we've already talked about, that we need to have when it comes down to housing.
We need to, uh, really have that, um, which we did add that to our agenda. Um,
or...or our, um .... not the, uh.... uh, sorry, strategic plan! Urn .... and so for me, I
think ... at least for this particular entity, um, I ... we can certainly have further
conversations, but I think we've already kind of committed those funds. I would
like to see a greater plan movin' forward within the housin', because it's so
necessary, um, because we have people in our community that (mumbled) the
funds, or need .... need affordable housing and so, at least for me, um, this
particular item I think, um, I'm.....I'm more lookin' at the big picture than this
one, which I think in the future how we spend our funds, how we spend our
million dollars, could be a little different than what we've done in the past.
Salih: But, Mayor, uh, you know, I (mumbled) that because, I don't know, Geoff, you
can correct me, I heard that the Housing Trust Fund, the $5 million that we
allocated last year, is not been spent. Am I right or wrong, Geoff?
Fruin: It's not $500 million. It's 5 .... 500,000 (both talking)
Salih: That's fine! That's what I mean (both talking, garbled)
Fruin: It was, um, a pledge that was allocated, uh, for a LIHTC, low income housing tax
credit, project. So the, uh, Trust Fund pledged that money, uh, to that application.
That application was not funded, and that funding decision was just made in the
last couple of weeks. Um, so, uh, that money now returns to the Trust Fund, and I
expect that they'll allocate it probably within the next 30 to 60 days, whenever
their next funding round is. So, I don't think it's accurate to say they ...they've
been sitting on the funds if they haven't spent them. They did obligate them, uh,
but it was to leverage a larger grant from the State and unfortunately that
affordable housing project did not get the State grant and now those local funds
are back with the Trust Fund and I ... I know that they will put them to good use.
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Salih: Yeah, exactly, that what I'm saying. The money is there. Regardless what
happens, the money is still there. The money is there and we adding another five
million for... for.... for this project, and I think the public have to weigh in on that,
and I believe, as Laura said, this is a public issue and we need to .... we need to
hear from the public about it. That's why I ... I want to ... I'm just requesting to
defer it. People can just say no or yes, that's it, but I'm really requesting to defer
it. So (mumbled) public input on this.
Bergus: I don't agree with deferring the item. I think we need to fund the Housing Trust
Fund because they have criteria that this will be low-income housing. We can
talk, we can have a bigger policy conversation if we disagree with the criteria or
we think that there's something that could be improved bigger picture, but I think
it's really important not to delay, making this allocation that we, you know, that,
again, I wanted to highlight the fact that we are doing this towards affordable
housing, as we have done before, with our, you know, concurrent with our
affordable housing plan. So I think we need to move forward with it to continue
that funding.
Thomas: I ... I would agree. I think my .... my reading of this is that we're just simply
moving the money to the ... the Housing Trust (garbled) use that money as another
conversation, but um, I would say .... you know, I don't see any reason for
deferring just simply moving the money, and certainly we can talk later about how
that money is allocated, but uh, I'd like to move the money now.
Salih: Okay, but I just wanna make sure that I'm not deferring it because we want to
take the money out of..of, uh, you know, Housing Trust Fund. I'm ... I'm saying
that that's not my idea at all. My idea is to have more public input, the way that
we wanna use this money. That's all!
Mims: I would agree with Laura and John. I think all that we're doing here is, uh,
fulfilling a commitment we've made by previous resolution that, um, that we
would commit 500,000, half of our annual allocation, um, to the Housing Trust
Fund because of their ability to use it effectively for low income, and particularly
their ability, as Geoff said, to leverage it with State money on these LIHTC
projects. Not every time, but frequently they are able to use that LIHTC and what
we have to understand is when they leverage that money, you know, our dollars
might be, Geoff, help me, maybe one-third or one-quarter, um, of the total project
amount. So it really gets leveraged (mumbled) having the Housing Trust Fund,
uh, manage that money, and it is, again, it's consistent with the resolution that we
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have passed, um, I don't know, a year or two ago, to give them half of that annual
allocation. So I don't see any reason to delay this either.
Taylor: I agree with John, Susan, and Laura, uh, as far as delaying this. With all due
respect, um, Mayor Pro Tem, I don't know what any further public input could,
uh... uh, offer to this, as far as the use of it. Uh, we trust the Hou ... the Housing
Trust Fund, uh, to have, uh, their, uh, criteria and how they use it, and .... and
historically they have used it quite wisely and we have a number of units out there
that, uh, are housing, uh, low-income folks right now. So, uh, yeah, I don't see
any reason to defer it.
Salih: Okay!
Weiner: People need to plan their budgets (several talking, garbled) It ... it's nothing, it's
nothing against you, Mayor Pro Tem. People, organizations need to plan their
budgets and ... and we have, there have been resolutions that ... that we have pledged
this money. I don't ... I don't think it's appropriate to shift that at this point. I do
think it's appropriate as ... as the Mayor and others have said, to have our bigger
conversation about how we deal with and what we want to do about, uh,
affordable housing going forward so that we can expand it.
Salih: No problem! That's fine, and I will bring the biggest conversation and we'll see
how you can proceed on that, but I will bring it, hopefully you will agree. Thank
you.
Teague: All right, any more discussion by Council?
Taylor: Uh, Mayor, yet ... yet another correspondence item that came in the last handouts,
if I can, uh, talk about that, uh, Item U., uh, and I have to be honest, I really ...not
exactly sure where the Olde Towne Village part of this town is, but um, Councilor
Bergus had mentioned a public input, and the input in ... in this letter, uh, is just not
good to hear from our constituents that they feel aggravated and forgotten, and
that they...they don't matter to anyone. I mean that ... that really hurt me, and I
thought, you know, we ... maybe Geoff or someone from the staff, uh, has any
follow up. I know the letter just came, but it sounds like this has been a
longstanding issue, uh, and if we could get an update on that at some time, and
offer some help to these folks.
Mims: Pauline, I can, and Geoff certainly can jump in, and I can as well. This has been
an ongoing issue for years. Urn .... Jim Throgmorton, when he was Mayor, and I
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meet with them. Geoff and our engineering staff have met with them. Um, in a
nutshell, this is an issue of, um, a problem that was created between the Corps of
Engineers and the developer, and essentially the neighborhood wants the City to
take on financial responsibility for something that is not our financial
responsibility to clean up, and, um, every time we have a meeting and we've had
correspondence directly with the Corps and tried to explain that to them, um, they
keep coming back because they're hoping they will get a different answer, but for
....for Russell Haught to say that nobody listens to them, I would strongly
disagree with that. Um, we have had multiple meetings over the last number of
years and have listened very carefully, have analyzed all of the documents and the
data, and the result of that, urn, and Mayor Throgmorton would, I think would
agree with me 100% on this, is that this is not the City's responsibility, um, and
they are frustrated with that, which I understand, because it is an expensive
proposition to fix this problem, and they are trying to find, um, a way to get the
City to participate in that process. So ... and if Geoff wants to correct me (both
talking)
Taylor: Thank ... thank you, Susan, that... that.... that sheds a lot of light on ... on this for me.
Thank you.
Mims: Yeah, it's not new at all!
Salih: Well I guess there is more new information than what Susan Mims said. Uh, the
Mayor and I, we been working on that, and we went to the Russell house. We
saw all the documents that they been provided to us, and we came to the City and
we asked the City if they can do something, and I guess before this coronavirus
and everything just hitting and everything has become delayed, uh, we request
from the City Manager and it was, uh, the public ... uh, Mayor, help me out here!
Uh, who else was in that meeting and we ask them to do something about it and
let us know how much it cost and after that we can go back to the (mumbled) the
...the resident association and the business association and see what can we do
about it. Uh, I think there is newer plan than what Susan Mims said and I ... I don't
know where we stand on that. I was trying to reach out also to Geoff and ask him
the same thing, because I reach out by Russell, uh, we promise him that we gonna
come back, uh, with answer and I don't know, maybe you can update us and the
Mayor can (mumbled) this too.
Fruin: (garbled) an update. Um .... so, um, we were successful. Staff worked, um really
hard to get the, uh, Army Corps of Engineer issue resolved and uh.... uh, the
developer of the subdivision, uh, did buy out of his obligation to the Army Corps
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of Engineer earlier this year, which removed a layer of complexity from this, uh,
process. Uh, now it is, urn .... uh, very clear to us as staff that that property is
owned by the association, um, and it's certainly not public property, uh, but
regardless, um, we worked to get that issue resolved, uh, to make it easier for
them to proceed, and then, um, we worked with the .... we are currently working
with the original engineers of that, uh, water retention basin, uh, to see with, uh,
what possibilities there would be for improvements, uh, to help the neighborhood
kind of imagine what that space could be now that the Army Corps of Engineer,
uh, permit, uh, has been released, and um, that work is, uh, ongoing. We ... we
have an initial draft from the engineers. We have some questions and are asking
for some, uh, revisions, and our intent is to go back to the neighborhood
association and say, we took it upon ourselves to .... to do some initial engineering
for you to, again, help you visualize what could be, and here it is with some initial
cost estimates, but our position remains, uh, and we're very firm in this position,
that, uh, the City's under no obligation to, um, assist with a ... with a private
improvement like this, and we have numerous examples of private infrastructure
all over this community, be it roads or, uh, water retention basins, or
neighborhood association parks or pools, um, and ... and we've historically not
funded improvements in those areas, um, and ... and so we're trying to help here
but we would paint a very different picture than what is, um, portrayed in that
email.
Taylor: Thank you, Geoff.
Salih: I just ... just, Geoff, if you don't mind, uh, we .... we, maybe we can have a follow
up meeting with you on that, because, you know, we was workin' on this and, uh,
I guess after this coronavirus thing we couldn't... like, uh, sit down again. If we
can have a follow up meeting just to see where things stand.
Teague: Any other items, uh, that... any other comments by Council? Hearing none ... roll
call please! Motion passes 7-0.
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9. Community Comment (items not on the agenda)
Teague: And again, this is a time where anyone from the public can address Council for
any item that is not on the agenda. Um, there's, um, more items on the agenda
which there will be public comment at that time when the agenda item comes up.
Um, so ... anyone from the public can address Council and we ask that you keep
your comments three to five minutes, and I will start with Crissy Canganelli!
Canganelli: (garbled) Mayor, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes! Welcome!
Canganelli: Thank you very much! Um .... technically this was under the, uh, Consent
Agenda, but uh, public comment on that was closed and the Council continued to
deliberate, um, the cause of the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County and the
funding recommendation for the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County. I feel
that there was a mischaracterization of the use of funds that was shared or
articulated by at least one Council Member, and I would like to at least share for
public record and for anyone that is listening in the last two years, uh, at least just
for my organization, Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County funds were used to
leverage.... over 2.7 million in federal and state public funds to build 24 one -
bedroom units for 30% AMI and below individuals. It was another, uh, grant of
about 75,000 that was used to leverage an additional six ... or five units for 30%
below AMI individuals. All individuals who had experienced homelessness and
the majority, uh, for the 24 units, chronically homeless. This has come at
significant benefit to our community, to our current criminal justice system, and to
our emergency health systems, in cost savings and also in savings .... in the .... in
(mumbled) intervention of providing permanent supportive housing. Over the
years the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County has leveraged millions of dollars
for this community with the vast majority of units being 60% below AMI. I
would really appreciate not only as a recipient of those funds, but as the Vice
President of the Board of Directors for the Housing Trust Fund and as a founding
member of the Housing Trust Fund that the conversations be fact -driven, data
informed, and that there be an opportunity, uh, for the organizations to actively
participate in and inform these conversations so the public has the real
information about what is actually being done in our community which is leading
the curve a cross the state of Iowa in addressing the needs, not only of homeless,
but of lower income individuals in accessing affordable, safe, and decent housing.
Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you, Crissy. Eric Harris.... followed by Ala. Welcome, Eric!
Harris: I would like to say, um, that we need and what I think that we need is more
investment in the South District community. Um, it's the community that is very
diverse, has a lot of people.....in this area. It's always... it's also, urn .... the
community that houses the homeless shelter. It houses the future thing that's
comin' up with the anchor place, and I think we need more investment in this
community and that's kinda all .... that's kinda what I wanna say. We need
investment in this community because this is a large people of color community
and we need investment in this community. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Eric. Ala!
Mohamed: Yes, hi, I just wanted to get back about the IFR demands for the housing. Um, I
haven't really heard anything back about it but just a refresher of the demand.
Um, the City Council must implement a clear and sensible plan for affordable....
affordable housing that addresses the availability of affordable housing in the
city's core neighborhoods (mumbled) downtown, as well as providing robust
affordable housing options for citizens. This plan must include repurpose empty
buildings, houses, apartments, and hotels to house people experiencing
homelessness, provide, um (mumbled) support (clears throat) resources to refugee
and asylum seeking communities, ensure that survivors of gender violence have
access to alternative housing options in the event their primary households
become unsafe, provide (mumbled) housing options for young people
experiencing abuse or family rejection of their queer or trans identity. Um, and
last one, City Council must create a committee on affordable housing and issue a
public report for their progress every 60 days. We haven't seen anything or
haven't heard of anything being done. We haven't been sent anything that's been
do ... that's been done for this demand, and I would really .... and I think IFR would
really appreciate, uh, an update on this, just because we did say we wanted a
progress report every 60 days and we haven't received one. Um...we do have a
housing committee on IFR and, um, I would like to talk to you guys about that,
uh, if you would, uh, like to reach out, but that's all I have to say. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Ala! Anyone else like to address Council on any item that is not on
the rest of our agenda? Laura Crawford. Laurie, can you hear us? Okay! (both
talking, garbled)
Crawford: ...all right?
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Teague: Yes!
Crawford: Okay, I'm starting my timer. Mayor Teague and Councilors, please seriously
reconsider the wisdom of a bow hunt this year. Citizens are still dealing with
COVID-19 and now the aftermath of derecho. This is not (both talking)
Teague: Laurie (both talking) I'm song, that is Item #12. Could I have you come back at
Item 12 please?
Crawford: That's actually the ordinance and I'm not addressing the ordinance at all (both
talking)
Teague: Okay! All right, continue please!
Crawford: I'd like to start over then, cause I'd like ... I'm gonna start my timer please.
Teague: You ... you certainly may!
Crawford: Thank you very much. Mayor Teague and Councilors, please seriously reconsider
the wisdom of a bow hunt this year. Citizens are still dealing with COVID-19 and
now the aftermath of derecho. This is not the time to embark on a controversial
new program that will cause further strife, stress, and division. This is not the
time to invite unsupervised, masked, armed strangers with weapons into our
neighborhoods. I endured the Cedar Rapids bow hunt for 10 years before moving
first to Arizona and then Iowa City to get away from the horrors. My one -acre
fenced yard was posted with numerous no hunting and no pres... no trespassing
signs. A hunter shot a buck in my yard Thanksgiving Day, 2005. I photographed
the buck with the arrow in his side. The buck came through my yard periodically
over the next months, getting thinner (garbled) always with tell- tell fluid coming
from the infected arrow wound. Many months later he collapsed in my yard. The
arrow reeked of infection. (garbled) revealed he was full of infection from the
unsterilized arrow. Two years later a hunter shot a nursing doe in my yard. Her
confused fawn was still standing by her dead body when I found her. The hunt
manager, then Fire Chief Steve Hadlib, who's also a bow hunter, came out when
the buck was shot. Eric Schlotterdi from the DNR came out when the doe was
shot. They both said the deer were intentionally shot, illegally on my property.
The hunters violated several rules — shooting a buck, hunting on foot, shooting
into non -permitted property, not shooting from a tree stand, failure to retrieve the
body, and then failure to report the un ... retrieved deer. I encountered many other
arrow -shot deer, wounded and also dead. It was traumatic. I thought Iowa City
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was better than this. A progressive community populated by doctors, university
professors, and other professionals is not where I would expect to encounter
arrow -shot deer and masked strangers in camouflage with weapons. If you decide
to proceed with this ill advised course of action, please work with Iowa City Deer
Friends to ensure the rules and regulations are drafted with citizen safety and
humane practices foremost. Please ensure the City notifies citizens where to file
complaints, incident, and accident reports. Please also... excuse me, people also
need to know who to call if a wounded deer is down and can't get up. Please
make sure several City departments have lists of hunter names, properties where
each hunter has permission to set up a tree stand, exact location of the tree stand,
hunter vehicle information, and emergency contact information for hunters and
hunted property owners. This information is critical to investigate complaints,
incidents, and accidents and also for hunter and property owner accountability.
Property owners should be required to be in town while the hunter is hunting on
their property, first to supervise the hunter, and second, in the event of an incident,
accident, or a complaint. Please prohibit killing spotted fawns and does with
spotted fawns. Cedar Rapids' hunters kill fawns no bigger than a dog. Itis
unconscionable to shoot a doe with a spotted fawn. The fawns relay on their
mother... rely on their mother to teach them life skills such as when and where to
safely cross a road. This is also a human safety concern. Thorough vetting of
hunters and a meaningful proficiency test are critical. Two hunters who killed a
doe on property where they did not have permission had a history of fish and
game violations. A convicted sex offender was hunting until I reported his
conviction. A lax proficiency test allows inexperienced and ineffective hunters to
maim deer who are later found dead or wounded by unsuspecting citizens. A non-
lethal shot causes untold suffering for weeks or months. I air curious about the
status of the non -lethal measures that we worked with the City on. These have the
power to be permanent solutions.... to deer/human conflict and have proven so in
other communities. An urban bow hunt is fraught with conflict, stress, and
trauma. Haven't we had enough of this already this year? Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Laurie!
Crawford: Sure!
Teague: Um, I'm gonna call Allison, followed by Raneem.
Jaynes: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes! Welcome!
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Jaynes: Thank you! So I wanted to say that these are not normal times. I think we can all
agree on that. Uh, they're very unprecedented times. And we have many tensions
currently going on in our community. We've got, uh, Black Lives Matter issues
that are finally starting to be addressed as they should be. We still have COVID-
19 issues, especially with students returning. There are economic struggles, uh,
contentious national politic scene that's playing out, and then the recent derecho.
So I'm going to go a step further than the previous speaker and say that this is not
the time to start a new urban bow hunting activity to kill deer in Iowa City. I'm
asking you to send a reasonable request to the DNR to delay the hunt by at least
one year to be reassessed post-COVID. I can't imagine that the DNR will
actually deny a sensible request like this. This is not the time to have armed
people roaming around in private property, complete with masks hopefully,
obscuring their faces. The potential for negative interactions is extremely high. I
can see confrontations happening, neighbor against neighbor, um, more trauma
occurring to our already overstretched mental health that we have in our
community, and an even more dangerous incident that could be possible. I just
imagine if say a group of out of town hunters runs into a Black Lives Matter
protest. This is a recipe for total disaster. I would argue that this is a dangerous
scenario even in normal times, but these are not normal times. I think there are
many compelling reasons to not conduct this first year of the urban hunt. So
please do this for the safety of the people of Iowa City and please appeal to the
DNR to delay this year. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you! And Raneem, followed by someone who is on the phone, and once
you come up I'll have you announce yourself. So welcome, Raneem!
Hamad: Hi, I would like to bring up the events of the night of June 3`a, 2020, when State
and City police violen... violently attacked peaceful protesters with teargas. IFR
and I demand that the police recorded video of these events be released
immediately, especially as Council's in talks of handing this investigation off to
a ... uh, an independent firm. We're less interested in what this form says about
those events, um, and we're more interested, um, in the public and our larger
community seeing these ... the way that this night unfolded, um, publicly, and
making sure that everyone, um, is able to view this video. Um, I really think it's
important for accountability, for City Council, uh, and for the police departments
that were involved as well, and as well as the State Patrol, um, that were involved
in that night. It's really important that this video be released and that the public
be able to know what happened on the night of June 3'd, 2020. Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you! And then .... the individual on the phone, will you please an...
announce yourself, first and last name please.
Gary: Hello, my name's Alex Gary. I've lived here for like nine years and now I'm a
student, a senior at Iowa. I'm calling to speak about the bar scene here and how
we can prevent the spread of COVID, with the many students coming back to
town, uh, this upcoming week. This summer at the local bars, the local bars have
done a decent job of maintaining half capacity, but I've noticed that it didn't
always work, even the summer with not our full population coming in, and the
half capacity isn't even really enforced. I noticed that especially this past week
when the first wave of students came back, and most bars were alarmingly
overcrowded. My biggest concern is that once all the students come back to the
campus and the bars will be even more dense... densely populated and the
downtown will be an ideal environment for spreading COVID. I was trying to
think of what we can do to have the best situation for our community and the
options I see are we can do nothing, which would then .... a spike would most
likely occur within the next three months. We could close the bars and our local
economy will suffer and over 10% of people in Iowa City would lose their jobs,
including myself. I'm a bartender as well. Uh, the best solution I could think of
would be to allow an open container law with ... in a set area that we could be
easily monitoring. For example, this could either be the ped mall or Clinton
Street from 10:00 P.M. to 2:00 A.M. on the busiest days — Thursday through
Saturday. The idea I had was to spread the crowd out into an environment that
doesn't promote the spread of COVID, and uh, having air circulation is a key to
(mumbled) COVID infections when in a social scene. And if we keep everyone
in the bars, that's....it's just a terrible environment for that. I think the tables in
the ped mall would be very helpful for keeping people to social distance within
their groups. It's all outside. It's still important to social distance, uh, not to
mention we just had Iowa pass the to -go drink laws and I feel like this would also
coincide well with that so we can get the maximum benefits out of that law,
instead of ..I feel like it's not very used, especially where I work even. Uh, there's
many communities around, like Stillwater, Minnesota. I was thinking of Gill
Street in Memphis, Tennessee, when I first thought of this, and we could look at
those cities to ... as an example to see what problems occurred in their ..in their, uh,
system and also what benefits we could take from them or .... or how we could
organize it. And as a community we need to innovate. We cannot just do nothing
and lie down and quit. We must, the ... the plan I just laid out is not fool proof yet
and it'll take a lot more planning and community effort before, uh, we can really
be successful with it, but I believe it's a start in the ... in the right direction to
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Teague:
Harris:
Teague
Harris:
Teague:
Drustrup
Teague:
Drustrup
suppressing the spread of COVID, while still maintaining a strong local economy.
Uh, thank you guys for listening!
Thank you! And then, um, if you have addressed Council already during this
time, um, unless there's a new person, um, to address Council we ask that ... only
once to address Council during this time. So, Eric, are ... um .... is someone else on
the phone that wants to address Council?
Um, I can address if nobody else wants to say anything, so....
Um, yeah so we ask that people only address Council one per item. So I think
you did already come during the comment section this .... this time around, is that
correct?
That is correct.
All right, but thank you! Um, we're gonna go to David, followed by Florence.
Thank you, Mayor. Can you hear me okay?
Yes!
All right, awesome. Thank you! Thanks for being patient while we navigate all
this public comment stuff. Um, so I've been workin' with Raneem and Ala and
IFR, um, on the policing demands, more specifically, and so I've got a ... just a
couple quick points to bring up. Um, first given, uh, what y'all were talkin' about
during last session, it seems like you're thinking about entering into the idea
gathering stage and talking to public to get some opinion. And, uh, just wanted to
reiterate again that, um, you know, there.... well that was a really important piece
and IFR is fully supportive of...of (mumbled) BIPOC and ... and voices of people
who are not financially secure in those discussions. Um, reiterate that there is
already a large body of literature, thousands of organizers, not just in the country
but across the world that are doing this work and reimagining what community
safety and accountability can look like, both with and without police. So, uh,
there's no need for us to reinvent the wheel. You know, one of the things we sent
to y'all a couple weeks ago the ... the three goals that we have for some short-term
work that we could be doing. Urn, some of that included in that is, uh, a lot of the
thinking and research and studying that we've been doing, as well as experts at
the University, within the community, um, that we've been doing to propose some
models. Um, so when we sent you the email last week, we unfortunately only
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heard from, uh, Councilor Mims responded and we've been in touch with Mayor
Pro Tem as well, um, so we're .... we understand last week was very busy, but uh,
you k now, lookin' forward to hearin' from everyone else so we can ... so we can
find some meetings and talk more about that. Um, you know we've seen you take
progressive stances on important issues, like climate change in the last few years.
I know y'all have put a lot of money towards that. It's very important. We've
seen you take progressive stances on things like the masks in the last few weeks.
And, you know, from listening to you talk, Mayor and Councilors, it seems like
you know you're doing that not just because you believe that's what's best for the
community, but also because you've been listening to, uh, expert opinion and
what research says about these things. Um, that's why you've taken these
progressive stances. So we just ask that you are... are going to be consistent in
your recognition and appreciation for ..for the expert opinions, and we have so
many of them in our backyard, at the University and in the community, uh, folks
within IFR who have been studying this stuff for years, not just the last couple
months, but years. Um, so we just wanna reiterate that we ... we insist that the
BIPOC, uh, feedback and feedback from people of color in the community are
really important, uh, but also we would be limiting ourselves if we stopped
(garbled) um, expert opinions and folks who've been studying this for a long
time. Uh, second quick point about what was talk .... what you talked about in the
work session, um, from the video of June Yd, I just wanna support what Raneem
was just saying, you know, I don't know if it means a lot to IFR and other folks if
the firm comes out and says something, because, you know, we don't know who
is like what the conversations are in selecting that firm. You know, we're not sure
what conversations y'all are havin' behind closed doors. We don't necessarily
have faith that the people selecting that firm are dedicated to Black Lives Matter
issues, uh, but the one thing that seems like a pretty clear answer here is that as a
governing body, City Council, you know, you're looking for community input. If
you allow the public to see that video, I mean that's about as democratic as you
can get. You know, the police used weapons against the public, so it only seems
just if we get to see the video of what happened to us. Um, it doesn't make much
sense to spend so much time and taxpayer money on hiring this outside firm,
when the public is likely able to make these decisions ourselves, um, and there's
really nothing democratic about keeping that video hidden from everyone who
was affected. Um, so thank you very much for your time. We look forward to
hearing y'all, uh.... hearing from y'all soon to try to make these meetings and
discuss, uh, some of the models we're proposing in, uh, collaboration with the
community. So, uh, thank you, everyone!
Teague: Thank you, David. Florence, uh, you can speak to Council at this time.
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Boos: (mumbled) can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Boos: Okay, wonderful. Thank you. First I'd like to say, since I've just listened to
many of my com.... commentators that the points raised by Raneem and David do
seem extraordinarily important and convincing. I'm here, however, to speak to
urge you to cancel this year's bow hunt. There could scarcely be a worse time to
begin a new, untried, controversial, in the view of many — openly foolish and
dangerous venture — within Iowa City limits. Iowa City has promised that a
public meeting and discussion would be held before permission could be granted
for the beginning of this hunting season. We still need this meeting. You've also
agreed to circulate information on how to minimize human/deer conflict. This
wouldn't be expensive, and such information is readily available. For example,
Iowa City Deer Friends have provided it. Both of these initiatives would help
citizens become better informed on an issue which might seriously impact them.
And as the past political year has shown, we need more shared discussion, and on
such an important issue (mumbled) and foresight are needed. I urge you to read
carefully the list sent to the Council of suggested necessary regulations for a bow
hunt, proposed by Laurie Crawford, a lawyer with previous experience with urban
bow hunts. She has just spoken to you; however, when you see something written
down, the details (mumbled) clearer. It would be a major and expensive task for
the City to monitor violation of permit, wounded deer retrieval, landlord and
adjacent property permission reforms (mumbled) labeling, and the otherwise
(mumbled) required to prevent damage in either legal action. Even with fewer
permitted hours, a shortened hunting season and the prohibition of bow hunting
by non -Johnson County residents (mumbled) be poaching and human (mumbled)
citizen conflict. A major issue is the (mumbled) property adjacent to public land
for the proposed hunt. (mumbled) public lands are widely needed for recreation
and escape when other outlets are limited. A very important special case is the
cemetery. I'm aghast that slaughtering deer is permitted near what should be
sacrosanct ground. Like many, I visit the cemetery often because a loved one is
buried there. It is surely a violation of everything that a cemetery represents, to
rip their carcasses, blood, and body parts to deface its monuments and green space
and the spirit of remembrance it embodies. (mumbled) the University
community, I'm daily aware of how many problems the University staff, faculty,
and potential thousands of incoming students are facing, as we enter what may
well be a period of adjustment, disruption, and potential disease, disappointment,
and internal conflict. No disturbance of normal University life on this scale has
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Teague:
Harris:
Teague:
Harris:
occurred during the past 70 years, since the shutdowns of the late 1960s. This
will be a difficult fall at best, and we need to concentrate on making sure that our
most essential goals can be fulfilled safely, and harmoniously. (mumbled) Iowa
City has the opportunity to take its own course as it rightly has in other context.
Bow hunting is at best a cruel and counterproductive intrusion. It won't limit
human/deer conflicts. It cuts at the heart of what our city should be. I urge you to
use your authority to heed this year's many warning signals and to draw back
from mandating a 2020 bow hunt. Thank you very much.
Thank you. Thank you, Florence. Would anyone else like to address Council?
On any item that is not on, um, the ... um, agendas and who haven't already
addressed Council? Um, I do see Florence hand still raise and Eric hand still
raised. I'm not sure if there's a new person that wants to address Council or not.
Eric, is there .... is there a new person that wants to address Council?
I wanna address still so...
Okay. (both talking)
Um, I wanna address the Iowa Freedom Riders. I mean that's my big thing right
now. Uh, I have a problem with those guys and the South District Neighborhood
Association has a problem with those guys, because (both talking)
Teague: Eric (both talking, garbled) Eric, um, I ... as much as, um, I ... I ... we only have
people address Council once and I know in the past I've kinda been a little lenient
with that. On each item I'm trying to definitely allow everybody an opportunity
to speak and we keep it to five minutes. What I would encourage you to do is
certainly reach out to, um .... our Councilors, and there are more agenda items
comin' up that is related to Black Lives Matter, um, if you wanted to,um, if that's
of interest for you.
Harris: Yes (garbled)
Teague: (both talking) ...that you can address Council.
Harris: That's what I'm speakin' about, um, Black Lives Matter and I'm one of the black
lives. So ... (both talking)
Teague: Yeah, so ... (both talking)
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Harris: ....and they don't include black lives, it kinda up ... like upsets people. You know?
(both talking, garbled) They don't come to the South District neighborhood.
They don't come around. They don't come to these neighborhoods, where all the
black people are at! They say Black Lives Matter! They don't come to those,
these neighborhoods that (mumbled) things is goin' on, shootings, and police
coming through with armored vehicles. They don't address those things! And it's
kinda gettin' upsettin' to me. It's kinda really bad, you know, it's kinda messed
up! They don't come to our neighborhoods and talk to us, you know, and then
it ... you know, 2020 been a .... a really bad year, you know, with the pandemic, with
things goin' on. (garbled) invite the Iowa Freedom Riders and come and protest
or change things in the neighborhoods that need to be changed. So .... that's my
only thing, and thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Eric. Okay. All right! Um .... seein' no one else from the public that
would like to address Council at this time, we are going to close public comment.
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10.
Teague:
Wetherby Park CDBG Trail Improvements — Resolution approving project
manual and estimate of cost for the construction of the Wetherby Park
CDBG Trail Improvements Project, establishing amount of bid security to
accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to bidders, and
fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
I'm gonna open up the public hearing. All right, and staff! Juli!
Seydell-Johnson: Mayor, this is Juli. Sorry, my phone is about to die so let me get this in
quickly. Um, this is a project requested by the South Disti... South District
Neighborhood Association to pave the existing trail that's at Wetherby Park. So
it's a gravel trail at this point. Paving it will make it more of a year-round use.
Um, this is separate from the project that is taking place right now, which is the
replacement of the shelter, restrooms, and playground at the area. Um, this'll be
an additional project, and it is paid for by CDBG funds. So we're excited to get
to provide this to this neighborhood.
Teague: Great! All right, any questions for Juli before her phone dies? Seein' none from
Council, would .... would anyone from the public like to address this topic?
Hearin' and seein' no one, um, I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get
a motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Bergus: Second, Bergus (several talking)
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Weiner (laughs) No, you didn't, it wasn't you?
Weiner: I was (garbled) but I think Laura ... I think Laura, uh, Laura got in there.
Teague: All right! We're gonna give a seconded to Bergus! All right! Um .... Council
discussion?
Weiner: I like the fact that this came ... that this is an idea that came from the neighborhood,
and I love that it's ... and one of my questions is going to be how is it being paid for
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and, uh, and Juli answered that — from CDBG funds. So both of those are great,
uh, are ... are great answers and it will make it more accessible year-round.
Bergus: This is one of my neighborhood parks, so I'm really excited to see that trail
paved. I walk it often and I think that'll be a great improvement. Um, I did just
wanna throw out the possibility of putting up a sign indicating that that was the
work that was going to happen there. I think we've had a few things lately where
there've been, um, changes to the parks where, you know, people haven't been
aware at the time of what's happening, and I think Juli referenced in our work
session that Fair Meadows Park splash pad, um, question, you k now, like what
was happening with the construction when it was just the power being out. So
just to throw out there if there's some kind of simple signage of, hey, this is the
improvement that's happening here.....might be good!
Seydell-Johnson: This is Juli, and I'll weigh in on that for just a second. We do put ... we do put
parks in progress signs at each of these parks. Um, and if you go to our web page,
under parks projects, we have updates on each project and what's happening, um,
so that people can find out from that resource what's going on.
Teague: All right, hearin' no further discussion.... roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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11. Melrose Avenue/IWV Road — Highway 218 to Hebl Avenue Improvements —
Resolution authorizing the acquisition of property interests necessary for
construction of the Melrose Avenue/IWV Road — Highway 218 to Hebl
Avenue Improvements Project.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm gonna open up the public hearing. And .... do we have a staff presentation on
this?
Havel: Good evening, Mayor and Council. Jason Havel, City Engineer. I'll just give you
a brief background on the project and this item. Just as a reminder this project
will reconstruct IWV Road and Melrose Avenue, basically from the Highway 218
southbound ramps, west to Hebl Avenue, which is access to the City's landfill.
Um, this will remain a rural section, with ditches, uh, and will also include water
main extension out to the landfill so that will be on City water out at the landfill.
Because the adjacent properties are ag land, there's a little bit of...little bit
different process that we have to go through, which includes notification of the
property owners and then this public hearing. So we're following that process,
um, in ... in general what it does is, uh, again, allow us to proceed with that process
and in general for this project what we'd be looking at would be essentially some
additional right-of-way and construction easements along the entire corridor,
because we are adding, uh, paved shoulders on the project. It'll actually result in
a little wider cross section, so we'll have to widen the right-of-way in order to
account for those, uh, that wider paved section and the ditches that go along with
that. So, as we move forward, um, this will allow us to work with the property
owners to discuss the specifics and ... and work towards making those offers for
obtaining those property rights and I think that covers it and happy to answer any
questions!
Taylor: Jason, this is Pauline. I think this is a great project to see, cause that's really, uh, a
highly traveled route over to the landfill, uh, and on those lines, during
construction is it going to cause any, uh, disruption in, uh, access to the landfill?
Havel: We're still workin' through those details. We actually had a meeting on that
today. Um, so we're still kinda working on what that final plan's gonna look like,
uh, the ... the landfill will remain open, so we're gonna have to figure out how best
to do that. I think in all likelihood we'll have some specific closures during
specific times to try and limit the impacts to landfill traffic, but we'll, uh, likely
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have to have some closures just in order to get through the construction, but we'll
try and minimize that as best we can.
Taylor: Thank you, Jason!
Teague: Would anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so please raise your
hand. Seein' no one I'm going to close the public hearing. And then could I get a
motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Taylor: Taylor, so moved!
Weiner: Second, Weiner.
Teague: Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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13. Prohibition on Feeding Deer — Ordinance amending Title 8, entitled "Police
Regulations," Chapter 4, entitled "Animal Services," to prohibit feeding of
deer. (First Consideration)
Teague: Could I get a motion please?
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Bergus: Seconded, Bergus.
Teague: All right! I know, um, is ... anyone from staff ..would like to address this topic?
Dulek: Uh, hi, this is Sue Dulek, uh, with the City Attorney's office. Uh, the long-term
deer management plan that Council passed about a year ago now, uh, included a
provision that Council would consider a prohibition on feeding deer. And so this
ordinance just fulfills, uh, that resolution. So it's on the agenda for consideration.
In looking at what other communities were doing in Iowa and around the country,
uh, didn't want to reinvent the wheel, and so saw some typical things, such as the
exceptions you often .... that are in this ordinance are often, um, seen in other
ordinances, as well as, uh, the five-foot, uh, requirement that, uh... the, um .... uh,
the food have to be up off the ground, uh, by five feet. Um .... and looking at what
both the Iowa State University's extension office's as well as other wildlife
experts, uh, they do recommend against it. I'm certainly not a deer expert. I'm...
put this on the agenda, um, because the resolution required, uh, consideration of
it. I think it's a simple ordinance in the sense that you can't place or permit to be
placed or maintain the, uh, food for the deer where it can be reasonably expected
to result in feeding the deer. Um ... staff with any ordinance works with educating,
uh, homeowners and ... and renters, um, 95% -plus of the time, if there's a violation
that's seen by staff, uh, notices of violation go out and there's education. Uh, if
anyone sees this as an opportunity to start handing out tickets tomorrow, by any
stretch, um, it's just a ... another tool for .... for deer management and for Council's
consideration. I certainly can answer any questions that ... that Council has.
Bergus: I just had a question about enforcement, Sue, as you were just talking to education
kind of being the ... the primary, maybe the first layer of that, um, I ... I think the...
that a simple citation is, the ... what the, uh, implication of violating this if we were
to enforce it, is that ... is that right?
Dulek: Right, it's not a simple misdemeanor, it's not a crime. It's just done civilly, with a
civil ticket, um, the person has the opportunity to go in front of a ... the magistrate,
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um, City has to prove its case, and if the City does, uh, the person could
be .... there's a civil penalty and court costs, plus we would ask an order from the
court to .... for the person to, you know, continue to obey the order. It's ... it's not a
crime.
Salih: This just like when somebody report somebody? Or how this....
Dulek: Well, most likely, uh, as these things go, it will be a neighbor reporting on a
neighbor, or urn ... and staff'll go out and observe, uh, the yard. You can't go onto
the yard. It would ... have to observe it from the public right-of-way or from a
neighboring property that had permission, and if there was, uh.... uh, a violation or
a perceived violation, and notice will be provided. Uh, an opportunity to talk with
staff about this and to try to come into compliance. That's... that's the whole point
is just coming in compliance, not ... not (both talking)
Salih: You mean ... do you mean that the, like the.... the.... the staff should ... like seen the
action, have to see the action? Or you mean .... I don't know, how you can get the
evidence.
Dulek: That.... that'll be difficult but the ... the, uh.... the ordinance says you cannot place,
you cannot permit to be placed or you cannot maintain, and so if you observed,
uh, food such as apples or a salt lick or something of that nature, uh, less than
seven feet ... or less than five feet off the ground that wasn't screened, and you
came to the conclusion that it could be reasonably expected to result in feeding
deer, that ... that's the decision you would have to make and then the owner or the
tenant could say that's not true, and then the magistrate would have to sort it all
out.
Salih: Okay.
Teague: Thank you, Sue!
Salih: Thank you!
Teague: Yes! All right! Um, if anyone from the public would like to address Council, we
ask that you keep your comments to five min ... three to five minutes, and you can
raise your hand and I will call on you, and I see Florence, uh, hello, Florence,
welcome, and then Florence followed by Laurie.
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Boos:
Teague:
Crawford
Dulek:
Crawford:
Teague:
I apologize, Bruce. I .... I keep trying to lower my hand. I have already spoken on
the topic I wanted to speak on. Thanks!
Thank you. Laurie? Welcome, Laurie!
Sorry! Um ... this question might be for Sue. I apologize I did not look at this
ordinance. Do you talk about intentional feeding of deer, Sue, in this ordinance?
Do you use that word intentional?
!4
Okay. When we did this before we used the word intentional, because little old
ladies putting out bird feeders, um, deer might come around. I ... I'm completely in
support of a feeding ban. But I think that, if you guys could be .... well course
you've already gone down this route. I was gonna ask if I could submit some
language.
I ... I, it does say intentional feeding.
Crawford: Does it? Okay. Cause that's what .... and you need to also consider like little old
ladies who can't reach five feet in the air, but I think, um, anyway, just .... just a
thought, but I'm glad intentional is in there, um, but just a thought on that, Sue.
Dulek: Sorry, I misunderstood!
Crawford: That's okay! I just, um, I think five feet is right. I just don't know ...what do you
do about the little old lady who ... who can't reach five feet. Just a thought!
Teague: Thank you, Laurie.
Crawford: Sure! Thank you!
Teague: Anyone else like to address Council? Seein' no one, Council discussion?
Salih: Just speakin' about the five feet, I think, uh, you know, this is could be like special
consideration by the whoever make a decision, uh, because this not going to
happen all the time, but if it happen, I hope we give it special consideration.
Dulek: Staff always has the discretion.
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Teague: All right, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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14. Authorizing Expenditures for Iowa City Emergency Housing Programs
Administered by Shelter House and CommUnity Crisis Center — Resolution
authorizing the City Manager to provide additional funding for the City's
local emergency housing programs administered by the Shelter House and
CommUnity Crisis Services.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Weiner: So moved.
Salih: (mumbled)
Teague: All right, I'm going to give that to Weiner (laughs) and I'll give it to, uh, Mayor
Pro Tem, second. All right! And .... is there, uh, any staff presentation on this. I
know Geoff addressed this, uh, with Council .... um.....
Fruin: Yeah, just real briefly, Mayor, as a reminder for Council and for the public, um,
this is a ... a resolution, uh, that gives me some additional spending authority to
replenish two of our emergency housing programs that we have right now, one
being administered by the Shelter House and the other, uh, through CommUnity
Crisis Services. Um, the ... the, uh, root of this was our work session discussions
from previous meetings in which we, uh, acknowledged that with the COVID
situation, there could be some significant housing crises within the next few
months, uh, that .... that come at us pretty fast, and so we wanted to be pretty
responsive with how we can respond to that crisis and we didn't necessarily
warm have to wait for additional City Council meetings to ... to get that
authorization for funding. So, um, this does give me the authority to replenish
these two programs at a rate of one and a half times the original amount. Uh, for
the security, uh, deposit program, that would be an additional $112,500 and for
the, um, Shelter House program that would be an additional $75,000. So as I
mentioned to Council in the work session, I wouldn't necessarily provide all those
fundings at once. The funding would be released by me incrementally, um, as a
need arises, and uh, we would work with these two providers to make sure that,
uh... urn .... uh.... uh, that the....that the program rules are .... are gonna continue to
meet the needs of the community, as we've done in the past, uh, past few months
here. So, um, I wanna thank the Shelter House and ... and uh, CommUnity for the
work they're doing on our behalf, um, and uh, we think the programs have been
successful, and we.....we think we're really gonna have to rely on them further
this fall. So, uh, I'll answer any questions if Council has any.
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Teague: So I think the only thing I'll say is I am so appreciative to us, uh, takin' this, um,
time to really think about bein' proactive and not kinda waitin', um, in the ... in the
rear end. One thing I will say, and I ... absolutely appreciate the Shelter House and,
uh, CommUnity, for doin' these programs for the City. Um .... the ..... we, one of
the things when we're talkin' about individuals that are, uh, within our community
that are in this type of need, uh, less fortunate, uh, money is funny and they don't
have enough. Um, we do need to have a serious conversation, uh, with, um, these
two entities just to see how can we continue to identify barriers and be supportive
to them, uh, to ensure that they're processing, um, applications as quickly as
possible and that it's not bein' so, urn .... um, we make it easy as ... as possible for
those that are seekin' funding. So at least I wanted to, one, say it loud and clear—
thanks to the Shelter House, thanks to CommUnity Crisis Center, because this is a
service that our residents are benefid... are benefited from, and um, and I know
that we're not talkin' about the mechanics of the ... of the program, just, uh, talkin'
about more, uh, funds that will be readily available, which I'm happy about, um, I
do continue to want to at least talk about how can we make, um, the program, uh,
a little more, um, easily accessible, and um, and that's somethin' that of course we
can, uh, talk to, um, our staff can talk, um, I can talk to our staff about it a little
more in-depth, but I at least wanted to, you know, weigh in and say thanks to, uh,
Shelter House, which I probably coulda waited until the end to give my
comments, um, durin' Council discussion. All right, is there anyone from the
public who would like to address Council? If so, please raise your hand and I see
Crissy Canganelli.....and then Sara Barron.
Canganelli: Thank you, Mayor. On ... on behalf of...on behalf of Shelter House we greatly
appreciate your faith and confidence, and the Council's faith and confidence in
our ability to administer these funds, and I give you full assurance that we, in
every way, attempt to reduce barriers and ensure rapidity of response, a rapid
response. We have quite a number of years, as you all know, in providing rent
assistance, and shifting and changing to respond in this time of, uh, the COVID
response period, and to address different cohorts of our population. Uh, with the
added requirements of each contract that we have, we take that seriously, and
again I want to give you full assurance that we have in every way make it a
priority to reduce barriers, address gaps, and ensure that there is a transparent
process, people understand the requirements, and that we are responding and
getting the funds to households in need rapidly. Uh, we have been able to work
very closely with City staff and I appreciate your comments that we would
continue to work with City staff (mumbled) things to be, urn.... essentially
challenged and litigated in the public forum of a City Council meeting. It does
not allow for the full breadth of the conversation and ... and frankly you all don't
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have the nuances and the details of what we do every day, and it cannot be sorted
out in the context of a Council meeting. So I greatly appreciate your support and
confidence. Thank you.
Teague: Great, thank you, Crissy! Sara Barron!
Barron: Hi, Council, thanks for taking my comment. Um, I think I wanna mostly echo
what Crissy said, um, to assure you that our non-profit partners continue to work
extremely hard to provide assistance to families in need right now. Um, the
biggest thing that we need from you all is to continue to prioritize funding, um,
for both housing crisis that have emerged recently, for the existing housing crisis
from before COVID, um, and to look longer term at how we can come up with
some more permanent solutions for housing. Um, looking ahead as you're doing,
um, with this resolution tonight is a great step forward in providing more stability
to our families and we want you to know from the Coalition that we deeply
appreciate your continued focus on, um, individuals and being able to stay safely
housed through the pandemic and beyond. Um, I ... I will echo what Crissy said
also to assure you that, um, we will all continue to work on supporting each other
and providing these services in the very best way we can, um, and to continue for
the Johnson County community to be a leader, um, in responding to housing
needs in Iowa. Thanks very much!
Teague: Anyone else like to address Council? Thank you, Sara! Seein' no one.... Council
discussion?
Salih: I just would like to ask Geoff where the money coming from?
Fruin: Um, so, um, with...with just about any expense, we're always going to go to the
budget authority we have first, and if we exceed that budget authority, uh, then in
this case we would ... we would likely go to the emergency reserve or unallocated
general fund reserves. I would ... I would consult with our Finance Director
and ... on how best to fund that, but it wouldn't take away from, uh, any other
budgeted item. So in this case, um, we would use, uh... uh, existing funds, uh, in
the affordable housing fund and then as additional funds are needed from .... by the
City Council then we would go into the unallocated, uh, reserves, or again the
emergency reserves, uh, of the City.
Salih: You know I really just think that, you know, we allocated the affordable housing
fund for affordable housing, and this money has been allocated to .... affordable
housing crisis. We been saving money to do like affordable housing for the
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people who are ... who need it. And we been saving money over there for land
banking or .... or for, each time (mumbled) money, for any item that belong to
affordable housing. I just (mumbled) really weird that whenever we have another
crisis, and this ... this money has been allocated for the people who are being facing
the crisis now too. Uh, just because they are the same people who need affordable
housing and they are the same people now facing another crisis, we went to take
from the money that we (garbled) allocated for them, for affordable housing,
and ... and give it to them and say, sorry, you get to wait more because we gonna
use the same money that we been saving for you to do affordable housing because
you guys keep getting crisis and now you have this crisis we gonna use the same,
from the same (garbled) money. I ... I just think that we need ... this is new, like
the ... new crisis happen and we have ... and it is crisis, then we have money that has
been allocated for crisis, which is emergency reserve. And (laughs) I think 2020
to me I just wanna throw out this year and start all over, and just I don't want
2020, if we can do that. We have all the crisis ever, like, uh, being Mayor and
Mayor Pro Tem, we get all the crisis in one year and the first six months, we been
seeing all this. (garbled) I just think that ... this is a crisis. We need to take from
the money for the crisis, or if we don't have like enough money in the general
fund. But please, don't take from the pot that the ... we have it there, save it, for
affordable housing, because those the same people that we wanna build affordable
housing for them. I just want you to (both talking) please, and just take the fund
from somewhere else, and I encourage the Council to support me on this please.
Fruin: I ... I appreciate exactly where you're coming from, Mayor Pro Tem, and I'm not a
voting member of the Council, but I do second the motion on a do -over for 2020,
uh, before that leaves my mind (laughs) uh, but let me address that ... let me
address the funding question real quick. Um, you k now for example, uh, earlier
today in your agenda you approved the $500,000 distribution from the affordable
housing fund. So that ... that means we have $500,000 left for this fiscal year, in a
very simplistic view of it. Um, remember, uh, 50,000 of that is set aside for
emergency purposes, undefined emergency purposes. So we're gonna use that
50,000 to plug this emergency, um, right now, and ... and then if more's needed,
and this is why this resolution's here, if more is needed I can go back in, uh, to ... to
other pots and get that. Uh, the same ... in the same funding distribution we have
for the affordable housing, uh, program, uh, for the affordable housing fund, we
have money set aside for that security deposit program, okay? So that first found
of 70,000 was last fiscal year. We haven't distributed the Community 70,000
again this year. So we would use that first because it's budgeted specifically for
that program. So really what we're talking about is a .... is a remaining few dollars
you have. You have $75,000 that are set aside for opportunity funds. If you
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remember your opportunity funds (mumbled) are for, um, unanticipated
opportunities or challenges throughout the year that Council has to, uh, the
discretion to fund. So, uh, for example we use those for the houses Into Homes
contribution last year. Well this year we ... I would, what I'm saying is I would use
those ... this is kinda of a .... a, uh, unanticipated challenge. So we would use those
$75,000 first, um, and uh... and then, again, you know, the 225,000 between these
next two items, if we fully expend all those dollars, we're likely going to be into
the general fund reserves or emergency reserve at that time. But I'm trying to
follow the intent of the funding formula that Council has ... has authorized already,
which includes unanticipated challenges and emergent situations. I fully expect
that, you k now, next February if we have a ... another challenge that comes our
way, uh, say in the, uh, a dislocation of residents from an apartment building,
that ... that has been bought and is being flipped, um, I ... I know that you all would
come through like you have in the past for funding for that. Uh, so it doesn't
prevent us from.—firom dipping into those reserves for further emergencies going
forward, uh, but it is a lot cleaner, uh, in my mind to use the funds with the budget
authority we have and then go into the reserves as a .... as kind of a last resort.
Salih: You mean you are not using it ... you using the ... the fund the $50,000 for
emergency.
Fruin: Yeah, so ... yeah, 5% of your million dollar allocation is .... is set aside for
emergencies every year. So that 50,000 would be kind of first to go in these... for
the Shelter House program, for example. Uh, the CommUnity program, um ... uh,
is already funded at 70,000. So we have $70,000 set aside, waiting for that ... that
program, urn ... uh, already. Um, so, yes, we're.....we're using those ... (both
talking)
Salih: We are not using the (both talking) We are not using the land banking money or
anything like that, but because I was ... during our meeting was, uh, the Mayor,
Mayor Pro Tem meeting, that what I understood.
Fruin: Yeah, so ... so we're no longer.... we're no longer, our funding formula no longer
contributes, uh, annual dollars to land banking, uh, but we do have a reserve from
previous (both talking)
Salih: Yes!
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Fruin: ...contributions, and uh, we're actively negotiating with one property owner right
now. So we're setting aside those land banking funds and hopefully to continue
to acquire property.
Salih: That what my understanding is, we ... that could come from the land banking
money, and I just thought this is not supposed to.
Fruin: No, we're .... we're holding the land banking money with .... with the intent of
continuing to acquire property, but um, we are not actively building that reserve
right now. So the money we have for land banking is what we're working with.
Salih: Then I'm good.
Teague: Any other Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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15. Authorizing expenditures for the Center for Worker Justice Emergency
Relief Program — Resolution authorizing the City Manager to provide
additional funding for the Center for Worker Justice's emergency relief
program.
Teague: Uh, because Mayor Pro Tem, this is an item that she's going, uh, she's the Interim,
uh, Executive Director for, she's gonna leave us and then we'll call her back on
once we're done. Could I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So approved, Mims.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: All right. Staff's presentation on this?
Fruin: Yeah, uh, same exact scenario. We just split the item out to allow for two separate
votes. Um, but this is, uh, additional spending authority for me to contribute
another 37,500 if needed for the, uh, Center for Worker Justice program
that .... that you, uh, I've already contributed $25,000 to. So same basic principle.
If they deplete their funds and request more, we'll ... we'll look at the, uh, we'll
look at how they've used the funds, just like we did the other two, to make sure
they're following our ...our program rules and meeting expectations, and
assuming all, uh, looks good then we're going to fund them incrementally, uh,
again up to $37,500.
Teague: All right. Uh, would anyone, uh, have any questions for Geoff? Would anyone
from the public like to address Council? If so please raise your hand, and if
you're on the phone press *9 to raise your hand. Seein' no one, Council
discussion? I will just mention that I think, um, again, just like the Shelter House
and the CommUnity Crisis Center, uh, the Center for Worker Justice, uh,
emergency relief program, these are great programs within our community, and
um, I want .... the one thing I did just wanna make sure is that the ... the, urn ... every
staff that is involved with this really do hear my personal appreciation for the
work that they do. So, um, any of my comments prior is not, um, to ... uh, to really
bring any negativity, but just to really offer, um, an open door between any of the
entities and the City to work together, do what we can, um, because I think right
now our Council is really dedicated to, um, bein' really innovative and ... and
decreasin' those barriers and I appreciated Crissy Canganelli's comments that
really did just address, um, their commitment, which I was very appreciative for,
um, so that'll be my last, uh, that'll be my comments that I just wanted to share
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right now. Hearing nothing else, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0. (several
talking)
Dulek: 6-0.
Teague: Oh! Uh, 6-0, Mayor Pro Tem abstaining. (laughs) And we are waitin' for Mayor
Pro Tem before we start number, um .... 16.
Fruehling: I just texted her, so it might be....
Teague: Great!
Fruehling: ....a second.
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16. Black Lives Matter movement mural — Resolution approving Public Art
Advisory Committee recommendation to proceed with the process of creating
a Black Lives Matter movement art installation.
Teague: Can I get a motion to approve?
Salih: Move.
Taylor: (mumbled) Taylor, second.
Teague: All right, uh, moved by Salih, seconded by Taylor. And staff presentation.
Welcome, Wendy! And you're on mute!
Ford: Okay, is that better?
Teague: Yes!
Ford: Good! Um, good evening, I'm Wendy Ford, the Economic Development
Coordinator, and also a staff liaison to the Public Art Advisory Committee, along
with Marcia Bollinger. The Iowa City Public Art Advisory Committee is
forwarding their recommendation to approve proceeding with the process of
creating a Black Lives Matter movement art installation. The purpose of the
mural is to serve as a reminder, and also a representation of the community's
commitment to social justice. The creation of the ... of the mural is being
coordinated by Public Space One and the Center for Afro Futurist Studies, which
for obvious reasons I'm going to refer to as CAS. Um, and it's expected to
encompass the two five -story stair towers of the parking ramp that faces
Burlington Street, just to the west of Clinton Street. The project process was
outlined and presented to the, uh, Public Art Advisory Committee earlier this
month and the committee voted to forward a recommendation to you, to proceed
with the process of the creation of the work. That outline of the process was
included in your packet. In short, it talks about Antwan Williams and Dome K.
Hayes, artists working with CAS will work, uh, will work with the local black,
uh, community and organizations in creating and implementing the design of the
mural. Plans for the project include a comprehensive process that will result in
the creation of the mural, but also provide fellowships to black artists, local black
artists, a film documentation of the project and the process, and then interviews
and conversations around the project, and um, finally the release of a
documentary and a celebration in the spring of, uh, 2021. Spring or summer
of. ... of 2021. This past spring the Public Art Advisory Committee evaluated
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priority loc.... locations for public art installations, which included the Capitol
Street parking ramp. At their meeting on June 4" , the PARC, Public Art Advisory
Committee, determined the location to be ideal for an art installation and
sub... subsequently agreed that the project should honor the Black Lives Matter
movement by providing this reminder and representation of the community's
commitment to social justice. Funding for the $42,500 project has been provided,
uh, through the Iowa City, um, public art program and the University of Iowa.
$30,000 will come from the FY20 public art program funds and 12,500 from the
University of Iowa. The creation of the mural is expected to begin in early
September and was initially thought to be able to be completed by the end of
October, this year; however, as coordinators looked more closely at the schedule,
they felt an October completion, they would not allow for the community input
that they desire and they now plan to extend the process and complete the project
in the spring of next year. So after your approval of the process, and before the
work begins, the City will enter into an agreement with Public Space One and
CAS, and the agreement will spell out, um, the schedule, including dates for
review and approval of the project process, satisfactory proge... uh, sorry, progress
of the project, communication and coordination with the City throughout the
process, a timeline for distribution of the funds, a date for completion of the
mural, and the responsibility for three years of maintenance of the mural, after its
installation. So the Public Art Advisory Committee respectfully requests your
approval of the process of creating a Black Lives mural, uh, Black Lives
movement mural. Thank you!
Teague: Any questions for Wendy? All right! Would anyone from the public like to
address this topic? If so, please raise your hand, and if you're on the phone press
*9. Seeing no one, Council discussion?
Mims: I'm just excited to see this moving forward, uh, looks like a great project with,
um, lot of good participation. Um, little disappointed that it's going to take
longer, but that's fine. We need to .... do warm get the public input and get
participation. So, that's great! Uh, look forward to seeing it!
Thomas: Just have a couple of comments. I think, one, you know, we're approving a
process here and I'm very pleased with the process. It's integrating with the Iowa
City community in a number of different ways. Oftentimes public art can be, uh,
described as plop art, p -1 -o -p, uh, in the sense that it sometimes seems to just drop
into a, its context without that kind of consideration. So, um .... really
happy to see how the process is being laid out and ... and also would wanna say
that, um, improving, you know, the facade of the, uh, parking ramp, I think, along
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Burlington Street, uh, will certainly help the, you know, the aesthetic character of
Burlington Street, um, at least it'll be a nice, strong step forward in that regard.
So, um, I think this should be a very successful and, um .... appreciated project in
the downtown.
Taylor: A few years back I .... I visited Philadelphia and I was impressed to hear that they
had actually a mural committee, and ... every building you looked at downtown had
murals painted on them and it was just really, uh, exciting to see that, and I
thought that'd be great if we could have something like that, and so now you
know what better time, uh, to express, um, the Black Lives Matter movement
and ... and as John had mentioned, what a .... what a perfect tapestry for it. I mean
that cold, uh.... concrete look of...of those towers has been there forever, and
that's a ... that's a major entrance into town and it ... it'll just be really a nice addition
and I think it's a perfect location and well-suited to something to, uh, emphasize
the Black Lives Matter.
Teague: All right, uh, yeah (several talking, garbled) Oh! Go right ahead!
Weiner: All right. If I recall the committee meeting, they also intend to ... to involve, uh,
young artists from ... from Iowa City, from the black community, and that's... that's
a real positive, and I think it'll be a really nice counterpoint opposite the Music
Building.
Teague: I concur! I concur! All right, any other comments?
Fruin: Uh, Mayor, if I may, uh, real quick. Typically I sign off on the ... on the public art
agreements, um ... at this level the funding. Is the Council comfortable with me
executing that agreement with the artists or do you wanna see that agreement at
a ... at a public meeting?
Mims: I'm comfortable.
Teague: What is the amount (several talking)
Fruin: Our contribution will be $30,000.
Teague: Yep. Yeah, I'm .... I'm comfortable with that amount.
Taylor: I'm okay with that (several responding)
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Frain: Okay! Thank you.
Teague: All right! Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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17. BIPOC and Immigrant grants — Resolution authorizing the Mayor to sign
and the City Cleric to attest an Agreement with ThinkIowaCity to contribute
$25,000 in funding to assist Iowa City BIPOC and Immigrant -Owned
Businesses impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic.
Teague: Can I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So moved.
Salih: Second!
Teague: All right! Staff presentation!
Ford: Hi again, Council. Wendy Ford, Economic Development Coordinator. The Better
Together project has requested $25,000 from the City of Iowa City to better
respond to the need from the Iowa City businesses owned by black, indigenous,
people of color, and irrunigrants. The recipient of the funds and the party to the
agreement with the City will be ThinkIowaCity, which many of you know is
the ... the newer brand name of the Convention and Visitors Bureau.
Better... Project Better Together initiated a fund for assisting BIPOC and
immigrant -owned businesses through the Holding Our Own program and found
that the need exceeded the funding that they had. In a survey they took, 33 Iowa
City BIPOC and immigrant -owned businesses indicated a need for more than
$160,000 to keep their businesses going. Of the 33 businesses, 15 had not
received any other type of relief funding such as PPP. There were a total of 50
respondents to the survey of which 66% were from Iowa City, 22% from
Coralville, and 12% from North Liberty. The need is great and indicated a total
funding request of almost a quarter of a million dollars, with an average applicant
request of almost $5,000. And this need can be backed up. I don't think I'll go
through it. You've probably had time to read it, but through, uh, national studies
there has, uh, it's been shown that there've been a .... there's been a significant
impact on, um, BIPOC and immigrant -owned businesses across the nation. Iowa
City and our area is no different, and ... and part of that reason is, um, the ... that the
funding is not, has not been as available to, uh, BIPOC and immigrant -owned
businesses, and frankly a lot of the customers of BIPOC and immigrant -owned
businesses are also struggling themselves, many of whom are BIPOC and
immigrants themselves. So in part due to systemic racism, BIPOC and
immigrant -owned businesses are less likely to have that financial cushion and less
likely to be able to secure conventional financing in times of need. Um, and that
is why, um, that is why the City of Iowa City has been asked to step up and
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provide this $25,000 in funding through ThinkIowaCity for BIPOC business
grants. That's about the extent of my comments.
Teague: Great!
Ford: If you have any questions.
Teague: Any questions for Wendy? Thank you, Wendy. Is there anyone from the public
that would like to address this topic? If so, please raise your hand .... and I'll call
on you, and if you're on the phone, press *9. Seein' no one, Council discussion?
Thomas: I'm gonna be in support of this, and I ... I think it's an example of a program, uh,
you know, that's being driven by COVID-19, but I ... I do see this one as perhaps
one that may have long-term opportunities. Uh, I don't see these challenges
going away with COVID-19. Uh, I think, you know, cities often have programs
where they try to identify funding, uh, for the needs of the BIPOC community,
kind of as a matter of course. So, um .... this .... this may be something that could
evolve into a long-term program.
Teague: I think it's a great program, and I think it will be, uh, beneficial to those that are
awarded, so ... uh, thanks to ThinklowaCity and everyone that's involved with this,
uh, move. Hearing no more comments, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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18. Truth and Reconciliation Commission — Resolution establishing Ad Hoc
Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So moved (both talking)
Bergus: So moved.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by....
Mims: I think Bergus.
Teague: I heard but I didn't see whose mouth moved (laughs)
Mims: I think we kinda over ran each other (laughs)
Teague: All right, seconded by Bergus. Great! Um ... uh, any presentation on this?
Bergus: Yeah, Mayor, uh, I think Councilor Weiner and I can kind of frame this up a little
bit. Uh, this is of course one of the maybe larger items for our six.... deriving
from our 17 -point resolution that was adopted on June 16", uh, in support of the
Black Lives Matter movement, and in response in part to the protests that were
occurring in our community at that time. Um, the formation of a Truth and
Reconciliation Commission will be a, uh, concerted effort that we hope will have
broad participation from the community to help bring forward the truth of the
experiences of racism in our community and use what we learn, uh, from those
experiences to help move towards healing and reconciliation. And so in our initial
item in our 17 -point resolution we laid out some of what we hope that this
commission would do. Um, you know, there were some specifics in there,
including for example the naming of public spaces and being involved in that
process. What's before you tonight is a draft of a resolution for our discussion
and consideration. Uh, Councilor Weiner and I have had numerous conversations
and meetings with members of the black community, in Iowa City in particular.
Uh, we met with the Iowa Freedom Riders, with the South District Neighborhood
Association. Um, Janice spoke this week also about the proposed resolution with
the Black Voices Project at their meeting, and so we've just tried to have a
number of conversations concertedly surrounding the formation of this
commission, and just very broadly, our intent in .... in presenting it in the way that
it is, was to ... honor what we've discussed before about making sure that this
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commission operates with some level of independence. It is still a City
commission. The City Council will appoint the commissioners. It will operate as
public commissions do. All of its activities, um, that happen in meetings of the
commission will be public. The documents that it creates will be public records.
Um, but we ourselves, we didn't believe, should be dictating that process, and so
we've tried to build in some independence, um, in what you're seeing there in that
proposed resolution. So that's just a little bit of context and, uh... Janice, if you
wanna get into any more specifics or I don't know how ...how you want to
approach the review of the actual resolution.
Weiner: Um, I .... I would just add that as Laura said (clears throat) we put this together
after many conversations. It's really, it's intended as a template. There are some
placeholders in it, and uh, there will be things that you will want to discuss and
alter. Our goal in presenting it, uh, to ... to sort of expand on what Laura said, is
multi -fold. We want to create, we hope it will create a structure that will be
inclusive of black groups and individuals in our community who have worked
hard for change over the years, as well as now. To create a structure that is
flexible (mumbled) those who serve on the commission can drive the process of
collecting stories, of truth telling, of education, of art, and much more. To create
an opportunity to deal with a full range of inequities that the black community and
persons of color face, not just in policing but in housing, in education, and in
other areas as well. And to create an opportunity for the community as a whole to
learn and heal, and grow, and to grow together.
Teague: Great! All right! Um, does anyone .... I guess Council will be able to talk in
greater detail as we go on. Um, if anyone has anything they wanna ask or
mention right now, uh, you certainly can, uh, do that now, but we will have
discussion after public discussion here. So if anyone wants to address, please feel
free to just jump right in. All right, I'm going to go to public discussion on this
item. And again, if you wanna address Council please raise your hand and we're
gonna ask that you keep your comments three to five minutes, and .... if you're on
the phone, press *9 to address Council. All right, I see Raneem. Welcome,
Raneem!
Hamad: Hello! Thank you, um, for all the work that Council has done on this resolution
so far. Firstly, we ask that this resolution not be finalized without more
opportunity for community groups to study it and offer concrete proposals in
writing with respect to amending or expanding upon it. This ensures that Council
is not exerting executive control on what should be a fully community driven
process that is in fact supported by Council authority and budget. Secondly, the
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current resolution does not exhibit a deeper acknowledgment of the depth of racial
injustice in Iowa City institutions and the need for radical reform. The preamble
does not acknowledge that racial injustice in Iowa City persists, despite numerous
past efforts to address it, nor does it address the observations of race theorists
across the country that systemic racism is deeply resistant to change and that the
onus must be on communities of privilege to confront the underlying issues. The
TRC process is not meaningful if we are not able to employ the full measure of
persuasive power that City institutions hold to engage such communities of
privilege. Thirdly, the resolution does not have language clearly defining the
independent nature of the TRC, especially with respect to Council's role in the
persistence of racial injustice in Iowa City. It must be clear that the TRC must not
be required to seek Council approval of its agenda or activities, and that the
TRC's commissioners have no obligation to the directives of the Mayor or
Council. That brings me to my fourth point. The resolu.... the resolution has no
language regarding the initial budget allocation, even though Council has already
approved a $1 million budget of racial injustice work. There must also be
language reta... regarding the TRC's budget autonomy. Regarding the powers of
the TRC, there must be clear commitments for the TRC's subpoena power of
documents not generally released to the public, or for witnesses not inclined to
speak publicly. The Council must commit to fully leveraging its official and
persuasive authority to ensure the TRC's access to documents and witnesses it
believes are necessary for it to fulfill its mandate. Moreover, some examples of
what this commitment would look like are, A) working to give the TRC access to
documents from the Police Department and other City departments and agencies,
including through streamlined open access requests as necessary in compliance
with State law; B) the Council commits to directing City staff to otherwise
cooperate with the TRC and appear before the TRC as requested, and C) Council
Members individually commit to announcing publicly, and via social media, that
they support the TRC and are available to appear before and answer questions of
the TRC and the TRC's requests, and that they strongly encourage other persons
with positions of power in Iowa City, whether that be University, local businesses,
landlords, etc., to make similar public comments. Most importantly we ask that
Council allow for a period of time for formal comments in writing and that we not
rush this intricate process. Thank you for your time.
Teague: Thank you, Raneem. Would anyone else like to address Council? David!
Drustrup: Yeah, thank you, Mayor. Um, just wanted to make one quick, uh, comment in
support of what Raneem just said. Um, the TRC is far out of my, uh, realm of
expertise, but from some of the readings that (mumbled) , um, the TRC models
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that have been implemented in communities across the country in the last, uh, 10
or so years, the ones that are largely unsuccessful tend to be unsuccessful because
they're more symbolic than anything, and they don't give real power or the ability
to change policy in the community to the ... the TRC governing body. So I just
wanna point out that that's a major focus, um, of, uh, you know, the write up and
sort of the official, uh, declarations that are put in place by Council. Is, you know,
is this TRC body going to have power to actually do something? Otherwise it's
just a symbolic gesture instead of something that is actually interested in ... in
working towards solutions towards systemic racism. Um, so hope that's
something we can all keep in mind, and uh, thank you all again for your time.
Teague: Thank you! Would anyone else like to address Council, and if so please raise
your hand. Or press *9 if you're on the phone. Seeing no one, Council
discussion?
Taylor: I just had a quick question and sort of a clarification point, and ... Item #7, I think
there's a typo, because it says December I ", 2020 to May 31, 2020. I think later
on it talks about an end date of May 31, 2022. Uh, should that read 2022?
(female): Yes, I believe it should.
Teague: So I guess my, um .... my thought is we can .... uh, you know, maybe go item by
item or if Council wants to talk about, um, maybe a particular area that they, um,
wanted to address, uh, that's one of the ... 12 points here, or just talk about it in
general. So, um, I'll just open it up to Council. I ... I do have some, uh, comments
and some thoughts, um, and maybe if Council would allow I'll just kinda throw it
out there. Uh, one ... one of the things that I first want to say is thanks to Councilor
Bergus and Weiner for all of your hard work at, um, undertakin' this process. Um,
I know that it was time commit .... a.....a time consumin' effort, um, but I also
know that your commitment to really seekin' out the voices of the public, um,
people weighin' in, uh, from the public on what could be next within the, uh, the
resolution of the Truth and Rec... Reconciliation Commission. I really appreciate
your time and takin' this on. I have, just as many of you have, talked to many
people within the community, um, even about what has been presented, and so for
me, um, I personally would like to go through the resolution as it is written, um,
maybe point -by -point, and if people have suggestions for change, then we go
ahead and make those suggestions as we go through the, as we go through this.
So that ... that would be my suggestion and my thought.
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Salih: I just wanna ask (mumbled) because I wanna really understand this. Uh, you
want us to go through the items and after that we have to pass it, today, that what
you doing .... or and also I wanna ask Laura and, uh, Janice. When did you
(garbled) done from this, and uh, who did you share it with, and when did you
share it?
Bergus: I think it was last .... maybe last Wednesday or Thursday, cause I was without
power, and so Janice and I were communicating as I could get cell service, and I
asked her to kind of finalize the draft based on our conversations and she
circulated it to the City Attorney to make sure that there was nothing illegal in it,
and then I think that was when it was finalized on .... maybe Sunday.
Salih: Uh huh.
Weiner: I think, I mean it went ... (both talking)
Bergus: It went into the packet, I'm sorry! (both talking)
Weiner: It went into the packet on ... on Thursday, after we made sure that there was
nothing, uh, illegal or unenforceable in it. Um, and... and I, we sent a copy to the
Mayor at that point, just to let him know that that was where we were.
Bergus: And I, I'm sorry, I sent a copy to IFR, or I sent them the link once it was in the
packet, um ... and I apologize. I honestly don't remember what day that was.
Today's Tuesday. It may have just been mid-day yesterday. It was in the packet
on Thursday.
Salih: And are we voting, Mayor, are we voting for this resolution today?
Teague: Um, we .... we .... we certainly can vote. I think, um .... one of the things that we
could do is kinda go through what .... what's presented, and this of course is
Council's decision, how we wanna do this. Uh, we can go through what was
written, kinda give our initial thoughts and comments. Um, we do know that
people did have challenges with internet, all that other stuff, and so, um, if
someone wanted to entertain the motion to, you know, postpone this until the next
meeting, I personally would be in agreement with that, but I also think that either
we can take time now to either .... talk about this or we can do, um, we can wait
for more people in the community to review it, to weigh in on it, and then we can
come back, um, next time and have in-depth conversation, after people have
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actually had an opportunity, a greater oppor.... (clears throat) a greater opportunity
to see the document.
Mims: My thought would be that we have maybe some brief discussion tonight, but not
spend way too much time on it, because I ... I would anticipate we're gonna get
some pretty significant input, um, from the community, including IFR, and that
may inform our decision, you know, differently than looking just at this tonight.
Um, but I think it certainly makes sense to maybe go through and talk about just
some of the conceptual kinds of things that are in here, um, and then I would
certainly entertain a motion to defer it, so that we make sure that we, you know,
get all the public input. I think as people have said, number one, even if we
hadn't had the issues of the storm and internet, etc., last week, as we've talked
about before, getting something this significant on a Thursday and expecting
people to read it and totally react to it and vote on a Tuesday is not necessarily
enough time, depending on the significance of the issue, and this one is very, very
significant. So I would encourage us not to vote on it tonight, and I would
encourage us not to spend an hour or two going through this. Um, again maybe
some, just some, kindly quickly go through what are our thoughts on number of
members, you know, and some of those things, and then.... maybe wait for our
more detailed discussion until we have more public input.
Taylor: I agree with Susan on that cause I was thinking, uh, probably the one item we
could spend some time on tonight is the composition, just talking about the
composition. Of course that's the first couple of items there, 9 versus 11, those
kinds of details, uh, that just look at who we want on the committee and how it's
going to be put together, I think, uh, rather than getting into the nitty gritty of each
of the items at this time, as Susan said, we just got it on Thursday. Haven't had a
lot of time to absorb it or think about it, or get input from other folks.
Salih: (both talking) I was asking the....
Bergus: Sorry! Go ahead!
Salih: Yeah, I ... I haven't finish when I was trying to ask you the questions and
everything, but that's okay. I ... I ask those question because that what I was trying
to say. People are not getting, uh, like you know, they ...they just saw it on
Thursday, if people really (mumbled) and you know that Thursday was all this far
off and everything, and I ... I .... I kinda, yeah, I agree with the same thing that
everybody said here, because this is really important one and I just believe, uh,
from the few people that who saw it and they have a lot of input that they wanna
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change, some item there, I ... I really propose that we defer it. And I will put a
motion to defer this for next meeting.
Thomas: I ... I support (garbled)
Teague: We .... we do have a motion on the floor to defer it. Um, is there someone that
would like to second? Or do we wanna do more conversation first?
Bergus: I'm favorable to deferring it. I think Janice and I thought it was important to get
something in front of you, to facilitate the discussion, because we know how hard
it is to have a conversation of something this large and important without
anything to work from. The deadline that we gave ourselves in our June 16`h, uh,
resolution is October Ist.... to form the commission. So I think it would be, you
know, great if we can, urn .... get it done more quickly, but I think we're within,
you know, the parameters that we set for ourselves.
Teague: Okay, so we have a first, uh, and a second deferral. Um, we can't have
conversation now that the ... that that is on the floor. Uh, my...my personal, um,
thoughts on this would be for us to definitely refer it ... uh, defer it, and actually to
hold all .... any further comments until after we've heard from, um, people in the
public. I think sometimes, well I think what we did was we really allowed the
community to come forth and speak to us, um, before we got too far even with,
um, you know, this ... this Truth and Reconciliation Commission, um .... even the
resolution has been a process where we wanted to hear from the community. So I
really believe that ... it, I would advise us to really, um, wait to have public
comment, and hear from the public and, um, unless there's somethin really
important that people wanted to point out right now, um, I ... I mean my .... my
whole thing with goin' through this was really lookin' at the dates, talk about that
a little bit. Uh, certainly I had some thoughts on a few of the items, but none...
all of those things that I, um, wanted to personally go through, um, after further
discussion here right now and even the Mayor Pro Tem, uh, takin' that journey to
talk about when was it released, that was really timing ,and it was relating to, um,
has ... the public, have they had a good opportunity, the greater public, to see this
document and to weigh in on it. So at least for me what I would, uh, recommend
is for us to really defer it, uh, not only defer the item but also any, uh,
conversation with goin' through until after the public has really had an oppor...a
greater opportunity to review it.
Salih: I agree with that, but you know I just forget to say thank you, Laura and Janice,
uh, you guys really just to take this, uh, you know, hard work and start working on
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this, uh, I just wanted to mention that this is really much appreciated and at least
you build a skeleton and you want us, we can ... it will be easy for us to say, hey
(mumbled) tweak this in and out, and also for the public to say, no, we wanna add
this more (mumbled) but you know just like if you ask me to come and say
something without any skeleton there, this is will be difficult for us, but thank
you. We appreciate it ... we appreciate everything that you have done, and
hopefully we hear from the public and we complete the resolution in a way that
(garbled) happy with it!
Thomas: Yeah, I'd like to give my thoughts. This was a very tough assignment, um, thank
you for your work on this. Um, it would have been tough without COVID and the
(laughs) natural disaster (laughs) but you know, uh, pretty crazy time to be
working on this, so, uh, thank you for your efforts.
Teague: All right, so are we ready ...we have a motion to defer. Are we ready to vote? All
right, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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19. Council Appointments — Applicants MUST reside in Iowa City and be 18
years of age unless specific qualifications are stated.
19.a. Planning and Zoning Commission — Planning and Zoning Commission
— One vacancy to fill an unexpired term. Upon appointment — June 30, 2023.
(Larry Baker resigned)
Teague: Could I get a, uh, we're gonna have Council discussion on this, and ... urn .... so my
Mayor Pro Tem is normally next to me and, uh, but I know that we do have one,
um, one vacancy and it is a gender required role. And it's male.
Mims: I would nominate Mark Nolte. Uh, we've had discussion before in terms of, uh,
who had applied and we didn't want to have three realtors on there. We've had,
um, another application of a male, um, of Mark Nolte. Mark has been, um,
involved in this community for a long, long time, um, working with businesses,
working with the City as part of ICAD. Now, um, helping direct Better Together.
Um, so he knows certainly a lot about different aspects, um, and I think he's just a
very logical, reasonable kind of person who would be really good on P&Z.
Salih: I second that.
Taylor: I ... I agree. I tlrink all the time that ... in the years that I've known, uh, Mark and
being on the Council and his work with, uh, the City, urn ... he has a good grasp of
the, uh, knowledge of P&Z and understands, uh, the nature of their work, and I
think he would be a good addition to that.
Teague: I ... I second all of it! Anyone else? (several talking, garbled)
Thomas: I support Mark. I had many conversations with him when he was with ICAD over
issues related to Planning and Zoning, and um, I thought his comments in his
application under experience, uh, were really, uh, kind of spot-on in terms of
trying to understand the various sides that one must need to come to grips with on
....on matters of Planning and Zoning. So I think he'll be a valuable addition to
the P&Z Commission.
Teague: Great!
Weiner: Agree!
Teague: All right! So....
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Salih: Yes!
Teague: Roll call please, for Mark Nolte to be appointed to the Plannin' and Zonin'
Commission. Motion passes 7-0.
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22. Community Comment
Teague: And I saw Ryan!
Longenecker: Good evening (both talking)
Teague: ...saw Ann earlier. Anna!
Longenecker: Yes, Anna was on for the work session. She was unfortunately unable to be here
for the formal session but it worked out because I was unable to be here for the
work session as it is my mother's 60' birthday! And so we were having a little
dinner for her. Uh, it's also my parent's wedding anniversary, and I leave for
school tomorrow. So, it was a bit of a day! Um, but, uh, as for school things, um,
not too much to announce this week. School, uh, classes start next Monday and
move -in has, uh, started this week. It actually started on Saturday for the
freshmen and for those moving into the dorms. Um, that is, uh, under COVID
restrictions. So only students moving in are allowed two people to come with
them. Um, there's sign up for two-hour time slots, and um, everything is being
sanitized, etc., masks are required, um, for students to move in and so ... uh, all my
best wishes to those families dealing with that. Um, I'm glad I never had to, and
um, as for, uh.... USG (mumbled) sent a letter to the, uh, University of Iowa
administration, um, saying that we do not support in-person classes for this
semester and that we would, um, support full moving to online. Uh, we don't
believe that it's currently safe for students to be having in-person classes, uh, for
those who are immuno -compromised, uh, for those who live with people who are
immuno -compromised, and particularly for faculty and staff, uh, who will be
around these students that may be asymptomatic carriers but, uh, whose staff and
faculty are much more high risk than students may be. Um, that's all that we have
for now, and uh.... I look forward to seeing the rest of you, uh, at the next Council
meeting. Thanks!
Teague: Great! Thank you, and if there's anything that you can do in support of, um,
COVID-19, uh, precautions in the community, as well as wearin' masks which is
a mandate, um, in all of Johnson County, we would really appreciate that. For
USG to take a stance there. All right!
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23. City Council Information
Teague: Any Council updates?
Mims: I do have one, um, and I apol... I need to apologize to Council that I haven't
mentioned this at the last meeting or two. I keep forgetting it. Um, the
ThinkIowaCity, the formerly our Convention and Visitor Bureau, um, has
established a sports commission, and this is a pretty common item across the state
and country where areas, um, who try to bring in sports events will establish a
separate organization, um, that deals just with that aspect of it. And uh, Mayor, I
don't know if you're aware of this, but when they were setting that, cause you
serve on ... on ThinklowaCity's board, as they were setting that up, uh, one of the
things they were doing is they wanted representation but they did not want to ask
the mayors to be on it. I think maybe just not to overwhelm the mayors with too
many, um, duties, etc. So they had reached out to me. I kind of have a
longstanding relationship with Josh Schamberger in terms of athletics and sports,
etc., and so they had reached out to me specifically, um, to serve on the new
sports commission. Um, so I have agreed to that. We have had one meeting to,
um, set the bylaws, etc. Um, in that discussion, um, in terms ... of terms, we ... I did
discuss the fact that they're running on, um, a fiscal year that doesn't match up
with elected's, um, terms, um, so they're having some discussion. Um, as of this
point though they are not ... they're not asking councils to appoint. They are
wanting to make the choice of who they ask to serve on the Sports Authority
Commission. Um, so there will be some issue of, uh, changing that appointment,
um, maybe mid-term for an individual because for example I ... the way mine is set
up at the moment, I would be there until, um, July of ..22, and my term will be up
at the end of December. Uh, so we're having that discussion, but I just wanted to
let you all know that I had been asked to do that. I have agreed to do that. Um, it
is, uh, an invitation from their end. It is the same thing they've done with, uh,
Coralville and North Liberty, city councils as well. They have not asked the
councils to appoint. They have asked individual councilors that they wanted, uh,
parks and rec, uh, directors from each of those cities are also, um, involved, uh, at
least were involved early on. I don't ... I'm trying to remember. They're not on the
actual ... well, are they on the actual commission, Geoff, I'm forgetting now. No!
Okay. Um, there's rep... quite a bit of representation from the University, uh, three
electeds, uh, there's about ... nine or 11 of us, something like that, um, and certainly
as we get forming. We've just got the bylaws and things done, um, I'll bring back
more information, but we'll be meeting like every other month.
Teague: All right, thank you for the update! Anyone else has an update?
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Weiner: I'm not sure it's so much of an update as one comment and a question. The
comment is that USG, the student government, has been throughout the summer
and remains committed to an act of trying to find out ways to, uh, to get students
to mask up and do the right thing, um, and I have no doubt that they will continue
to be strongly engaged in that. The, my question is, um, that ... what is the ... when
will be the appropriate forum to discuss one of the items that was raised a number
of times today in public comment, which was the timing of the bow hunt
(garbled) what is the appropriate... I'm still new enough that I (garbled)
Fruin: Yeah, so our intention is to have that on your next agenda, uh, so you would adopt
the third reading of the ordinance and then be presented with the rules and
regulations associated with the, uh, urban bow hunt. Um, you would have the
ability to modify those rules and regulations at the meeting or defer the item if
you felt like you needed to ... to consider additional information or you needed
more time. Um, ideally we get that done before October I", um, so we'd like to
get it at ... approved at one of your meetings in September, but it doesn't
necessarily have to be voted on the first time you see it in your next packet.
Weiner: Thank you.
Teague: Anything else? All right!
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regular formal meeting of August 18, 2020.