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2. Proclamations
2.a. Americans with Disabilities Act 301 Anniversary Day
Teague: (reads proclamation) And today we're going to have .... this proclamation
received by my good friend, um, and I ... I don't know if, uh, I don't know if he's
gonna be appearin' here (mumbled)
Singh: (both talking) My voice is here at least!
Teague: All right, great! You're welcome!
Singh: Thank you and thank you for having me. I just wanted to thank everybody for
allowing the proclamation to be read today on behalf of myself and everybody
else out in the community (goes silent)
Teague: Well really appreciate you bein' a part of this, uh, day and we really do appreciate,
um ... uh, the efforts that you've done within the disabilities world. So thank you.
Singh: Thank you. I'm sorry I got kicked out there for a second!
Teague: Yes. Is there anything else you would like to say?
Singh: No, that's it! I just wanted to jump in real quick and give my thank you, and I'll
let you guys continue on with the meeting.
Teague: Appreciate you. Thank you.
Singh: Thank you!
2.b. Stono Rebellion
Teague: And this proclamation is going to be received by Bijou! (reads proclamation)
And here to receive this is Bijou. Welcome!
Maliabo: I am a member of the Human Rights Commission. I would like to thank Mayor
Teague for this proclamation on the Stono Rebellion. On September 9, at 7:00
P.M. (mumbled) virtual premiere league sponsored by Hancher will celebrate the
281' anniversary of the Stono Rebellion with the World Premiere of "Ston."
The 30 -minute premiere will be followed by a live panelist discussion about the
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work itself, the history behind it, and the ongoing work for social justice. Iowa
City Mayor Bruce Teague will be among the panelists to provide his perspective.
So please plan to register for this free event by visiting Eventbrite and search Step
Afrika! Stono. Registration for this free event is encouraged. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you, Bijou!
Maliabo: You're welcome!
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1-8.
Teague:
Salih:
Mims:
Beginning of Consent Calendar (Items 3 — 8) — Consider adoption of the
Consent Calendar as presented or amended.
Could I get a motion to approve the Consent Agenda?
I move ... by Salih.
Second, Mims.
Teague: All right, anyone from the public would like to adj ... address anything within the
Consent Agenda. If you would like so please raise your hand and I will call upon
you. Um .... and if you're on the phone, you can, urn .... dial *9 and your hand will
raise and I'll be able to, um, call upon you. And also I want, uh....uh, just so that
individuals that area attending the meeting today, wanna make sure that you
understand that the Consent Agenda is ... are listed items. So if you wanna address
something there. After we, uh, take a vote on these items, there will be open
comment time immediately following, and then if there are any items that are on
our regular agenda for the night, when I call upon that item, prior to us discussin'
that item, uh, community members will be able to make a comment. So ... all right,
if you want to address Council on anything that is involved in the Consent
Agenda, I'm gonna call upon you now. Um, I'm gonna call on Raneem. All
right, I think we can ... if you speak we may be able to hear you.
Hamad: Hello.
Teague: We can hear you! Hello, welcome!
Hamad: Just to make sure, um, if I wanted to speak about events that happened this
weekend, that are not on the (garbled) agenda as of now, do I speak about that
now or later on?
Teague: Um, immediately followin' this one, it'll be open comment time.
Hamad: All right, thank you.
Teague: Great! Thank you! Anyone like to address anything on the Consent Agenda right
now? Please raise your hand. I'm gonna call on Mohamed, followed by Crissy
(noise in background)
Traore: Hello?
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Teague: Hello! Welcome!
Traore: Hi. My name is ... uh, thank you very much, Mayor Teague. Uh, my name is
Mohamed Traore and I've lived in Iowa City since I was about three years old.
Um, I have been paying a lot of attention to the things going on in the city over
my life here, and I saw in the Consent Agenda there was something about the June
3'u protest incident that made national news. What I would like to say about that
is in terms of the actual process you guys are goin' through for investigating the
things that occurred on that night, where exactly are we on that and are there any
charges that are stemming from this event, either towards protesters or towards
the police presence that was there. I had many friends that were there. I
unfortunately was not able to attend that night. Um, and from the videos that they
were live streaming to me, I didn't see any of them engaging in anything hostile
towards police or outright trying to attack anyone, yet they were flash banged and
had tear gas thrown at them, and one of them hurt their elbow pretty severely. So
I would just like to know what are your next steps on this process.
Teague: And this is a time where we have community members, uh, speak to Council and
share your thoughts with us. Um, a few of the things that you mentioned there,
we will have, um, on our agenda later on. There's a few Black Lives Matter, um,
items on our agenda throughout the night, and so I would encourage you, um,
to ..... to please stay around and listen to those items. Anything else you would like
to say to Council?
Traore: Um, there's nothing else I'd like to add at this time. I will likely be sticking
around and be commenting on the other things later on.
Teague: Thank you!
Traore: Thank you very much!
Teague: Yes. I'm gonna call on Crissy.
Canganelli: (garbled) Members of the City Council. Um, I'm just .... I believe that this is the
right moment to comment on the correspondence that I submitted.
Teague: Yes!
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Canganelli: Okay, thank you. Um, I hope that you will consider joining both the Agency
Impact Coalition and the local Homeless Coordina... Coordinating Board of
Johnson County in sharing more opposition to the proposed rule change by the
Department of Housing and Urban Development. One in every three transgender
and non -binary people experience homelessness at some point in their lives. This
rate increases to nearly one in two for transgender and non -binary people who
identify as Black, Middle Eastern, multi -racial, and undocumented. Access to
safe and secure housing is sometimes all that stands between transgender people
and deadly violence. That violence is dispropor...that violence disproportionately
affects people of color, with 91 % of victims of fatal anti-transgender violence in
2019 being Black women. Please join us in submitting your comments and your
opposition to this proposed rule change. It's detailed in the letter that I submitted
and if you do have any questions or concerns, or would like a further discussion,
um, please reach out to either myself or Adam Robinson for the Agency Impact
Coalition and for myself with the local Homeless Coordinating Board. Thank you
for your consideration.
Teague: Thank you, Crissy. Would anyone else like to address Council, on any item in the
Consent Agenda? Okay. Seein' none....um, and sorry, I, um, navigatin' a few
screens here. Um .... so, um, Council discussion? Roll call please. (both talking)
Salih: Hold on! Uh, I just wanna ask, uh, since the item for the, increasing the
(mumbled) Consent Agenda, and we are setting the public hearing. I just wanna
know that this item will be on the regular agenda next time or will be on the
Consent Agenda?
Dilkes: It'll be on the regular agenda, cause... because it's a public hearing.
Salih: Okay. Sure. Thank you.
Teague: Any other Council discussion items?
Mims: Yeah, I would like to ask, and I don't know... since this isn't a (mumbled) uh,
agreement to, urn .... to ask the Mayor to send a letter in support of Crissy
Canganelli's comments about, uh, our disagreement with HUD's rule changes?
Taylor: I would be in favor of that!
Salih: Sound good!
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Teague: Yeah, I read what .... I read the correspondence and I would be happy to do that.
Mims: Thank you.
Teague: I'll have staff assistance, of course! All right, any ...anything else? Roll call
please. Motion passes 7-0. Um, we have some late correspondence here. Can I
get a motion to accept, uh, correspondence?
Salih: So move.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: And, uh, roll call please. All right, motion passes 7-0.
Taylor: Mayor, could I just add that 70 pages of late handouts the day before the meeting
is an awful lot to deal with. Just .... just to comment, that's all. I'd like to share
that.
Teague: Sure!
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9. Community Comment (Items not on the agenda) (UNTIL 8 PM)
Teague: And this is the time where we ask people from the, uh, public to come and speak
to Council about any item that is not listed on the agenda. There are, uh, several
more items that we'll get to, and before each of those items we'll allow
community to address Council. And so, uh, we ask people to keep their
comments to three to five minutes. Um, right now .... often look at hands and may
adjust that depending on timing, but uh, if anyone would like to address Council
now is ... for anything that's not on the agenda, now is the time. I'm gonna start
with Raneem, followed by Tessa.
Hamad: Hi, um, I would like to start, uh, what I'm speaking about tonight, but with a
poem that I wrote today, um, while I was thinking of what happened, um, to me
and fellow protesters last night. Um, I call this poem "The Full Moon (garbled)"
My heart pounding to the rhythm of the (mumbled) loud footsteps. I watched as
my brother ran to the freedom down on the plantation. I ran up to the slave
master's goons, who disrespected and assaulted my Black body. Illuminated
beneath that bright, white full moon. I screamed, we screamed, all to no avail.
The slave patrol wanted my brother's Black body, submissive and confined in the
master's jail. Cili... City leaders were so quick to condemn the graffiti, yet have
been silent about the violence and harm enacted upon young BIPOC individuals
this weekend. Out of the seven individuals targeted this weekend. Four were
BIPOC. Moreover, a gender non -conforming person was subjected to mental,
emotional, and physical harm by Iowa City law enforcement. I hope I do not
have to explain how punitive it is to send young people, especially young BIPOC
individuals (mumbled) for simply exercising their First Amendment when many
of them feel that their elected officials have yet to make any tangible, physical
change. Instead of change, last night, along with other protesters, young, Black,
and Muslim women, who were raised in Iowa City, were physically assaulted by
the Johnson County police, UIPD, ICPD officers, and detectives. Instead of
seeing change, I was pushed off my bike by an officer and banged my knee as I
crashed into another biker, while the officer attempted to drag me off my bike by
grabbing my backpack. The irony of the unbelievable police violence we faced
over this weekend, as we protest this exact issue, is not lost upon me and I hope
the public shares the same sentiment. The actions of law enforcement this
weekend and the silence from our own City leadership proves that property...
property matters more than the lives of young individuals who are simply fighting
to envision a world where our humanity doesn't come second. To make it clear
once more for those who don't seem to understand what we were protesting this
weekend, I'm here to relay these points to the Council and the public once again.
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One, we demand that the video of the tear gas events of June Yd must be released.
Two, the police committee that Council approved earlier this summer must be
created. Three, Council must not authorize the procurement of what we call...
what we like to call the i -Phone 12 tasers; and four, that if Council truly supports
the Black Lives Matter movement and what has been happening in this city for
this whole summer, recommend that the bogus charges against protesters be
dropped. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Raneem. We're gonna have Tessa, followed by Liana. Tessa? I don't
see ... we can't hear you. I'm gonna go to Liana, and then I'll go back to Tessa.
Welcome, Tessa. We're askin' everyone to keep their comments three to five
minutes please.
Suleiman: So is Tessa going or am I going?
Teague: Oh, you can go, Liana. Sorry, I said Tessa.
Suleiman: Okay! No, you're fine. All right, well first I'd like to thank Council for giving
me the opportunity to speak. Um, I would like to preface this by saying I'm
coming purely from a place of respect and I am not representative .... nor am I
speaking on behalf of IFR in any capacity. However, I do want to call and make
it explicitly clear as a ... as a reminder to all of you Council Members that your
primary position in leadership on City Council is to represent your constituency,
is to hear the voices of your constituents, and is to represent them to the best
degree that you possibly can. You have been voted into office to put into this
position purely for that reason without any, uh, any other form of -without any
other agenda, so to speak, uh, and the city is speaking to you. On June 16a' you
signed demands, uh, in regards to IFR for a reason. If you did not want to
implement them, nor if you wanted to proceed with them in a timely manner, that
should not have been the case. However, now we are sitting in now September
and you have yet to discuss how to ... reconstruct and defand the police. Now we
are discussing the fiscal budget for 2021, and you have had all summer long when
no one has been in the streets, when IFR has not been up, um, protesting, but
behind closed doors you demand that they form a .... a police review board. You
demand that they provide you names of legitimate professors and organizers, um,
for (mumbled) and how to best restructure the police department, but to the
community you come off as we are trying to do this in the most timely manner,
with your involvement. Why do you need three months? Why do you need three
months of ...community input public forums. That is something with how timely
and rime -sensitive this issue is in regards to proposing the fiscal budget for 2021.
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That is something condensed down into a matter of two weeks. So that is not
something that is necessitated to have (mumbled) urn .... to have every meeting
spaced out week upon week upon week. Right? That is the way of kicking the
can down the road. That is another form of Council not taking these demands
seriously. With all due respect, Mayor Pro Tem, um, last City Council meeting
you brought up that you would be willing to review the, or that you did review the
incident, the videos from June Yd and relay that information to the community.
But at the end of the day that's not transparent! I believe it was (mumbled) um...
I believe, I could be mistaken on that. (mumbled) and you, all Council Members
(mumbled) some sort of political gaslighting or pushing all of these agenda items
further and further down the road and that's not acceptable! If you do not want to
implement these items, you should not have signed them on June 16s'. Those
demands were written there. You voted to approve and resolve those demands.
Um, you do not need three months to hear community input. Also, regardless of
how and what official policies you guys have listed (mumbled) meetings or who
may attend, um, community public input meetings, this issue, people being in the
streets constantly and consistently, the city is speaking to you. They're already
telling you what they want. For you to limit the amount of members, City
Council Members, that may attend these public input community forums, it was
inherently detrimental. The city is not speaking to three of you. We do not want
to speak to three of you. We want all of you to listen and understand
fundamentally what we are asking for specifically. The demands have been made
clear. The entire city up to this point is, um .... in a position where it feels like a
lot of bureaucracy. (mumbled) there should be emergency meetings upon
emergency meetings to get these demands in place, given the fact that you have
not met the resolution in the timescape that you had initially planned for, early in
the summer. Urn ... again I say this all from a place of respect, but I know
bureaucratically how often things get pushed further and further down the road,
um, and how behind closed doors is a different matter than what's relayed to the
community, and honestly .... and quite respectfully, I've had enough. Most of
America has had enough. Iowa City has had enough, and I really urge you all to
reconsider the meaning and the importance of the position that you all hold in
advocating and... committing to .... the.....committing to your community, I
suppose, is the best way (mumbled) So thank you (mumbled)
Teague: Yes, thank you. All right, and I'm gonna ask that Mayor Pro Tem help me with
keepin' time and, uh, saying (both talking)
Salih: I'm doing it!
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Teague: Thank you, I appreciate it! All right, and so ... urn, the next individual that we're
gonna have is, um, let's bring Tessa back, followed by Mohamed.
Heeren: Hey, thanks for this second chance. Can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes!
Heeren: Okay, awesome! I, uh, just wanted to say I read the, um, the document from the
police, uh, department, requesting the, um, additional money dedicated to tasers.
Um, there were a few things in this, um, document that caused me concern. (both
talking)
Teague: Hey, Tessa ... (both talking) Hey Tessa (both talking) Hey Tessa....
Heeren: I keep hearing them say it was a de-escalation device is a lot different than a (both
talking) the de-escalation that I am familiar with and that I would like to see. Um,
the beginning of the document says it was meant to be ... to use, um (garbled)
people who are mentally ill. Um, this is something that I think .... using this kind
of money, it's $300,000, uh, could go towards preventative, um, programming,
staff, doing things about mental illness before it becomes a crisis in the
community. Um, the other ...the other thing I noticed in the beginning of this
document was the, um, it was meant for people who those ... those who cannot feel
pain or less sensitive to pain, and this is something that's well documented in
evidence in healthcare and policing. Um, this is ... hugely subject to racial bias and
...and people's perceptions of who can feel pain or not. Um, I just ... the whole
thing, um, screamed `they're not getting it.' This is not, um, this is not the kind of
reform we need. Urn ... I thought that the ending was kind of a veiled threat, that
the City if we don't do this we have to use more, urn .... more extreme methods or
something is how it ended. I don't have it in front of me, but um, I just thought it
was a ... a little .... a little, uh, concerning, and ... and the .... and the justification that
these tasers need to be updated every five years or something, um, it just seems
like an endless, uh, draining on our budget to weaponize the police and, um, it's
just something we're going to have to come across another five years if we wanna
arm the police department with tasers and it's something that I would like to see
that money be used in a more sustainable investment in the community, um, and
avoid these kinds of, uh, conflicts, where the de-escalation tactic is tasers. Um,
that's all! Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Tessa. I ... I did .... I tried to interrupt to let you know that that item is
on our formal agenda, comin' up later, but I'm not sure that you heard me so... in
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the future, if someone is talkin' about an item that's not on the agenda, I'm gonna
interrupt and, um, we're gonna silence you and (both talking, garbled)
Heeren: Oh, I'm so sorry (laughs)
Teague: No, you're fine (garbled) Yeah, I ... I don't think you heard me, but thank you!
I'm gonna call Mohamed, followed by David. And there's a David without a last
name will be next up.
Traore: (both talking) Hello! Thank you very much, uh, Mr. Mayor. Um, so I would just
like to speak on the protests again, and the demands that have been referenced.
So the demands that were voted on, I do agree that because the City did vote on
actually looking at these demands and actually implementing them that they
should be doing more to really follow through with this process. I have been
following the protest events and .... as someone that's seen the increase in
demands, I think that those should be definitely treated as a separate issue. Um,
and I heard about the events from last night with the, um, laser pointers and just
everything going on, and the chaos. Now I've noticed that nationwide as well as
protests continue. I'm someone that really reads a lot in the history and trends
and what I have noticed with all of that is that ... I mean since the beginning of
June, I was on record telling everyone I knew that there was no way these protests
would stop before the, maybe even the end of the year, and the reasoning for that
was that I can tell that in a lot of government positions in our society, we have an
issue with people in power saying they're going to do one thing and then really
dragging their feet on it, like with what happened with Kim Reynolds and the
whole thing with, uh, felon voting rights. And just a number of other things over
decades. And I say all this to just say that I think that because this is a
government by the people, for the people we should really respect the opinions of
the people, and when we say that we have heard the people that the people in
power should truly hear them and truly heed their words, because it is our votes
that put you into power. So we need to remember at the end of the day if this was
like a company per se, we are the employers and the people in power are our
employees technically. So.. just keep that in mind, please, going forward, and just
know that when a vast majority of the people in your town or city or whatever
you're presiding over is asking for specific things and you say that you are
hearing them, please truly hear them and heed their calls and heed their words.
And thank you so much for the opportunity, once again, and that's all I have!
Teague: Thank you, Mohamed. We're gonna have David without a last name and then
David Ronseth.
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Etre: Hi there, uh, I'm just talkin' in regards to item 8.c., of the correspondence. Is not
a good time to do so?
Teague: Um, we did pass on that item, but I'm going to allow it, if I see Council, um,
okayin' it. I'm seein' noddin' of heads. Please, uh, proceed.
Etre: Perfect, thank you! Um, City Council Members, since my email expressing my
concerns about our downtown homelessness and transient issues, things have
continued to get worse. In the past two weeks alone, a downtown homeless man
was caught bathing and washing his clothes in the ped mall fountains. Another
downtown transient man was arrested in the ped mall for repeatedly exposing his
genitals to people passing by. A group of transients set up camp in the ped mall,
harassing and threatening people walking by. A homeless man stabbed a store
clerk at a Deli Mart, resulting in attempted murder. In addition, the transient man
robbed a business in the ped mall and while fleeing the scene, managed to
sexually assault three females. Due to these ongoing and escalating issues, I have
called the police on numerous occasions, but many of the times the situation isn't
solved. And residents and businesses are left to deal with the same problems the
very next day. The City and police need to do more and take more of a proactive
report .... repor.... approach to this rising issue. Business is hard enough
downtown with the pandemic and the protests. It becomes nearly impossible
when you add homelessness, transients, and crime into the equation. Downtown
is at an inflection point with many storefronts empty and things must change.
There's a difference between panhandling homeless and transient agitators, with
the latter not even asking for money but demanding it and harassing people
walking by. Those are the ones that need to go. Dumping alcohol and
confiscating their drugs doesn't work. And if they're going .... if they're not going
to be arrested, they at least need to be removed from downtown. As a downtown
resident and business owner, we need to have a safe and secure downtown and not
allow our residents be harassed and yelled at. Businesses can't have employees
concerned for their safety leaving work after dark. I believe in a well -funded
police force, but they must be an effective police force. I wanna implore our City
Council to use the police to protect, secure, and keep downtown residents and
businesses safe. I would like to see the ICPD do more to create a safe and secure
downtown. We must clean up our downtown before another scenario, like the
ones I described, happen again. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, David. We're gonna have, uh, the next David, followed by Amel.
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Drustrup: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, thank you, Council, as well for lettin' us speak on this.
Um, so you know the last week has felt like a tale of two different worlds really,
um, from our perspective. Uh, like ... like we've talked about with a few of you,
uh, you know, we had some really inspiring meetings with four Councilors during
last week, and ... and we left those feeling really hopeful and so thanks to
Councilor Mims, Thomas, Weiner, and Bergus for holding those with us. Um,
you know we met, uh, privately as a team (mumbled) at that point we're even
thinking about shifting some IFR strategy to ... to highlight the cooperativeness
and ... and forward thinking work of Council at that time. Um, as we've talked
about, and as everyone knows, unfortunately things changed pretty drastically
once UIPD took a hard stance on the value of property over people's lives this
weekend. Uh, once we heard about some of the arrests being made, I mean .... I
was in the middle of the crowd, but you could feel the emotional stance of folks
there just shift really drastically and ... and rightfully so. Um, you know, what
protesters were arrested, but ... but young BIPOC protesters made up the majority
of those arrests (mumbled) and they're specifically targeted. On Saturday,
Raneem gave a really positive and uplifting talk about the good work of Council
to our ...to, uh, to the crowd, but um, the crowd was already focused on UIPD at
that point, after we heard about all the arrests. Uh, couple Councilors have had
articles in the media today about protesting and both insisted that Black Lives
Matter, but saying it without the requisite action is ... is meaningless to us. Um,
both followed their statement of support for Black Lives Matter, not with support
for the BIPOC lives that just experienced the violence inside a jail cell, but they
followed it with their support for the sanctity of property. One Councilor
(mumbled) mentioned how arresting protesters is an act of escalation, which we
agree with, but they refuse to go so far as to condemn that. They save their
empathy for the buildings with paint on them, instead of empathy for the people
whose psychological, emotional, physical, and sexual health were just put at risk,
especially our most vulnerable people. We had the four out of seven BIPOC
folks, uh, part of the arrestees this weekend, and we had a gender non -conforming
person, who was arrested as well, and Raneem spoke about that, um, about the
specific dangers that ... that face those folks when they go to jail. So I speak only
for myself in this, but um, I'm willing to buy the argument that .... both sides could
be seen as escalating right now, which is something one of the Councilors
mentioned in their ...in their article in the media today. But if we are both
escalating, IFR is escalating by hurting buildings, and the City is escalating by
hurting people. We're asking two different questions. The City is asking why are
we hurting buildings, and IFR is asking why are we hurting people. And I will
happily fight the rest of my life on this side of the argument. To experience more
police violence, while we're protesting police violence, that's a large shift
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backwards, and our supporters knew that and they responded in the way that they
knew how. In 1967, Martin Luther King wrote, "It is not an accidental thing. It
reflects a society that cares more about property than people," and so they hurt
what you all find most precious. Further, we spent this whole weekend hearing
from person after person about why graffiti, but not one person in power has
asked why the arrests. We understand that you do not control UIPD, but you are
all the most powerful voice in this city and your words communicate to us that
your primary concern is the property, and so this is what we mean when we say
the current system and those who uphold it protect property over people. Whether
you personally agree with graffiti or not is only one small detail, but how you
respond to the graffiti in relationship to the arrests tells us everything. When
people choose... when people in power choose to condemn the graffiti before the
arrests, they've chosen their side. They have chosen that some paint on a building
is more important than the physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual health
of the most vulnerable people of the city. They have made it a clear statement that
the only way they can imagine accountability and consequences is through the
violence of police and jails. And the focus on property paved the way for more
arrests and more police violence like we saw Sunday and yesterday. So the
arrests that you all have condoned and supported have just escalated (mumbled)
far more than we ever could escalate with a paint can. During a meeting
yesterday with community leaders, the majority of which was community leaders
sort of cornering Raneem for two hours and peppering her with five or six or
seven critiques and reprimands, all at the same time. One community leader said
there needs to be consequences, and that's a conversation that we would love to
have, consequences are an essential part of the future that we want to build, but
when your morality only allows you to imagine consequences that involve the
violence and punitiveness of a jail cell, then I literally feel sorry for you. We have
other ways of holding each other accountable. The ones we're imagining have a
morality that reject the idea that a young, BIPOC person deserves to be punished
with violence for anything, especially when that thing is allegedly putting paint on
a building. The fact that we have to have this moral argument with a group of
liberal adults is ... is heartbreaking to me. The fact that you're not thinking of the
physical, emotional, psychological, and sexual health of the young and gender
non -conforming BIPOC people that you are condoning going to jail, I ... I just have
no words for how disappointing that is. So I'm running out of energy and time
for this right now, but if ..if you all have any questions about why it's so important
to put people before the graffiti on a building, please read some Martin Luther
King this weekend. His last book was called Where We Go From Here. He talks
a lot about it. He has a compilation of essays from 67 called "The Trumpet of
Conscious," and he has an essay in there called "On Attacking Property." Please
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Teague:
Drustrup
Teague:
Ali:
Teague:
Ali:
Teague:
Ali:
Teague:
Ali:
read it! Um, before we finish, just wanna support all the demands that, uh,
Raneem was putting through, the list of four. Also wanna thank Councilor
Thomas for bringing up during the work session the traffic safety issue, um, and
how that intersects with IFR goals. I really appreciate you bringing that up,
Councilor Thomas, and saying, uh, a shout -out to Councilor Mims for, uh,
proposing those meetings and getting those moving, um, like (both talking)
David, thank you. Thank you.
All right. Sorry, Mayor. Thank you.
Yes, thank you! Um, Amel, uh, followed by Stephany. Amel?
Can you hear me?
I sure can!
Okay, perfect! I just wanted to know, is this a good time that I can talk about my
experience in the youth panel for the police chief interviews?
This is open comment and it's not on our agenda, so yes!
Okay! Perfect.
You have three to five minutes.
Perfect! Um, so I wanna start off with saying thank you for allowing me, um, to
be able to have this time to speak out about this, uh, Mayor Teague, and to the
Council. Um .... so I've lived in Iowa City for 20 years of my life. I grew up here
for a really long time, and I got a really awesome opportunity to be involved in
the youth forum to, um, interview the new police chief candidates for Iowa City.
Um, I'm gonna be sending an email to, um, Mayor Teague, along with the City
Manager and the rest of the Council on more negative opinions that I had. I
wanna use this time to express, um, my support for Dustin Liston. Um, the
candidate from El Paso. He was incredible. Um, he did such a great job
answering his interview questions, um .... he.....he has all of the good .... good
ideas for around here, and having been in El Paso for 20 -plus years, I think he's so
ready to take on, um, all of the issues in Iowa City. Um .... I can tell that he really
wants the job and he really cares about the city, and he's really... wanting to make
positive changes about it. Um, I was super impressed with, um, his education.
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He has his, um, Bachelor's in Psychology and Sociology, which I think is super
important, um, for someone to have, especially as the police chief. The way that
he answered the question shows that he understands the psychological impact
that, um, policing has had on African Americans and people of color, um, over the
last hundreds of years. Um, I also was impressed that he had his Master's in
Criminal Justice, along with attending the FBI Academy. Um I could tell that he
truly cares about mental health and trying to fix things. He had laid out a plan
with involving social work that he had done, um, in El Paso that worked really
well, and I was really impressed with that. So, um, I just wanted to say that I
really hope that he is elected for the next police chief. He was wonderful and,
um, hopefully he will be the next one, and then, um, my next thing I wanted to
talk about, and this might catch me, get me a little bit of flack, um, but it kind of
has to do with the things that happened last night, um, with the protests. Um .... I
am really concerned about the IFR leadership right now, although I agree with
everything that, um, they have been asking for and things like that and their
demands. Um, last night watching videos, I saw people sticking their middle
fingers up at police officers, giving them crap about, you know, the way they
looked and stuff like that, and I didn't really agree with that. I don't think that
that is a positive way to move forward and, um, ask for change, and I understand,
um, being really angry and .... things like that, but as someone who has lived in
this community for 20 years, I will admit I've been arrested a couple of times and
I've had positive experiences with the police, and I've had extremely negative
experiences with the police, and um ... I think that the IFR kinda needs to get older
people within the community involved more, rather than, um ... you know, some of,
like the 18, 19 year olds, where I do think that is a super important population, but
I know that a lot of African Americans around my age have felt, um, a little bit
differently about the way they've been going about things, um .... and .... I agree
completely with what David and what Raneem said about, um, feeling like the
Council is valuing the buildings and the City is valuing the buildings more than
they're valuing the human lives. I think it is absolutely ridiculous that, um, the
Board of Regents is coming down on the University for how they're handling the
protests. It's much bigger than that. Um, so I hope that we really can figure
something out, because it doesn't feel like, um, anything .... is happening .... uh,
soon enough for their liking,and so .... um .... yeah! That's all I wanted to say.
This is my first time doing this, so I'm sorry if I kinda blabbed but thank you,
guys, for giving me your time to speak.
Teague: Thank you, Amel. Um, we're gonna have, uh, Stephany, following by Maya. But
I also want to ask people to keep their comments, um, maybe to two to four
minutes, because at 8:00 P.M. we will have a hard, fast stop. Welcome, Stephany!
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Hoffelt: Thank you, and um .... for allowing me this opportunity to speak. Um, first of all
my name is Stephany Hoffelt, and I'm one of the co-founders of the Iowa City
Mutual Aid Collective. As a wellness support person, I have been in attendance at
almost every protest that has happened in the city. I was there for the events last
night and I want to corroborate and ... just express my abject horror at the way
those children were .... as a grandmother and a mother, you know, not even my
official capacity for this organization (mumbled) as a grandmother and a mother
in this community, the way that giant group of police officers just bum -rushed
those really young people. It was ... horrible to see! I mean I myself got pushed
out of the way because, you know, I'm just an old grandma, I don't matter. But,
um, it was really horrifying to watch, and I really cannot believe that the City
Council is putting the importance of these buildings above the fact that that
happened. I'm, like I was like more prepared to be official in this conversation,
but listening to this I just .... you had to be there! It was terrible, and I support
these kids and, you kn ow, like the speaker said before, there are ... there are adults
out there and we're watching, and we understand the anger and we understand the
frustration, and we understand that sometimes you're not always.... going to use
tactics that everybody approves of, but I think at this point it's necessary, because
nobody's listened to them previously! Um ... I just as .... a group, our collective, I
wanted to come onboard and say our collective also feels that as we've watched
the, um .... the .... the political thing .... mechanizations in this town, I feel that the
City Council, the group as a whole feels that the City Council is not moving
forward... in good faith maybe, um, that they're saying one thing and doing
another thing, or maybe that I had more (mumbled) that the City Council was
working in good faith with the prot.... IFR, until last night .... or the events of this
weekend. Um....it....it was really, I mean I myself was pulled over for a
ridiculous reason, just because I was driving home from the protests, and um, the
officer ...I thought it was really interesting that the officer that pulled me over
shown his flashlight in my passenger's face and then the next night protesters
were getting arrested for the same thing. And, um, I'm just really kind of
frustrated with it, but I do appreciate you giving me this opportunity to share that
frustration with you, and I'm gonna (both talking)
Teague: Thank you! We're gonna have Maya, followed by Elizabeth.
Sims: Hello! I just wanted to share that I am extremely disappointed by the event that
took place last night. I'm really, really tired of seeing police protecting cement
instead of people, you know, physical bodies. I think that the City Council needs
to do more to protect and invest in black, indigenous, and people of color because
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Page 18
we are your constituents. Please, please adhere to the Iowa Freedom Riders'
demands and protect the people who voted for you. I really think that you will be
on the wrong side of history if you continue to act within your position of power
in a way that upholds a system of slavery. A black person is five times more
likely to be stopped without just cause than a white person. That is not right.
Please stop upholding the system and follow through on the Iowa Freedom
Riders' demands, and just to comment on David with no last name, um, the stuff
that he brought up. Any money that you wanted to give to the police could be
used to invest in low-income housing, so that people do not have to be
experiencing homelessness and having to find shelter in downtown. Thank you
so much!
Teague: Thank you. Elizabeth, followed by Audrey.
Folkers: Hello, um, my name is Elizabeth. I just wanted to comment on, um, the things
that was, um, said by David earlier. I would be remiss if I didn't say something.
Um, because crim... the criminalization of homelessness only adds to problems of
homelessness and .... adds to problems within the community by instead giving
people houses and places to be. Um, it doesn't solve the issue at all, and urn ... as,
um, the person before me already addressed on the things that should be done is
money should be given to, um, community organizations that can improve upon
issues of social inequality, instead of policing and criminalizing those issues, and
again .... urn, this will be brought up later, but that's also why City Council should
vote no to approve tasers tonight and should instead use that money to invest in
the community. Thank you for allowing me to speak.
Teague: Thank you, Elizabeth. We're gonna have Audrey, followed by David Sterling.
Keith: Hello! My name is Audrey. I'm speaking on behalf of the Iowa City Chapter of
the Democratic Socialists of America. Uh, I wanted to speak today because, um,
we were one of those people that sent in late correspondence, so I wanted to bring
attention to the letter that we had sent to Council, um, late last week. So I
apologize for sending it late. We were, um, just working really hard to make sure
we could get as much input from our members as possible before we sent it off to
Council. Um, so I just wanted to like kinds, give a quick summary, which is
basically we sent a letter that is in support of the Iowa Freedom Riders and their
demands that they have made. Um, we ... we're with them since the beginning
with the first set of the like 16 or 17 demands that Council has already, um, made
some resolutions on, and we also wanted to add that, uh, we really (garbled) the,
um, the more in-depth descriptions that they gave for their demands that they sent
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Page 19
to the Council later on. Um, we are so glad that they have put so much effort into
writing that ... writing of those proposals, and we think that is really great work that
we are doing and we are so happy to see it. Um, so in our letter we talked about
how, uh, for the Democratic Socialists of America, uh, defunding the police is
important to our membership as well, as working class people we also suffer
(noise in background) cops, sorry, there's a cell phone. Sorry! Um, we also (goes
silent) suffer from over -policing that affects our community in negative ways, and
so in the letter we detailed some of the ways that that happens. Um, we shared a
personal anecdote from one of our members who has experienced over -policing,
um, and then we, uh, put forth our unequivocal support of the Iowa Freedom
Riders and their demands (mumbled) of the City, and so we hope that, you know,
being ... we hope that we can show that there is much broader support maybe than
some people are aware of, uh, for the IFR demands, and so that is why we sent
that letter. We're hoping to bring more urgency, um, to the Council (goes silent)
in order to like, uh, bring these things into fruition more quickly. Um, and so
otherwise I am unable to stay for the rest of the meeting, so I just had two quick
little things to .... two things to say real quick. Uh, one being that, uh, we would
like to encourage the City Council to vote no on approving the allocation of over
$200,000 for new tools of violence, aka the tasers, and we would also like to
encourage the City Council to vote no on the new, um, budget proposal
amendment, because that includes an increase (goes silent) to the funding for the
police department and doing either of those things totally flies in the face of what
City Council is saying, uh, is support for IFR's demands. Um, so that is all I have
to say to you all tonight. Uh, thank you so much for letting me speak. Um, if
you're interested in reading, uh, the letter that the DSA sent, that is down in the,
uh, handouts in the late correspondence area. You can look for our little red logo
with a rose, if you wanna try and seek that out. So, thank you so much, everyone!
Teague: Thank you, Audrey. Uh, it is five minutes till 8:00, um, so David Sterling, I'm
gonna have you come forth and then, uh, if the David without a last name, if
you've already spoken to Council, uh, we ask that you, uh, hold off any
comments, and maybe if, uh, time would allow, we might (mumbled) but I'm not
certain if David has spoken before. So, David Sterling, please, uh, welcome!
Sterling: Uh, thank you very much. Can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes!
Sterling: Okay, um (clears throat) so, uh... uh, I'm gonna apologize if I sound a little bit
obtuse. I kind of...I always find I'm best at contributing a conversation when I
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use metaphor to try to illustrate things from a point of view that hasn't been
brought up yet. Um, on the topic of, uh, focusing on the graffiti, um, I think that,
uh, a really good metaphor for the position of oppressed people in this country is,
uh, and I ... I wanna preface this by saying that, um, BIPOC folks are, um, unduly
often, uh.... in very white supremacist ways (mumbled) likens to children. Uh,
but in this case I think it's an appropriate metaphor that essentially... oppressed
people are asking for the opportunity to develop and to ... uh, explore themselves,
to simply live and move on with their lives. Uh, and the State is effectively
performing the role of two abusive parents, who neither allow their child to go off
on their own, um .... uh, nor exist in a safe and comfortable household. Now, uh,
the City Council effectively serves as a, uh, DHS worker, talking to the child
about how they're being abused and neglected, and uh, one of the very first things
that this DHS worker is saying is, uh, do yo realize that every time you've been
mean to your parents that makes you hard to listen to and hard to believe? Um,
and ya gotta think about how the child feels in that situation, to constantly be
questioned on, uh, the ... the relevancy of their issues in the face of what their
abuser is facing. Uh, and uh, to ... move on to my next point, uh, the abuser in this
case is the, uh, the class of folks who own the means and, uh, have the most
political power in town. Uh.... and if we're really concerned about the livelihood
and, A ... uh, cost to small businesses in this town, um, it just feels like a
hypocritical discussion because everybody in town knows that this town is
increasingly being owned by a shrinking number of people — the Clarks,
Mondanaro, uh, AUR, etc. Um, so almost all of the small businesses in town, uh,
they're only actually hurting financially because both the landowners are
absorbing all of their money, regardless of the impacts of COVID-19 and the
protests. Uh, you know, it could cost $200 to clean off a tag on a wall maybe, but
it cost hundreds and hundreds and hundreds of dollars every day just to exist
because these landowners want their dues. So, um, any sort of attempts to
criticize, uh, on an economic front to defend small businesses or distract from the
point of these protests, um, it ... it's simply hypocritical because if you actually care
about these small businesses, then you care about the power and balance of the
wealthy landowners in this town. Urn .... uh, I apologize if it sounds like I'm
casting any specific aspersions to City Council. I, uh, wanna believe in good
faith. Uh, you know, but, uh, as someone who's lived in this town my whole life,
when I found out a family member was gassed by a police officer, and then I saw
the City Council meeting where they debated the true meaning of protesters
demanding that tear gas be banned, and then they decided not to ban it, um, it was
horrifying. It felt like I was that child, talking to DHS, being told no, my safety
doesn't matter if I'm acting inappropriately. Um, if someone on ... if folks on
Council are struggling to, um, relate to it, it might help if they would imagine a
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Page 21
State trooper being ordered by the State to come here and disrupt these meetings
because, uh, it's illegal to care about, uh, racial injustice all of a sudden, and for
these State troopers to burst in and tear gas, uh, the City Council Members
currently in their homes. Uh... simply doing what is right and you're being
punished where you live for doing so and those in power are saying that that is
normal, that is okay. It's not a priority. Uh, we need immediate ends on tear gas.
We need to dismantle the incredibly, uh, high police budget. Um, over $16
million allocated to the police and we can easily divert that money (both talking)
Teague: David...
Sterling: Uh, if that's my time, then A ... thanks for havin' me.
Teague: Thank you, and I wanna thank all of the, uh, individuals that are waiting, um, to
speak to Council. At this time it is 8:00 P.M., it's 8:01, and we're gonna bring
community comment to a close. Um, but thank you for, uh, bein' present and
your willingness to, um, engage in this, uh, part of government.
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10. Planning and Zoning Matters
10.a. Comprehensive Plan Amendment — North of Camp Cardinal Blvd and
West of Camp Cardinal Rd — Resolution amending Iowa City's
Comprehensive Plan to change the future land use designation from
Public/Private Open Space to General Commercial for the property located
north of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and west of Camp Cardinal Road
(CPA20-0001).
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Salih: So move.
Mims: Second, Mims.
Teague: All right, do we have presentation by our staff?
Sitzman: Yes, Mayor, thank you, good evening. This is Danielle Sitzman, NDS. Um, this
is an application submitted by MMS Consultants on behalf of the land owner,
John Harding, to amend the comprehensive plan, uh, future land use map
designation from public/private open space to a general commercial designation
for approximately the 3.1 acres shown here in the dotted white line, uh, located,
uh, at the corner of Camp Cardinal Boulevard and Camp Cardinal Road, across
the street from (mumbled) development. This is,uh, an exhibit showing the
current zoning. The subject property, as I said, is currently, uh, zoned as well a
public designation, P1, surrounded by an interim, uh, development zone to the
north, a low-density multi -family zone to the east, and a low-density single-family
residential district farther to the east. A little bit of background about the property.
Um, Johnson County obtained this property in the 1870s as part of a larger 160 -
acre poor farm tract. Um, over the time this parcel has been severed away from
that larger area by Highway 218 and Camp Cardinal Boulevard. It's a remaining
kind of north-east corner of the original poor farm tracts. Johnson County did
own and then sell the property to John Harding in 2014 just after the Iowa .... Iowa
City adopted our 2013 Comprehensive Plan. Um, the future land use map shows
the parcel as public/private open space due to that public ownership at the time
that we developed that plan. There are, um, some additional sensitive features
known to be in the vicinity, including steep slopes, wetlands, and a stream
corridor. Our previous plan map showed the area as public use, um, based on,
like I said, that ownership and the general continued use of the property for
agricultural at that time. The Hardings, uh, like I said, did hire a consultant
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Page 23
recently to submit three applications to the Planning and Zoning Commission, this
being the first of them. The series of application would allow eventually the
development of a 7,000 -square foot community event center on the site. Um, this
particular application, as I said, is the first of those three and it proposes to amend
the comprehensive future land use map, to change the designation from that
public/private open space designation to a commercial designation, and the
amendment is required for the subsequent application for rezoning to comply with
the comprehensive plan. That is one of the criteria that would be evaluated with
the rezoning. This exhibit shows the, uh, subject property highlighted in yellow,
um, on the existing future land use map, where the little green comer is the, uh,
public/private open sace... space designation, and as I said this would be changing
to a general commercial designation. Some additional background, um, the
surrounding area has experienced significant development following the
construction of Camp Cardinal Boulevard in the mid -2000s. Um, the
development in the area includes a variety of housing types and some other non-
residential uses, like medical office. There have also been other comp plan
amendments, um, enacted in the vicinity of this property in 2016 and 2017. Again
the subject property is highlighted in yellow. Those other comprehensive plan
future land use map changes were indicated in these exhibits. The first one, uh, to
the east, um, was for residential, I'm song, for commercial office development,
and another.... additional one for additional residential development. Staff does
use two basic criteria to review a comprehensive plan amendment, including, uh,
whether circumstances have changed in the vicinity, um, requiring an amendment
to be .... making an amendment appropriate, and whether the proposed amendment
would be compatible with other policies or provisions in the City's
comprehensive plan. As far as changed, uh, circumstances, as I've outlined,
there's been some changes, significant changes, in ownership moving from a
public, uh, ownership by the County to a private individual owning the land, and
then there's of course been the general development of the neighborhood over
time. Um, onsite sensitive features will still need to be accommodated through
our sensitive areas ordinance regardless of what its future land use designation
would be. So even though it's moving from an open space designation to a
commercial designation, those sensitive features are subject to other regulations
and would be, uh, regulated in that way. Um, and again, general commercial is
not a zoning district designation. It's an appropriate future land use category
which comprises several different possible, uh, zoning districts. Um, in this case
we understand the applicant will be filing .... a rezoning, and it's an OPD, overlay
plan district zoning, because of those sensitive features. So that's gonna function
more like a site plan and be very specific to the future proposed use in this case.
As far as compatibility with other policies or provisions of the comprehensive
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Page 24
plan. Um, we focused our review on our land use policies, encouraging buffering
of residential development from major highways, um, the development at the
corner of Camp Cardinal Boulevard, which is an arterial, and Camp Cardinal
Road, which is a collector, both more than local streets, um, would be .... having
commercial in this area would be an appropriate way to create distance and a
buffer of uses between, uh, the highway and residential. Also looking at natural
resources and preserving natural resources by discouraging sprawl and
encouraging infill instead, and then continuing to enforce our sensitive areas
ordinance. As far as next steps goes, highlighted here in blue is the step that we
are at with this property. Um, this is a comprehensive plan amendment. Like I
said, that's required in order for findings to be made, um (mumbled) for any
potential rezoning, which would be the next stage, and they've also requested, uh,
that the City vacate a portion of right-of-way along Camp Cardinal Boulevard, as
well. After those steps would be completed, coming to you through the Planning
and Zoning Commission. Then there is a site planning stage and some platting
that does need to occur, and then, uh, those would also be steps that you would
see. So, based on a review of the relevant criteria, staff recommended approval of
the proposed amendment. Staff believes that changing the future land design ... use
designation from public/private open space to general commercial is compatible
with the policies in the comprehensive plan, especially those relating to land use
and natural resources. At their August 6a' meeting, by a vote of 5-0, the Planning
and Zoning Commission upheld this recommendation and is forward it to you
tonight with that, um, recommendation of approval. The applicant did, um,
perform a ... the best they could a good neighbor meeting. Um, during COVID
we're not encouraging face-to-face meetings, but they have sent out letters
informing neighbors of what, uh, what the plans were and were accepting
comments directly from the neighbors, uh, and respond to those letters if there
were any. That concludes my staff report and I'm happy to answer questions!
Teague: Doesn't sound like any questions for you! Thank you! Um, would anyone from
the public like to address this topic. If so please raise your hand and I will call
upon you. Seein..... oh, uh, Jon. Welcome!
Mamer: Hi, thank you, Mr. Mayor. Uh, Jon Marner with MMS Consultants speaking on
behalf of the applicant, John Harding. Danielle did a nice job of covering all of
the, some of the issues that we've.... worked through with staff, to this point, for
the comprehensive plan amendment. A few key points I wanna touch on. Uh...
we feel some of the development immediately to the east, the multi -family and the
church specifically, will be nice compatible uses with this, the planned use for this
applicant. He's actually approached the church and discussed his plans for an
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Page 25
event center at this location, and they're excited with that opportunity or with the
possibility of having something like that nearby. Danielle mentioned the sensitive
areas on the site. The concept that we have in place, that she touched on, will be
presented later on down the road. The concept that we have in place tries to
maintain as many of those sensitive features as possible.....and be respectful of
the sensitive areas ordinance. We've worked with staff quite a bit to this point on
some of those concepts. As she mentioned, we're working through some of the...
some revisions that were requested by staff to continue moving that forward.
(mumbled) the goal would be to maintain as many of those sensitive features, the
wooded areas and some of the slopes and ... and wetlands... there as possible. The
applicant feels there ... with the projected use or the perspective use that he's
proposing here. They're beneficial, as well. You know, if it's an event center
having those nice wooded areas and some of those types of things can provide a
nice, uh, enhancement for the site. And....the other thing I'd like to talk about
briefly, I know there were some concerns at P&Z about the ... the traffic out onto
Camp Cardinal Road and (mumbled) out onto Camp Cardinal Boulevard, excuse
me. The site wouldn't have direct acc... doesn't have direct access to Camp
Cardinal Boulevard. So any traffic impacts would be only related to traffic that
would exit and enter onto Camp Cardinal Road .... before it would come out to
Camp Cardinal Boulevard. I'm available for any other questions if anybody has
any questions.
Teague: Hearing none, thank you (garbled) Council, um, anyone else like to address this
topic? Council discussion?
Taylor: This is Pauline. Uh, I was really excited to see this item on the agenda, uh, and
this proposal. Camp Cardinal Boulevard has just been, uh, developing so quickly
and so nicely. It's become a very nice north -south, uh, roadway, uh, to drive on in
between Iowa City and Coralville. Uh, and to see, uh, this site to be put to such
good use, do such a unique plan, uh, is very exciting. I do hope, uh, MMS person
mentioned the sensitive area, I do hope that, uh, they can develop it, uh, working
around without compromising those sensitive areas, uh, the sensitive land areas,
uh, and include the ... the buffer along Camp Cardinal Boulevard. So I'm .... I'm in
favor of this, uh, resolution amending the plan to change the, uh, land use, uh, for
this property.
Thomas: I'm .... I'm supportive as well, and uh, you know, for the reasons that Pauline just
mentioned. Uh, I'm also a strong advocate and proponent for sociable places and,
um, you know, having an event center in this part of Iowa City I think will be a
benefit to the larger community, uh, that surrounds the project. Uh, and there
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does seem to be a nice, sympathetic relationship between the use and the ... the
sensitive areas. Now we haven't seen what impacts the project will have but um...
having an event center in a place with unique, uh, sensitive features, uh, I think
is ... is a .... is a good blend. So, tun .... I'm .... I'm interested in this project. I'm
looking forward to it.
Teague: Great! Any other comments?
Weiner: This area of the city really has nothing of that .... of that type, so, uh, I agree it
would be, uh, a positive addition.
Teague: All right! Hearin' no other comments.... roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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10.c. Fringe Area Rezoning — Sioux Avenue SE — Letter to the Johnson
County Planning and Zoning Commission in support of a rezoning from
County Agriculture (A) to County Residential (R) for approximately 1.76
acres of property located at 4477 Sioux Avenue SE within Fringe Area B —
Outside the Growth Boundary of the City/County Fringe Area. (CREZ20-
0001)
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Salih: Move ... by Salih.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Staff presentation?
Sitzman: Thank you, Mayor, Danielle Sitzman again. Um, this is a rezoning, as you said,
um, land located in fringe area B outside of the City of Iowa City's growth area.
At this time the family of Tin Rose LLC the property owner would like to rezone
this parcel for a family member. Because the property is within Iowa City's two-
mile fringe area, the, uh, fringe area agreement specifies the City will make a
recommendation to the County Planning and Zoning Commission before they, uh,
consider the application. They do make their final determination. So the property
is shown here outlined in white. It's about a half a mile to a mile outside the
City's current, uh... uh, city limits. Um .... this is showing the entire parcel, uh, the
larger area, um, the applicant has also submitted a subdivision application to the
County to create essentially these two lots, um, one lot is the proposed
residentially -zoned lot, with the other remaining 34.68 -acre lot continue to be
zoned County Agricultural (A). For the ... per our fringe area agreement,
subdivisions of this type, uh, do not need to come to the City for review and
approval. Um, this shows the current zoning of the property, which is County
Residential (R). County Residential (R) allows, uh, lots between a half ..or a
quarter acre to two acres in size with an overall max density of one unit per acre.
Um, this shows the, again, and it's located in that fringe area B outside the City's
growth area, um .... and as I said, this is, uh.... subject to our fringe area
agreement, which is a component of the City's comprehensive plan and applies to
areas outside of the City's jurisdiction. They're not planned for in the City's own
comprehensive plan, and is within two miles of the City's corporate limit. Staff
does rely on this policy in reviewing these types of applications. Um, there are
two criteria that we use for reviewing them — compliance with the comp plan and
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compatibility with existing neighborhoods. Um, as far as compliance with the
County's comprehensive plan, the County land use plan, uh, does recommend that
this area be, uh, continue to be agricultural; however, residential use already exists
on the property and the proposed zoning, uh, that's proposed would not allow for
additional residential units because of the density limitations that are in the
County zoning district. As far as compliance with the fringe area agreement, um,
again it's in fringe area B outside our projected growth area, um, where
agricultural uses are still per... preferred. Um, but, um, and restrictions to rural
agricultural uses are preferred. Um, again based on the County zoning district, no
additional residential development would be, uh, able to happen under this
rezoning. So as far as next steps there's really not too much more for City
Council once you make your recommendation tonight. Um, based on our review
of the relevant criteria, staff did recommend approval of the proposed rezoning,
although acknowledging that it does not directly align with the policies outlined in
the fringe area agreement. Felt that it still met the intent of that (mumbled) the
subject area already consisting of residential and this rezoning not encouraging
additional residential use. At its August 20' meeting, the Planning and Zoning
Commission concurred with staff's recommendation and voted 6-0 to forward it
to you tonight with that ... with the recommendation for approval. Um, that
concludes my staff report. Happy to answer questions!
Teague: Great, thank you! Any, uh, questions? All right. Would anyone from the public
like to address this topic? If so please raise your hand and I'll call upon you. And
if you're on the phone, you can press *9 and your hand will raise. Seein' no one,
Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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11. FY2021 Budget Amendment Public Hearing — Resolution Amending the
Current Budget for Fiscal Year Ending June 30, 2021.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: Urn ... I'm gonna open the public hearing.
Fruin: Um, Mayor and Council, this is Geoff Frain, uh, City Manager, and before I
introduce Jacklyn Fleagle, our Budget and Compliance Officer, I just wanted to
provide a little context to this item. Uh, there's been a little bit of misinformation
circulating on what the Council is actually taking up tonight. Um, you have
already approved the fiscal year 21 budget. You did so on March 20. Uh, and
it's customary throughout the year, um, that we, um, amend the budget. We
typically do so about three times throughout the year to amend the budget. Uh,
this initial amendment, um, to the fiscal year budget typically focuses on
carryover funds. Uh, those are funds that were budgeted and allocated the
previous year that didn't get spent in that year. So we carry those over. Those are
often most, um, common with projects. If you think of a park improvement
project, a road project, um, that doesn't get completed in one year, those funds get
carried forward to another year. Uh, that happens in operational budgets too.
Maybe a department budgeted for a ... a purchase, um, of...of a software or some
particular item. If they did not get that done that fiscal year, those funds come
over. So that's primarily what we typically focus on, uh, with this early budget
amendment. However, as you may have seen in looking at this item, um, what
we're really, uh, the vast majority of amendments you're making right here are
actually, uh, COVID-related. Um, so because of the financial pressures that
COVID has caused, um, we had to go into this budget almost immediately after
we adopted it and cut out, um, significant, hundreds of thousands of dollars, uh, to
the budget, uh, across a number of departments, um, actually well north of a
million total, but urn ... uh..... uh.....uh, certainly several hundred thousand dollars
in many department budgets were .... were cut. Um, you're also seeing
amendments to amend in any, uh.... uh, support that we had received say from the
CARES Act, uh, with, uh, COVID funding. So you're seeing some graphs of
increases in revenue related to COVID. You're certainly seeing a lot of decreases
in revenue. A lot of the conversation, um, that ... that, um, I've heard, uh, has
focused on what you're approving related to the police department, and I think I
just, uh, would like to mention, uh, setting those carry -forwards aside and gettin'
those projects that they had prior authorization for that didn't get completed.
You're actually cutting the police department budget by about $203,000, uh, with
this amendment, and again, those are COVID-related cuts, uh, so, uh, again as ... as
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we felt the financial pressures of COVID, um, we've realized that we could not,
um ... uh, move forward with that adopted budget without, uh, cuts to departments,
and in this case, again, the police department cuts to the approved operation total
just under $203,000. So with that, um, I ... I'm gonna back out and, uh, allow
Jacklyn to .... to share a short presentation with you and give you a little bit more
context to ... to decide on tonight.
Fleagle: Okay, one second here .... share my screen. So my name is Jacklyn Fleagle, as
Geoff mentioned. with the Finance Department. Um, as mentioned, I'm
presenting on the first budget amendment for fiscal year 2021. Um .... all right....
so just kind of an overview of the whole budget process. The FY2021 original
budget was approved back on March 24 of this year and that covers, uh, starting
July I' of 2020 through June 30 of 2021. Um, the City policy dictates... allows for
amendments in the following situations. Emergent situations, uh, transfers from
contingency, expenditures with offsetting revenues or fund balance, and carryover
of prior year budget authority. Um, City can amend the budget at any time during
the year, other than the last 30 days of the fiscal year, per State Administrative
Code. The .... Iowa City averages about three amendments per fiscal year.
Typically early fall is our first one, which would be this one; the spring of the
following year; and then oftentimes early summer of the following year. The next
planned amendment coincides with the fiscal year 2022 budget process. That
would be approved in March of 2021. Uh, for this amendment, um, largely falls
into the two categories of carryover of prior year budget authority and emergent
situations. So carry forward requests from the 2020 operating budget, um,
submitted by departments, and then reviewed by the City Manager's office, as
well as the Finance Department. Typically this includes carry forwards over
5,000 or I% of that division's budget minimum. Um, also included are capital
improvement project budget carry forwards, uh, projects that were previously
budgeted for, um .... as the capital improvement projects schedule usually aligns
more of the calendar year, versus our fiscal year cuts off in mid -summer. Um, and
then emergent situations for this, uh, amendment would include COVID-19
related budget cuts, as well as grants and the related expenditures we received, as
well as a few small amendments. Um .... on the .... the revenue side, the major
areas that, uh, saw the biggest changes first being inter -governmental revenues.
Um, this (mumbled) over 17 million and this includes state and federal grants on
capital improvement project carry forwards. So this is, um, projects previously
budgeted for that weren't completed, as well as COVID-19 and CARES Act
grants, um, in there as well. The next largest change was in transfers in. This saw
a decrease of about $2.6 million. Uh, this is due to capital improvement project
reductions, as well as, uh, during the last fiscal year we had an early payoff of the
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lease purchase agreement, so we no longer needed those debt service transfers.
And then ... the other large program (mumbled) amended was charges for services,
and this is $1.8 million and that is based off of estimated revenue reductions due
to COVID. On the flip side, we have expenditures. The largest increase there is
almost 35 million, mostly made up of major capital improvement projects, some
of the larger notable ones being the American Legion Road, uh, McCollister
Boulevard project, and Myrtle/Riverside intersection. Uh, another large program
level change is business type and enterprise. One item for 7.4 million. Again,
large capital improvement projects, the Scott trunk sewer and annual sewer
projects being the two larger of those. Uh, additionally, community and economic
development program line saw a $1.8 million increase, primarily due to carry
forwards of CDBG and Home funds, and the UniverCity program expenditures,
as well as COVID-19 grant expenditures. In conclusion, this is the first
amendment for FY2021. The overall total impact to the fund balance is a
decrease of about .... 35 million and (mumbled) fund balances and will not affect
property tax levies. Um .... I'll take any questions you ... you guys may have!
Teague: Sounds like no questions! All right! Would anyone, um (clears throat) from the
public like to address this topic? And actually I'm gonna open up the public
hearing. Um, I'm .... gonna open up the public hearing. And then if you'd like to
address this topic, we ask that you keep your comments, um, three to five
minutes, and I will call you by name if you want to address this topic. Seeing no
one I'm going to close the public hearing. Oh, I do see Liana, uh, before I close
the public hearing. Um, Liana, welcome!
Suleiman: Hi, thank you. Um, right so I would just like to make a comment about the
budget and the terms of which we can go ahead and restructure the budget
allocations in the upcoming year. Um, earlier during the work session, I believe it
was the City Manager who said that there was currently no action items to review
the budget on, um, policing, and .... uh, earl .... it was during that same meeting he
had mentioned that, I believe, $2 million were needed to be found for the City in
order to reallocate that money into providing free fare for the City. Um, that $2
million, if 203,000 is what we just heard that number, $203,000 was redirected
from ICPD a few months ago for COVID-related costs. I'm giving you ... here's
another $230,000 that you can reallocate from funding. Um, at the last City
Council meeting the proposal was to fund $230,000 to replace 69 tasers from the
ICPD. Um ... now you're up to half a million dollars, roughly to, uh, to cover that
$2 million for the City to go towards the fare fee. So again I would like to call
into question the good faith of City Council into reallocating and work to defund
the Iowa City Police Department. Um ... this very much is an emergent situation.
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On June 16th when you signed the demands, one of those demands was to allocate
$1 million towards diversity and, um, the ... the (mumbled) diversity and arts
within, um, Iowa City. That was an emergent situation at the time, and defunding
the ICPD still very much is one as well. Um, so if those.... action items are able
to be had for COVID-related expenses, if this... reallocation was able to be had
on .... earlier this summer, then it absolutely can still be reallocated for emergent
situations of which ... this, these demands are absolutely one of them. Um, so
again, I believe, um, the City Manager implied earlier at the start when he was
speaking that there's very few situations in which the budget can be changed,
um .... I would just like to call into .... the picture the credibility of City Council in
moving forward and putting, urn ... essentially just doing your jobs, into what you
promised (mumbled) accomplished a few months ago. So, thank you again!
Teague: Thank you. We're gonna have David, followed by Raneem.
Sterling: (mumbled) okay, am I still comin' through okay?
Teague: Yes!
Sterling: Uh, thank you. Urn .... I guess I'll just be quick. You know, this, uh.... this really
just is .... it's bad faith, you know? Uh, the ... the demands have been clear, and uh,
you know, I'm not going to point the finger at any one person on this, uh, suppose
it's always a group effort and, uh, you know ...but uh.... you know, I think this
should be delayed. I think that, um, there should be public notice of this delay for
citizens to submit, uh, requests and ideas. Um ... cause it just....it....it feels so
inappropriate. It honestly feels like the perfect fuel for more intense protesting,
more intense, urn ... uh... horrible vandalism, spray paint everywhere, the whole
town will be painted in pretty colors and ... it's gonna be the worst thing ever. Um,
yeah! So .... not a good idea. That ... that's my vote, that's my voice. Not a good
idea. I'm out. Thanks!
Teague: Thank you, David. Raneem.
Hamad: Um, I just wanted to thank you for letting me speak and I just wanted to second
everything that Liana said. Um, I think it's really important that Council takes
into account, um, everything that she has brought up, um, for this ... in this
conversation right now. Thank you!
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Teague: Great! Anyone else like to address the topic, and if you're on the phone you can
press •9. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a
motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Bergus: Seconded, Bergus.
Teague: Council discussion? I ... I guess for me, when, um ..... at least for this budget, um,
we .... we in our work session just finished talking about how .... we as a Council
will move forward with some policing efforts that we set forth in our resolution.
And so ... everything that's gonna be happenin' with policing, that is gonna be
through a ... a coordinated effort, and so I .... I .... I heard from the pub ... from
individuals that talked about this budget. Um, this is just a, somethin' that's
already been approved, um, although there will be some changes, um, to, um,
we're .... we're anticipatin' changes, uh, to the police budget. So I am comfortable
movie' forward with, um, this part of it. Um, down the road if we decide to do
something, we have every opportunity to.
Mims: I would agree with you, Mayor. Uh, I think this is ... I ... I do think there, uh, is a lot
of misunderstanding with this. I will tell you, I mean having served on Council
for 10 %z years, I would say that the budget amendments are the things that are the
most difficult to understand in terms of ...what we do and why we do them,
and .... and how they work. Um .... I think as the City Manager said, you know,
some immediate, uh, adjustments were made to the 2021 budget, um, as COVID
kicked in. Um, it doesn't mean that we can't make additional changes as we go
forward, if we see a significant need to. Um, but as you said, Mayor, we ... we are
committed, um, to working through those 17 points in that resolution, and you
know, I think we've already ...I feel, uh, in the time frame we've made quite a bit
of, uh, headway and we will certainly continue. We've got more discussions
tonight, and we'll continue to do that. Uh, this allows the City to continue, uh, to
move forward, uh, with projects that, um, are carried over from last year. As I
said, this is so frequent that we have these kinds of things because the
construction season, lot of our CIP projects. So this really is a, in general is a
pretty routine, it does not change, um, our ability to make adjustments related to
the Black Lives Matter issue as we move forward.
Taylor: Thank you for clarifying that, Susan.
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Salih: I just wanna just make it clear to the public, so I will ask the staff question to
Eleanor and, uh, Geoff. Uh, if we would like to change (goes silent) amendment
it, right?
Fruin: As long as you're amending in a way that's consistent with state law, um, yes!
You can.
Salih: (garbled; goes silent)
Teague: Any other comments? (garbled) Okay. Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Weiner: Second, Weiner.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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12. Ground Lease —150 E. Court — Resolution approving a ground lease with
Iowa City Hotel Associates, LLC for space to store a solid waste container at
150 E. Court Street.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. And staff presentation please.
Fruin: Mayor, I can, uh, I can tackle this one. Uh, this is a pretty routine item. Um, we
lease a portion of our parking deck, uh, to the Hilton Garden Inn, uh... uh, for
storage of their dumpsters, and uh, needing to renew this lease .... we're asking
you to renew this lease for three years. So this has been a ... an arrangement since
they opened up. Again, uh, they pay us a rent, uh, for taking parking spaces in
that deck for storage of their dumpsters.
Teague: Great! Anyone have, uh, questions for Geoff? Okay. Public discussion? Would
anyone like to address this topic? Please raise your hand.
Dilkes: Mayor, this is a public hearing. Because it's a three-year lease.
Teague: Okay. All right. So, urn .... I think I opened the public hearing already.
Fruehling: Yes you did.
Teague: Yes! So we're in, uh, public discussion, but thank you, uh, for the reminder.
Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a motion to
approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Council discussion? Hearing none, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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13. Prohibition on Feeding Deer — Ordinance amending Title S, entitled "Police
Regulations," Chapter 4, entitled "Animal Services," to prohibit feeding of
deer. (Second Consideration)
Teague: Could I get a motion please?
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Salih: Second, Salih.
Teague: Would anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so please raise your
hand, and if you're on the phone you can, uh, dial *9 and your hand will raise and
I will call you. Uh, and Laurie Crawford, and we're askin' everyone to keep their,
uh, comments to three to five minutes. Welcome, Laurie! You're on mute!
Crawford: There we go! It's just a question. Urn .... the portion that talks about an exception
that the City can permit feeding of deer as part of a deer management program. I
wanna make sure that that, cause it doesn't say this in the ordinance, I wanna
make sure that that refers only to sharpshooting and not bow hunting. Can
someone answer that?
Dilkes: I can. It ... it would allow it for, urn ... bow hunting, but as you know, um, that's not
part of the rules that are envisioned for the bow hunting.
Crawford: So the rules not to feed or bait would override this?
Dilkes: It allows the Council to, urn .... to authorize that, but it does not require them to
authorize it, and later on in the agenda the rules for the bow hunting do not allow
it.
Crawford: Okay, I understand that, uh, but my question is ... I understand that, uh, that it
doesn't allow feeding or baiting, that the bow hunting rules don't allow that, but
my question is do the bow hunt rules overrule this ordinance?
Dilkes: It's not a question of overruling because this ordinance does not .... require the
Council to provide the exception. So yes, the bow hunting rules will apply.
Crawford: Okay. Thank you! That's all I have. Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you, Laurie. Would anyone else like to address this topic? Hearing none
....Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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14. Deer Management — Bow Hunting — Ordinance amending Title 8, entitled
"Police Regulations," Chapter 7, entitled "Weapons," to allow persons to
discharge an arrow as part of an approved deer management plan. (Pass &
Adopt)
Teague: Um, could I get a motion to pass and adopt?
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Thomas: (both talking) Thomas.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Public discussion? Please raise your
hand if you would like to address this topic. Uh, Florence, welcome! Please keep
your comments three to five minutes. You're on mute, Florence, we can't hear
you. There you go! Hello, Florence! Florence, we still can't hear you. We're
gonna go to Lori and then we'll swing back to Florence. Welcome, Lori!
Kendrick: Hi, Mayor Teague, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Kendrick: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes we can!
Kendrick: Good evening .... you know, I'm listening to the Iowa Freedom Riders, the BM...
the BLM.... and Iowa City Deer Friends has been going through what ... their
presently going through. We've been going through the BS ... for two years. As
Mohamed said, the Council repeatedly communicating, oh we hear you! We hear
you! Yet not acting on it! As David said.... the.... worrying about the property.
My god! Hostas are bein' nibbled on! Let's kill deer, let's take lives. And there's
always a progression from how people see animals and wildlife .... and then how
they treat people, how they treat each other. The lack of compassion, the lack of
understanding. And as you know, a petition complaining about deer
browsing .... in Buffalo Wood .... or Bluffwood neighborhood initially triggered the
whole `let's kill the Iowa City deer.' And I received word today from City staff
that there have been approximately six to 12 deer browse complaints this year.
Six to 12 complaints! Tell me this justifies the City partnering with a local
business, Fin and Fur, that owner is on ... has been on the deer committee. Tell me
that's not a conflict of interest. Now he's the one that's gonna profit from selling
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hunt equipment, and training and certifying predominantly white, male hunters to
mask up and stalk our community in the midst of BLM and IFR negotiations?
Are you serious? Iowa City's already at the top of world news for COVID.
Surely we don't need to escalate an already tense community situation for the
sake of protecting a few wealthy residents' hostas. And according to resolution
19-21621, the duration of the hunt shall be a minimum of 30 days! There's been
no clear or decisive public communication at all concerning a change in the length
of time that the hunt will cover. Multiple Council Members at the previous
meeting asked for clarification and boldly stated that they supported keeping the
hunt to 30 days, while City Manager stammers about some previous deal that he
cut with the NRC for a longer hunt. That hardly adheres to Iowa Code
380.B .... 8.B, which mandates, `If a proposed code of ordinances contains a new
ordinance or an amendment to existing ordinances, the Council shall hold a public
hearing on the proposed (mumbled) before adoption.' You .... you haven't given
us time at all! Just like IFR is saying. Everything's great behind closed doors.
And then you go public and it's like nobody ever discussed anything! And you're
just movin' on your own trajectory. As Martin Luther King Jr. said, `There comes
a time when one must take a position that is neither safe nor politic nor popular,
but he must take it because conscience tells him it is right.' I ask that you respect
the citizens of your community, of whom you represent, and vote against the
proposed extended four-month hunt. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Lori. We're gonna have Florence try again, followed by Allison.
And, Florence, uh, we don't, uh, there you are! Will you try speaking? We're
gonna go to Allison. We're .... we're havin' issues with, uh, Florence. I'm not
sure why. Welcome, Allison.
Jaynes: Hi, Mayor Teague. I'm gonna talk against the proposed hunt here. Um, we are
currently in the midst of spiking coronavirus outbreaks, um, we're dealing with
the Black Lives Matter movement, and essentially our collective reckoning with
the racist roots of our society, and I would say that this is not the time to invite
masked and armed hunters into our community. Um, there was a 2011 survey that
was conducted by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service that found that 94% of deer
hunters are white and 88% are male. So my question is, is this really the time for
Iowa City to be paying to manage yet another activity that is heavily dominated
by white males? Additionally there was a poll done by the, uh, the National
Wildlife Federation and they found that 50% consider themselves conservative,
compared to 37% moderate and 10% liberal. And it's not really surprising that
these ranks skew conservative. Um, but it is surprising that the City is about to
make the decision to attract people into our city, from outside, that will be
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absolutely carrying a weapon, and statistically likely to be conservative. This is a
very tense, uh, political situation, political climate right now. I think that's both
very disrespectful to what we're dealing with as a city, and then also just asking
for trouble. Um, I was involved with, uh, looking at some of the rules and
regulations for the ... for the hunt, and felt that they, uh, were cherry -picked to be
less restrictive than comparable towns, such as Ames and Cedar Rapids. Um, this
is pretty much guaranteeing that we'll see an influx of out-of-town hunters that
want to bag an easy buck and so again these aren't going to be people just in their
own backyards, but out-of-town hunters that will be going around the community
and trying to convince people to let them hunt on their land, and who knows what
will happen as a result o£..of any of those activities. Um, I just wanna go back to
the words that Tony DeNicola had ... had said out loud at one of the, um, public
forums, before last winter's, uh, sharpshooting program. He said, `I've been
doing this for 30 years and nothing has changed.' And what he means by that is
that deer typically increase their birth rate following a kill or a hunt, uh, they
sometimes triple it to replace those that have been lost. So the bow hunt will not
substantially decrease the number of deer in the city. It will not keep the
population at a low number. And it will only bring strife and the potential for
serious problems into our community. I'd like to ask you to vote against, uh, the
resolution to conduct the hunts this year and reconsider, uh, a better way to go
about this by postponing or canceling it and appealing to the DNR. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Allison. We're gonna try Florence one more time! Florence, can you
unmute yourself? And ... and maybe try to speak now. We're not getting.... we're
not getting, uh, Florence. Yep. We're not getting Florence. Okay, we're going to
have Laurie Crawford, following by David. And we're askin' everybody to keep
their comments three to five minutes please.
Crawford: The rules are number 15, right? Right now .... we're not talkin' about rules yet, is
that correct?
Teague: That is correct. If you wanna (both talking) although people are kinda mixin' `em
up a little bit, uh, but if you wanna wait till then (both talking)
Crawford: No, I don't .... no, I'm gonna do both! (laughs) Um, I'm concerned, uh, why all
of a sudden we're having a hundred day bow hunt (clears throat) um, being
proposed when 30 was the number discussed in 2019 and also the number in the
resolution 19-216. Uh, it seemed to me that some of the Council Members were
surprised also that this was much longer than the 30 -day hunt that's being
proposed. I have a question which is who authorized a hundred days? Um, I
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would have assumed that that would be a Council decision. I think, um, it might
be better for reasons that others have stated to forego the hunt this year. Based on
what's going on with COVID, I mean, you know, we're number one in COVID
and this probably isn't a good time to add additional stress to our community. I
think we have better uses of police resources right now. This whole bow hunt
and .... and sharpshooting occurred because we've had six to 12 complaints, a
year, about browse, um, and we killed 500 deer last winter with the sharpshooting.
So I don't understand why six to 12 complaints a year justifies hunt at all. I
understand this is the agreement you made with the Natural Resources
Commission, but I ask, uh.... if it's possible to have that reconsidered, to attempt
that and if not .... to not have the bow hunt this year, and if you do to limit it to 30
days. Thank you. Oh, oh I have one more quick thing! So another problem with
the bow hunt is the type of people that come in, I mean you've got obviously
good people and bad people in any group, but I sent an email to all of you that I
received yesterday from a man, which and I'm assuming that you got it, which
called me "Karen" and then asked me if I'd like to hold the legs while he gutted
the deer and I find that to be threatening and intimidating and it makes me feel
unsafe, and I had a number of those types of incidents in Cedar Rapids, including
one hunter turning on the gas in my yard and I ... I really don't wanna go through
that personally again either. So thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Laurie! Uh, we're gonna try Florence and see if we can't get her on
the line, and then after Florence we're gonna have David. All right, Florence, if
you can unmute. We still can't hear you, Florence. Um, if you can unmute your
phone somehow or your device. Florence, I'm sorry but I ... we won't be able to
hear from you today. Um, we certainly did try. Uh, we're gonna have the last
hand that I see raised is David, um, come up at this time.
Drustrup: Thank you, Mayor, appreciate that. Uh, you know one of the nice things about,
uh, gettin' more civically involved with y' all is gettin' to hear about the other
things goin' on in the city. So thanks to the Iowa City Deer Friends, you know,
for keepin' us all engaged and in the loop of all that's going on, and .... (goes
silent)
Teague: David, you're on mute.
Drustrup: Oops, sorry! (both talking)
Teague: We heard you until (both talking)
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Drustrup: Cool, thanks! Um ... yeah, the ... I listened to them the last few weeks, you know,
this seems like a .... a no-brainer for us, especially (mumbled) (clears throat) what
Allison and Laurie were just saying (coughing) excuse me (coughing)
Teague: (mumbled) gettin' yourself back together, David, so we'll ... we'll wait.
Drustrup: Um ... very sorry about that. Had somethin' go down the wrong pipe. But um
(clears throat) uh, listening to them talk the last few weeks it seems like, uh, kind
of like a no-brainer, you know, Allison and Laurie talkin' about the types of
people cumin' in and, you know, with everything that's going on with IFR and
Black Lives Matter, it seems like, um, seems like this is not the subsection of the
population that we want coming in armed and ... and, um, you know, coming into
town with the idea that they're here to .... to kill things, um, especially with some
of the talk we had earlier about, um, people valuing property over people, and
now this is just ... it seems like a pretty easy one. So, um, just wanted to put my
two cents in there and thanks to the IC Deer Friends for bringing this up for all of
us. Thanks!
Teague: Thank you, David. We're gonna have Rosa, followed... once again we're gonna
try Florence! Hello, Rosa! We, uh, if you can unmute. There you go!
Rodriguez: Okay! Yes, so, um, I have a couple of questions, um, and this is partially perhaps
questions about the law, the Iowa laws. Um .... um, when people do bow hunting,
um, it sounds like it's not uncommon, uh, for a hunter to shoot a deer, and for that
....in one location and for that deer to go to another location. Um, so my question
is, if a hunter gets permission from property A, owner of property A, and shoots a
deer with bow and arrow on that property A, without killing it, and that deer goes
to property B, is it lawful for an armed hunter to enter property B to kill it? That's
my first question. Um ... my second question is, if a deer dies on your property,
and you find a dead deer on your property, does the hunter need permission to
enter your property to receive it? To retrieve it, I'm sorry! Um ... uh, another
question I have, the third question I have, is ... if a person is injured as a result of a
bow hunt, either by a hunter or by an injured deer trying to flee, who is liable?
Um .... the City? Or the hunter? These are some questions that, um, I'm .... that
are on my mind and I ... maybe some context. People have been bringing up
COVID, but I haven't yet heard anybody talk about how COVID has kept people
at home, both adults and children, who are maybe learning from home remotely
and needing to go outside on breaks, and I just kind of wanna have people
imagine... how.... at-home workers and children, um, could encounter hunters and
deer on their property. Those are my questions. Thank you for listening.
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Teague: Thank you, uh, Rosa. Um, I ... if, Kellie, will you connect with Rosa and maybe
get a .... a phone number or email, please. And then, um, maybe we can have
Eleanor reach back out to her.
Dilkes: Mayor, I can just answer the ... the question about entering another person's
property to retrieve the deer. There's a specific, um .... exception to the trespass
law that allows it.
Rodriguez: Okay. So then allows.... sorry, just to clarify. That allows an armed hunter to
enter the property, or does the hunter need to be unarmed to enter the property?
This is my question.
Dilkes: I'd have to look at the specific code section. I'm .... I can't answer that right now,
but ... but if Kellie gets your information I certainly can and answer it for ya.
Rodriguez: I think that's an important question. Thank you very much. I appreciate it.
Teague: Thank you, Rose.
Fruehling: I can pull her email off the registration.
Teague: Thanks (both talking) All right, great! Uh, Florence! Welcome! And if you can
unmute. Um, try to unmute one more time. All right, sorry about that, Florence.
Fruehling: Mayor, I did email Florence and gave her the call-in information, just ... if she's
listening and wants to check her email.
Teague: Okay. All right, thank you. All right, we are .... thanks, uh, for everybody chimin'
in there. Um .... we are gonna move on, um .... we're still at this one. Okay! Um,
so Council discussion.
Taylor: Mayor, um, I'd just like to clarify. I mean this ... this we're just voting on whether
to include that language in that article, and I ... I just wanted to kind of clarify, if
we don't include this additional language in the article regarding weapons, uh,
how would that affect the arrangement with Iowa Natural Resources, uh, on the
bow hunting of deer? I mean it would seem to me then that bow hunting is not
allowed in the city if it's not in this article. Would that be correct?
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Dilkes: An amendment to the ordinance is required.....in order to proceed with your deer
management plan.
Taylor: Thank you.
Salih: I just wanna ask you, if we did not do this amendment... what going to happen?
Can we, because I really also don't understand the (mumbled) 100 days, if
somebody can tell me about that.
Dilkes: Uh.... I would suggest that we finish this item and then move on to the next one. I
believe that Geoff has a presentation with respect to the bow hunting rules that
might inform that discussion. Um .... if you wanna wait and vote on this ordinance
until after you deal with the ... the, uh, rules, you can certainly do that.
Salih: Because those both are related to each other, you know, uh, I really would like to
know in order ...cause I can't .... it doesn't make sense to approve this and deny the
other, you know.
Teague: So .... I'm assumin' we need a motion to defer, um, until after ...Item 15 discussion.
Dilkes: I don't think you need a motion to defer. You can just take up the other item and
vote on it, then take this one (mumbled)
Teague: All right. All right, so we're gonna move on to ... well, let me see if Councilor...
what are Council thoughts? Do we wanna move on to the next....
Salih: (mumbled)
Teague: And I'm ... I'm comfortable movin' on (several talking) Okay.
Salih: But I really don't understand like, um .... you mean .... if we approve the rules, and
now we can still deny the deer management bow hunting?
Teague: I .... I think I can go back up to the top, deer .... I can go back up to the top of
this ... or number 14, and then ... um, after we talk about #15. We're stili gonna have
to get, uh, public comment on #15 and then Council discussion.
Salih: Sure!
Teague: All right! So we're gonna move onto Item #15.
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15. Bow Hunt Rules and Requirements — Resolution approving the rules and
requirements of the Bow Hunt Program.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: Okay, and then we're gonna have a staff presentation.
Frain: (mumbled) Mayor and Council, again Geoff Fruin, City Manager. I wanna, uh,
back up and provide some more, uh, context to how we got here tonight. Um,
throughout the 2000s, the City had an active deer management program, uh,
where, uh, we utilized sharpshooting on an annual basis to control the deer
population. In the late 2000s, uh, the City decided to stop, uh... uh, with the
sharpshooting program and did not have an active deer management program.
Uh, beginning, uh, in around 2016, 17, and 18, the City, uh, Council certainly saw
a significant uptick in, uh, concerns from residents about, uh, the growing deer
population. Uh, we then had, um, a, uh, a .... a deer count brought in that showed
that our deer population, uh, had indeed, um, ballooned back up to, uh, pre -2000
levels, when that sharpshooting was first deemed necessary. Um, the last deer
count we had I believe noted that we had about 85 deer per square mile in some,
uh, parts of our community. Uh, so in 2019, after, uh, more than a year of back
and forth with the State, uh, the City Council, uh, again just last year in August,
unanimously passed a resolution for our deer management program. Uh, Council,
um, has never been, and I think it's safe to say, is not excited about having a, uh,
a .... a urban bow hunt program, but, uh, felt it was necessary in order, uh, to get
the approval that we needed from the State of Iowa to conduct the sharpshooting
that we did last year. So essentially what happened was that, uh, we went to the
State, we said we'd like to resume our sharpshooting, uh, to, urn ... uh, just like we
did in 2000, in the 2000s. The State said no, you can't do that. You must bow
hunt. Uh, we went back to them and negotiated essentially a one-year
sharpshooting and then a commitment for four years of bow hunting, and we're
now discussing year one of that bow hunt. So again, just to make it clear, uh, the
past Council was not excited about this. Urn .... and, uh.... uh, but it .... but it was
necessary in order to move forward with the deer management program. Uh, this
past, uh, winter we did, uh, contract on sharpshooting and as was mentioned
before, uh, there were, uh, 500 deer, uh, culled in Iowa City, over the winter
months. Uh, that ended in mid-March, and at that time we began, uh, working on
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the urban bow hunt program that we committed to, uh, through the State of Iowa.
Um .... we applied for the deer management zone in May. That was a staff
application that I authorized, um, to apply and, um, we had to make a number....
we made a number of decisions on that application, um, and I'll .... I'll mention a
few of those. Uh, the first and ... and really the decision that guided everything
else was whether we were going to allow hunting on public property or private
property or...or all, or both. And, uh, Council may recall when we did
sharpshooting throughout the winter, the vast majority of concerns you heard
from the community was the, uh, sharpshooting taking place in public parks and
at our cemetery, and we heard loud and clear from the community that they did
not like the idea of that hunting taking place in public parks. So the decision I
made as staff, uh, was to, uh.... uh, focus only on private property. Um, in doing
so, uh, I felt obligated, due to the commitment that we made, um, to .... to create
a ... a program, a framework for a program that would allow us to have, um, a .... a
hunt that, uh, met the minimum expectations of the, uh, Natural Resource
Commission, which is the State agency that oversees this. Um, we did extend, uh,
or we .... we, um, applied for the hunt throughout the entire State bow hunting
season, um, given the strong, urn .... um, parameters or restrictions, I should say,
um, we felt that, um, 30 days was not going to be sufficient, and the State
wouldn't see that sufficient, as .... as being sufficient, because we knew that we
were taking public grounds off the table and that we were gonna be fairly
restrictive when it comes to private properties, and we'll get into the restrictions
that we have on private properties. Um, the State was very concerned that we
were just going to go through the motions and we committed that we would not
just go through the motions, that we would give four years of bow hunting, um, a
legitimate shot to help us with our deer management program. Whether we like it
or not, that's the commitment that .... that we made. Um, they, urn .... have a
maximum of. ... of 75 deer tags, um, and ... and that's the other commitment that
was made in May. So we worked, uh, from.....from that point in May, urn .... to
review programs in other communities, and uh, we reviewed a number of those
programs and we tailored our program to what we felt was best. But it's
important to know that every community is different and, um, certain
communities allow, um, hunting in public grounds, and if you allow hunting on
public grounds, you can probably be much more restrictive on where it can take
place on .... on private grounds. And it kind of works both ways. So you have to
really look comprehensively, um, at...at the program you're trying to put together.
Um, the ... the rules and regulations that we have in place are, um, attached to the
agenda item. I can go over any number of those, um, in detail and Eleanor's here
to .... to support me with that. I do wanna let you know that we had, um....
received input, uh, last week from the Iowa City Deer Friends and uh, we
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appreciated very much the input that they provided, and there's a number of
provisions in the rules that you're seeing tonight, uh, that came directly from the
Deer Friends. Uh, I'm by no means trying to represent that we met all of their,
uh, that we took all of their suggestions. Um, but um, there are a number of them,
uh, that .... that, uh, that did come from our conversations with the Deer Friends,
and again, we wanna thank them for continuing to be engaged in those
discussions. Um, I .... I, uh.... wanna, urn ... go through probably the most
important ones, and I'm gonna share my screen because the ... the distance
regulations and the permissions from properties are ... are really the most
important, and uh, what our rules say, uh, was that, uh, no shots can be taken
within 150 -feet of any home, building, or property line, unless that property
owner grants permission. Okay? So if...if, uh, if within 150 -feet someone wants
to hunt around your house, they have to have, uh, your permission to be able to do
so. There also has to be no shots taken within 150 -feet of a trail, road, sidewalk,
park, school ground, or right-of-way. And there is no exception or waiver, uh, to
that particular rule. So I thought would be helpful is we just randomly picked a
few neighborhoods in town and I wanna show you how that, um, 150 -feet, um,
would apply, because what you're going to see is that your average residential
neighborhood, um, is not going to see any bow hunting, um, because we also have
a provision in our rules that if you need more than three waivers, that that
property's automatically excluded. Okay? So again, if. ... if you wanna hunt in
your backyard and you need four people to give you a waiver, it doesn't matter
even if your four neighbors are willing to do that. If you need four, the property's
off limits. The maximum waivers you can get is .... is three. So I'm gonna share
my screen for a minute and just walk you through a couple of neighborhoods, and
hopefully you'll get a sense of ...of how restricted, um, that 150 -feet, uh,
provision will be. Okay, um, so, uh, again what we're lookin' at here is the, uh,
150 -foot. That's the green circle that you see there. Um, that, uh, represents a
radius of 150 -feet. In this first example, uh, which just happens to be in the north
side of town, along Kimball Road, um .... there are four, um ... uh, buildings or
property lines that are within that 150 -feet. This property is not eligible to be
hunted on. Okay? This is moving to more, uh, an inside location near Friendship
Street. You can see this particular location, if you wanted to hunt here, there's
actually nine buildings or property owners, uh, or property lines, excuse me. Uh,
that would require permission. Again our rules say if you need more than three, if
you need four, it's automatically ineligible. This whole neighborhood, you can
look around, automatically ineligible and this is a pretty typical, uh, subdivision in
Iowa City. Um, going down to an area, uh, in south Iowa City, again you can see
that in this particular neighborhood you would need 12 waivers to ... to hunt on this
property. It's automatically ineligible, again, after you need four. So nowhere
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even near being able to hunt in this particular area. This is on the west side.
You've got some larger lots, uh, in this particular subdivision, and this one still
needs 10 properties, uh, 10 waivers, and again that's not, uh, eligible under our...
under our rules for this program. I think you get the theme here. This is more of
a central, older neighborhood, uh, down by Summit, and in this particular case,
there would be eight waivers needed. So the point I'm trying to make with this is
that these rules are going to eliminate the vast, vast majority of residential
neighborhoods in the community. We still feel that there will be, uh, properties
that are able to be hunted and we still feel that we will meet our obligation to the
State, uh, to allow hunting in our community. Um, but I ... I very clearly want to..
want to make that point that, uh, in your established neighborhoods, the
opportunities for hunting are going to be few and far between, and even if you
have that opportunity, there's probably going to be a waiver that you need, um,
from .... from somebody, at some property line. Um, and again this does not even
account for any, uh, conflicts that there may be with public property, like
sidewalks, trails, parks, and things like that. So, um, I hope this helps illustrate
the .... the restrictiveness of, uh, what we're proposing here today and show you
that it will be limited. You're not gonna have a widespread hunters, uh, roaming
your average residential neighborhoods. Um, but there will be those larger
properties, uh, that are able to be hunted, and we think that can be hunted safely,
um ... and, uh, in accordance with our agreement that we had, uh, with the State.
Um, happy to get into any of the details on the other, um, rules and regulations
that are in there, but I thought the time would be best, uh, focused on .... on the
distance provisions, because I think those are most impactful, uh, for your
decision tonight.
Salih: (garbled) my question, Geoff, will be, um, can I ask question, Mayor, or .... this
not time for question?
Teague: You can ask the staff a question (both talking) myself. (laughs)
Salih: Uh, yeah, Geoff, I just wanna ask you, what happen if we postpone this for now.
Is that's going to interfere with our commitment with the State?
Fruin: Uh, I'll give a short answer and, Eleanor, please jump in if you need to elaborate,
but, um, we made the commitment for four years. If we don't follow through on
that commitment, um, inevitably we will find ourselves in the same position we
were in a couple of years ago, with a .... a deer population that the .... that the
Council, um, deemed to be too high, because you were getting, uh, certainly a lot
more than, uh, six to 12 complaints per year. Um, you were getting flooded, the
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Council was getting flooded with complaints at that time. Um, so I'm afraid that
if we don't follow through on this, uh, we're gonna find ourselves with a
population that we're unable to manage, because the State has not .... has been
very clear they will not allow us to sharpshoot again. Sharpshooting is off the
table. And I don't see that coming back. So, um, we're gonna have a lot of
trouble managing that deer population.
Salih: But are we on the beginning of the first year?
Fruin: Yes, this is the first year.
Salih: But we are ... first year is started when? Now?
Fruin: Yes, our .... our start date is October 1'
Salih: Okay. Then I guess can we postpone it until like next year? It still going to be on
the .... within the first year. Of course this just question. We don't know what the
Council think but (both talking)
Fruin: ...and our deer management zone application that was approved by the State, we
had the dates of, uh... um, October I' to January 10th, and .... January 10' is the
end of the hunting season. Um, and so there is no hunt permitted in Iowa after
January 10th.
Salih: Uh huh.
Weiner: So my question, Geoff, and ... and in alignment with what Mazahir has asked is if,
and I was not on the Council when all .... when all this was discussed, although I
followed some of it, um, and I gather there's been extensive, um, extensive letter
writing and correspondence with DNR. My question is given all that the ... the
public, the public speaks have said and everything else that's going on in this
community, if we wrote to DNR and asked to simply move this back to do a four-
year program that would start, um, a year from now. Is there a possibility that
would be approved, because there's... there's so much going on in this community,
um, and it just ... even if it's restricted, it seems to me it's really the last thing we
need right now.
Fruin: Uh, Eleanor, I don't know if you have any thoughts on the .... on the .... on the
possible action the State could take if we don't follow through, um....
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Dilkes: Well .... I, we have to seek an amendment to the plan that they've approved. I
don't know that we have time ... time to do that, um .... and I mean I think I ... I think
what Geoff said earlier is ... is accurate. If. ... you made the commitment to the
State, um, you made a political decision at that time that was more ... or the
Council did at that time, that it was more important, um, to get the sharpshooting
done, uh, given the, um, community sentiment at that time, or a portion of the
community sentiment at that time, and um, you committed to, um, to bow hunting
in the subsequent year, uh, absent a change in the Natural Resources Commission,
which likely I assume requires a change in, tun .... uh, the parry that controls, uh,
State government. I think you can assume that you will not get authority to....
from that commission to, uh, sharpshoot or .... at any point in the future. So I
think what Geoff said is accurate. You're gonna have a situation where we've got
85 deer per mile and you can't .... do anything without the permission of the .... the
State.
Salih: I just think that, you know, I understand what you saying, Eleanor and Geoff. We
committed to this and you know we did the like sharpshooting and now we
supposed to start this, and I guess I was there when we did both, uh, but really just
giving everything happening right now, as you know .... (mumbled) struck me by
the public comment is when Rosa said, and she just reminding me that children
are staying home right now from the school and (garbled) on the day they gonna
go out and if they just like interact with those people (mumbled) if they don't see
them or they weren't close by them. I just really scared that something will going
to happen. That's why I thinks this just .... we understand that we made the
commitment. We understand that we going to move forward with this, but giving
everything happening right now, I guess we can write amendment to this and just
requesting that they ...they just give us some time. Uh, that my, uh, two cent
really.
Thomas: I .... I have a question regarding, uh, I mean .... my recollection is Iowa City's the
only city in the state of Iowa that has .... thus far not permitted bow hunting. This
will be our first year with a bow hunt. So I'm .... I'm assuming that Coralville,
Cedar Rapids, all the cities and towns, uh, that we know that are nearby, uh, and
throughout Iowa are proceeding with bow hunts during this hunting season. Is...
is that not correct?
Fruin: I am not aware of any community that routinely bow hunts, uh, that's not doing it
this year. Um .... not all cities bow hunt. Um, we were the only one that did
sharpshooting, but if ..a city doesn't have a deer population problem, uh, then
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they're not actively seeking those deer management zones. So, um, again I'm not
aware of anybody that's taking the year off due to COVID or any other reason.
Thomas: Do we know if Cedar Rapids has a bow hunt?
Fruin: Yes, Cedar Rapids bow hunts annually, as does Coralville.
Dilkes: While we've got a break here I've got the answer to the question about whether
the pursuit of the deer that has been killed and has gone into ... uh, neighboring
property can be done armed or unarmed. It ... it can only be done unarmed. That's,
uh, Section 716.7 of the Iowa Code.
Teague: Okay. I do think we should probably have some, uh, community comment, um..
because it...the public do ... does have an opportunity to speak. So we're going to
go ahead with community comments, and I think that we do have—um, and I'm
blankin' on the name. Um .... of who was trying.... Florence! I think Florence is
on the phone. Thank you, Florence, for waiting so patiently, and we're gonna
hear from Florence now. And if...if you can unmute, Florence, we'll be able to
hear (both talking)
Boos: Can you ... can you hear me?
Teague: We can!
Boos: Oh wonderful, thank you very much for (laughs) your efforts on my behalf. This
is my third device. Okay! Uh... first just for the first ... 20 seconds of my remarks,
I want to comment on ... on what was brought up earlier by all the people from the
Freedom Riders. Uh, as a concerned citizen, I'd like to say I was so delighted to
read in the DI that you were going to move a third of the police resources to
community, uh, social issues and I urge you by whatever modalities you can to
make good on this, to put your money where your mouth is, uh, and to go ahead
and arrange to defund... those sections of the police dealing with ... with weapons
and to move it towards social services. And then I'd like to say, the Bill of Rights
does provide for peaceful protests. So there is no excuse for attacking and
arresting people who have been non-violent. Okay! Then ... if you can still hear
me, I'd like to speak in support of prudent, well considered regulations regarding
the bow hunt, if you go forward with it. Without these regulations, I can't see that
you can fulfill your .... the community expectations that this be safe and rational.
As you may have noticed, there are several letters objecting to the lax restrictions
in your pile of letters. So it's not the more active people who are speaking to you
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alone, but many people in the community who feel there should be good rules.
We can't understand why .... when the DNR only requires 30 days, why you can
continue to hunt for more than three months. Makes no sense. Even if you must
start, you should start in a .... in a controlled, careful way. Then the next objection
is that the shooting test basically doesn't exist. The person who takes the test at
Fin and Feather can repeat it any number of times. The test itself is so easy that
anyone could pass it. It just requires shooting a gun. A drunk alcoholic or
someone on drugs could pass it. There's no indication of skill or the likelihood of
actually hitting a target. Whoever made that rule didn't want a rule. And I would
urge you to firm up the requirements so that the person actually be likely to hit the
target. Next .... who is responsible for the unclaimed deer? I have a vision that in
one day there could be several bow hunters crossing the same land. Um...just as
you need with guns and bullets, to have a record of which gun produced which
bullet. So it seems to me there should be markings on each arrow to indicate the
owner or the bow of origin. Otherwise there'll be deer there with no one claiming
responsibility if the deer dies, and of course lands on someone's land. And then
finally I'd like to bring up the issue of tree stands. Uh, these should be temporary,
not .... not, um .... nailed to the tree permanently. First of all it's bad for the tree,
and secondly, if you permit permanent tree stands, people will poach. So ... I'd like
to urge you then ... to end the ill advised rules. Even if you have the hunt, you can
make a much better set of rules, which would be more acceptable and will
permit ... will prevent really gross infractions. So I urge you to do all in your
power to make the bow hunt safe and more acceptable to, um, the public and ... uh,
more .... more responsible. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you! We're gonna have, um, Allison, followed by McAllister.
Jaynes: Thank you!
Teague: Yes (mumbled)
Jaynes: I ... I wanted to push back, uh, on a couple things that the City Manager has said
and presented. Um, it was, uh, true that the Iowa City Deer Friends had input
into, uh, the ... the draft rules and regulations. However, we didn't get to see a
copy like the, um, has been done with the Truth and Reconciliation Commis...
Committee or Commission, and so we didn't actually get to see on paper what
those rules and regulations were really gonna look like, um, until they were
presented to Council, and there are several things in there which we're not happy
with. If you remember those maps that, um, Geoff was showing on the screen,
uh, such as, you know, Kimball Road. There were a couple other examples. The
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specific houses that he centered on is true would not meet the requirements for a
hunt, but just off to the edge if you notice on some of those maps there are
properties with (garbled) absolutely would meet the requirements for the hunt,
and they are neighboring the dense houses where the deer would then nm after
being shot and be followed by hunters. Uh, so you know, it's not true that most
neighborhoods won't see hunting. I mean even down in the downtown, um ... you
know, Longfellow neighborhood area; the Ralston Creek, uh, property that
borders Jefferson Street is ... is plenty big enough to meet those requirements, and
it...it is in the middle of very densely populated neighborhoods, where the deer
will flee once they're shot. Um, there's some other language in there that, uh, you
know, we didn't really approve of. Uh, we're looking for properties that are five
acres or greater, for example, and so I think ... the rules and regulations here are
just not up to spec. I think that, you know, if. ... if we really wanted to get those,
um ... to be in a place where we feel comfortable, it ... it's just not there yet and I
don't know if the Council Members have had a time ... have had a chance to look
through those rules and regulations, but they're just not very stringent and again I
wanna make the point that this will attract people from out of town, who are
looking for areas where there is lenience rules and lenient restrictions. So they
can, you know, shoot deer in more place, they can get more deer, they can get
those .... those buck tags. It's about trophy hunting. So if we're looking to attract
all those people that are denied in other areas or that other areas find, uh, they find
harder to shoot in, then that's exactly what we're doing. I don't see why we need
to do that, and I see that's actually disservice to ... to the community. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Allison. We're going to have Mc .... McAllister, followed by former
Mayor Bailey.
McAllister: This is Brian McAllister, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, thanks for, uh, stating your first name.
McAllister: So I'm gonna actually speak in favor that the, uh, that the City's finally come up
with a plan to manage deer with a bow hunt. I appreciate that the City, uh, going
through with their commitment to the DNR, and uh, and has this plan. I would
actually say that, uh, that the rules as written are fairly restrictive and probably
maybe too restrictive. I've lived in the north side of Iowa City for 18 years. I live
on a ravine. And I'm not certain that my property or any of the properties on this
ravine would actually qualify. Last winter I saw two deer, dead in our ravine, that
rotted throughout the winter. One the previous year. Constantly there are deer in
my backyard and I don't think that we can actually hunt in this ravine. And so I
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would actually say that the regulations are very restrictive and I would actually
like to see, um, sort of more use of, um, the open areas throughout Iowa City in
order to control the deer population.
Teague: Thank you. Um, we're gonna continue with former Mayor of Iowa City, Mayor
Bailey, uh, followed by Kelser...uh, Kelsey, uh, Teeter. Um, and I also wanna
remind people that we're asking, uh, for the comments to remain around three to
five minutes and uh, if we can even keep `em a little shorter that would be, um,
because there's more people that wanna speak. Thank you!
Bailey: Thank you, Mayor. Can you hear me?
Teague: Absolutely! Welcome!
Bailey: Great! Thanks for, um, letting me speak. I first wanna say it's a little
disappointing that we approach these guidelines by .... upfront volunteering to
have a 100 -day hunt. Given, um, our city's reluctance to do bow hunting within
the city limits, I think it would have been more appropriate to approach DNR, um,
with a proposed 30 -day hunt. Um, that being said, it seems like things are going
to move ahead. I do think, um, regardless of the previous speaker's remarks that,
um .... the restrictions should be stricter. I ... I understood what the City Manager
said, that these, urn .... these rules would probably rule out many properties in
Iowa City, but I think, uh, a minimum property size would have been a clearer
way to do this. I'm curious to know from the City Manager in what
neighborhoods he anticipates that hunting would occur. I think that that's really
important for all of us to know. Um, I've spoken with my neighbors. They have
huge concerns given that we've all, you know, we've all experienced a lot this
year. They have huge concerns about bow hunting at all in the city during the
winter. Um, they have kids, um, kids out walking, um, this whole idea of deer,
um, being shot and running to other properties is .... is horribly concerning,
especially if you weren't somebody who wanted to have, uh, a deer hunt, a bow
deer hunt in your area and there you have a wounded deer on your property
potentially. So I would suggest that if somebody does have permission to hunt in
a particular neighborhood that notice is given to the entire neighborhood that
hunting would ... would be occurring there. Additionally, I think that there needs to
be more transparency in the city, that there is public notice. I don't wanna end up
walking or driving through an area where a deer slaughter is taking place. So I
think it's a good idea for signs or notice, bow hunting may occur in this area, so
people are warned. They can ... they can avoid the area. I don't wanna see a dead
deer being loaded up into a truck! It's (laughs) been a stressful year. I ... I think
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that that would be, uh, quite disturbing and unsettling. So ... I think that we need to
be respectful of those of us, uh, many of us in the city whose ... who have never
wanted to see a bow hunt in the city limits. I think we need to do more to have
more transparency and greater understanding about where this will occur.
Property owners need to also understand their rights, as Eleanor pointed out, that
if...if a hunter needs to retrieve a deer that's ended up on your property, what the
rules are. I don't want to have to confront somebody, telling them to drop a
weapon. I think that people need to be well informed about what the rules are, so
people's property and, urn .... not only property but their sensibilities about the
appropriateness of this hunt are respected. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, Kelsey Teeter, followed by Lori, uh, Kendrick.
Teeter: Hi, Mayor Teague and Members of City Council. I wanted to ... thank you. I
wanted to start by saying that I appreciate all of the efforts it sounds like, um, the
City Manager and the City as a whole has been, um, taking to try and manage the
competing interests of not just the DNR but various parties throughout our
community. This is, uh, very clearly, um, an issue that is very near and dear to
many Iowa City residents' hearts. Um, mine included. I ... I am one of the people
that had spoke out and expressed some significant concerns about the, um,
sharpshooting efforts, that were going to occur near my home last year. Um, after
correspondence with .... with Members of the Council and, um, the company that
was hired to do that, I ... I did feel much more reassured and did not have a
negative experience throughout the time that they were hunting in my area. Um,
my...my concern and frustration has been around the bow hunting that I had been
under the impression would occur, um, in the City's parks. Um, we did have a
wounded deer, um, come on to our property last year during the, um, during the
hunt, but we don't .... we don't believe it was as a result of the sharpshooters. Um,
and so that had led to some concerns that I've had about the bow hunting. Um,
I ... I also wanna express appreciation for the DNR's effort who came out and
picked up the deer and took care of all of the issues related to that, and you know,
were able to track and monitor and, you know, try to figure out what had
happened. Um, they were confident it was a bow hunter, not the sharpshooters.
So ... so I appreciate their support and their availability to help in that situation, and
I would imagine they would be able to continue doing that in, um, in the future.
Um .... I .... I really appreciate hearing all of the new restrictions and understand
the need for extending the time, based on the limitations that the City is looking at
having in place, like the 150 -foot guideline. I think that is really helpful, and is
going to impact, um, the effectiveness of the program, um, therefore justifying the
need to expend it. Um, extend it, excuse me. I ... I do wanna echo what the
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speaker before me had mentioned in saying that she was unclear about the 150 -
foot guideline. Um, I did like what she said about, um, maybe looking at the size
of a property or something along those lines. Um, because it does just get kind of
gray. Should the shooter be standing 150 -feet from another property? Does the
edge of the property the shooter's on need to be 150 -feet from another property?
I ... it just got kind of confusing to me. So, um, I am in support of moving forward
with this, but I think some of the clarification around, um, what the, um, distance
restriction is would be really helpful. So, thank you all for your help with this.
Teague: Thank you, Kelsey. We're gonna go to Lori, uh, Kendrick, followed by Laurie
Crawford.
Kendrick: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, I just have an issue with .... when we made the
commitment.... you were at the NRC meeting, Councilor Mims was present,
Geoff Fruin was present.... their focus was on promoting recreational hunting in
the Iowa City community, due to the lack of public space for bow hunters in the
state of Iowa. There was.... absolutely.... no interference at that point. There was
no Black Lives Matter, no Freedom Riders, no COVID. Are you seriously
thinking or believing that the NRC .... and their push for recreational, to expand
recreational bow hunting in the state of Iowa will trump .... the issues of Black
Lives Matter and COVID in our community right now? I can't fathom that! And
I really want you and ... and our Councilors to consider .... the seriousness.... of
what they're.... thinking, if they're thinking that! That recreational hunting .... is
more important than these other issues in our community. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you. All right, and we're gonna go to Laurie Crawford.
Crawford: Thank you. Um ... Mayor and Councilors, first I wanna address a couple things
and then I'll get into, um, talkin' about the rules. Sharpshooting was 1996, 97 to
2010. Um, I'm curious why ...uh.... why we need deer, excuse me, deer
management exclusion in the feeding ordinance if sharpshooting is off the table.
Seems to me that that language should not be in the feeding ordinance.
Um ... three, uh, regarding what Councilor Thomas said, there is a difference
between Iowa City and other cities this year, and it's because I ... this is Iowa City's
first year with the bow hunt. So in spite of COVID, it's the fust year. We don't
know what to expect. Fourth, the map that Geoff showed, um, I don't believe
those are high deer density areas and I didn't see any woods on those maps. Um,
and fifth, uh, regarding what Eleanor said, actually bow hunters do come on your
property if the deer isn't dead, and they bring a knife and they slit the throat. So
they do have to bring a weapon on to finish the deer off. Even if the ordinance
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says it differently, that's what they do. Uh (clears throat) an important part of the
app ....application process is the proficiency test. This test determines who will
be hunting. The proposed test is Coralville's and far too easy, requiring 80%
accuracy from 20 yards is pretty standard. Not standard and far more lax than
other cities are, one, using a nine -inch target; and two, unlimited attempts to pass.
A nine -inch target is too lou ... large, I'm sorry. Deer vital areas, their heart, lungs,
and liver is only six to seven inches. Why didn't the City use Urbandale's
proficiency test? Urbandale and others use a 3-D life-size deer target and allow
only two attempts per year. Fin and Feather suggests at a minimum, a vital area
target and limiting applicants to two attempts a year. The percent of deer
wounded and not recovered will be far greater than the usual percent if the
proficiency is lax, so will complaints and incidents. The application process as
submitted should not be approved. I'm taking some of these rules I'm going to
suggest from rules used by other Iowa cities. We should require portable tree
stands and prohibit screw-in steps, nails, or lag screws being driven into trees.
Purpose is to protect trees and prevent poaching. We should require I.D. tags on
hunter vehicles while hunting and on tree stands, to identify them as approved and
prevent poaching and other criminal activity. A minimum of three acres for
hunted property is recommended, um, and it's used in Ames. They can combine
adjacent properties to make the three -acre requirement. They also require
notification of all property owners within 400 yards and written approval of all
within 200 yards. Deer run after being shot. Three acres greatly reduces chances
of wounded deer ending up on property other than hunted property. It's highly
unlikely that the deer collapses in the property where the deer is shot. We are
going to have deer on neighboring properties. To eliminate neighborhood
conflict, we should require written approval from all property owners within 200
yards, and notification of all property owners within 400 yards. Hunted property
should be posted. Iowa City's rules allow four hunters on a property. Where did
this even come from? I've never seen that in any rules anywhere! That sounds
like a party and will invite and encourage stalking or driving of deer, which is
prohibited. Button bucks, spike bucks, and shed bucks don't qualify for the buck
incentive, but to clarify, they should be checked in. Uncased bows are prohibited
while traveling to and from the tree stand. That is good, but we need additionally
they should be prohibited from any public property, including trees (laughs)
excuse me, streets, sidewalks, trails, parks, or right-of-way. Arrows should have
hunter I.D. in the event of lost arrows or violations. To properly investigate
accidents, incidents, or complaints, the police department should have a list of all
hunters, the properties they are hunting, vehicle information, and emergency
contact information. The rules as submitted should not be approved. I have other
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suggestions as well, but I think it's a good start but I think we need a lot more
work on them. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you, Laurie. All right! Um, so Councilors, uh.... (sighs) We have
certainly, um, heard from individuals within the community, so thanks for
everybody for, uh, reaching out and sharing your concerns and your thoughts with
us. Um, so .... uh, this is Council discussion, and I .... I think honestly we can
probably talk about, uh, both number 14 and 15, um, but when we get to ... uh,
some voting, we'll have to do them individually.
Bergus: Mayor, I ... I had a follow up question, um, from the staff presentation. Um, I just
wanted to pose the question a little bit differently, as someone who's new to
Council but observed the conversations, um, during .... the, uh.... when Council
considered this, I think about a year ago, um, I just wanted to ask the question this
way: is there any way that the City can comply with the commitments that were
previously made and deny .... the bow hunt?
Dilkes: I don't know how that ... can be accomplished.
Bergus: So ... and just...I'm just trying to be as clear as possible. So in order to comply
with commitments that we've previously made, we would need to allow the bow
hunt.
Teague: Sol....well I'll let staff, but I was present at the NRC meeting in July and, uh,
some of the individuals that, um, were here was also present, and it was made
very clear in that meetin', which was brought back to Council, that bow hunting,
um, we needed to be, um, serious about bow hunting and that's how we got
allowed to do the sharpshooting. And ... and they, and when we said, I think our
term was we were going to do bow hunting, um, but they wanted somethin'
meaningful, and so they inqui.... they made sure that we had a number in there,
and we inserted 30, a minimum of 30 days.
Bergus: And then it would need to start this year in 2020, was that also a requirement?
Teague: It ... it was a requirement not to be, uh, skipped either.
Bergus: Okay.
Teague: That was kind of the agreement.
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Salih: I'd have to be down from October to January, between October and January.
Fruin: Um, going forward, after .... after this year if we wanna make changes to that, if
we ... if we wanna go, you know, have a 30 -day hunt, for example, we're gonna
have to apply to the NRC and amend our deer management plan with them. And
I ... I, you know, can never be sure until ... until ya go through with it, but if you're
going to limit the hunt to 30 days, they're gonna have an expectation that there is
ample ground to be able to get the ... to .... to be able to obtain the 75 tags. You
know, this year it's 75. We don't know what the next year will be, um, but ... again
because there was some community comments on this, if we ... if we know that 75
tags is ... is the desired target that the, um ... uh, that our contractor advised and that
the DNR also advised, um, I didn't think that there was a way that the community
would tolerate that within a 30 -day period because we'd have to have so much
ground open to allow for 75 deer within that one-month period. So again, the...
the decision making that .... that we did is let's just extend it a little bit longer but
have it more restrictive and hopefully through the restrictions have more conflict
with neighbors. But again, I wanna make it clear, if you ... if you decide (garbled)
if you decide that after this, um, season, if we move forward with it tonight, um,
that you'd rather have a shorter period of time, we can apply to the .... to the, um,
Natural Resources Commission and ask for that. But I think we better be ready
for the trade-off that comes with it, or at least anticipate a trade-off that I think
will come with it.
Bergus: (mumbled) also just wanted to clarify, um, because of the conversations of where
the hunt could occur and making sure that people sort of knew what might be
happening. Um, we would only ...there has to be written permission from the land
owner, prior to any hunt, right?
Fruin: That's correct.
Bergus: So the hunt could not occur on someone's property that didn't know it would be
happening.
Fruin: Yes.
Bergus: Okay, and ... and what about the, um, possibility of notification requirements for
adjacent properties or signage, something like that. Have we explored those two
things?
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Fruin: We ... we did not go through and do adjacent property notification, um, unless you
needed that for the waiver. So we used that 150 -foot guidance there. Um, and we
did not require, uh, the signs either. Um .... uh, frankly, you know, when you're
....when you're gonna have a .... um, a hunt for this long, um, to .... to place a sign
and expect that sign not to .... not to be moved or, uh.... uh, tampered with, um, I
just don't know that it's practical that we're going to sign a yard and have that
stay up the entire time. Um, and I think we all have to recognize that, you know,
there are people that are vehemently opposed to .... to bow hunting and we just
have to, um, be careful not to ... you know, there's risk of identifying where those
hunt .... where that hunting's taking place, because, um, there could be adverse
action taken against them. So those are the things that ... that we're weighing. Uh,
obviously we want to do this safely. We're not trying to create situations that'll..
that'll have any conflict whatsoever, um, but we can do signs. We can do adjacent
property notifications. We can do all that, you know, all those things, um, we just
tried to thread the needle a little bit to .... to .... to think about what works best here.
Teague: Okay! All right! So, um, any other comments by Councilors or .... or are we
ready to make a decision?
Mims: I just wanna make one clarifying comment. Um, I was not at that meeting with
the DNR or the NRC. I had intended to go. That had been commented on in
public that I was going to go. I ended up with a conflict and so I was not at that
meeting. Just for the record.
Thomas: One ... one question and one last question from me would be, uh.... is there any
language, uh, allowing the bow hunt to be terminated prior to .... what is it,
January 10h, um .... any language there where we could shut it down should we
find we need to for whatever reason?
Fruin: No, but we can certainly, um, disqualify hunters. We can, um .... uh, take action
against, you know, again property owners or hunters that are not following the
rules. And then there is a limit to the number of deer. Seventy-five is the
maximum deer. So if that number is achieved 60 days into the program, the
hunting at that point is .... is ceased.
Salih: Eleanor, bow ...how long it take if we decide to send something to the State to
amend, um, you know, to give us like more time to start this? Like amending the
agreement.
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Dilkes: Well it's approved by the Natural Resources Commission, which is a ... is a body,
not .... not an individual. So presumably that body is gonna have to get together
and make a decision and ... and I ... I assume that will take some time.
Taylor: Geoff, um, back to your point about the, uh, if the number of deer is reached
before that January period, uh, then .... the hunting would cease. Are these hunters
that have been registered to hunt, uh, notified somehow then, are letters sent to
them? How ...how do they know that they ...would not be able to hunt anymore in
Iowa City?
Fruin: It's all managed through the issuance of tags, and so, um, you have to have a tag
in order to hunt, and ... and once those are all issued, you know ...you don't have the
ability to have unlimited hunting, uh, right? You are issued tags and then you,
um, once those tags are up you don't have the ability to hunt anymore. So it's all
done upfront in the process. And I ... and I did just check. The next scheduled
Natural Resource Commission meeting is January 22'. After .... after the season's
over.
Teague: Hey, Geoff, um .... that's .... that's, uh, January 22, 2020. Their, uh (garbled) yeah.
Fruin: Sorry! Good catch!
Teague: Yep!
Fruin: So they have, um .... a business meeting September l00' in Harrison County.
Teague: Yep, and then after that is October 8t°. Yep.
Fruin: Correct. Thank you for catching that, Mayor.
Teague: Uh huh. All right! (both talking)
Mims: ...quick question. I'm sorry, I just thought of this. If we have more .... and maybe
I didn't read this carefully enough. Can one person get more than one tag, and...
if there are more than 75 applications .... can there be, is there any preference in
terms of Iowa City residents? Um .... how does that sort of thing work?
Froin: There is no preference policy. I think it would be a .... a, based on the date of the
application that we received, and .... and when everything's approved. Um .... I
don't know off hand on any .... tag limits, um .... you know, that's.... that's
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administered through the State, so I ... I don't ... I ... I'd have to check and get back to
ya on ... on that.
Salih: Can we start with 30 days and after that see if we can ... if we needed to go to 100?
Mims: I mean (several talking) I hear what you're saying, Maz, and that had been my
preference, you know, when we ... from what we had done last year but I certainly
understand, you know, what the City Manager and staff has done in terms of
making that decision of being so restrictive, in terms of the property that can be
hunted, with then feeling that the trade-off had to be going longer. And given that
that's what staff has done and the timing of where we're at, it doesn't seem to me
that we ... you know, that we have the time to go back to the NRC and try to make
adjustments to it at this point. Um, and .... and it's a trade-off! I .... I don't
necessarily agree, disagree with what staff said. I think, and I certainly hear
where staff is coming from. There was a lot of pushback about using public
property for the sharpshooting, so I can certainly, uh, understand why staff's...
why staff said or decided to restrict this to private property. Um, and I think they
probably made a pretty reasonable decision that the NRC ... that there's no way the
NRC would have approved a 30 -day hunt with that significant of a restriction on
the property. So it makes .... it makes sense to me.
Salih: But I think really everything is going slow these days, every single thing on the
country, and if we wanna slow on, uh, like meeting the deadline, that the, you
know, the commission or whoever approve, just give it to us. It still we can have
just the (garbled) that why we ... we did not make the first deadline maybe, because
I just thinks like there's many thing going on and people just now can say our like
we late on this because of what going on in the country.
Fruin: I think it's just a risk that the Council needs to understand. If you wanna ... if you
wanna start this on November I', um, and shorten the season by...by 30 days, um,
I don't anticipate the State's gonna step in and, you know, take action against us,
but we don't know .... any action's gonna come in those future years. I mean we
don't k now what that is, and ... and we're gonna break that commitment that we
made and then we're gonna be back there neat year askin' `em for some other
modification and there's gonna be no good will there. Um, we know that we had
a lot of back and forth with the State. They denied our application twice I think,
um, before we finally got approval. So, um, you can certainly shorten it and
you'd have good reason to do so, for the reasons that Council's articulated. You
just have to know you're breaking that commitment and you'll either be setting
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yourselves up or future Councils up for .... for very, um, tough decisions and
probably less leeway in the future.
Mims: (garbled) recommend that we .... honor the commitment that we have made, and if
anything try and get it modified next year. Try for a shorter one next year, maybe
not all the way down to 30 days, but from the roughly 100 or whatever it is now,
pick some smaller number and try and reduce it in a manner we hope we can get
approval on, but I ... I'm concerned that if we violate that agreement now, um, we
risk never being able to sharpshoot again, which I think we have seen has been
absolutely essential, um, to keeping the ... the herd, um, at a more reasonable
(garbled)
Thomas: I'm inclined to, um ... move forward. This is, you know, this is not something any
of us, um, you know, um, engaged in with ... with any degree of enthusiasm. It's...
it's been a very long, drawn out, difficult process. I'm extremely hesitant to, you
know, change course at this point, um, especially because it is our first ... our first
endeavor in this regard, and um, I ... I don't know that we, you know, given all the
uncertainties, um, could have crafted a perfect plan, and I appreciate all the
comments that were made, and many of them make sense to me and if it's
possible to ... to make some revisions to some of the specifications, I would
certainly support and encourage staff to ... to look at some of these things. But
overall it seems to me that, um .... I .... I do feel a certain sense of obligation to the
process we've gone through, and uh, that we learn from it moving forward, in
terms of all the factors that go into making the agreement, but urn .... my feeling is
at this point to just move forward with what we have.
Taylor: It sounds to me like we're probably going to move forward with this, but if we do
I ... and I appreciate the time that went into, uh, the staff or whoever put the rules
and requirements, uh, together, but I'd like to see them be a little bit more strict as
far as some of the safety guidelines. Uh, some of the suggestions that Miss
Crawford, Laurie Crawford, suggested sounded, uh, like they would be very, uh,
very valid, uh, points, um, in particular the proficiency test that she talked about.
Uh, I don't know why we would be a little more lax and allow, um, someone, uh,
numerous attempts as opposed to, uh, hitting the target accurately within only two
attempts, cause I think, I mean we want to ensure that it's like experienced, uh,
accurate hunters out there. We don't want, uh, inexperienced folks, uh, out there,
uh, hunting these deer. Uh, and she talked about the portable tree stands versus,
uh, and John, you've talked about this a lot about our ...our lack of tree canopy,
and here we go, you know, pounding nails into trees and it just doesn't sound like
a very good thing to me. Um, not being a hunter I don't know the difference
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between a portable one versus the one that would be more stable hooked onto a
tree, but I just think that sounds like a better idea. Uh, she talked about having
some type of I.D. tags on these hunters and I think that's not a bad idea, and I
didn't see that in there, maybe I missed that, uh, as far as how they are going to be
identified as being truly, uh, certified within the City to be able to be out there
doing that, um, and I ... and I first thought about that we should post, uh, signs,
notice signs, that bow hunting may be occurring, but I think that was you, uh,
Geoff, that kind of did a valid argument on that as far as, uh, maybe that's not
such a good thing. Oh, she'd also talked about like a three -acre minimum, uh, for
property size to be hunting, and then also, uh, written approval of property
owners, uh, within 400 yards, and I think those are the kinds of things I think if
we do go ... go through with this, uh, and even extend the date out a little bit, make
it only 60 days instead of the 90 days, uh, we should, um, get a little more strict
on these, uh, rules and requirements. Just for safety sake.
Teague: I guess for me I had the conversation with NRC and, uh, we really, um, I think
none of us wanted to do this at all, and I was actually against us, um, goin' to
NRC with a proposal and I wanted us to go and negotiate, but nevertheless, we...
we went with a proposal and they really did modify that proposal to what they
wanted, um, and .... and, uh, we .... we were in a position where we needed to do
the sharpshooting, uh, and so this was the compromise. So for me, um, I'm going
to, um ... uh, definitely this will be a year where we'll learn a lot, um, so I'm gonna
support this tonight. (several talking, garbled)
Bergus: Sorry, um, I just wanna be really clear on the process. I think we ... we have a
number of people who've spoken tonight about, um, you know, trying to
understand how City Council makes decisions, the input we receive, the
deliberations that we have, and I ... I hope that it's clear from this conversation that,
um, we would be choosing to follow the commitment that we've made previously
and for myself I just want to be explicit that that is a choice. I think we could
choose to violate our previous commitments. We could choose to go against what
the State has allowed. We could, you know, choose to ... to say, you know, come
punish us, we don't care. Um, and I think it's really important that we be
consistent when it comes to something that has been carefully vetted and
thoroughly considered and gone back and forth several times to try and meet
conflicting and competing interests. So I will be supporting this as a choice to
uphold the commitment that we've made previously.
Salih: For me I ... I just think that even though I was one of the people who like voted for
this commitment, sadly and without any excitement as everybody said, uh, but at
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that time I wasn't know we gonna have coronavirus, we gonna have all this going
to happen, and uh, and I believe that right now everybody understanding if we
cannot meet the requirement, uh, or the deadline, uh, so I really will be, uh, in
favor of, uh, just .... don't do it now, we postpone it and urn .... I will vote no for
this.
Teague: Are we ready to vote, Council? All right, we're gonna go back to Item #14 first.
And we just finished Council discussion. Roll call please. Motion passes 5-2.
Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Thomas: (several talking) Thomas.
Teague: Roll call please. Item, uh, motion pass 7-0. Item 15.
Mims: 5-2, wasn't it? Oh, I'm sorry! (garbled) I'm song (laughs)
Teague: No you're fine! So we're gonna go to Item #15, bow hunt rules and regulations
and vote on that after Council, uh, had already ...has previously had a ... their
discussion. Roll call please. Um .... you didn't call Teague. If you did (laughs)
uh, yes!
Dilkes: Yes, you were first!
Teague: Oh, okay! Motion passes 4-3. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Salih: So move.
Weiner: Second.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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16. Independent Review of June 31d Protest Incident — Resolution authorizing the
Mayor to sign and the City Clerk to attest a Consultant Agreement with the
OIR Group, LLP to conduct an independent review of Iowa City's
involvement in the use of tear gas and flash bang devices during the protest
in Iowa City on June 3, 2020.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Bergus: So moved.
Mims: So moved. I believe Laura got it. I was second!
Teague: All right, uh, so we'll go with Bergus moved, uh, and Mims seconded. And then
is there any staff presentation on this item?
Fruin: Um, Mayor and Council, I think we, uh, discussed this, uh, at your previous
meeting that this is a contract with the, uh, OIR Group, who is a ... a firm that has
extensive, uh, experience in reviewing, uh, incidents, uh, such as what occurred
on June 3'd. Uh, the City does not have any prior dealings with the OIR Group,
um, and, uh, thus they are ... are truly independent. We wouldn't anticipate that,
um, we would have future dealings with them either. Um, the billing rate is $200
an hour and, uh, the contract has a `not to exceed' of, uh, 50 ... uh, `not to exceed'
amount of $50,000. Um, I would expect the cost of the review to be close to that
$50,000 when it's all said and done. The end result will be a public report that's
presented to the City Council. Estimated completion from the OIR Group is 60 to
90 days from the start of the engagement.
Teague: Any questions for Geoff? Hearin' none we're gonna go to public comment. And
if you would like to address this topic, please raise your hand and I'm gonna call
on you. And we ask you to keep your comments three to five minutes. Um, and
if you're on the phone, you can press *9, uh, and we'll, um, I'll see your hand and
call on you. We're gonna start with Raneem, followed by Liana. Welcome!
Hamad: Hi, um (garbled) can you guys hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Hamad: All right. Um, thank you for allowing me to speak. I wanted to ask Council,
since a lot of protesters have been asking, um, that the video of the events June 3`d
be released publicly, um, for accountability purposes, um, for our community. If
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Council's gonna have a discussion about that, um, as of now, and, um ... I'm also
asking, um, that if (mumbled) repercussions for that, that there be a written, um,
argument for that that the City Attorney presents to our community, um, for why
we can't have this video, the video that is, you know, um, already available, look
what happened on those ... on June 3', um, be presented to our community.
Teague: Okay. Thank you, and I think, urn ... um, as far as I'm concerned that's gonna
come up in Council discussion. As far as the video, on ... on this item. Am ... am I
right, Councilors? (several responding) Yes! Okay. Great! All right, uh, thank
you, Raneem! Uh, Liana, followed by Sophia.
Suleiman: Thank you, Mayor. Um, yeah, also just clarification. The pronunciation of my
name is Liana (both talking, garbled) Yes, but thank you! Um, yeah, so I just ... I
want to stand by Raneem and what she's brought up. I think those are both very
two important questions and points that need to be discussed, um, and .... uh, kept
into the picture, I suppose. Um, I would also like to bring into question that the
demand initially was to have, um, the report completed by August I', I believe
(mumbled) Um, and so due to this and due to slowly as the process and moving
along that we have found out that there is a video in which the shots have been
called. Um, I would like to stress the importance of also releasing that video
completely in its entirety to the public, along with the file and report that the, um,
external review board, I guess um, comes out with finally, um, due to this being
an issue of transparency and an issue of (mumbled) I suppose of Council and its
operations, I think both of which especially due to the magnitude and the severity
of ICPD and State Patrol and any, uh, formal officers involvements with the Iowa
City community that this is of the utmost importance to have available to the
public, um, and (mumbled) transparency, politicization, and urn .... (mumbled) the
entirety of the community that was involved and affected by this. Um, that's all I
have. So thank you again for letting me speak!
Teague: Thank you. Sophia, followed by Annie.
Lusala: Hello, so I just wanted to stand behind Raneem and Liana as well, and like
Liana ... Liana I think I'm saying that correctly, said the original demand was to
have it done by August I' and I'm just wondering that if Council truly cares about
the community the way that they say they ...they care about the community, and if
they truly support Black Lives Matter the way that they're saying they support
Black Lives Matter, I'm wondering why there's so much stall in helping us
receive justice for something that was done to us by the Iowa City Police
Department, when this should have been done a month ago and we're just now
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talking about starting to look into it a month later than it was supposed to be done.
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you! Annie.
Gudenkauf. Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, welcome!
Gudenkauf. Hi, um, I just wanted to repeat the sentiments that past people have shared
regarding releasing the video and, um, proceeding with the independent
investigation. Um, personally I'm curious about where that $50,000 will come
from and might I suggest that comes from the police budget and why don't we
just throw out all the budget while we're at it. Thanks!
Teague: Thank you, Annie. David.
Drustrup: Thank you, Mayor. Uh, yeah, just wanted voice my support for everything
everyone else just said. Um, I think that's a pretty easy one (mumbled) folks who,
uh, were the victims of that violence. (mumbled) get to see the video and know,
uh, exactly what happened. Thank you!
Teague: Laurie.... followed, uh, Laurie Crawford, followed by Lori Kendrick.
Crawford: I also (garbled) voice my support for what all the people before me said and ask
that the video be released and I also feel that ... I think it's $200,000 that's been
approved, that that should come from the police budget. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Lori Kendrick, followed by Brian.
Kendrick: Thank you, Mayor. I'd just like the video to be released. The public needs to
know what happened, and be able to see that and view it. And .... surely there's
nothing to hide from the City's point. The police department's point. So please,
release the video. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you! Brian. Welcome!
Nilles: Thank you for having me and I'd just like to, uh, echo again what those before me
have said, and ... uh, put my support towards the releasing of the video on what
happened on that June 3rd protest as .... in order to build trust and transparency
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with the community, especially in the times that we are now, that ... it is in
everyone's best interest, so that everyone can move forward together as a
community. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Brian. Stephany! Hello, Stephany, welcome!
Hoffelt: Thank you. It just took a minute for the unmute button to come up. I'm also just
going to speak as an eye witness to that account. I can kind of understand why
the City doesn't want to release that video, but I still think in the interest of
transparency and public .... and rebuilding public trust, that it should be done.
Thank you!
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address Council? Uh, Supervisor Porter.
Welcome! Can you hear us? You're on mute. Um, we can't hear you. Okay.
Fruehling: Mayor, I'm trying to promote her to see if that helps with her volume.
Teague: Okay. Hello, Supervisor Porter.
Porter: Can you hear me now?
Teague: We can, yes!
Porter: Absolutely, urn .... I'm just gonna state that I think the video, for transparency, the
video should be released. Um, just why continue, um, for people to just continue
to say, um, to not release the video. For transparency, let's just release the video.
Teague: Thank you!
Porter: You're welcome!
Teague: Would anyone else like to address Council? Seeing no one, Council discussion?
Taylor: (both talking) Oh, go ahead, Janice!
Weiner: Um, first I .... I'd like to say that the.. just as background, that .... um, the ... the dates
put in, the date put in turned out to be unworkable. It was ... we determined we
couldn't have an internal investigation. It took some time to find a fir ...a firm that
was ... that had no relationship, prior relationship with us that could do an
independent investigation. I would have liked for this to have been settled, um, a
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month and a half ago as well. Um, and second .... I'm not .... I'm honestly not
aware that any of us ever said it shouldn't be released. This came up for the first
time at the last Council meeting. Of...of course it should be released! As a matter
....as a matter of transparency there is, um, there's.... there's nothing to hide and
there's no doubt in my mind, um, that we should release it. Uh, and I also believe
that we should .... that we should do the, that we should do the independent
investigation so that we can ... so that ... so that we as a community, as well as the
police department, can learn and take whatever lessons are needed, especially
when we also will eventually have a new police chief coming on.
Taylor: I also believe that, um, the video, since it's been, uh, brought up publicly should
be, uh, released for anyone who would like to see it. I'd like to tell people ... I was
told it's about two hours long. Need to remind people of that. Uh, but I think we
have to, uh, not loose sight of the fact that what we're talking about now is this,
uh, resolution before us to, uh, follow through with this independent contractor,
uh, investigator, and I do believe, uh, we should do that, uh, video or not, uh,
because we made a commitment in good faith that ... that we would do that, we
would investigate, uh, the incident, and uh, we need to follow through with that,
and we have an obligation to do that. Urn ... we've gotten an email and someone
called it a `meaningless' investigation,' but it's not a meaningless investigation.
It's ... it's very important, uh, to help determine, uh, compliance, uh, in accordance
with the use of force that was, uh, used that night. Uh, and it's.... it's.... would be
a very unbiased comprehensive review, and I think that ... that will be important
and ... and prove to be, uh, invaluable for us. So I'm in favor of it.
Mims: I would agree. Um, I think to release videos of that night, um, and there are...
there are many videos with all of our officers having body cams on, um, and each
of those are approximately an hour long, and so I think that's important for that
transparency. Um, I have taken the opportunity to view two of those, I think the
same two that the Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem viewed, um, and they will give
different views, depending upon which officer's body cam, um, you ... you watch.
So there could be a lot of those. So I think it's important for that for transparency.
We've had, certainly had a .... a Freedom of Information request, I understand, um,
and I think it meets any of our requirements ... or doesn't violate any of our issues,
in terms of (garbled) for investigative purposes. To go to this particular item of
the independent investigation, I just wanna reiterate what Janice said. It certainly,
in the beginning when we had set a date, it was definitely our intent to have this
done much, much earlier. Um, but it was certainly clear that doing it internally
was not going to work, it wasn't going to be trusted by the public, and as Janice
said it took much longer, um, because our police department does have
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relationships across the state of Iowa that we had to find somebody outside of
state, and it took staff a while to do that. Um, and so we have done that and we
have this now. We've got the contract ready, um, I think it is important not just
for, um, the transparency there and ... and the public knowing what's going on, as
well as ... internally, and particularly having watched those videos, um, and having,
you k now, talked with the City Manager at times when various protests have
going on and ... and what their decision processes are, I think we can learn an awful
lot from this investigation, to inform decisions that we haven't even thought about
yet, and that has to do with how do we work with other law enforcement agencies.
Um, and that's... that's not even in our resolution. Uh, we have certain of our own
policies, but how does this inform, um, our ...our cooperation with our ...our
working with, um being in the same area with, um, other law enforcement
agencies, and I think that that is ... is a really, really big factor as we go forward.
So I would hope to learn a lot from that that would inform policies that we aren't
even talking about yet.
Teague: Um, for me the, um, the resolution that we passed on June 16th is Item 4, um, it
talked about by August 1' 2020 we'll receive a report from the City Manager on
the Ic... Iowa City Police Department's involvement in the use of gas and flash
bang devices durin' the protests in Iowa City on June P. So, um, in ... in the
resolution that we had, it was to be by August I' and that was to be, uh, received
and submitted by the City Manager, uh, of the police department's involvement.
It became very clear after this resolution that that was somethin' that, um, no
matter, um, how it was processed and presented, um, it would ... just wasn't going
to be well received by, uh, maybe some in the community, and so we took a
different avenue where Council did, uh, ultimately, uh, decide that we would go
through this independent review. Urn ... what happened was the last meeting,
Mayor Pro Tem and I we had, uh, viewed the video because my initial question
even when we decided to do the independent review, my initial question was, well
everybody just wants to know, uh, who did it, who made the call. That was the
question, um, personally, um, I ... I wasn't totally, um, thinkin' that we needed the
review. Um, because if it was that simple question, then, you know, maybe there
was a way for us to do that answer, but I did vote yes because the majority of
Council, um, wanted to do the review, and ... and I was supportive of it, no doubt,
um, that that was the direction that we should go, because of the sentiments of,
uh, everyone that was involved. Nevertheless, our last meetin', I personally, um,
was ... was maybe the ... the dissenting vote, along with our Mayor Pro Tem, um, but
where we thought, you know, the ... uh, we can go through, uh, with the study, but
it ... if it's just .... who did it, we can tell you who did it, but .... or who made the call.
Nevertheless, um, after much consideration, I do believe that we should of forth
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with this, uh, independent review. It's already been mentioned, we can learn a lot
from it and, um, I will be supportin' that tonight, and I'm also supportive of the
release of, uh, the video footages.
Salih: I just wanna ask question before ... (garbled) Yeah, what, uh... when is the
investigation supposed to be start if we ... if we approve this today?
Fruin: So we have a contract that's in your packet. We would need to execute that with
the OIR Group, which is essentially getting the signatures, and then we need to
provide them, um, all of the information that we have related to that event, um...
uh, so I ... I think, you know, initiates in the next week or two, um, by the time we
get contracts signed and ... and all the files that ... that are associated with the event
over to them. At that point it's up to them to .... to sift through those and ... and
to ... to follow up with additional, uh, questions, uh, interviews, whatever they
deem as necessary to gather the information to ... to fully investigate. Uh, the
caveat to that is, um, the investigation is Iowa City Police Department's
involvement. They are not investigating nor do they have the authority of power
to investigate any other law enforcement agency that was up there that night.
Salih: Okay, and when you say investigate Iowa City Department, what kind of question
that they are investigation? Only who made the call or there is more into it?
Fruin: Uh, it's much more extensive than that, and um, think the best thing to do is look
at the contract itself, uh, which is on page 251 of your packet. Um, so it's, uh, a
scope of services, uh, is ... is section 1, and there's number, letters A through I, and
it's everything from a description of, um, the events leading up to that night, uh,
description of the command structure there, um, kind of laying out the scene, uh,
for the public. Um, the ... the exact timeline that evening on ... on when things
occurred. The, uh, quantity and the type of force that was used by the Iowa City
Police Department. Uh, review of any known injuries to the public (garbled) law
enforcement, um, and how those injuries were sustained. Uh, and any other
pertinent information that will help the public understand, um, the response and
the ... and ... and guide decisions in the future. Um, additional review of our use of
force policy, and then recommendations for changes to our use of force policy or
any training that would, uh... uh, should be considered, uh, in the event we find
ourselves in similar situations in the future. So it's ... it's truly recreating what
happened there, telling the story, uh, of that, uh... uh, of that night, and .... and...
and then, again, that most important piece is how do we learn from it? You know,
whatever... whatever is found by that group, and whatever the public fords,
because once you release the video, the ... the public will .... will form their own
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opinions too. And we have to listen to those, and we have to respect those, and
we have to have those conversations as a community as what did we learn, what
did we learn from the public who sees the video? What did we learn from the
independent review that sees the video and how can we move forward?
Salih: Exactly! That's what I, my second question will be, uh, after the public review
the video, if the video raise more questions, and we need (garbled) questions, can
we submit those question to the independent review?
Fruin: Um .... with .... with certain limitations, yes. Um, again, we ... we can't ... we can't,
um, force the Iowa State Patrol or any other law enforcement agency that was up
there to participate in the review. So if the question is why did Iowa State Patrol
or why did law enforcement agency X do this, then no, we can't ... we can't have
them do that because they don't have the ability to compel, uh, that type of...of
response. It's solely limited to our actions.
Salih: I understand that. I'm saying that if the public find out in the video more thing
that they wanna questioned, and they want to investigate about Iowa City Police
Department, I'm not talking about any other department. If there is a way we can
add those question to the review. Like say for example they say we would like to
investigate such thing, uh, or to add ... to ask the independent review (mumbled)
investigate that thing, which is not been on the original contract.
Dilkes: I ... I think.... this... this is Eleanor. I think it's just a question of...of how .... how
that expands the contract. If...if it's not a large expansion and it's just something
that is part of the review anyway and is ... can .... can easily be accomplished, if
it's ... if it's a question that is really going to increase the amount of time that the
consultant has to spend on addressing it, then we may have to do an amendment
to the contract to account for that.
Salih: Okay. Your answer will lead me to (mumbled) the question, which is when can
we ... how soon can we release the video? If we approve it today.
Dilkes: I think .... I think Geoff and I have talked about it in terms of just kind of, uh, the
logistics of getting it out there and we're thinking probably Thursday, was that
right, Geoff?
Fruin: Yeah, that would be my hope is that we would put it out Thursday, um, we would,
um ... have a short objective narrative that goes with it, that again provides a little
bit of context, uh... uh, to the release of the videos. Um ... uh, wanna make sure
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that, um, we fact -checked anything with that narrative with any other law
enforcement agencies, just so, um, we're ensuring that everything that we put out
is 100% correct, but I think .... I think Thursday is a reasonable goal. Um, if
somethin' unforeseen comes up, uh, certainly I'd ... wouldn't say Friday, but
Thursday would be my intention.
Salih: Okay. You said early that, you know, the independent review you don't know
when it gonna start because you have to collect all this data that they require.
That means maybe it will be time between we release it to the public and between
the independent review is started. I just wanna just see if there is anything that
has been raised by the, you know, by the public, before we send the contract and
finalize it. I wish those things will be included .... on the investigations.
Fruin: Well I think you'd have to defer the vote on the contract then. And...
Dilkes: Yeah, the ... the contract, just as a clarification, the contract has already been signed
by OIR. And ... and that's standard (both talking) practice. Yeah, and that's
standard practice because we want the Council to be approving a contract that
we're not gonna have to change after you approve it, and so we wanna make sure
by getting the consultant's signature that ... that the consultant is okay with it. So,
the consultant has signed the contract, and you're approving this contract. If ..if
you want changes to it, then we're going to have to go back and talk to the
consultant, get those changes made, and then have you approve it.
Salih: If that mean that the public come up with another question and we already signed
the contract, we cannot investigate it.
Dilkes: No, that ... that's not accurate. I think what we would do then is then we would,
if. ... if a question came up that we wanted the consultant to review, then we
would .... we would bring that to the attention of the consultant. If...and then if the
consultant thinks that that's just a minor issue that he can incorporate into the rest
of the review, then we won't need to do anything with the contract. Um .... (both
talking, garbled) ...we may have to negotiate a change in ... in the amount that
we're paying him.
Salih: Okay! Just like, uh, kind of is .... we may ...we might pay more money.
Dilkes: Sure (both talking, garbled)
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Salih: Okay! Uh, the last thing I wanna really, you know, propose is, uh, if the Council
agree of course, I ... I, nothing against the City or Geoff, but I would like the
Mayor to really, I would encourage the Mayor to sign the contract, because, you
know, just, um, it doesn't make sense for me, uh, you know, the person who
paying that people is the person who sign the contract. Just, to me I just believe
that we should give authorization to the Mayor to sign the contract with the
independent review. (both talking, garbled)
Dilkes: ...that's the way the .... the resolution reads currently, is it authorizes the Mayor to
sign it.
Salih: Sure (both talking)
Dilkes: ....and the City Clerk to attest. Yep!
Salih: Okay! Uh, yeah, and my .... my last comment will be yes, I will support releasing
of the two video and also, uh, you know, as soon as possible, uh, and Thursday's
fine, and also I'm supporting the independent (mumbled)
Bergus: I agree, for all the reasons that other Councilors, um, and members of the public
have articulated. I think it's really important that we move towards building trust.
It's apparent that we have a long way to go with that, but I think transparency is
really important and I just wanna thank the public for understanding that this is a
process. This is, um, new to us and we are moving in a way that we think is as
fast as we can in being responsible for the needs of independence and being
thorough and being careful, and not, urn .... just ... just going forward in a way that
we think is truly accountable to the public. So I ... I support both the release of the
video and the independent investigation.
Thomas: Yeah, I ... I also agree that we need to release the video and, um, you know, Geoff
kind of laid out the scope of the services, so it is ... it is both looking back at June
3'd and then looking forward in terms of what policies with regard to the use of
force may need to be revised, based on those findings. So I ... I think in that regard
it would be a ... a useful document, understanding what happened, and then how
that might translate to policy revisions. So I will be supporting moving forward
with the investigation.
Teague: All right! Anyone else? So we do have, uh, before us the Item #16, which is the
independent review of June 3'a protest incident, uh, which we're gonna take a
vote on here in a second, but I ... I wanted to, um, just maybe, um .... give Geoff a
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clear direction cause I think we can do this without a vote, um, on the video. And
so, uh, I just warm see majority of heads .... I think I've already heard the
majority say yes. So, Geoff, you have that direction and then with that bein' said
we're gonna do roll call for, um, Item #....15, which is the indepen... to do the
independent review of June 3'd protest incident. Roll call please. Motion passes
7-0. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Salih: So moved.
Bergus: Seconded, Bergus.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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17. Truth and Reconciliation Commission — Resolution establishing Ad Hoc
Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Salih: So move.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: All right! And do we have any, uh, staff presentation on this?
Dilkes: No staff presentation. I believe this has been guided by Councilors Bergus and
Weiner.
Teague: Great! Would you all like to take an opportunity now or do we want to hear from
the public?
Weiner: I would ... I would, just to frame this a little bit, I would just say that, you know,
from .... from the outset our goal was to, um, essentially really create a framework,
uh, and ... and give the ... what the... whatever.... what we decide to be the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission a fair amount of leeway, knowing that it is a City
commission, um, and knowing that the ... the rule .... the rules that, uh, the ... the
public .... the public record rules and the other things that my now tired mind are
not going to allow me to remember exactly how to say, will all apply to a City
commission. So we have ... we have the draft that Councilor Bergus and I worked
on. We have a series of amendments that, um, that the ... the IFR has proposed.
We have, I believe, essentially a, uh, a version that shows both of those together
and in ... in the latest handouts I'm aware that we got, at least one other set of, um,
revisions, um, so I don't, you know, I don't know what obviously the Council will
decide to do. I wanna hear what the public comment is on the version ... on the
version before us and um, and then, uh.... and .... and also recognize, um, that there
is an urgency to get this done and at the same time it's really important that we
take whatever other public comment we get today and ... and have a chance to look
at what came in in the very late handouts that I honestly didn't have a chance to
read, uh, just before the meeting, uh, and I would suggest that ... that we consider,
um, basically merging those all into one document and either having a, uh, a
separate meeting to deal with that, or deal with it as a priority at our next meeting,
so that we can actually .... so that we can really get it done, now that we will have
had the input from all the various players and organizations.
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Teague: All right! So I think we're gonna open up public comment. And we're gonna ask
people to raise their hands, and if you're on the phone, you can press *9, uh, to
speak to Council. And I will call you one by one. Uh, Raneem. Welcome! Uh,
followed by Angie Jordan.
Hamad: Hello. Hi. Urn ... so this, um, this resolution that Councilor, um, the amendments
to the resolution that Councilor Janice Weiner was speaking about earlier, um, is
the draft, um, IFR has sent after working with various, um, members of the
community who are experts in human rights, um, and TRC commissions as well
as other community leaders, um, within the community. Um, we thought that the
existing resolution did not, um, one, um, talk enough about ... did not acknowledge
the, um, painful, um, systemic, you know, aspects of racial injustice in Iowa City,
um, and that, two, it didn't have enough information regarding the independence,
um, of the commission in terms of allowing it to do the work, the meaningful
work that it needs to do. Um, we also, um, added some conversa.... we added
some, um, amendments that talked about actually implementing, um, sustainable,
um, systemic change, um, after the fact-finding aspect of the commission, um,
because as we all know from, um, past Truth and Reconciliation Commissions
across the country that truth doesn't necessarily, um, always lead to reconciliation.
Um, and so I hope that, um, members of the public are able to look through these
amendments that IFR has come up with, um, in attempts to actually make this
commission, um, something that act ... actually has teeth and is able to do the work
that needs to be done in our community. Thank you.
Teague: Angie Jordan. Followed by David.
Jordan: (garbled)
Teague: Um, you're comin' through robotic!
Jordan: Robotic, okay!
Teague: You're clear now!
Jordan: (mumbled) urn ... hi, guys! Uh, first I wanna say thank you to the Iowa Freedom
Rider leaders for including the TRC in their list of demands to the City Council
earlier this summer. Um, that's a really big deal. Their demands are all big deals,
um, but I wanna speak on this one. I also warm thank the IFR for actively
engaging the framework with multiple drafts of the resolution, while also putting
their energy and heart into protesting. Um, multi -tasking is really, really (laughs)
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difficult to do and I just wanna say that I appreciate them. Um, I wanna give
gratitude to Councilwomen Bergus and Weiner for creating the frame book...
framework for the resolution. As a South District resident in Iowa City, and
speaking as an individual representing myself, um, I'm grateful for the process,
uh, like this to include resident feedback, uh, and that it exists to gather voices
that aren't always heard. I also appreciate the time, uh, that's being put into this
process for creating this TRC resolution. Um, in recent IFR edit, uh, of the
resolution framework, I wanna offer specific personal feedback. I really hope
others in the community especially those in residential areas that are
underrepresented do the same, whether it's through public comment or writing to
the Council. This way many voices can be heard. Um, with that being said and
working off of recent edits, um (garbled) time frame. Uh... there are many things I
warm highlight and agree strongly with! Uh, personally I think it's important to
keep a lot of the language IFR has added to the resolution. Three examples
specifically include systematic racism and white privilege being deeply resistant
to change. To me, this language solidifies and reinforces its presence and that it
exists, and that it's unacceptable, and that we can't ignore it. Um, a second one
would be, uh.... the commission, the TRC commission must be empowered to
stimulate difficult conversations and reach and engage a full cross section of the
community, including those parts of the community not otherwise inclined to
engage. That's a big one! Um, and then a third and final example of language, as
City Council recognizes that truth by itself, Raneem just talked about this, it does
not always lead to reconciliation and that the Council needs to dedicate itself to
systemic reparative changes to organizations that identify, uh, within truth -telling
instances. I believe that this language is so important in giving the commission,
like Raneem said, the T, not just to collect and share and make recommendations,
but to hold people and places publicly accountable (garbled) highlight, and I'm
gonna try and talk a little faster so hopefully I don't break up. (mumbled) in
initial drafts, uh, where the focused attention on the mandate of the TRC includes
but is not limited to fact-finding, truth -telling, and reconciliation. Since this is
new territory, I believe the TRC commission needs space to create and be creative
and explore. A final part that I strongly agree with in the edits to the written
framework include language that the TRC, uh, may require specialized and robust
mechanism to protect (garbled) A piece that I would like to add to the framework
would go along with the importance of a facilitator, funded by the City, with
expertise and experience not just in group facilitation and human rights, but also
experience and expertise in diversity, explicit ... or rather, implicit and explicit, all
the implicits, bias, mediation, conflict resolution, awareness and understanding of
different ways to communicate and different ways to process information. I feel
it's important because I believe the commission is going to be made up of folks
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who are coming together for a common goal, and perhaps also, very different
perspectives, different experiences, different ideas. One of my many hopes for
this commission is to model truth -seeking and reconciliation. Finally the last two
parts (garbled) Council to consider are based on my understanding of City
commissions and how they are to make recommendations to the Council that then
votes and that the City Manager carries out the decision. With that understanding,
and I could be totally wrong and not understanding anything right now, um, but I
would suggest taking out Item 2 and Item 12 in the IFR edited version, recent
edited version of the resolution, based on concerns setting a precedent that could
negatively impact the TRC commission and future City commissions' legitimacy.
Thank you, guys, for listening and for the opportunity to speak!
Teague: Thank you, Angie. Uh, David, followed by Sabri.
Drustrup: Thank you very much, Mayor. Uh, yeah, just wanna support what Raneem said
and, uh, the vast majority of what Angie said too. I really liked Angie's, um,
phrasing of making sure that the, uh, commission can be creative and explore, and
just the support, uh, both of their ideas that, you know, this thing needs to have
power, um, I .... I don't pretend to be an expert. I think Raneem and, uh, Angie
and Erin Page probably know a lot more about this stuff, but if I can add one
piece maybe it's from the, uh, like from the research literature, from the
(mumbled) literature, and folks have looked at the TRC in South Africa and others
around the world and the country, you know, the main issue, um, the main
complaint that comes from these, the main failures, is always when the
commission does not have the authority to ... to act on the findings that come from
the truth -telling. Um, so just wanna leave it there, leave my support... there's also
a piece put out by the ... the United Nations. They have a full, uh, truth
commissions sort of overview of how this has been done around the world. It's
not too long, so I would recommend folks take a look at that and see how power
has been, um, implemented in various systems across the world and throughout
history. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you, David. Sabri, followed by Tanner.
Sky: Hi, my name is Sabri and I just wanted to, uh, offer support for the IFR, uh,
amendments, um ... and uh... support, uh, second what .... second so to speak what
Raneem's saying and, um, and also, uh... Angie's articulations. Um, I identify
myself as someone who grew up in, uh, the South District, in the Broadway
neighborhood here, um, and has lived in a number of neighborhoods and
experienced, uh, police violence, uh, even as a poor white person, uh, but
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recognizing that ... that there are a lot of people, I think you know, in the area who
don't fully understand, um, and then also offer, uh, kind of another set of
seconding again of, uh... uh, bringing in what ... what is even known from around
the world, uh, like the IFR members did, of (mumbled) Truth and Reconciliation
Commissions. Um, as somebody who, uh, has studied at least academically, uh...
Truth and Rec... Truth and Reconciliation, uh, how it happened in South Africa
and one of the people who was involved, Martha Nussbaum from the University
of Chicago, and studied under people who worked in Calcutta, um, and studied
mediation (mumbled) also ask the City to, uh, make this commission and, uh, ask
the future commission to, uh, ha ... have that ability, uh, built in to make sure this
happens to have action based on active listening of...people who have these
experiences in getting that ... that truth told and ... and acted on and accountability,
the way people want, people who've experienced it, uh, under IFR's leadership,
and whom IFR chooses. Thank you ,and thank you, Mayor Teague, and uh, Salih
and Weiner and Bergus and everybody for your work on this too.
Teague: Thank you. Tanner, and, um (mumbled) I'm gonna allow Raneem to come back,
um, but we only allow people to speak one ... address Council once. But, and
we're gonna ask everybody to continue to keep your comments three to five
minutes.
King: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
King: Okay, good! Um, so I actually wasn't even planning on saying anything tonight,
but this was just something that I wanted to express and I'll try to keep it quick.
Um, I realize ... I had kind of a weird feeling (mumbled) meeting tonight when we
started talking about this video and I thought about some of the other issues that
we discussed tonight, and not to detract from any of them. They're all important,
but some of them I think we could have predicted going in that it really wouldn't
generate very much discussion, and I just feel that it's odd that we're talking
about this now, and that is ... isn't even what I was going to say something, but then
I heard a comment, um, from somebody about their, uh, their difficulty thinking
right now because they're tired. And I don't wanna single anybody out because
I've heard this remark from many other people in the past, at, uh, at separate
meetings, but uh, just something that I heard and I think maybe we could think
about our priorities and how it should maybe mend our relationship or improve
our relationship with the IFR and their supporters. That's all! Thank you!
Teague: Thank you! Raneem, followed by Liana.
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Hamad: Hi, I just wanted to speak, um, to Angie's previous points about, um, amendments
2 and 12, in terms of independence. Um, the principles of independence is really
important for IFR to be present in the resolution because the committee, like
Angie said, this is unprecedented and this commission in and of itself is doing
work that has not been done by any commission within Iowa City. And, um, for
part of that is the commission's power and ability to investigate the City itself, uh,
and staff within the City for, uh, instances of racial injustice and oppression
within our community for the past hundreds of years, and that, those
investigations would truly be, um, kind of hindered if we don't ... if the
commission does not have this budget independence and this independence to
actually make decisions in terms of what it is, urn .... pursuing as a whole
commission. And so this ... I just wanna reiterate again the importance of having
this independence and if there are legal restrictions to why we can't have the, uh,
independence that we need, um, a written letter by, from the City Attorney, um,
describing why these legal reasons are present, um, because as IFR, it's really
important for us, um, this commission is going to be doing a lot of important work
that, uh, again has, is unprecedented and has not been done by any commission,
um, within our community and needs to have the power, um, that it needs to
actually do this meaningful, um, make meaningful changes in our, within our
community. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. And, uh, we'll have Liana, and I ... I'm not sure if I pronounced it
right. I tried!
Suleiman: (laughing) I appreciate it. No, it's Liana!
Teague: Liana (both talking)
Suleiman: Yep, there you go! Um, yeah, so this time around I only actually just have a
question. I saw the first ... one of the earlier drafts of the TRC and its proposal,
um, but the last two City Council meetings I've been looking on the website,
through both the icgov/blm and just the normal City Council documents. I cannot
find any, um ... like drafts or like the current proposal, I suppose, for the upcoming
TRC. Could you redirect me to where that is, and may I suggest making that
more transparent or putting that directly on the blm website, because that is one of
the demands?
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Teague: I .... I think it was in the late handouts. We ... we didn't get (both talking) Yeah, so
we didn't get that until yesterday. So dependin' on when you went .... I'm not sure,
but it...it was in the late handout.
Suleiman: Okay. Thank you!
Teague: You're welcome! All right. If there's anyone else that wanna address Council,
please feel free. And raise your hand. Uh, Royceann Porter, Supervisor Porter.
So we can't hear you yet, but we know you're there! Still can't hear you. Uh,
looks like your mic is on mute and it looks like you have two devices over there.
(laughs) I'm assumin', Kellie, you're tryin' to promote her?
Porter: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can hear you perfect now!
Porter: Okay, thank you very much. All right .... urn .... I'm gonna read this. Ensurin'
justice is our goal and we believe the City Council has shown interest in doin'
this. Black Voices Project is no stranger to callin' on City Council to change
things. We have built a trusting relationship and right now we have the
opportunity to accomplish a lot as a community. We want to work collaboratively
with, uh, everyone a part of the BIPOC community to ensure we're united in
many ways to get the justice needed and deserved. We are extremely proud of our
black leadership. Our Mayor and our Mayor Pro Tem made history through their
elections by their unique qualities. They were appointed in their current roles by
the Council and this says a lot about the opportunity we have with this
appointment. We should be open about the amount of stress everyone is under
right now and try to give each other support and grace. And as far as, uh, what
Angie said, what Raneem said and what Angie said, uh, Angie.... Angie, you
nipped it in the bud. You really put the icin' on the cake, uh, thank you for what
you had to say. Uh, when I go back and look at .... lookin' at the draft and look,
urn .... the I ... IRF, I .... I personally wanna thank y'all for puttin' this together,
because, uh, we really tried to see what it was that we could do to get behind you
to support you. Um, and the efforts that you've made, and y'all have done a
wonderful job. Um .... aside all of the BS and everything else, I do warm say
thank you for everything that you've done because you have gotten the ball
rolling. Um, without you all we would not be where we are today as far as makin'
the change in our community. Um, as far as when lookin' at the draft, um, I, um, I
guess in paragraph, uh, #2, uh, where it says the TRC, urn .... the TRC is not a
separate branch of government, therefore they can be released from the
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obligations to the Mayor or the City Council. I would ask that that be looked at,
because of the simple fact the Mayor is the Mayor. We have a black Mayor and...
and a black Mayor Pro Tem, and, uh, I think we should be able to go to those
people. They should not be excluded, uh, or obligations released. No, they are
who, um, we'll be, uh, ridin' with us throughout this whole thing, and to have
them a part of this is awesome. Um, so I really looked at that and I was like well
this is not a separate branch, so I asked that you all, um, strike that out because I
definitely think that the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem is some people ... um, if...
if there's some things that the commission, the TRC, is goin' through, um, they
should be able to talk to the Mayor, the Mayor Pro Tem. I don't think the Mayor
Pro Tem and the .... uh, the Mayor and the Mayor Pro Tem should be able to
communicate back and forth, because that's what I'm lookin' for. Um, I actually
served on the PCRB, Police Citizen Review Board, which was changed to the
Citizen Police Review Board. I served (garbled) that board for six years. So I
know what it is, um, to ... to be on the board and you work so hard and you want,
um, justice (garbled) everybody and you see that it really didn't work, and so
that's what I'm speakin' on that part. Um, in paragraph 5 and 6,1 just wanted to
say do you already have someone in mind for the consultant? Um, I didn't know.
I just wanted to check. Um, where did the $1 million originate, that was one of
my questions, um, and is the consultant pay separate from that? That's... that's a
question for me. Number 10 is the task of wantin' privy to special insight and
information, askin' for special powers. That I know for a fact Mazahir, myself,
and um, Orville Townsend, um, different people who have served on the Citizen
Police Review Board, we were able to watch videos, but um, when there was a
problem, uh, even with an officer, we never knew who the officer was. It was
always a number. Um, one through 100, um, the officers, uh, went by a number,
um, when we did an investigation we watched many, um, we as the commission,
uh, was able to watch a lot of the, um, recordings of the police and still come up
with, um, what we thought, uh, in our votes, and things didn't go well so, um, I
was just sayin' to (mumbled) special privi... privy to insight, um, and special
powers is ... is .... is, I'm hopin' that the people on the Council was listenin' because
this is the part where we didn't ... we just didn't, this is the part that didn't give us
any teeth. And if it's gonna be a commission, I know it's not, um, this is a
commission like they said already, it's a special commission and we wanted to
make change, and in order to make change, you gotta make some... some.... some
special changes. Um, and then the last thing I just wanna speak on is Iowa City,
Johnson County, hopin' that county residency for TRC should be ongoin'
requirements, so that we will reduce the chances of havin' people with no skin in
the game (mumbled) Thank you very much!
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Teague: Thank you! All right. Well, Councilors? It is our time to have a conversation.
Taylor: Can we be, uh, clear what exactly we're lookin' at here and voting on the
resolution, um, because what we have in our packet, what we received in our
packet, uh, is just kind of (garbled) three pages here, uh, that seems to be a very
good, excellent, um, framework, uh... to .... to start the process of establishing the
commission, which, uh, we need to do. We need to get goin' on that if we wanna
put, uh, applications out there for people to apply. We need to get those kind of
guidelines, but some of our speakers are talking, seemed to be talking about, uh,
the list we just got on that, the 70 pages of...of late handouts we got. It was
tucked into that, and ... and I did take the time to read it but if -and it was a little bit
more extensive than what we see in front of us here in our packet, uh, and I don't
think we've had time to digest that and vote on that, but this basic framework that
we see here, uh, I ... I think is very good, although I do agree with Supervisor
Royceann Porter's comment about, uh, the residency requirement, uh, I ... we've
heard from some folks even limit it just (mumbled) residents in Iowa City, which
some of our boards and commissions, um, they do talk about that as far as have
Iowa City resident. Uh, I think she mentioned the county, but I mean that could
be up for discussion too, I guess, but otherwise what we see in this packet, I ... I
think is fine and is a good framework, uh, to start with. But what are we voting
on?
Teague: Well I ... I don't think, um, at this point we're at a vote ... voting stage. We're at a,
uh, a stage of going through .... and lookin' at the document, or documents that's
been submitted, or Council thoughts on how the resolution, urn .... uh, could play
out! So we're ... we're really at a place of, uh.... urn .... draftin' and ... or lookin' at
the drafts and, uh, fmalizin' on that, and wordsmithing... the document. At this
juncture, and then after that we can make a decision.
Bergus: I just wanna add a little bit of, um, context here, because I think... procedurally this
is so unprecedented, right, and (laughs) I talk a lot about process, um, and so the
idea of having a resolution without a recommendation from staff is .... is kind of
unprecedented, right, and having, um, a resolution that's being, um, drafted like
literally red line, um, recommendations from different stakeholders is
unprecedented, and so I .... I'm ... I'm nervous that I .... I .... (laughs) I appreciate
very much what the member from the public said about being tired and I hope,
you know, if you heard that as an excuse, but we have been here for six hours
tonight and I ... I'm not comfortable going forward, trying to wordsmith, bringing
in, um, IFR's requested changes, and ... and the things that Angie mentioned and
the things that Supervisor Porter mentioned, um, I'm not confident that we could
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reach that and ... and we vote on it tonight. Um, I do think this is one of the things
from ... from our 17 -point resolution that we committed to forming the commission
by October 1I so we definitely have urgency but I think we've been ... we've
struck a very good balance with this particular initiative and, um, taking the care
and the time to receive the input and think critically about something new and big,
and also not ... not rushing through it. Urn ... I do just wanna say big picture as far
as what the content of the resolution could provide. Urn .... we are the City
Council of Iowa City, and we work within the parameters of the ... the laws that we
have, and um, we can certainly advocate for, if we can't change laws we can
advocate for others to change the laws, um, but I think we need to be realistic in
terms of our urgency with this commission and wanting it to move forward, uh,
this fall, and to get underway this fall, um, that ... that there will be limitations as to
what the commission can and can't do, and specifically about the teeth question.
Um, and ... and I think it might be, you know, because we're .... we're trying to
think creatively and to collaborate with those in the community who ... who want
and need this work to be done with us, urn ... that maybe there are other entities
that could supplement, you know, the work of this commission, but really legally
couldn't be within the scope of the commission itself. Um, I just don't want
anyone to feel misled, that ... that we would have the authority to create from
whole cloth. For example, the ability to subpoena people. I ... I don't think that we
have legal basis to do that, um, and that that would require a State law change, uh,
Eleanor, please (laughs) interrupt if you've got ... got anything more on that
specifically or if I'm wrong there, but um, I ... I just wanna be upfront about that
because we're trying to be transparent and we're trying to be, urn .... we're trying
to listen and ... and incorporate the elements of value, and we know that that is an
important element and it may just be one that we ... that we as the City of Iowa
City and as a City commission, which is what we have the power to create, we
just may not be able to provide that specific element. (several talking, garbled)
Dilkes: No, go ahead, Janice!
Weiner: Please go ahead, Eleanor, because Laura specifically asked for your....
Dilkes: Well .... (sighs) the ... the issue of subpoena power I think is complicated. Um, I
think an argument can be made that you can provide it, but the question is ... uh, to
what end. There is no, tun .... punitive or punishment aspect of this process.
Urn ... you know, with the CPRB, for instance, you've got, um, a question about
correcting behavior or a ... or officer discipline, etc. Urn ... we're not talking in this
instance about, uh, recommendations that then will result in prosecution or some
kind of punishment. In fact, um, if we're gonna be investigating, uh,
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discrimination, uh, in terms of discrimination that's actionable we have a Human
Rights Commission and a human rights ordinance that allows for filing of
discrimination complaints. Um, if there's a discrimination complaint that is ... that
arri... that arose .... a long time ago, that's not an actionable thing under the law. So
I ... the whole punitive and punishment and .... um, compulsion aspect of this is .... is
not at all, um, clear to me. I think, um, other issues that .... that I identify are ... uh,
in the IFR proposal you've got a .... you've got budget control and you've also got,
um .... unlimited mandates. In other words they changed it to be included but not
limited to the following mandates, and then they have, um, absolute budget
discretion to make, uh, to use the budget of 250,000 as they see fit for, for their
mandates, which are undefined. So I ... I think that's problematic, um, legally.
.... sol ...I think there are a number of issues there that are complex, and I can
certainly.... I've given, uh, Janice and Laura some .... some sense of what I think
those issues are. Um... just to follow up on what Laura was saying, I ... this
commission cannot be an independent commission. It is an advisory commission
to the .... to the City Council, which is the elected body of this, um, of this city,
both by State code and by the City Charter. So, uh, in terms of that independence,
I think the resolution as drafted by Bergus and Weiner provides a significant
amount of...of independence in terms of how the commission goes about, um....
uh, performing the mandates that it's given. But in terms of unlimited authority to
create the mandate or to spend money for whatever those mandates might be, I
think that's problematic. That's just kind of a ... short (both talking)
Salih: I really get confuse here. I thinks, uh, what I understood, uh, the subpoena power
that they ask for is just kind of recommendation. It's not like something we have
to.
Dilkes: No, they're not .... that was the question that ... that Laura asked. The IFR, um...
Salih: Recommend it (both talking)
Dilkes: ...changes do not ask for subpoena power. Um, what they ask for I think is for the
Council to use its full persuasion and authority and etc., to get people to
participate in the process who otherwise wouldn't. Um .... frankly I don't know
what that persuasive power is. Um, and I think it's .... it's somewhat misleading to
suggest that Council has it. Um, because if somebody doesn't wanna participate
in this process, certainly you can talk to them and ... and you can suggest that they
do, but you don't really have any power as Council Members to compel that.
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Weiner: My...there .... in addition to some of the .... die, urn .... the concerns or...and
proposals that have been made, um, there's a lot of material here. There's a lot of
new material here. Um, there's as .... as Councilor Bergus was saying, there are
the IFR amendments and there are points brought up by Supervisor Porter, and
there are points brought up by Angie Jordan. I personally would feel much more
comfortable, um, if...if this were deferred, whether we decide to defer it for a
special ... and have a special meeting in a week or what, but ... so that we ... so that
we have a chance, uh, to work and provide a sort of composite draft that, to the
best of our ability ,includes the ... the points that .... that, uh, that the various people
have brought up, so that we ... we have one piece of paper for people to look at,
both the ... both the public and the Council. Um, and then wordsmith based on that
single document into which we've done our very best to ... to include as ... as much
of what the organizations have requested as we possibly can.
Taylor: I think that's a good idea, Janice, but I think we should also, uh, Eleanor brought
up some very good, uh, legal implications and I think we have to keep those in
mind also, uh, when this is getting put together, because we don't wanna cross the
line, uh, legally, with the legality of things.
Weiner: You're talkin' to two lawyers. I ... I haven't practiced in a long time (laughs) but
Laura practices (laughs)
Salih: I just thinks I agree with what Janice said. You know, it is very important to listen
to those comment, especially when it come from people of color and black
people, and I thinks, you know, like whether the comment made by I ... IFR or, uh,
Supervisor Royceann Porter or Angie Jordan, I thinks all those comment are very,
very important that we need to add `em. We ... we, those the people who been
affected by this Black Life Matter issues, so it is very important to listen to them
and we need to see exactly what the change they want so we can add it to this, and
uh, if this is going to take more time and it is 11:21 and I think we are not gonna
stay here until tomorrow, uh, so we ... this month is September, have five Tuesday.
We can have a special meeting only to discuss this, uh, if that's good with the rest
of the Council and so we can move to the rest of the item and finish, but I thinks,
uh, I like all the point that IFR and other community members raise during public
comment, and I think it is really worth consider them.
Mims: I would agree, and I think Janice and I think Laura was headed this way too,
and .... and what you've said, Maz. I think there is so much new material here,
um, and I had trouble at first figuring out what ... what version was coming from
where and what people were referring to and things, and, urn .... you know, Pauline
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said what are we voting on. Well, yeah, we can't wordsmith this whole thing
tonight and there's also some potential issues with some of the points they made
in terms of the amount of independence and those kinds of things. I guess what I
would encourage would be for ...um, Councilors (mumbled) Weiner and Bergus to
work with the City Attorney, um, with the edits that have been presented, um, to
give us a ... a "final draft" to really work from, and if there are suggestions and
points that were in some of these, um, submissions from the public, that are not
included, then to please give us an explanation of why those things were left out.
Um, you know, why you think they don't work or why they aren't legal, um, so
that we ... we know what those changes are from what has been presented, and that
way we have a framework to work from, and ... you know, I ... I don't know if ..if
that can be done in two weeks. I would love to see that in our next meeting, so
that we can continue the process. I know there's already a lot of frustration with
the public, in feeling like we aren't committed and that we're stalling and that sort
of stuff, which ... I ... think is the furthest... furthest thing from the truth, um ... but,
yeah, if that's possible to have it done and look at this again in two weeks, I think
that would be great.
Bergus: And we had a little bit of, um, conversation at one point about sort of, uh, Janice
and I being this subcommittee, you know, to carry this forward. Would ... would
Council be comfortable with us trying to coordinate, you know, because I think
we have some conflicting input as part of the, one of the things that I'm seeing for
tonight and so ... you know, we've ... the understanding would be we'd try and, as
directly as possible, work at the same time with those who provided input, um,
and with the City Attorney, to bring forward one draft. Does that seem like where
we're headed?
Weiner: And I think we have ... I think we have the input, uh, and the... the.... the, it's, um...
the tough thing is always getting.... getting all the pieces in, making sure they're
legal (laughs) and getting an acceptable document.
Bergus: Yeah.
Teague: Yeah, I think it was a .... a lot of information to really digest and even though I
went through and kinds highlighted and wrote comments next to everything, it
just, um .... um, the document was sent yesterday, and so I wasn't aware until late
last night that the document was actually there. Um, when I went to look at late
handouts, and then that's where I was, uh, that's when I found it. So ... um, I would
certainly say, you k now, tun ... well let's defer it ... until .... um, we don't have to
defer until the following Tuesday. Personally I, um, I know ...uh, next Tuesday
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V� yL'=
Dilkes:
Teague:
Dilkes:
Teague:
Salih:
Mims:
Teague:
and Wednesday I won't be in town, urn ... for, uh, for personal matters, uh, but
other than that ... we can certainly... but I ... I do feel that we need to either
dedicate .... a meeting just to this, unless, you know, we feel confident, uh, that,
um, Councilor Bergus and Weiner will be able to, uh, pull all the pieces together
in ... in one document and ... and give Council enough time to digest anything that's
been proposed.
(mumbled) whenever we do it, I think it should be fairly early in the agenda so
that we have, if it's not a separate meeting, so that we have, so that we can really
give it our full attention. Um, I ... I, I mean I'm .... I'm confident that we could pull
together a draft, and it's also going to be very important that everybody on
Council look at everything and understand what's in, what's out, why .... why
that's the case, um, so I think we do ... really gonna need to be able to put some
time to it, no matter how good a job we do drafting it.
I ... I'd suggest for right now you defer it to the next meeting that we have
scheduled, which is the 15th. I mean there's ... if something changes it can be...
deferred again, it can be ... you can set a special meeting, etc., but for right now I
think we just have to get it moved to the next Council meeting.
And then maybe we'll, um, me and Mayor Pro Tem can work with Geoff on, uh,
what's on the next meeting. Um ... (several talking)
And we certainly have the authority.... Mayor and City Manager have the
authority to move ... revise the order of the agenda, so we could put it up front.
Okay. All right, so our, um ..... I think I've heard from most everybody. Could I
get a motion to defer?
I put a motion to defer it to the next meeting.
Second.
All right, and ... we got a motion and a second. So, um, can we do a .... a voice
vote? All in favor say aye. Opposed? Okay! Um, so we're .... we're gonna defer
that item until the next vote ... until the next meeting. Um ... and thanks to
everybody for bein' a part of this process and ... and, um, this is certainly, um,
somethin' that we wanna be very intentional about and makin' sure that we get it
right from the .... from the start, because I think that's very, very important, and
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allow people voices to, um, still be heard, because it's ... there's a lot of voices
here, which is great, and we welcome them.
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18. Victim Services Specialist Position — Resolution amending budgeted positions
in the Police Department and by deleting one full-time Police Officer position
and adding one full-time Victim Services Specialist position and amending
the AFSCME pay plan by adding the position Victim Services Specialist to
grade 11.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So moved (garbled)
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Taylor. I hope that's what I heard! And staff
presentation.
Fruin: Thank you, Mayor and Council. Um, there's a, uh, a fairly lengthy staff report, I
guess relative to what you're used to seein', uh, with some background on the side
and then given that it's 11:30, I'm gonna be fairly brief in my remarks. Um, for
the last couple years the Iowa City Police Department has been working really
hard to increase, uh, the support network, uh, that we have for victims of crime.
Uh, we've done this through the aid of a federal grant that's allowed us to, uh,
enhance our training, uh, to have, um, experts in the field help revise our policies,
and through, uh, intentional efforts to ... to better collaborate with, uh, local, um...
uh, social service agencies that provide critical support, uh, to, uh, victims of
crime as well. And, uh, over the last, um .... year, uh, we've been working with,
um ... uh, the, uh, University of Denver to have a licensed master of social work
practicum student serve as a victim services coordinator, and that was a grant -
funded position, uh, that, uh, has since, um ... uh, expired, or that grant has since
been closed out, and uh, our department saw great value in that position. Um,
they advocated for that position during, uh, the last budget process, and um, I did
not, um, recommend the filling of that position due to other ...other resources. As
I've, uh, we've all, uh, had a lot of discussions in the community, uh, about
policing and ... and how we can enhance the police department, um, I'm askin' for
a bit of a do -over here, on ... on my call, and um, what I'd like to do is, um, remove
a ... a vacant police officer position, and um ... uh, fill it with this, uh, civilian victim
services position. Um, I ... I do believe, um, that it provides a .... a critical, critical,
um, piece, uh, to, urn ... what we hope is a very comprehensive set of services that
the department offers. We wanna make sure, and it's in our mission statement,
that we're empowering victims of...of crime through excellence in service. So,
um, if you move forward with this tonight, again you eliminate one police officer
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position, you'll approve this, uh, civilian, uh, social work position, and um, we
will begin to finalize the, uh, job description, uh... uh, after talking with some of
our, again partners in the community outside of the police department that ... that
provide, um, critical services to ... to victims as well. So I'm happy to try to
answer any more questions, uh, as I skip through a lot of the details. I hope you,
um, saw the, um, support letter, because there was a lot of, uh, good commentary,
uh, in that support letter, um, from, uh, the Domestic Violence Intervention
Program, um, but with your approval, um, we would move to hire this position,
um, yet this fall, uh, so we can move pretty quickly on this position.
Taylor: So, Geoff, uh, this sounds as though it's, uh, basically would be a social worker
type of position then, so if, uh, the qualifications, uh, and experience and
requirement would be, uh, as a social worker.... probably?
Froin: That's correct, yes, and that ... that, um, individual would ... would just be that
constant presence in the department, uh, always help train officers, support
officers, um, look at our policies, again build relationships in the community, um,
and really kind of be there for those victims of crime, to help connect them to
whatever they need, uh, to get through the traumatic experience that they've gone
through.
Taylor: Thank you.
Teague: Any other questions for Geoff? 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 and I will call on you. Seein' no one, uh, Council discussion?
Salih: No, there is some (mumbled)
Teague: Oh, I am so sorry. My, uh (laughs) my screen was down a little bit so I didn't see
the ... sorry about that! We're gonna call Kris ... uh, Kristie, followed by .... uh,
Liana... Liana.
Fortmann-Doser: Hi, Mayor Teague, uh, can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes, welcome!
Fortmann-Doser: Thank you so much. It's so good to talk to you and to the Council Members.
Um, I just wanted to take a minute to say that we appreciate this opportunity and
support, um, this moving forward for the police department. We've had a very
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strong 20 -year relationship, um, educating, working with, and creating
opportunities for victims to have, um, more effective resources and more
appropriate accountability within our criminal justice system. Um, with that said,
um, we're also in a, um, very crucial point in our community's, um, life and
experience in looking at Black Lives Matter and really addressing, um ... uh,
systemic racism. I think that this position has some opportunities to look at how,
uh, law enforcement, um ... uh, produce peace and support peace, and care within
our community. I think it's also a really great opportunity to look at how, um,
trauma affects law enforcement officers. I think that I've outlined some of this,
um, in my letter, but I think one piece that I do warm pull out of the letter is to
talk about the nuance of bringing, um ... uh, I don't wanna call `em conflictings. I
don't believe they're conflicting philosophies, per se, but ethics and, um ... uh,
mission and philosophical base of...of disparate professions can have an impact,
and that's why I think it's really critical to be connected with, uh, professionals in
the community who, um, work with victim services and who have shared their
expertise across not only our community but others. Um, I think that it's a very
nuanced issue and can have a significant impact on the success of this position,
and so, um, I would really encourage, uh, the City and the police department to
build on the collaborations that they've worked so hard on.
Teague: Thank you, Kristie. And ... Liana.
Suleiman: (mumbled) Um, yeah, you had my name right the first time, Mayor (laughs) so I
appreciate it. Uh, Liana's good. Uh, yeah, so I would personally like to thank
you guys for including this line item on the agenda for tonight. Um, I would like
to stress the importance especially with as we're talking about restructuring the
police department how important a position this is to be including, uh, within the
ICPD itself. Um, but more importantly how this .... I believe it's only a start. Uh,
there is many different types of victims, we need to bear in mind whether we're..
we're talking specifically about domestic violence or, um, mental health issues, or
um .... even sus... substance abuse, all of those things police officers traditionally
deal with when they're called onto the scene, but they do not have the training for
it, right? So I don't know if within your packets it specifies specifically what
victim services specialist means and what their specific allocation, um,
qualifications need to be, other than "a social worker," um, but there needs to be, I
suppose moving forward, also a greater dialogue into... again in this formal
capacity of restructuring the police department, of including various forms of
victim specialists, um, in all these different... capacities that ... that potentially could
involve. Um, it sounded a little bit, the discourse that was had before the, um,
community, or the ... before the stage was open to the community that the services
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specialist would be working and training the police officers, as opposed to
constantly being on scene whenever certain types of, um, incidences are called in.
Again if, uh, moving forward if...the... the Council worked to restructure the
department to include more types of victim services specialist, it would be I think
incredibly important to have them go onto the scene. Um, and respond to these
certain types of calls. That's the entire premise of restructuring the police force.
So again I just want to voice my approval, specifically on this. I think this is a
great step moving forward, but I also want to stress the importance as well about
rethinking how ...we are going to better and continue this resolution moving
forward, um, in the best capacity for our community as a whole. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Uh, Cady. Welcome!
Gerlach: Good evening, Mayor and Council, I just wanted to say, uh, commend City staff
first of all for this great, uh, opportunity with the victim services option in the PD,
and also show that it really could be a model for different forms, uh, including
street outreach potentially and other anti -homelessness initiatives that IPR has
referenced in their goals. I think it's an incredible model and it's one that we hope
will continue, and I really appreciate City staff, uh, taking the lead in ... in
launching this program.
Teague: Thank you! Would anyone else like to address Council? Seeing no one, Council
discussion? (several talking, garbled)
Mims: I'm very supportive of this. Um, I think this is a direction a lot of us I think have
kind of talked about as we're talking about restructuring the police. In looking at
what other kinds of professionals and services, uh, that we need to have involved
that will, uh, be better suited and have that kind of training in certain calls, uh, for
the (mumbled) 9-1-1 calls and to avoid some of that, uh, contact that we have now
that can escalate (garbled) for certain people. So, I think this is (garbled) position
and we'll see, uh, what other changes we also make as we move forward.
Taylor: I'm also very much in favor of this, uh, change in the position, uh, from the, uh,
PD position to this, uh, victim services, uh, specialist. And I think the letter in
support from DVIP is ... is very important and ... and probably indicates that there...
there is a strong need for this position, uh, so I think that's, uh, very high
recommendation from them and I'm in favor of this.
Bergus: I just wanted to note that the memo, um, supporting this position indicated that
not just DVIP but also the Rape Victim Advocacy Program and the Nissa, African
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Family Services, um, all three of these community partners have voiced their
support for this position, um, at the police department, and they will be consulted
on the final job description to ensure that it's meeting the needs of all victims.
Um, just to relate to what, um, one of our callers said. So and I also just wanna
highlight how cool it is that we're able to do this now and be so, um, flexible
in ... in having this, uh, position brought back before us, or brought before us
when, you know, circumstances were a little bit different and now we have this
opportunity so immediately. That's really great.
Teague: Great (several talking)
Weiner: ...agree with everything.
Thomas: One interesting comment I thought was, um .... this ... this idea that, uh, the ... this
specialist would also be able to provide trauma support for the law enforcement
officers themselves. That's ... you know, I think we all understand how difficult
being a police officer can be, so to have someone working for the department
that's not only working on victim support, um, externally, but also internally I
think is ... is a ... a very interesting insight on the part of, uh, DVIP. And Kristie.
Teague: Well I certainly am appreciative of this and, um, happy that we are able to vote on
it now! So ... any other comments (both talking)
Salih: (mumbled) everyone (garbled) said, and I think this is a good move, uh, to have,
uh, especially during this time when we are thinking about restructin' the police
department. We need those kind of civilian positions and, uh, also I'm really
looking forward, uh, just another position that I been talking to Geoff about it,
where we can get like civilian position for community... immigrant community
outlea... outreach position, uh, because I think this is needed in the community,
and we been seeing that the police always when they have something in the
immigrant community, they have to have help of a, you know, a person from the
community. So I hope we can have another position like this in the future
(mumbled) staff or by the new police commission that we gonna create soon.
Weiner: I mean I think the only thing I'd add is I think that ... that we probably all recognize
that this is the direction we wanna go, this is a start, it's not an end. Really happy
to see it on the agenda.
Teague: All right, are we ready to make a vote?
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Salih: Yes!
Teague: Great! Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
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19. Procurement of Aaron Taser 7 Conducted Energy Device Bundles —
Resolution authorizing the procurement of Axon Taser 7 Conducted Energy
Device Bundles for the City of Iowa City.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Salih: So move.
Mims: Second.
Teague: Uh, moved by Mims, seconded by, uh, I'm sorry (laughs) moved by Salih,
seconded by Mims. All right, staff, uh, presentation on this?
Fruin: Um, Mayor and Council, this item was deferred from your last meeting, um, I just
wanna offer a quick clarification, um, and, uh, there is a supplemen...
supplemental memo from, uh, our Interim Chief of Police, Denise Brotherton, on
this, um, so if you haven't had a chance to look at that I'd encourage you to. Um,
there's been some confusion on ... on the cost. Uh, the total cost is stated. I just
wanna, uh...uh, let you know that's not an annual cost. That's the cost over five
years, uh, so there'd be equal payments, uh, totaling 230 over the five-year period.
Um .... the reason that this item was deferred at your last meeting was because you
wanted to see the, uh, inventory of military -grade equipment, uh, that, um ... urn,
the Iowa City Police Department has. Um, I was not able to ... to finalize that
report and get that out in your information packet, um, and so you still don't have
that information. Um, you are certainly welcome to vote on this tonight. It was
deferred to this, uh, but um, that same predicament exists in which you don't have
that, uh, list of that military -grade equipment. So if that is important in your
decision making criteria, um, or important context for you to have, uh, then you'll
need to defer this to your next meeting.
Teague: Um .... well, I think we do have, um .... I don't know if Council want to go ahead
and allow public comment, which ... which we should allow public comment, but I
would think that .... based on .... um, what we ... why we deferred it, my assumption
is that there would be another motion to defer it again. But we're gonna go to
public comment. Um .... did you have a comment, Mayor Pro Tem?
Salih: I just wanna, I don't know, but my intention was to defer it, not to .... not that, but I
just .... think that we just need to postpone it. That what I'm really thinking. But
let us hear from the public!
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Teague: Sure. Sure. All right, so we're gonna go to public discussion. So anybody that
wants to address this topic you can do it at t his time. We ask that you keep your
comments three to five minutes. We're gonna, uh, start with Liana, and then with
David.
Suleiman: Hi, yes, um, so on this topic I definitely agree it does need to be postponed;
however, I ... earlier tonight there was a lot of (mumbled) when we were talking
about the bow hunting resolution, um, about Council was saying that their
alignment and their priorities was to maintain what their previous agreement with
the State. Correct? So moving forward, this recent amendum to add to the
budget, um, $250,000 over the next five years to replace (mumbled) tasers was
(mumbled) long after you had approved the June 16' resolutions! Now at that
time you made a commitment to work to restructure the police department. So
whether or not you move forward on accepting and replacing these 69 tasers,
outdated tasers. It was irrelevant until discourse has begun on how that
restructuring is set to take place. If that has not occurred and movement has, um,
I guess the motion has passed and you all approve this resolution to fund the
police department in this manner, that is a show of bad faith. That is a show of
the, um ... I don't wanna say delegitimization of Council, but that is a show of...for
lack of better words at the moment, it's been a long night, um, bad faith on
Council's behalfl You made a commitment to talk about and have discourse
regarding how to restructure the police department and within the matter of this
discourse to keep pushing that further and further down the line, that in the
interim to stop and to say that you are willing to allocate from the people's taxes,
from your city's taxes, $250,000 to fund the police department, when you made a
commitment to work on restructuring that fundamentally, that is bad faith! That is
absolutely unacceptable on behalf of Council to do something like that to the
public when earlier they had made a prior commitment. Um, as we saw tonight, if
you're willing to do that and prioritize the State (mumbled) previous, urn ... uh,
agreement with the State over your current constituencies demands, then I highly,
highly would assume that would be the similar case here, where you choose to
maintain, um, your... the.... the, your first agreement with the people as opposed to
any later addendums that other people may bring up as concerns. Um, so again
it's a matter of hypocrisy and it's a matter of listening to your constituents and I
really urge you to think twice moving forward, um, about what exactly you do
decide to vote on this resolution. So thank you!
Teague: Thank you. We're gonna go to David, followed by Oscar.
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Drustrup: Thank you, Mayor, and uh, thank you, Council, for stayin' up late with us and
lettin' us comment on all these different things. Really appreciate that. Um, so I
just wanna, uh, voice support, um, in postponing this decision. You know, at the
end of the day I think we have to decide whether we want to upgrade the weapons
used against us or whether we want to upgrade the things that are gonna protect us
from needing the police in the first place. Um, so we had some discussions. I
heard from Councilor Mims last week, um, you know, talking about the research
that looks at, you know, what tasers can do to escalate, things like that. Um, and
while the research is pretty clear about that, that tasers can de-escalate, um, and
lead to less use of higher force weapons, we also know that tasers and other
weapons, um, other non -lethal weapons are used disproportionately against
people of color, especially young people of color. Um, and the things that we ... we
don't know about those academic studies is what would happen differently if
instead of a taser we used some of the other things that IFR is proposing, and that
I think City Council has been talking more and more about, and that's like what
happens if a (mumbled) professional comes in to ... to navigate the situation? What
happens if a mental health professional comes in to navigate the situation if
someone's having a mental health reaction, if it's something like, uh,
schizophrenia or something, you know, that .... that's not something a police
officer with a taser is gonna know how to handle, but a mental health professional
could, and so while the research points one direction, it's ... it's, uh, it's limited in
its scope to explain everything. And so, you know, before we say we're ready to
upgrade everything, um, let's really think seriously about some of this forward-
looking progress that we're talking about making, and ... and let's try some of this,
right? I mean I think we have a lot of community support and even Council
support around this. So, um, let's ... let's put this off, let's try some new things
that don't require violence. Thank you so much.
Teague: Thank you. Raneem, followed by Oscar.
Hamad: Hi, I just wanted to, um, second, um, Liana's and David's, um, sentiments with
regards to, um, you k now, Council moving on.....moving forward with this, um,
in terms of allocating this money or fimding this, giving this money to the ICPD
for these new tasers is really a show of hypocrisy, um, to the Black Lives Matter
resolution that Council passed, um, in June. Um, and had we actually had any
progress done in terms of our police demands, um, I ... I personally believe that...
and even the creation of the police committee, I don't think that we would be
having this conversation right now. Um, to me personally it feels like, um, any
work has been purposely delayed, um, with the police committee, so that this
discussion, um, regarding this $300,000 allocation, um, would happen first, and
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it's frankly disheartening to see that as Council continues to claim that they're
trying to, um, commit to the Black Lives Matter movement in the press and
whatsoever that they're consistently backtracking in terms of the action that they
are taking, um, physically, um, in Council. And I think this just, again, brings up,
you know, another reason for why people continue to protest every, um, every
week, um, out on the streets of Iowa City. Um, they have not seen any tangible
change and I think this is a .... this is one of those first steps that if Council truly,
again like what Liana said earlier, truly is listening to their constituents, and
makes the changes that have ... that people have been asking for, um, that is -that
would be a sign of good faith, but urn .... again I'm urging you guys to listen to
your constituents and listening.... to listen to everyone in the community who does
not support, um, this further, you know, contribution to violence within our
communities. It is not the right answer, um, for the crisis that happened in any
way. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address Council?
Rodriguez: Hi there, um, I'm Oscar, uh, thank you for letting me speak, Mayor, and letting
me speak to Council. I appreciate your hard work and patience, uh, on this very
long night. Um, before I get started I'd just like to thank, uh, the Iowa Freedom
Riders for their endless hard work, uh, because, uh, dozens of people would not
be on this meeting, um, asking for accountability if it weren't for them. So thank
you to them. Um, and also I'd like to quickly uplift, uh, Liana's and Raneem's
comments about this being a bad show of faith. Um, multiple times during this
meeting City Council talked about, um, trying to rebuild trust and faith, um, with,
uh, their citizens. Uh, how can we believe that to be true, um, when they're
debating about whether to give more money, um, to the police, um, when
previously you guys have stated time and time again that you want to restructure
the police, uh, so I'd really like you guys to consider that tonight about how
you're already breaking that, um .... kind of like show of faith right there with U.S.
citizens. Um, but to get started, um, I'd just like to talk about my approval for
deferring this line item and then also my disapproval, uh, for, um, any money
allocated to tasers. Um, just a couple things, um, tasers are not as effective as
typically reported and when they fail to work, police often just defer to their guns
instead. Um, and so police tend to become more aggressive after using tasers, uh,
which suggests that these devices only make a bad situation much, much worse.
Uh, secondly, there are a few studies that I looked up while you guys were talking
about (garbled) that show that tasers, um, don't actually reduce police use of
firearms, uh, which is one of the common misconceptions that exist. Um, and
then thirdly I'd like to point out that using tasers is no less dangerous, uh, to
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citizens, um, as they can seriously injure people, uh, and people can easily die
because of them too, I mean just think about.... imagine being shooted with a taser
and then immediately falling and possibly, uh, injuring your body, uh (mumbled)
and so I'd just like to say ultimately that this issue truly lies with police restraint
and accountability. Um, giving the police department thousands of more dollars
for these weapons, uh, would only exacerbate and ignore, um, the systematic
issues that lie with ICPD, um, in our city. So thank you.
Teague: Thank you, and we're gonna have Brian, followed by, uh, Supervisor Royceann
Porter.
Nilles: Uh, hello, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes!
Nilles: All righty, well, thank you for having me, and I would just like to raise a few
concerns, uh, about the taser bundle as a whole. One being the effectiveness of
the taser is that although the ... uh, taser 7 which the police would be purchasing
here are a new design and have a more close range effectiveness, which is where
tasers were not as effective in the earlier models. It is still only effective at four
feet, whereas most of the times where tasers are used, a little over 50% are within
three feet of the distance. And on top of that the effectiveness listed by, uh, Axon
has consistently been higher than what the actual effectiveness reported by agent,
police agencies around the country. Uh, anywhere from 10 to 20% higher than
what ... uh, agencies actually list. And then ... uh, on the bundle side of things,
where there's a, it was listed that there's a website, uh, I believe it's called
evidence.com that Axon uses as a cloud service that, um, the police can upload
information to. I believe that their grounds for privacy concerns on there, in their
user agreement, on, uh, page 1 on the first part of the `Account Content and Use
of Services,' uh, it says.... that.... excuse me (mumbled) find it here. Here we go,
it says that, uh, you, as in the person using these services, specifically give us,
meaning Axon (mumbled) uh, specifically give us the following permissions: you
grant us non-exclusive, transferable, irrevocable royalty -flee ... free sub-leaseable
worldwide license to use any intellectual property content that you post on or in
connection with the services. The services being that website. And I think that
that could possibly be used in violation with any Iowa privacy laws surrounding
information gathered on, uh, criminal activity or used in criminal proceedings.
And then finally, uh, in evidence that is held on here, there is ... on their .... uh, help
center, there's a section called `removing evidence restriction,' where there's a
very easy way to remove eviden... remove, edit, and ... uh, delete evidence that is
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posted onto this site. Where there's a three-step process where they go into a
setting that they remove the restriction on (mumbled) deleting evidence, and then
go back to the page. The only thing about that being that is just...that there's a
notification sent to those who can view the evidence, that the restriction on that
has been changed.
Teague: Thank you, Brian. Um, Supervisor Royceann Porter. Hello! And ... hello! Your,
uh, mic is off. There you go (both talking)
Porter: ...every time it comes to me it does this. I don't know why. But I do wanna read
something that I read, um, pulled up as well, and it says tasers have become an
essential tool for police but how effective are they? An APM reports investigation
finds that officers in some big cities (mumbled) tasers as unreliable up to 40% of
the time, and in three large departments, newer models were less effective than
older ones. In 258 cases over three years, a taser failed to subdue someone who
was then shot and killed by police and I just wanna say that at a time like this,
havin' this piece (laughs) come up on City Council right now, um, at a time when
we're loosin' folks, um, people are bein'....our black people are bein' killed by
the police, not one time are the police, uh, pullin' out tasers or usin' tasers to see if
they fail or not fail. It's just straight go for the guns, but at a time like this right
now when Black Lives Matter, um, I don't think right now ...right now I just think
that the Council need to think about, um, how everybody's heart is feelin' right
now and when you come ... showin' up talkin' about purchasin' 250 to $300,000
worth of tasers, that's a big no -no. I'm speakin' on behalf of my black people,
because right now we don't want ... not only do we not wanna be shot, but we
don't ... we don't wanna be tasered neither. Hopefully there can be another
(mumbled) that's a lot of money to be thinkin' about, um, right now and I'm just
gonna, me personally, say no, you truly need to think about it, and if we talkin'
about truth and reconciliation and we talkin' about Black Lives Matter, this is
somethin' that needs to be thought about. And that's what I'm askin, please think
about, um .... the tasers, this ... this is for me a big no -no. And I'm gonna stop.
Teague: Thank you! Um, Maya, followed by Kelsey.
Sims: Hello. I just wanna say really quickly that you should absolutely defer this vote,
and that IFR is absolutely right. It would be so hypocritical of you guys to say
that you support their demands and then turn around and fund the police
department with weapons that will be used to police brown and black bodies.
Please do not approve of these tasers. Thank you.
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Teague: Thank you. Kelsey, welcome!
Teeter: Hi, Mayor Teague and City Council. I just wanna start off by thanking you all for
your dedication to, um, the process and involving all of our, uh, community
members to par... participate and be able to express their opinions and thoughts in
this process. I know it's a really late night, so I'm going to keep this brief, but
thank you so much for all of your dedication. It really does mean a lot and it does
help, um, inform the process and allow the system to work the way it's supposed
to, although it doesn't always work as fast as we would hope ... hope it could. Um,
I just wanna say, I mean, and I know it's not a popular opinion right now. I don't
value the use of violence; however, um, there's a lot more things on the streets
right now that I'm concerned about, um, that ... that tasers could be beneficial for
that don't include Black ... the Black Lives Matter protests. Um, when you divide
the cost of $250,000 over five years, you're looking at $50,000. That doesn't
even comes close to, um, equaling what it would cost to provide a social worker.
A social worker, a licensed social worker, you're looking at $50,000 a year in just
base salary, not including salary, or not including the benefits and all of the extra
things that come along with hiring a person and putting them in a department —
supplies, materials, uh, fringe benefits, uh, transportation. There... there's a lot of
cost. You're looking at twice as much to ... to just provide one social worker for
that amount of, uh, of...of cost. Um, and there are .... there are safety concerns that
sometimes wan -ant the use of a taser. I am pro -Black Lives Matter. I am pro -
equality, pro -inclusion. That is my life, that is what I stand for, however, there are
benefits to being able to protect our community and ... and I do believe that we can
be pro -Black Lives Matter and pro -safety, um, at the same time. Thank you!
Teague: Thank you! All right, uh, Council discussion? (several talking) Oh.
Fruin: If I may, um, anticipating you're....you're gonna be deferring this vote, um, I ... I
would recommend now that you, urn .... defer the vote indefinitely, and not to your
next meeting. Um, I ... I'd like a little bit more time to ... to contemplate on this
and ... and uh.... urn .... if we decide to come back and seek approval of the purchase
of this bundle. Um, I ... I ... I don't think it would be at your next meeting. So I'd
like some more time to ... to just sit down with the department and talk through
this, uh, so, um, if...if your intent is to defer, I would suggest you do so
indefinitely and allow us that time.
Teague: I ... I will be in favor of that.
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Thomas: I ... I would be too and ... and I .... I did wanna share with everyone, uh, something
I ... I ran across, uh, while looking up, um, the use of force on various, uh, police
departments, uh.... documentation shall we say. Uh, it was, uh, an alternative that
is now being looked at, to tasers, uh, providing that a similar, uh, function, and
that is, you know, providing remote constraint. And, um, it ... the .... in fact it's
referred to in the, um .... in these use of force documents, um, looking at the one
by City of Minneapolis, it's referred to as a remote restraint device. The, uh,
brand name is, uh, BolaWrap, uh, which kind of describes what it does. It has
these 8 -foot long tethers which are projected from .... from a ... a gun -like device,
which wraps around .... uh, and .... and immobilizes the legs or torso of an
individual, and um, so it's not .... it's not as reliant on pain to, um .... you know,
to .... control the behavior of the individual. It's actually physically immobilizing
them. It's, um (clears throat) something that, uh, cities are studying and looking
at, or in some cases have adopted, like the City of Minneapolis. So it's a ... it's an
alternative to the taser, um .... that at least in the brief time that I've had to
look .... look at it, seems like a, um .... personally a much preferable, just based on
the... the... the, uh, device itself, to the tasers. It's not a stun gun. It's ... it's actually
these, you know, these tethers, which wrap around the, um, you know, the legs or
torso of an individual. So it's a very different kind of restraint than what ... what
the taser does. So it...it could be something that we could look at in this
indefinite, um, deferral phase that we're considering.
Teague: Any other comments (several talking, garbled)
Taylor: Who wanted to talk (laughs) I was just going to say that I appreciate that
information that John, uh, just shared about alternative devices that, uh, might not
be as invasive as tasers, and I, uh, certainly believe that it wouldn't hurt to look
into other options such as that.
Weiner: Can I make a motion?
Teague: Yes!
Weiner: To defer indefinitely.
Bergus: I'll second that!
Teague: Great!
Salih: (both talking) Yeah, I....
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Teague:
Salih:
Teague:
Dilkes:
Teague:
Salih:
Teague:
Thomas:
Teague:
All right, are we ready to vote?
I guess yes!
Roll call .... roll call please. (laughs) Is Eleanor there? You're muted! (laughs)
You can do a voice vote on this if you want, Mayor (both talking)
All right, we'll do a voi.... a voice vote. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? All
right, motion passes 7-0. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Move.
Moved by Salih.
Second, by Thomas
Seconded by Thomas. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.
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22. Community Comment (IF NECESSARY) (Items not on the agenda)
Teague: We're gonna talk to Ryan! Hello, Ryan (laughs)
Longenecker: Good very late evening, Council. Um, so I will keep my statements brief. Um, so
first I just warm report that the current, um, number of cases that have been self-
reported at the University, um, since August 18"" are up to, um, 922 students and
13 employees. Um, and we currently have in the dorms, um, 17 students who are
in quarantine, meaning that they have been exposed to a positive case, and 78
students who are in isolation, meaning that they have tested positive. Um, and so
they are on isolation floors in those dorms that have been set aside for those cases,
um, as well because of this increase, all student engagement activities, um, clubs,
etc., have all gone virtual, um and no in-person meetings are allowed anymore.
Um, so with that being said, um, of course there's still in-person classes. It's
currently about 73, 76% of credit hours are online, however that still leaves a
quarter of them in-person, um, USG sent out a letter to the administration over a
month ago now, um, supporting the move to online classes and we are still
working to push the administration to do that and to push the critical instant
management team to go online, uh, as we have heard an outcry from students
saying that they do not feel safe going to in-person classes, and obviously with the
drastic rise in cases and us being number two or number one, uh, hotspot in the
country, this is, urn .... uh.... disturbing to us that we still have in-person classes.
We are pleased with the Governor's order, um, to close the bars and we hope that
that will help slow the cases, and we still wanna encourage students please do not
be having major parties, major social gatherings off campus. I know, I'm a
student. I spent six months isolated from my friends. It's easy to wanna go out
and ... and say hi to people, but please keep your groups small, um, and don't go to,
you kn ow, 30 -person gatherings because that's going to just increase the amount
of cases even more. Um, and lastly, I just wanted again, uh, state USG's support
for IFR and the Black Lives Matter, um, pro... student protesters and ... and for the
movement, and say that we support, um, the actions that Council is taking and
that we, um, support everything that the students are asking for, and making
changes to the police department, making changes to how the City addresses, uh,
racial issues, urn .... and so we're very pleased to see that moving forward, and we,
um, just wanted to reissue that statement of support, but that's all from me
tonight. Thank you, Council.
Salih: Ryan, I have a question for you. You know, you just give us a report about how
many people has been quarantined and isolated. Is that means the University are
testing the student when they come, that's how you found out?
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Longenecker: No, so, urn .... the, students can get a test through Student Health, um, which is
connected to UIHC, and um, in fact I was tested, um, this past week and I was
luckily negative, but um, I have been quarantined since last week, due to being
exposed to a positive case. Um, so I've personally gone through the experience,
but the University's not mandating testing or anything. Um, when a student is
tested and tests positive or is told that they have been exposed to a case, there is a
form on the University website to self-report that. Um, so I self-reported that I
had been exposed to a case. Those who have tested positive can self-report, um,
and if they are in the dorms, then they are moved to ... if they are just exposed, they
can quarantine in their own dorm room, and if they are a positive case, they are
moved to an isolation dorm, um, which are separate floors from the rest of the
residents. So these ... these might .... these might even, are likely less than the
actual numbers, because they're self-reported, so students don't fill out a form.
Then, um, the numbers aren't correct, and actually those numbers are from, uh,
yesterday and so they will be sending out new numbers tomorrow. So I suspect
that they will have gone up.
Salih: But it's only voluntarily, you don't have to.
Longenecker: Yes.
Teague: All right, thank you, Ryan! Great!
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23. City Council Information
Teague: Are there any Council, City Council updates that you must share right now?
Taylor: Not ... not really an update. I'll be really quick, but I would be remiss if I didn't
remind people that, uh, next Monday, September 7a', is Labor Day, uh, it was
established way back in 1894 as a federal holiday, uh, and normally it would be a
time for parades and picnics and gatherings and the Iowa City Federation of
Labor has had the Labor Day picnic out at City Park every year for many, many
years and hundreds of people would ... would come and celebrate all the
accomplishments of organized labor, uh, but of course this year due to, uh, the
threat of COVID-19, uh, for the safety and well-being of everybody, uh, the
picnic will not be held. Um, so at this time I'd just like to thank all my, uh, union
brothers and sisters, and all workers, uh, for everything they do to continue to
contribute to the strength and well-being of our own country. Uh, I even saw and
I'll remind people that there are some of the Monday ...I happen to be on the
Monday trash pickup, uh, that those workers are going to be out there on ... on
Labor Day, so thank you to them for continuing to do their job, but ... but for those
of you out there, please, if you do celebrate, uh, do so safely, remembering to
maintain social distancing, wear a mask when possible, uh, and just please stay
safe, uh, stay well, and happy Labor Day.
Teague: Great!
Weiner: One sentence, which is the CDC has issued, um, a sweeping temporary halt on
evictions nationwide through the end of December.
Salih: I guess you know the ... I don't have any update, but the only thing that I really
have to say it, because we cannot ignore it like that. Uh, so I really don't like the
way that Iowa City Police Department is arresting the protesters. They arrest over
seven people. We need to talk about that. We need to talk about it and we need to
exactly figure out how can we do about those charges. (mumbled) it is next, now
we are (garbled) going to the next day. This is the first time I attend Council
meeting that go after 12 midnight, but we don't have to ignore what happened.
Yesterday and day before yesterday.
Teague: Well I ... I'm just gonna jump in there, only because, uh, one .... urn, it's an item
that .... it's not on our agenda.
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Salih: Yes, I know! That's why I said we need some time, I'm not talkin' about it right
now, of course, Mayor.
Teague: Right. Yeah, yeah, I ... I guess for me, I will make one statement and I guess I'm
gonna make a statement because you made it, um, after we did what we, uh, we
released... submitted a letter to have charges released, the last time, at least for
myself, I made it very clear that any of those actions that were goin' against, um,
illegal things — drivin' with license plate, um, spray paintin' people's personal
properties or governmental properties, at least for me, you know, because of the
change in the way that the protesters were going, then .... I was under the
assumption that that behavior would not continue at all. So that's where I was.
Um, but if those behaviors are starting, then .... it's not right, it's just not right.
Um....
Salih: I guess we need to put it on sometime on the agenda and everybody can talk about
it. At the end of the day, Mayor, you are only one vote.
Teague: Well no .... and yeah, and that's why ...you're exactly right! And LA just made
mention that the last time, at least that was the expectation, but we can certainly
put this on, um, we can actually have it during our work session and we can have
a conversation there, cause we have a Black Lives Matter item there.
Salih: Sure. Thank you.
Teague: All right, great. Thanks! All right!
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24. Report on Items from City Staff
a. City Manager's
Fruin: Just because I see Supervisor Porter may still be on the call, just wanna say thank
you to Johnson County for all the support they provided us during the storm
cleanup. Um .... they, in the last month they've been, uh, workin' the streets of
Iowa City, helping clear trees, uh, with our crews, and uh, we've been able to
make quick work through the City in large part because of Johnson County's help.
So, Supervisor Porter, if you're listening, please ... uh, know we're very
appreciative, and ... and pass that along to your, uh, colleagues on the board.
Teague: Thank you. Uh, Ashley? Assistant City Manager.
b. Assistant City Manager's
Monroe: Just wanted to use the opportunity to say Good Morning and nothing else at this
time!
Teague: Great! It is morning.
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