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2010-01-12 Correspondence
INTER-DEPARTMENT MEMO TO: Mayor Bailey and City Council FROM: Chief Sam Hargadine ~~ ~'~~ r License- RE: Sidelines Bar & Grill Liquo DATE: December 30, 2009 4c 5 A new liquor license has been applied for by Oscar and Heather German, owner and manager respectively. The name and location is Sidelines Bar & Grill, at 320 E Burlington Street, Iowa City. The Germans previously operated Los Cocos until it closed. Per Iowa Courts Online, Oscar and Heather German have a variety of financial concerns: #1) In civil action, CAPITAL ONE BANK V GERMAN, HEATHER (Case: 08921 SCSC016849 -Washington County) was filed on 10/21/2009. A comment entered at that time notes, "$2117.37." The last entry (dated 11/17/2009) notes, "Judgment Default." Per the Washington County Clerk of Court, the judgment remains unsatisfied (12/30/2009). #2) Also per Iowa Courts Online, Heather German was criminally charged in Washington County on 03/25/2009 with two animal violations, Attack and Injury and Owner's Duty re: Pets (Case: 08921 WASMSM038854 -Washington County). The charges were eventually dismissed with court costs to Defendant (05/05/2009). An entry dated 05/21/2009 notes, "Final notice of past due court fines and costs." Per the Washington County Clerk of Court, the $55.00 balance due to the court remains unpaid (12/30/2009). Conclusion: Having two unresolved court judgments directly violates the "Good Moral Character" clause of the Code of Iowa and until these judgments are satisfied with the Washington County Clerk of the Court my recommendation is to deny this application. _ N b Cf ~' ~ ""~ ~ n n" o ~"~ ~: W ~ ~.'~ G~ ~ ~ N ~ N Iowa Courts Online -EPayment Page 1 of 1 ~~~ ~5~ ~Ger~> Iowa Courts __ _ Online Search -EPayment Payment Applied Date 12/30/2009 Case Id 08921 WASMSM038854 Amount $55.00 Balance Due $0.00 Payor heather german Payment Applied to ICIS. Return to Iowa Courts Online N O_ ®~ a,,~ O C... ~ r~ ...~.~ ~~ N C ~ -•v _._. ~~ ~ a W w,,..,..~r,,,.,,,., imvarnnrlc ~tarP;a „~/FCAWehAnn/ProcessPavment 12/30/2009 LITOW LAW OFFICE, P.C. Charles L. Litow /, z Piper Lori Hughes / Christopher E. Pech / James H. McDonald /, o John N. Elvert z, 3 Tyler J. Grimm / Erin J. Kooiker z ofCaanset, Randall L. Jackson / PAYMENTS - P.O. BOX 2143 CORRESPONDENCE - P.O. BOX 2165 CEDAR RAPIDS, IA. 52406 PHONE: 800-617-7593 FAx:(319)-362-3277 E-MAIL: IOWA@LITOW LAW.COM URL-W W W. LITOWLAW.COM HOURS OF OPERATION 8-8M-F 8-NOON SAT SEE WEBSITE FOR PAYMENT INFORMATION HEATHER GERMAN 426 S 2ND AVE WASHINGTON IA 52353-1440 Dear HEATHER GERMAN: ~-~~~) ~~er~) CLIENTS, CLERKS, SHERIFFS AND ATTORNEYS PLEASE CALL 319-362-3000 OR 866-795-6375 1 licensed in /awa 1 licensed in Missouri 3 /icens'ed in /llinois a licensed in Minnesota January O1, 2010 RE: Capital One Bank(USA), N.A. Uur File No. 401722 Our client has accepted your proposal to liquidate this account with monthly payments of $150.00, payable on the 20th of each month (start date January 20, 2010). All payments should be mailed to the Litow Law Office, P.C. at the address noted above. Please be advised your payment will first be applied to court costs if any costs have been incurred. Be sure our file number 401722 appears on your remittance so we can ensure proper credit. All payments should be directed to Litow Law Office, PO Box 2143 Cedar Rapids Iowa 52406 . To ensure accurate and prompt posting of payments use the attached ACH form or request payment coupons by email or phone. It is understood that in the event of any default on your part, we shall proceed for the full amount of the claim, less any credits for payments made. Sincerely, Li~topw~Law Opffic~eLP.C. Charles L. Litow THIS IS AN A1`I'EMP1' TO COLLECT A DEBT. ANY INFORMATION OBTAINED WILL BE USED FOR THAT PURPOSE. THIS COMMUNICATION IS FROM A DEBT COLLECTOR. OFN 401722 ~}-~ ~ ]22 YFN ************0809 CFN N 0 c~ o ~~ ~ °-1 C'z tV 1 P""" `~ { f ; -C7 C.3 ~ ~ ""` t17 O W EPA Unions and Fluoride http: //nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/flouride.unions.epa.a.2005.htm ~`5 ~s~~~~~ Coalition of U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Unions August 5, 2005 N O RE: Bone Cancer-Fluoride Link o~ A~ ~ Hon. Stephen L. Johnson, Administrator ~-~ - ~.,. U.S. Environmental Protection Agency `~~ N ~'~q, ~ Dear Administrator Johnson: ~'"`" We, the undersigned representatives of a majority (eleven) of EPA's employee un~°ns, are requesting that you direct the Office of Water to issue an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking setting the maximum contaminant level goal for fluoride at zero, in accordance with Agency policy for all likely or known human carcinogens. Our request is based on the overall weight of the evidence supporting the classification of fluoride as a human carcinogen, including new information from Harvard on the link between fluoride in drinking water and osteosarcoma in boys that was conveyed to you in a meeting with union officials on May 4, 2005. We appreciate that the Agency anticipates a report next year from the National Research Council on the propriety of its current drinking water standards for fluoride. But it seems highly inappropriate for EPA to do nothing now that it is in possession of this science, while millions of young boys continue to be exposed unwittingly to the elevated risk of a fatal bone cancer as the Agency waits for the NRC to issue its report, then for the report to undergo peer review, and then for the Agency to undertake its own deliberations. By issuing an Advanced Notice of Proposed Rulemaking the Agency would inform the public and local health authorities about the results of the doctoral dissertation from the Harvard School of Dental Medicine by Elise Bassin without committing the Agency to a formal rulemaking until all those other steps are taken. It is noteworthy that when industry becomes aware of important new scientific findings like this, it has (depending on the specific statute) a very brief time to notify EPA. The Agency is then expected to take timely and appropriate action based on the specifics of that notification. In the present case EPA is aware of important new, high quality evidence of potentially serious danger to young boys drinking fluoridated water, and we believe EPA has an ethical duty to send an effective warning immediately about this hazard. It may in fact be appropriate for you to direct EPA's Office of Criminal Enforcement to investigate why Dr. Basin's study, which was of sufficient quality for her to earn her doctoral degree, remained hidden from EPA for four years. Alternatively, you could request that the Department of Justice undertake the investigation. As you know, the apparent cover up of the link between water fluoridation and aseven-fold increased risk of osteosarcoma in young boys, shown by the research of Dr. Bassin, is now national news. Major newspapers, including the Washington Post and the Wall Street Journal have covered the story. The Environmental Working Group has petitioned the National Toxicology Program to classify fluoride as a human carcinogen based in part on Dr. Basin's work. (We recommend EWG's petition as a succinct and authoritative overview of the total weight of peer-reviewed evidence supporting the classification of fluoride as a human carcinogen.) EWG has also caused an investigation of the cover up to be started by Harvard and NIEHS, which funded the research. 1 of 3 1/12/2010 3:38 PM EPA Unions and Fluoride http: //nteu280.org/Issues/Fluoride/flouride.unions.epa.a.2005.htm The eyes of the nation are on the federal science establishment because of a host of scientific integrity issues. Former EPA Assistant Administrator Lynn Goldman and Roni Neff have just published a paper in the American Journal of Public Health on the cost of delayed adoption ofhealth-protective standards that illuminates the real public health costs of the government's failure to act on sound scientific evidence. We believe our Agency can make an important statement about its commitment to scientific integrity and its application to public health protection by taking the precautionary action we are recommending. We at EPA can be ahead of the curve on this important issue or behind it. We do not think the latter choice is in the best interest of the public, the Civil Service or EPA, and we fervently and respectfully hope that you will agree with us. As a wise man once said, "The science is what the science is." We will be happy to discuss this with you and your advisers at your convenience. Sincerely, Dwight A. Welch, President NTEU Chapter 280 J. William Hirzy, NTEU N G? ~ ~~ O ~ ~ ...J: .~ c-~ ~-*~ ~~ N ~ 'V Vice-Preset ..n ~ o w ._... 280 EPA Headquarters /s/Steve Shapiro, President AFGE local 3331 EPA Headquarters /s/Larry Penley. President NTEU Chapter 279 EPA Cincinnati Laboratory /s/Wendell Smith, President ESC/IFPTE Loca120 Region 9 Office, San Francisco /s/Henry Burrell, President AFGE Loca13428 Region 1 Office, Boston EPA Headquarters /s/Paul Sacker, President AFGE Loca13911 Region 2 Office, New York /s/Nancy Barron, President NAGE Local RS-55 Region 4 Office, Atlanta /s/Patrick Chan, President NTEU Chapter 295 Region 9 Office, San Francisco /s/Alan Hollis, President AFGE Local 3611 Region 3 Office, Philadelphia 2 of 3 1/12/2010 3:38 PM EPA Unions and Fluoride /s/Frank Beck, President AFGE Loca12900 Ada Laboratory cc: Sen. James Inhofe Sen. Mike Enzi Sen. Saxby Chambliss Sen. Ted Stevens Rep. Joe Barton Rep. Sherwood Boehlert Rep. Paul Gillmor Rep. Nathan Deal Rep. Henry Waxman 3 of 3 http: //nteu280. org/Issues/Fluoride/flouride.unions.epa.a.2005.htm /s/Mark Coryell, President AFGE Loca13907 Ann Arbor Laboratory Sen. James Jeffords Sen. Edward Kennedy Sen. Tom Harkin Sen. Daniel Inouye Rep. John Dingell Rep. Bart Gordon Rep. Hilda Solis Rep. Sherrod Brown N C O © C... ~~ ...~ ~ `~~ N ---0 C"? -C ~ -v ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~' Q mws 1/12/2010 3:38 PM Pete Chalon: Fluoridation removal should be on local agenda http://www.tribstar.com/pete_chalos/local_story_150175202.~1~ s... csh~ ~~) ,~~ Th. onlira. fdi#lcn ~ ~ ~*~ "°"~ ~ ~ " r ~ ° r . ,~ ~~~.~~~ ~ Try Star: ~~-1~.,~., fi~ com ~~~ ~- nrn~ Pete Chalon: Fluoridation removal should be on local agency Q ~~ Special to the Tribune-Star ~'--5 =~ --- c-~ - r - ~- N May 31, 2006 05:08 am ~ ~ .~ ~"'~"'~ fa ~ -Last year, 11 Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) employee unions, represeavatb7,00 environmental and public health professionals, called for a moratorium on drinking weer fluc>~lation programs across the country. Iwrote atwo-part commentary exploring the evidence that insp~d the letter these professionals sent to the U.S. Congress. According to The Washington Post, in March of this year America's National Academy of Sciences (NAS) issued a report concluding that the current allowable level of fluoride in tap water "is not protective of the public health and should be lowered." The committee called on EPA leadership to re-evaluate current safety standards. This report by our nation's most prestigious organization of scientists has added a great deal of credibility to the concerns expressed by the EPA unions last year. The NAS report, "Fluoride in Drinking Water: A Scientific Review of the EPA's Standards," cited serious concerns about dental fluorosis, increases in bone fractures and stiffness in the joints of the elderly, possible links to Alzheimer's disease, reduction in thyroid production, reduction of endocrine and hormonal levels that control many functions of the human body, and a possible link to a rare form of bone cancer among other health risks. Dr. Hardy Limeback, one of the 12 scientists who served on the National Academy of Sciences panel, reported, "In my opinion, the evidence that fluoridation is more harmful than beneficial is now overwhelming and policy makers who avoid thoroughly reviewing recent data before introducing new fluoridation schemes do so at risk of future litigation." Dr. Limeback is head of the preventive dentistry program at the University of Toronto. Another panel member, Dr. Robert Isaacson, professor of neurobehavioral science at the State University of New York in Binghamton, said the report should be a wake-up call. The report was critical of communities which fluoridate at the maximum allowable amount of exposure, 4 ppm (parts per million), but also concluded that those living in communities where water fluoridation is at 2 ppm (the majority of Americans) may also be overexposed due to secondary sources of fluoridation. An NAS press release stated, "Most exposure to fluoride in the United States results from consumption of water and water-based beverages, but dental products, food, and other sources contribute as well. Highly exposed sub-populations include individuals who have high concentrations of fluoride in their drinking water or who drink more water than the average person because of exercise, outdoor work, or a medical condition. Relative to their body weight, infants and young children are exposed to three to four times as much fluoride as adults. "Children also may use more toothpaste than is advised or swallow it, and many receive fluoride treatments from their dentists. Fluoride accumulates in bone over time, so groups likely to have increased bone fluoride concentrations include the elderly and people with severe renal deficiency who have trouble excreting fluoride in their urine." The very idea of using drinking water as a vehicle for forced medication is, in my opinion, unjustifiable under the American Constitution. I'm not the only one who feels this way. Scientists have been speaking out on the matter for years. Dr. Charles Gordon Heyd, Past President of the American Medical Association, has said, "l am appalled at the prospect of using water as a vehicle for drugs. Fluoride is a corrosive poison that will produce serious 1 oft 1/l2/2010 3:48 PM Pete Chalon: Fluoridation removal should be on local agenda http://www.tribstar.com/pete_chalos/local_story_150175202.html/res... effects on a long range basis. Any attempt to use water this way is deplorable." Nobel Prize winners in Chemistry and Medicine to express opposition to fluoridation include James Sumner, Guilio Natta, Nikolai Semenov, Sir Cyril Norman Hinshelwood, Arvid Carlsson, Hugo Theorell, Walter Rudolph Hess, Sir Robert Robinson, Artturi Virtanen, Adolf Butendandt, Corneille Jean-Francois Heymans, William P. Murphy, and Hans von Euler-Chelpin. Some notable opponents to fluoridation include: Dr. J. William Hirzy (senior vice-president at the EPA), Dr. William Marcus (Office of Drinking Water's chief toxicologist at the EPA), Dr. Albert Burgstahler (Harvard graduate and professor of organic chemistry at the University of Kansas), Dr. David Kennedy (former president of the International Academy of Oral Medicine and Toxicology), Dr. Lennart Krook (professor emeritus of toxicology at Cornell University Department of Veterinary Medicine), Dr. Roger Masters (professor emeritus of government at Dartmouth College), Dr. Jennifer Luke of Caries Research, Dr. Phyllis Mullenix (formerly of Harvard University's Forsyth Research Institute), Dr. John Colquhoun of New Zealand, Dr. Philip Sutton (author of "The Greatest Fraud: Fluoridation"), Dr. Paul Connett (professor of chemistry at St. Lawrence University), Richard Shames M.D. (formerly of the National Institute of Health), and Dr. Dean Burk (chief chemist at the U.S. National Cancer Institute). More information can be found on Second Look's Web page (www.slweb.org), Fluoride Alert (www.fluoridealert.org), and No Fluoride (www.nofluoride.com). Sources of fluoride-free bottled water include Evian and Perrier. Special filters can be purchased to remove fluoride from tap water. Terre Haute should join the growing number of cities that have removed this threat to public health. Do it now. Pete Chalos, a longtime teacher, coach and public servant in Vigo County, was mayor of Terre Haute for 16 years. Send a-mail to pchalos@netscape.com. Copyright ©1999-2010 cnhi, inc. N C1 ~~ ~ ~ "°(~ -~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ ~ ~ aT .-~ ~=" o W • 0 ..rr. 2 oft 1/12/2010 3:48 PM The Athens NEWS :: Athens, Ohio's only locally-owned newspaper ::... http://www.athensnews.com/news/local-news/29388-once-again-fl ~s~~/~J Once again, fluoride issue gnashing teeth in Athens ' Written by David DeWitt Thursda 22 October 2009 09:29 Y~ 1010 JAS. I ~ p~ ~ 0 tweet The fluoride debate is once again popping up m e c y fQ~hens, this time after at-large City Council member Elahu Gosn~TCi~'gi~~ forum on the subject last week. 10~~~A CIT`r', I0 ~$p"~ Athens has been adding fluoride to its drinking water since 2002, according to Gosney, who serves as chair of City Council's environmental committee. The state of Ohio passed a law in 1970 requiring fluoridation of the public water supplies, exempting only cities that passed a referendum declining to fluoridate. Athens was one of those cities. Since then, there have been numerous efforts to fluoridate Athens' drinking supply. A city law cleared the way in 1997 to add fluoride compounds to the water supply, but this wasn't accomplished unti12002. Most of the rural water suppliers in the area, including Le-Ax Water District, fluoridate their water. Gosney said he invited both Paul Connett, an emeritus professor of chemistry and executive director of the Fluoride Action Network and an official from the Ohio Department of Health to debate the issue at the forum. Gosney said he was told by the ODH that they didn't participate in debates on fluoride. "As the science advances and provides new evidence, I believe it is good public policy to periodically review public-health issues that impact our community," Gosney said of his decision to hold the forum. "This was an initial event aimed at educating Athens residents about the topic." Gosney said he was disappointed that organizers could not find anyone willing to present the pro-fluoridation view in an open, public forum. In an interview prior to the forum, Connett laid out some of his concerns about fluoride. He said that the major promoters of fluoridation -the American Dental Association and the federal Centers for Disease Control -now both concede that the major benefits of fluoride are topical as opposed to systemic. This means that fluoride is effective when applied to the teeth on the outside, and not when ingested, he said. (Most commercially available toothpastes contain fluoride.) "Now that they've conceded that the major benefits are topical, in the context that fluoridated toothpaste is universally available, there should be no reason to put it in the water," Connett said. Connett also cited risks, saying that 23 studies have now shown that moderate to high dosages of fluoride lowers IQ in children. Other risks he cited include problems with brain function, the thyroid and skeletal systems, and the fact that it can cause kidney damage and lower fertility. "They argue, of course, that these are high dosages, but they're not," Connett said. "There's no way of ignoring the fact that there's no margin of safety. You can't control the dose. You can't control who's getting it. And you are forcing it on people who don't want it." He said that other than fluoridation, the public water supply has never before been used to deliver medicine. 1 of 3 1 / 12/2010 3:50 PM The Athens NEWS :: Athens, Ohio's only locally-owned newspaper ::... http://www.athensnews.com/news/local-news/29388-once-again-fluor... "You are depriving the individual of the right to informed consent to medication," Connett said. "Your council is doing to the whole of Athens what an individual doctor could not to do an individual patient." Colleen Wulf, preventive services coordinator with the Bureau of Oral Health Services of the ODH, countered some of Connett's claims in a telephone interview. "ODH does endorse fluoridation," Wulf said. "Our director has a policy statement that it is the single most effective thing that a community can do to improve the oral health of its citizens." Wulf said fluoridation is safe, works and is effective, but sees opposition bubble up occasionally because it's the only public-health measure that is subjected to a vote. "In the 'SOs it was a Communist plot. And then in the '70s it caused cancer. And then in the '90s it was linked with AIDS. They kind of take whatever the issue of the day is," Wulf said. "Now you hear about environmental impacts, but there is no true scientific controversy." People have grown up for generations, Wulf said, with fluoride naturally in the water at a variety of levels. "We know that at 10 parts per million, it causes staining," Wulf said. "But at one part per million, it's going to reduce tooth decay and not cause staining of the teeth." In response to fluoride being effective topically and not systemically, Wulf agreed that the main action is topical, but said it's fine to get fluoride topically in the water as well as in toothpaste. As far as an effect on IQ in children, Wulf said that she has not seen anything in the refereed scientific journals that have made such a link to fluoridation of water. With regard to Connett's argument that fluoridation is a forced medication, Wulf compared it to seatbelt and helmet laws, saying that no court of last resort has ever ruled against bettering the public health. Gosney said that Connett raised some important questions, both about the effectiveness of fluoridation and the possibility for adverse health effects. "I will compile a list of relevant questions and send them on to the Ohio Department of Health, who I hope can follow through on an assurance that they can answer those questions with sound, scientific and documented responses," Gosney said. More information from the Fluoride Action Network can be found at www.fluoridealert.org. The American Dental Association has a section of their Web site devoted to community meter fluoridation at http://www.ada.org/public/topics/fluoride/facts/index.asp. ~C-; ca.. ~~ _ p~... _..q ~ tU ~r-y~ .j p o ~~ ~ ~~ ~ ~„ .. O W 2 of 3 1 / 12/2010 3:50 PM Millions in U.S. Drink Contaminated Water, Records Show -Series - NYTimes.com Page 1 of 3~~c` 5> ~IIc Virtu ~ork C;tmcs ~tfi ^; c~~F)y i5 for your t7grs.~nai. nonc~irrutierr;iaJ ~is~ Uriy. Yc'~u t:aai ortlr, ~ pr r.~ent atit r~-reedy cgpies (or distnDuC3on to your coUeagises, raients or customers here tx use the "fZegrint>" tocl th il +{ pi~zlrs ~x*,xt to <~my ~rrticle_ Vi sit www nytrepnnts com fix ~s,~mPIF~; ~~nd t+dditu>ntal uii~~rrri~u~xi. Order a repent of this article now _._. 2Q ~ ~ 1~~ ~. ~. ~~~~....~• ~ ~.... _ _.. December 8, 2009 L ~ ~ ~~ f+r- ~:. ~: ~# 10 ~~d~ C I T Y. ~ ~ , y~s~r= Millions in U.S. Drink Dirty Water, Recor~s Show By CHARLES DUHIGG More than 20 percent of the nation's water treatment systems have violated key provisions of the Safe Drinking Water Act over the last five years, according to a New York Times analysis of federal data. That law requires communities to deliver safe tap water to local residents. But since 2004, the water provided to more than 49 million people has contained illegal concentrations of chemicals like arsenic or radioactive substances like uranium, as well as dangerous bacteria often found in sewage. Regulators were informed of each of those violations as they occurred. But regulatory records show that fewer than 6 percent of the water systems that broke the law were ever fined or punished by state or federal officials, including those at the Environmental Protection Agency, which has ultimate responsibility for enforcing standards. Studies indicate that drinking water contaminants are linked to millions of instances of illness within the United States each year. In some instances, drinking water violations were one-time events, and probably posed little risk. But for hundreds of other systems, illegal contamination persisted for years, records show. On Tuesday, the Senate Environment and Public Works committee will question ahigh-ranking E.P.A. official about the agency's enforcement of drinking-water safety laws. The E.P.A. is expected to announce a new policy for how it polices the nation's 54,~0o water systems. "This administration has made it clear that clean water is a top priority," said an E.P.A. spokeswoman, Adora Andy, in response to questions regarding the agency's drinking water enforcement. The E.P.A. administrator, Lisa P. Jackson, this year announced awide-ranging overhaul of enforcement of the Clean Water Act, which regulates pollution into waterways. "The previous eight years provide a perfect example of what happens when political leadership fails to act to protect our health and the environment," Ms. Andy added. Water pollution has become a growing concern for some lawmakers as government oversight of polluters has waned. Senator Barbara Boxer, Democrat of California, in 200 asked the E.P.A. for data on Americans' exposure to some contaminants in drinking water. The New York Times has compiled and analyzed millions of records from water systems and regulators around the nation, as part of a series of articles about worsening pollution in American waters, and http://www.nytimes.com/2009/12/08/business/energy-environment/08water.html?pagewan... 1 /12/2010 Millions in U.S. Drink Contaminated Water, Records Show -Series - NYTimes.com Page 2 of 3 regulators' response. An analysis of E.P.A. data shows that Safe Drinking Water Act violations have occurred in parts of every state. In the prosperous town of Ramsey, N.J., for instance, drinking water tests since 2004 have detected illegal concentrations of arsenic, a carcinogen, and the dry cleaning solvent tetrachloroethylene, which has also been linked to cancer. In New York state, 205 water systems have broken the law by delivering tap water that contained illegal amounts of bacteria since 2004. However, almost none of those systems were ever punished. Ramsey was not fined for its water violations, for example, though a Ramsey official said that filtration systems have been installed since then. In New York, only three water systems were penalized for bacteria violations, according to federal data. The problem, say current and former government officials, is that enforcing the Safe Drinking Water Act has not been a federal priority. "There is significant reluctance within the E.P.A. and Justice Department to bring actions against municipalities, because there's a view that they are often cash-strapped, and fines would ultimately be paid by local taxpayers," said David Uhlmann, who headed the environmental crimes division at the Justice Department until 200. "But some systems won't come into compliance unless they are forced to," added Mr. Uhlmann, who now teaches at the Universit~of Michigan law school. "And sometimes a court order is the only way to get local governments to spend what is needed." A half-dozen current and former E.P.A. officials said in interviews that they tried to prod the agency to enforce the drinking-water law, but found little support. "I proposed drinking water cases, but they got shut down so fast that I've pretty much stopped even looking at the violations," said one longtime E.P.A. enforcement official who, like others, requested anonymity for fear of reprisals. "The top people want big headlines and million-dollar settlements. That's not do king- water cases." q ° y; ~ sb. '~ The majority of drinking water violations since 2004 have occurred at water systems se~n~ few than-~.. 20,000 residents, where resources and managerial expertise are often in short supply. ~',~t',--„ ~ . ~ ~ _° It is unclear precisely how many American illnesses are linked to contaminated drinkirier.~~lany e most dangerous contaminants regulated by the Safe Drinking Water Act have been tiec~tb dise~s like cancer that can take years to develop. ~"3 But scientific research indicates that as many as i9 million Americans may become ill each year due to just the parasites, viruses and bacteria in drinking water. Certain types of cancer -such as breast and prostate cancer -have risen over the past 3o years, and research indicates they are likely tied to pollutants like those found in drinking water. The violations counted by the Times analysis include only situations where residents were exposed to http://www.nytimes.com/2009/ 12/08/business/energy-environment/08water.html?pagewan... 1 / 12/2010 Millions in U.S. Drink Contaminated Water, Records Show -Series - NYTimes.com Page 3 of 3 dangerous contaminants, and exclude violations that involved paperwork or other minor problems. In response to inquiries submitted by Senator Boxer, the E.P.A. has reported that more than three million Americans have been exposed since 2005 to drinking water with illegal concentrations of arsenic and radioactive elements, both of which have been linked to cancer at small doses. In some areas, the amount of radium detected in drinking water was 2,00o percent higher than the legal limit, according to E.P.A. data. But federal regulators fined or punished fewer than 8 percent of water systems that violated the arsenic and radioactive standards. The E.P.A., in a statement, said that in a majority of situations, state regulators used informal methods -like providing technical assistance - to help systems that had violated the rules. But many systems remained out of compliance, even after aid was offered, according to E.P.A. data. And for over a quarter of systems that violated the arsenic or radioactivity standards, there is no record that they were ever contacted by a regulator, even after they sent in paperwork revealing their violations. Those figures are particularly worrisome, say researchers, because the Safe Drinking Water Act's limits on arsenic are so weak to begin with. A system could deliver tap water that puts residents at a i-in-boo risk of developing bladder cancer from arsenic, and still comply with the law. Despite the expected announcement of reforms, some mid-level E.P.A. regulators say they are skeptical that any change will occur. "The same people who told us to ignore Safe Drinking Water Act violations are still running the divisions," said one mid-level E.P.A. official. "There's no accountability, and so nothing's going to change." Griffin Palmer contributed reporting. Copvrioht 2009 The New York Times Comoanv Privacy Policy ~ Terms of Service ~ earth ~ Corrections ~ RSS '', I First ook ~ Helo ~ Contact Us ~ Work for Us ~ ite Ma N _a (~ `° ~ ..-~ O C.. ~~ ® ^'-~ ~~ ~ ~ ~y "~ O W http://www.nytimes.com/2009/ 12/08/business/energy-environment/08water.html?pagewan... 1 / 12/2010 Page 1 of 1 ~t- G ~ ~ ~ Marian Karr From: Sidelines bar&grille [sidelines.iowacity@gmail.com] Sent: Sunday, January 10, 2010 1:44 PM To: Council Subject: sidelines bar and grill To all city council members: My name is Heather German. I believe most of us have met. My husband has applied for a liquor license that you will vote for this coming Tuesday. There is an issue with the police dept. and we would like to have the chance to explain at the meeting. Since this is a new application we need one of you to have this subject moved for discussion and not pass/no pass. If it is appropriate and any of you would like more information before Tuesday night, I would be happy to speak with you. Thanks for your time and consideration, Heather and Oscar German 319 541 1938 sidelines.ow_acty cr~,gmail__,com 1/10/2010 r ^:,,®~ C1TY OF IOWA CITY 4 1 ~ ..~u~~~ ®,~~ a u M IZA N M~ ME ~~ Date: December 30, 2009 To: City Clerk From: Darian Nagle-Gamm, JCCOG Traffic Engineering Planner Re: Item for January 12th, 2009 City Council meeting; Installation of (1) YIELD sign on the northeast corner of the intersection of Tower Court and George Street. As directed by Title 9, Chapter 1, Section 3B of the City Code, this is to advise the City Council of the following action. Action: Pursuant to Section 9-1-3A (5); Install (1) YIELD sign on the northeast corner of the intersection of Tower Court and George Street. Comment: This action is being taken to clarify that westbound Tower Court traffic must yield the right of way to traffic on George Street. mgr/agd/dng-tower ct george st - yield.doc N 4 O ® _~ ~.O ~ ~--~ C'1 n "~ (+~ .~ ~ ~ ~~ ~ N ~' W C17 4 2 Marian Karr From: Jay Honohan [honohan@hebblaw.com] Sent: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 9:55 AM To: Council Subject: Senior Center Commission-Charlotte Walker City Council: Sorry to bother you with this a-mail but I decided that Charlotte Walker's a-mail should not go unanswered. I want to make it clear that despite the fact that Charlotte signed her a-mail as a commission member, Charlotte was not speaking in any way for the commission or any other member of the commission. On the matter of which she complains the vote was 6 to 1. She was on her own. Charlotte becomes unhappy when she doesn't get her way. Charlotte has become a distraction on the commission. Her behavior at the last meeting was unacceptable. She continually interrupted the meeting by pounding on the table and hollering at commission members. I believe it was an unfortunate decision to appoint Charlotte to the Commission. As to the accusation that because Sarah Maiers and I are good friends and Sarah over 11 years ago worked in my firm, that we would make poor decisions. I will let my years as a member of the Commission answer for that. As always if the council or any member has any questions or concerns regarding the work of the Senior Center Commission, I will be happy at any time to discuss any matter. Jay Honohan Notice: This E-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Although this e-mail and any attachments are believed to be free of any virus or other defect that might affect any computer system in to which it is received and opened, it is the responsibility of the recipient to ensure that it is virus free and no responsibility is accepted by Honohan, Epley, Braddock & Brenneman LLP or the author hereof in any way from its use. If you have received this communication in error, please immediately notify us by return e-mail. 1/5/2010 Page 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: Nancy Wombacher (r.wombacher@mchsi.com] Sent: Thursday, December 31, 2009 6:50 AM To: Council Cc: t.neuzil@co.jonson.ia.us Subject: Senior Center Commission This correspondence will become a public record. DATE: December 30, 2009 T0: Members of the City Council, Iowa City, IA FROM: Nancy Wombacher 3644 Elgin Drive Iowa City, IA 52245 (319) 337-7197 The purpose of my message to you today is twofold: 1) I wish to express my appreciation for your vote of confidence in appointing me to the Senior Center Commission six years ago and again three years ago for a total of two terms. It has been a busy six years, but also a very rewarding, and the for most part, a pleasant experience. My dedication to maintaining and improving the Senior Center will continue even though my tenure on the Commission has ended. This is an extremely valuable and important community resource. 2) I wish to call to your attention an extremely difficult and uncomfortable situation with regard to one of the Senior Center Commission Appointees, Charlotte Walker. At a recent Commission meeting, after she had been questioned about an inaccurate and disparaging letter that she sent to the City Council and to Terrence Neuzil of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, she responded in an explosive and threatening manner, repeatedly slamming her hands on the table. Additionally, throughout the meeting, she continually made rude and disrespectful comments and gestures as other spoke. Her constant negativism is draining and tremendously disturbing to those involved in the Senior Center community. Had this not been my last Commission meeting, I would seriously have considered tendering my resignation. There are a number of other very dedicated, positive and productive folks who are volunteering their time and energies to maintain a top notch facility for our community, and to force them to be continually exposed to this sort of behavior is stressful to say the least. If this had been an isolated incident, it would be difficult enough, but her demeanor is consistently one of criticism and denigration of the staff and any of the Commission members who speak up in a positive manner. The Senior Center is too valuable a resource to be so negatively impacted by this sort of behavior, not to mention her continual belittling of people connected to the Senior Center, the facilities, programs and activities that are offered. 12/31 /2009 Page 2 of 2 I am not personally aware if there is any sort of "code of conduct" for members of the city boards and commissions, but hopefully there is some mechanism for addressing this in a manner that will produce positive outcomes. Cc: Terrence Neuzil, Johnson County Board of Supervisors 12/31 /2009 Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center Seeks Parking Marian Karr From: Hartman, Matthew R. [Matthew.Hartman@va.gov] Sent: Friday, December 11, 2009 11:14 AM To: Council Subject: Iowa City Veterans Affairs Medical Center Seeks Parking Attachments: Parking Ad 11-9-09.doc Hello Iowa City Council- 01-12-10 4 3 VA Medical Center seeks to lease 600 parking spaces in the Iowa City/Coralville area IAW the attached AD that ran in the Press Citizen in November. We have played phone tag with Iowa City Transportation department to no avail. Does Iowa City have any interest in providing VA with parking? Very round numbers, we could be looking at $300,000 or more in annual rent. If interested we would like to hear ASAP. If not interested, we would also like to hear ASAP. Thank you for your service! Very Respectfully, «Parking Ad 11-9-09.doc» Matt Hartman Contracting Officer Contract Management (90C) VA Medical Center 601 Hwy 6 West Iowa City, Iowa 52246 P 319-688-3584 F 319-887-4957 Notice: This a-mail (including attachments) is covered by the Electronic Communications Privacy Act, 18 U.S.C. 2510-2521, is confidential and may be legally privileged. If you are not the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any retention, dissemination, distribution, or copying of this communication is strictly prohibited. Please reply to the sender that you have received the message in error, and then delete it. All a-mail sent to or from this address will be received by the Department of Veterans Affairs corporate a-mail system. Such email is subject to archival and may be reviewed by someone other than the recipient authorized to perform monitoring of security compliance. Thank you. 12/11/2009 The Dept of Veterans Affairs desires to lease 600 parking spaces in the Iowa City/Coralville metropolitan area. The parking should be no more than 5 miles from the Iowa City VA Hospital. The parking spaces should be readily accessible to public transportation. Hard paved and well lit areas preferred. The parking spaces may be in multiple locations, but must be fully serviced with snow removal and grounds maintenance. Occupancy desired in early 2010, but not later than June 2010. Probable lease term of 5 yrs firm with one 2 yr option and a follow on 1 yr option. Market survey of properties offered may be conducted by VA. Contact Matthew Hartman, Contracting Officer, matthew.hartman@va.~ov, 319-688-3584, VA Medical Center, 601 Hwy 6 West, Iowa City Iowa 52246. Due Date for inquiries, December 11, 2009. Government is limited by law (40 USC 278a, as Amended 10-1-81) to pay no more than appraised fair rental value for space. Note this ad is not a solicitation for offers, nor is it a request for proposals. A solicitation for offers will be issued by the VA at a latter date. Page 1 of 1 Marian Karr From: Kathryn Johansen Sent: Wednesday, January 06, 2010 4:16 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: FW: Parking Request _. _ -- _ _ _ From: Chris O'Brien [mailto:Chris-OBrien@iowa-city.org] Sent: Monday, December 14, 2009 7:43 AM To: Hartman, Matthew R. Subject: Parking Request Mr. Hartman; I left you a voice message on Friday and wanted to follow it up with an a-mail as well. At this time we are not able to accommodate your request of 600 parking spaces. That being said, we may be able to accommodate a lesser amount in the short term if you need supplemental spaces. We can discuss this in more detail over the phone if you wish. I can be reached at 319 356 5156 or on my cell at 319 530 9113. Chris O'Brien Director of Transportation Services City of Iowa City 1/6/2010 Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Marian Karr From: Huling, Dave [dave-huling@uiowa.edu] Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 3:55 PM To: Bob Hardy Cc: Council Subject: RE: Mediacom/Sinclair Issue 4 4 Thanks for the clarification on this Mr. Hardy. Considering this is the second time the consumers have had to "put up with" the issue between the two maybe it would be healthy to have a choice of cable companies in Iowa City instead of a monopoly. I certainly don't know what would be entailed to bring about such an occurrence but it seems like a company would be more considerate about their consumers if they had some competition. To just leave the consumer with the only option of switching to satellite or getting no signal is a crappy alternative. Hopefully some resolution will come to pass but I'm not holding my breath. Dave Huling From: Bob Hardy [mailto:Bob-Hardy@iowa-city.org] Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 15:49 To: Huling, Dave Cc: council@iowa-city.org Subject: Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Dear Mr. Huling: It has been requested that I respond to your recent email to the City Council. As I am sure you are aware, the Sinclair/Mediacom issue has caused great concern not only for Iowa City cable subscribers but also for Mediacom customers throughout the KGAN/KFXA viewing area. The City of Iowa City shares this concern. To summarize the situation, since 1992 federal law has allowed broadcast channels such as KGAN and KFXA one of two options when dealing with cable operators. The first option is that the broadcast channel can require the cable company to carry their signal, the so-called "must carry" rule. If the broadcast channel selects this option, they are not paid for the use of their programming. The second option allows the broadcast channels to require the cable operator to pay a "retransmission fee" for use of their programming which, subject to negotiation, normally consist of cash payments and other considerations. Without an agreement for one of these options the cable operator cannot use the broadcaster's programming. By law, the choice of these options and related contracts are revisited on a set three-year cycle. The end of this cycle for the current retransmission contracts for KGAN and KFXA is December 31, 2009. If Sinclair and Mediacom fail to reach an agreement by this date, then Mediacom cannot legally offer KGAN's and KFXA's programming on their cable system. In addition, a variety of contractual and legal issues prevent Mediacom from replacing KGAN with a different CBS affiliate as it did during the last negotiations three years ago. There is no provision in federal or state law or in the City's franchise agreement with Mediacom that allows the City to be involved in this process. At best, we may only express our concern to those involved. This is an issue that must be resolved between the two corporations. I hope this response has been helpful to your understanding of the issue. If you have other questions, please do no hesitate to call or email me. 12/21 /2009 Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Sincerely, Bob Hardy Cable Television Administrator City of Iowa City Ph: 319-356-5047 bob-hardy@iowa-city. org From: Huling, Dave [malltodave-_hulmg@uiow_aedul Sent: Tuesday, December 15, 2009 11:30 AM To: Council Subject: Cable TV This correspondence will become a public record. Page 2 of 2 As an Iowa City resident since 1973 it's been very disheartening to put up with the constant problems Mediacom has with contracting services with local N feeds. Since there is no opposition for Mediacom as a cable provider (unless someone goes to satellite which has its own set of plusses and minuses) it's the residents who subscribe (and not cheaply) and have no control over losing a station's feed. Considering the latest debacle with Sinclair (a company which Mediacom seems to butt heads with consistently), which could cause the loss of the CBS affiliate plus the Fox affiliate, I'd like to think the city could add some pressure on Mediacom to help resolve this issue before the end of the year so we don't have to face losing programming of interest (including the Orange Bowl and the Super Bowl). Thanks for any help the Council can add to resolve this problem. Dave Huling 343 Westside Drive Iowa City, IA 52246 12/21 /2009 Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Marian Karr From: Bob Hardy Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 3:30 PM To: carmela1016@yahoo.com Cc: Council Subject: Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Dear Ms. Lovelace: Page 1 of 2 It has been requested that I respond to your recent email to the City Council. As I am sure you are aware, the Sinclair/Mediacom issue has caused great concern not only for Iowa City cable subscribers but also for Mediacom customers throughout the KGAN/KFXA viewing area. The City of Iowa City shares this concern. To summarize the situation, since 1992 federal law has allowed broadcast channels such as KGAN and KFXA one of two options when dealing with cable operators. The first option is that the broadcast channel can require the cable company to carry their signal, the so-called "must carry" rule. If the broadcast channel selects this option, they are not paid for the use of their programming. The second option allows the broadcast channels to require the cable operator to pay a "retransmission fee" for use of their programming which, subject to negotiation, normally consist of cash payments and other considerations. Without an agreement for one of these options the cable operator cannot use the broadcaster's programming. By law, the choice of these options and related contracts are revisited on a set three-year cycle. The end of this cycle for the current retransmission contracts for KGAN and KFXA is December 31, 2009. If Sinclair and Mediacom fail to reach an agreement by this date, then Mediacom cannot legally offer KGAN's and KFXA's programming on their cable system. In addition, a variety of contractual and legal issues prevent Mediacom from replacing KGAN with a different CBS affiliate as it did during the last negotiations three years ago. There is no provision in federal or state law or in the City's franchise agreement with Mediacom that allows the City to be involved in this process. This is an issue that must be resolved between the two corporations. Also due to this fact, there would be no legal cause for the City to terminate the current franchise agreement with Mediacom regardless of the timeframe or outcome of these negotiations. As to your suggestion to replace Mediacom, that is not a legal option for the City. Very specific laws and rules govern Cable system ownership and transfers, none of which provide the City with sufficient reason to terminate the franchise. I hope this response has been helpful to your understanding of the issue. If you have other questions, please do no hesitate to call or email me. Sincerely, Bob Hardy Cable Television Administrator City of Iowa City Ph:319-356-5047 12/21 /2009 Mediacom/Sinclair Issue Page 2 of 2 bob-hardy@iowa-city.org From: Carmela Lovelace [mailto•carmela1016@yahoo.coml Sent: Thursday, December 17, 2009 10:32 AM To: Council Subject: Mediacom What do you plan to do about Mediacom? It is time for another cable company in this area. They have had the monopoly for years and have provided sub-par service for that entire time. If they do not carry the Iowa Bowl game - it is time to cancel their agreement. How about putting out the service for bid and seeing if you get someone who actually provides better service at a reasonable cost. This is just an example of greed and poor service at it's finest. 12/21 /2009 4 5 Marian Karr From: ~ dennis williamson [wapsibow@yahoo.com] Sent: Friday, December 18, 2009 1:56 PM To: 30centbike@gmail.com; customerservice@scheelssports.com; Council; thebikeguy@southslope. net Subject: Fw: Bicycle Trail Sand and Salt --- On Fri, 12/18/09, dennis williamson <wapsibow@ahoo.com> wrote: From: dennis williamson <wapsibow@yahoo.com> Subject: Bicycle Trail Sand and Salt To: wapsibow@yahoo.com Date: Friday, December 18, 2009, 1:43 PM To Coralville, North Liberty, Iowa City, Area Bike Shops Sand and Salt on the trails is a detriment to recreational cycling and commuting. A few miles equates to 500 in the summer, and by spring hundreds of dollars in damage can be done. (Rims, Brakes, Chains, Sprockets). The Cost to Municipal can be used elsewhere. It is actually nearly impossible to keep a bike running. Riding on some snow and ice after plowing is not a challenge, I think most pedestrians in the area would agree. The majority of bad weather trail use is cycle commuting/ recreational. Reduced recreational riding reduces retail store patronage during the off season. It would be nice if the Coralville trail to the Mall was plowed. I don't know the North Liberty trail policy, conditions between are prohibitive. Initial storm sanding does nothing after snow melt and reforming of ice patches, as the sand is beneath the new ice that forms every night, which is really the only thing we all have to be cautious of. Plow the trails and let the Sun do the rest. Sincerely, Dennis Willamson 319 325 3611 PO Box 2873 Iowa City IA 52244 12/18/2009 January 6, 2010 Dennis Willamson P.O. Box 2873 Iowa City, IA 52244 Dear Mr. Willamson: _~ r ~ ~III~ ~ ,~~i~~ ~n.at~_ CITY OF IOWA CITY 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, Iowa 5 2 240- 1 826 (319) 356-5000 (319) 356-5009 FAX www.icgov.org Thank you for your email regarding sand and salt on area trails; your email has been forwarded to me for a response on behalf of the City of Iowa City. The City of Iowa City's policy is to clear most regularly used hard surface trails after snow events, as time permits. Other area cities focus on plowing school routes. Sand and salt is placed on trails after plowing activities, primarily for traction for pedestrians, and to mitigate ice formation due to the thaw/freeze activity that occurs over a 24-hour period. We feel it is important to maintain trails for all trail users as best as possible during difficult winter months, especially for the high number of pedestrians that use our trails year round. It should be noted our Parks Department is continually evaluating its snow removal procedures. These evaluations recently resulted in a change of equipment on one route; a tractor operated broom was added substituting for a pickup truck and blade. The broom clears light to moderate snow more efficiently than the blade, allowing for less use of the salt/sand mix to prevent re- icing. Feel free to contact me at 356-5252 or john-yapp@iowa-city.org, or our Parks Department at 356-5107 with any questions. If your email was intended to be sent to the Cities of Coralville and North Liberty, you may wish to contact those communities directly. Sincerely, 7~y~- John Yapp Transportation Planner cc: City Council Terry Robinson, Superintendent, Parks & Forestry Division jccogadm/Itrs/willamson 12-31-09.doc 4 6 Marian Karr .......... From: Bob Goodfellow [bob@goodfellowprinting.com] Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 3:31 PM To: Council Subject: Funding for Summer of the Arts This correspondence will become a public record. December 20th, 2009 Dear Councilors: How can Iowa City afford to fund Summer of the Arts? That's a legitimate question. After all, should we continue use tax dollars to stage summer festivals, when fire stations need to be staffed and neighborhoods need to be patrolled? Still, I would ask, "Can the taxpayers of Iowa City truly afford not to fund SotA?" I believe that the contributions SotA makes in my community, warrants substantial taxpayer investment. If you're not sure you agree with my position, you may also wonder what drives people like me, and there are many, to volunteer so many thousands of hours to community service? Why do we organize and stage an arts festival, a jazz festival, or a live concert on a summer evening? Then do it again and again, year after year, after year. It's not about the party. It's about the community. Like several of you, I grew up in Iowa City. I stayed because I loved this community. I like walking down the street and knowing that I will likely encounter a friend. I like talking with my friend who runs a family business across the street from my own, and comparing stories about what it was like when our parents ran our companies. I especially like that after I recently purchased a home in what for me, was a new neighborhood, I quickly discovered I already knew half the people living around me. These are the people of my community. But this might be changing. I fear we are raising a generation that thinks that communities are contacts in their cell phone and the names they've added to their Facebook friends list. I want to remind them that their most valuable communities are made of the people who live next door, around the corner, and the people they pass daily on the streets of their town. These are the people who support their schools, pave their roads, pay for their fire and police protection, and own the businesses they like to patronize. So, I invite them to join my friends and I in the street, on the lawn, or around a fountain. I say, come listen to the music, make or meet a friend, and be part of your community. SotA doesn't simply stage entertainment events and SotA organizers are not merely party planners. First and foremost my fellow SotA volunteers and I are community builders. We believe it is our heartfelt responsibility to bring our diverse population of citizens and visitors together with opportunities to enjoy fun, entertaining events and festivals, designed to enlighten and strengthen the social fabric of our community. Our presentations encourage our eclectic attendees to seek out new experiences and discover common interests through the enjoyment of a shared cultural experience. Our events provide a sense of belonging, and all the positive benefits to the community that come with that. But, these are tough times. In a strained economy, unfortunately art and cultural investments are often 12/21 /2009 Page 2 of 2 the first to be sacrificed. My fellow board members argue eloquently against this trend, albeit with mixed results. We rally under banners that tout economic development with a vibrant creative economy, and we make excellent arguments for financially supporting Summer of the Arts with these themes. We proclaim return on investment while producing formulas that demonstrate the economic impact of SotA events and I enthusiastically support all of these fiscal arguments. However, in the nineteen years I have contributed my time and treasure to events now under the SotA umbrella, my interest has evolved from a desire to encourage downtown revitalization to a passion for producing social capital through the shared human experience of a live concert, an art fair, or the team bonding exercise of building a sand sculpture. Rather than question the value of SotA investment, we must instead ask ourselves how we could better utilize the talents that are available through SotA. How can we use an organization like SotA to strengthen neighborhoods in the Southeast, and Northwest. Could we organize events in those neighborhoods that could help bring those residents together as a community? The City of Iowa City has been SotA's most significant partner since the inception. The money and services provided through taxpayer support have been the leverage that makes possible the huge return in citizen volunteerism, and charitable giving that results in the unifying events that help to define our community, and give Iowa City vitality. Without the tax dollar leverage, we cannot do what we have done for decades. The $60,000.00 you have allocated to SotA is not only vital to our operation but also paramount to our community's well being. Please vote to extend the City's financial commitment to SotA at the current level. Thank you, Bob Goodfellow Goodfellow Printing Summer of the Art Board of Directors 408 Highland Ct. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 319-338-9471 12/21 /2009 DATE: Marian Karr From: Dale Helling Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 3:02 PM To: "City Council Subject: FW: Fluoride Inquiry -Mark Amberg 12-22-09.doc From: Ed Moreno Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 11:45 AM To: Rick Fosse; Carol Sweeting Cc: Dale Helling Subject: FW: Fluoride Inquiry -Mark Amberg 12-22-09.doc 4 7 Please note the information I sent to Mr. Amberg. He responded with an a-mail stating he had made a formal request for the City to stop feeding fluoride to our drinking water. Ed From: Ed Moreno Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 11:18 AM To: 'm.amberg@mchsi.com' Subject: Fluoride Inquiry -Mark Amberg 12-22-09.doc I hope this answers the questions you had in our phone conversation. Ed Moreno Water Superintendent Date: December 22, 2009 To: Mark Amberg From: Ed Moreno Re: Fluoride Inquiry Thank you for the opportunity to answer your questions regarding drinking water fluoridation in Iowa City. As background: . According to State Health Department records fluoride has been added to Iowa City's drinking water since 1957, which is before the utility was purchased from a private company in 1961. . The average concentration of fluoride in our drinking water is 1.0 mg/L (or parts per million). . The normal level of fluoride in the raw water (alluvial wells) is comparable to the Iowa River at approximately .25 mg/L. 12/28/2009 DATE: Page 2 of 2 . The EPA Safe Drinking Water Act (SDWA) limit for fluoride is 4.0 mg/L. Regarding your questions about what we spend annually to adjust the fluoride level in our drinking water, in calendar year 2008 the cost of the compound, fluosilicic acid (H2SiF6), was $14,058. This equates to approximately $0.22 per person per year. The feed system includes two 3000 gallon storage tanks, two positive displacement pumps, and two flow rotometers that allow delivery m the water treatment tram after the filters. We have a well designed feed system that is monitored on a real time basis. With respect to detailed research regarding fluoride, I would ask that you visit with Dr. Levy of the U. of I. Dental School, as he is more familiar with the current research than I am. He can be contacted at: Steven M. Levy, DDS, MPH Wright-Bush-Shreves Professor of Research Graduate Program Director, Dental Public Health Department of Preventive and Community Dentistry Professor, Department of Epidemiology College of Public Health N328 DSB University of Iowa Iowa City, IA 52242-1010 The Iowa City Water Division is committed to providing potable water that is of the highest quality and meets all applicable regulations. We are governed by the USEPA and the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. As members of the American Water Works Association, we apply fluoride in a safe, effective, and reliable manner that includes monitoring and control of fluoride levels within limits mandated by state and federal laws and that is subject to community acceptance through local decision making processes. We will continue to look to the USEPA to be a lead role to regulate contaminant levels in finished drinking water. And as it is our responsibility to provide safe water for the public health of our community, we will monitor closely when the USEPA will be reviewing the fluoride water quality standards in the near future. If you have any other questions or comments regarding this subject or any other about the City's drinking water please feel free to contact me. 12/28/2009 Marian Karr From: m.amberg@mchsi.com Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 2:59 PM To: Council Subject: Fluoride Drinking Water Treatment Dear City Council Members: I am writing you to petition the Council to stop the fluoridation of our drinking water. This health issue is of such importance that I urge you to act quickly. As I'm sure the council will rely on their own due diligence to research the harm fluoride causes, so I will keep this letter short and only mention the blatantly obvious reasons that Iowa City should stop adding fluoride to their drinking water: 1. Recent studies on lab animals conclude that even trace amounts of fluoride can cause bone cancer and brain defects.(Our nation's children now have a 1~ risk of being born with autism and the rates of ADD being diagnosed in our children is incredibly high.) 2. Junk science in the 1950's (the same kind that 'proved' smoking didn't cause cancer) told us adding 1 parts per million fluoride was safe and it would help prevent tooth decay in low income children. This is false. You should NOT ingest fluoride. It is poison and a carcinogen and children under the age of 3 are not even supposed to use fluoride toothpaste! Fluoride has been proven to be benificial to teeth when used as a topical agent in small doses but even after an adult brushes his teeth the ADA guidelines recommend that he does not eat or drink for ~ hour. The oral hygiene products of today (toothpaste, dental floss, and mouth rinse) are what keeps our teeth healthy... Not fluoridated water. 60 years ago many people did not use these products so of course we have much better teeth today. Ingesting fluoride for healthy teeth makes as much sense as drinking sun tan lotion to get a tan. 3. The city has no ethical grounds to continue to mass medicate the population against their consent (especially based upon fraudulent claims of benefits from junk science over 50 years old.) There are no FDA guidelines and none from the AMA as well. If people choose to drink fluoride, it is cheap and they can buy it and administer it themselves. However, most of the new research states that after you eat your morning bowl of cereal you will already have gotten twice the safe amount (from the milk alone) and that doesn't even count the fluoride in our processed foods and drinks. 4. The fluoride 60% United States adds to it's water does not come from a sterile lab. It is from toxic waste left over from fertilizer and aluminum plants and smoke stacks that also has traces of arsenic and lead....and we pay money to do this! Our city and 60°s of the United States has been fluorinating for 50+ years and it's time to stop. (by-the-way 98% of Western Europe won't add fluoride to their water.) After WWII the U.S. manufacturing sector was booming and much if this was from the military industrial complex (think many nuclear weapons and much toxic pollution.) The bogus and forgone concluded research that was done to get the public to not only accept but to even pay to consume their toxic waste was a victory worth a fortune for big industry. By-the way we could probably add arsenic 1 parts per million to the water and not notice the detrimental health effects for 10's of years too. We have enough toxic pollution in our land and streams and we don't need to voluntarily drink it. I welcome you to call any fluoride advocate to testify to your committee and pose him the question: "What will happen if we just stop adding fluoride to our water?" I know the council will want to do it's own research on this matter but I will enclose some links to fluoride research just in case. Thank you for putting this urgent matter up for immediate consideration and if I can be of any more help in this matter please call on me. Yours Truly, Mark Amberg 2335 Macbride Dr Iowa City, Iowa 1 621-0711 cc Congressman Dave Loebsack, 2nd district of Iowa http://www.nofluoride.com/ Here's a debate http://www2.fluoridealert.org/Alert/Isle-of-Man/Fluoride-experts-go-head-to-head-in-debate http://www.apfn.org/apfn/fluoride-expert.htm AMA letter http://www.nofluoride.com/presentations/AMA_letter.pdf List of experts for you http://www.intota.com/experts.asp?strSearchType=all&strQuery=calcium+ 2 4 8 Marian Karr From: jazb1058@inabc.net Sent: Tuesday, December 22, 2009 7:38 AM To: Council Subject: Why are we spending $78 THOUSAND MORE for attorney's in Iowa City than they are in cities of compa rable size ?Let alone paying only $15 THOUSAND LESS than a city TW ICE our size? Attachments: letters from shelter.pdf ~~ letters from shelter.pdf (116 S Why are we spending $78 THOUSAND MORE for attorney's in Iowa City than they are in cities of comparable size? Let alone paying only $15 THOUSAND LESS than a city TWICE our size? Fair comparisons... Of size vs. number and what each city spends: Iowa City, as of the 2008 census estimate, the city had a total population of 67,831. Dilkes Eleanor City Attorney 73,857 Dulek Susan Assistant City Attorney 78,229 Goers Eric Assistant City Attorney 69,098 Greenwood Hektoe Sara Assistant City Attorney 62,774 Holecek Sarah First Asst City Attorney 93,434 TOTAL $377,392 Cedar Rapids as of the 2008 census estimate, the city had a total population at 128,056. Flitz James City Attorney 123,531 Jacobi Elizabeth Assistant City Attorney II 67,101 Sheronick Mohammad Assistant City Attorney IV 112,029 Wright William Assistant City Attorney III 89,918 TOTAL $392,579 West Des Moines estimated that 55,426 residents lived there in 2008. West Des Moines SCIESZINSKI RICHARD JON City Attorney City Attorney $115,000.00 West Des Moines TOMLINSON MEGAN SUE City Attorney Admin Secretary $50,695.00 West Des Moines WITTGRAF JASON B City Attorney Assist City Attorney $63,785.00 TOTAL $229,480 1 With this being said.... Why are we spending $78 THOUSAND MORE for attorney's in Iowa City than they are in cities of comparable size? Let alone paying only $15 THOUSAND LES5 than a city TWICE our size? SO as a city we need to save money..... I can see a few things here that need changed not even going into the cost of remodeling our city Attorney's office for over $250 THOUSAND DOLLARS! Want to know where to save money... Guess where. Joyce Barker 2018 Waterfront Dr.#128 Iowa City, IA 52240 2 het~er Howe . ~ o~ Community Sheifier & Transition Services May 13, 20 T 2018 Waterfront Drive Iowa City, IA 522:0 Dear Mr. rci 26, 2005 to clarify the policy o£ Shelter House I am Writing iui response to your letter dated Ap ~ i allow ~,~ offenders on ~~~ f4~ registered sex offenders.. Smelter House does not knowing y ~:_~..~..,~,._to reside at Shelter House. At the point that each individua! presonts himlhersel£to Shelter House ._. _....'. for shelter services, an intake is completed. offenders i the state of Iowa yr in any dottier state. If asked whether s/he is on the registry of sex the indidsdual says `'Yes," the intake is stopper and the individual is told tbat he or she can not be a resident of Shelter House. ff an individual indicates that he yr she is nowa. ff th gindividual s from out~af state, thataregiistiy still checked against the online registry in I is also checked. Shelter H 1 has li~ and that he oreshe is a seffx offenderg,~ i~s ~ Policy of discovered #hat an indlv~du~ I remises. Individuals appea~S Shelter House to permanently forbid the individual access to the p on the registry of sex offenders are advise x offenders Iare not pcrmtted to reside at SShelter House, tndiv~duals appearing on the registry of se and those individuals who Imowingly lie are permanently banned from any use of the fidcility. Even though a registered sex offender can not be a resident of ShelteroH SuseS, ah ~d v~d~lsbmay permitted to utzlize the facility facilUities, eat dinner receive Ph a messages and mail and work access the shower and laundry with outreach staff. Their access to and u ~ ~~~`indiv duals whoware on a regi ry of sex supervision of Shelter House staff. Asap were sho at the offenders are not physically present at the facility any longer thaw if they ppi~ .._ . .. - • :: g~ocsy-storc~~P~B-for food sten~s`at ~ went df Humax-Services. And, rt is imperative to clarify that registered sex offenders rarely use Shelter House support services (i.e., Drop-In Ceirter and Outreach). Sincerely, ~~ Dorothy M. Person President, Shelter House Beard of Directors 331.Norih Gilbert Strest • P.O. BQx 3146 • iavro City, iawo 52244.3146 • 319-351.0326 -} ,SHF.T~ ~`BR .F~t'IL'~vE 1RT~`x~S' .~aR cs~1~'~2.b~A1~tS ~~. Ia~.io1;"1V.I~~',~'~',~ 1, Dependants are not permittca iri the bssamont tullese as~corrfp~ti~d !~y a guardiao 2. Guardians are to }utiow with wi;orn deperidtints ara Iaaving Sbc:ter House aad whoa dapErdcnts will be. 3. Na dependant will Be Zt~ at Sheltat House to be car~.d far>ry staff, eiiaasts orvoluntat=,rs ~wichout ~:presaad ap~tK-val of Shelter Hauso Stex~ ~,. Guardians era reaponsible in raniritoring fhe baha4~iar of dependastts. §. Guardians a+c resgo>zsiMo tar prD~~iding diapers, Paod, medicine, etc. far dcpendan~s. Shaltcr ~ousc may at times be ablo tc suplsly tuoea itam3 but it Stii1 thG C3u>iidion' r~spar~sihi~ity tG insare ptpvisi~atz fOr ~CI7$3fCiCAiS, t:. All dat~ondeats of proper ago must be enrolled in tfie Iokal school €yst®m ae soon as possible. . ~. Shelter Flousa is a raan~datory depeztdent abtut ~rcpot't ~genay. The proper Authbrities wtil be n+~ti~led of euty insfnncss of dependent ah;i4e er neglart, 8. Steel#ea House nlay lsava orcasiat>b in which ollerrts ^f. ~lz~Itar Hr~u.~a, may ba on a stata'8 Rex o~'ts~nder list. I# ie ~tfie ~uatciit~'s rasparsi~ility t4 provide oars and supervision far the well•bein~ arsd saf~ry of depondants. Da not assu:~c that anyone you meet while at Z3lzeltar Huse is sot on a state's tax ofl'endar Iist. I h~ss~e read srd ia~derstand the Rules for Guardians and agree 1o anicie thine rule3 while at Sheltbr.Aouse~ Guarsiian, ,T~,~,,,, I~aie:,,,.,,, Stag' ,.~,. ...,~.._...y..,,.......... Udte: ~,...._~.__........_~~. 4 9 Marian Karr From: Johnathan Gajdos [gajdos@gmail.com] Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:44 PM To: Council; Regenia Bailey; Amy Correia; Matt Hayek; Ross Wilburn; Mike Wright Cc: Mike Moran; Dale Helling Subject: Parks & Recreation: Embarrassing policy Dear Councilors: I was shocked to read in the Press-Citizen of the actions of the Parks & Recreation Department with regard to disallowing a health care attendant from being provided admission under a family's aquatics pass. http://www.press-citizen.com/article/20091221/NEWSOI/912210306/Family-disputes-city-s- policy I am in full support of the Miner family and am appalled that the current acting parks and recreation director would hide behind "policy" instead of thinking about whether or not such a policy should be in place at all. Fiscal excuses should not be used to harm members of the community. I would hope that the City thinks about whether such excuses are among the ideal characteristics for a permanent director of parks and recreation before that appointment is made. I would further encourage the City not to waste money on examining the legalities of the current "policy"; the City could save on legal costs and administrative time while at the same time act in the best interest of its citizens if this "policy" were abolished immediately. Whether or not the policy is legal is immaterial to me: it is certainly not in keeping with the goals of the City of Iowa City. I have copied this e-mail to Mr. Moran and Mr. Helling. I would ask that they ensure that the members of the Parks & Recreation Commission are provided with this e-mail. Most sincerely, Johnathan Gajdos Iowa City, IA Marian Karr From: Lutgendorf, Philip A [philip-lutgendorf@uiowa.edu] Sent: Sunday, December 27, 2009 6:10 AM To: Mike Moran Cc: "`ICRec; Council Subject: Pool use by special needs citizens Dear Mr. Moran, I write in reference to an article that appeared in the Press-Citizen on December 21st, regarding a family's request that attendants accompanying special-needs pool users not be charged an entrance fee. I am a longtime swimmer, mostly using Mercer Aquatic Center, but occasionally Lee Recreation and, of course, City Park in the summer. I greatly appreciate the wonderful pool facilities that we enjoy here in Iowa City. At Mercer on weekends I sometimes see special needs swimmers using the pool accompanied by helpers. It never occurred to me that those assisting the handicapped, who are obviously performing care-giving work, would be charged an entrance fee for recreational swimming. It seems to me that this is most unfair, and may prohibit some citizens from enjoying the facilities. Hence I urge you to reconsider the recent decision to begin charging a pool entrance fee to such care-giving attendants, mindful of the spirit of the Americans with Disabilities Act. Respectfully, Philip Lutgendorf 2 Glendale Court Iowa City, 52245 1 4 10 Sent: Monday, December 21, 2009 10:31 AM To: Council Subject: buy outs Question why did the first 7 house on this list rate such a high value? Doug Ongie replied to me, they had updates in 2008 and that is the reason. Well none of them show they applied for building permits for any upgrades to their structures. Also the one at 849 normandy was raised after the 1993 flood to a 500 year flood plane.. that house received no more water on the living floor than mine at 705 Manor Dr. I am not concerned with any monies for my place but the seemingly unfair treatment to others. Clifford pirnat 705 manor dr. Iowa city,ia house# v~,as sold increase 849 214000 340000 126000 58.9% 853 162350 251000 88650 54.6% 613 176570 249939 73369 41.6% 869 114800 159000 44200 38.5% 869 114800 159000 44200 38.5% 703 266820 357401 90581 33.9% 837 194890 250000 55110 28.3% 817 223230 250618 27388 12.3% 612 284850 319065 34215 12.0% 820E 211820 237258 25438 12.0% 539 352330 394632 42302 12.0% 877 129190 144693 15503 12.0% 609 185590 207861 22271 12.0% 821 226650 253848 27198 12.0% 813 361760 405171 43411 12.0% 821E 223160 249939 26779 12.0% 825 198860 222723 23863 12.0% 801 197510 221211 23701 12.0% 816 167230 187288 20058 12.0% 729 289870 323758 33888 11.7% 713 194490 217000 22510 11.6% 12/21 /2009 12/29/2009 Page 1 of 2 Marian Karr From: David Purdy Sent: Tuesday, December 29, 2009 8:42 AM To: 'cpirnat@mchsi.com' Cc: "City Council; Dale Helling; Steve Long Subject: parkview property valuations Greetings- Your email regarding valuations of properties in the HMGP acquisition program was forwarded to me. I have been managing the HMGP buy-out program. I have summarized how the valuations were arrived for the properties for which you inquired. They are below: 849 Normandy- the homeowner appealed their initial offer. Appraisals were done by the homeowner and the city for the pre-flood fair market value. They both came very close to the $320,000 (one slightly above and 1 slightly below) amount and the homeowner agreed to be purchased at this price. 853 Normandy- the homeowners appealed their initial offer. The city and the homeowners did appraisals. The third party hearing officer based her decision on many of the factors listed in the homeowner's appraisal- including comparable sales, recent updates, and quality of construction. 613 Normandy- this was acquired for $197,758 or 112% of 2008 assessed value. 869 Normandy-the homeowner appealed her initial offer. The appeal officer based her decision on the HUD Appraised Value form and the loan form supplied by the homeowner which has the bank valuing the property at $159,000. 703 Normandy- the homeowners appealed the initial offer. The appeal officer based her decision on several factors. The homeowners submitted an appraisal of 2008 pre-flood value of $360,000. At the time of their purchase in 2005, the appraised value was $325,000 and the rate of increase in real estate values has been about 3% per year since then (except for 2009). The big difference was in the size of the livable area. The appraised values had the living space at over 3000 feet while the assessed value living space was closer to 1700 square feet. 837 Normandy- again, the homeowner appealed the initial offer. The homeowner and the city did appraisals. The appeal officer increased the value because of several factors. The assessed values did not have the correct amount of livable area in the house, had the property listed as having only one full bath, when it had 2 full baths, and did not fully value the lot. Please let me know if you need any additional information. Thanks- David Purdy Flood Recovery Specialist Planning and Community Development City of Iowa City David-Purdy~a iowa-city.org 319-356-5489 From: cliff pirnat [mailto_cpirnatc~mchsi.com] 12/29/2009 4 11 Marian Karr __ From: Dale Helling Sent: Monday, December 28, 2009 3:04 PM To: "`City Council Subject: FW: Mayor Selection Broadcast From: Dale Helling Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 9:26 AM To: 'John Darnauer' Subject: RE: Mayor Selection Broadcast Dear Mr. Darnauer, Thank you for your recent emails to the City Council regarding the organizational meeting where the Mayor is selected by Council. Council members do not all receive their emails directly. Your first message was forwarded to them and officially received as a part of their consent agenda of their December 14, 2009 meeting. Your most recent message will be similarly conveyed. Council organizational meetings have traditionally not been cablecast. Cablecasting meetings involves a significant commitment of resources and is generally reserved for regular Council meetings and some budget related discussions. By contrast, organizational meetings are very short meetings with the vote for Mayor and Mayor Pro-Tem, a brief swearing-in process, and appointments to several standing committees making up the entire agenda. There is no public hearing or time set aside for public comment or other Council business at the organizational meeting, and they are usually concluded in a short period of time. The City Clerk compiles minutes and a complete transcription, both of which are available to the public. There is normally local media coverage as well. At the December 14 meeting there was no discussion initiated regarding your request. No change in the existing practice will occur at this time The organizational meeting is scheduled for 8:30 AM on January 2, 2010, in Emma J. Harvat Hall at City Hall. While it will not be cablecast, it remains an open public meeting and you are certainly welcome to attend. I apologize for not getting back to you sooner. I hope this information is helpful, though I realize it is not the answer you had hoped to hear. Please feel free to contact me if you have further questions. Sincerely, Dale Helling Interim City Manager (319) 356-5013 dale-helling_@owa-city.org From: John Darnauer [mailto:johndarnauer@gmail.com] Sent: Wednesday, December 23, 2009 6:52 AM To: Council Subject: Fwd: Mayor Selection Broadcast City Council or Staff: I'm just following up on my e-mail to the Council dated December 3, 2009. Perhaps there was some oversight, as I did not receive a reply to my inquiry as to the broadcast and/or videotaping of the City 12/28/2009 Page 2 of 2 Council meeting in which the mayor is selected. I'll assume the absence of a reply signals that the meeting will be broadcast just as other Council meetings routinely are. I appreciate how open and transparent the Council proceedings are in Iowa City, with both live airing, replay, and web streaming. It's an important part of the public record. I'll refer to the Council schedule and tune in at the appropriate time. Thanks and best wishes in 2010. John Darnauer ---------- Forwarded message ---------- From: John Darnauer <johndarnauer(a)g_mal..com> Date: Thu, Dec 3, 2009 at 6:24 AM Subject: Mayor Selection Broadcast To: council~a_)io_wa_-cty,org Greetings to the Council: As a newcomer to Iowa City, I am interested in its local government. Our book discussion club was discussing the mayoral selection process coming up shortly. Most of us come from elsewhere and unfamiliar with the process in which citizens don't elect the mayor. We would like to see the process broadcast on the cable channel so we can discuss later. I just wanted to write and confirm that the meeting will be taped for broadcast to the citizens. Thanks so much and best wishes. John I:)arn~iuer log-va (.;itv 12/28/2009 Page 1 of 1 4 ~ ~,~, Marian Karr From: Mark Cannon [markc39@gmail.com] Sent: Friday, January 08, 2010 7:57 AM To: Council Cc: Marcia Bollinger; Mary Knudson Subject: Miller-Orchard Neighborhood needs Dear City Council Representatives, I live in the Miller-Orchard Neighborhood and have been active in the planning that has taken place in our neighborhood over the past several years to bring about improvement in our neighborhood. Our neighborhood developed the plan that was recently presented at one of the council meeetings. In the recent budget proposals,our neighborhood was very disappointed and discouraged to note that none of the improvements that we had suggested in our neighborhood plan were funded. As we understand the funding process, moving items from unfunded to funded doesn't insure that will happen immediately but simply puts us in the 'queue' for funding in the future. Specifically, we are asking you to consider moving the following items from the unfunded to funded list: Riverside Streetscape #28 Hwy 1 sidewalk trail #38 IA River Trail -Benton St/Hwy 6 #41 IA River Trail - Benton/Sturgis #42 It is interesting that in recent newspaper articles and in information disseminated by the University of Iowa, our neighborhood has been highlighted as one that has been active in trying to improve the quality of life for its residents. I believe that we in the neighborhood have put in a lot of effort to make this happen but without consideration and support by the City Council and the needed funding, this plan that we created will remain a document that eventually will be filed away without tangible results. Please reconsider our project listed above for funding. Sincerely, Mark Cannon 706 Miller Avenue Iowa City, IA 52246 319-337-6072 1/8/2010 r 14 `_,.®~~ CITY 4F IUWA CITY ~ .,, , ,,fir, ~~ EMC)RA~ ~~~ M Date: January 7, 2010 To: Dale Helling, Interim City Manager From: Ronald R. Knoche, City Engineer Re: Iowa City 2010 Hazard Mitigation Plan Public Comment and Approval Process On February 29, 2008, Iowa City received an invitation to submit a formal application for Hazard Mitigation Grant Program planning funds. The application was prepared and the City Council approved the application at their meeting on March 11, 2008. On July 8, 2008, Iowa Homeland Security informed the City the funds were approved. The City contracted with ECICOG to develop the plan with the participation of and input from City staff. The plan cost was $15,000. The City share was $2,250 and funded with the in-kind share of staff time. On October 3, 2008, ECICOG and City Staff had a meeting to kick off the planning process. Nine meetings were held to develop the plan. The preface for the plan is attached to the memo. The Local Hazard Mitigation Plan is required to receive grant funds from FEMA. This became law in 2000. These grant programs include: Public Assistance, Flood Mitigation Assistance, Repetitive Flood Claims and Severe Repetitive Loss. The City has used these grant funds prior to 2000. An example of this was the purchase of the Lower Peninsula property after the Flood of 1993. The development of the plan has made Iowa City eligible for FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant funds after the Flood of 2008. The City was awarded funds with the requirement the plan be adopted by the City within one year. The FEMA Home buyout and the mitigation projects for the Iowa City Water Source protection are examples of the funding. At the work session on January 11th, Hilary Copeland from ECICOG will present an overview of the plan to Council. On January 12th, Council will act on a motion establishing the public comment period for the plan. If approved, the 30 day public comment period will start on January 13th. On February 16th, Council will act on a resolution to adopt the plan. The plan will be available at City Hall in the City Engineers Office, at the Iowa City Public Library and on the Iowa City Website. Page ~i ACKNOWLEDGE'IVIENTS A number of people were involved in the creation of this plan. City of Iowa City staff, the Johnson County EMA, the University of Iowa, .the Iowa City Community School District and the East Central Iowa Council of Governments worked together to create this document. Additional assistance in creating this document came from FEMA technical guidance provided by Richard T. Massey and Susan Yarnell and guidance from Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division. BACKGROUND On October 30, 2000, the President signed into law the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, also known as DMA 2000, which amended the Stafford Act. DMA 2000 streamlines the delivery and utilization of disaster recovery assistance and places increased emphasis on local mitigation planning. It requires local governments to develop and submit mitigation plans as a condition of receiving Pre-Disaster Mitigation {PDM) and Hazard Mitigation Grant Program {HMGP) project grants. Title 44 of the Code of Federal Regulations {44 CFR) Section 201.6 describes requirements of DMA 2000 for single jurisdictional plants, but includes options for multi-jurisdictional plans. This is called the Interim Final Rule and was first published in the Federal Register on February 26`h, 2002. Because deadlines were subsequently modified, re-evant sections of the Rule were again published in the Federal Register on October 1, 2002, and again on October 2$, 2003, when one section was reworded. PURPOSE This local hazard mitigation plan is specifically for the jurisdiction of the City of Iowa City. Nazard mitigation is any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate the long-term risk to human life and property from hazards. Mitigation activities may be implemented prior to, during, or after an incident. However, it has been demonstrated that hazard mitigation is most effective when based on an inclusive, comprehensive, long-term plan that is developed before a disaster occurs. With that definition in mind, a mitigation plan is a document that is intended to accomplish several things. First, through the planning process, the hazards that pose a risk to the community are identified. Second, hazards will be assessed based on their historic patterns of occurrence, the number of people that could be impacted, the area of the community that could be affected, the potential Costs that the City, individuals and organizations may incur, the likelihood of future occurrence, and the amount of warning time before that hazard event occurs. While this plan does lay out several mitigation project ideas, it is at no point a substitute for a more detailed engineering study. In most cases, the identification of a mitigation action indicates that additional research and Page iii __ analysis should be undertaken to determine exactly how that mitigation action could be integrated into the community in acost-beneficial manner. Several key concepts are reflected throughout the mitigation planning regulations at 44 CFR Part 201, and are. reflected in each of the State, Tribal and Local Mitigation Plan requirements and corresponding guidance. The most successful of mitigation plans -where practical, meaningful mitigation actions resulted -have two common elements; • Comprehensive risk and capability assessments that form a solid foundation for decision making • Participation by a wide range of stakeholders who play a role in identifying and implementing mitigation actions A Local Mitigation Plan as defined in 44 CFR §201.5 is required for local jurisdictions that elect to participate in FEMA hazard mitigation assistance programs as a subapplicant or subgrantee. The Stafford Act authorizes up to 7 percent of available HMGP funds for State, Tribal, or local mitigation planning purposes. Also, funds from the PDM program may be used to develop mitigation plans, and the FMA program provides annual grant funds for flood mitigation planning. The City of Iowa City's plan was funded by an HGMP planning grant. The Local Mitigation Plan requirements encourage agencies at all levels, local residents, businesses, and the nonprofit sector to participate in the mitigation planning and implementation process. This broad public participation enables the development of mitigation actions that are supported by these various stakeholders and reflect the needs of the community. Private sector participation, in particular, may lead to identifying local funding that would not otherwise have been considered for mitigation activities. - HAZARD iVi1TIGATIOhI PIANNING`COMIVIITTE'E The Planning Committee was made up of seventeen members of the community plus the plan consultant: Ron Knoche -Engineering, lead Contact Dave Wilson -Johnson County EMA BJ Dvorak-Johnson County EIVIA Mike Buser- Risk Management Dave Elias -Wastewater /Landfill Rick Fosse -Public Works David Garwell -Iowa City Community School District Tom Hansen -Equipment Tracy Hightshoe -Planning Elizabeth Hosmanek -University of Iowa Risk Mgmt. Roger Jensen - IC Fire David Purdy -Planning Dave Sellers -Police Kevin Slutts -Water Crystal Smith -Engineering Bud Stockman -Streets Carol Sweeting -Public Works Hilary Copeland - ECICOG, Consultant Page ~fif THE`PLANNING PROCESS The Iowa City Local Hazard Mitigation Plan was developed from October 2008 through July of 2009. The City of Iowa City worked with the East Central Iowa Council of Governments to submit an application to fund the planning process. When .funding was received, City staff met with the consultant in Iowa City to discuss the planning process. The consultant was responsible for organizing meetings, drafting the plan and most of the maps in this document. The City of Iowa City determined they would use ECICOG's consulting services for their Hazard Mitigation Plan. After the initial meeting, the City assembled the above mentioned Planning Committee, made up of members of the general public and persons with professional experience in city affairs, and began monthly meetings that ran through July of 2009. Meetings were held in at City Hall. During the same time period City Staff held a number of public meetings to garner input from the City's residents on mitigation options, particularly relating to reducing flood risk. The first meeting outlined the process of creating a Hazard Mitigation Plan and the benefits of having a hazard mitigation plan. In the second meeting, the Committee identified hazards that pose a risk to the City. The third and fourth meetings were used to review the hazard profiles and complete the risk assessment. During the fifth meeting, mitigation options were considered, an activity which continued into the sixth meeting. At the sixth meeting, the finalized list of mitigation options was prioritized. See Appendix B for sign in sheets. The Committee then took a break from meeting to allow the consultant to draft a plan and submit the plan to the FEMA technical assistance that was provided to the state after the 2008 floods. The consultant incorporated FEMA suggestions, and returned the final draft of the plan to the City for public review in August of 2009. A copy of this draft plan was also provided to the University of Iowa, the Iowa City Community School District, the City of Coralville, the City of North Liberty, Johnson County and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency for comment. Three main types of resources facilitated the creation of this planning document: guidance from FEMA and the State of Iowa on mitigation planning; review of City codes, ordinances and existing plans; and review of historic records relating to hazards. The Iowa City Planning Committee provided a wealth of information regarding the historical occurrence of hazards in the city. In addition to information obtained through the series of public meetings, the consultant also investigated other previously prepared documents in order to garner supplementary, relevant information. Examples of documents used for this reference are: Resource Consulted Iowa City Comprehensive City of Iowa City Zoning and Subdivision Ordinance NOAAMCDC, NTSB, DOT Records of Historical Occurrence Section Used in Plan the~pl y ~- sr ~, - ~ ~ Future development ~; Iowa City Capital Improvements Program 2008 - 20J.2 Future development and critical facilities FEMA Region 5 "Mitigation Strategies" booklet* ,'~isgat~onstrat~~'~1 ~~ !~~~''~~~~ ~~ Page liv •The Mitigation Strategies booklet provides a wealth of mitigation ideas and was provided to the Planning Committee to provide them with a background on the various types of mitigation projects, strategies and actions that are possible. Due to the length of this document, the Mitigation Strategies booklet was not included as an appendix, however interested parties should contact FEMA, the City or the consultant to receive a copy of this booklet. PLAN SUMMARY Generally, the first question asked when communities begin the process of preparing a Hazard Mitigation Plan is very simply "What is a Hazard Mitigation Plan and what is it intended purpose?" First, it is imperative to define what precisely the term mitigation entails. One definition of the term is stated most effectively by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and is as follows: "Mitigation is defined as any sustained action taken to reduce or eliminate long-term risk to human life and property from a hazard event. Mitigation, also known as prevention (when done before a disaster), encourages long-term reduction of hazard vulnerability. The goal of mitigation is to decrease the need for response as opposed to simply increasing the response capability." (www.fema.gov). With that definition in mind, a mitigation plan is a document that is intended to accomplish several things. First, through the planning process, the hazards that pose a risk to the community will be identified. Second, an assessment of the hazards will be made that take into account historic occurrence, the number of people that will be impacted, the area of the community that will be affected, potential costs that the City, individuals, and organizations may incur, the likelihood of future occurrence, and the amount of warning time before and event occurs. Once the assessment is completed a list of current and historic mitigation efforts are discussed. Through this discussion areas that can be improved upon are identified and developed into "action steps". Early in the planning process meeting attendees identify broad goals that briefly state what the plan should attempt to accomplish. Every action step should, if implemented, work toward one or more of the goals of the plan. An action step may suggest continuing a current mitigation effort or propose a new project altogether. Finaliy, once the hazards have been assessed, mitigation steps identified, and. the action steps have been prioritized the. plan makes some suggestions for implementation. Throughout the document there are references to the cost of particularly identified projects. Some proposed projects are small in scope and thus reiativeiy low cost. However, other projects are broad in nature and would require more funding than the local community can reasonably provide. Therefore, the final piece of the plan suggests methods to implement the plan, how to keep the public involved, and what steps should be taken by local government to ensure that the concept of hazard mitigation is always a priority. When implemented appropriately, mitigation projects can save lives, reduce property damage, is cost-effective, and environmentally sound. This, in turn, can reduce the enormous cost of disasters to property owners and all levels of government. In addition, mitigation can protect critical community facilities, reduce exposure to liability, and minimize community disruption. Page ~v MITEGATIOIV M.EASURfS The following is a brief summary of the top mitigation measures proposed by this plan. These mitigation measures will be addressed in greater detail in Chapter 4. *Acquisition of Flood-prone Structures *Communications Center *Back-up Generators *Bury Power Lines Communication with Health Department Community Outreach *Critical Infrastructure Protection Dam Warning Signage E911 Capabilities and Cell Phone Triangulation Early Warning Systems *Elevation of flood-prone Structures Emergency Operations Plans . *Evaluate and Maintain Older/Existing Structural Flood Mitigation Floodplain Management *Flood-proofing Infrastructure Hazardous Materials Response Mass Casualty Preparation Multi-Jurisdictional Cooperation within Watershed *Relocation of Flood-prone Structures Response Personnel *Safe Rooms Standards Compliant Radio Communication *Storm Drainage Systems Stormwater Management Ordinances and Amendments *Structural Flood Mitigation Projects Updated Floodplain Mapping Building Codes Smoke Detectors *Sprinklers Mitigation measures with an asterisk (*) indicate structural projects. Page Zvi ABOUT THE PLAN PURPQSE The purpose of the Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Pian is to decrease risk of property damage, injury and / or loss of life due to natural or manmade hazards by undertaking comprehensive mitigation strategies prior to a hazard event. The Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan also allows the City of Iowa City to access sources of funding for mitigation projects made available under the DMA 2000. SCOPE This plan applies only to the incorporated areas of the City of Iowa City. It is not, at this time, part of a multi- jurisdictional plan. This plan shall be affective until 5 years after the approval date or when replaced by an updated DMA 2000 compliant plan for the City of Iowa City, whichever is sooner. AUTHORITY Section 322 of the Robert T Stafford Disaster Relief and Emergency Assistance Act (Stafford Act) 42 U.S.C. 5165, as amended by the DMA 2000, provides for States, Tribes and local governments to undertake arisk-based approach to reducing risks to natural hazards through mitigation planning. The National Fload Insurance Act of 1968, as amended, 42 U.S.C 4001 et seq, reinforced the need and requirement for mitigation plans, linking flood mitigation to assistance programs to State, tribal and Local Mitigation Plans. Under this authority, the City of Iowa City is participating in mitigation planning as asingle-jurisdiction local government. The Iowa City Hazard Mitigation Plan was adopted by the Iowa City City Council (see Appendix C) and was approved by FEMA. FUNDING Iowa City's local hazard mitigation plan was funded under an HMGP planning grant made available after the presidential disaster declaration for the severe winter storm that occurred December 10-11, 2007. The City received a federal grant of $11,250 and a state grant of $1,500 to complete the plan. The City was also required to produce a local match of $2,250, which they exceeded through the volunteer hours of the Planning Committee. Page vii Figure 1: Disaster Declaration PROCESS The planning process followed in the creation of the Iowa City Hazard Mitigation plan generally followed the outlined scope of services provided by Homeland Security and Emergency Management Division on the HMGP grant application that funded this project. As such, the City selected a planning committee that met monthly to discuss the items provided on the sample meeting agendas from the scope of work, and the consultant provided data (which was supplemented by the community) and compiled the plan. After the planning committee had completed the steps outlined by the State, the consultant compiled a draft of the plan. This draft was submitted to the State to determine whether it was approvable and returned to the Planning Committee for review. After review by the Planning Committee, the plan entered into a public comment period. Comments were received by City staff and the consultant, comments were addressed and a final draft was presented to the City Council for review. Meeting documentation is attached as an appendix to this plan. Areas affected by the disaster declaration for FEMA-1737-DR