HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-03-02 Correspondence~~®~ CITY C-F IOWA C1T 4 1
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Date: February 18, 2010
To: City Clerk
From: Kent Ralston, Acting Traffic Engineering Planner~~
Re: Item for March 2, 2010 City Council meeting; Installation of NO PARKING ANY TIME
signs on the east side of S. Riverside Drive between Commercial Drive and
McCollister Boulevard
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 (12), Install NO PARKING ANY TIME signs on the east side of S.
Riverside Drive between Commercial Drive and McCollister Boulevard.
Comment:
This action is being taken to facilitate the movement of through traffic on S. Riverside Drive.
The area has become increasingly congested since the completion of McCollister Boulevard.
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Marian Karr
From: Risinger, Julie [mailto:julie-risinger@uiowa.edu]
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 3:35 PM
To: John Yapp
Cc: Kathryn Johansen; Dale Helling; *City Council; Matt Johnson
Subject: RE: Greenwood Drive Railroad crossing
Mr Yapp:
Thank you for your response. I would assume that this would fall under the switching activity, since it occurs
frequently. It's unfortunate that this occurs at the busiest time of day for pedestrian traffic.
From: John Yapp [mailto:John-Yapp@iowa-city.org]
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 3:14 PM
To: Risinger, Julie
Cc: Kathryn Johansen; Dale Helling; *City Council; Matt Johnson
Subject: Greenwood Drive Railroad crossing
Hello Ms Risinger -Thank you for your note - it has been forwarded to me for a response.
There is very little regulatory authority municipalities have over railroads, which are regulated by the federal and
state governments. There is a state law restricting blockages of public streets for more than 10 minutes, but there
are several exceptions including if the train is involved in switching activity, if there is an issue (safety-related,
personnel-related, something which needs to be removed from the track, etc) further down the track which needs
to be resolved, or to avoid conflict with another train on a parallel track or an intersecting track.
We will contact the Iowa Interstate Railroad about the Greenwood Drive situation on the date you describe,
including your observations of the pedestrians climbing between the cars. You are correct that when pedestrians
do this, they are putting themselves into a dangerous situation, which if the Police observe can be actionable.
The Iowa Department of Transportation has some other information on railroads and crossings at:
h ttp_//www,iowad ot_ g ov/i owa ra i U
Regards,
John Yapp, Transportation Planner
From: Risinger, Julie [mailto:julie-risinger@uiowa.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 8:56 AM
To: Council
Subject: railroad crossing
I work at University of Iowa Hospitals & Clinics and drive to work every morning via Greenwood Dr. Occasionally
I have to stop for a train at the railroad crossing and have been concerned that when the train stops, people
2/25/2010
Page 2 of 2
(especially students) climb over the stopped railroad cars to get to the other side. This morning the train blocked
the intersection for 33 minutes (I timed it), and I saw at least 20 people climb over the cars, some only seconds
before it started up again. I have even seen people carry a bicycle over the car. This is a very dangerous
situation and makes me cringe to see it happen. Are there city ordinances, or any other regulations, regarding the
length of time a train can block a street?
Thank you for your consideration of this matter.
Julie Risinger
20 Arbor Hill Circle #39
Iowa City, IA
Julie-risinger@uiowa.edu
This correspondence will become a public record.
2/25/2010
4 3
Marian Karr
From: Sarah Clark [sclark52245@gmail.com]
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 12:16 PM
To: Council
Subject: Reconsideration of urban chickens
Dear Mayor Hayek and Honorable Council Members:
I write to ask you to reconsider your decision to remove the matter of urban chickens from
the Council's working agenda. Keeping a small number of backyard chickens is part of a
growing national movement in favor of local, sustainable food sources. I see no reason
Iowa City should be an exception.
I moved to Iowa City last fall; the city I left - San Francisco - has an ordinance
permitting backyard chickens. San Jose, Oakland, Berkeley and Los Angeles do, as well.
Closer to Iowa, the cities of Minneapolis, St. Paul, Madison, Ann Arbor, Lincoln, Omaha
and Chicago allow their residents to raise chickens.
There is no need for City staff to reinvent the wheel when it comes to researching and
drafting ordinance language from scratch - they can review and adopt appropriate language
from any of the municipalities that have already successfully tackled the issue.
I appreciate the fact that two Council members were in favor of continuing the discussion
on urban chickens. I hope that the remainder of the Council voted to drop the matter
based on an incomplete understanding of the issue. When hundreds of residents express an
interest in an issue, I would hope (and expect) elected representatives to give the matter
a fair hearing.
Respectfully,
Sarah Clark
509 Brown Street
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Date: February 24, 2010
To: Marian Karr, City Clerk
From: Melissa Miller, Revenue & Risk Manager
Re: Insurance Requirements for Taxi Cabs
~4~~~A,~e~~
Per your request, I've reviewed the current insurance requirements for taxi cabs. I reviewed the
information provided by FiveStars Taxi, researched the requirements of other municipalities,
and asked the City's insurance broker for annual premium comparisons for different Combined
Single Limit liability policies.
The current insurance requirements were established a number of years ago in consultation
with the City's insurance broker. It is Risk Management's recommendation that the City
maintains the current insurance requirements.
Please let me know if you have any questions or I can be of further assistance.
4 4
FiveStars Taxi
2117 S Riverside Dr.
Iowa City IA 52246
February 16, 2010
City of Iowa City
City Clerks Office
410 E Washington
Iowa City IA 52240
To whom it may concern:
I am a long-time resident of our city, and I am writing to express my concern about a
recent discussion and the pending decision regarding review of liability insurance
responsibility for Taxi companies in Iowa City.
During my research of other cities and their Taxi/Chauffer codes regarding insurance I
found that Iowa City has a much higher liability requirement than other cities.
Five Stars Taxi is requesting that this matter be reviewed for the purpose of lowering the
amount paid for this requirement.
I have included some of the information gleaned from other cities and their municipal
codes regarding these fees.
Sincerely,
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5-2-3: LIABILITY INSURANCE REQUIREMENTS:
A. Requirements:
1. As a condition to receiving a taxicab business license or a vehicle decal, the applicant shall file with the dty deck evidence of liability insurance
coverage via a certificate of insurance which shall be executed by a company authorized to do insurance business in this state and be acceptable to
the city. Each certificate shall list all vehicles licensed to the company. It is the responsibility of the company to file with the city clerk one certificate per
company listing all vehicles. (Ord. 06-4243, 11-14-2006, eff. 3-1-2007)
2. Each certificate shall provide for ten (10) calendar days' prior written notice to the city deck of any nonrenewal, suspension, cancellation, or
termination. A taxicab business licensee shall provide at least ten (10) calendar days' written notice to the city dark of any nonrenewal, suspension,
cancellation, or termination of the policy of insurance. (Ord. 07-4292, 11-5-2007, eff. 3-1-2008)
3. The minimum limits of such policy shall be determined by city council resolution.
4. The cancellation or other termination of any insurance policy or certificate shall automatically revoke and terminate the licenses issued for the taxicab
business and the vetucles covered by such insurance policy, unless another policy, complying with this chapter, shall be provided and in effect at the
time of such canadlatipn or termination. The dty clerk shall immediately issue written notification of the revocation of all licenses for the taxicab
business and the vehicles covered by such insurance which is canceled or terminated. All decals must be returned to the city Berk. Subsequent
issuance of business licenses and deals will be in accordance with the terms of this chapter and at the applicant's expense. (Ord. 06-4243, 11-14-
2006, eff. 3-1-2007)
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http:llwu~_sterlingcodifiers_corns/eodebook/getBookData.php?id=&chapter id=7367&key... 2/16/2010
City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa -City Clerk Page 1 of 1
Busness F~pticac~_~ $30.00 Same form is used for new license and for license renewals.
Required Attachments:
Zoning Certificate received from the t3uildina Deoartn~eni
Copy of lease and/or rental agreement, if applicable
Driver Ap~~lica~ion $8.00 Same form is used for new license and for license renewals.
Required: 3 photos
(chest/head shot looking at the camera);
dimensions: 2 1/2" x 3 1/2"
Please visit the Iowa Department of Transportation, Off c2 q~ Driver Services.
website for information on obtaining an Iowa Chauffeur's License.
Criminal t'istory Records The City will submit this completed form to the Iowa Division of Criminal
Check_ReauestForm Investigation.
$12.00 Email request sent
$13.00 Postal request sent
$15.00 Fax request sent
Vehicle License Taxicab /Limousine /Shuttle Vehicle License (expires on June 30 of each year)
for renewal of license or new license issued in July, August, or September
$31.50
for new license issued in October, November, or December
$24.00 for new license issued in January, February, or March
$16.50 for new license issued in April, May, or June
$9.00
Certificate of Insurance n/a Required for Taxicab !Limousine /Shuttle Vehicle License
In order for an insurance policy to be approved by the City Attorney it must
meet the requirements of the City Council. These requirements are as follows:
An original policy or certificate of insurance with an original penned
signature of the agent writing the policy. No typed or stamped signatures
will be accepted.
The name, address, and phone number of the agent signing the policy must
be typed under his/her signature.
A copy of a Power of Attomey or some other document (copy of insurance
license) showing the agent's authority to sign for the insurance company
must be attached to the policy.
Minimum limits of liability:
Personal Injury/One Person $250,000
Personal Injury/All Persons $250,000
Property Damage $250,000
or
Combined single limit in the amount of $250,000
Must state on certificate: "Before a policy may be suspended or cancelled,
the City Clerk's Office of the City of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, must receive 10
days prior written notice of such proposed suspension or cancellation."
The year, make, and VIN number of the vehicle being covered shoe be
listed on the insurance certificate. _ Ca
The effective dates of the policy must cover the full te~jt of the li e~'~j, se
which is July 1st to June 30th. ~ C7 '~7'
The City of Cedar Rapids and its employees are namediti~
insureds. ~"~...~ -.~ «~~,..,~,
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http://www.cedar-rapids.org/clerk/licensing taxicab.asp 2/16/2010
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Information regarding insurance for Taxi Cabs in Des Moines IA was gleaned from the
following:
http:%librar}`'.nlunicade.c~~n1%`default-test'hc~me.hti~~`.'infi}base 1~?-i~'&doc_a::trc~il-«hatsnet~
Sec. 126-187. Liability insurance.
(a) A certificate shall not be issued or continued in effect unless and until the owner of the
taxicab business furnishes to the traffic engineer an insurance policy or policies, or certificate of
insurance, issued by an insurance company having an A.M. Best rating of no less than B+. The
policy(ies) shall include commercial general liability insurance coverage and automobile liability
insurance coverage, or the equivalent thereof, for the taxicab business and independent
contractors of the taxicab business. The commercial general liability insurance shall include
coverage for bodily injury, death and property damage with limits of liability of not less than
$750,000.00 per occurrence and aggregate combined single limit. The automobile liability
insurance shall include coverage for bodily injury, death and property damage with limits of
liability of not less than $750,000.00 per occurrence combined single limit.
(b) The certificate of insurance referred to in this section shall provide that the insurance policy
or policies have been endorsed to provide 30 days advance written notice of cancellation, 45
days advance written notice ofnon-renewal, and ten days advance written notice of cancellation
due to nonpayment of premium, and that these written notices shall be provided by registered
mail to the traffic engineer.
(c) The cancellation or other termination of any required insurance policy shall automatically
revoke and terminate the certificate and all licenses issued for the taxicab business, independent
contractors and the vehicles covered by such insurance policy(ies), unless another policy(ies},
complying with this section, shall be provided and in effect at the time of such cancellation or
termination. The traffic engineer shall immediately issue written notification of the revocation of
said certificate and all licenses for the taxicab business, independent contractors and the vehicles
covered by such in~rance which is cancelled or terminated and shall file a copy of such notice
with the city council.
(C42, §§ 23-11, 23-12; 0.4898; C54, C62, §§ 56-35, 56-37, 56-43; 0.7959; C62, § 56-6; C75,
C79, § 19-129; 0.10,060; C85, § 19-129; 0.11,580; C91, § 19-129; 0.13,699, 14,805)
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Marian Karr
From: schulz@cooper.edu
Sent: Saturday, February 13, 2010 3:38 AM
To: Council
Subject: Suggestions from a Student
Dear City Council,
My name is Karl Schulz, I am a 2009 graduate of Iowa City High School and am
currently attending architecture school at The Cooper Union in New York City. I grew up in
Iowa City my whole life, up to graduation. I love downtown Iowa City, and think that there
is great opportunity for developing the Near Southside area in a way that would enhance
the entire community and make the whole of Iowa City (especially the downtown area), an
even more fun and vibrant place.
I was wondering if the City was still planning on implementing any of the plans
proposed by the 1995 Near Southside Design Plan produced by Gould Evans Associates. There
were some very good ideas in that plan, especially, in my opinion, the creation of green
spaces, the extension of a city plaza area along Clinton street, the creation of higher
density housing, and the construction of a public outdoor skating rink.
Of the outdoor ice rink especially, I think that it should be a more immediate goal
as it would truly benefit the entire city by making the area more of a destination, and
spurring of the growth of small businesses in the area. It would also be a good solution
to the lack of free or inexpensive public activities and would show that the city is
asserting the problem of binge drinking by trying to provide alternate activities. I know
that during my High School years I would've loved to just travel a few minutes to be able
to go Ice Skating, especially in the dead of winter when there is even less to do.
So, from someone who cares about Iowa City and has an interest in its urban
development (since it is part of my education as an architect), I hope that the City
Council makes the creation of a public skating rink, and the development of the Near
Southside according to the 1995 Gould Evans plan a greater priority.
Best Regards,
Karl Schulz
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Dear Matt Hayek,
I think that Iowa City should still have curfew just for the kids that are 16 and
under. I know that some kids 17 and older get in trouble. I don't think they
should have a curfew because they are almost adults. They are going to have to
learn from their actions and I know that curfew is not going to do it. I am almost
17 yrs of age and I don't want to have a curfew because I am going to want to
stay outside later than 12 o clock. I think that these kids should get punished
more severely because curfew is not going to stop them from what they were
doing before. Some bad things about not having a curfew for kids 17 and older
are that they might still be outside getting in trouble late night. The kids that
bring this entire: c:txfeti~ upon us probably still be outside and do the same stuff
they were doing before like robbing people, stealing, fighting, and shooting
guns. A lot of teenagers have jobs. They are important to the Iowa City economy.
The Iowa City Council should appreciate the work that they are doing for the
community instead of being punished because of what the younger teens are
doing.
Sincerely, ~~cru~-~ ~~Y~~-
Bernice Hamilton
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4 7
Marian Karr
From: cliff pirnat [cpirnat@mchsi.com]
Sent: Wednesday, February 17, 2010 8:06 AM
To: tjohnson@ci.coralville.ia.us; Council
Subject: flood preparation
Seems that with all the news of snow cover, and the Federal Government warning of
flooding, it is time for the
city and state leaders to act. It is time pressure is applied to the
Corp of Engineers to lower the Reservoir to river level before the melt down
and rain.
The people on the Cedar River have no options, except to move. We have the Reservoir to
help control flooding It
was not built for fishing and boating. Of course all towns and cities along the river can
raise taxes to clean the pending
mess up again, but we do have a alternative.
cliff pirnat
Iowa city,IA
1
4 8
Ryan O'Malley
2634 Hillside Dr.
Iowa City, IA 52245
Attn. Mayor Hayek
City Hall
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Mayor Hayek,
I am writing to you to inform you about an opportunity that 1 think will be of
interest to the citizens of Iowa City. Last week, Google Inc. announced plans to roll out a
high speed fiber optic Internet service for trial in select cities in the United States.
Google promises to work in conjunction with the city government and local providers in
order to install and run the system. They promise that citizens will be able to access the
Internet at a download speed of lgbs (100 times faster then what is currently offered in
most cities of the United States).
I think Iowa City is exactly what Google is looking for and would be a great place
for their project. The excellent job you and the rest of the council have done has won us
the Healthiest City in the United States award and is something in which all citizens
should be proud. The vast integration of geo-thermal heating and cooling technologies
throughout the town has shown Iowa City's commitment to be green. I think this is
another great idea to advance in this great city and it would allow us to flourish in the
modern era of rapid technological growth. I am asking you, Mr. Hayek, to consider
putting in an application from the city government.
Despite being a young citizen of Iowa City of only 14 years old, I feel compelled
to make a difference in my community. One thing I do to help my community is
volunteering at the Senior Center, which I have done for over a year now. I hope making
you aware of this opportunity may also be helpful to our great city...
Please consider applying Iowa City for the Google fiber service as a government
official. You can find the application page at http://www.google.com/appserve/fiberrfi/.
I already put in a citizen nomination in order to get Iowa City on their list. The deadline
for application is March 26th. I believe this service will bring many benefits to the Iowa
City community and I would like to see it happen. Thank you for your consideration.
Yours sincerely, ,,,,,
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Ryan O'Malley '
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Marian Karr
From: Roberts, Cindy [cindy-roberts@uiowa.edu]
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 1:14 PM
To: Matt Hayek; Regenia Bailey; Mike Wright; Susan Mims; Ross Wilburn; Council
Subject: letter to the Mayor and all council members from Cindy Roberts
Attachments: 2-22-10 IC Council letter--Scattered Site Task Force.doc
Attached letter to Mayor Hayek and Council members
Topic: Scatted Site Housing Task Force
Date emailed: Monday, February 22, 2010
Thank you for forwarding this on,
Cindy Roberts
2034 Grantwood Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
2/22/2010
Dear Mayor Hayek and City Council Members,
I'm looking forward to the Council revisiting the 2005 Scattered Site Task Force report. As a resident of
the Grant Wood neighborhood, I remember the public forums held as part of that work several years ago.
I was encouraged that such a review was being done. The 2005 report concluded that concentrations of
assisted housing were a growing issue for certain neighborhoods and needed to be addressed as a matter
of policy. However, since that review and subsequent report I've wondered what has happened to many
of the recommendations? Maybe there were some changes in some areas of Iowa City---but in my corner
of the world--it seems like the report was forgotten. What a tremendous amount of work by many to be
seemingly filed away.
Three recommendations from the report that stood out for me as a resident are:
.Educating the community about the importance of affordable housing and the impact of
allowing the status quo to continue
This may be the most critical -and perhaps the most challenging objective to accomplish. Too
many inaccurate and incomplete perceptions exist about affordable housing and the need to
include this throughout a community. Too often NIMBYism (Not in My Back Yard) defeats a
developer working thru the process of rezoning and public hearings.
.Committing resources to encourage future assisted housing to be placed in underrepresented
areas.
Research, in general, shows that high concentrations of assisted housing in any one area is not in
the best interest of those individuals who qualify for such assistance nor for the surrounding
neighborhood. Inclusionary zoning is something that can work successfully-and it starts with a
commitment for change. Many cities have successful inclusionary zoning policies. The university
town of Boulder, CO has a long history of inclusionary zoning.
.Not supporting additional assisted housing in areas with existing high concentration
At the time of the task force review, several Iowa City neighborhoods already had a high
concentration of assisted housing. Those concentrations have continued to increase since 2005.
In my own Grant Wood neighborhood, several assisted housing developments have
been approved and built (or in the process of )since 2005. Noted below is how the F&RL
(free and reduced lunch) percentages have consistently increased over the last 15 years at Grant
Wood Elementary. Granted, students receiving F&RL are NOT necessarily in assisted housing. I
use the stats below mainly to note the dramatic increase in those overall percentages at one
neighborhood school.
Grant Wood Elementarv F&RL
1995 19%
2004 45%
2010 65%
My neighborhood, as well as others, need help from a variety of resources to help initiate change and
create a better future. Let me assure you, there are many residents out there who are actively trying to
make a positive difference. However, part of our reality as volunteers is that our resources and time are
limited. It goes without saying, your help and support is needed in those initiatives that can promote
change in housing issues.
As has been stated in the past with other topics---this is not an issue for just the neighborhoods of
southeast Iowa City, this is an Iowa City community issue.
Thank you,
Cindy
Cindy Roberts
2034 Grantwood Street
Iowa City, IA
City of Iowa City and ICCSD resource documents used:
-2005 Scattered Site Housing Task Force report
-October 17, 2005 City Council Work Session discussion
-2007 Housing Market Analysis Report/City of Iowa City/Planning and Community Development
-ICCSD School Boundary Redistricting Information
-City of Boulder website: http•//www bouldercolorado.aov/
4 10
Marian Karr
From: John B Hudson [John.B.Hudson@att.net]
Sent: Saturday, February 20, 2010 4:51 PM
To: Council
Subject: Drinking behavior
Attachments: Drinking Games -New Yorker 2-15-10.pdf
To: Members of the City Council of Iowa City, Iowa
From: John B Hudson
Subject: Drinking behavior
Drinking behavior is influenced by many factors, not least of which is social expectations and cultural
attitudes. The attached article from the New Yorker magazine reports some interesting research
results about this issue, which I wish to bring to the attention of the City Council. The article presents a
different paradigm from the dominant thinking on the issue of drunken behavior.
---------------------------------------
John BHudson
Iowa City IA
UNESCO City of Literature
This email may contain confidential and/or privileged information. If you are not the intended recipient
(or have received this email in error) please notify the sender immediately and destroy this email. Any
unauthorized copying, disclosure or distribution of the material in this email is strictly forbidden.
This correspondence will become a public record.
2/22/2010
ANNALS OF ANTHROPOLOGY
Dii~INI~IN~ ~AN1ES
How ~rtuch people drink may matter less than how they drink it.
[3Y MALCOLM GLADWELL
In lc?5(~, Lhvight Heath., a graduate
student in anthropology at Yale
University, was preparing to do field
work fir his dissertation. He was inter-
ested in l~md reform and social change,
and lus first choice as a study site was
"I~ibet. Bur six months before he was to
go there he gat a letter from the Chi-
nese government rejecting his request
for a visa. "I had to find a place where
you can master the literature in four
months, and that was accessible,"
Heath says now. "It was a hustle." Bo-
livia was the next best choice. He and
his wife, Anna Cooper Heath, flew to
Lima with their baby boy, and then
waited for five hours while mechanics
put boasters an the p.lane's engines.
"These were planes that the U,S. had
dumped after World War II," Heath
recalls. "TlYey weren't supposed to go
above ten thousand feet. But La Paz,
where we were headed, vvas at twelve
thousand feet:' As they flew into the
Andes, Cooper Heath says, they
looked down and saw the remnants of
"all the planes where the boasters didn't
work,"
Liam La Paz, they travelled five
hundred miles into the interior of east-
ern Bolivia, to a small frontier town
called Montero. It was tlxe p~u-t of B~-
livia where the Amazon Basin meets
the Chaco-vast stretches of jungle
and lush. prairie. The area etas inhab-
ited by the Camba, a mestizo people
descended from the indigenous Indian
populations and Spanish settlers. The
Camba spoke a language that was a
mixttae of the local Indian languages
and seventeenth-century Andalusian
Spanish. "It was an empty spot on the
map," Heath says.."There was a rail-
road coming. There was a highway
earning. There was a national govern-
ment ... aiming."
They lived u1 a tiny house just out-
side oftov>xl. `°I"]zero was no pavement,
no sidewalks," Cooper Heath recalls.
"If there was meat in town, they'd
throw out t1Ye hide in front, so you'd
know where it was, and you would
bring banana leaves in your hand, so
it was your dish. There were adobe
houses witl~t stucco and the roofs, and
the totivn plaza, with three palm trees.
You heard the nrrnble of oxcarts. Tl1e
padres had a jeep. Some of the women
would serve a big pat of rice and some
sauce. That was the restaurant. The
guy who did the coffee was German,
The year we came to Bolivia, a total of
eig}Zty-&ve foreigners came into the
country. It waszi t exactly a hat sl?ot."
In IVlontero, the Heaths engaged
in old-fashioned ethnography-
"vacuuming up everything," Dwight
says, "learning ever}thing." They con-
vinced the Camba that they weren't
missionaries by openly smoking ciga-
rettes. They took thousands of photo-
graphs. The}' walked around the town
and talked tea whomever they could,
and then I7~vightwent home and spent
the night typing up his notes. They
had a Coleman lantern, which became
a prized social commodity. Heath
taught some of the locals how to Build
a split-rail fence. They sometimes
shared a beer in the evenings with a
Bolivian Air Force officer wha had
been exiled to Mantero from La I'az.
"He kept on saying, `Watch me, I will
be somebody,"' Dwight says. (His
name was Rene Barrientos; eight years
later }ie became the President of Bo-
livia, and the Heaths were invited tc~
his inauguration.} After a year and a
half; the Heaths packed up their ph~-
tographs and notes and returned. to
1`~Tew Haven. There Dwight Heath sat
down to write his dissertation-only to
discover that he had nearly missed
what was perhaps the rncrst fascinating
fact about the community he had been
studying.
Today, the Heaths arc in their late
seventies. Dwight has neatly -combed
gray hour and thick tortoiseshell glasses, cohol question struck him as particu- that some proportion of the poptlla-
susceptible Co the
eneticall
as
i
y
g
on. w
a reserved New T;nglander through larly noteworthy. People drank every L
eekend in New I Iaven, too. His focus effects of drinking. I'o~licyrnakers, mean-
i
ng. w
and through. Anna is more outgo
They live not far from the Brown Uni- was on land reform. But who was he to while, have become increasingly in-
economic and legal
ted in usin
t
d
S
versity campus, in I'ravidence, in a s
i g
eres
-
tu
ay no to the QuarterlyJournal of
l? So he sat down and tools tt> control alcohol-related behav-
Al
h
o
co
es on
hrn~se filled with. hundreds of African
with books and wrote up what he knew. Only after his ion: that's why the drinking age has
stanaes and sculptures
t
-
,
y
papers piled high on tables, and they article, "Drinking Patterns of the Bo- been raised from eighteen to twen
drunk-driving laws have been.
wh
ne
S
d
"
sat, in facing armchairs, and told the l y
,
ep- o
, in
was publishe
ivian Carnba,
toughened, and why alcohol
story ofwhat happened half is taxed heavily. Today, oux
a century ago, fi wishing each approach to the social bur-
othcr's sentences.
den of alcohol is best de-
"It was Augi.~st or Sep- scribed as a mixture of all
tember of 1957," Heath said. three: we mor~~lize, medical-
"1'Ve had just gotten back. ize, and legalize.
She's tanned. I'm tanned. I In the nineteen-fifties,
mean, really tanned, wluch
however, the researchers at
you didn't see a lot of in New the Yale Center of Alcohol
Haven in those days.',
"
Studies found something
"I'm an architecture nut, lacking in this emerging ap-
Anna said. "And I said I proarh, and the reason had
wanted to see the inside of to do with what they ob-
this building near the earn- served right .in their own
pus. It was always closed.
town. New Haven was a
Butl}wightsays,Younever city of immigrants Jew-
knave,' so he walled over ish, Irish, and, most of all,
and pulls on the door and it Italian. Recent Italian im-
opens." Anna looked over at migxants made up about a
her husband. third of the population, and
"So we go in," Dwight whenever the Yale research-
went on, `and there was a ens went into the Italian
couple of Little white-haired neighborhoods they found
guys there. And the}' said, an astonishing thirst for al-
`~'ou're tanned. Where have cohol. The overwhelming
vou been?' .And I said Bo-
of them said
A
d
i
li majority ofItalian-Ameriean
,
one
n
a.
v men in New Haven drank. A
`Well, can you tell me how
' " group led by the director of
The building
they drink?
Y<~le's Center of Alcohol Culture and customs help shape the way alcohol a~ects lrs. the Yale alcohol-treatment
was
Studies. One of the white-
per-
Jellinelc
l~I
ired men was E
h clinic, Giorgio Lolli, once
tember of 19513, and the queries and .interviewed asixty-one-year old fa-
,
.
.
a
h<~ps the world's leading expert on reprint requests began. flooding in from then of four who consumed more than
and calories a day of food
h
h
alcoholism at the time; the other was
the editor of the well-
1er
1\lark Ke1 ous
ree t
around the world, did he realize what t
he had found. "This is so often true in and beverages-of which a third was
,
.
reg~u~ded Quarterly,/orsrnal of ~~Str~dzes on anthropology," Anna said. "It is not wine. "He usually l7as an 8-oz. glass
following his
immediatel
i
f
h
fllco~~ol. Keller stood up and grabbed
-
I
'
" y
ne
w
e o
anthropologists who recognize t
alue ofwhat the}~ve done. It's every- breakfast every morning," Lolli and his
c~tow any
t
I don
Heath by the lapels:
~livia. "fell
wlu~ has ever been to Br v
ane else. The anthropologist is just colleagues wrote. "He always takes
,
one
me about it!" H.e invited Heath to reporting." wine with hi.s noonday lunch-as
much as 24 oz." But he didn't display
write up his alcohol-related observa_
rions for his journal. he abuse of alcohol has, histori- the pathologies that typically ac-
After the Heaths went Name that
'` tally, been thought of as a moral company that kind of alcohol con-
T
nd Mormans and sumption. The man was successtiilly
li
M
l
Do you re-
day, Anna said to Ihvight,
aline that every- weekend we were in ms a
us
ing.
fai
many kinds of fundamentalist Chris- employed, and had been drunk only
Bolivia we went out drinking?" The bans do not drink, because they con- twice in his life. He was, Lolli con-
1
do
happy ind
"a health
d
d
l
k
code he used far alcohol in his note- t
~~
y,
,
e
u
ness e
sider alcohol an invitation to wea
Around the middle of the last who has made a satisfactory ~ j
i
d
hooks was 3C)A, and when he went
over his notes he frumd 30A references s
n.
an
century, aleoholisrn began to be widely ment to life."
ic had
lli'
li
I
everwaherc. Still, nothing about the al- n
s e
,o
considered a disease: it was recognized By the late fifties,
Th1E NEW YC7RKER, FF;6RUARY 15 ~ 22, 2010 71
admitted twelve hundred alcoholics.
Plenty of them were Irish. But just
lorry were Italians (all of wham were
second- ar third-generation imnli-
~;rants). New Haven was a nanzral ex-
periment Ilere were two groups who
practiced the same rcligiacr, ~iho were
subject to tl~ze same laws and con-
straints, and who, it seemed reasonable
to s~.ippose, should have the same as-
sortment within their community of
those ;emetically predisposed to alco-
holism. Yet the heav}~-drinking Ital-
ians had nothing like the problems
that afflicted their Irish counterparts.
"That drinking must precede alco-
holiszn is ab~~a~as,'" NCark Keller once
wrote. `'Equally obvious, but not al-
ways sufficiently considered, is the fact
that drinking is mat necessarily fol-
lowed by alcoholism." This was the
puzzle of Ne«r Haven, and why Keller
demanded of 1~7wight I Ieath, that day
an the. Yale campus, Tell me how die
Camba drink. ~"he cnrcial ingredient,
in Ke~ller's eyes, had to be ctdturaL
The IIeadrs had bee~~ invited to a
1?arty soon after arriving in 14lantero,
and every weekend anal lzalidaY thereaf-
,`,
u ~~
't
!r ~r~~
~~`'
"We coasld easily sell this~rlat~-itshows nicely."
ter. It was their Coleman lantern.
"Whatever the occasion, it didn't mat-
ter,"Anna recalled. "As long as the party
was at night, we were first on the list."
The laarties would have been more
aptly described as drinking parties.
'I"he bast worzld buy the first battle and
issue the invitati<ans. A dozen or so
people would Shaw up on Satuxday
night, and the party would proceed-
aften until. everyone went back to work
on Monday morning. The composi-
tion of the group was informal: some-
times people passing by would be in-
vited. But the structure of the party
was heavily ritualized. The group
would sit in a circle. Someone might
play the dz-urns or a guitar. A battle of
ruztl, Pram one of the sugar refineries in
the area, and a small drinking glass
were placed on a table. The bast stood,
filled the glass with rum, and then
walked toward someone in the circle.
I-Ie stood before the "toastee," madded,
and raised d7e glass. The toastee smiled
and nodded in return. The host then
drank half the glass and handed it to
the toastee, who would finish it. The
toastee eventually stood, refilled. the
~~ ~"~~ ; ~~t:
glass, and repeated the ritual with
someone else in the circle. When peo-
ple got too tired or too drunk, they
curled up on the ground and passed
out, rejoining the party when they
awoke. The Camba did not drink
alone. They did not drink orz work
nights. And they drank onlywithin the
structure of~this elaborate ritual.
"The alcohol they drank was awful,"
Anna recalled. "Literally, your eyes
poured tears. The first time 1 had it, I
thought, I wonder what will happen if I
just vomi in d1e middle r>f the fk>or. Not
even the Camba said they liked it. They
say it tastes bad. It burns. The next day
they are sweating this stuff. You can
smell it." But the, Heaths gamely perse-
vered. `"I'he anthropology graduate srir-
dent in the nineteen-fifties felt that he
had to adapt,,, llwight I-Ieath spud. "You
don't want to afl'end anyone, you don't
want to decline anything. I gritted my
teeth and accepted those drinks."
"We didn't get dnink that much,"
Anna went on, "because we didn't get
toasted as much as the other folks
around. We were strangers. But one
zught there was this really big party-
sixty to eighty people. They'd drink.
Then pass out. Then wake up and
party for a while. And I found, in their
drinking patterns, that I could turn my
drink over to Thvight. "The husband is
obliged to drink for his wife. And
.Dwight is balding the Caleman lan-
tern with his arm wrapped around it,
and I said, 'Dwight, you are burning
your arm."' She mimed her husband
peeling his forearm off the hat surface.
of the lantern. "And he said-very de-
liberately-`Sa I ant.'
When the Heaths came back to
New Haven, they had a bottle of the
Camba's rum analyzed and learned
that it was a hundred and eighty proof.
Tt was laboratory alcohol-the concen-
tration that scientists use to fix tissue.
No one had ever heard of anyone
drinking it. This was the first of the as-
tanishing findings of the T-Icaths' re-
search-and, predictably, no one be-
lieved it at first.
"Qne of the world's leading physi-
ologists of alcohol was at the Yale cen-
ter," Heath recalled. "His name was
Lean Greenberg. He said to me, `Hey,
you spin a goad yarn. But you couldn't
really have dnmk that stufl;' And he
needled me just enough that he knew
he would get a response. So I said,
`You want me to drink it? I have a bot-
tle.' So one Saturday I drank some
under controlled conditions. He was
taking blood samples every twenty
minutes, and, sure enough, .l did drink
it, the way I said Z'd drunk it."
Greenberg had an ambulance ready
to take Heath home. 13ut Ileath de-
cided to walls. Anna was waiting up for
him in the third-floor walkup they
rented, in an old fraternity house. "I
was hanging out the window waiting
for hint, and ther.e's the ambulance
driving along the street, very slowly,
and next to it is Dwight. >vIe waves,
and he looks fine. Then he walks up
the three flights of stairs and says,
`Ahh, I'rn drunk,' and falls flat on his
face. I Ie was out for three hours."
The biggex surprise was what hap-
pened when the Catnba drank. The
Camba had weekly benders with labo-
ratory-proof alcohol, and, Dwight
T-~Ieath said, "1"here was no social pa-
thc>lolry°-Wane. No arguments, no dis-
putes, no sexual aggression, no verbal
aggression. There was pleasant con-
versation or silence." On the Brown
University campus, a few blocks away,
beer-which is to Camba rum approx-
imately what a peashooter is to a ba-
cooka-was known to reduce the stu-
dent population to a raging hormonal
frenzy on Friday nights. "The drinking
didn't interfere with work," I--3eath
went on. "It didn't bring in the police.
And there was no alcoholism, either."
~~ ]~ jhat Ileath found among the
~ ~/ Camba is hard to believe. We
regard alcohol's behavioral effects as
inevitable. Aleahol disinhibits, we as-
surne, as reliably as caffeine enlivens. It
gradually unlocks the set of psycholog-
ical. constraints that keep our behavior
in c:hcck, and makes us do things that
we would not ordinarily do. It's a drug,
after all.
But, after Heath°s work on the
Camba, anthropologists began to take
note of all the purrling ways in which
alcohol wasn't reliable in its effects.
In the classic. 1969 work "Drunken
Comportment," for example, the an-
thrc~palogists Craig MacAndrew and
Robert B. Edgerton describe an etl-
countcs that Edgerton had while study-
ing a tribe in central Kenya. One of the
tribesmen, he was told, was "very dan-
gerous" and "totally beyond control"
after he had been drinking, and one day
Edgerton ran across the man.:
f heard a cornmoticm, and saw people
rm7ning past rne. C)ne young n~an crapped
and urged me to flee because this dangerous
drunk was coming down the path attacking
all whom he met. As I was about to take this
advice and leave, the drunk burst wildly into
the clearing where I was sitting. l stood up,
readv to run, but much to my surprise, the
man calmed down, and as he walked slowly
past me, he greeted me in polite, even defer-
ential terms, before he turned and dashed
away. I later learned that in the course of his
"drunken rage" that day he had be~~uen two
men, pushed down a small boy, and eviscer-
ated about with a Large knife.
The authors include a similar case
from Ralph Beals's work amang the
Mixe Indians of Oaxaca, Mexico:
`Lhe iVlixe indulge in frequent fist fights,
especially while. drunk. Although I probably
saw several hundred, I saw no weapons used,
although ^early all meu carried machetes
and. many carried rifles. Most fights start
with a drunken quarrel. When the pitch of
voices reaches a certain point, everyone ex-
pects afight. Thr men hold out their weap-
ons to the onlo<,~kers, and then begin to fight
with their fists, swinging wildly until one
falls down. [at which point] the victor helps
his opponent to his feet and usually they
embrace each other.
The angry Kenyan tribesman was
disinhibited toward his own people but
inhibited toward Edgerton. Alcohol
turned the Mixe into aggressive street
fighters, but they retained the presence
of mind to "hold aut their weapons to
the on.lookers." Something that tntly
disinhibits ought to be indiscriminate
in its effects. That's not the picture of
alcohol that then, anthrapologists have
given us. (MacA.ndrew and Edgerton,
in one of their book's many wry asides,
point out that we are all. acquainted
with. people who can hold their liquor.
"In the absence of anything observ-
ablyuntoward in such. a one's drunken
comportment," they ask, "are we seri-
c>usly to presume that he is devoid of
inhibitions?")
Psychologists have encountered the
same kinds of perplexities when they
have set out to investigate the effects of
drunkenness. One common belief is that
alcohol causes "self-inflation." It makes
us see ourselves through rose-tinted
glasses. Oddly, though, it doesn't make
us view everything about ourselves
through rose-tinted glasses. When the
psychologists Claude Steele and Nlahca-
rin Banaji gave a graup of people a per-
sontrlity dLtestiontraire while they were
sober and then again when they were
drunk, they foLUrd that the only person-
ality aspects tl'tat were inflated bydrink-
i ngwere thaw where there was a gap be-
rween real and ideal states. if you are
good-looking and the world agrees that
you are goad-looting, dri~ttk-
ing doesn't make you think
you're. even better-looking.
Drinking only makes you feel
you're better-looking if you
think you're good-looking
and the world doesn't agree.
Alcohol is also commonly
believed to reduce anxiety.
That's what a disinhibiting
agent should do: relax us and
make the ~vc~rldl ga away.
I'cr this effect also tw-ns out to be sc-
Icctive. Put astressed-out drinker in
ti-ont c,f an exciting football game and
he ll forget his troubles. But put him in
a quiet par somewhere, all by himself;
and he'll grave snore arTxiaus,
Steele and his colleague Robert Ja-
sephs's exl.7lanatian is that we've mis-
read the effects of alcohol on the brain.
Its principal. effect is to narrow our
emotional and mental field ofvisian. It
causes, they write, "a state of shart-
sightedness in which superficially un-
derst~od, immediate aspects ofexperi-
encc have a disprapartionate influence
on belra~tior and en~u.~tion."
Alcohol makes the flung in the fore-
ground even morel: salient and the thing
in the baclgraund disappear. That's why
drinking makes ,you thinkyau are attrac-
tive wheli the world thinks otherwise:
the ~ilcohal removes the little constrain
and; voice from the outside world that
normally keeps our self-assessments in
check. Drinking relaxes the man watch-
ing football because the game is front
anal center, and alcoh~~~l makes every
secondary consideration. fade away. But
in a quiet bar his prd>blems are (rant and
center-and every potentially cnmfortitig
ar tuitigating~ thought recedes. Dramk-
d:nness is not disinhbition. Drunken-
Hess is myopia.
Mvapia theory chanl;es haw we un-
derstand drunkenness. Disinhibition
suggdsts that the drinker is increasingly
insensitive to his enviranrnentthat
he is in the grip of an autonomous
physiological process. Myopia theory,
an the contrary, says that the drinker
is, in same respects, increasingly sensi-
tive to his environment: he is at the
mercy of whatever is in franc of him.
A graup of Canadian lasychalogists
led by Tara NIacIJonald recently went
into a series of bars and made the pa-
trons read a short vignette. `t'hey had to
imagine that they had met
an attractive person at a bar,
walked hire car her home, and
ended up in bed-only to
discover that neither of them
had a condom. The subjects
were then asked to respond
c>n a scale of one (very un-
likely) to nine (ver}~ likely) to
the proposition: "If I were in
this situation, l would have
sex." You'd think that the
subjects who had been dltinking heavily
would be more likely to say that they
~vauld have sex~rnd that's exactly what
happened. The drunk people came in at
5.36, on average, on the rune-point scale.
The saber people came in at 3.91. "I`he
drinkers couldn't sort through the lang-
term consequences of unprotected sex.
But then MacDonald went back to the
bars and stamped the hands of same of
the patrons with the phrase ` :~11[)S kills."
Drinkers with the hand stamp were
slightly less likely than the 'sober people
to want t<a have sex in that situation:
they corildn't cart through the kinds of
rationalizations necessary to set aside
the risk of A117S. Where norms and
standards are clear and consistent, the
rlrinlcer can become more rule-bound
than his sober counterpart.
In other words, the fiat boys driTk-
ing iT abar on a I^ ridgy aught don't have
to be loud and rowdy. They are re-
sponding to the signals sent by their
immediate environment by the ptias-
ing music, by tho crush afpeople, by the
dimmed light, by the countless movies
and television shows and general cul-
tural expectations that say that young
men in a bar with pulsing music on a
Friday night have permission to be loud
and rowdy. "Persons learn about drtuTk-
enness what their societies impart to
them, and comporting themselves in
cc>nsanance with these understandings,
they become living confirmations of
their society's teachings," 1~~Tactlndrew
' and Edgerton conclude. "Since socie-
ties, like individuals, get the sorts of
drunken comportment that they allow,
they deserve what they get."
his is what connects the examples
of 1\lantero and New Haven. On
the face c>f it, the towns are at opposite
ends of the spectnrrxr. The Camba gat
drunk every weekend an labaratorv-
grade alcohol. `T'he Italians drank wine,
In civil amounts, every day. The Italian
example is healthy and laudable. The
Camba's fiestas were excessive and
surely tank along-terra physical to11.
But bath communities understood.
the importance of rules and structl.lre.
Camba society, Dwight Heath says,
was marked by a sit~tnxlar lack of"com-
tnunal expression." "T"hey were itiner-
ant farmworkers. Kinship ties were
weak. Their daily labor tended to be
solitary: and the hours lang. There were
few neighborhood ar civic groups.
Those weekly drinking parties were
not chaotic revels; they were the he~u-t
of Carnba community hte. They had a
ftnlctian, and the elaborate rituals-
one bottle at a time, the toasting, the
sitting in a~ircle-served to give r.hc
Camba's drinking a clear stnrcture.
In the late nineteen-forties, Phyllis
Wil.liarns and Robert Straus, two soci-
ologists at Yale, selected ten first- and
second-generation Italian-Americans
from. New Haven to keep diaries de-
tailing their drinking behavior, and
their entries show how well that cam-
munity understood this lesson as well.
Here is dyne of their subjects, PlTilo-
mena Sappio, aforty-year-old hair-
dresser tram an island in the Bay of
Naples, describing what she drank one
week in C)ctabe r of 1948:
Fri.-Today for dinner 4 0~. of wine
(noonl. In the eveuittg, I had fish with & a~. of
wine ~~ P M.~.
Sat.-Today 1 did oat feel like drutking at
all. Neither beer oar any ocher alcohol. I
drank coffee and 4varer.
Sun.-Far dinner I made lasagna at noon,
and had S or. of wine. lit the evening, I had
company and took one glass of Iidlucur ~ 1 oz.
srrcga) with my company. For supper-I did
not have supper because 1 wasn't hungry.
Neon.-r`~t dinner C drank coffee, at sup-
per 6 oz, of wine (5 t.Kf.~.
`hues.-~~t dinner, 4 oz. wine (naon~. t7nc
of my friends and her husband tank me and
my daughter out this evening in a restaurant
for supper. We had a splendid supper. I drank
I cyz. of vermoc.cth (S:3Q P.A-t.l and 12 oz. of
vvir~e Ch P.'v1.~.
74 THE NEW YCJItKER, FEl3RUAftY 15 ~ 22. 2010
' :;~
fi'
~ _ a /1 ice. ``'~
creasingly, drinking like everyone else.
" There is something about the cultural
dimension of social p.rablems that eludes
us. When confronted w"rth the rowdy
youth in the bar, we are happy to raise his
drinking age, to tax his beer, to punish
him if he drives under the influence, and
to push him into treatment if his habit
becomes an addiction. But we are reluc-
tant to provide him with a positive and
construefsve example of how to drink.
The consequences ofthat failure are con-
siderable,because, in the end, culture is a
more powerful tool in dealing with drink-
ing than medicine, econonics, or the law.
For allwe know, Philamena Sappio could
have had within her genome a grave sus-
ceptibility to alcohah Because she lived in
the protective world of New Haven's im-
migrant Italian community, however, it
would never have become a problem.
Today, she would be at the mercy of her
awn inherent weaknesses. Nowhere in
the multitude of messages and signals
sent by popular culture and svcial institu-
tions about drinking is there any consen-
sus about what drinking is supposed to
mean.
"Mind if I vent far a while?" a woman
asks her husband, in one popular-and
depressingly typical,-beer ad. He is sit-
ting on the couch. She lYas just come
]tame from work. He replies, "Mind? I'd
prefer it!" And he jumps up, goes to the
refrigerator, and retrieves two cans of
Coors Light-a brand that comes with
a special vent intended to make pour-
ing the beer easier. "Let's ventP' he cries
out. She looks at him oddly: "What are
you talking about?" "I'm talking about
venting!" he replies, as she turns away in
disgust. "What are you talking about?"
The voice-aver intones, "The vented
wide-mouthed can from Coors Light. It
lets in air far a smooth, refreshing pour."
Even the Camba, for all their excesses,
would never have been so foolish as to
pretend that you could have a conversa-
tion about drinking and talk only about
die can.
~~~~
`I rz'orr't know rrrzything about forest fires. I ~zte a ran~r'r. "
~k~ed.-For dinnc, ~ oz. of wine [noon]
and for supper ~ oz. of v,~ine ~6 P.r4. ~.
Thurs.-fit noon, coffee and at supper, 6
OZ. Of Wlll(: ~fl P.M.~.
Fri.--~Tbdar~ at noon I drank orange juice;
ar supper in the evening ~b P.A-t.J 8 oz. of wine.
Sappio drinks Girnost evezv clay, un-
less she isn't feeling well. She almost
always drinks tvine. She drinks oziy at
mealtimes. She rarely has mare than a
glass-except c>n a special occasion, as
when she and her daughter are out
with friends at a restaurant.
Here is another of Williams and
Straus's subjects-Carmine Trotta,
aged sixty, born in a village outside Sal-
erno, married to a girl from his village,
.father of three, proprietor of a small
gr<acery store, resident of an exclusively
Italian neighborhood:
t~ri~ I do not gener,.nlly eat anyrizing fear
brcal.fast if I have a heavy supper the night
before. I (cave out eggnog and only take cof-
fee w-ida «=hiskv because 1 like to have a little
in the morning with coffee or with eggnog or
a fevx• crackers,
41on.-~k'hc•n I drink wl7iskv before going
to bed .C ahvays put it in a glass of water... .
~k'ed.-Today is rnv dai~ otf from busi-
ness, so 1 (drank some beer bcc<zuse it was
very her. l never drink beer when 1 am vaork-
ing because I don't like the smell of hec:r on
my k~xcath for m}~ customers.
Thurs.-l::very time that I buy a horde of
whisky I always divide sarue, Une half at
home and one half in my shop.
Sappira and "I"tetra do not drink for
the same pzu-pose as the Camba: alco-
~V( \U~V'
yl I
li'
Ji
hol has no 1•arger social ar emotional re-
ward. It's food, consumed. according to
the same quotidian rhythms as pasta or
cheese. But the content of the rules
matters less than the fact of the nrle, the
existence of a drinking regimen that
both encourages and constrains alco-
hol's use. "I went to visit ane of my
friends this evening," Sappio writes.
"We saw tele~risan and she offered me
b oz. of wine to drink, and it was gaud
(9 P.N1.]:' She did. not say that her friend
put the bottle on the table or offered her
a second glass. Evidently, she brought
out one glass c>fwine far each of them,
and they drank together, because ane
glass is what you had, in the Italian
neighborhoods of New Haven, at q
P.iV'l. while watching television.
Thy can't we all drink like the Ital-
~~r V ions of New Haven?The flood of
immigrants who came to the United
States in the nineteenth centlrry brought
with them a wealth of cultural models,
same of which were clearly superior to
the pattenxs of their new lzast-and, in
a perfect world, the rest of us would have
adapted the best ways of the ncwcom-
crs. It hasn't worked out that way,
though. Americans did not learn to
drink like Italians. CJn the contrary,
when researchers followed up anItalian-
Americans, they found that by the third
and fourth generations they were, in-
BLOCK Tf1AT b4I:TAPHO R!
frrr~a tine Sarcrsotu (Flu.) Hernlr~ Ti•ilunte.
"Hc had his hack against the wall and.
Sun`I'rust was playing hardball," said John
Patterson, C:aninu's longtime Sarasota law-
yer. "When someone really gets their back
against the wall and a white knight appears,
the tendency is nor to kick the tires as much
as you should."
76 THE. NEW YORKER. FE6RUARY 15 ~ 22, 2010
4 11
Marian Karr
From: Doug Boothroy
Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 10:46 AM
To: 'alexander-cohen@uiowa.edu'
Cc: ''City Council
Subject: FW: To whom it may concern
Mr. Cohen,
I'm the Director of the Department of Housing and Inspections Services which is responsible for the enforcement
of the City's snow/ice removal ordinance. The $75 administrative fee was established by the City council on
February 10th 2009 to help cover the administrative costs for the City to inspect and cause the removal of
snow/ice in situations where citizens fail to comply with the law. The administrative costs include two inspections,
office time taking phone complaints, organizing information, computer entry, billing, as well as costs for vehicle
usage and other overhead expenses.
As a reminder, it is the obligation of a property owners to remove snow/ice from public sidewalks fronting their
property within 24hr after the cessation of a weather event. Failure to remove snow/ice may result in the City
having the snow removed and the expenses incurred charged to the property owner. In those situations where
there are repeat violations, the City may issue a municipal infraction(fine) of $250 in addition to the cost of
snow/ice removal.
From: Kathryn Johansen
Sent: Monday, February 22, 2010 4:23 PM
To: Doug Boothroy
Subject: FW: To whom it may concern
Hi Doug,
The following email was sent to City Council. If you respond to Mr. Cohen, please cc City Council.
Thanks,
Kathi
From: Cohen, Alexander H [mailto:alexander-cohen@uiowa.edu]
Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 3:49 PM
To: Council
Cc: McGrath, Robert J
Subject: To whom it may concern
To the City Council of Iowa City,
I'm writing in protest of the city's snow removal policy for public sidewalks. Specifically, I take issue with the
'$75.00 administrative fee' associated with failure to clear sidewalks.
While I understand that it's in everyone's best interest to encourage residents to clear ice and snow, a $75.00
'administrative fee' (plus whatever the actual snow removal costs) is absurdly excessive. Also, you might as well
call it a 'fine' instead of an 'administrative fee'. Even if you take into account the time, energy, orange paper, and
gasoline associated with distributing warning notices and contracting out snow removal when needed, there is no
way that $75.00 per offense merely covers the city's costs. Especially considering the city does not remove the
snow itself.
2/24/2010
Page 2 of 2
$75.00 is a very large sum of money. For me, it's the equivalent of an 9-hour workday. I am a graduate
student. I have lived here for five years. I pay taxes and I pay to park my car in city lots. But, sometimes, I do
go out of town for a few days. Sometimes, I work twenty hour days. Sometimes, I'm simply not able to 'clear
the sidewalk to cement' within 24 hours of the end of precipitation. I also can't afford to hire someone to do this
for me.
A small fine of $10.00 is more than reasonable for this type of thing. You could even fine people more than
$10.00 on subsequent offenses. You get the same effect without being overbearing, and you don't unduly punish
financially strapped poor citizens (like myself) for making a small mistake in planning their week.
I also find it ironic that I have been warned for this infraction at times when the city has been not yet bothered to
clear many inches of snow off the street in front of my rented property.
Sincerely,
Alexander Cohen
2/24/2010
~`~ Ci~~
Marian Karr
From: iccccommittee@pro-democracyadvocacy. net
Sent: Monday, March 01, 2010 8:47 AM
To: Council
Cc: alexander-cohen@uiowa.edu
Subject: Iowa City Snow Removal Policy
Iowa City Citizens Community Committee would like to comment on the electronic message and
postal discourse by and between Alexander H. Cohen, Marian Karr of the Department of
Housing and Inspections Services, and Iowa City Council about Iowa City Snow Removal
Policy.
Snow removal from public-access sidewalks in Iowa City limits has been a problematic
situation for pedestrians at some locations.
A few property owners and contractors have pushed and shoved snow using snow plows from
private off-street parking areas onto sidewalks, and where no sidewalks are provided on
public rights-of-way, snow has been pushed and shoved using snow plows from private off-
street parking areas onto the side-of-the-road pedestrian accessways, in all of these
circumstances causing pedestrians to walk in the street area where vehicles travel.
A few property owners both commercial and private have neglected to remove snow from
public sidewalks and have neglected in providing sand grit and snow melt to prevent "glare
ice" and slippery ice sheets from forming.
Common sense dictates that it would be far too time-consumng and costly for City to
provide city-wide municipal services for snow removal and ice hazard mitigation on
sidewalks. Therefore, it has been a duty and in many cases an honor for property owners
to provide safe walking conditions on sidewalks for their fellow citizens. Indeed, there
are those who heed the need for such responsibility even though it is regarded by them to
be a bother, but it is done never-the-less both because it is required by municipal
ordinance and includes the extent that failure to comply can result in fines and cost
penalties to be levied upon non-compliant property owners. It is hoped that in addition
to this fact, that possibly the municipal codes and ordinances address the real factor of
perhaps a disability exclusion to property owners of residences who can not do the work
and/or who cannot afford to pay for a service whether due to physical or old-age
limitations.
However, with regard to the communications addressed to City Council for the March 2, 2010
Council Meeting, two points are addressed here:
1) The municipal specification that any penalties or fines must only be applied due to
non-compliance after an excessive delay of response by the property owner and/or a short
history of continuing incidents of property-owner non-compliance, and that there be a
provision for when remedial response by the City is required due to the logical inability
of the property owner to comply due to disability or age linked to lack of income to hire
a service to provide compliance, and, outlining the steps to be taken by the City in such
circumstances;
2) The municipal specification in any cite that the costs and/or penalties are for logical
specified purposes and not for vengeance, the latter description not being required to be
inclulded in writing on the cite.
This Committee feels that snow removal penalties and fines in limited circumstances are
entirely justified and necessary within certain defined parameters.
This Committee feels that there are those who think that snow removal and ice mitigation
is the responsibility of the City, and not of the responsibility of the property owner who
does not own the sidewalk.
But, this Committee believes strongly that there is a community-shared responsibility by
property owners to mitigate litter and winter hazards from City-provided facilities, such
as sidewalks, which front their property that is bequethed upon property owners for their
1
being citizen- and-community residents or businesses.
Iowa City Citizens Community Committee thus advocates that such Iowa City Snow Removal
Policy in its intent is entirely justified.
Libris Fidelis
ICCC founder
Post Office Box 2146
Iowa City, Iowa 52244
> From: Cohen, Alexander H [mailto:alexander-cohen~uiowa.edu]
> Sent: Friday, February 19, 2010 3:49 PM
> To: Council
> Cc: McGrath, Robert J
> Subject: To whom it may concern
> To the City Council of Iowa City,
> I'm writing in protest of the city's snow removal policy for public
sidewalks. Specifically, I take issue with the '$75.00 administrative fee' associated with
failure to clear sidewalks.
> While I understand that it's in everyone's best interest to encourage
residents to clear ice and snow, a $75.00 'administrative fee' (plus whatever the actual
snow removal costs) is absurdly excessive. Also, you might as well call it a 'fine'
instead of an 'administrative fee'. Even if you take into account the time, energy, orange
paper, and gasoline associated with distributing warning notices and contracting out snow
removal when needed, there is no way that $75.00 per
> offense merely covers the city's costs. Especially considering the
> city
does not remove the snow itself.
> 2/24/2010
> Marian Karr
> From: Doug Boothroy
> Sent: Wednesday, February 24, 2010 10:46 AM
> To: 'alexander-Cohen@uiowa.edu'
> Cc: "City Council
> Subject: FW: To whom it may concern
> Mr. Cohen,
> I'm the Director of the Department of Housing and Inspections Services
> which is responsible for the enforcement of the City's snow/ice
> removal ordinance. The $75 administrative fee was established by the
> City council on February 10th 2009 to help cover the
administrative costs for the City to inspect and cause the removal of snow/ice in
situations where citizens fail to comply with the law. The administrative costs include
two inspections, office time taking phone complaints, organizing information, computer
entry, billing, as well as costs for vehicle usage and other overhead expenses. As a
reminder, it is the obligation of a property owners to remove snow/ice from public
sidewalks fronting their property within 24hr after the cessation of a weather event.
Failure to remove snow/ice may result in the City having the snow removed and the expenses
incurred
> charged to the property owner. In those situations where there are
repeat violations, the City may issue a municipal infraction fine) of $250 in addition to
the cost of snow/ice removal.
> From: Kathryn Johansen
2
An Important Message From U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves
Marian Karr
From: U.S. Census Bureau [2010census@subscriptions.census.gov]
Sent: Thursday, February 18, 2010 3:09 PM
To: Council
Subject: An Important Message From U.S. Census Bureau Director Robert M. Groves
Are you up for the "Take 10" challenge?
03-OZ-10
4 12
On behalf of the U.S. Census Bureau, we are challenging every elected official to join us in making history by helping to boost
the mail back participation rates across the Nation and in your community during the 2010 Census.
During each Decennial Census, the Census Bureau undertakes the count of every person residing in the United States, as
mandated by Article 1, Section 2 of the U.S. Constitution. To encourage everyone to take 10 minutes to answer the 10 simple
questions on the 2010 Census form, we are launching the "Take 10" campaign. Through "Take 10," you can
visit htt~//2010 census~ov/2010census/take10map/ to get updates on the proportion of households that have mailed back the
2010 Census forms. You also will be able to view differences between your community's participation rates and those of
neighboring communities or other areas across the country.
The "Take 10" Challenge -Tools to Inspire the Mail Back Participation Rates for the 2010 Census
During the 2000 Census, 72 percent of occupied households mailed back their forms. In 2010, we are challenging
communities to do even better. The Census Bureau's "Take 10" campaign gives you a wide range of tools to inspire your
community to meet our challenge. These include:
An interactive, map-based, "Take 10" Web site that allows local areas to track and compare their 2010 Census mail
back participation rates, which will be updated on a daily basis at http !/2010.census.,gov/2010census/take10ma~/, and
to look up their 2000 Census participation rates.
An electronic to.o_Ikit is available which includes talking points, sample speeches, new releases, newsletter copy, event
suggestions, flyers, stickers, and doorknob hanger templates, and more.
Suggestions on how to use friendly competition with other communities to inspire your community to participate in the
census.
As an elected official, you can play an important leadership role in encouraging your constituents to mail back their forms. The
2010 Census questionnaires are delivered from March 15-17, 2010. From the time the forms are delivered until the closing of
the mail campaign at the end of April, you have the opportunity to remind your constituents of the importance of mailing back
their census forms and the impact of the census on their communities. We believe that you can encourage participation
through speeches, special events, and challenges.
The stakes are high; an accurate count of the local population helps to ensure that your constituents receive their fair share of
federal funding. This funding includes resources for services, such as health care, education, and roads.
Your constituents must complete and mail back their census forms between March 15, 2010 and April 15, 2010. The
good news is that the 2010 Census questionnaire is one of the shortest in history-just 10 questions that only take
about 10 minutes to complete. We hope we can count on you to encourage your community to participate in the 2010
Census. Visit htt~/2010 census gov/2010census/take10map/ now to see your area's 2000 Census mail participation rate and
check the site daily for updates.
The 2010 Census: It's in our Hands.
Sincerely,
Robert M. Groves
Director
U.S. Census Bureau
2/18/2010
4 13
0
the .
us>En Fellowshi
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Opening the doors of Johnson County ~'I~°
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"C7
322 E. 2"d St. C~ ~'
Iowa City, IA 52240 -- ..:-
Office 319-358-9212 w
Fax 319-358-0053
February 22, 2010
Iowa City City Council
City Hall
410 East Washington Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
RE: Correspondence from Mr. and Mrs.lohn Naeve
Dear Mayor Hayek and Members of the City Council:
On behalf of the Board of Trustees of The Housing Fellowship, I am writing to
respond to the Correspondence you received from Lauren and John Naeve and signed
by some neighbors and businesses of the Olde town Village neighborhood. The
letter expresses opposition to The Housing Fellowship's construction of two zero lot
two-family residential homes (four dwelling units) on Westbury Court. The homes
will be constructed for rental dwellings.
the Housing Fellowship is committed to providing quality homes that are affordable
to people with limited incomes.
To the best of our knowledge, we have followed all appropriate measures to meet
laws and related requirements in order to receive federal and local funds to assist in
the construction of these homes. The City of Iowa City has been a long and
supportive partner in these efforts.
BOARD OF TRUSTEES
Steve Atkins
AI Axeen
Glorine Berry
John Bovey
Charlie Eastham
Jeffery Ford
John Gianola
Kevin Hanick
Sally Jablonski
Dick Klausner
Rick Oehler
Royceann Porter
Christy Wolfe
Certainly the Naeves' and other signers have a right to express their opinion
concerning the efforts of The Housing Fellowship. We believe that the letter contains
misrepresentations, or at the very least, a misunderstanding of our mission and practices.
Their letter states concerns about building design and scale. The use restrictions of the protective
covenants of the subdivision call for 41% of the lots to be for zero lot two-family residential purposes,
United. Way of Johnson County
notably, precisely what The Housing Fellowship will do. The buildings to be constructed are immediately
adjacent to other zero lot line lots. The letter states that the signers "chose this development because its
higher density was attractive." This contradicts their previous statement that they "oppose more intensive
development. Olde Towne Village is a newly constructed mixed use development with a variety of
housing types and commercial establishments. It is also our understanding that Olde Towne Village
includes a number of rental homes.
The house plans meet the size and design requirements of the protective covenants. As required, the plans
and specifications were submitted and were approved and signed off on by Three Bulls Development on
July 28, 2009. The land was appropriately zoned at the time of purchase and the City has issued building
permits. Three Bulls Development approved the exterior appearance (colors, materials) on February 17,
2010.
The Housing Fellowship has engaged a development team consisting of experienced professionals including
architect, engineers, and contractors to ensure the highest quality of construction.
The letter expresses a concern due to the high water content in the hillside. Again, The Housing Fellowship
has engaged experienced professionals to design and construct quality structures. Terracon Consultants,
Inc. has conducted soil borings testing and will design and monitor the construction of a retaining wall.
The plans and specifications have been reviewed by various City Departments and approved accordingly.
The Housing Fellowship will adhere to all requirements of the law regarding excavation and surface water
and recognizes its land use responsibilities.
Questions concerning the operational policies of the Section 8 rental assistance program need to be
referred to the Iowa City Housing Authority. The Housing Fellowship cannot refuse to rent to a family
based solely on the criterion of receipt of federal rental assistance (i.e. Section 8). We do not know
whether prospective renters will be Section 8 recipients.
Finally, it is troubling that some of the businesses have signed the letter. This is not to detract from their
right to do so. However, we would hope these new businesses would welcome new neighbors as
prospective customers.
I have attached a small version of the plans so that you can see that the homes will be attractive for the
neighborhood and for the home renters. The Housing Fellowship plans to move forward with the
construction of the two buildings in that we have secured all required permits.
We believe The Housing Fellowship has proved to be a respected provider of affordable housing with the
support of many valuable partners, especially the City of Iowa City. We look forward to continued support
as we work toward addressing the needs of working families in our community.
Sincerely,
~~ . J '~
~_~ ~ ~=~~
Charlie Eastham ~'-`• ~' --~
President, Board of Trustees ~ ~ ; ~
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October 7, 2009
Aniston Village, LP
322 East 2nd Street
Iowa City, IA 52240
Dear Maryann:
~~~®~
~11~1111-~~~
~~_
CITY OF IOWA CITY
410 East Washington Slrcet
Iowa Ci[y, Iowa 5 2240- 1 82 6
(319) 356-5000
(319) 356-5009 FAX
w~vev.iegov.org
The attached plans for lots 21-24 of Oid Towne Village meet the zoning requirements
for zero lot line structures as noted in the Planned Development Overlay (OPD-8). They
have been approved by the Director of Planning and Community Development.
Let me know if you have any questions.
Sincerely,
Robert Miklo
Senior Planner
Cc Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning and Community Development
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Page 1 of 3
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Marian Karr
From: Joyce Barker [jm1057@inabc.net]
Sent: Sunday, February 28, 2010 6:30 PM
To: Council
Subject: this is real numbers on affordable housing
Now to include my other information on mobile homes, the real affordable housing in Iowa City,
You will notice below that I only have included those Mobile home parks that have decent management
and websites. In total there are 16 homes available now for under $20,000. 15 year payments on a
mobile home $20,000 or under is aprox $122/mo plus lot rent of $270/ month is very close to that
minimum wage single earner low income status of aprox 30% of your income only for housing...$392
Believe it or not most of these homes are 2-3 bedrooms, 2 bathrooms, central air and all appliances...
In our case a Mobile Home made sense for my husband and I as we both had low paying jobs and lots of
bills to pay... Then he spent 6 of the last 20 years on disability and off work due to near terminal
illnesses. So we choose to stay to keep our expenses low and to keep our maintenance low. Now
approaching retirement it makes even more sense especially in this economic world we live in.
Some of you will argue that you lose money on mobile homes... well.. in Iowa City even they don't do
too bad... I will bare our info. We spent $21,000 on our home when we bought it (in 1990) and have
been told that it would sell for $18,000.....
Tell me where you could live in Iowa City for 20 years for aprox. $141 per month.. .
That is including 20 years of lot rent (averaged), 20 years of property taxes we have paid in Iowa City,
and loss on the value of the home....
While it is not the same as the investment of a home... We have lived in two mobile homes in 22
years... the first one my husband bought for $4000 and sold for $3500, 4 years later... the second I
described above.. if you take total that we have not appreciated on the two properties for 22 years is
$3,500....
I don't think that is too bad for 22 year in expensive Iowa City...
We had a shocker a few years ago.. Our dishwasher line broke while we were gone for the weekend...
It flooded `/z the house... I called serve pro to help... After them tearing up the flooring, cutting down
1/3 of my drywall I would have to tell you my house is built quite well.
They said that all mobile homes built after 1990 are built as good as many homes.
They dried out my subfloor and I was able to put things back together... So they are not the tinker toys
once imagined by all.
Please take the time to re-evaluate your thoughts on mobile home living.. It is truly the only low cost
housing for people just starting, trying to restart, or retire.....
Below I have listed the current holdings in each reputable court....
Bon Aire
lot rent aprox. $270
3/1/2010
Page 2 of 3
2801 HWY 6 East
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
Has 2 homes below $10,000
And 10 homes between $10,000-$20,000
And Only 6 above $20,000
Hilltop Mobile Home Park
lot rent aprox. $270
2018 Waterfront Dr.#128
Iowa City, IA 52240
Has 4 homes below $20,000
Modern Mannon
lot rent aprox. $300
1 below $20,000
2 between $20,000 -$37,000
Lake Ridge
lot rent aprox. $300
893 Spring Ridge Dr.
Iowa City
IA
52246
18 between $20,000-$68,000
1 below $20,000
Sunrise Village
2100 Scott Blvd.
Iowa City, Iowa 52240
Only 1 for sale for $62,000
To be fair, I tried to do a search and look for what could be considered truly affordable housing....
A house that could be afforded by the least paid person in this town.... As the numbers play out... on
average 1/3 of the income of someone working a minimum wage job in this town and being the sole
wage earner means that the payment would have to be less than $400 per month.
I looked and there are no homes for sale for sale in this town for under the $75,000 that it would have to
be to meet the payment requirements.
Matter of fact.. I looked up the number of homes sold in Iowa City under those requirements....
Homes sold under $75,000
2005--129
2006--73
2007--62
2008--61
2009--43
2010-3
You notice how the numbers have dropped.... And I will tell you that if you look the ones listed up, the
majority of them you will see in recent years are bank foreclosures.
As a comparison..... I looked up some small, economical possible starter homes:
3/1/2010
Page 3 of 3
The first: on Ginter is a 1 bedroom with 744 sq ft.
Total value in 2000 $53,700
Total value in 2003 $62,410
Total value in 2009 $94,000
Taxes 2006 $1512
Taxes 2007 $1698
Taxes 2008 $1756
The second: on J st. is a 1 bedroom with 480 sq ft.
Total value in 2000 $54,400
Total value in 2009 $78,900
Taxes 2006 $1230
Taxes 2007 $1561
Taxes 2008 $1616
The third is on Raven st. and has 1008 sq. ft.
2009 133,430
2000 94,230
Taxes2006--$1954
Taxes2007--$2386
Taxes2008--$2469
Now to make a fair comparison of the cost of living in Iowa City per year as I have stated what the
average is for a mobile home over a 20 year time span. So the same comparison made on these modest
homes brings
Counting property taxes...paid to the county over a 20 year time span....of course you have the
appreciation of the house which is the plus side but the cost of the property taxes will run you on
average over the 20 years $95 per month and homes have not gained as much in value the last few years
but the property taxes have gone up substantially....
So we really should be paying more attention to the possibilities that already exist in this town. Not
figuring how the city can support more low income by drawing in those federal dollars because there is a
cost that the city pays that is not supported by HUD money... the added costs of programs, support,
administration and even police....
Joyce Barker
2018 Waterfront Dr.#128
Iowa City, IA
52240
3/1/2010
(.t ~ t ~ Page 1 of 1
Marian Karr
From: Jana Hanson (jmhanson5@yahoo.com]
Sent: Friday, February 26, 2010 11:54 AM
Subject: Housing in Iowa City
I would like to encourage the Iowa City Council to take steps to improve the housing situation in
Iowa City. Many young professionals and graduate students are unable to afford housing in the
area. In addition, I am concerned about price fixing practices of property managers. It is quite
surprising to see that rents for a variety of properties are exactly the same each year and move at
the same rate. I am curious as to what sort of mechanisms are in place to protect renters and large
rent increases year after year.
Thanks,
]ana
2/26/2010
.. ~ ~ ~~~ ~
~-,
In regards of Affordable Housing in Iowa City it's time for the City Council to step
back and take another look at this whole plan. Yes, there is a problem with
affordable housing in this town and has been for years. I have lived in Iowa City
my whole life and I don't know when it wasn't an issue. The City Steps plan 2010-
2015outlines several reasons for this on page 39.
The high cost of land and construction, places new housing development beyond
the reach of most affordable housing developers. In high cost areas such as Iowa
City, market rate developments offer higher profit margins to builders and
developers, thereby reducing the supply of labor and the number of firms
interested in affordable housing. Market rate transactions offer fewer challenges
to builders and developers and higher commissions to realtors than do affordable
housing development. Market rents for students are higher than HUD Fair Market
Rents there for landlords can make more money in that than in section 8. Newly
built single family detached homes under $200,000 are scarce.
The biggest problem I have with this plan is first of all the tax revenues that come
off of the tax rolls with these projects. Currently Iowa City has $14.5 million
dollars in assessed low rent property in Iowa City. The city collects only $313,000
dollars in revenue from that. There is a potential loss of $2.5 million dollars in lost
revenue there. With the budget cuts our schools face this money would have
come in very handy. Investors with these rental properties get a 75% discount on
their property taxes. Businesses and other property owners have to make up this
difference. According to the City Steps program the MFI in 2009 for Iowa City
was $76,000 dollars. I have spoke with people in the banking industry and they
have told me it would be hard for a family to make ends meet with that income
with a $200,000 mortgage. Iowa City in 2007 (see attachment) 15% of the Iowa
City population made $100,000 or more 11 °~ made between $75,000 - $99,000.
Almost 74% of the people in Iowa City made $75,000 or less. So right there it
tells you how many people might be financially strapped already. Then you throw
in there those same people are trying to own their own home, raise a family and
make up the property tax difference. Some of these same people may own
businesses in this town and already pay 100% valuation on them. This town is
becoming a larger retirement area and a lot of these people may be on fixed
incomes. Your hearts are in the right place to solve this housing issue but it's not
fair to make it any harder on families and businesses than it already is by raising
their taxes to solve this housing shortage.
Be it perception or fact when it comes to crime and the lowering of property
values with affordable housing. It's the City, investor and landlords obligation to
make sure both are never an issue.
Also what does not help in this whole process that there realty is not any citizen
participation in these projects as outlined by HUD. When you only put a small
article in the newspaper and think that's going to read by all of those impacted
you are terribly wrong. The only fair way to do it is send mailing out to those
residents so many feet within the project and set up a meeting to discuss it. That
way non -profit developers wouldn't have to ENDURE NIMBYISM as it states in
your City Steps Program under Public Policy Barriers. ~I~E~
MAR U 1 2010
'~'-~S e m
City Clerk ~
Iowa City, Iowa
The real question is "how do you make it affordable for everyone to live in and
~~
have a business in Iowa City if they wish to ?This is a storm that has been
brewing for years with higher city and county payrolls -benefits, high land
values and a lack of prioritizing housing needs for the sometime. .
FILE`.
MAR ~1 ~241(~ p m .
Ci~Y deck ~,
Iowa Ctn .Iowa
Casty of Iowa City
H ousehold Income 199o-ZOO7
~;.., r t ~ ., e
Less than $10,000
4,487
21.3% • r'
3,585 14.2% ~
3,486 '
12.8%
$10,p0pto$14,999 2,552 12.1% 2,187 8.7% 2,636 9.7°.6
000 to $24,999
$15 3,236 15.3% 3,772 15.0% 3,592 13.2°,6
,
$25,p00to$34,999 3,033 14.4% 3,055 12.1% 2,207 8.1°,6
$35,000 to $49,999 2,953 14.0% 3,710 14.7% 2,853 10.5°,G
$50,000 to $74,999 2,894 13.7% 3,976 15.8% 5,164 19.0°,6
$75,000 to $99,999 915 4.3% 2,278 9.0% 3,202 11.8°,6
000 to $149,999
$100 610 2.996 1,623 6.4% 2,603 9.6°,6
,
More than $150,000 428 2.0% 1,001 4.0% 1,497 5.5%
Total 21,108 100.0% 25,187 100.0% 27,239 100.0%
Median Household hcome (ActuaQ $24,565 $34,977
Median Household hcorne (Adjusted)' $38,970 $42,115 $44,357
NOTE Includes all CityresiderNs.
'Adjusted to 2007 doNars
Source: U.S. Census 1990 (STF-1, P080, P080A); Census 2000 (SF-3, P52, P53); 20pr2007American Community Survey
Three-Year Estimates
Cost Burden and Other Housing Problems
The following narrative provides an estimate of the number and type of households in need
of housing assistance. The review considers needs for the households according to the
following categories:
Extremely low income households (income less than 30% of MFI)
Very low income households (income between 30% and 50% of MFI)
Low income households (income between 50% and 80% of MFI)
Households with income above 80°~ of MFI (moderate, middle, and high income
households).
The description of housing needs contained in this part includes discussion of cost burden
and severe cost burden, overcrowding, and substandard housing conditions being
experienced by income category.
Estimated Housing Needs of Extremely Low, Very Low, and Low Income
Households
Much of the data reported in this portion of the Iowa City CP was derived from CHAS Data
2000. CHAS Data 2000 is a special tabulation prepared for HUD by the Census Bureau.
HUD reports that the Census Bureau uses a special rounding scheme on special tabulation
data. As a result, there may be discrepancies between the data reported by CHAS Data
2000 and the data reported by Census Summary File 3, which is the source of much of the
data in other parts of the CP.
FILED
MAR O 1 2010
City Clerk
Iowa City, Iowa
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FILED
MAR U 1 2010
City Clerk
Iowa City, Iowa
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