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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2010-08-17 Public hearing Publish August 5, 2010 PUBLIC HEARING NOTICE FY11 Annual Action Plan Amendment The City Council will hold a public hearing, accept comments and consider approval of an amendment to Iowa City's FY11 Annual Action Plan on August 17, 2010. The meeting will be held at City Hall, Emma Harvat Hall, 410 E. Washington Street at 7:00 p.m. The FY11 Annual Action Plan is a portion of Iowa City's 2011-2015 Consolidated Plan (a.k.a. CITY STEPS). The Annual Action Plan includes information on the proposed use of Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and HOME Investment Partnership (HOME) funds for housing, jobs and services for low- moderate income persons. The FY11 Amendment proposes to use $1,700,000 in anticipated CDBG program income towards the construction of levee on the west side of the Iowa River to protect approximately 160 mobile homes and 20 businesses. The CDBG funds will match additional funds, including I-Jobs, for a total project cost of $3,950,000. Copies of the FY11 Annual Action Plan Amendment are available from the Department of Planning and Community Development, 410 East Washington Street, the Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn Street or on Iowa City's web site (www.icgov.org/actionplan). Additional information is available from the Department of Planning and Community Development, 410 East Washington Street, Iowa City, Iowa, 52240 or by calling 356- 5230. Comments may also be submitted in writing to the Planning and Community Development Department at the address above or by email to tracy-hightshoe@iowa-city.org. If you require special accommodations or language translation please contact Steve Long at 356- 5250 or 356-5493 TTY at least seven (7) days prior to the meeting. ~~,®~~ CITY OF [C~WA CITY 6 ~.~~ ~ EAU Date: August 11, 2010 To: City Council From: Jeff Davidson, Director of Planning & Community Development Re: August 17, 2010 City Council meeting agenda: amendment to FY11 Annual Action Plan to use approximately $1.9 million in CDBG Disaster Recovery Housing Fund Program income for the West Side Levee At your July 12 meeting we discussed the I-JOBS II grant application for funds to construct a levee along the west side of the Iowa River between McCollister Boulevard and the CRANDIC Railroad. This levee would protect the' Baculis and Thatcher mobile home parks, as well as the Commercial Court area. You approved the application for I-JOBS II funds. At the July 12 meeting we also indicated to you our intention to use $1.9 million in anticipated CDBG Disaster Recovery Housing Fund Program income for the I-JOBS II grant local match. The amendment to the Annual Action Plan which will allow the use of the CDBG funds is on your August 17, 2010 meeting agenda. We indicated to you on July 12 that we have no local funds budgeted for any levee projects. Since the West Side Levee will help protect low and moderate income people living in Baculis and Thatcher mobile home parks, CDBG funds may be used as local match. There may also be low/moderate income impacts to some of the 20 businesses on Commercial Court. CDBG funds require that the project benefit persons of low to moderate income. The funds we are proposing to use are part of a $2.9 million payback of CDBG funds from the construction loan for the Aniston Village project. Your July 12 meeting packet also included minutes from the Housing and Community Development Commission consideration of the use of CDBG funds for the local match for the West Side Levee. The Commission ultimately did not recommend funding for this project, stating a concern that the mobile home parks may not remain residential in the long term and expressing interest in what other projects could be addressed with these funds. To summarize, we are recommending that you approve amending the FY11 Annual Action Plan so that we can use approximately $1.9 million CDBG Disaster Recovery Program income for the West Side Levee. If you decide you do not wish to approve the use of CDBG funds for this purpose, we will request that the I-JOBS II grant application be withdrawn since there is no other source of local match funding available. At your August 16 work session, we will have an executive session on property acquisition for this project, and a public discussion on the use of CDBG funds as local match. Bring any questions to the August 16 work session. cc: Dale Helling Steve Long David Purdy Rick Fosse Ron Knoche w/p pdd it/mem/Amend FY11 AnnualAction Plan.doc To: Iowa City Council members Re: Application for funds for building a levee on the west side, the Commercial Court, Baculis and Thatcher area. 1. Are you still planning to put a trail on the levee for public use? If not, why is it already on the Johnson County trails map as a "Proposed" trail? 2. If yes, would there be a fence between the trail and the residences? 3. Exactly how many houses would need to be removed in Baculis for the new levee? 4. Can the public view the new FEMA maps? 5. Can the public view the plans for the levee? 6. How much of the project's budget will go toward tearing out the existing levee at Baculis? 7. Has Carew's Landscaping received a citation for not removing the dirt from the temporary levee? They spread it out and raised the level of the city's property to the same height as the present levee.(see photos 1 and 2) 8. Most of the existing levee was built in 1993 and 94. Why was it not cited until 2008? (see photo 3 ) 9. If Mr. Baculis does not give the city permission to build on his property, is the city going to insist that the existing levee be removed? Obviously that would make the new levee pointless. Or would his lack of cooperation stall the entire levee project? 10. Work on the new part of the levee was halted by the city's citation in 2008. It has been delayed from going to court for 2 years. Can the council help get this moved forward? (see photo 4 ) Thank you Jill Butler, #137 Baculis Mobile Home Park ~~~ F~LEIa ;;; r7 !~M _s AUG 11 2010 Ciry Clerk ICwa Citt, Irnva ~~ ~oa~ 2 ~~~~~ c . r ,• ~ ti`s ~ ~ rt' ,, w ~-j ~ p ~~ ~ ~ I'R h f A T ~ ~s.~~ .a af/M• { ~, r L r' r i~ ~ yr ~+J ~ ~r + . ' 7 - ~' ? . . l ~„ w r~~ '~ A !"..~. . 4ted ~tiv.. - .c..:.r ~ _ '~,. -~! ~ ~ f , FILED //.' ~'7 .:11 M .SF AUG 11 2010 City Clerk Iowa Cite, Irnva ~~ ~o1b --~ (3 ~ Y 1 ~ ~#~~` y: ., ~ -~ `f r ~ .~ n ~, - ~ ~w as ~~ r.t. ~'"~fs r!^7a1~~~~?,~ ~ r. '~ x ~ '`rt ~ k r .., 'k ~ ~~.. w - .v'~r '~~ e; rl. ~~~ ir: ~; ~. 4 _ , ~ a. FILED 1/:17 ~wf ~ F AUG 11 2010 c~~y cart Iowa Cirr, lowa Previously distributed IP 11 on 7/8/10. (Discussion starts pg. 8.) MINUTES HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION PRELIMINARY JUNE 30, 2010 - 6:30 PM EMMA HARVAT HALL, CITY HALL MEMBERS PRESENT: Andrew Chappell, Andy Douglas, Jarrod Gatlin, Holly Jane Hart, Michael McKay, Rebecca McMurray, Brian Richman MEMBERS ABSENT: Charlie Drum, Rachel Zimmermann Smith STAFF PRESENT: Tracy Hightshoe, Steve Long, Linda Severson, Kristin Watson OTHERS PRESENT: Charlie Eastham RECOMMENDATIONS TO THE CITY COUNCIL: CALL TO ORDER: The meeting was called to order by Chairperson Brian Richman at 6:30 p.m. APPROVAL OF THE APRIL 15 2010 MEETING MINUTES: Chappell motioned to approve the minutes. McKay seconded. The motion carried 5-0 (Douglas and McMurray not present at time of vote; Drum and Zimmermann Smith absent). PUBLIC COMMENT OF ITEMS NOT ON THE AGENDA: None. STAFF/COMMISSION COMMENT: Long said that the City had purchased four more properties through the flood buyout program, bringing the number of homes acquired by the City to approximately 50. Richman asked what would happen to the properties acquired by the City. Long said the properties would become open space. Long said that out of 137 flooded homes, there were only 39 left that had not been HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 2 of 12 bought out. Long said the long-term goal would be to acquire all of the homes in areas such as Normandy Drive and dedicate the properties to open space. Long said that the lottery drawing had been held for the Single Family New Homes Program; a program funded by flood recovery dollars to replace housing stock eradicated by the floods. He said that 40 homes have already been built; the lottery was for the additional 37 homes that are in the process of being built. Long said that staff anticipates that 28 of the homes will be done this autumn. Hart asked where the homes were located. Long said that the homes are scattered all throughout the community. Fair Housing Presentation by the Iowa City Human Rights Department: Kristin Watson noted that she had spoken to the Commission before, and asked if they wished to hear her standard presentation on the history of human rights issues and housing, or if they preferred to be updated on the specific changes to the federal Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA} that have recently been passed. The Commission indicated a desire to hear the ADA updates. Watson noted that she had a handout that would give Commissioners the information typically contained in her overview presentation. Watson said that there are no real "rules" yet for the changes to the ADA, as the public comment period on the legislation had just ended in November 2009. She said that it could take the federal government another year or so to get the rules out. The ADA was enacted in 1990. She said that the law was almost immediately reined in by the courts, which made decisions limiting the scope of the law, thereby limiting its effectiveness. Watson said that in 2008 the legislature attempted to correct what it saw as unfair interpretations of courts that were not in keeping with the original intent of the law. As a result, the legislature passed this updated legislation. Watson said one of the key questions to be argued in the courts was what actually constituted a "disability." Watson said it had become increasingly difficult for people to prove that they were actually disabled. She said the basic definition said that "a disability is a physical or mental impairment that substantially limits one or more major life activities." She said that while this might sound like a reasonable definition, there was extensive argument in the courts about what this actually meant, often resulting in huge obstacles to plaintiffs who felt that they had been discriminated against due to their disability and were seeking redress through the courts. Watson said that the amendments to the ADA were intended to lower the threshold for "disability" and to direct the courts to construe the language in favor of broad coverage. Another point of argument in the original definition was what constituted "a major life activity." Congress specified a list of activities and major bodily functions in order to be clear what is considered a major life activity. Watson said that often there were arguments in the courts over whether a person was disabled enough to be considered "disabled." In the case of diabetes, Watson noted, one person might be seriously debilitated by the disease and another might be less so: same disease, but only one would be considered disabled under the old reading. Under the new rules, they would both be considered disabled. Watson said that another point that had been argued in the courts was "mitigating measures." She said that the courts put people in a terrible position by saying that if there was an assistive device, technology or medication that made the condition less disabling, then that person might HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 3 of 12 not be considered disabled. Congress said in the new rules that mitigating measures cannot be counted "against" someone in determining whether or not they are disabled. She said the idea was that even if, for example, a person's diabetes can be controlled by medication, it still affects that person's life and can disable them. Watson said that in the past, courts had disallowed conditions that were "episodic" or in "remission" from qualifying as a disability. Watson said that under the new rules, if a person has a condition that is not presently active but would be disabling if it were active, that person remains disabled even during periods of remission. She said conditions such as diabetes, asthma, depression, cancer, epilepsy and bi-polar disorder often were argued over in the courts. Hightshoe asked if these definitions of disability covered all federal programs, or if it was just to get on disability or for employment discrimination. Watson said the list she was quoting is from the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC), so its context is employment. The ADA itself, she said, covers both. Further, she said, the Fair Housing Act covers disability as a protected status, so the definitions all cross over. McKay asked if the EEOC list meant that a given disability would be treated the same way under the Fair Housing Act. Watson said she would not say that across the board, but that the EEOC is a good guide. She said that the Fair Housing Act has the same definition of disability as the ADA, so it would make sense if the analysis also crossed over. Richman said that the Commission's primary role is in developing new affordable housing and/or rehabilitating existing affordable housing. He asked how the changes to the ADA are likely to impact any of that. Watson said there are two prongs of fair housing issues: zoning issues and landlord/tenant type issues. Watson said that there are often ADA issues that arise in terms of accessibility and building standards. Watson said that section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act is probably quite pertinent to the Commission's work because it impacts all federally funded programs. Watson said that frequently when lawsuits happen they are "kitchen sink" type things, with as many laws cited as possible because one of the grounds might stick and the others might get thrown out. Watson said that examples of problems the Commission could run into would be much more subtle than housing discrimination historically, which dealt with blatantly discriminatory covenants and zoning codes. She said it once was quite common for subdivisions and developments to have covenants stating that the homes could not be sold to anyone other than white Christians. Long noted that in the abstract for one of the homes purchased by the City in the buy-out there was a clause stating that the home could not be sold to a non-white person. Watson said such covenants were not outlawed until 1948. McKay asked if any of the ADA changes that just came out would really significantly impact housing. McKay asked what the affect on access to housing would be for someone that could now be classified as disabled because of their diabetes. Watson said that it may be an issue of landlord/renter perception. She said that diabetes may not be a huge impediment to renting, but it could be to employment. She said that there are lots of disabilities that might be restrictive from a landlord's point of view. Watson said that her office most commonly hears complaints about being discriminated against because of a mental disability. Often times, such people will have been determined not to be disabled enough to live in a group home or institution, but face discrimination in finding an apartment to rent. Hightshoe asked what an affordable housing provider would be required to do in a case where there is an older unit and a potential renter with amobility-impairment. Watson said that the provider is obligated to make reasonable accommodations for the disability; she acknowledged HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 4 of 12 that the term "reasonable" had led to a lot of legal arguments. Watson said that what is reasonable depends on the means and needs of both the tenant and the landlord. Watson said that buildings constructed after 1993 are required to be accessible. The questions arise for buildings constructed prior to 1993, and what is "reasonable" to do in order to make them accessible. Watson said that the tenant and landlord have to engage in an interactive process, wherein the tenant asks for an accommodation and the landlord and tenant determine if the request is reasonable and feasible. She noted that the landlord does not have to give the tenant whatever the tenant desires. She also noted that the landlord cannot ask about a disability prior to an accommodation request. However, once an accommodation request is made, the tenant can be required to demonstrate why the accommodation is necessary. Watson said that one area where this comes into play is in service animals. She said that if a tenant is blind and has a guide dog, the relationship is fairly obvious and straightforward. Whereas if a tenant says that they have a mental disability and that their cat is a therapy animal for emotional assistance, the need for the accommodation might not be so readily apparent to a landlord, and additional information/documentation may be required. McKay asked to what extent a housing provider funded by HCDC would have to make a house they were rehabilitating ADA compliant. He asked if the provider would be required to put in ramps and widen doorways. Watson said that is where the test for reasonable accommodation comes into play. She said those types of things would have to be reviewed on a case-by-case basis. Any new construction would have to meet all federal guidelines. Long noted a section on page four of Watson's handout that outlined what could not be discriminated against. Long said that was probably something that the Commission could keep in mind as they were allocating money. Watson said that federal, state and local laws are different. Watson said that in our legal system a state law cannot do anything opposing federal law or contravening its purpose, but it can expand upon it and change the details of it. Watson said that in this case the federal Fair Housing Act covers race, color, national origin, sex, religion, family status and disability, Iowa's law adds sexual orientation, gender identity, retaliation and creed, and Iowa City adds public assistance as a source of income, marital status, presence or absence of dependents, and age. Watson said that discrimination in housing sometimes manifests in the following ways: refusing to rent or sell to a person, representing that a unit is not available, showing people homes in only certain neighborhoods, not giving information on financial status (such as different types of bank loans available), and discriminatory advertising (specifying the "type" of renter desired). She said that marketing to a certain population is within the bounds of the law. She gave the example of The Lodge which caters to students. She said it is fine to cater to students and market to them; however, The Lodge could not refuse to rent to a family on the basis that they have children. Richman asked if there were any other questions from the Commission; there were none. Long noted that this briefing had been scheduled long before the City had received a letter from The Housing Fellowship alleging potential violation of the Fair Housing Act by the City for refusing to approve a specific site for aloes-income housing project. Long said that the Commission would be updated on that matter when the City Attorney's Office had finished reviewing it. Watson thanked the Commission for their time. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 5 of 12 Discussion of the City of Iowa City Human Services Agency Fundin Long said that a City Council member had recommended that the Aid to Agencies process be reviewed. Long said that Linda Severson of the Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) was present to discuss the matter, and was very familiar with that process. Long said that Aid to Agencies basically provides operational funding for 13-15non-profit agencies in Iowa City. Long said that money is pooled from the general fund, CDBG, and some funds from utilities to provide this funding. Long said that at present, two City Council members sit down with Severson each year and review the applications for funding and make recommendations to City Council. One City Council member has suggested taking a look at the possibility of HCDC absorbing that $425,000 and looking at all of the public service agencies together and then making a recommendation to the City Council. Long said that Severson would continue to assist with the process, as she is quite knowledgeable on the subject. Severson said that Aid to Agencies funds 13-14 agencies each year. The application is a joint- funding application completed by agencies requesting funds from Iowa City, Coralville, Johnson County and/or United Way. The joint application is so that each of the funding sources can be sure to have the same information, and to make the application process easier for the non-profit agencies. Severson said the application is somewhat more in depth than the CDBG/HOME application and requests information on the requestor's short-term and long-term goals, demographic information on their clientele, staffing questions, and collaborative efforts. Severson said each applicant is asked to provide a balance sheet and a budget, with athree- year view. Information is requested on the organizational structure of the agency, including information on its Board of Directors, non-monetary sources of support (such as volunteer time), and other grants/funding sources. Severson said the application spans approximately 15 pages, and the broader, more in-depth nature of the application is because the support being provided is also broader and is for operational expenses. Severson pointed out that CDBG/HOME applications tend to be project-specific, whereas Aid to Agencies is intended to support the agency as a whole or for a specific program within the agency. Severson said that if HCDC decides to take the Aid to Agencies process on, then it might gain some insight and knowledge that would help in its own allocation process, as many of the applying agencies are the same. Severson said that site visits are a part of the application process. Richman asked if the list of agencies that are funded is fairly consistent from year to year; Severson said that it is. Severson said that the program tends to be pretty flexible as to how the agencies spend the money because so many other funding sources have specific requirements for how it is spent. She gave the example of the Free Medical Clinic, which uses Aid to Agency money to pay its utility bills; they are able to get other funding sources for medications and medical tests, but they need lights and heat to be able to actually see patients. Severson said she believed that this flexibility is something the agencies really appreciate about this funding. Chappell asked what the timing of the application process is. Severson said that applications are due September 1S' and she tries to get them to the City Council by November. She said the timeline and start date are similar to that of the CDBG/HOME process. Douglas asked if the HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE6of12 idea would be to discuss four categories during the allocation process, rather than three. Long said that was a possibility, or Aid to Agencies could be considered separately. Severson said the funding tends to continue from year to year with Aid to Agencies, whereas with CDBG, the funding tends to be more project based with a specific start and end. Richman asked what the City Council rationale was for suggesting this responsibility be moved over to HCDC. Long and Severson did not know the reason for the request. Hart noted that in the past there was some discussion on the Council's part of removing the CDBG/HOME allocation process from HCDC altogether. Hart said that her understanding was that one of the reasons Aid to Agencies existed was because the agencies relied on it for major operational expenses, some of which were tied to the need to have guaranteed income for future years. Long said it was possible, but that there is still no guarantee from year to year. Hightshoe said that her understanding is that City Council just wants to know if HCDC is interested in reviewing the process; if HCDC wanted to take it on or to dramatically change the funding process then they would have to go back to Council to do that. Chappell asked if the Council member who requested that this be considered is one of the Council members who currently participates in the review of Aid to Agencies applications. Long said that he is not sure which Council member made the request, but that his understanding is that the Council member has reviewed Aid to Agencies applications in the past. Chappell asked what criteria Severson and the two reviewing Council members used to evaluate the applications. Severson said that she provides information and finds answers to questions; the Council members determine dollar amounts. Chappell asked if there was a ranking system and Severson said there was not. Chappell said that he does not have a problem doing more work if the Council thinks HCDC should take this on. He said it was an interesting request; however, he is concerned that the Commission's name, by-laws and the resolution creating it would all have to be amended to accommodate that request, unless community development was considered in its broadest sense. Chappell said that if the Aid to Agencies funding cycle did not run directly parallel to the HCDC funding cycle that would be more convenient, because adding an entirely separate funding process on at the busiest time of the year is not ideal. He said that if the applying agencies are largely the same for both funding sources, it may not be realistic to expect entirely independent reviews. Richman said that historically the amount that HCDC has available to allocate for Public Services is on the order of $10,000. He said that if the Commission takes on Aid to Agencies, it might make more sense to just roll that $10,000 into Aid to Agencies to avoid going through the same process twice to allocate operating dollars to agencies. Hightshoe noted that one of HCDC's bylaws states that one of the Commission's duties is to review and make recommendations to Council regarding the use of public funds to meet the needs of low-to-moderate income residents. Chappell asked if all of the applying agencies would serve low-to-moderate income residents. Severson said the vast majority of them do, but she would have to look into it to be sure. She said that in the past they have looked more closely at the services the agency provided than at the income level served. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 7 of 12 Severson noted that Aid to Agencies applications are due in September and the CDBG applications are due in January. Timing-wise, the Commission could look at Aidlcatiogn nrocess more of an autumn activity rather than running parallel to the CDBG/HOME app ' p Long pointed out that if that were done then it would still work to estimate $10,000 of Public Services money is added to the Aid to Agencies funding. Long said that one thing that is nice about keeping the Public Services amounts small is that it does allow for new, smaller applicants to come into the funding. He said that $2,500 sometimes makes all the difference for a start-up. McMurray said that at one point HCDC had discussed the idea of disallowing Public Services funding for anyone already receiving Aid to Agencies, but that they had never followed through with the idea. She said that idea was intended to encourage new applicants. Richman asked if anyone had any specific thoughts about advantages or disadvantages to HCDC taking on this process. Hart said it interests her to know who made the request. She wondered if it was the case that the funding process had become too politicized or if the requesting member simply wanted another set of eyes on the process. Chappell said that there could be a perception that the two individuals making the recommendations to the rest of the Council play too big a role in the funding process, noting that this was pure speculation. McKay said that he felt that the Commission was broad enough and big enough that there are many different approaches to thinking about these issues, and that might be a healthier way of allocating the money. To him, it would provide a better chance at objectivity. Chappell said it may also be that the City Council as a whole might feel more comfortable changing or going against recommendations that come from an outside body rather than two of its own members. Hightshoe said she could see both advantages and disadvantages. She said that as she sees it the advantages are: 1) an appearance of greater objectivity, 2) being able to combine the Public Services money with the Aid to Agency money, and 3) it could address the criticism that Aid to Agencies funding does not always match the priorities listed in CITY STEPS. Hightshoe said the greatest disadvantage is that it is more work and an additional 15-16 applications per year will be much more time consuming. Severson said that staff does not know what kind of City Council support there is for making this move; they only know that one person made the request that the idea be examined. She said that she does not have a good sense for whether or not this will actually go anywhere. Severson said that funding amounts vary from approximately $5,000 to $60,000 per year for agencies. She said that last year a new agency had been funded, and a fairly big agency had their usual funding reduced. She said the Council members stated the reduction was because the money amounted to a fairly small percentage of the agency's budget and so would not be overly painful, and had nothing to do with service delivery or administration. Severson said that for some agencies Aid to Agencies is a significant percentage of their budget. Douglas asked what the ratio generally was between funds requested and funds rewarded. Severson said that there is always much more requested than is rewarded, generally about twice the amount. Severson said that she believed that at one point in time agencies were directed not to request more than a 3-5% increase in operational funding from Aid to Agencies. Additionally, agencies have been asked to request only what they need, with the understanding that full funding is unlikely. Richman asked if it was correct that the Commission did not really need to make a motion on this item one way or the other; that the discussion was intended as a way of gathering information on the matter. Long said that a recommendation on whether or not HCDC wished to pursue the idea might be helpful. Chappell said that he does not have any problem with doing the work if the City Council decides they want the Commission to do it; however, he said he had HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 8 of 12 some problem with the idea of making a recommendation that the Commission wants it or wants to pursue it because he does not want to give the perception that the Commission is seeking to expand its area of influence. He said he has no objection to it, and if it comes to pass his preference would be to front-load the application process to the autumn months to avoid two parallel allocation processes. McKay said he felt much the same way. Douglas said it seems in some ways like a natural fit for the Commission and he would not mind taking it on. McMurray said she would be fine with taking it on, and Hart and Drum indicated that they too were fine with that. Richman said his impression of the Commission's feeling on the subject is that if City Council allocates this responsibility to the Commission, there is a willingness among Commissioners to do it. Agreement with this statement was indicated. Severson noted that it is her understanding that she would continue to staff this particular process, and that she felt she and the Commission could work well together on it. Discussion of 2.9 Million in Antici ated Pro ram Income to be Allocated for a Levee on the West Side of the Iowa River and Other Projects: Long explained that the Aniston Village project, a project of The Housing Fellowship, was awarded $2.9 million in supplemental disaster CDBG funds in October 2009 for construction financing of a 22-unit low-income housing tax-credit project. Long said this project is moving along nicely. Long said this construction loan is to be paid back to the City as administrator of the loan even though the funds were from the State. When the loan is paid off in May 2011, the City will receive $2.9 million. Long said the Commission needed to start thinking about how it wished to spend those funds. He said that there is a whole public process to be gone through before committing any funds, as well as amending the Action Plan, so this is just the beginning of the discussion. Long said that the City had hired a consultant after the 2008 floods to do some future planning for flood mitigation. Long said that the proposed west levee extends essentially from the railroad tracks just north of Commercial Court all the way down to the new McCollister Bridge. Long said that the reason this is coming up right now is because there was a round of I-JOBS funds that were announced this spring which have an application due date of August 2"d. In order to apply for those funds, Council approval must first be obtained. Staff is recommending that a portion of the $2.9 million being returned to the City is set aside to construct a levee to protect Thatcher Mobile Home Court, Baculis Mobile Home Park and Commercial Court. This levee would protect approximately hundreds of homes and 23 businesses. The City hired an engineering firm which estimated the project at $4.4 million; the City hopes to pare that down to $4 million over the next couple of weeks. Long said staff is requesting that $1.9 million of the Aniston Village money be set aside as a match for the I-JOBS grant. Long said the project seems to have some congressional support. He said the primary vehicle for the City's flood mitigation has been through the acquisition of property. Long said that in this case that strategy will not work, as the property owners do not wish to sell. He noted that a temporary levee built from sandbags was constructed for the area during the floods and it helped keep the area from being severely damaged. Richman asked if the mobile home parks were privately owned. Long said they were. Richman asked if they were owned by the residents of the mobile home parks; Long said the residents pay rent for their lots. Richman asked if the expectation is that the mobile home parks will continue to HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 9 of 12 operate as mobile home parks, or if the owners intend to develop the property as something else; he noted that a permanent levee would certainly make the area more developable and increase its property value. Long said he did not know what the short-term plans for the property were; he said the City's Comprehensive Plan for long-range planning does not include mobile home parks at all. Long said that as of today the current owners do not wish to sell their properties. Chappell asked if an east levee was going to be built. Long said there was no funding for it at this time. Douglas asked what it means when the Comprehensive Plan does not "list" a housing type. Long said that it certainly could continue to exist but that the Comprehensive Plan was along- range planning document for where and what kind of development the City would like to see occur. Severson noted that many other communities have used CDBG money to do such improvements. She said it is an eligible expense; Iowa City just~tends to use the funds for agencies that provide community services. Long said that what was attractive to staff about this project is that it is an area where low-to-moderate income people live that is vulnerable to flooding. Chappell asked if there have been other projects discussed that might be of better benefit to the residents, such as moving their mobile homes to a park that is not flood prone. Long said the last relocation of a mobile home park cost the city $15 million. Chappell said that had been a forced relocation which paid all costs, whereas this would be strictly voluntary. He asked if the City had considered any other way of protecting those residents. Long said the owners of the mobile home courts will not sell. Chappell said he is not talking about buying the entire property. He said he meant that if there were individual home owners who want to voluntarily move their mobile home to a mobile home park less prone to flooding, would there be any way to assist those residents. Long said he did not know where such money would come from. He noted that most of the mobile homes cannot be moved anyway. Severson said she wished to mention that mobile homes really are not very mobile these days due to their size. She said another challenge is that a lot of mobile home courts will not accept used trailers in their lots. She said that they pretty much want to sell one of their own units to their residents, and that there is not much moving of manufactured housing units that actually goes on. Long said that there also not very many mobile home lots available in the city, though there are some in the county. Hightshoe said that the City had attempted to move these mobile home parks after the 1993 floods, but the plan fell through. Richman said that it sounds as though CDBG funds have generally not been used to fund infrastructure improvements in the past. He said he could understand why such a large pot of money would be looked at for infrastructure purposes. Richman asked where this particular levee project fell on the list of infrastructure priorities for the city. Long reminded him that they had to be projects to assist low-to-moderate income people. Long said the project does appear in the Capital Improvements Plan (CIP) which has been adopted by City Council; however, it is an unfunded project in the CIP. Chappell asked why no money had been set aside in the FY11 budget to meet the 50% match requirement for the I-JOBS grant. Long said the match requirement was new, and was not in the first I-JOBS grant. Long said that the engineering has been done, so the project is basically shovel ready. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 10 of 12 Chappell asked if the los id thaawas Correct; the bus nessestare just n ascensuls tact of ow-toe residences. Hightshoe moderate-income residences. Chappell said it seemed to him that the owners of the mobile home parks are the ones to see enormous benefits from this levee. Long said the businesses in the area will also benefit. Chappell said that he meant that the owners receive much greater benefit from the levee than the low-to-moderate income residents of the mobile home park. Long notes that levees are not guaranteed, so the protection is also not guaranteed. Long explained that the City owns quite a bit of land surrounding the Baculis and Thatcher mobile home parks. Douglas noted that the money is coming from the repayment of a construction loan for affordable housing and asked if any consideration had been give to pouring the money back in to the construction of affordable housing. Long said that construction is not allowed with CDBG money, but affordable housing could be supported with the funding in other ways. Long said the money has to be used quickly as there is a "timeliness" test for CDBG funds. Hightshoe said the City has about a year to spend it due to expenditure measures used by HUD. Chappell noted that the Commission has heard complaints that the land the City Council would like to have used for low-to-moderate income housing is too expensive to purchase; however, ways were apparently found to pay $2.9 million for that very thing. Long said the possibility of land banking lots for future development by housing providers is allowable under CDBG rules. Richman said that the City's Comprehensive Plan seems to be indicating that the ultimate goal is to have commercial or commercial/industrial development in that area. Long said that the eastern part of the property is in the 100-year floodplain, with a couple of homes actually in the floodway. Chappell asked if the City had any short-term plan for redevelopment of those areas. Long said with that many people living there the City would not have any plans for redevelopment. He noted that there is a trail planned for the top of the levee, but that it would be paid for by another funding source. Richman said that ultimately it is a $4 million project to protect 160 mobile home residences, which is about $25,000 per unit. Long pointed out that it would also be protecting businesses. He said that protecting the tax-base is an important part of the project. Chappell said that ultimately the tax base is what would really be protected by this levee, considering that the Comprehensive Plan does not even include residential living in that area. Richman noted that the levee would make the land more valuable. Chappell added that this could in turn make the rents higher. Douglas asked if staff was asking for a recommendation on this issue. Long said that a recommendation has been requested but is not required. Long said that City Council will be discussing the project as a whole on July 12~'. Chappell asked how confident staff is that the money that is due in May will actually be paid. Long said they are very confident, as there is an agreement in place. McKay said he is in favor of supporting the request. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 11 of 12 Gatlin said that his position would be not to make a recommendation at all and to let Council decide how to proceed. Richman said that without a b stthard for him tohmake a recommendat on at this po ni~y and the long-term plans for the site, It McKay moved to support the request that $1.9 million in CDBG funds be set aside for the levee project on the west side of the river. Hart seconded. Richman asked if there was any further discussion. Chappell said he is not supportive of the project as it has been presented. He said that he understands why staff is making the request now, but that he does not know enough about what kinds of requests will come in for this money to know if it is the best idea. Chappell said there is potential for untold creativity for applicants with this size of pot available to them. He said there are too many important questions unanswered about the project and he cannot support it at this point. A vote was taken and the motion failed 4-1 (Chappell, Gatlin, Douglas and Richman opposed; McKay in favor; Hart and McMurray abstained). Long noted that City Council would discuss this issue on July 12cn Subcommittee Report• Community Development Celebration: Hightshoe said the celebration will be held at First Mennonite Church, which houses the Home Ties program. Home Ties provides free daycare to homeless children while their parents/guardians look for housing and /or employment. Hightshoe said that the celebration will be held Thursday, August 19`n, from 4:30-6 p.m., with an awards ceremony at 6:00 p.m. Hightshoe said the speakers have not yet been confirmed, but the mayor will be present. She noted that Richman would not be available to make the closing remarks and she wondered if any HCDC member would be interested in giving 2-3 minutes of closing remarks. McKay offered to do give the closing remarks. MONITORING REPORTS: FY07 & FY08 Habitat for Humanity -Homeownership (Chappell): Chappell said that all funds had been expended, with 90% being spent within 6 months of the funds being released. All of the FY07 homes will be completed by the end of this year and the FY08 homes by next summer. IC Housing Rehabilitation (staff): Long said that the housing rehab staff is still handling flood recovery projects. Generally, they administer federal programs and use local geo-bonds to fund rehab programs. He said there are six different programs through this office. Long said it was a very busy year in which over a million dollars in flood recovery and CDBG money was spent. HOUSING AND COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT COMMISSION JUNE 30, 2010 PAGE 12 of 12 This office helps out with the UniverCity Program, funded through I-JOBS. Long said the City will have acquired eight homes through this project as of August 1sc IC Economic Development sta :Hightshoe said that at the beginning of the year there was $120,000 in funds. She said that over the course of the year three applications have been received. Corridor Drywall was funded at $35,000. She said the purpose of the fund is not to compete with private lenders. One application was denied due to lack of applicant contribution, and one was denied because they were eligible for private financing. One business funded in a prior year, Atlas Home Services, defaulted, and the Attorney's Office will be representing the City's interests in the resulting bankruptcy and foreclosure proceedings. Hightshoe said that another $108,000 will be set aside as of July 1S', giving the program $193,000 to work with. Staff has been looking at ways to promote economic development activities in the Towncrest, Riverfront Crossings, and the St. Pat's development area with limited staff/planning time. On July 12'h City Council will be looking at a proposed agreement between the City and the National Development Council, an agency providing technical and planning assistance to cities. Richman asked if there were any changes that staff would recommend that would preclude a default like Atlas' from occurring in the future. Hightshoe said she did not think so. She said that Atlas had a much larger loan from a local lender and the economic development funding was more of a gap financing. The bank also reviewed the business through their underwriting criteria and made a large loan to the business. She said the business was owned and managed by a married couple. The last update from the business was that the business owners were living in separate residences and were going through adivorce/separation. It appears that this precipitated the collapse of the business. Long said that he believes there has only been one other instance of default in the last ten years. Aid to Agencies -United Action for Youth (Douplasl: Douglas said he had a call into the director but had not yet connected with him. Hightshoe said UAY spends out its allocation every month. The money was spent for counseling, at-risk youth, and teen moms. Long thanked McKay for speaking at the dedication of the Wetherby Splash pad as a representative of HCDC. Long said that has been a wildly popular CDBG funded project. ADJOURNMENT: McKay motioned to adjourn. Hart seconded. The motion carried 7-0 (Drum and Zimmermann Smith absent). The meeting was adjourned at 8:07 p.m. ~~ THATCHER MOBILE HOME PARK 2254 S. RIVERSIDE DRIVE IOWA CITY, IA 52246 July 27, 2010 AUG 16 2010 Ciry Clerk Iowa Cin~, lowa Chairperson, I-Jobs Board of Directors J~: oo ~ c/o Joseph Jones, Director of Governmental Affairs in. K K Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 Dear Chairperson, It is our pleasure to write a letter in support of the West Side Levee which the City of Iowa City is seeking funding from I-Jobs II. The $3.95 million project which will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River will be welcome relief for the flood prone businesses and residences in the area. We own Thatcher Mobile Home Park which has 60 homes and about 200 residents. In addition to protecting the 60 homes in our park, the levee would also protect the adjacent mobile home park with approximately 130 home sites and the commercial area in the nearby Commercial Court area. A number of Thatcher Mobile Home Park residents work in the nearby businesses that would be protected by the proposed levee. When the levee is completed, we will be able to invest over $1,000,000 in our business and add 45 to 50 additional sites for manufactured homes. This investment will not only add to the affordable housing stock in Iowa City, but it will also add to the City's tax base. We have reviewed the City's engineering plans and have met with City staff numerous times to discuss the proposed project. We are excited about the opportunity to protect the residents from future flooding. Thank you for your strong consideration of this vital request for disaster prevention project funding. Sincerely, .~'r`,~~ ~'1 ~-~-R.vr.vh~c Jim and Mary Beth Hammes July 27, 2010 Chairperson, I Jobs Board of Directors c/o Joseph Jones, Director of Governmental Affairs Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 I AREA CHAMBER OF COMMERCE /~ ~L~~ ~~~~ 16 X010 City Clerk Iowa Ciry, Iowa ~l : ~ ~" Dear Mr. Jones, ~K~L On behalf of the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce, please accept my enthusiastic support for the City of Iowa City's I Jobs II application for the West Side Levee project. The $3.8 million project will protect businesses and residences in the flood-prone area along the Iowa River between the CRANDIC Rail Road Bridge and the McCollister Boulevard Bridge. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. These include representatives of the construction, furniture, and auto industries, along with contractors serving regional and national clients. This project will provide necessary security from the threat of flooding for these businesses who contribute to our area's vibrant and diverse business environment. Commercial Court is currently home to more than 400 individuals in 160 mobile residences. This disaster prevention funding is of utmost importance in ensuring the safety of community members who reside in this susceptible area. Thank you for your consideration. We look forward to working with the City of Iowa City on this vital project, and welcome any questions regarding our support. 325 E. Washington Suite 100 Iowa City, IA 52240 Telephone:(319-337-9637 Fax:~319-338-9958 www.iowacitya rea.com ROBERT E. DVORSKY STATE. SENATOR Fifteenth District Parts of Johnson and Linn Counties Statehouse: (515) 281-3371 HOME ADDRESS 412 Sixth Street Coralville, Iowa 52241 H:(319)35I-0988 robert.dvorsky@legis state. ia.us COMMITTEES Appropriations, Chair Education Rebuild Iowa Rules & Administration ~~~~ AUG 16 X010 July 29, 2010 Jeff Pomeranz, Chair I-Jobs Board of Directors Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 Dear Mr. Pomeranz: city Clerk Iowa City, Iowa // :~Oo if'H'~- rktCK It is my pleasure to write a letter in support of the West Side Levee for which the City of Iowa City is seeking funding from I-Jobs II. The $3.95 million project, which will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River, will be a welcome relief for the flood prone businesses and residences in the immediate area. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court Neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. The businesses in the area include a range of employers serving the entire community. There are contractors with regional and national clients, several businesses supporting the construction industry, along with cabinet makers, furniture refinishers and several in the auto parts and repair business. Equally important are the two mobile home parks adjacent to the Iowa River with over 160 homes, housing upwards of 400 residents who find employment nearby in the Commercial Court Neighborhood and other areas of the community. The owner of one of the mobile home parks has indicated that they will invest over $1,000,000 in the park to improve and dramatically increase the number of affordable home sites if the levee is approved. This investment will not only add to the affordable housing stock in Iowa City, but it will also add to the City's tax base. Thank you for your strong consideration of this request for disaster prevention project funding. Sincerely, ~~~ Senator Robert E. Dworsky a~12 Z~I~P ~EItFt~E State of Iowa Eiglaty-third Genernl Assembly STATEHOUSE Des Moines, Iowa 50319 P lu mb ets 72 Commercial Drive, Iowa City, IA 52246 SUPPLY C O M P R H Y ~ Ph 319-338-3601 ~ Fax 319-337-7937 Chairperson, I-Jobs Board of Directors c/o Joseph Jones, Director of Governmental Affairs Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 July 20, 2010 Dear Mr. Jones, ~~~~D AUG 16 201Q City Clctk Iowa Cuy , loW a ll •'~° ~- ~~~ As a small family owned business that resides in the Riverside Drive and Commercial Drive area since 1951, I would like to add our vote in support of the funding from I-Jobs II for the West Side Levee Project. The $3.8 million project, which will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River between the CRANDIC Rail Road Bridge and the McCollister Boulevard Bridge, will be welcome relief for the flood prone businesses and residences in the area. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. The businesses in the area include a range of employers serving the entire community. Three are contractors with regional and national clients, several businesses supporting the construction industry, along with cabinet makers, furniture refinishers and several in the auto parts and repair business. Equally important are the 160 mobile homes in the same neighborhood, housing upwards of 400 residents who find employment nearby in the Commercial Court neighborhood and other areas of the community. Thank you for your strong consideration of this vital request for disaster prevention project funding. ~Sineerely, ,, John Balmer CEO, Plumbers Supply Company ~ ~~~ ~~~~M~~~ 77 i P C ' % ~ I C C( 'lf ~~~.~ t~: f~ ~,1 cl i (? ~ 1" l 5 ~ ~ L/~ Chairperson. I-.lobs 1.3;~;ircl of Directors AUG 16 2010 c1o .loseplt ,loves, Director of Governmental Affairs cry cte:k Iowa 1 inancc Atrthor•ii~, iowaCit}, Iowa 20]5 Grand even,le f~;Ap ~- Des Moines. lA Si)3l :'_ KKK July 29, 20 ] 0 Dear Mr. ,roves, It !s Illy pleasure t,> ~~ ~ i tr <~ letter in support of the West Side Levee for which you seek funding from I-.robs 11. "I`he $3.8 Million project, which will create a levee along the west bank oi~the Iowa Diver between the CRANDIC Rail Road Bridge and the McCollister Boulevard Bridge. ~~~il! he welcome relief for the i7ood prone businesses and residences in the area. Nearly 50 busineses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 200. "1•h~.~ bri~,inesses in the area include a range of employers servin;~ the entire community. '1'hrcc arc contractors with regional and national clients, several businesses supportin;; the constrt~~~tion industry, along y~'ith cabinet makers, furniture reiinishers and several in the ante- part,, Qlld repalP bllSlneSS. Equally important are the. 160 mobile homes in the same neighborhood, housing upwards of 400 residents ~a ho . ; nd employment nearby in the Commercial Court neighborhood and other areas of the ,~•i~nu»unity. My personal business Iris - employees, one of which owns a home and lives in the nearby flooc.l prone m;~~ilc home neighborhood. Thant: you t~~r your str,ui`t consideration of this vital request for disaster prevention project fundin;~. Sincere(v. Blake I-Iendriclaon Owner of V\\~l'arts4s,r~.com 26 Commercial Dr, St ~: A -Iowa City, IA 52246 - 319-358-6640 - icdubparts@gmail.com DAVID LOEBSACK 2N0 ~ISTflICT, IOWA COMMITTEES: ARMED SERVICES SUBCOMMITTEES: (•J~DYC~1rP~~ Df t.~'E ~1tt~P~ tt1P~ MILITARY PERSONNEL READINESS ~~,~M{~• pp ~}a p~ ,y~y}j .f1,IIUBi IIf ~l[~l'BPtil':lt#iUPB EDUCATION AND LABOR ]Itlt~~(~i~~#~~~ 7pltf ~rt~ t ~_1 ~~hl SUBCOMMITTEES: 77T ~ ••w P 3C1'J, i.~ i G. HEAl7N,EMPLOYMENT. LABOR, AND PENBIONS EARLY CHILDHOOD, ELEMENTARY ANO SECONDARY EDUCATION July 30, 2010 Jeff Pomeranz, Chairperson I-Jobs Board of Directors Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 Dear Mr. Pomeranz, WASHINGTON OfF1CE: 1221 LONGWORTH HOUSE DFfICE BUILD/NG WASHINGTDN• ~C 2D515 (2021225-8578 DIS7RIC70fFICES: 125 SOUTH DUHUGUE STREET Iowa Clrv, IA 52240 {3191351-0789 150 lsr AvexuE NE $URE 375 CEDAR RAPIDS, A 52401 (3191384-2268 1 (866}914-IOWA FILED AUG 16 2010 City Clerk Iotira City, lo•Iva l/ ~ oo R~ ~,K~ I write to express my support for consideration of an IJOBS grant application for flood protection along the west bank of the Iowa River in Iowa City, IA. The application is specifically for $3.95 million to assist the city in constructing a levee that is needed to protect nearly 50 small business, 190 mobile homes and over 400 residents from future floodmg similar to the flooding that occurred in 2008. I understand, and have witnessed firsthand on numerous occasions, the amount of damage the City of Iowa City suffered as a result of the Floods of 2008. As the city works to repair and rebuild homes, businesses, and infrastructure that were all damaged, grant funding through the IJOBS program will be an important piece in overall recovery. The proposed levee in the grant application will provide increased security for the residents and small businesses in this flood prone area. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were impacted by the Floods of 2008. The levee has the potential to solidify further investments in the business park and allow the mobile home parks to expand and increase affordable home options in Iowa City which will add to the City's tax base. According to the Crty of Iowa City, the owner of one of the mobile home parks has indicated that they will invest aver $1,000,000 in their park to make improvements and to add 45 to 50 affordable home sites if the levee is approved. This investment will not only add to the affordable housing stock in Iowa City, it will also add to the City's tax base. I respectfully urge timely consideration of this application and thank you for your time and attention to this matter. Sin , ave Loebsack lowa's Second District PRINTED ON RECYCLED PAPER ~~LE~ AUG 16 2010 July 26, 2010 City Clerk Iowa Cit}~, lowa Iowa City Area Chairperson, I-Jobs Board of Directors ff f~:~ ~,•~ airs c/o Joseph Jones, Director of Governmental A t Grou l D ~ p opmen eve Iowa Finance Authority ~ ` 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 It is my pleasure to write a letter in support of the West Side Levee for which the City of Iowa City is seek funding from I-Jobs II. The $3.8 million project, which will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River between the CRANDIC Rail Road Bridge and the McCollister Boulevard Bridge, will be welcome relief for the flood prone businesses and residences in the area. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. The businesses in the area include a range of employers serving the entire community. Three are contractors with regional and national clients, several businesses supporting the construction industry, along with cabinet makers, furniture refinishers and several in the auto parts and repair business. Equally important are the160 mobile homes in the same neighborhood, housing upwards of 400 residents who end employment nearby in the Commercial Court neighborhood and other areas of the community. Thank you for your strong consideration of this vital request for disaster prevention project funding. Sincerely, J Joseph Raso, President Iowa City Area Development Group 325 E Washington St Suite 707 Iowa City, Iowa 52240 (319) 354-3939 Extraordinary Opportunities in Unexpected Places IC D ~ILEI~ AUG Y 6 2010 JUIy 27, 2010 City Clerk Iowa Cih~, Iowa Jeff Pomeranz, Chairperson J/:00 s+'~'''~ I-Jobs Board of Directors Iowa Finance Authority m. ~ ~ 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 Dear Mr. Pomeranz: The West Side Levee project in Iowa City is deserving of state support and will have an enormous impact on the well being a many businesses in the Iowa City region. I am asking you to consider this project in your next round of funding for I-Jobs projects. The $3.95 million project, which will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River, will be welcome relief for the flood prone businesses and residences in the immediate area. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. The businesses in the area include a range of employers serving the entire community. There are contractors with regional and national clients, several businesses supporting the construction industry, along with cabinet makers, furniture refinishers and several in the auto parts and repair business. Equally important are the two mobile home parks adjacent to the Iowa River with over 160 homes, housing upwards of 400 residents who find employment nearby in the Commercial Court neighborhood and other areas of the community. The owner of one of the mobile home parks has indicated that they will invest over $1,000,000 in their park to improve and dramatically increase the number of affordable home sites if the levee is approved. This investment will not only add to the affordable housing stock in Iowa City, but it will also add to the City's tax base. Thank you for your strong consideration of this request for disaster prevention project funding. Sincerely, State Representative Mary Mascher JOE BOLKCOM STATE SENATOR Thirty-ninth District Statehouse: (515)281-3371 HOME ADDRESS 728 2nd Avenue Iowa City, Iowa 52245 Phone:(3l9)337-6280 joeQjoebolkcom.org www.jcebolkcom.org July 29, 2010 Jeff Pomeranz, Chairperson I-Jobs Board of Directors Iowa Finance Authority 2015 Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50312 Dear Mr. Pomeranz: State of Iowa Eighty-third General Assembly STATEHOUSE Des Moines, Iowa 50319 ASSISTANT MAJORITY LEADER COMMITTEES Appropriations Commerce Environmental & Energy Independence Human Resources Natural Resources & Environment Ways & Means, Chair AUG 16 201 City Clerk Iowa City, Iowa /(•iG~ s~ ih.K,~ It is my pleasure to write a letter in support of the West Side Levee for which the City of Iowa City is seeking funding from I-Jobs II. The $3.95 million project will create a levee along the west bank of the Iowa River. Nearly 50 businesses in the Commercial Court neighborhood were deeply affected by the flood of 2008. The businesses in the area include a range of employers serving the entire community. Equally important are the two mobile home parks adjacent to the Iowa River with over 190 homes, housing upwards of 400 residents who find employment nearby in the Commercial Court neighborhood and other areas of the community It will also protect McCollister Boulevard, an important east-west link in Iowa City, from future flood events. This project is a great example of smart planning principles. It protects existing businesses, housing, and infrastructure along with creating new opportunities for expansion in the area. It will allow for a possible bike trail to be created on the top of the levee that would connect with the Iowa River Corridor Bike Trail. The area is already served by public transportation and is near the Terry Trueblood Recreation area. Thank you for your strong consideration of this request for disaster prevention project funding. Sincerely, ELECTRONIC SIGNATURE Senator Joe Bolkcom J Pie Serur~e