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HomeMy WebLinkAbout2014-09-25 Info Packetto W -' `• ®�•� AM:, CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY September 25, 2014 www.icgov.org IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule MISCELLANEOUS IP2 Article from City Manager: Forty Under 40 IP3 Article from City Manager: Climate Science The Unknowns of Climate Science Is Not Settled IP4 Memo from Media Services Production Coordinator: Mediacom Changes IP5 Memo from Neighborhood Services Coordinator and Services Intern: UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership update IP6 Press Release from Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA): Iowa City receives GFOA's Distinguished Budget Award (with attached press release form Finance Dir.) IP7 Memo from Asst. City Manager: Strategic Plan States Report IP8 Email from Parks & Rec. Dir: Annual Park Tour IP9 Community Job & Resource Fair — October 30 IP10 Dubuque Street Open House —September 26 Email from City Attorney: Response to letter from Dept. of Justice re. Curb Ramps [Distributed as a late handout on 9/26] 1 Affl,--0,04 CITY COUNCIL INFORMATION PACKET CITY OF IOWA CITY www.icgov.org September 25, 014 IP1 Council Tentative Meeting Schedule 1 MISCELLANEOUS IP2 Article from City Manager: Fo \Science IP3 Article from City Manager: Cli The Unknowns of Climate ience IP4 Memo from Media Services Pordinator: Mediacom C anges IP5 Memo from Neighborhood Coordinator and rvices Intern Neighborhood Partnership update IP6 Press Release from Government Finance Of ei GFOA's Distinguished Budget Award (with a IP7 Memo from Asst. City Manager: Strategic Plan IP8 Email from Parks & Rec. Dir: Annu/Park IP9 Community Job & Resource Fair IP10 Dubuque Street Open House — Se Is Not Settled UniverCity Kation (GFOA): Iowa City receives press release form Finance Dir.) Report AN.+�I'.� CITY OF IOWA CITY Date Tuesday, October 7, 2014 City Council Tentative Meeting Schedule IP1 Subject to change September 25, 2014 Time Meeting 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Location Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, October 21, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, October 27, 2014 4:30 PM Joint Meeting /Work Session North Liberty Tuesday, November 4, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Thursday, November 6, 2014 5:00 PM Spec. Work Session (Court /Linn RFP) Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, November 18, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 2, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, December 16, 2014 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Tuesday, January 6, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Saturday, January 10, 2015 8AM -5PM Special Budget Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall (Department Presentations) Monday, January 12, 2015 1:00- 7:OOPM Special Budget Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall (CIP Presentations) Tuesday, January 13, 2015 5:00 PM Special Budget Work Session Emma J. Harvat Hall Tuesday, January 20, 2015 5:00 PM Work Session Meeting Emma J. Harvat Hall 7:00 PM Formal Meeting Monday, January 26, 2015 4:30 PM Joint Meeting / Work Session TBA From the City Manager 1P2 Forty Under 40 The annual Forty under 40 awards recognize forty leaders under the age of 40 who are making a difference in the Corridor. Nominations will be taken in late summer, and honorees will be chosen by a panel of the previous year's winners. A reception to provide networking opportunities will be followed by a dinner and awards ceremony. Date: October 23, 2014 Location: The Hotel at Kirkwood Center 5:30 — 6:30 p.m. cocktail hour 6:30 — 8:30 p.m. dinner & awards presentation dinner will start promptly at 6:30 p.m. 2014 Honorees: Carla Andorf Emmy Ball Kate Beihl Nicholas Bergus Paula Boback Michele Brock Katy Brown Tiffany Chamberlain Benjamin Clark Kevin Conlin Jill Donnewerth Casey Ealy Stephanie Ernsting Kris Fassler Geoff Fruin Ryan Giannini Sara Going Brad Haverback Brent Hinson Katie Imborek Donald Johnson Nate Kaeding Jeff Kellbach Shea Kelly David Little Brian McConnell Cally Murray Wendy Nielsen Stacie Osako Raj Patel Andre Perry Ofer Sivan Julie Sterling Joseph Strathman Deborah Summers Greg Swartzendruber Aaron -Marie Thorns Jennifer Welton Jill Wilkins Scott Wilson Climate Science Is Not Settled - WSJ Page 1 of 4 From the City Manager IP3 Dow Jones Reprints: This copy is for your personal, non - commercial use only. To order presentation -ready copies for distribution to your colleagues, clients or customers, use the Order Reprints tool at the bottom of any article or visit www.djreprints.com • See a sample reprint in PDF format. • Order a reprint of this article now THE SATURDAY ESSAY Climate ScienceThe Unknowns of Climate Science IsNot Settled By STEVEN E. KOONIN Updated Sept. 20, 2014 2:20 a.m. ET The idea that "Climate science is settled "runs through today's popular and policy discussions. Unfortunately, that claim is misguided. It has not only distorted our public and policy debates on issues related to energy, greenhouse -gas emissions and the environment. But it also has inhibited the scientific and policy discussions that we need to have about our climate future. i My training as a computational physicist— together with a 40 -year career of scientific research, advising and management in academia, government and the private sector —has afforded me an extended, up -close perspective on climate science. Detailed technical discussions during the past year with leading climate scientists have given me an even better sense of what we know, and don't know, about climate. I have come to appreciate the daunting scientific challenge of answering the questions that policy makers and the public are asking. The crucial scientific question for policy isn't whether the climate is changing. That is a settled matter: The climate has always changed and always will. Geological and historical records show the occurrence of major climate shifts, sometimes over only a few decades. We know, for instance, that during the 20th century the Earth's global average surface temperature rose 1.4 degrees Fahrenheit. Nor is the crucial question whether humans are influencing the climate. That is no hoax: There is little doubt in the scientific community that continually growing amounts of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, due largely to carbon - dioxide emissions from the conventional use of fossil fuels, are influencing the climate. There is also little doubt that the carbon dioxide will persist in the atmosphere for several centuries. The impact today of human activity appears to be comparable to the intrinsic, natural variability of the climate system itself. Rather, the crucial, unsettled scientific question for policy is, "How will the climate change over the next century under both natural and human influences ?" Answers to that question at the global and regional levels, as well as to equally complex questions of how ecosystems and human activities will be affected, should inform our choices about energy and infrastructure. But — here's the catch —those questions are the hardest ones to answer. They challenge, in a fundamental way, what science can tell us about future climates. Even though human influences could have serious consequences for the climate, they are physically small in relation to the climate system as a whole. For example, human additions to carbon dioxide in the atmosphere by the middle of the 21st century are expected to directly shift the atmosphere's natural http: / /online.wsj.cominewsl articles/ SB20608297325219184784504580160023508188614 9/22/2014 Climate Science Is Not Settled - WSJ Page 2 of 4 greenhouse effect by only 1% to 2 %. Since the climate system is highly variable on its own, that smallness sets a very high bar for confidently projecting the consequences of human influences. A second challenge to "knowing" future climate is today's poor understanding of the oceans. The oceans, which change over decades and centuries, hold most of the climate's heat and strongly influence the atmosphere. Unfortunately, precise, comprehensive observations of the oceans are available only for the past few decades; the reliable record is still far too short to adequately understand how the oceans will change and how that will affect climate. A third fundamental challenge arises from feedbacks that can dramatically amplify or mute the climate's response to human and natural influences. One important feedback, which is thought to approximately double the direct heating effect of carbon dioxide, involves water vapor, clouds and temperature. But feedbacks are uncertain. They depend on the details of processes such as evaporation and the flow of radiation through clouds. They cannot be determined confidently from the basic laws of physics and chemistry, so they must be verified by precise, detailed observations that are, in many cases, not yet available. Beyond these observational challenges are those posed by the complex computer models used to project future climate. These massive programs attempt to describe the dynamics and interactions of the various components of the Earth system —the atmosphere, the oceans, the land, the ice and the biosphere of living things. While some parts of the models rely on well- tested physical laws, other parts involve technically informed estimation. Computer modeling of complex systems is as much an art as a science. For instance, global climate models describe the Earth on a grid that is currently limited by computer capabilities to a resolution of no finer than 60 miles. (The distance from New York City to Washington, D.C., is thus covered by only four grid cells.) But processes such as cloud formation, turbulence and rain all happen on much smaller scales. These critical processes then appear in the model only through adjustable assumptions that specify, for example, how the average cloud cover depends on a grid box's average temperature and humidity. In a given model, dozens of such assumptions must be adjusted ( "tuned," in the jargon of modelers) to reproduce both current observations and imperfectly known historical records. We often hear that there is a "scientific consensus" about climate change. But as far as the computer models go, there isn't a useful consensus at the level of detail relevant to assessing human influences. Since 1990, the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, or IPCC, has periodically surveyed the state of climate science. Each successive report from that endeavor, with contributions from thousands of scientists around the world, has come to be seen as the definitive assessment of climate science at the time of its issue. For the latest IPCC report (September 2013), its Working Group I, which focuses on physical science, uses an ensemble of some 55 different models. Although most of these models are tuned to reproduce the gross features of the Earth's climate, the marked differences in their details and projections reflect all of the limitations that I have described. For example: • The models differ in their descriptions of the past century's global average surface temperature by more than three times the entire warming recorded during that time. Such mismatches are also present in many other basic climate factors, including rainfall, which is fundamental to the atmosphere's energy balance. As a result, the models give widely varying descriptions of the climate's inner workings. Since they disagree so markedly, no more than one of them can be right. http: / /online.wsj.com/news/ articles/ SB20608297325219184784504580160023508188614 9/22/2014 Climate Science Is Not Settled - WSJ Page 3 of 4 • Although the Earth's average surface temperature rose sharply by 0.9 degree Fahrenheit during the last quarter of the 20th century, it has increased much more slowly for the past 16 years, even as the human contribution to atmospheric carbon dioxide has risen by some 25 %. This surprising fact demonstrates directly that natural influences and variability are powerful enough to counteract the present warming influence exerted by human activity. Yet the models famously fail to capture this slowing in the temperature rise. Several dozen different explanations for this failure have been offered, with ocean variability most likely playing a major role. But the whole episode continues to highlight the limits of our modeling. • The models roughly describe the shrinking extent of Arctic sea ice observed over the past two decades, but they fail to describe the comparable growth of Antarctic sea ice, which is now at a record high. • The models predict that the lower atmosphere in the tropics will absorb much of the heat of the warming atmosphere. But that "hot spot" has not been confidently observed, casting doubt on our understanding of the crucial feedback of water vapor on temperature. • Even though the human influence on climate was much smaller in the past, the models do not account for the fact that the rate of global sea -level rise 70 years ago was as large as what we observe today —about one foot per century. • A crucial measure of our knowledge of feedbacks is climate sensitivity —that is, the warming induced by a hypothetical doubling of carbon - dioxide concentration. Today's best estimate of the sensitivity (between 2.7 degrees Fahrenheit and 8.1 degrees Fahrenheit) is no different, and no more certain, than it was 30 years ago. And this is despite an heroic research effort costing billions of dollars. These and many other open questions are in fact described in the IPCC research reports, although a detailed and knowledgeable reading is sometimes required to discern them. They are not "minor" issues to be "cleaned up" by further research. Rather, they are deficiencies that erode confidence in the computer projections. Work to resolve these shortcomings in climate models should be among the top priorities for climate research. Yet a public official reading only the IPCC's "Summary for Policy Makers" would gain little sense of the extent or implications of these deficiencies. These are fundamental challenges to our understanding of human impacts on the climate, and they should not be dismissed with the mantra that "climate science is settled." While the past two decades have seen progress in climate science, the field is not yet mature enough to usefully answer the difficult and important questions being asked of it. This decidedly unsettled state highlights what should be obvious: Understanding climate, at the level of detail relevant to human influences, is a very, very difficult problem. We can and should take steps to make climate projections more useful over time. An international commitment to a sustained global climate observation system would generate an ever - lengthening record of more precise observations. And increasingly powerful computers can allow a better understanding of the uncertainties in our models, finer model grids and more sophisticated descriptions of the processes that occur within them. The science is urgent, since we could be caught flat- footed if our understanding does not improve more rapidly than the climate itself changes. A transparent rigor would also be a welcome development, especially given the momentous political and policy decisions at stake. That could be supported by regular, independent, "red team" reviews to stress- http: / /online.wsj.com/ news / articles/ SB20608297325219184784504580160023508188614 9/22/2014 Climate Science Is Not Settled - WSJ Page 4 of 4 test and challenge the projections by focusing on their deficiencies and uncertainties; that would certainly be the best practice of the scientific method. But because the natural climate changes over decades, it will take many years to get the data needed to confidently isolate and quantify the effects of human influences. Policy makers and the public may wish for the comfort of certainty in their climate science. But I fear that rigidly promulgating the idea that climate science is "settled" (or is a "hoax ") demeans and chills the scientific enterprise, retarding its progress in these important matters. Uncertainty is a prime mover and motivator of science and must be faced head -on. It should not be confined to hushed sidebar conversations at academic conferences. Society's choices in the years ahead will necessarily be based on uncertain knowledge of future climates. That uncertainty need not be an excuse for inaction. There is well - justified prudence in accelerating the development of low- emissions technologies and in cost - effective energy - efficiency measures. But climate strategies beyond such "no regrets" efforts carry costs, risks and questions of effectiveness, so nonscientific factors inevitably enter the decision. These include our tolerance for risk and the priorities that we assign to economic development, poverty reduction, environmental quality, and i nterg ene rational and geographical equity. Individuals and countries can legitimately disagree about these matters, so the discussion should not be about "believing" or "denying" the science. Despite the statements of numerous scientific societies, the scientific community cannot claim any special expertise in addressing issues related to humanity's deepest goals and values. The political and diplomatic spheres are best suited to debating and resolving such questions, and misrepresenting the current state of climate science does nothing to advance that effort. Any serious discussion of the changing climate must begin by acknowledging not only the scientific certainties but also the uncertainties, especially in projecting the future. Recognizing those limits, rather than ignoring them, will lead to a more sober and ultimately more productive discussion of climate change and climate policies. To do otherwise is a great disservice to climate science itself. Dr. Koonin was undersecretary for science in the Energy Department during President Barack Obama's first term and is currently director of the Center for Urban Science and Progress at New York University. His previous positions include professor of theoretical physics and provost at Caltech, as well as chief scientist of BP, where his work focused on renewable and low- carbon energy technologies. he idea that "Climate science is settled "runs through today's popular and policy discussions. Unfortunately, that claim is misguided. It has not only distorted our public and policy debates on issues related to energy, greenhouse -gas emissions and the environment. But it also has inhibited the scientific and policy discussions that we need to have about our climate future. i My training as a computational physicist— together with a 40 -year career of scientific research, advising and management in academia, government and the private sector —has afforded me an extended, up -close perspective on climate science. Detailed technical discussions during the past T Copyright 2014 Dow Jones & Company, Inc. All Rights Reserved This copy is for your personal, non - commercial use only. Distribution and use of this material are governed by our Subscriber Agreement and by copyright law. For non - personal use or to order multiple copies, please contact Dow Jones Reprints at 1- 800 - 843 -0008 or visit www.djrepdnts.com http: / /online.wsj.cominewsl articles/ SB20608297325219184784504580160023508188614 9/22/2014 CITY OF IOWA CITY 1P4 ..,�.._ MEMORANDUM Date: September 25, 2014 To: Geoff Fruin, Assistant City Manager From: Ty Coleman, Media Services Production Coordinator Re: Mediacom Changes Below is a summary of the changes Mediacom is planning to make to channels found in the basic tier between channels 10 and 22. Some of the affected channels are local access stations, including The Library Channel and Public Access Television. The changes noted below are being implemented by Mediacom in order to free up bandwidth needed to offer higher -speed Internet offerings to businesses and residents in the Iowa City area, similar to its Ultra 305 service released in Cedar Rapids earlier this year. On September 16, 2014, Mediacom's Senior Manager of Government Relations, Lee Grassley, sent a letter of notice to the City regarding these changes and noted they will occur on October 29, 2014. First, all channels found from 10 to 22, which are currently distributed via an analog signal, will cease analog transmission and commence digital transmission. Iowa City residents who will be affected by this change include basic tier cable TV subscribers who utilize analog televisions for viewing cable TV programming, without the use of a digital transport adapter (DTA). As it stands now, these viewers may watch all channels offered on this tier by direct connection to their analog TVs. When the channels are converted to a digital platform, affected viewers will no longer be able to view them unless they obtain a DTA device or a digital -ready television. Channels 2 through 9 will continue to be distributed via an analog signal, but can still be received by digital adapters and digital -ready TVs. Those who currently utilize DTAs or digital -ready TVs will not experience a disruption in service as related to this change. Second, Iowa City's Library Channel, currently located at channel 10, will be relocated to channel 20. My understanding is that this comes as a result of Mediacom's efforts to work with other commercial stations found in the affected channel range, wherein Mediacom has agreed to move the station currently located at channel 20 to channel 10, as part of the digital conversion process. All Mediacom cable TV subscribers in Iowa City will experience this change in their channel lineup. Mediacom, in its September 16th letter, has indicated its intent to notify subscribers of the aforementioned changes by placing an ad in the local paper and by placing an informational crawl on the Weather Channel for the 30 days leading up to October 29tH. Mediacom has also stated it will offer DTA devices to subscribers at no charge for one year, and at the rate of $0.99 per month per adapter after that. After obtaining additional clarification and details, I have learned that subscribers may obtain up to two DTAs at the promotional rate and may do so up to six months beyond October 29tH Working with the City's Communications Office, representatives of Iowa City's public, educational, and government (PEG) access stations, Library staff, and the Iowa City Telecommunications Commission, we have recognized the need for informing our residents of the forthcoming changes and their potential need for obtaining a digital transport adapter to maintain access to Iowa City's valuable PEG channels. A meeting, which included access channel representatives, Communications Coordinator Shannon McMahon, and myself was held on September 17, 2014 to discuss potential avenues for informing residents. Below, I have listed the communication methods we plan to use for accomplishing this task leading up to October 29th. *Those marked with an asterisk are options still being investigated with regard to feasibility as related to cost and practicality. September 25, 2014 Page 2 1. A video public service announcement (PSA) to be played on local access channels as well as submitted to Mediacom for playback on its Iowa City cable TV system. 2. Information posted on access channel community bulletin boards (on TV), websites, and social media outlets. 3. An early press release, issued by the City's Communications Office. 4. A follow -up release to serve as a reminder as the date of the changes nears. 5. Various posts throughout the month, made through the City's social media outlets. 6. Information included in neighborhood association newsletters. 7. Information distributed by the Iowa City Community School District. 8. A centralized web page, allowing other communication methods to direct residents to a complete listing of information. 9. A display in the Iowa City Public Library, to include small, informational handouts. 10. Posters displayed at the Library. 11. Posters on City buses. 12. Posters in downtown kiosks. 13. Information mentioned within a local radio program featuring Library staff. 14. *Informational inserts within utility bills. 15. *Advertisements placed in local publications. 16. *Printing information on cable TV subscriber bills. Please let me know if you have any questions, concerns, or recommendations as we work to carry out this plan for informing our citizens. Mediacom September 15, 2014 Mr. Ty Coleman Mediacom Production Services Coordinator City of Iowa City Cable TV Office 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 Dear Mr. Coleman, I am writing in response to your letter to me dated August 7, 2014. First, let me thank you for recognizing that, as technology expands and grows, it is important for Mediacom to prepare its network to make even faster Internet offerings available to the businesses and residents of Iowa City (the "City"). As you know, Mediacom, until recently, operated in the City pursuant to a local franchise. Mediacom approached the City in 2008 to discuss the possibility of transitioning some of the City's PEG channels to digital in order to free up bandwidth for faster Internet services. We ultimately abandoned those plans because it would have required a revision of the local franchise. In 2013, Mediacom converted from a local franchise to a state issued franchise. While Mediacom is required to maintain a comparable number of PEG channels under the state franchise as it was under the local franchise, there is no requirement that Mediacom maintain those PEG channels in any particular format (e.g. analog v. digital) or on any particular channel location. In essence, the state franchise gives Mediacom the freedom to transition PEG channels to digital. Because we want to begin making room on our network to offer even faster Internet speeds to residents and businesses in the City, Mediacom will make the below changes to the City's PEG channels on or about October 29`h : Channel Name From Location To Location Current Availability Future Availability IC Public Library 10 20 Analog /Digital Digital Kirkwood CC 11 11 Analog /Digital Digital U of 1 17 17 Analog /Digital Digital Public Access 18 18 Analog /Digital Digital Iowa City Schools 21 21 Analog /Digital Digital Mediacom Communications Corporation 6300 Council St. NE • Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 • 319- 395 -7801 • Fax 319 - 393 -7017 Mediacom All of the above listed PEG channels will continue to be available on the broadcast basic tier of service, just in a digital only format. In advance of these changes, Mediacom will place an ad in the local newspaper notifying City residents of the upcoming changes. On or before September 29th, we also plan to run a crawl for 30 days on the Weather Channel informing customers of the upcoming changes. If the City would like to produce a :30 PSA giving local residents additional information about the upcoming changes, Mediacom would offer to run the PSA on various cable channels during the 30 days prior to October 29th. Since Mediacom has been gradually transitioning its channels to digital over the past couple years, most of our customers in the City already have digital reception device, be it a digital -ready television, digital converter box, or digital transport adapter ( "DTA "). For those customers that still rely on analog only televisions, Mediacom will offer DTAs at no cost for one year and for lease at $0.99 per month after that. DTA's can be picked up at the local office or shipped directly to the customer for self - install. If a customer requires Mediacom to come to their home to install a DTA, then a $49.99 service charge will be applied to their account. In conjunction with the October 29th channel changes we are making, Mediacom has raised the top residential Internet download speed in the City from 105 Mbps to 150 Mbps. We anticipate announcing even faster speeds at a future date. In closing, I wanted to take a minute to explain that as Mediacom is moving away from local franchises towards state issued franchises, we are also moving away from individualized agreements that give certain cities significantly more privileges or benefits than others cities. As a result, Mediacom will not be providing the City with the special requests set forth in your letter to me. Thank you again for recognizing the importance of preparing our network to bring the next generation of Internet services to the residents of Iowa City. Please feel free to contact me with any questions. Sincerely, 064 40jr Lee Grassley Senior Manager, Government Relations Mediacom Communications Corporation 6300 Council St. NE • Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 • 319 - 395 -7801 • Fax 319- 393 -7017 Medacom ftft September 18, 2014 Ms. Marian Karr City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 -1826 Dear: Ms. Karr 2C 14 .3 2 3 Because we want to begin making room on our network to offer even faster Internet speeds to residents and businesses in your city, Mediacom will make the below changes to your channel on or about October 29th, 2014: Service Current Channel New Channel Current Tier New Tier WGN America 96 78 Local Plus TV Local Plus TV Oxygen 78 55 Digital Family TV Digital Family TV KFXB (CTN 40) Dubuque 19 3 Local Plus TV Local Plus TV KWKB (CW 20) HD Iowa City 820 810 HD Local Plus TV HD Local Plus TV ICPL 10 20 Local Plus TV Local Plus TV KWKB (CW 20) Iowa City 20 10 Local Plus TV Local Plus TV Public Access 18 18 Local Plus TV Digital Local Plus KTS (Educational Access) 11 11 Local Plus TV Digital Local Plus University of Iowa TV 17 17 Local Plus TV Digital Local Plus Iowa City Schools 21 21 Local Plus TV Digital Local Plus It is important that we prepare our network to bring the next generation of Internet services to the residents of your city. These changes are the first step in the preparation process. If you have any questions please call me at 319 - 395 -9699 ext. 3461 or e-mail Igrassley @mediacomcc.com . Sincerely, Lee Grassley Senior Manager, Government Relations Mediacom Communications Corporation 6300 Council St. NE • Cedar Rapids, IA 52402 • 319 - 395 -7801 • Fax 319 - 393 -7017 IP5 CITY OF IOWA CITY ..;.� MEMORANDUM DATE: September 25, 2014 TO: Tom Markus, City Manager FROM: Steve Long, Neighborhood Services Coordinator Kirk Lehmann, Neighborhood Services Intern RE: UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership update This memo addresses the questions that arose at the September 16, 2014 City Council meeting about the UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership. The UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership program is dedicated to ensuring that neighborhoods surrounding downtown and the University of Iowa campus remain safe, vital, affordable and attractive places to live and work for renters and homeowners. Using various sources of funding, the program purchases rental properties, then renovates and sells them as owner - occupied properties to income - qualifying buyers. The properties are selected and acquired after recommendations are made by a committee made up of representatives of the UniverCity neighborhoods, local lenders, Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, previous UniverCity homebuyers, the University of Iowa and City staff. The committee looks at the location of the prospective home to determine the impact to the block, looks at the size and condition of the home and looks at the price of the home to ensure that households within our income guidelines can afford the home. There are not set guidelines for acquisition prices, but the committee strives to have a wide variety of housing options. To date, acquisition prices have ranged from $60,000 to $230,000. Thirty houses were part of the program's first two phases and seventeen were in its third, nine of which are already sold. UniverCity homes tend to be more affordable, with an average final sale price of approximately $157,000 as compared to the city's median sale price of homes of approximately $185,000. According to Zillow, the median price of homes currently listed in Iowa City is $224,900. The sale of the home at 1111 E. Burlington Street that was approved at the September 16 Council meeting is selling at a price that is at the upper end of the program because of the tremendous amount of rehabilitation required; however, it still fits within the parameters of the program. The home will be sold for $193,000, plus carrying costs of $40,000 and the homebuyer will receive $10,000 in downpayment assistance. Phase 4 began this year with the intent to renovate nine additional homes using City funds (pages 3 &4). Located in several neighborhoods, including the College Green, Longfellow, Northside, Miller- Orchard and Goosetown, acquisition costs ranged from $102,000 to $220,000. The large range provides housing that is affordable for a variety of buyers. Ah neighborhoods, including the College Green, Longfellow, Northside, Miller- Orchard and Goosetown, acquisition costs ranged from $102,000 to $220,000. The large range provides housing that is affordable for a variety of buyers. September 25, 2014 Page 2 Applicants to the program must provide a prequalification letter from a lender when they submit the UniverCity application to the City. This ensures that they are able to secure a mortgage. In addition, staff verifies income, assets and employment status prior to approving the application for the UniverCity program and placing them on the prospective buyer wait list. The wait list currently has over 50 approved applicants. Once a home is ready to sell, an email is sent to every approved applicant inviting them to make an offer. The household who is highest on the applicant list who is interested in the home is invited to make an offer. At that time, they work with a lender to finalize the mortgage process and the City Legal Department prepares the necessary paperwork for the sale. To date, the average income of a UniverCity household is about $49,400, with a range from $26,000 to $105,000. The UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership has also helped stabilize neighborhoods by promoting a healthy balance of rental and owner- occupied properties. Many of the UniverCity homebuyers have continued to improve their home and neighborhood after their purchase. Through their efforts and the program's renovations (the price of which is forgiven after five years), UniverCity house values have increased an average of $15,000 per home. The UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership is also maintaining its marketing efforts with its social media campaign. The program's Facebook following has grown to an active fan base of just over 1,000, and Twitter updates can be found @UniverCitylC. For the most up -to -date UniverCity news, follow the Facebook page at facebook.com /UniverCitylA. Program information and applications are available at is ,gov.org /U niverCity. September 25, 2014 Page 3 Phase 4 UniverCity Homes Available in Winter 2014 through Spring 2015 621 North Johnson Street 606 North Gilbert Street 1128 Muscatine Avenue 403 Douglass Court 429 Ronalds Street - 1025 East Burlington Street September 25, 2014 Page 4 828 North Johnson Street 711 North Gilbert Street 924 East Bloomington Street Frequently Asked Questions What is the UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership? The City purchases homes in select areas around campus and downtown using low- interest loans provided by several local lenders. The homes are then renovated and sold to eligible homebuyers. The program is dedicated to ensuring that the University of Iowa Campus and surrounding neighborhoods remain vital, safe, affordable, and attractive places to live and work for both renters and homeowners. To date, 38 homes have been renovated and sold as owner- occupied homes. The renovations on the next 17 homes will be completed by spring 2015. How does the program work? Just as any homebuyer considers the assessed value, location, and condition of the home, these things are taken into account when purchasing properties in the program. Staff evaluates necessary and desirable improvements that convert the home back to single - family owner occupancy. The renovation work is bid out to local contractors, who get to work quickly on renovating the house. The homes will receive up to $50,000 in renovations. Once renovated, the homes are available for sale to income - qualified buyers. The $50,000 is not included in the sale price and forgiven once the home has been owner- occupied for five years. A deed restriction is placed on all homes ensuring that they remain owner- occupied for 20 years. The home is sold to the selected purchaser at the original purchase price plus carrying costs (such as interest on the City's mortgage while owning the home, any utilities or fees, and charges for general upkeep such as shoveling or mowing). Carrying costs are typically $5,000 to $7,000. Who qualifies to purchase these homes? To participate in the program, you must be pre - qualified for a mortgage and your gross household income must fall within specific income limits, depending on the house (this is due to the type of funds used for the rehabilitation). The chart below displays all three categories of income requirements; these are maximum incomes. Household income is defined as the total gross income for all adult household members, except those under 24 years of age who are enrolled in college. Household Size 318 S. Lucas St. 917 N. Dodge St. All Other Homes 1 $ 44,550 $ 77,980* 2 $ 50,900 $ 89,040* 3 $ 57,250 $ 100,240* 4 $ 63,600 $ 111,300* 5 $ 68,700 $ 120,260* 6 $ 73,800 $ 129,220* *If the sale price is over $190,000, households with gross income above 140% of the area median income (AMI), but below 160% AMI may qualify for the program if the household has certain substantial and ongoing monthly debt obligations such as student loans, medical bills, and child care. Updated 08/5/14 — S:\PCD\UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership \Website Info \City Website \Home Page Files \FAQ Documents How were the homes selected? Homes were selected based on certain criteria. First, the house must be located in one of the designated neighborhood districts (see maps on homepage). Because the goal of the program is to balance owner occupancy with rentals, we looked for areas that are not clearly tipped in one direction —not solidly owner - occupied and not solidly rental. Staff also identified homes in areas where the condition of the housing and the underlying zoning support single - family dwellings. Finally, qualified inspectors assessed the homes to see if they could be renovated to good condition within our budget. The City was assisted in the selection process by a committee that includes neighborhood representatives, University and City staff, a local realtor, a banker, and advocates for historic preservation and affordable housing. When can I tour a home? Once your application is submitted and you are deemed eligible to purchase a home through the UniverCity Program, you can schedule a tour with staff. In addition, open house events for the general public are held periodically. How does the application process work? Applications for homeownership are accepted continuously. Once applications are completed and submitted, including a mortgage preapproval letter from a lender and signed copies of 2013 tax returns for all adults in the household, we will contact you by email or phone to let you know we have received the documents. Next, your income and application information are verified. Once the verification process is complete we will contact you to find out your initial housing preferences and allow you to tour any homes with finished renovations. How do I make an offer on a home? The opportunity for an applicant to purchase a home will be determined by the date of submission of a completed application on a first come, first serve basis. Once renovations are substantially completed for a home, all applicants will be notified and asked to express their interest in the home by a given deadline. The first interested applicant on the list (based on application date) will then be given the opportunity to make an offer on the home within three calendar days. If this person chooses not to make an offer, we will give the second interested applicant on the list an opportunity to make an offer, and so on down the list. If I decide to purchase the home, can I have it inspected? Yes, you can have the home inspected to ensure that it is in good condition. However, there is no bargaining on the price —the house is sold at the set price, as is. For more information, contact: Steve Long Neighborhood Services Coordinator City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5250 steve-long@iowa-city.org David Powers Housing Rehabilitation Specialist City of Iowa City 410 E. Washington St. Iowa City, IA 52240 319.356.5233 david-powers@iowa-city.org Updated 08/5/14 — 5: \PCD \UniverCity Neighborhood Partnership \Website Info \City Website \Home Page Files \FAQ Documents Government Finance Officers Association 203 North LaSalle Street, Suite 2700 Chicago, Illinois 60601 -1210 312.977.9700 fax: 312.977.4806 September 5, 2014 PRESS RELEASE For Further Information Contact Stephen J. Gauthier (312) 977 -9700 Chicago - -The Government Finance Officers Association of the United States and Canada (GFOA) is pleased to announce that City of Iowa City, Iowa has received the GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Award for its budget. The award represents a significant achievement by the entity. It reflects the commitment of the governing body and staff to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. In order to receive the budget award, the entity had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation. These guidelines are designed to assess how well an entity's budget serves as: • a policy document • a financial plan • an operations guide • a communications device Budget documents must be rated "proficient" in all four categories, and the fourteen mandatory criteria within those categories, to receive the award. When a Distinguished Budget Presentation Award is granted to an entity, a Certificate of Recognition for Budget Presentation is also presented to the individual or department designated as being primarily responsible for its having achieved the award. This has been presented to Finance Department For budgets beginning in 2013, 1,425 participants received the Award. Award recipients have pioneered efforts to improve the quality of budgeting and provide an excellent example for other governments throughout North America. The Government Finance Officers Association is a major professional association servicing the needs of more than 18,000 appointed and elected local, state, and provincial -level government officials and other finance practitioners. It provides top quality publications, training programs, services, and products designed to enhance the skills and performance of those responsible for government finance policy and management. The association is headquartered in Chicago, Illinois, with offices in Washington D.C. The GFOA's Distinguished Budget Presentation Awards Program is the only national awards program in governmental budgeting. Washington, DC Office 1301 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W., Suite 309 • Washington, DC 20004 • 202.393.8020 • fax: 202.393.0780 www.gfoa.org Marian Karr From: City of Iowa City <webmaster @iowa - city.org> Sent: Tuesday, September 23, 2014 3:21 PM To: Marian Karr Subject: City again receives national Distinguished Budget Presentation Award 2 Contact: Dennis Bockenstedt Contact Phone: 319 - 356 -5053 City again receives national Distinguished Budget Presentation Award Issued by: Communications Office Mailing List(s): General City News Originally Posted 9/23/2014 3:20:20 PM City of Iowa City Finance Director Dennis Bockenstedt has been notified that for the third consecutive year, the City's Finance Department has been awarded the national Distinguished Budget Presentation Award by the Government Finance Officers Association (GFOA). The award, which is the highest form of recognition in governmental budgeting, recognizes the City's FY2015 budget, which took effect July 1, 2014. The City also won the award in 2012 and 2013, after a nearly 20 -year hiatus in which a budget document was not submitted for consideration. The GFOA notes that this award represents significant achievement and a commitment to meeting the highest principles of governmental budgeting. To receive the budget award, the City had to satisfy nationally recognized guidelines for effective budget presentation which assessed the budget's effectiveness in four categories. as a policy document, financial plan, operations guide and communications device. As part of the review, budget documents must be rated highly in all four of these categories, as well as the 14 mandatory criteria within those categories. The City's budget was scored by three different reviewers, and in each area of consideration received one of the two highest rankings: "outstanding" or "proficient." The Government Finance Officers Association is a nonprofit professional association serving more than 17,500 government finance professionals throughout North America. For the last fiscal period, 1,425 entities were expected to receive the Distinguished Budget Presentation award. To view a copy of the City's FY2015 budget, visit www.icaov.org/budg . For more information, contact Dennis Bockenstedt at 319 - 356 -5053 or dennis- bockenstedtgiowa- city.org. View this article on the ICGov Web Site: http://www.icgov.org/gpps/news/?newslD=9980 =0 CITY CITY OF IOWA CITY ��� iP7 ��' ='�*&N MEMORANDUM Date: September 22, 2014 To: Tom Markus, City Manager From: Geoff Fruin, Assistant City Manager Re: Strategic Plan Status Report Included in this week's information packet is the September 2014 Strategic Plan Status Report. The purpose of this report is to provide the reader with information on the strategic planning process and the City's efforts to achieve the adopted goals. The document also contains an update on various other significant projects and initiatives, including those directly related to the inclusive and sustainable goals of the City Council. As a reminder, we reformatted the report earlier this year to incorporate imagery and make it more concise and readable. Also, while a number of the objectives were unchanged from the 2012 -13 Strategic Plan, we have removed the vast majority of the accomplishments from that timeframe. This was done primarily to keep the report concise and focus the content on the more recent accomplishments and future plans. The 2012 -13 Strategic Plan, as well as this current update is temporarily available on our website at www.ic- gov.org /strategicplan. Archived versions are maintained in the City Clerk's Office. Due to the number of items on the City Council's pending work session list, I am recommending that we do not schedule a formal presentation of this report to the City Council unless they specifically request such a forum. I Contents City of Iowa City Organizational Profile ............................................................................................................... ..............................2 StrategicPlan Process .......................................................................................................................................... ..............................3 2014 -2015 Strategic Planning Calendar ............................................................................................................ ..............................3 CoreValues for City Employees* ...................................................................................................................... ..............................4 StrategicPlan Priorities ..................................................................................................................................... ..............................4 Strategic Economic Development Activities ........................................................................................................ ..............................5 AStrong Urban Core ............................................................................................................................................ ..............................8 HealthyNeighborhoods ...................................................................................................................................... .............................11 ASolid Financial Foundation .............................................................................................................................. .............................16 Enhanced Communication and Marketing ......................................................................................................... .............................17 Notable Projects and Initiatives Incorporating the Inclusive and Sustainable Values ........................................ .............................19 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives ........................................................................................................... .............................21 City of Iowa City Organizational Profile Iowa City is governed by an elected city council of seven members: four council members at -large and three district members. The council is responsible for appointing the city manager, city attorney, and city clerk. The city manager serves as the chief administrative officer for the organization. The city manager implements the policy decisions of the city council, enforces city ordinances, and appoints city officials, as well as supervises the directors of the city's operating departments. Iowa City employs approximately 600 full -time staff members to execute the city council's policies and provide public services to over 70,000 citizens. The City provides numerous utilities to its citizens including water, sewer, stormwater, and garbage and recycling services. In addition, the city provides many other services including public safety, building and housing inspections, parks and recreation, street maintenance, engineering, development services, transportation, and senior services. In 2008, Iowa City was designated as a City of Literature by UNESCO becoming the third city recognized internationally and the first and only U.S. city to date. Since 2012, the city has been recognized in over twenty "Best Of' publications including as "One of America's Best Small Cities," by Money Magazine, the "4th Best U.S. College Destination," by the American Institute for Economic Research, 8th "Best Performing Small City," by the Milken Institute, "A Top Literary City," by Highbrow Magazine and the 13th "Best Small City for Business and Careers," by Forbes. City Council Members Matt Hayek, Mayor Susan Mims, Mayor Pro Tem Rick Dobyns, District A Terry Dickens, District B Jim Throgmorton, District C Michelle Payne, At -large Kingsley Botchway II, At -large Strategic Plan Process The strategic planning process involves multiple steps, including gathering input from the general public, City staff, and the City Council. The planning process focused on 1) Issues, Concerns, Trends and Opportunities 2) On -Going or Committed Projects 3) Significant and New Projects, Programs, Policies and Initiatives and 4) Organizational Effectiveness. The 2014 -2015 Strategic Plan outlines the primary areas of focus for the community. Numerous additional projects, initiatives and policy matters that are not specifically mentioned in this document have been carried out or will also be addressed as appropriate. The City staff continues to coordinate various actions that contribute to successful outcomes in each of the identified focus areas. This Status Report notes each of the focus areas, explains the major accomplishments to date, and presents a sample of future plans to further these goals. 2014 -2015 Strategic Planning Calendar Fall 2013 Public and City staff input presented to the City Council Strategic planning work session with the City Council Winter 2013 Adoption of the Strategic Plan 2014 -2015 Implementation of action items Periodic status updates Fall 2015 Final action steps completed Creation of a new 2016 -17 Strategic Plan Core Values for City Employees* Strategic Plan Priorities Integrity Inspiration Mean what you say Encourage others Do as you say Help set the pace Fostering a more INCLUSIVE and SUSTAINABLE Iowa City through Be honest Be excited about the future a Commitment to: Be ethical Show faith in your team Be consistent Be visionary Be committed Embrace new concepts Strategic Economic Development Activities Don't quit before you start Communication Be expressive Life -Long Learning Provide feedback Be self- directed A Strong Urban Core Be friendly /open Show creativity Be clear Find solutions from multiple sources Be authentic Seek to learn Be reflective Evaluate and adjust when needed Healthy Neighborhoods Listen Share knowledge Practice what you learn Leadership A Solid Financial Foundation See the whole picture Take risks Show passion Be respectful Be tactful *Core Core values were developed by Iowa City staff Communication and Marketing J Engage during the 2012 -13 strategic plan year Empower others Celebrate others Note: The City Council has expressed that inclusivity and sustainability are guiding Be collaborative principles that should be considered when working within each of the stated Be supportive priorities Strategic Economic Development Activities Goal: The City strives to expand and diversify the economic base of the community, particularly in existing planned commercial and industrial areas that have established supporting infrastructure. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Completed the Williams Street streetscape improvements in conjunction • Continue to market the Kerr -McGee property for with the new commercial buildings on Muscatine and Williams redevelopment • Awarded the second fa4ade grant in the district to Iowa City Hospice • Identify further redevelopment options in the district (completed) . Continue to offer fa4ade improvement opportunities Towncrest • Supported multiple state grant applications for new senior housing to existing businesses redevelopment on Williams Street . Expand streetscape enhancements as redevelopment • Improved appearance of the Kerr -McGee property occurs • Approved plans for a new apartment building to replace a blighted • Work with the private sector on redevelopment parcel immediately west of Memory Gardens Cemetery strategies for the Town and Campus apartments • Completed significant public improvement projects on Lower Muscatine, • Initiate the First Avenue grade separation project Iowa City Marketplace y p Sycamore and First Avenue to improve storm water management, traffic (2015 -2016) flow, bicycle /pedestrian accommodations and aesthetic appeal of the . Continue to work with the Iowa City Marketplace and First Avenue corridor ownership group to revitalize the property and fill • Launched a farmers market at the Iowa City Marketplace vacant spaces Retail Corridor • Mall ownership announced Lucky's Market as new anchor tenant (to open in 2015) Strategic Economic Development Activities (continued) Goal: The City strives to expand and diversify the economic base of the community, particularly in existing planned commercial and industrial areas that have established supporting infrastructure. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Completed environmental assessments on city owned land at Riverside and • Continue to relocate public facilities and market the property at Highway 6 Riverside and Highway 6 for redevelopment • Began relocating public facilities from the Riverside and Highway 6 property • Continue to market the remaining airport parcels for redevelopment Highway 6 / • Facilitated the sale of multiple airport properties in Aviation Commerce Park • Facilitate redevelopment of vacant or underutilized properties along for private redevelopment the corridor Highway 1 • Completed work on the Highway 1 pedestrian trail project • Work with the Airport Commission on the development of unused • USPS announced relocation to Pepperwood Plaza with Tuesday Morning south airport property taking the vacated former Goodwill property • Completed the public infrastructure improvements and achieved shovel • Continue to market the property in coordination with Binswanger 420th Street ready status from ICAD and the State of Iowa and ICAD • Engaged Binswanger for real estate brokerage services Industrial Park 4P Ir it Y,c' Strategic Economic Development Activities (continued) Goal: The City strives to expand and diversify the economic base of the community, particularly in existing planned commercial and industrial areas that have established supporting infrastructure. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Worked with Moss Ridge Campus and Pearson to negotiate an access road to • Complete the platting of Moss Ridge Campus development Moss Ridge Campus the property and secured a secured a $1.9 million RISE grant for the project lots • Completed property acquisition and accepted bids for the new Moss Ridge • Assist with private development issues as needed and Northgate Road • Complete construction of Moss Ridge Road • Finalized a land trade with Hy -Vee to facilitate their relocation and expansion • Continue to explore a 'Corridor Compact' with neighboring on the former Robert's Dairy property on North Dodge Street. communities • Executed an agreement with ALPLA to expand their Iowa City operations and • Expand city presence at the CAD Co -Lab and encourage bring high quality jobs into the community young entrepreneurs to grow their business in the local • Cooperation with significant UI projects including the School of Music, Art community Other Economic Building West, Hancher, and the Children's Hospital • Evaluate expanded Co -Lab facilities • Awarded CDBG small business assistance to Butter and included an additional • Work to retain Entre Fest in Iowa City Development Efforts $75,000 for expanded micro - enterprise assistance in FY 2015 • Achieved a 6.3% reduction in the City property tax rate over the last three years • Sponsored Mission Creek and the 2014 Entre Fest, a three -day educational conference for entrepreneurs & innovators, in downtown Iowa City • Revised the City's economic development policies to better match strategic plan objectives 'W I jai A Strong Urban Core Goal: It is the City's goal to promote growth of the Downtown and Near Downtown areas in a manner that builds upon the existing vibrancy of the region, serves persons of all ages and backgrounds, and complements the surrounding neighborhoods and University community. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Notable continued partnerships with the ICDD including BenchMarks, TreeHuggers, advertising, power • Continue to work with the private sector to washing, expanded WiFi, coffee with a cop, support of their 'friends'fundraising effort, retail strengthen and diversify the economic base assessment, Northside Marketplace lighting and a dedicated police officer position in the district . Implementation of the downtown streetscape plan • Successfully completed the first full year of the "first hour free" parking initiative and expanded • Consider additional policy changes that can assist in Downtown parking for automobiles and mopeds on Washington and Dubuque streets. meeting the shared goals of the City and ICDD Iowa City and • New and expanded special events including One Book Two Book, Soul Fest, Oktoberfest, and (signage, dumpster /alleys, cafe regulations) Hometown Huddle . Work with the ICDD on targeted business Northside • Executed an agreement with Meta Communications to expand their business to the Park at 201 and recruitment added high quality jobs in the community . Continue to strengthen the Downtown Ambassador Marketplace • Facilitated significant private redevelopment efforts including the MidwestOne historic building, and coffee with a cop programs Grossix building, and the Northside Commons project . Consider a development agreement for the • Completed the first round Building Change fa4ade grant projects and expanded the program with local Chauncey project at Gilbert and College banks for a second round, which is currently underway . Evaluate multi -use building with New Pioneer Co- • Adopted the Downtown and Pedestrian Mall Streetscape Plan and commenced work on phase one op on the Recreation Center parking lot design F" IL UIMNM)N4h ARCHITEC15 Northside Commons lowa , lowa A Strong Urban Core (continued) Goal: It is the City's goal to promote growth of the Downtown and Near Downtown areas in a manner that builds upon the existing vibrancy of the region, serves persons of all ages and backgrounds, and complements the surrounding neighborhoods and University community. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Resurfaced the playground area as one of many master plan quickstart projects • Explore more partnerships with the Shelter House Downtown • Contracted with Shelter House for supplemental cleaning efforts before, during and after home to expand maintenance operations Iowa City and football games • Create a multi -modal traffic model to better • Started 'WhankYouIowaCity ", which is a card that Officer Schwindt, or other officers working in the evaluate street designs Norths ide downtown area, can hand out to someone for doing something to make downtown a great place. A • Evaluate Jefferson Hotel repurposing with the UI Marketplace number of downtown businesses have signed on to sponsor the project and offer thank you rewards . Launch a mobile payment application for parking . The Library will develop a multi- faceted program (continued) for all ages centered around the theme of music and utilizing a variety of downtown venues A Strong Urban Core (continued) Goal: It is the City's goal to promote growth of the Downtown and Near Downtown areas in a manner that builds upon the existing vibrancy of the region, serves persons of all ages and backgrounds, and complements the surrounding neighborhoods and University community. for Actions Riverfront Crossings • Working to finalize the Burlington Street Dam and Iowa River Restoration study, as well as initial park planning for the north waste water plant site • Developed the form based code and introduced changes to parking regulations in the RFC and downtown areas • Partnered with MidwestOne Bank on their new facility that is under construction • Secured an $8.5 million state flood mitigation grant to demolish the North Wastewater Plant, stabilize some creek and river banks, and establish an urban wetland • Received 6 proposals for the City's Court and Linn property • City has initiated rezoning of several properties in the South Downtown sub - district 1 Future Plans • Enter into a development agreement for the Court and Linn property • Continue to develop plans for a 640 space parking facility and 28 unit townhouse project near the MidwestOne office building • Finalize the riverfront park master plan process • Consider land acquisition strategies to return properties in the 100 year flood plain to open space and secure ROW needed for road reconfigurations • Demolish the North Wastewater Plant • Plan public improvements for Riverside Drive • Continue to work with the private sector on multiple redevelopment projects, including the Kinseth Hotel on Clinton and Burlington and a multi - family building on Riverside (Hartwig Motors site) • Work with the University of Iowa on the School of Music and Art Museum projects • Implement the Clinton / Burlington intersection improvements • Consider affordable housine policies 10 Healthy Neighborhoods Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Completed annexations for two new elementary • Consider recommendations from the South District schools in Iowa City Plan update • Created a new Horace Mann Conservation District Land Use Regulations • Amended the City Code to allow for Outdoor Service Areas in residential and mixed -use zones associated with restaurants • Initiated the South District planning effort ®lemname South Iowa City Community Planning Workshop Monday, October 6 7:00 -9:00 pm Grant Wood Elementary Gymnasium 1930 Lakeside Drive IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL UISTRIC i` CU0114sihrnd : Fulwo-rocnnsrrd 11 Healthy Neighborhoods (continued) Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Targets for Actions I Accomulishments Future Plans Public Infrastructure • Enhanced CIP funding for neighborhood parks • Installed the Sycamore Greenway trail head public artwork in the Grant Wood neighborhood • Selected a consultant to complete park planning services for Willow Creek and Kiwanis parks • Negotiated an agreement for the Chadek property, which will be converted to infill parkland • Secured future infill parkland through the Palisades development on North Dubuque Road • Working with the ICCSD to create a community center partnership at the new south elementary • Developed new park signage at multiple locations • Began planning for neighborhood park improvements at Court Hill Park, Tower Court and Highland Park • Converted South Governor Street (Bowery to Burlington) from one -way to two -way traffic • Ensure that future CIP funding is sufficiently provided for core neighborhood improvements • Continue to promote the Neighborhood Traffic Calming Program • Continue the Program for Improving Neighborhoods (PIN) grant program • Install a new playground feature at Mercer Park • Implement plan for improvements to Willow Creek and Kiwanis parks • Continue to rollout the new park signage • Developing an RFP for planning services related to City Park • Y^ 12 Healthy Neighborhoods (continued) Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Targets for Accomplishments Future Plans Actions • Completed phases one (26 homes) and two (4 homes) of the UniverCity program. • Continue to obtain funding resources to continue the Completed 10 of 17 homes in phase three and commenced work on phase four (10 homes) UniverCity, GRIP and Targeted Neighborhood Improvement Private • Continued the GRIP rehab program and assisted 19 existing homeowners over the last two programs years with 5 more pending Building Stock ' Used CDBG and HOME funds to rehab 24 homes with 5 more pending • The new Targeted Neighborhood Improvement Program assisted 18 homes over the last year with 6 more pending • Implementing a Green Building pilot program y 0 13 Healthy Neighborhoods (continued) Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Targets for Accomplishments Future Plans Actions • Updated the rental disclosure forms to better inform tenants of local ordinances and increased the • Continue outreach to neighborhoods to promote fine for non - compliance with the form requirement ICgovXpress and the Neighborhood Liaison Police • Increasingly used existing code provisions to require annual property inspections when nuisance or Officer program criminal complaints are received • Added more City departments to ICgovXpress to be more responsive to neighbor issues, including the Police Department, which is able to respond 24/7. Nuisance • Continue to utilize the new neighborhood liaison position in the ICPD to work with Neighborhood Mitigation Services, Housing & Inspection Services, Landlords, Tenants, and Associations on nuisance related matters • Restructured staff in Neighborhood and Development Services to better be able to respond to nuisance issues • Provided training to local Board of Realtors on issues related to property management, specifically relating to occupancy and tenant behavior. 113 Iowa City Area Association of REALTORS `a' REALTOR' m \' 1,)F _ govxpress 14 Healthy Neighborhoods (continued) Goal: The City aims to invest in and deliver core services to neighborhoods in a manner that enhances overall stability and maintains the intended character while facilitating new opportunities to improve the quality of life. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Assisted neighborhood associations in reestablishing a more active • Continue to expand ICgovXpress to other parts of the organization Neighborhood Council and provided necessary resources to respond • Continue to work with the ICCSD on facility issues, including exploring to the interests as determined by the membership. partnerships to enhance facilities and offer before and after school • Formed new neighborhood associations in the Mercer Park/ Dover programming, and increasing participation in the Library Summer Street neighborhood and in the Mark Twain neighborhood (Lucas Reading Program Farms) • Continue to work with the Neighborhood Council to provide resources • Helped establish a business association in the Gilbert Court area to and guidance to address their interests. Open Stakeholder address growing public safety concerns • Consolidated the HIS and Planning Departments to streamline Communication communication with residents and businesses • Initiated a "Coffee with a Cop" program with the Iowa City Downtown District • Continued staff outreach to various neighborhood associations and assisted with communications as appropriate • Weekly visits by Library staff to Neighborhood Centers established relationships with children who participated in the Summer Reading Program. • Initiated a new south district planning effort anticipating the new • Complete South District Plan update Updated Planning Alexander Elementary School opening in 2015. Documents 15 A Solid Financial Foundation Goal: The City aim to create a strong and sustainable financial foundation that will provide needed stability and flexibility while utilizing taxpayer dollars in the most efficient and responsible manner. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Adopted economic development policies to help guide the use of • Take steps to deal with the impacts projected from the State public incentives of Iowa's property tax relief legislation • Reduced the municipal property tax rate in each of the last three • Continue to reduce the property tax rate and explore options years (6.3% decline) for diversification of our revenue sources Financial Policies • Reduced debt service payments by nearly 28% since 2013 • Continue to review service charges to ensure that rates are • Created an emergency reserve fund to protect against rapid revenue sustainable and sufficiently recover costs loss or assist with disaster mitigation needs • Present informational materials on LOST to various • Evaluated fee structures of various services and established new organizations and the general public. LOST will be considered revenue benchmarks to reduce property tax dependency on the November 2014 ballot. • Participated in the LOST Exploratory Committee • Maintained the City's AAA bond rating from Moody's • Continue to enhance the budget document and associated Financial Analysis and • Received the GFOA Distinguished Budget Presentation award for the financial reporting first time in over twenty years in 2012 and received a second award • Incorporate performance measures that are linked to the Communication to the Public again in 2013 City Council's strategic plan • Received the GFOA Certificate of Achievement for Excellence in Financial Reporting for the 28th consecutive year Iowa City Property Tax Rate Trend $20.00 $19.00 $19.00 $17.00 $16.00 $15.00 $14.00 $13.04 Distinguished $i2.00 Budget $11.00 $10.00 7. Flay FlTM M7 HO HO H14 Fil H12 H13 H14 HIS �1I1�yq/� NT. "W 1 . 11]314 1].]29 1]342 1]29] 17-71] 1]353 1] -75] 17812 3]269 16. 16-745 Award yy a d ' 16 Enhanced Communication and Marketing Goal: The City strives to be a high- functioning, customer service orientated organization that actively supports and engages stakeholders through clear, open and innovative communication methods. Targets for Actions Accomplishments Future Plans • Established a growing social media • Continue efforts to better coordinate messages coming from various city presence through multiple platforms departments • Initiated a website redesign process in • Continue to implement the Munis centralized computer software program partnership with the University of . Further integrate the use of social media into the organization and introduce more Iowa interactive efforts that engage key staff and elected officials in social media • Began to participate in new student . Explore a refined city brand to help marketing and communication efforts Coordinated orientations at the University of Iowa . Develop select materials in multiple languages including library registration and Communications • Received a top score from the summer reading program materials Sunshine Review for excellence in . Plan for electronic newsletter options for Library users website transparency . Senior Center to explore shift to more electronic communications • Library card registration and Summer Reading Program materials available in Spanish. Door to door solicitation and school visits increased number of Spanish speaking families with library cards. Olt WELCOME • munis- budgeting. 17 Enhanced Communication and Marketing (continued) Goal: The City strives to be a high- functioning, customer service orientated organization that actively supports and engages stakeholders through clear, open and innovative communication methods. Far ecs ror ACtIons ACcomprrsnmenrs rucure Frans • Finalizing design on a City Hall front lobby remodel and way finding upgrade to provide a • Continue to examine ways to streamline more welcoming environment for the public. interactions between the city and public • Expanding the electronic development plan submission process that was initiated in • Expand instantaneous email alert to housing 2013 inspections • Initiated an instantaneous email alert to contractors after building inspections have been • Install Iowa DOT self -serve kiosk at the Library Customer Service completed Orientation • In coordination with the University of Iowa and Coralville, launched a transit trip planner application http: / /planner.ebongo.org • Launched ParkMe smart phone application • Installed accessible door openers on second floor restroom doors of the Library • Library circulation policies reviewed from customer point of view; fine structure simplified, number of holds increased. Try ow Trip pI.TH"•f 1hkfa App• �® � V4ew All Roul cs Text Vlerr All §topc Phone u,. r c.r wa�,wer, r r hV' /QN 1'N0 � r.rr4r.s.r IIE Notable Projects and Initiatives Incorporating the Inclusive and Sustainable Values Category Project Status Inclusive City Park Pool ADA The project was substantially completed prior to the 2014 summer swimming season. Improvements Curb Ramp Program An inventory has been completed and a work plan is being developed. The City Council doubled the funding for repairs in FY 2015. 1105 Challenge Grant The 1105 Project continues has been completed. Fast Trac Funding Work continues through the Diversity Focus organization. , Ad Hoc Diversity The recommendations have been received and staff is actively working on implementation. The "DIP' report provides significant detail on Recommendations actions the Police Department has taken related to these recommendations. There are numerous outreach initiatives that have been started or expanded in the last two years. Welcoming City Initiative The City has officially signed up for this program and has joined a network of other cities aiming to create a more welcoming, immigrant - friendly community. Mayors for the Freedom Mayor Hayek has joined nearly 400 other Mayors in this effort to su pp ort equal marriage rights for all people. to Mary Coalition Municipal Equality Index Received the top score in the State of Iowa on the Municipal Equality Index rating from the Human Rights Campaign Foundation. The City partnered with ICAD, CVB, ICDD and the University of Iowa to install new banners that feature a diverse mix of local residents Downtown Banners and several languages. The banners are meant to extend a welcome to new students and all residents and express the City's inclusive values. Fair Lending Training The Human Rights Commission and staff are coordinating this training for area realtors and lenders. The program will be administered by staff from the John Marshall Law School and stems from a recommendation in the recently released Impediments to Fair Housing report. Court Hill ADA This sidewalk infill project creates an accessible path from Court Street to Friendship Street through Court Hill Park. Currently, no Improvements accessible route exists at this location. In 2014, staff responsible for frequent interactions with the public undertook cultural competency training from Culture Friendly Staff Training Consulting. Transportation Services staff participated in a training session titled "Building Diversity Skills in the Transit Workplace ", which was offered by the National Transit Institute. 19 Category Project Status Inclusive International Student Staff worked with the University of Iowa and now participates in the international student orientations and other related events (cont.) Orientation throughout the year. This gives the City a chance to welcome new international students and break down communication barriers for these new residents of our community. Senior Center Training Promoted multiculturalism and inclusiveness by hosting a professionally facilitated diversity training session during the Senior Center's annual members meeting. Police Department The Police Department has initiated several new outreach programs including a basketball program at South East Junior High, a youth Community Outreach police academy and participation in events such as national Night Out, Juneteenth and others. Fire Department Cadet Working with the school district, the FD developed and held its first "Fire Cadet" program. The department also continued involvement Program with promoting fire safety with UI Housing through the annual RA Academy. Sustainable 707:: ff University of Iowa IISC Iowa City was selected as a partner and the City Council has executed the agreement. Work will commence in the spring of 2014. Partnership New Sustainability Office Shifted the focus of the Environmental Coordinator in Public Works to a Sustainability Coordinator in Neighborhood and Development Services. Edible Forest Project The City partnered with Backyard Abundance to receive a $23k grant for public orchard project that expands the Edible Forest Maze in Weatherby Park. Heartland Network Iowa City has joined with several other Midwestern communities and received a grant to workwith climatologists to better understand Climate Adaptation and prepare for challenges associated with climate changes. Initiative Animal Shelter Committed to adding a geo- thermal component to the Animal Shelter project. LED Streetlight Staff is actively converting city owned streetlights to LED. Similarly, we are attempting to work with Mid - American Energy on a plan to Conversions convert their lights to LED over the next few years. Prescription Drug The Police Department sought and was awarded a grant from CVS to install a prescription drug container in their lobby. This program Program provides the public a 24/7 option to keep old prescriptions out of the waste stream and our waterways. Awareness and Discount Staff continues to work with local retailers to offer discounted rain barrels and compost bins to the community. As part of Earth Day Programs events staff also hosted educational programs on gardening, composting, bike maintenance and othertopics at the East Side Recycling Center. Electric Vehicle Purchase Purchased the City's first electric vehicle for use at the South Wastewater Plant Earthbox Project The Senior Center started this program which saw members plant and maintain vegetable gardens at senior assisted living and day -care facilities targeting low- income and frail seniors. 20 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives Category Project Status Public Facilities Animal Shelter Construction is underway City Hall Lobby Upgrade Design documents are being completed with work planned for early 2015. South Wastewater Plant The project has been awarded to J.J. Henderson. Construction is nearly complete. Expansion Police Storage and Fire Training The departments are evaluating options anticipating the loss of storage and training facilities at the North Wastewater Plant. Riverfront Crossings Parking Facility Working with Midwest One Bank on a new facility to be located on Harrison Street in the Riverfront Crossings district. 21 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives (continued) Category Project Status Flood Recovery Gateway Project National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) Review Process has been completed. Design and engineering has commenced. West Side Levee Construction is underway with final completion expected in 2015. Rocky Shore Flood Gate /Lift Station The project has been awarded and construction is underway. North Wastewater Plant The plant has been decommissioned and an $8.5 million state flood mitigation grant has been secured. Work is expected to commence Demolition 0 0 in winter of 2014 -2015. Peninsula Secondary Access The City is coordinating with a private property owner on the extension of Laura Drive to the Mackinaw subdivision. 22 .a '�L .t✓ a l y rte; fi - n Other Significant Projects and Initiatives (continued) Category Project Status Public Infrastructure Burlington /Clinton This project is being designed. Construction is planned for 2015. Intersection Burlington /Madison Intersection Staff is currently pursuing additional funding opportunities. Plans will be completed afterfinal funding is secured. Downtown Streetscape The plan has been adopted and implementation activities have commenced. Ped Mall improvements are being designed in 2014. Dubuque Street Pedestrian Bridge 1 -80 Preliminary concept has been developed. Planned for construction in 2015. 23 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives (continued) Category Project Status Public Infrastructure cont. First Avenue Railroad Final design is near completion. Property acquisition is currently underway. Construction to begin in 2015. Grade Separation First Avenue Storm Sewer The project has been completed. Phase 2 Moss Ridge Road Property acquisition and design are completed. Construction is underway. Lower Muscatine Road Construction is complete. Reconstruction Park Road 3rd Lane The design is being done as part of the Gateway Project and will be constructed with that project. Harrison Street The project is currently under design and is being coordinated with the MidwestOne office building. Reconstruction 24 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives (continued) Category Project Status Parkland Development Kiwanis /Willow Park Master planning and design is underway. Construction expected in 2014 -2015. Improvements Ned Ashton House The facility is open for rentals and final grounds improvements are nearly complete. Lower City Park Project will create an emergency access to only be used for emergencies and access to City Park if the Park Road access becomes Emergency Access unusable during construction associated with the Gateway project Mercer Park Playground The project will be pursued in 2015. Normandy Drive Phase one has been completed. Phase two is pending design and award. Restoration 25 Other Significant Projects and Initiatives (continued) Category Project Status Other Utility Billing and ERP Software Staff is currently implementing the software. Completion is expected in early 2015. 26 From: Mike Moran Sent: Friday, September 19, 2014 9:04 AM To: Council Cc: Tom Markus; Geoff Fruin; Marian Karr; Tammy Neumann; Cara Hamann; Chad Dyson; Clay Claussen; djbourgeois @q.com; Joe Younker; Katherine Jones; Larry Brown; Lucie Laurian; Maggie Elliott; Sue Bentler; Tammy Neumann; Zac Hall Subject: Annual Park Tour Good Morning, On behalf of the Park and Recreation Commission, I would like to invite you to our annual park tour that is being held on Wednesday October 8, 2014. The regular meeting of the commission will be held at 4:30pm with the tour commencing at 5pm from the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center. The tour is expected to last approximately two hours and a light dinner will be served. If you are interested in attending please email me so that I can count you in our reservations for transportation and a meal. Please let me know if you have any additional questions. Thanks for considering attending this event! Michael Moran CPRP Director, Parks and Recreation City of Iowa City 220 S. Gilbert St. Iowa City, Iowa 52240 319 - 356 -5100 I�*] COMMUNITY JOB & RESOURCE F/A-LIR For more information, call 356 -5022 or email humanrights @iowa - city.org From: Geoff Fruin Sent: Thursday, September 25, 2014 7:42 AM To: Marian Karr Subject: Dubuque St. Open House - Info Packet 1 flETdWAMUwCATIONS PART{ Z01 DIGITAi, ARTIFACTS PARK 201 OPEN HOUSE-TOUR WALK THROUGH FOOD -REFRESH MEHTS Sent from my iPhone I I! T OFEl,l HOUSE DJ ESPINA 6IFTS•DRAW1116S DAIICI116- LIBATIOIIS BUZZ SAM-PARK 201 CATHERINE'S X FRENCH CONNECTION-105 S DUBUQUE SILLY BOUTIQUE-115 S DUBUQUD REDDEN KW-111 S DIMIIDUE IP10 Marian Karr From: Eleanor M. Dilkes Sent: Friday, September 26, 2014 9:56 AM To: Council Cc: Geoff Fruin; Marian Karr Subject: Response to letter from DOJ re: curb ramps Council, Staff has been working diligently to gather the information necessary to respond to the Department of Justice's letter regarding curb ramps. We had hoped to get a response out this week. However, the final question in the letter asks us to respond to the allegations of the complaint made to the DOJ and we have not yet been provided with a copy of that complaint. I asked the Assistant U.S. Attorney for a copy of the complaint last Friday and was told earlier this week that a response to my inquiry had been put in regular mail. As soon as I receive that letter we will finalize the response to the DOJ. Let me know if you have any questions. Eleanor Eleanor M. Dilkes City Attorney City Hall 410 East Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 319- 356 -5030 319 - 356 -5008 Fax eleanor- dilkesgiowa -ci .org Notice: Since e-mail messages sent between you and the City Attorney's Office and its employees are transmitted over the internet, the City Attorney's Office cannot assure that such messages are secure. You should be careful in transmitting information to the City Attorney's Office that you consider confidential. If you are uncomfortable with such risks, you may decide not to use e-mail to communicate with the City Attorney's Office. Without written notification that you do not wish to communicate with the City Attorney's Office via e-mail communication, the City Attorney's Office will assume you assent to such communication. This message is covered by the Electronic Communication Privacy Act, 18 U.S. C. Sections 2510 -2515, is intended only for the use of the person to whom it is addressed and may contain information that is confidential and subject to the attorney - client privilege. It should not be forwarded to anyone else without consultation with the originating attorney. If you received this message and are not the addressee, you have received this message in error. Please notify the person sending the message and destroy your copy. Thank you.