Loading...
HomeMy WebLinkAbout1998-01-12 TranscriptionJanuary 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 1 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session 6:50 PM Council: Lehman, Champion, Kubby, Norton, O'Donnell, Thomberry, Vanderhoef. Staff: Atkins, Helling, Karr, Dilkes, Franklin, Davidson, Miklo, Boothroy, Handshaker, Moran, RipIcy, Schoon, Fosse, Boose, Trueblood, Moreno. Tapes: 98-9, All; 98-10, all; 98-11, Side 1. Review Planning and Zoni~lg Matters 98-9 SI a. Consider a motion setting a public hearing for January 27 on an ordinance vacating .50 acres of Waterfront Drive, located south of Highway 6 and east of Gilbert Street. (VAC97-0003) Franklin/Next you will be seeing a subdivision after this and we will get into the details of what the vacation is all about for new members next week when we have the p.h. This is just setting the p.h. b. Public hearing on an ordinance amending Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled "Zoning," Article L, entitled "Provisional Uses and Special Exceptions," to provide for temporary use permits to allow short-term activities, such as special events or seasonal outdoor storage and sales. Franklin/The second item is a p.h. on an amendment to provide for a temporary use permit to allow short term activities. This is on a recommendation of 5-0 from P/Z Commission and with staff support. Basically is this for temporary uses on private property. It is within the Zoning Ordinance, so it does not pertain to uses on public properties such as on City Plaza. The reason that we are proposing this is that right now there is no provision to allow temporary uses .... This is to forrealize it to allow this to happen and is for the variety of uses that are listed plus we have a catch-all in #9 in terms of the permitted uses that allows some discretion on some things we may not have thought of that people would like to do... listing of conditions that could be imposed .... some leeway in the language for other conditions .... This will require some judgment on the part of the Building Department staff... There is an avenue of appeal and that is to the Board of Adjustment. I would like to stress the reason for doing this is to allow these temporary uses to occur but to have some kind of structured system within in which to deal with them .... some parameters within which we permit them. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 2 Vanderhoef/Karin, when we have those parameters of being able to make some judgment calls, I am a little concerned about the message it sends to the citizens and the time frame of how this all works .... We are giving the opportunity and therefore .... and then to satisfy public needs directly caused by the proposed temporary use. And that leaves it quite open for interpretation. Franklin/I think given the history... how we have dealt with these in the past, I don't expect to have appeals to the Board of Adjustment very often .... for temporary uses... It really gives a mechanisms for working with these people to allow this to happen and I don't see them going to the Board of adjustment very often at all because we are going to try to work it out. Kubby/ .....they have some recourse. Vanderhoef/The recourse I agree with. it is just the interpretation that if we got all these lists of many many things that you can or can't do but then we still leave this one phrase in there that allows to throw it all out .... It is difficult for citizens to take it then if they are denied by something that isn't listed there. Kubby/So you allow flexibility but then it traps you. Vanderhoef/ Norton/I was concerned a little bit about the same issue .... Franklin/What you are looking at is what was originally proposed to P/Z Commission. Then there were some changes made to it. But we have never had a provision to allow temporary uses before. Norton/Let me ask about the word compatible. This is kind of the weasel word that Dee is alluding to. Is a circus on the parking lot at Sycamore Mall compatible? .... Franklin/Depending upon the scale ofthe circus ..... If it were a smaller one, it might be all right. Norton/Compatible is going to be very broadly interpreted I assume .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 3 Franklin/ .... that is a decision for you to make. If we are very precise in what we write into this, we are inevitably going to not think of something... flexibility allows us to respond to what people would like to do in certain guidelines. Thomberry/Question on this provisional use thing. Prior to this point .... for a grand opening... spot lights in the sky... big helium balloons... Are those still prohibited? Franklin/Yes. Right. That is not what was envisioned by this. Boothroy/It would allow us some additional flexibility with regard to signage .... one of the questions we could look at is whether or not a large balloon would be permitted. A spotlight would not .... in terms of lighting .... Thomberry/I saw spotlights south of town... in the county .... Would that this be permitted on this loose thing now?... Boothroy/No, I would say not .... If there is a question about the interpretation of this particular provision, under the Zoning Ordinance, three individual .... Karin, myself and the City Attorney would sit down and say is that something that is allowed. So it is not something that is totally my decision ....Zoning Code Interpretation Panel. Lehman/ ....kind of problems we have been encountering by not having this available? Boothroy/The concern I have...wanting to do something special with their business. When the staff looks at the ordinance, they are not sure whether it is allowed. So the message... well, maybe it is no... a lot of talking back and forth. It took as quite some time... go ahead and allow auto uses in K-Mart. That is not strictly allowed yet even though we are permitting it. What we do with this .... guidelines for all staff to know that yes, there is a way for people that want to do promotional activity .... they can do them... expressly identified, permitted and allowed under certain conditions. Kubby/...expectations. Lehman/Will this be a complaint .... ? Boothroy/The findings in here are the justification ....We have to have a rationale for allowing it. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 4 Lehman/ ....what criteria? .... Boothroy/For example, HyVee and they want to put up their outdoor nursery stock things. They are going to be using a lot of their parking. One of the things that we are going to ask them to show on the site plan, where this is going to be and where they have got the parking allowed. In other cases it may be completely irrelevant. Lehman/ Boothroy/Sophisticated enough so that we can identify what it is and where the parking is ..... Just enough to make a decision. Kubby/In one part of the ordinance is says for one year .... that is a very long period of time for a temporary use. Why would we allow a temporary use for that long of a period of time? .... Boothroy/One thing... listed .... contractor staging sites... Building a large building .... that was the thought behind that. It is a maximum of one year. Kubby/What I would not want is some business... for that long period of time .... Is this a loophole for any kind of commercial enterprise? Boothroy/Another example... work in downtown area for urban renewal .... businesses had to relocate on a temporary basis ....some situations like with disaster for several months .... Kubby/Not fair to other property owners .... Vanderhoef/Remember when we had that request for on-site sales .... one house... and they wanted to sell from that house as they were promoting the sales of their lots? How does this? Franklin/We made for that elsewhere in the ordinance .... Boothroy/It is identified as a separate type of use. Vanderhoef/So that won't be coming up as a temporary use. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 5 Boothroy/Correct. Norton/...careful to use temporary as distinct from provisional .... Franklin/Is that all on that one then? c. Public hearing on an ordinance amending the Building Code and Title 14, Chapter 6, entitled "Zoning," Article B, entitled "Zoning Definitions," to change the definition of GRADE. Franklin/The next item is p.h. to change the definition of grade .... Ron is here .... This one came up as consequence of the project on Iowa Avenue that is so large and so high and trying to address the issue of changing the grade measurement, the height measurement of a building by changing the grade of the ground around the building .... This has happened with other projects... where the grade has been artificially changed to change the height of the building or to change the number of stories of a building so that it didn't have to comply with the Fire Code for multiple stories or the building itself could be higher than what was provisioned in the Code by just bringing the dirt up around the sides. What this .... does is it speaks to that issue and the slope of the ground from the building out. Basically what we are doing here- This is under the existing Code right now. The slope of the ground can, once you get beyond this five five, drop off... What is being proposed... is to stretch out where that slope must be to a greater distance (referred to plan) ....As it went to P/Z Commission, they wish to change it from 10 feet... to 20 feet .....That is the proposal before you which even extends that out a little bit more and makes it insures that that grade is more gradual .... Kubby/But it still allows people to change the starting grade .... Franklin/It does and sometimes one needs to do that ..... Means .... if you were maximizing the use of the lot that you had and attempting to change that grade within five feet .... you couldn't do it. You would have to have more land on which to build in order to get this 25% slope 20 feet out from the building. Norton/ Boose/The way we have always enforced this is not specific in the Code. The only reasonably way to enforce it is for 50% of the perimeter of the building ....an average around the building. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 6 Norton/ .....not just 50%just on the front half.... Thomberry/It would be like a walk-out basement type idea .... Lehman/This is only in reference to determining the height or size of a building. In other words, if you are not concerned about that and building a one story anyway .... It is to prevent people fi-om getting around the regulations on building height .... Norton/Does this affect at all number of stories or just the height? Boose/Yeah, it could ..... Norton/Did I notice that Gibson voted against this on P/Z? What was his problem? .... Vanderhoef/He abstained. Boose/I was out of town. Doug was at that meeting. Boothroy/He did abstain .... he didn't feel we were going about it the right way and he was a little bit confused about the provision. He didn't feel strongly enough to vote against it because he understood where we were trying to go and what we were trying to accomplish ..... Let me also qualify this a little bit. One of the things that we talked about... That we are going to be looking at the UBC coming up this year and we will revisit this definition of grade and look at the language to make sure that we are comfortable with it. Norton/What have you heard from builders? .... Boose/Yeah, at the one Board of Appeals. This definition is identical in the Building Code and in the Zoning Ordinance .... At one Board of Appeals meeting there was a representative from the Homebuilder's Association and there was some discussion but they, I guess, didn't express a strong feeling about it. The projects it is going to affect is a small number of projects and I think they agreed .... d. Consider a resolution approving the annexation of a 2.59 acre tract located at 3151 Highway 6 East. (ANN97-0003) This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 7 Franklin/The next item is to consider a resolution approving the annexation of the Moose property. Please go forward with this resolution this time. e. Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by changing the zoning designation for a five acre tract located at 3151 Highway 6 East from County Rural (AI) (2.59 acres) and Rural Residential (RR-1) (2.41 acres) to RM-20, Medium Density Multi- Family Residential. (REZ97-0017) (Second consideration) Franklin/The next item is the rezoning. You have a request for expedited consideration of this. So that is going to take 6 out of 7 of you to waive the reading and we would recommend that you go forward with that also. Kubby/Can they do any grading this time of year? Franklin/Yes... the ground isn't really too frozen ....down very far .... f. Consider an ordinance amending the Zoning Chapter by amending Title 14, Chapter 6, "Zoning," Article B, "Zoning Definitions," Section 2, by changing the definition of Transient Housing to increase the number of days persons are able to stay as temporary residents. (Second consideration) Franklin/Second consideration on the definition for Transient Housing. g. Consider a resolution approving a preliminary and final plat of a Resubdivision of Lot 7, WB Development, a 1.78 acre, two-lot commercial subdivision located southeast of the intersection of Naples Avenue and Escort Lane. (SUB97-0024) Franklin/We have a request from the applicant for indefinite deferral. h. Consider a resolution approving a preliminary and final plat ofa Resubdivision of Outlot A, WB Development, a 15.9 acre, one-lot commercial subdivision with one outlot located on the east side of Naples Avenue, across from Alyssa Court. (SUB97-0025) Franklin/We will need deferral on that, too. There should be a letter coming from the applicant. They are still working on the legal papers. Kubby/To the next meeting? Franklin/Yes, please ....to the next meeting. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 8 Gilbert Street Corridor. 98-9 S1 Lehman/Jeff. Davidson/We had a little bit of discussion about this on Saturday .... The issue that we have for you to give us some direction on tonight is south of Gilbert Street corridor between Benton Street and Stevens Drive. With the planned extension of Southgate Avenue... considering it all the way down to Southgate Avenue is appropriate as well. We have a situation in this corridor that is typical for commercial corridors that were established with businesses some years ago and then the combination of increased growth in the community and the traffic volume... and having driveway access points relatively unorganized .... combined to create .... safety hazard... Best example... Hwy 6 in Coralville which is in the process of getting fixed .... It was in the top ten highest accident locations in the state... worked out some plans for correcting that .... We were first cautioned about Gilbert Street by the Police Department... a lot of accidents... found that in 1996 there were... 62 accidents... they were not terribly severe .... 62 accidents is something that we felt we should take notice of and started developing some plans for doing something down here... survey we did... wanted to see how people who owned businesses in this corridor felt about it .... What we found... high response. High number of people following up... There is a lot of interest in the corridor... concern .... Yes, people realize there is a problem...safety issue...also terribly concerned about the impact that it will have to individual properties .... We will consider every step along the way the impact to the businesses along this corridor .... It is not so much singly the traffic volume on Gilbert Street as much as it is the organization of the driveways .... (referred to map). Counting the intersecting streets .... access points, there are 50 access points onto Gilbert Street in this corridor. Hwy 6... has much more traffic volume... driveways are organized... it handles traffic very safely... effectively... We cannot go back and do something like Hwy 6 on Gilbert Street. The r.o.w .... very constrained on Gilbert Street. There are properties built on the property line on both sides of the street .... design issue... What we can do? is what we are here to discuss tonight. Put simply... trying... organize driveways better... get tuming vehicles out of the traffic stream .... We have presented this issue to you .... We do have a range of options here. The option of a continuous center turn-lane and consolidating driveways is .... improving the safety problem... the best thing that can be done .... Clearly that is one... no idea specific impact on specific properties... there will be impact to the properties along this corridor if you direct us to pursue that kind of an option. If you direct us to pursue that option, our next step is to do a concept plan, not a design... where we look in enough detail to the corridor that we begin This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 9 answering that question. What are the alternatives that- What can we do to create the least amount of impact on the adjoining properties but to nail down specifically what those impacts will be and then to come back to you to have further decision making on that. If at this point there is not a majority of council for pursuing that option .... There are some other things we can do. They will not be as effective but they will help .... What about just a center turn lane without the consolidation of driveways? That will create a different set of safety hazards for us .... Probably what we would do with a sort of toned down improvement would be to look specifically at the intersections ..... We already in our CIP... have a Hwy 6 Intersection with Gilbert Street programmed. We would just as soon not do that until we know what your intentions are for the larger corridor .... Any questions? Vanderhoef/Going on further south on Gilbert .... as city grows... create more traffic. What do we have for the next couple of three blocks in there that would also impact driveways and so forth? Davidson/Dee, you touched on a point that I forgot to mention... With the connection of the two sewer plants, there is a large area now, south of Hwy 6 and east of Sand Road that is sewerable that was not sewerable before and this has the potential of adding literally thousands of vehicles... to the Gilbert Street traffic stream. That is another issue that we are dealing with. The zoning of the area further south, Dee, calls for continuation of the commercial corridor down to ....Southgate Avenue... to the railroad tracks ....We are... trying to control access ....Hopefully the area between the railroad tracks and Stevens Drive ....control access as development Occurs. Norton/How many traffic lanes do you think you have now between Kirkwood and the Highway? Davidson/There are four... There are so many turning movements in the corridor that effectively... you have two for through traffic movements ....right turning... impacts capacity of the street as well. Norton/ Davidson/We are conceiving of nothing more than a center turn lane plus two through lanes on either side .... We have 60 feet ofr.o.w, Dee. If you go with what our design standards would call for a regulation lane width ....you need 60 feet just for five lanes. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 10 Norton/ Davidson/That center turn lane would do a great deal for capacity of your street... Champion/ Davidson/By better organizing the driveways- Coralville has found this to be the case with their project. The better organization of the driveway combined with how you time your traffic signals creates gaps in the traffic stream ....Cut number of driveways... Lehman/ Davidson/With 60 feet of r.o.w, we are almost sure we would need additional property. We are sure we would need additional property. Norton/ Davidson/ Norton/In your response, did you get any feeling that people were amenable to considering consolidation? Davidson/I actually have not had a single comment of don't touch the driveways. People seem to understand the issue there .... Dee, just so you are clear, the two lanes plus a center turn lane would give you less capacity than you have out there right now. Lehman/ .... I for one would like to see what your various possibilities and then your recommendations along with those .... Davidson/Does that include, Ernie, us evaluating further the idea of a center turn-lane and driveway consolidations? Lehman/For me it would include driveway consolidation .... If we are going to have to condemn property to make that five lanes, I would have to think very hard about doing that right now .... huge .... Davidson/... I think you would be into property condemnation .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 11 Lehman/I would prefer if we can work something out without doing that. I think that is your purview to come back and tell us... I would like to see some alternatives that we can kick around and talk about. Kubby/...look at the whole thing .... Norton/ Lehman/ Davidson/Just so I am clear, do you want us to forget the center turn-lane and driveway consolidation project and only look at the source of lesser type things that we can do or do you want us to do both? Norton/Do both. Vanderhoef/Do both. Kubby/We want a menu. Lehman/I would hate to see you go to a tremendous amount of work on the center turn- lane project if it appears early on... that that is a project of a magnitude that we are not willing to consider. Davidson/I think it would be helpful for us to take it a little bit farther to know what exactly what some of the impacts are going to be ..... There are many properties along there... driveway isle or some parking that is affected rather than a building. That will make a big difference to you in decision making. Thomberry/Jeff, what kind of expense are you looking at to visit this project in the magnitude that you think you now have purview to? Davidson/We would want to hire an engineering firm to do some of the survey and concept design work, Dean. We are talking about a very very small amount of work compared to what a project like this could eventually cost to implement. I think it is money well spent .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 12 Thomberry/...I know everyone one of these drives .... Underpass of the railroad. I don't know how much time you think you are going to be spending on this. Davidson/We would probably need six months to do this right... very helpful for us as staff... property owner... they want to know exactly what the impact of their property is going to be with what we are going to bring back to you for a decision on. I would like to be able to show each individual property owner what is going to happen to their driveways... what kind of property we would need from them. If we could take this just a little bit farther so staff can do that, I think we can bring so much better information back to you for a decision ultimately. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/In the long run we are going to see increased traffic on that street .... even if bigger project if we only did the small things now ..... To look at it totally right now I think is money well spent. I definitely want to go that way. Davidson/We will look at the big project and we will look at the smaller projects. Norton/...throw in one consideration... one of the problems... possibility of cue lanes... to get into two or three places at one time. Davidson/...looking at the access points.. making sure that within the site there is adequate circulation space so we don't have vehicles cueing back out onto Gilbert Street... enough depth to those driveways .... Lehman/...go for it. Davidson/Thank you. [Council Break] CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-10 SIDE I This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 13 Downtown Streetscape 98-10 Sl Franklin/Parking facility on Iowa Avenue and the Iowa Avenue project... So this is just the downtown. They are coordinated in that some of the furniture. and lighting from this project will carry over to Iowa Avenue. What Bob Kost from BRW .... Bob is going to present where this project is at this point in time .... direction that the committee has taken to date. The Committee will be meeting with Bob again at the beginning of February before the draft plan comes back to assuming that the direction we talk about tonight is in keeping with the council's thoughts. Some of the members of the Streetscape Committee: Nancy Burhans, Gretchen Holt, John Gross, Larry Wilson and Suzanne Gleason. Also we have got members of the Design Review Committee, Bill Nowysz, Randy Rohovit and Clara Swan .... Bob Kost/The map that you see in fi-ont of you... start here with the draft preliminary design framework that looks at the overall downtown .... (referred to map). What you see outlined in red versus purple... two treatments... better integration between the level of improvement in the pedestrian mall, the city plaza with the perimeter streets .... new signage... pedestrian lighting, signing... benches... new street furnishings throughout both districts .... in conjunction with along Iowa Avenue ....directories and modifying the planters ....Prescriptive idea and treatment ....Look and design ....This is where we are to date with the prescriptive treatments for the overall downtown. Ill start on the far left .... new kiosk... done top and partner piece... poster directory .... kiosk is planned as square... four sides... front side... business directory system... to allow people .... look on the map... all the different businesses that are within the downtown area. The other side of the kiosk... telephone... place for more controlled public events... Also see at the bottom of that on all four sides is a newspaper dispensing system .... have some control over...dispensing of various newspapers .... ability to meet handicapped accessibility .... Get up to 12 if you want it... having four kiosks ..... 6- 8 of posting pillars .... (referred to map) ..... Then as we head this way... signature light fixtures .... Lehman/What is the level of lighting on those fixtures compared to, for example, the ones on Washington Street? .... Kost/It is variable given the fact that the fixture could be fired with 100 watt, 150 watt .... a better light source and better distribution... allows to fit that fixture... allow control of distribution... how the light is distributed on the sidewalk... white light more again to natural light .... also compatible with is proposed by the University around the Pentecrest. Right behind that you see a proposal for re-cladding .... taking the timber off and putting a new surfacing on for the timber planters... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 14 What this shows is a form of cut limestone... four foot in length... put together in a series... surrounding the planters ..... people can sit on them... very warm and nice look... traditional look... more natural materials... What you see behind there... replace the temporary white chain and plastic... Also would be the opportunity for public art ..... protection element for the flowers. This sign here...Downtown Iowa City ....proposed to take the place of the ones that are on Dubuque Street right now ....Could also be placed in selection locations... cooperating property owners... Also talked about...downtown parking ramps .... leave the parking ramp and have a sign system there .... Benches to be considered .... metal .... compatible... product that we have used before... very durable... look at a wood bench with metal sides .... a little nicer to sit on... This bench ....Litter receptacles... cover... trash is protected from rain water... Kubby/Is there any talk about having recycle material? KostY That came up several times with our community and with our staff meetings .... discussion. At this point I don't think we have a decision as to which way to go. It has been considered .... Our experience .... is that you can end up with a lot of trash in the recycling can and that makes for some problems. That covers street furnishings. If you want to see then how this stuff gets applied in a plan view. (Referred to plan view). Clinton Street, Old Capital Mall .... pedestrian mall comes through here ....Retrofit the new light fixtures along the street ....in-filling in some other locations to provide more even ....renovation of planter ....two proposals for how that may be fixed .... limestone.. other option to do that in aggregate concrete .... better integration of what is happening on some of the other perimeter streets .... (Referred to map) .... There is some problem areas in terms of sidewalk pavement through there where there is brick .... concrete sidewalk or exposed aggregate .... Also got to look at Linn Street .... if angled parking were to become a reality... how to work that in .... What you see happening here .... create projection... new pedestrian light fixtures .... What happens with the crossings right now .... impact on storm sewer... look at how things are draining ....where collection point may be .... We have also taken a look and a plan view perspective of this area within the city plaza (referred to map)... platform or performance area... fountain... kiosk .... light This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 15 fixtures being retrofitted... basically in same place where they are now... play area, bring that up to code... brought that up to grade .... resilient surface .... suggestions on type of equipment that might go in and a configuration .... As we move to the west .... new chess board, similar location, more durable material .... Talked a little bit about whole notion... benches .... wooden step stool could be checked out... being able to get up high .... nice thing about moving some of those smaller benches... get space ....flexible... accommodates more things to happen. As we move this direction ....notion of public art working into a new fountain design .... illustrate public art ....Idea is for pavement art... decorative art... vertical jets... horizontal structural fountains with vertical water ..... Idea is this could either be at grade .... still allow for movement of emergency vehicles .... safe... for people... in the water .... Great opportunity to bring public art into this project .... fountain... we think it ought to come for the rest of the community .... What could happen here...planter retrofitted .... (referred to map) .... In this location .... poster pillar .... Lehman/Is there anything done with the grade at the comer of the Holiday Inn where we have a step now? Kost/We talked about that today and one of the things we have suggested... stairs get re- built in color concrete ....built with proper railings. That one step... ought to be rebuilt .....It is a problem ....If we were to rebuild it out of concrete... manipulate the color .... This stuff translates into a phasing plan that we put together .... This plan tells us what we are trying to achieve and where some things might be located. This one takes a look at the timing perspective of how you might break these improvements down into several phases. We looked at 2-phase, 3-phase and 4-phase kinds of diagrams for both committee and staff and compromised on a 3-phase approach. 1-Phase utilizes points of entry as a vehicle... very important as you enter downtown .... construction... makes sense to plug that stuff in .... consideration of what might happen to the library .... playground equipment .... With that ..... new fountain design, we propose this part of the pedestrian mall and the Linn Street angle parking experiment be phase 2... could be done as a phase-1 .... Phase-3 is basically the far perimeter. I am... going to show you a couple of slides (slide presentation). Small water feature .... kind of gives you an idea... water features.. as to how you might do... at grade, not a hazard... somebody can walk into there... enjoy it as vertical water... This one... done more as a trough .... series of steps... designed... people can get to This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page i 6 the water... small enough... This is a water feature .... people can walk through it and interact .... This is a water feature... Orlando... kinds of combines notion of vertical jets...different jets... pavement art... almost a compass .... Another fountain ....Minneapolis... courtyard fountain ....sit on the edge... can walk through... Another fountain.. Centennial Lakes ....programmed vertical jets done with large pieces of granite... You can get wet if you want to .... Another smaller kind of intimate feature... very easy to maintain... one jet of water .... That is the last slide. This I just want to show you... notion of historic architecture when looking at streetlight furnishings .... Next slide... bets assets are... great old buildings .... view of expose aggregate concrete on Washington... help tie this all together... do also on Clinton Street .... Kubby/There is no mention of plantings .... trees are doing so well. Kost/We talked about... maintenance recommendations... addresses whole notion of doing pruning... let light in .... We really think that there are a number of perimeter streets that needs some plantings... Part of that integration. Kubby/Is that on your expense, cost estimate?...trees, that is included all in there? Kost/(Yes). Vanderhoef/ Kost/This cost estimate looks at the project in total. It does not break it down per phase. Landscaping would be anything from street tree in-fill to replacing a dead street tree to flowers, shrubbery .... Champion/This doesn't include any plantings along Iowa Avenue? Kost/No, Iowa Avenue is not in this process. Lehman/Line 5 you talk about concrete and wire cut pavers .... Can you tell me what that is? Kost/Right now what you have out there... are wire cut pavers and there are a number of areas .... repair and replacement that needs to happen there .... Other things... looking at it... possibility of doing some more treatment on Dubuque Street, south This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 17 of the Holiday Inn .... until it intersects Burlington .... one continuous space .... brick pavers... replace concrete in street. Lehman/ Thomberry/I would like to hear what the DTA and Design Review .... Kubby/I would like to hear people's perceptions in terms of the overall looks, the phasing and the total costs. Nancy Burhans/Hello. I think the overall look is great... pull out the traditional look of the downtown. Also does provide for lighting, safety, all those issues that we had talked about in strategy... has a nice connection to what we are looking at on Iowa Avenue .... continuity and safety issues. Norton/Phasing and cost. John Gross/Heck of a lot of money. I am interested in seeing us accomplish this just as soon as possible... lot of improvements in there. I don't agree with every last one but I have learned... support totally the recommendation of the group... Bob has done a very good job of reflecting our wishes .... exception of metal benches .... We are talking about a mixture of benches... excited about seeing this get started. Thomberry/John, as a downtown business owner that would affected by this streetscape, do you feel... what are your feelings about a private public parmership in part of this cost sharing idea? Kubby/How much would you cough up? Gross/ I would cough up a lot of time to continue my work in maintaining the plantings .... Iowa City are very high .... downtown rents are very steep .... I wouldn't be too excited about kicking in a lot of money in terms of a dedicated tax district .... Thomberry/ Lehman/I think he just said no. Gross/I could support this project, yes. To what extent, I am not sure what my share might be. It does so much... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 18 Norton/I take it John, you all agree... something has got to be done .... Gross/It is wearing out... We need to renovate it. We need to upgrade it .... Larry Wilson/One thing I like.. doesn't just look at the pedestrian mall as a hidden enclave. I take south where the community sees it .... It looks beyond beautification .... new, refreshing .... More to do than just parking .... makes people want to come here ....Happy with our consultant ....I think they put together a pretty good package ..... Gretchen Holt/I am a user. I think... really impressed response that you and city staff have had at the ideas .... One of the things .... had to look good .... having the really rich diverse group of six people .... This plan preserves the spaces ..... Suzanne Gleason/ .... One of our considerations was the phasing .... We wanted to make an impact at first ..... to know right away that it was going to have a new look. Thomberry/Do you all think there could be some private participation in keeping this project done? (All talking). Thomberry/I am not really crazy about spending this kind of money .... in downtown area .....most of the city needs some face lifting ....Downtown... it does look a little worn ....I would support this completely but I sure would like to see some private participation .... Champion/You are not going to get enough money out of the downtown .... But I think you could talk about .... tree .... plant .... Like the fountain, you could probably get some public participation .... I think you have to view this .... this is preserving... downtown .... I think there are a lot of reasons to do it .... Vanderhoef/I have a question to Bob... did I hear you say that these are custom made kiosks and light fixtures? Kost/The light fixtures are not. The kiosks would be .....they need to do specific things. You are talking about a substantial investment ....also talking about an investment that is going to take you 50 years ahead .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January. 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 19 Vanderhoeff Tell me a little bit about the materials for that globe area... representation of the Old Capital .... Kost/It is not gold .... This is a light fixture. This is a side view... The reason for that design is to produce something that somebody could put billets on on two sides .... This was meant to look a little more restrained .... Vanderhoef/1 still want to know what the material is. Kost/The material is steel. The light fixtures... they do them in steel or cast iron... Domes on top would be metal roofing .... copper or goldish color clad .... painted metal .... There is no glass or plastic except for these panels here .... O'Donneli/What is the height of those light fixtures? Kost/ ....around about 13.5 feet ....refer to them as pedestrian fixtures. They do not replace the streetlights. Norton/You would think the kiosk would need to be lighted. Kost/Yes, there is electricity .... Lehman/ Kost/Keep in mind these are really preliminary numbers. They are probably a little bit to the high side. Yes, electrical is estimated for the entire project... new lighting... assume that we can use some of the raceways .... assume it is all new wiring... foundations .... upgrade of service... a guess... $50,000 to do some upgrading to get new receptacles .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-10 SIDE 2 Thomberry/ Kost/We don't build .... We are not contractors. Thomberry/Assume we approve this project just like it is and we take this number ..... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January ! 2, 1998 Council Work Session page 20 Kost/This is typically the kind of process that we go through with communities on a streetscape improvement project to this nature ....start with a framework...need to go into preliminary design ....soft costs numbers ....7%... construction administration ..... inspection .... $40,000 for final surveying of downtown area... rest is in engineering and final design fees .... Thomberry/ Norton/One of the reasons for kiosk and design of them is to give them some character for Iowa City .... Be careful that we don't look like Everywhere, USA. Kost/I think you have a strong identity that has already been establishes here .... pedestrian mall .... Kubby/I would like to hear from Design Review .... I am hesitant to bless or not bless this tonight .... Bill Nowysz/My impressions... excellent project .... I have some comments about using materials in this setting .... I would like it so that materials are chosen... for lightposts, kiosks, paving, that the materials that are selected are permanent .... older material .... cast iron... stone... permanency should be considered .... stay away from plastics .... because it doesn't represent a solid, strong, good design. Vanderhoef/...one place... limestone that went around planter. How cleanable is that? How difficult is it to spiffit up again? Kosff We have had a lot of discussions about graffiti... something that we have thought about .... Stone can be cleaned... sandblast is, steam clean it .... Number of ways it can be basically maintained .... In terms of providing an area for graffiti, that is a consideration .... Given the height of the planters .... ! 8 inches in height. I think it is very unlikely that someone is going to get down on their belly and take out a can of spray paint .... Some discussion today... magic marker... We understand that that can be an issue. We also talked about the high price tag for that item .... But it is something you expect to be there for the next 50 years... longevity in the investment... possibility of redoing the edges... planting edges... expose aggregate instead of limestone .... Looked at as options was using colored textured concrete or precast concrete... still an option .... start to look at that stuff.... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 Janual'y 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 21 Lehman/I was downtown before the mall .... Iowa City is really kind of the envy of most communities in the State of Iowa ....people love downtown Iowa City. They love the plaza .... I think downtown Iowa City needs some sprucing up, I don't think it is quite shabby yet ..... We can make it better .... Much ofwhat we have there .... I look at the costs here... $700,000 for limestone for planters... We have wood that needs to be replaced .... for 20 years people have raved about how beautiful this plaza is .... One area that we ought to take another look at .... Also looking at new wooden benches. I can't see where it would be terrible difficult to replace the wooden slats on the benches we have now .... I think this is a great proposal, I love it. I don't like the price tag. I am not sure that we have to spend all this kind of money ..... It encompasses the whole downtown .... Kubby/If we do want to forward on this, that we say we can afford $2.8 million, not $3.5- and throw it back to the committee...give us suggestions on how to reach that kind of price tag. Lehman/Even if we decided that the limestone is something that we really wanted... I like the idea of staging. Kost/Just keep in mind this is an open project .... Norton/I would be very nervous about nickel and diming it .... Seems to me we want to do it right. I don't want to chop it so fine that we don't really achieve the serious affect we want .... I share Connie's point... keeping the vitality of downtown. Kubby/Two ways we can reduce costs... just say we are not going to do all the elements... Norton/ Kost/It is one of the dilemmas .... with having done the city plaza initially years ago when wood timber construction was sort of in vogue .... You get a lot of vertical surface out there .... From a standpoint of longevity and long terms maintenance... it kind of ties your hands... You can replace all the wood out there and start fresh and it will probably run you $250,000 .... We really didn't explore doing all new wood planters out there .... I think there is options here .... We can start from there and work our way through it .... Lehman/I love your concept. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 22 Champion/...thing that bothers me about the price tag is that it doesn't include Iowa Avenue .... Ugly... I want to make sure we have some money to do something with that .... I think we are all in favor of the concept. Kubby/...take this plan and Iowa Avenue plan in terms of phasing and money .... Kost/That is the kind of direction we were hoping to get from you tonight. That if you are in favor of the concept, if you are happy with the look of things. We understand there is a lot of work that is left to be done .... For us to proceed with preliminary or I should say with the draft of the streetscape plan that reflects this work and what we have heard from you tonight .... Lehman/I think... we should pursue this ....I think it is incumbent on us to get this going .... Norton/Absolutely. Lehman/I think we need to move forward. Champion/Did the committee talk about bench placement in relationship to business and loiterers? Committee Member/Yes. Champion/So you did? Okay. (All talking). Champion/I think it is a problem ..... O'Donne!l/Is this lighting, is it substantially going to increase the lighting downtown? Kost/Yes ...... I haven't run foot candle calculations .... looking at trying to get an even distribution of light .... It is just a hodgepodge... Typically you want to look at a 75 foot spacing... Also talked about not wanting too much light .....Concern that you don't end up with light pollution. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 23 O'Donneil/I am a little concerned about height of fixtures .... After 10:00 1 don't think you want anything that you can climb or fall into. ! think they should be higher .... Kost/ ....If you think you would like to see them a little taller... plus and minus a foot. Lehman/Tell these folks, if we are pleased with this, then to go forward with it .....Think you got a go. Vanderhoef/I see people who are responsible for the maintenance sitting back there .... in the Parks .... What do you see, Terry, that is a concern or a plus or a minus in this concept plan? Trueblood/Overall we are quite pleased with the concept .... same concerns... graffiti surfaces .... make sure that whatever goes down there is relatively cleanable .... There are products you can coat the limestone with to make them more cleanable .... concerns... play equipment and to the fountain area .... addressed more specifically as the process goes along. We have talked about a number of things... secure the trash receptacles .... things that we are interested in... the ash tray units. We are just trying to keep pace as they go along and make our concerns known .... Vanderhoef/How about the use of the Green Machine .... ? Trueblood/Tried to do is create fewer obstacles to go around ....looks to us that it would be an improvement as far as ease of maintenance, Franklin/We are going to go ahead with the draft plan, then the cost considerations in mind. There will need to be more extensive discussions of the phasing. You need to think about the library project in so far as that relates to the phasing. The next time you will see this will be at your first work session on February to look at the draft plan... Put this on an agenda toward the end of February for formal adoption by the city council. Okay. Kubby/Just the generalized plan, you mean? Would it include the phasing? Franklin/At the end of February? Does it have to? We would like to because we want to get started this spring. The idea is to do something this spring... need to, at the very least, decide on the first phase .... What Bob has presented to you tonight does not include the playground equipment on city plaza which is something that we This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 24 had talked about doing right away. That issue relates directly to the library decision... also to the amount of money .... Thank you. Kubby/ Thomberry/I have some ideas about that playground equipment .... Also thinking about putting a type of a cover on top. Kubby/Maybe you could talk to the committee about the specifics .... Lehman/Thank you. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 25 Parks and Recreation Fees 98-10 S2 Trueblood/What you have in your packet are fees that Matt Pacha brought up to you a week ago .... Norton/Speak right into the microphone. Trueblood/This is our proposal for FY99. It is a 3-year plan .... It is not uncommon to amend those. I would tell you, of all the fccs that you scc there...1/2 of them arc projected to be increased in FY99 .... moved them ahead a year. I do have Mike Moran, our Recreation Superintendent along .... Open it up to questions. Kubby/I have a question about the Children's Theater .... pretty big jump from $20 to $24. Everything else to mc seemed pretty reasonable .... Trueblood/Actually I think it was a 20% increase... same as most of them... Kubby/Jump seems higher than other increases... Are expenses higher? Trueblood/...the percentage amount is pretty consistent with the rest of them .... Norton/How did you do .... that you were concerned about origins of 45% goal. I don't know where it came from... Did you ask any other communities? I thought you were going to do that. Trueblood/That is what we will be doing prior to coming to you next year. We do know the origin, we did it ourselves .... Norton/I thought the changes were fairly modest .... Didn't look to me to be too heavy duty. Lehman/ Trueblood/We do have one small thing... Mike... special presentation .... Because we are here to generate revenue, Dee and Dee .... Moran/...three point arch .... [Council breakl This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 26 Water Plant Arch 98-10 S2 Schmadeke/In your packet you have elevations and floor plan of Water Treatment Plant. Tonight we have Dwight Doberstein... architect who did the design on this facility .... go over with you some of the features of the plant building itself. Thomberry/I have a question. On first floor plan, both second and third pages say first floor plan. Is one a first and one a second? Dwight Doberstein/The second one is a second. Vanderhoel7 They both say first .... Norton/Lobby and meeting rooms are on first floor. Doberstein/That is the ground floor. The second has the big circle .... Thomberry/Page 3 is second floor. Vanderhoef/ Doberstein/Let me start with the site .... talk about how this building was cited, how we chose to put this here. Howard R. Green had the most to do with that. There is a rock formation right here that was advantageous to citing the building at this position. This is the building here (referred to site plan) .... Dubuque Street, entrance here .... Once they told us this was the best place to put the building, then we had to decide how the orientation should be. So we have-decided we wanted the building to face south, face the sun... warm side .... get a view of the front of the building from the edge of town here .... I am not sure if we are going to be able to see it from 1-80 or not .... I think you might see it from this side. On the overpass you will be able to see it... The drive is where the existing drive is now... Approach the building...winding drive, through a tree line drive... You will see the windows to the offices .... south side... parking... entrance... makes for a nice warm entrance. The service road then goes back to the wells .... Go to this first floor plan .... what you will see is coming from Dubuque Street along here... service entrance on this side... park here... big windows here... Before we get into detail about this, I would like to talk a little bit about what the building is made. We had a sherret... on what the building should look like .... natural materials... As you approach the building you are going to see .... limestone .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 27 direction people wanted us to take. We have kind of a smooth version of the same stone... smooth face... We also have some brick... office area and precast concrete concrete... warm view ....Going to see kind of a warm light colored building... big windows on south side ....need to understand the process a little bit... Basically we are bringing water from the wells which there are well houses already on the site .... made of stone... similar architecture to the building .... Water... comes into these big classifiers .... (referred to site plan)... sludge goes out and into these lagoons right there... good water... gets processed further and has all the contaminants taken out of it... big storage tank that goes under this whole site over here ....no trees ....18 inches of soil on top of it ....process area that has these great big cones, clarifiers in it ....Support area here ....maintenance, mechanical shop, meter shop, parts storage and a garage... I should back up... building really has two big areas... processing plant... and other is the people area... offices... once the water is clean and goes into the big storage tank, then .... pump it out... pumping room right here... big pipes... service entrance is over here .... loading dock... chemical storage .... This is the people space. The second floor really as far as process... service areas... second floor is primarily for the people space. And we have blown that up on the next handout .... On the first floor as you come in... fountain out front... water display .... people the idea that this is what the building is about... turn into a lobby .... sky lit lobby .... diffused light... right side... large meeting room and it can fit... up to 90 .... up to 100 people... can be divided into spaces .... They have support spaces... restrooms out on the lobby .... self sufficient. It can be locked and cut off from the rest of the building... public meetings... and also used during hours as teaching space .... tours... community groups... teaching space to educate people about the water plant .... Meeting room... does have skylights .... clear story window .... Then the rest of the first floor is for the staff... left side... open office area, big work area... clerical staff... meter readers... technical people... big flexible space... We have a record area .... library... support space for the office area .... Mechanical room. On the other side we have four offices: Superintendent, Asst. Superintendent .... Community Service Coordinator and one for the Public Information and Education Coordinator .... And the second floor is the main control room for the whole plant... oversees what quality control... manned 24 hours .... To do their job... wet lab .... treatment plant operator's office .... day to day operations .... in touch of what is going on here. There is a wet lab... mechanical room... support spaces for the people that work here... small break room, small restroom and locker room. I think it is a very tight plan .... We have gone through one generation of cost cutting to trim it down to just the essentials... Not a lot of room for growth. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 28 Champion/That was my concern .... office space might be totally adequate for right now .... Doberstein/Part of the problem is we got these big water tanks under the ground. We can't really expand that direction ....We would have to take those meeting rooms out and go that way. Lehman/This is probably a question for Ed .... What can you envision for the need for expanded office space? Kubby/What is the maximum number of staff that is there?... Moreno/Currently our staff is about 20 people .... manager type staff in the offices here .... project what our needs to be .... Some of the key staff that we want to add: 1- a chemist ....thought and effort into the laboratory area ....This will allow us to do much more extensive testing and studies .... In addition ....adding an engineering tech .... actually incorporated them into this work space here... CAD area... some of the other staff, they actually will be in maintenance type areas .... toward the back on the first floor there ..... In plants that we have visited... janitorial staff.... Thornberry/How many people are there at any one time? ..... Moreno/Probably the most... during staff meetings .... safety meeting.. otherwise... people are out... customer service staff is out .... Thornberry/Would this building suit... needs for people... for next 50 years? Moreno/No .... not only expansion ....process area... with that would be staff. Lehman/Will this meet for the expected life of the plant? .... Moreno/I think that it could based on our experience now .... Ideally, yeah, we want more .... Lehman/ Norton/Records space... safety value... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 29 Moreno/Library, paper records, conference room. Thornberry/Things more computerized .... When this building is built, will there be an option of going up another story in the distance future? Moreno/I don't think it was designed to go up. Kubby/So how would expansion .... what direction? .... Moreno/It would expand this way. I think of process .... As Dwight was saying, this are large treatment units .... CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-9 SIDE 2 Vanderhoef/It had to be what it is built on and what can we physically do without getting into that ridge? Where is our build blinds? Kubby/We want to be on the ridge. Moreno/It is the bedrock that supports the whole building. Vanderhoef/Okay and where are the lines? How much space do we have for expansion? Moreno/It is not drawn on this plan but it runs all the way through the site. (Referred to plans). My understanding is this ridge comes right through here and so it is much bigger than the building. Kubby/The direction the building would be expanding would be upon the ridge. Vanderhoel7 There is plenty of space to expand on it. Norton/ Lehman/Obviously this building has been designed by engineers... capacity of the water plant... assume... we have the ability in some future time to expand it. What we are really being asked to comment on is the architecture of the building. Kubby/My initial reaction is that it is pretty industrial looking ....sotten with materials and light. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January ! 2, 1998 Council Work Session page 30 Norton/I noticed the restrooms are not over one and other .... on the second floor and the first floor... different locations vertically speaking. Kind of unusual .... Champion/I noticed that, too .... because they want to be able to open that at night ..... Also is that pump room right behind the offices, is that kind of a noisy room? Moreno/I understand it can be noisy, yes. We have to have a pretty good wall there. Doberstein/I think these are a little quieter .... I guess I just kind of wanted to show you like one of these cones looked like... they are huge... 60 foot diameter, 40 feet tall. And they do look a little bit industrial .... Kubby/ Norton/You are talking about pumping the fresh water out? .... finished ....How do they pass out of the lot? (Referred to map). Moreno/They are coming down... Water flows downhill, so everything starts high .... first unit .... aerator... Norton/ Kubby/Has the Design Review Committee seen this? That would make sense that we would ask for feedback from our own Design Review Committee. Lehman/Karen... problem with that... The Design Review Committee's function and the area that we have asked them to work is totally different from this and this is industrial. I find it to be an esthetically agreeable building... Most important part of that building is the function of it. I don't have a problem with the architecture that way it looks. Kubby/The Design Review Committee has purview wherever we direct them. This is a huge community investment. I would like them to look at .... Thomberry/I was qualified enough to not care for the bridge that was designed over Dubuque Street. Norton/...It would be nice to be reassured by people who are knowledgeable .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January ! 2, 1998 Council Work Session page 31 Thomberry/ ....It is not an ugly building .....It is functional. Lehman/Are there four people who would like Design review to review this? Champion/No. Vanderhoef/No. Norton/Yeah, I would. Thomberry/There is two. Lehman/Then I think we have a tentative okay .... Vanderhoef/I have got a couple of questions. !- Can we built up over the top of the meeting rooms? Moreno/It is not designed for that .....We would have to redo all of the drawings. Vanderhoef/ Moreno/The footings aren't design for it now. Nor is the roof structure designed to hold another floor. Council/(All talking). Moreno/If you are looking at that as a possible expansion, you would have to go back and redo all of the construction documents. Vanderhoe17 Okay. I don't know what kind of cost that is .... That is one area that I can see ..... The other thing on the appearance, by tucking that opening on the west side, your south view doesn't ever show you where the door is .... And for me, in this area .... I always learned that if you have prevailing winds from the west, you don't put your door on the west side ..... Doberstein/ ....by the time you are in the parking lot, you will see the door .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 32 Vanderhoef/The inviting part of coming... what is bringing me in .... coming up Dubuque Street and I still can't see the door or I am seeing all of this closed in area .... Doberstein/I don't know that we are inviting the casual driver-by to come in. Lehman/I think that is a good point... It is a water treatment plant ....Public is probably not going to see that building very often. Vanderhoeft But if we are going to put in that kind of a meeting room, I would say that we are going to have a lot of people coming and going. Thornberry/...put sign up. Norton/Problem is is they can't go over to the area with the big storage tank .... Vanderhoef/I understand that .... Doberstein/When you are in the parking lot, I don't think you will have any trouble seeing where you are suppose to go. Norton/ ....I can't envision what you will see. Doberstein/ Lehman/Thanks, Dwight. Kubby/Is that something that we should be concerned about .... people on the highway, what they see first? Champion/ Norton/They are going to see the big glass wall coming east ....Coming the other way you want see diddly. Doberstein/l think it is going to be far enough away ....Not many people are going to notice. Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 33 Norton/If the question is is it important that they see it. I don't guess it is .... Lehman/I don't think so. Kubby/Esthetic consideration .... new signs .... Is that what we want them to see? Norton/I don't see how to rearrange it ....given that underground tank. Vanderhoef/...industrial building. Lehman/I would assume... consideration of the way it is designed right now. Doberstein/ .... We couldn't put it up near the interstate because the ground there wouldn't support it. Vanderhoef/If there was another place for the tanks, that would be a different story .... Norton/ Vanderhoef/ Lehman/Are there any other comments regarding the architecture?...Go. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, ! 998 Council Work Session page 34 Organization 98-9 S2 Lehman/Council organizational issues .... Kubby/ .... going to talk about at our organizational meeting .... things that Marian had... you had... memo from myself.... We can start with Marian's memo. Norton/ ....at a goal setting. Lehman/I think we are going to have to cover a lot of this at our goal setting. Kubby/But how we work as a group is a different issue than goal setting... make sure we commit enough time to thoroughly cover both things .... how we interact, how we make decisions and how we function. Champion/l think it is too late for us to really have a good discussion about that now .... Council/(All talking). Champion/I think it is too late tonight to get into those issues. Lehman/When are we going to do it and what issues are we going to discuss? Norton/Do Marian's issues .... Karr/I would like a couple of decisions tonight on at least some of these issues .... First of all, a couple of reminders on council absences because of special meeting. Keep me apprised so I can keep that calendar updated. And also any travel. We have some National League of Cities and things coming up in March. I need to know if any of you are going. But what I need specifically is March meeting schedule. There have been a number of you express some concerns and I think we should firm that up so that we can alert staff and it may affect some February scheduling as well if the March schedule deviates... What is coming to council in February may be adjusted accordingly. Right now the March schedule calls for your regular meetings to be 9/10, 23/24/and the 9/10th does hit the National League of Cities meeting. Kubby/So is anyone planning on going to D.C.? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 35 Norton/I am thinking of going but ifI did I would go on the 7th and I would return on Monday afternoon if we are going to have a meeting that night .... Kubby/Traditionally when people go, we do change our meeting schedule .... Norton/I am not absolutely certain about that... when would you move it to in March? Karr/Dee... the only thing you really have to deal with in March specially is, of course, your budget by March 15 which the memo noted. As of right now other things can be adjusted if we knew ahead of time .... 2/3rd we have a couple of council members gone. We also the, the 16/17th, we could do. It is spring break if that matters .... Also if we move it, it becomes a special meeting .... It could be other two days. I would suggest that we get back on schedule in April... 6/7th we return to the normal schedule. Lehman/Everybody is okay with February? Is that correct? Karr/As far as I understand .... Lehman/ ....March... 9/lOth. Norton/I think I will be here for the 9/10th. Dee, you will be gone on Monday and Tuesday both? Vanderhoef/I haven't seen the schedule to know that .... I want to go to the League meeting. Norton/I am going to go but I am going to assume I will be here on the 9/10th. Thornberry/When is the League of Cities thing? Karr/7th through the 10th. Norton/ ....I can wind up Monday afternoon .... I would be here .... Lehman/Can we know tomorrow night about the 9/10th? .... Vanderhoet7 Do you have the brochure yet? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City. council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 36 Karr/Yes, I can pull it for you tomorrow night or you can stop and look at it. Thomberry/I wasn't going but I may go .... after reviewing the brochure ....latest I would come back would be Monday .... Karr/Starts Saturday, the 7th. Thomberry/You can take your packet with you and prepare at night .... Lehman/Tomorrow night let's decide. Norton/Take a look at the schedule and see what we can do .... Karr/The budget- The schedule calls for you right now to have your p.h. finished on the 24th of February. The budget should be all but- Vanderhoef/When is the p.h.? Karr/As of right now ....going to be setting the p.h. on February 10 and holding it the 24th of February. Vanderhoef/So anytime after the 24th .... We could have a special meeting to certify budget? Karr/Yes. Lehman/Let's decide that tomorrow night. Karr/I just wanted to reiterate and I passed out to you this evening the Board and Commission application. There has been a lot of interest in getting that cleared up. And what we have done is- I distributed this evening that second page application which simply states that the applications will be to you the Saturday before the council meeting and again, not to call until the applications are there. That is all we can do. If individuals want to call ahead of time, it is up to you to tell them. I don't have the application. But I know there was some other discussions about Board and Commission applications and the process. And again, short of council giving further direction, that is the only adjustment we have made. Kubby/What were the questions or concerns? This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January ! 2, 1998 Council Work Session page 37 Norton/Mr. Mayor, I have one question. I would like to see if they have particular questions they want to call it, I don't like to pass the implication to them that for full consideration they must contact each and everyone of us. I find that adds a lot of burden .... I think they should be noted that the councilman may wish to call them if they have particular questions. I am just trying to word it not to invite routine calling. Karr/I think that is a very different message and we certainly can make that change. But that is a different direction. Kubby/I worked really hard to get this process in place because one of the things I found that if applicant didn't personally know anybody on council, no matter how well qualified they are, no one felt connected to them and so they had a very slim chance of being appointed. By having even brief phone conversations, you create some kind of relationship where they have a better chance of being appointed. That just a paper trail does not create the same kind of relationship. Norton/I find it very hard to transmit stuff over the phone ....just not an efficient use of my time... Lehman/Might be well to say that applicants feel free to call council people, remembering that council does not receive the application until Friday before the meeting. Norton/We definitely want them to know not to call until after- .... I don't want to invite 100 calls. Champion/I am concerned about what Karen just said. That if people who aren't known by the seven of us don't get a position on a commission. Norton/I don't think that is true. Kubby/I felt that was a problem in the past. Norton/ Kubby/ .... It was like well, no one knows them so we shouldn't appoint them .... This has helped. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 38 Norton/Just say they should not call council until after they are out, right? Karr/Okay, if you have got the sheet in front of you, you have got the top one where it says the city council receives your application the Saturday prior to the appointment. We encourage you to contact council members after Saturday. Norton/If you wish- Karr/If you wish to contact- Norton/If you wish to contact one or more council members, please wait until after X. Kubby/Really on the weekend I want some personal time, too, instead of just reading all of this stuff. I don't answer my phone sometimes as often on a council packet weekend because I need time to focus on other things. So I am going to be harder to reach with that kind of statement .... Lehman/I do find it fxustrating when I get phone calls on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday before I have picked at my packet .... I know nothing about them. Calling after Friday night for me is important. I don't want to talk to them until I have the opportunity to have the application. Champion/Why don't do we make these appointments a week after we get the applications? Norton/We were trying to do that, weren't we? Karr/That is another process. Champion/That would solve that problem. It would give the council members- Karr/If you want the applications a week earlier, then it would shorten- We could certainly do that but you would then lengthen your advertisement to give them a week early. They would not be in your formal packet then. They would be in your info packet a week early. It would be in your off packet. Kubby/And you would need to be responsible to bring those or share those. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 39 Lehman/That might be better .... Champion/ Norton/ Karr/ ....problem is the late applicants. Right now we come right down to the wire with applicants. You get them Friday before you make the appointment and also Monday and Tuesday. You have a week in there. You have a week and two days to get late applications if that is a concern to anyone. Kubby/The other possibility is to say this is the deadline ....If people can't make it, they are just out this application period. Karr/Council always has the prerogative of deferring an appointment or delaying it or readvertising it ifyou are not satisfied .... readvertise it again and the late one would then be in the second round as it were. Vanderhoef/One of the things that I notice in the last couple of years is that when we do take late applications, it is because we haven't any applications ..... applicants were not qualified .... We all collectively have been inviting people to put in some applications. Do having the deadline the week before and accepting a few late ones gives us that flexibility and then we don't have to go out with a whole new advertising period ..... Lehman/Do we agree we would like this in the off week packets? Norton/Yes, in general we would like it. Lehman/That might really take care of the entire problem. Norton/But without precluding the possibility of late ones... Lehman/Let's try it having them in the off week. Karr/Okay and we still leave the Saturday on it. Do not contact until after the Saturday you receive them but you are getting them a week ahead of time. So we will have to re-work that. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 40 Vanderhoeff Definitely. Karr/All right. Okay. Summer meeting schedule. Perhaps you could bring- There are already some individuals looking at planning summer vacations and summer absences and we have in the past had summer meeting schedules and it has varied from council to council. It can be taking one month and simply saying we will meet once for that month. It can be a reduced schedule. It can be a different time for your meetings. But there has been a number of you express an interest in tinning up some summer plans and I would encourage you to do that sooner rather than later. Again, because that is a time for many of our projects to be awarded. Again, we can back that up. Kubby/I really like us having a break in August because summer is my time to work hard and I am traveling and I am consistently getting home very early Monday morning .... By August I want a break .... In general just having a break in August. Thornberry/August is not my busiest month as well. Lehman/ ....let Marian know... Norton/ ....some interest in shaving August ....June .... Karr/First week in June, last week in June and August. Norton/Okay, let's turn our schedules in. Council/(All talking). Kubby/Back to Boards and Commissions .... we have had more generalized conversations about what we wanted from people for that commission and comparing that to what is already on the commission and talking about people in general before putting nominations on the floor. I really appreciate that process. Norton/ ....you don't know the structure of the commission .... Vanderhoef/ ....trying to remember who is on that committee .... Kubby/ This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 41 Lehman/Current members could be included. For example, this week we have got Human Rights. It would be nice to know who is on that committee. Kubby/And what their occupation is. Lehman/And occupation. Kubby/That is something that is on the application already. Vanderhoeff Thomberry/ .... as much information about the people as I could. Perhaps their original application. Lehman/I don't want that. Norton/ Thomberry/ Norton/If we have the list ....last minutes... you can tell who is on the commission .... Kubby/We have an extra week now in our process .... Thomberry/Each one of these .... Norton/It may ease our selection process to have a little context. Karr/So you do want a list of current members plus their occupations or you do not? Thomberry/Ernie said not. I can come in- Norton/You can look at the minutes. We have them in front of us. Karr/They won't give you occupation. They will give you name. Norton/I don't know how you would do that .... Thomberry/You say you have their application on file or not.° This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 42 Karr/Yes, we do .... Remember the applications could be as long as 4-5 years old .... occupations could have changed. Thomberry/But we can look at their applications of the current members. Lehman/All right, let's try it. What kind of organizational issues do you want to discuss? .... We need to all have a feel for what we are thinking. Champion/Maybe we could turn something into you. Lehman/ Kubby/You had a list of things that you talked about at our first meeting .... I have a memo that outlines .... 8 things that I suggested .... dated November 18... Norton/Ernie's list was circulated .... Thornberry/ Kubby/Marian, could you recirculate my November 18 memo? Karr/Sure. Kubby/And we just got Ernie's. Thornberry/ Kubby/Things like the goal setting session, weekly Monday informals .... issue focused special meetings .... subcommittees give periodic reports .... Lehman/Informal in two weeks as far as the load? Karr/ ....we have got the City Conference Board .... Lehman/No problem with coming early and doing this first thing .... Vanderhoef/...Conference Board. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session Karr/We use to do it at 6:30. Norton/ Vanderhoef/ Karr/ Lehman/Do we wish to meet earlier in two weeks? Champion/Yes. Kubby/ Norton/26th. Kubby/Hard for me .... Champion/I might not be back... in from Chicago .... Lehman/Are we prepared to pick a date? Norton/ Lehman/What we will do... Champion/ ....26th. Lehman/ Norton/Like 6:00? Lehman/ Norton/6:00 to 7:00, organizational matters. Lehman/6:00 on 26th. Norton/I have several that relate to both Ernie's and Karen's .... page 43 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 44 Lehman/ ....get them in the packet ....26th, 6:00 PM. Two weeks from tonight. Vanderhoef/You want things for the packet for the 23rd .... here by 22nd to get it in the packet. Norton/ Lehman/ Karr/ ....plug for Lisa... proclamation deadline is the Tuesday before an agenda ....And also for the packet, if we can get it Thursday, we can put it in on Friday .... Vanderhoef/So you want it on Thursday. Kan'/It is called a Friday Packet but that is not the deadline. Kubby/On Mahan's memo, there is one on council travel. Lehman/ Kubby/Recently we had made kind of a policy that each council member got one national conference and one or two regional. Karr/I thought we would pull that out again for discussion. Why I put it there originally was to alert everyone that we have a policy but also bring it back to you for review and I think maybe another time we should do that. Kubby/Okay. Champion/Can we do that on the 26th? Karr/Sure. Lehman/Sure. Vanderhoef/Put it on the 26th. Kubby/It is a lot in an hour. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 45 Council/(All talking). This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session Appointments 98-9 S2 Lehman/Human Rights Commission. We have got several applicants. Thomberry/ ....put their applications in before. Kubby/Mettie was real high .... Council/(All talking). Lehman/Karen, I recall being very impressed with Mettie... Vanderhoef/I was, too. Kubby/I also liked Lea Haravon because of her mediation skills and her training .... Norton/I liked Chris Ledman .... was one of my #1. Kubby/ Vanderhoef/I will nominate Mettie. Lehman/ Thomberry/ Norton/She was the first one in the pile. Thomberry/ Kubby/She has got a legal background .... Lehman/I talked to this person... impressed with her. Thomberry/I talked to her also .... Lehman/ .... I don't know ifI know her. Thomberry/I talked to her last time... nominated her last time. page 46 This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 47 Lehman/Dee has nominated her....we have four or five, six, seven. Mettie is a done deal. Riverfront and Natural Areas Commission is a matter of approving the person recommended by the county .... Norton/So moved .... Lehman/Okay. Human Rights Commission o Mettie Thomopulos Riverfi'ont Commission - Approve recommendation. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 48 Council Agenda/Time 98-9 S2 1. Norton/I was asked to do some Sister City work... I will be coming back .... Dan Clark in Muscatine has been very active in this .... He may be some good help .... 2. Norton/I wanted to ask Steve this question... Parking report about the 75 spaces we are kind of holding to accommodate new businesses .... permit spaces. Is that something we should deal with .... We have had no takers on that ....We have 150 knocking on our door. Lehman/I think that is reserving those permits. Those spaces are available for anybody to use .... key things is they have to have parking. Norton/I guess I am just worried that we haven't had any takers in the year or so since we have held those .... 150 people looking for permits. Kubby/But every time we increase the number of permits, we are going to have that kind of waiting list. Lehman/We will always have- Norton/All right... drop it, forget it. 3. Norton/I had a couple of calls that suggest that people don't understand what happened with our water rates. All they read is the 15 and i 0% and they don't get over the bottom line. I will comment on that again tomorrow night .... 4. Norton/Steve, I would like to find out sometime exactly where we stand with GIS .... I don't know how far we have gone, what it is doing for us, what it is going to do for us .... Atkins/I will prepare it on paper for you. Norton/We need a briefing on it pretty soon .... 5. Kubby/I want to talk a little bit about SEATS... time frame in between... report... that we try to shorten the time frame of staff looking at that so that we can conclude negotiations as soon as possible .... important for staff to look at those reports, analysis whatever it is they are going to analyze This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 49 Norton/Is there time for them to get that done? Atkins/Get Dee and Dean together... Vanderhoef/I am in and out folks .... Norton/Joe's letter scared me. Kubby/Joe has said the reports are looking good. And at this point I think it is a staff task that then will go back to the committee .... staff does their work to evaluate the report... but it comes back to the whole body who then gives directions to our negotiating team again, who then talks to the county again .... time frame to be as short as possible... It puts people in limbo... customers of our transportation system... goal .... stability of service .... Atkins/I still have to meet with Dee and Dean .... Kubby/That is two out of seven. Atkins/I am telling you what my instructions were. Norton/They will come back with a report. Thomberry/We have not met for a long time ..... I was waiting for Dee to come back to meet with Steve because we are the negotiating team .... update from Joe Fowler... Then we can give a report just as quickly as we can.. come back with a recommendation to council. Norton/ .... Joe says I have got the raw data .... get to subcommittee the kind of information that we needed .... Can that whole process happen in a month? .... Lehman/ Vanderhoef/ ....I have to let you know right now that my time is still on the road .... Kubby/It is now in the staff's hands ....analyzing information .... Thornberry/ ....staff... is this the information you need .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, i 998 Council Work Session page 50 CHANGE TAPE TO REEL 98-11 SIDE 1 Vanderhoef/And maybe we can do something right after lunch or something tomorrow. 6. Kubby/ .... It is kind of a budget and it is a scheduling issue. The status of the Community Housing Forum recommendations. I know that we had a date on the 26th. The recommendations have been almost two years in the making and I don't want to be placed in a position of having one weekend to read them and to make a decision about them. I want to make sure we get the information .... discussion in a time frame that we could also maybe incorporate some of the ideas in this budget session. Atkins/You don't have to worry about that. All the moneys that are being proposed come from HOME and CDBG. There is a very small amount of General Fund which you already appropriated ....Don't worry about that because we owe you a presentation. Norton/ Atkins/Policy matters... are something that you have not blessed yet. From a budget perspective, you are okay. Kubby/ 7. Kubby/My last thing. I want to ask people to pledge me for Big Brothers/Big Sisters .... Norton/We are all bowling .... I will pledge to you. Lehman/ ....why can't we all do it .... Norton/Karen always bowls with some high up mucky muck politicians ..... Thomberry/I just need her blessing that four of us can be together and bowl. Kubby/You just can't talk about me. Champion/I will give everybody $10 .... Norton/I will bring the pledge forms tomorrow. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 51 8. Vanderhoef/I was regrettable that I wasn't here last Monday and I understand at the Organization meeting .... lighten my load during a time when there was uncertainly about Pete's health and I really do appreciate your consideration .... However l really would like to request that the council reconsider my appointment to the Legislative Committee. I served on the Committee last year... requested .... to keep this one committee for this coming year .... lobbying and being involved in the legislative process... It is something that I would like to do .... Opportunities... In the middle of December I was notified by the executive director of the State League of Cities that I have been appointed to the 1998 National League of Cities Policy Committee on Energy, Environment and National Resources .... I have been nominated... to be vice-chair and subsequently on the Executive Committee of the ECCOG .... transportation, solid waste, hazardous materials .... I feel that it is really important that I have this connection with our state legislators and be involved at the Chamber level .... ! really want to go to the Legislative Breakfast .... I wasn't appointed to it and I am asking for reconsideration on this .... If I am unable to meet a committee commitment, I have always asked somebody to attend for me .... I recognize that when I looked at council appointments that both Dee and Karen are carrying very heavy loads with four council appointments... and I have two. As far as the Student Senate Committee, I am willing to do that. I just really respectfully request my continuing membership on the Legislative Committee. That is where I think I belong. Norton/I thought we had three. Thomberry/l also requested to be on there but- That is the only thing I am on except JCCOG. Norton/ .... I don't care. Do you want me off the Legislative Committee to make room for somebody? I will be happy to. Thornberry/I would, too ..... Norton/I figure I ought to try to continue to do the Student Senate thing .... Rules and Student Senate, give me a break. Those aren't very meaty, let's put it that way. Vanderhoeff And JCCOG. Norton/Everybody is on JCCOG except Ernie .... This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 52 Kubby/Just because people aren't on the Legislative Committee doesn't mean they can't do lobbying and legislative work. Champion/But the kind of thing she is talking about .... I think she should be on it. Council/(All talking). Kubby/The other way to think about it is because of Dee's,.. she is already in contact .... Norton/l guess I want to stay on there ill can .... Vanderhoef/It is a matter of staying connected with the local people ....hearing their concerns .... Norton/I don't care. Take me off there. I will just take Rules and Student Senate. I will take whatever crumbs are left .... Thornberry/She can have my seat. Norton/You got two volunteers ..... I can do either way. Champion/You can be the alternate. Thornberry/l will be the alternate. Lehman/Do we need to do that formally? Karr/Yes, we can do it tomorrow night under Council Time .... posted this afternoon ....So I just plugged that in .... Council/(All talking). Lehman/What I would like to do is announce all of the appointments at one time .... Vanderhoef/It has to be voted on. Lehman/We will vote on it... need a motion to approve .... do it again ....Folks, 4:00 tomorrow and I would hope- This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298 January 12, 1998 Council Work Session page 53 Meeting adjourned: 10:20 PM. This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City council meeting of January 12, 1998 WS011298