HomeMy WebLinkAboutStrategic_Plan_Report_July_2018Iowa City 2018-2019
Strategic Plan Report
July 2018
Aerial view of Terry Trueblood Recreation Area Lodge
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Table of Contents
Strategic Plan Goals………………..3
Introduction and Overview……..4
Economy…………………………………6
Vibrant Urban Core…………………7
Healthy Neighborhoods………….8
Solid Financial Foundation………9
Community Engagement……….10
Environmental Sustainability….11
Social Justice & Racial Equity….12
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Introduction and Overview
City Council members are, from left:
Pauline Taylor, District A, Mayor Pro Tem
Kingsley Botchway II, At-Large
Jim Throgmorton, At-Large, Mayor
Rockne Cole, At-Large
Susan Mims, District B
John Thomas, District C
Mazahir Salih, At-Large
City of Iowa City organizational
profile
City Council
Iowa City is governed by an elected City Council of
seven members: four Council members at-large
and three District members. The Council is
responsible for appointing the City Manager, City
Attorney, and City Clerk.
City Manager
The City Manager serves as the chief
administrative officer for the organization. The
City Manager implements the policy decisions of
the City Council, enforces City ordinances, and
appoints City officials, as well as supervises the
directors of the City’s operating departments.
City staff
Iowa City employs approximately 600 full-time
staff members to execute the City Council’s
policies and provide public services to over 70,000
residents. These include water, sewer,
stormwater, garbage and recycling utilities, as
well as public services like public safety, building
and housing inspections, parks and recreation,
street maintenance, engineering, development
services, transportation, local cable television
programming, and senior services.
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Introduction and Overview
Executive Summary:
Beginning in January 2018, City Council engaged in a strategic planning process to define the City’s
top priorities, address significant new projects and initiatives, and establish a broad vision for the
City’s future. The first two sessions held by Council and a facilitator, focused on a review of on-going
or committed projects, followed by an evaluation and prioritization of new projects, programs,
policies, and initiatives suggested by Council Members. A third work session held with Council and
staff refined the proposed strategies.
City staff will be responsible for coordinating implementation and execution of these Council goals
over the next two years. A resolution to formally adopt the 2018-2019 Strategic Plan priorities as
defined in these three work sessions was approved on March 20, 2018.
Background:
City Council’s initial strategic planning goal setting session determined that the seven primary
objectives identified for the 2016-2017 Strategic Plan should be continued in the 2018-2019
Plan. A facilitator helped Council members narrow and modify an initial list of more than forty
goals to the twenty-five actions identified as the final Strategic Plan. Council further refined their
ultimate priorities and initiatives at the March 6, 2018 work session.
The final objectives provide broad guidance for City staff to fulfill and enact the vision and priorities
of Council over the next two years. Status update reports are presented each year to Council for
review.
City Council Strategic Plan Objectives:
This Strategic Plan intends to foster a more Inclusive, Just and Sustainable Iowa City
1. Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy
2. Encourage a Vibrant and Walkable Urban Core
3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods throughout the City
4. Maintain a Solid Financial Foundation
5. Enhance Community Engagement and Intergovernmental Relations
6. Promote Environmental Sustainability
7. Advance Social Justice and Racial Equity
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1. Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy
a. Undertake a comprehensive assessment of the current public transit system and
implement changes to assure that the service best meets the needs of the entire
community
b. Effectively market and grow the local food economy
c. Through cooperation with the Iowa City School District, Iowa Workforce
Development, Kirkwood Community College, Iowa Works, and others, increase
opportunities for marginalized populations and low-income individuals to obtain
access to skills training and good jobs
d. Work with Procter & Gamble and impacted supply chain companies, local
economic development organizations, and labor unions to respond effectively to
the company's decision to terminate its local production of beauty care products
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
1a Staff has met with Coralville, North Liberty and the
University of Iowa to determine their interest in participating
in the study. Coralville and the University have expressed
an interest. The City is drafting a Request for Qualifications
for an experienced transit consultant that will be reviewed
by the partnering organizations and the City Council prior to
issuance. The City Council has budgeted $200,000 for the
purposed of conducting this analysis.
• Council review of the Request for
Qualifications Document.
• Council approval of an agreement with a
transit consultant.
• Expected 12-18 month period for public
engagement and study before final
recommendations are ready.
1b City Council has budgeted $50,000 towards expanding the
local food economy.
Horticulture staff changed the landscaping in approximately
thirty round planters located throughout the City to feature
edible plants. With signage encouraging harvest and
tasting, the public is taking part during the 2018 growing
season. Locations include City Hall, City Park, Mercer Park
and a few locations in downtown.
Approximately 202 garden plots have been leased for the
2018 growing season throughout three community gardens.
• Beginner Gardening courses continue at
the Recreation division, with four
registrants.
• Additional community gardens are being
planned at Walden Green and an
orchard and garden is planned with the
renovation at Creekside Park.
• A series of public meetings were held
with Backyard Abundance in summer
2018 to gather input on a new
configuration for garden plots at Chadek
Green. Final designs, for the 2019
growing season, are being completed.
The improved garden will include a
variety of plot sizes, additional paths,
public gathering space, and a new
sculpture.
Wetherby Community Gardens
Wetherby community garden plots
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1. Promote a Strong and Resilient Local Economy (cont.)
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
1c The City’s Economic Development staff is generating an
inventory of local and regional efforts to identify gaps in
services and potential collaborations. Staff is also working
with private businesses to identify workforce needs and
barriers to employment.
• Staff will continue efforts to identify and
engage local supporting institutions and
businesses that further this initiative.
• A job fair, sponsored by the City of Iowa
City and Iowa Works, is planned in Mid-
September at the Robert A. Lee
Recreation Center. The fair will host
twenty companies offering entry,
permanent, and part time work.
1d Staff has engaged with Proctor & Gamble officials and
connected them with local and state resources to assist
with any employees that may be displaced. Staff has
worked with ICAD to express strong support for growing
Proctor & Gamble’s remaining operations and to position
the community for attracting new lines of business within
the company. Collectively, these groups are also working to
aid supply chain companies, which includes helping to
determine if new business partnerships can be established
to help overcome the anticipated loss in Proctor & Gamble
business.
• Continue to offer support to employees
by engaging with Proctor & Gamble to
better understand employee needs
• Continually work with Proctor & Gamble
and supply chain companies to
determine how best the City can assist
in growing their operations here in Iowa
City.
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2. Encourage a Vibrant and Walkable Urban Core
a. Collaborate with the University of Iowa on its redevelopment of University-owned
property located in the Riverfront Crossings District, and on improving the quality,
accessibility, and use of the Iowa River Corridor
b. Preserve important parts of Iowa City's history by considering the designation of
additional buildings as historic landmarks, and, by considering the creation of an
historic preservation district for part of the downtown after consulting with
stakeholders
c. Evaluate existing strategies and consider additional actions to address the need
for reinvestment in the city’s existing private housing stock
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
2a Staff meets regularly with University of Iowa personnel to
discuss planning topics, including the RFC campus and the
river corridor. Staff from Iowa City and Coralville are working
with the University of Iowa to align current master plans
along the rivers and identify ways to strengthen existing
plans or fill in missing gaps between the three entities. City
staff is also heavily involved in the planning of the Big
Splash event along the Iowa River in 2020 that will serve as
pivotal point in time for the community to come together to
celebrate and care for the river.
• Staff will continue to engage with
numerous community partners including
the University on the Big Splash
planning, which will include education,
outreach and programs in 2019-20.
• Staff will work with the University and
Coralville to further align river planning
efforts after the master plan compilation
is completed.
• After the University announces its
intentions for on-campus housing, staff
will engage in further collaborative
planning efforts involving the RFC
campus area.
2b The City Council has considered two individual landmark
designations to date. A historic district designation in the
Riverfront Crossings District will be considered by Council in
August of 2018. Staff expects that the downtown historic
inventory will be ready for public review in August or
September.
• A Council decision on the historic district
that is being proposed in the Riverfront
Crossings District is pending in August.
• Staff will coordinate a public review of the
downtown historic inventory before the
Council considers any formal actions.
2c Staff made changes to the UniverCity program to allow for
the purchase of duplex properties. The first duplex will be
acquired in August. Council also increased the amount of
funding per acquisition and rehab in order to expand the
pool of potential properties.
• Staff will begin a comprehensive
assessment of current rehab programs
and funding and present Council with
findings and recommendations in 2019.
Council should provide staff any specific
requests that it wants considered during
this review.
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3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods Throughout the City
a. Modify the existing Affordable Housing Action Plan to include new strategies to
improve the availability and affordability of housing in Iowa City
b. Embed the "Missing Middle" concept into the City's land development practices by
adopting a Form Based Code for at least one (preferably two) of our
neighborhoods
c. Ensure the next two budgets contain sufficient funds to make meaningful progress
toward achieving the goals of the Bicycle Master Plan and Parks Master Plan
d. Complete an analysis of traffic accident data and identify actions to improve the
safety of our roadways for motorists, bicyclists, and pedestrians
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
3a Council increased the affordable housing commitment from
$750,000 to $1,000,000 in FY 19.
Council adopted an Affordable Housing component to the
City’s annexation policy in July. Also in July, Council
approved a development agreement for the Foster Road
extension and development area that leverages an
estimated $2-3 million dollars in affordable housing funds
over the next ten years.
Staff has begun preliminary research on new approaches to
expand affordable housing efforts in the coming years.
• Council should let staff know if there are
any specific proposals or polices that
they want to consider as part of this
effort.
• Staff will further our research and offer
Council recommendations in late 2018
or early 2019.
3b Council provided staff direction to pursue a form-based
code in the South District. Staff will also have the consultant
explore interim measures that can better guide contextual
development in the Northside neighborhood.
• Staff will present a consultant agreement
to the Council in the early fall.
South District Plan – Credit: Opticos Design, Inc.
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3. Foster Healthy Neighborhoods
Throughout the City (cont.)
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
3c The FY 19 budget provides funding for numerous projects
contained in the Bicycle Master Plan and Parks Master
Plan. The spring of 2018 brought the renovation of
Cardigan Park and Phases 1 and 2 of Riverfront Crossings
Park. Phase 3 at Riverfront Crossings is underway.
Consultants have been selected for parks projects at Lower
City Park, Willow Creek Park, and a west side park
development, which are included in the FY19 budget.
Summer 2018 will see the initiation of bicycle facilities,
including on-street bicycle facilities on Greenwood, Myrtle,
Riverside, and Camp Cardinal and 4 to 3-lane conversions
allowing bicycle lanes on Mormon Trek Boulevard and
Clinton Street.
• Accessibility improvements are planned
at Mercer Park, Tower Court, and
Highland Park, along with a field addition
at IC Kickers Soccer Park, and the full
redevelopment of Creekside Park, soon
to begin construction.
• Budget discussions will be underway
shortly, identifying more capital projects
for the 2020 construction season. Initial
proposals for the Capital budget will be
received from Council in late August and
a draft brought for approval in winter
2019.
3d Staff is nearing completion on the data analysis portion of
this item. In the next 30-60 days staff will provide the
Council a report with findings and preliminary
recommendations.
• Council will need to consider the report
and recommendations and provide staff
direction on follow-up steps and
timelines.
Cardigan Park
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4. Maintain a Solid Financial Foundation
a. Continue to monitor the impact of the 2013 property tax reform and evaluate
alternative revenue sources as determined necessary
b. Continue to build the City’s Emergency Fund
c. Monitor potential changes to Moody’s rating criteria and maintain the City’s Aaa
bond rating
d. Continue to reduce the City’s property tax levy
e. Maintain healthy fund balances throughout the City’s diverse operations
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
4a Property tax reform is consistently monitored as the 2013
changes impact the City tax base.
• Statewide efforts by cities to adopt a
Local Option Sales Tax has led to
changes in the state legislature. The City
will consider implications of pursuing
LOST as well as how the changes in law
may impact Iowa City.
4b The City did not include a deposit to the Emergency Fund in
the FY19 budget. So far this year, the only expense from the
Emergency Fund was approximately $221,000 for the
purchase of property in flood plains adjacent to Lower City
Park.
• The City will consider again adding to
this fund in the FY20 budget proposal.
• Council has approved the purchase of
two more flood plain properties adjoining
City Park and closing is expected later in
summer 2018.
4c The City experienced a third-party bond rating call in spring
2018 with Moody’s rating service. From that call, Moody’s
maintained the City’s Aaa rating. A new element of the
Moody’s review includes how communities are addressing
climate adaptation. Therefore, Iowa City’s climate mitigation
and adaptation strategies were included in the ratings
presentation for the first time this year. The City also
increased its capital contributions, resulting in a positive
recommendation from Moody’s.
• The City has just started using a
predictive budgeting software technology
that allows for specific simulation of City
fiscal considerations. Use of this
technology will permit Finance
Administration to explore opportunities
and solutions for addressing areas of
concern, according to the Moody’s
report.
4d The City reduced the property tax levy by decreasing the
City’s debt service levy. This is the sixth consecut ive year of
debt service levy reduction, resulting in a $0.15 decrease in
the levy.
• The City has a debt service plan that,
pending unforeseen changes, will allow
for possible levy reductions in the next
year.
4e FY2018 year-end fund balances were fairly positive and
FY19 outlook also looks healthy for most funds. In FY19, the
City implemented a 5% increase in water rates to preserve a
balance that will allow for capital infrastructure maintenance.
• The City is continuing to monitor fund
balances.
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5. Enhance Community Engagement and
Intergovernmental Relations
a. Experiment with innovative ways of engaging with diverse populations in person
and on social media
b. Improve collaborative problem-solving with governmental entities in the region on
topics of shared interest
c. Improve relationships with the executive branch and legislature by reaching out to
legislators and other elected officials and working with City lobbyists
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
5a Communications successfully introduced the use of
Facebook Live for streaming City Council meetings and
variety of other programs. Viewers can actively comment in
real time and engage in dialogue with other viewers. City
Cable Channel 4 ensured that a purchase of mobile
equipment allowed for better-quality video streaming as the
City continues to expand usage of this platform.
The City has also increased the use of digital platforms
paired with video and quality print visuals to help
communicate complex issues.
City Cable Channel 4 has historically participated in filming
many community events, but this year are focused on
presenting the stories of neighborhoods, residents, and
businesses.
• As projects and programs are promoted
to the public, an increased concentration
on the development of marketing plans
has elevated City communications. Use
of polling, prize giveaways, and other
incentives have been received positively.
The division will continue to work with
City departments to create effective
marketing and engagement
opportunities.
• The Cable division will continue to seek
opportunities to share information that
impacts a diverse group of community
members.
5b Council has initiated a regional discussion on I-380 planning.
The first meeting on this topic will be held on August 2nd.
Council continues to be active participants in the quarterly
joint government meetings.
• Council needs to identify the topic areas
that they wish to address.
• Staff is not currently pursuing other
actions under this objective.
5c During the 2017-2018 state legislative session, Iowa City
worked with lobbying firm Carney and Associates to monitor
and advocate the Council’s legislative priorities in Des
Moines. At the end of the session, most major concerns,
such as preserving the backfill had positive or neutral
outcomes for the City.
Relationships with local legislators remain productive and
several contacts were made with current legislators as well
as with district candidates during the primary campaign.
• The City’s lobbyists continue to attend
meetings and events with legislators from
across the state prior to the next
legislative session in the fall.
• A community tour with area legislators,
Council, and staff is being planned. The
tour is planned to share the latest
improvements to parks, facilities, and
notable development projects, related to
State financial support and local needs.
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6. Promote Environmental Sustainability
a. Adopt an effective Climate Action and Adaptation Plan and ensure the next two
budgets contain sufficient funds to facilitate achieving its goal
b. Support efforts to increase the reach of the Parks and Recreation Foundation
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
6a The Climate Action and Adaptation draft is complete, has
been presented to Council and released for public review.
A successful community meeting was held on July 11, 2018
and gathered more feedback and garnered excitement for
Plan implementation.
Several projects already budgeted in FY18 and FY19 but
also recommended in the just-released Climate Plan are
underway, including initiation of the transit study, a refuse
and recycling route study, public building improvements,
bicycle facilities, and installation of electric vehicle charging
stations. Additionally, the Plan calls for the development and
sharing of public information and engagement tools. The
Plan includes a community toolkit to get the City started but
more City-specific tools are already being drafted.
• Implementation will continue based on
feedback from the community meeting on
July 11. Community efforts will be
initiated by City staff, the Climate Action
Steering Committee members, and the
public, to focus efforts upon the most
impactful plan recommendations.
• For the FY20 Budget planning process,
staff will request that Council prioritize
recommended Plan actions.
Climate Meeting participants discuss barriers and solutions
6b This goal remains in a planning stage. • Parks and Recreation will work in fall
2018 to discuss these efforts with the
Parks and Recreation Commission.
Accomplishment Highlight
In spring 2018, the Parks & Recreation Staff, with help from the Green Iowa AmeriCorps team, was
awarded a prestigious designation in the Sports Turf Managers Association’s Environmental Facility
Certification Program.
At the time of application, there were just thirty facilities in the United States and Spain that have this
designation. The certification recognizes sports turf managers and their designated facility for
environmental best management practices, including reduction in pesticide and fertilizer use, storm water
management, reduction of water use and availability of recycling. In addition, the facility has also seen
upgrades to LED lighting, programmable thermostats, and occupancy s ensors.
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7. Advance Social Justice and Racial Equity
a. Support organizations and efforts that provide services to people experiencing
and recovering from trauma and crisis related to mental health and substance
abuse
b. Consider a policy to limit city business to vendors that pay all employees a wage
of $10.10 or higher
c. Explore expanded use of a racial equity toolkit within City government,
embedding it within city department and Council levels
d. Consider elevating hourly staff wages to $15/hour or more within two years
Accomplishment Updates What’s Next
7a The Council has budgeted sufficient funds to be active
partners in the Countywide Behavioral Access Center
planning. The County is leading the land acquisition effort
and there is an active steering committee leading the project
forward.
• Staff will work with the steering
committee and governmental partners on
any funding or operational agreements
needed to move the project forward.
• Council should convey to staff any
specific projects or policies that it wants
to consider outside of the Behavioral
Access Center project.
7b This goal remains in planning stages.
• Finance will take the first steps in
assessing the number and type of
vendors used by the City. Staff will
determine how such a policy could be
implemented.
7c From August 2016 to August 2017, five city departments,
including Neighborhood and Development Services, Police,
Human Resources, Finance, and Human Rights evaluated
current and potential procedures, policies, programs or
services using a racial and socioeconomic equity review
toolkit. This process will continue throughout 2018.
• A memo regarding the next
implementation phase for the equity
toolkit was included in Council’s July 5,
2018 information packet. Use of the
equity toolkit is expanding to four
additional departments in 2018, including
Parks and Recreation, Fire, the Housing
Authority, and the Iowa City Public
Library.
7d This goal remains in planning stages. Staff has done
preliminary research and assessment of cost implications to
the City.
• Cost analysis will be provided to Council
for an upcoming Work Session
discussion. Direction is needed prior to
the FY20 budget planning process
begins.