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Home My WebLink About2019-12-03 CorrespondenceItem Number: 7.a. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Abbe F yfe: S treet L ights on Rider S t. [S taff Response I ncluded] Item Number: 7.b. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Bjorn Swenson: Non-accessible stop - A D A Violation [S taff Response I ncluded] Item Number: 7.c. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Russell Haught: Olde Towne Village Item Number: 7.d. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description J ohnson County Affordable Housing Coalition: Petition - I owa Manufactured Housing Residents/ Bill of Rights Item Number: 7.e. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Carol deP rosse: S enators P ress Amazon for Answers for Ring's Sloppy S ecurity P ractices -7, e Kellie Fruehling From: Carol deProsse <lonetreefox@mac.com> Sent: Thursday, November 28, 2019 7:54 AM To: Jody Matherly; Council; Geoff Fruin Subject: Amazon's Ring Planned Neighborhood "Watch Lists" Built on Facial Recognition I am asking that the Council read up on this matter and schedule time to discuss if as a community we wish to participate in this. I hope you will conclude we do not. https: //protect -us. mimecast.com/s/GCGCCXDPOBfoYrju6tdfq?domain=theintercept.com This email is from an external source. Late Handouts Distributed /,-�—,;�—/q (Date) Item Number: 7.f. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Ben Sonnega: J oin Mayors for S olar E nergy Item Number: 7.g. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Donald Baxter: I ssues Item Number: 7.h. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Missie F orbes: Non-profit funding Item Number: 7.i. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Ann Drop: Houses to Homes Item Number: 7.j. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Maya Dasmalchi - B ow hunting in I owa City J oe Henderson - Sharpshooting Park Closings Gina Martin - Deer Management [Staff Response I ncluded] Davide Vigliotti - Deer Management P rogram Item Number: 7.k. December 3, 2019 AT TAC HM E NT S : Description Competitive Quotation Memo Kellie Fruehling T at'a T4anrinntc T)ictrihntar1 From: Jim Throgmorton Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 11:13 AM ✓ _ _ To: Council Cc: Kellie Fruehling; Geoff Fruin (Date) Subject: FW: Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy and Other Code Enforcement Issues Attachments: 1 19120210043000925jpg; Petition Signatures.pdf; Letter to City Council - Sidewalk Snow Removal.pdf Kellie, Please place this email (and attachments) in our Late Handout for tomorrow night's meeting. I'll also be forwarding to you a follow-up email from Paul Wittau, which should also be placed in the Late Handout. Thank you. Mayor Jim Throgmorton Iowa City City Council, At -Large From: Paul Wittau [paulwittau@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 9:04 AM To: Jim Throgmorton; John Thomas; Bruce Teague; Pauline Taylor; Mazahir Salih; Susan Mims; Rockne Cole Subject: Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy and Other Code Enforcement Issues [cid: 119120210043000725@us-mta-i6i.us.mimecast.lan] Council Members, I am writing this email to you to deliver a letter and some signatures from the people in my neighborhood. The letter explains the issue in detail and I delivered a paper copy to the Clerk's office last Wednesday, however I was told that it would be too late for it to be included on this week's meeting agenda. This email will hopefully allow the issue to be discussed and addressed at this week's meeting. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend, but I look forward to hearing back from you. The letter is specific to the sidewalk snow removal ordinance, but in speaking with the residents of my neighborhood, I have learned that other minor ordinances are also being enforced at a rate that seems to be higher than in other neighborhoods and with no discretion. Again, I and my neighborhood look forward to a response. Thank you, Paul Wittau November 17, 2019 Paul Wittau 2238 Bancroft Drive Iowa City, IA 52240 Iowa City Council Members 410 E. Washington Street Iowa City, IA 52240 C7, Dear Council Members, cl: I am writing to you today to request that the City reviews and reevaluates the way its sidewaCsnow removal ordinance is enforced. On November 11th, it snowed. When I returned home from work on November 12th, I had received a Notice of Violation for Snow and Ice Removal. I thought this was odd since it was the day after it snowed, and I thought it was still within 24 hours, give or take. There was also only a small amount of snow covering a few of the sidewalk panels in front of my house. I removed the snow and salted the sidewalk as soon as I saw the notice and was finished in under two minutes, further making me think that this was excessive. I wanted to know if anyone else had received a violation, so I asked a neighbor across the street and they had received one too. Then, I went to the City's website and found the ICgovXpress tool. Here I saw that for the entire city there were 84 reported violations for snow removal and 73 were in my neighborhood (see attached photos). On November 13th I called the Housing Inspection Services department to ask for an explanation of why only our neighborhood seemed to be responsible for snow removal. I left one voicemail and then called again several hours later after not receiving a call back. I was sent to two more voicemailboxes before being transferred to Stan Laverman. He explained that the City transit drivers reported the snow and that the enforcement was normal. He said that in the coming days they would enforce the policy in other neighborhoods. For the past five years, prior to living here, I lived on Dodge Street between Burlington and Bowery. While there, and throughout the area around downtown in general, houses would have snow on their sidewalks all winter long that would eventually thicken and freeze several inches deep. It was hazardous to walk on and heavily traveled by pedestrians. I asked Stan about the lack of enforcement there and was told that the City had a contractor who didn't do the work they were hired to do. He said he would review the photos that were taken of my block, but that per the ordinance there will be no warning next time and that the city would hire someone to remove the snow. For the City to fail at removing the snow on heavily traveled sidewalks for an entire winter in neighborhoods with numerous expensive homes and properties owned by landlords, only to come and issue violations the next day after it snowed in a working class neighborhood, is a clear case of bias. When the City went to other neighborhoods to check on the sidewalks it was several days after it snowed, leaving those residents plenty of time to remove the snow. I also noticed that in the new development just south of my neighborhood, no violations were issued, despite seeing snow on sidewalks as late as November 14th This looks to be a long winter and there will no doubt be plenty more snow on the way. Since my neighborhood has received the only warning we will receive this winter, we are now on the hook for whatever price the City's snow removal contractor will charge in addition to a $100 "administrative fee". I know that the contractor will charge more than what is required and I cannot afford that charge and the fine, and other residents in my neighborhood feel the same way. I understand the intention of the ordinance and support it, but the way it was enforced on November 12' does not fit with improving the neighborhood. It places a financial burden upon the residents that it seeks to help. I have gathered signatures of other residents of this neighborhood who feel the same way. We are looking forward to a response from the City. Thank you, Paul Wittau �..µa R'.yC! Petition to the Iowa City City Council to review the sidewalk snow removal policy enforcement. November 17, 2019 Date Name*Pature Address LZ 3 F D ?:23 :23 -3 136V,7 a 7 77 ar Y. n I -13A I -7 62 ICZO��7 0 hs* L CV Q 41 1 e�76-4,L I ci,\ko, J -7- 1A e s a 0 CC .0),2 z ct c - -D-4,�-, C.1 6" Vi'k 211 C4 C---. Petition to the Iowa City City Council to review the sidewalk snow removal policy enforcement. November 17, 2019 DaatV/e(� Name Signature Address 1 ! , }� /r J1 i V V+• �►'V f f F; r I17OA 47 c �}/, 1 V1 2-1 qD [ 23 A9 CO / L 2-1 R Ns`' A 1�I Z- ZV \9 � � 2.. VV, o �2k(D �k e S S� t r-1 jY��.i jW �l�, rC . � r y' j 'l E ; r '�' ✓ " f b -7 � �L.st1 ' ,) � ..+ Zjso 1t 3 119 E i 5 -AM SSi✓ Cn P4 c 3Z \;5K , �� U L Gt �` ) D+'' GLc iu Ctvake �4 r�z tI Li/ T� �nC� �V(16 CIL � rz � ,�� Ale - ZZV Lei"�io`C'� Petition to the Iowa City City Council to review the sWevalk snow removal policy enforcement. November 17, 2019 Date Na Sig 4,tWe N Address.- 3r" 114SLM JUhi"i'l ��26e 3 q ---� 7 - u ? a , _q� Kellie Fruehling From: Jim Throgmorton Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 11:13 AM To: Council Cc: Kellie Fruehling; Geoff Fruin Subject: FW: Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy and Other Code Enforcement Issues Attachments: 119120210064200304jpg; Snow Removal Reports.PNG; Snow Removal Reports 2.PNG Late Handouts Distributed Here is the second email, Kellie. Mayor Jim Throgmorton Iowa City City Council, At -Large (Date) From: Paul Wittau [paulwittau@hotmail.com] Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 9:o6 AM To: Jim Throgmorton; John Thomas; Bruce Teague; Pauline Taylor; Mazahir Salih; Susan Mims; Rockne Cole Subject: Re: Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy and Other Code Enforcement Issues [cid:119120210 064200104@us-mta-4.us. mimecast.lan] I also wanted to include the screenshots from the ICgovXpress tool. Paul From: Paul Wittau <paulwittau@hotmail.com> Sent: Monday, December 2, 2019 9:04 AM To: jim-throgmorton@iowa-city.org <jim-throgmorton@iowa-city.org>; john-thomas@iowa-city.org <john- thomas@iowa-city.org>; bruce-teague@iowa-city.org <bruce-teague@iowa-city.org>; pauline-taylor@iowa- city.org <pauline-taylor@iowa-city.org>; mazahir-salih@iowa-city.org <mazahir-salih@iowa-city.org>; susan- mims@iowa-city.org <susan-mims@iowa-city.org>; rockne-cole@iowa-city.org <rockne-cole@iowa-city.org> Subject: Sidewalk Snow Removal Policy and Other Code Enforcement Issues Council Members, I am writing this email to you to deliver a letter and some signatures from the people in my neighborhood. The letter explains the issue in detail and I delivered a paper copy to the Clerk's office last Wednesday, however I was told that it would be too late for it to be included on this week's meeting agenda. This email will hopefully allow the issue to be discussed and addressed at this week's meeting. Unfortunately I will not be able to attend, but I look forward to hearing back from you. The letter is specific to the sidewalk snow removal ordinance, but in speaking with the residents of my neighborhood, I have learned that other minor ordinances are also being enforced at a rate that seems to be higher than in other neighborhoods and with no discretion. Again, I and my neighborhood look forward to a response. Thank you, Paul Wittau 11CgovXpress sothvare has a new look. 1 -or customers with a login and password. add a new request by signing into the system, then click the menu icon at the right hand sie of the blue bar for options. Enter issue location or drag red marker on map Map Satellite 41 rm-; r I 4th Ave "'E'r D, Issue location Describe your problem or question in detail S�'qturt s- +0 Drag irnage(s) here, or click to select file(s) The snow ordinance in Iowa City states that the entire width. of a public sidewalk * indicates required field Ln Are, r 1b ar it A map data 02019 Penni olIlse Repoli aneap error Y other issues for topic +0 Drag irnage(s) here, or click to select file(s) The snow ordinance in Iowa City states that the entire width. of a public sidewalk * indicates required field for option Enter issue location or drag red marker on map Map Satellite l�r�n+� sit University Heights R yfY . AL Map data 02019 Tams d Use Repw a ma p error Issue location Other issues for topic Describe your problem or question In detail +� Drag image(s) here, or click to select file(s) The snow ordinance in Iowa City stags that the entire width of a public sidewalk s indicates required field