HomeMy WebLinkAbout2021-03-16 TranscriptionPage 1
2. Special Presentations
2.a. COVID Update — Johnson County Public Health
Teague: All right, welcome everyone. It is March 16, 2021, and we are going to start our agenda with
Item #2, which is a special presentation by Johnson County Public Health. Welcome,
Jarvis... Sam Jarvis.
Jarvis: Hey good evening, everyone and, as always, thank you for having us to provide updates to the
community on where we're at with disease investigations and vaccine planning. As many are
probably aware, in terns of disease investigations and trends, we are certainly on a downward
trend in terms of cases in Johnson County. So we're happy to see that, likely due much to
everyone recognizing the importance to continue to socially distance and wear masks, and
continue with those mitigation measures, but also as we see more and more persons in our
community get vaccinated. So, again, if we see either clusters or smaller outbreaks or persons
quarantine, it's likely due to, again, those cases where a person is asymptomatic or showing up
ill, and certainly we do our best to act as quickly as possible to address those, and certainly, you
know, get in contact with folks to isolate or quarantine. On the vaccine side of the house, uh,
we're making good progress. Certainly it's still fairly frustrating for many, for those who are
especially looking for those vaccine appointments and availability, but we know that over the
past week, the State had announced it's administered its millionth dose. So we are making
progress, so we're happy to see that. Um, we're happy to see our supply continually, you know,
slowly increasing throughout the state, and certainly Johnson County has been, you know,
surprised and received slightly more vaccine in the past couple weeks, and so we continue to
see good progress where we can continue to address those who are either in phase l.b. who are
age eligible or phase Lb who are occupation eligible. So in terms of progress of where we're at
in phase l.b., we are stepping into tier two and primarily working on that first group, uh,
persons with disabilities and addressing manufacturing and have made a lot of contact to folks
through some State contact list of those occupations, and continue to prioritize and set prioritize
those groups in those occupations. So we feel pretty good where we're at. We know that a lot
of our educators this past week, I believe, will be getting their second dose and finishing that.
Um, our first responders and daycares are being taken care of. I believe last week was one of
the last waves of those, so in terms of where we thought we'd be at, starting February 151, um,
we feel pretty ahead, and so we appreciate everyone's patience throughout this process. It's
been frustrating, it's been frustrating for us as we've seen some changes, um, you know, which
certainly aren't unexpected. We recognize that as time goes on, eligibility will open up, but
every time it does, uh, every time there's a change, that demand increases, you know, overnight
when eligibility changes, and certainly we've not seen the supply meet or exceed demand yet,
but we know that that day will be coming, and we continue to make progress. So those are ... our
large and, you know, main updates. What others have likely probably seen in our community
and across the state are many other pharmacies offering vaccine that may have not been before,
and so likely what is happening, uh, it's either pharmacies like HyVee or others who are in the
(can't hear) network, which is more smaller chain pharmacies like Towncrest, NuCara. They're
part of the the state, federal retail pharmacy program where they're getting doses or, um, their
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 2
vaccines supply locations through that kind of supply chain, uh, and there will likely be others
and other big box stores, uh, like Walmart and others in the future that will be turned on, uh,
through Operation Warp Speed. So as time goes on, we'll continue to see more providers be
able to provide vaccine and, at the moment, uh, we are continuing to plan on receiving
allocations from the State and will continue to work with our partners here locally to address
those who are prioritized and others that are at -risk or high exposure. So with that I'll stop
talking and happy to answer any questions.
Weiner: Sam, Janice Weiner. I just wondered what your ...your plans are to get out into the community.
I know that, for example, UIHC is doing a big site every week, um, but sort of getting into areas
of the community where ... where it might not be so easy for people otherwise to get to the
vaccine.
Jarvis: We are looking at other mobile options and certainly other sites that will host smaller clinics.
And certainly I know our partners at Townerest have had several other community clinics that
they've had throughout the community and only intend to do more of those, uh, as we continue
to come across other needs and things. So we're certainly looking at other options for ...for
homebound folks, as well, too. So a lot of irons in the fire. I would say starting last week in
trying to finalize the details this week, so we can continue to make those announcements and
kind of finalize the ... the plans.
Teague: Transportation for many has been a question that I've gotten and wanted to know if...what the
plans are for transportation to clinics.
Jarvis: We're (mumbled) a lot of folks to (mumbled) here at the County (mumbled) Mobility
Coordinator, and certainly I've talked to other transportation organizations on ... on how we can
best coordinate and plan those as well, too. So I know that our communications team is sharing
a lot of those details out every week, and we likely will be having volunteers out in the
community, starting end of this week and next week to other areas that likely might have,
uh... poor access or maybe thought to, you know, other access to information, or certainly access
in terms of mobility, and we're trying to get information out on foot too. So, you know, back to
kind of old-fashioned door knocking because we know that that's still a good method at times.
Teague: Well thank you for joining us today.
Jarvis: Yeah, absolutely, uh, as always I appreciate having the opportunity to share information, so
thank you.
Teague: Great, thanks. Thanks for the update.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 3
3. Proclamations
3.a. March for Meals on Wheels Week
Teague: Moving on to Item #3, we have two proclamations, starting with 3.a., March for Meals on
Wheels Week, and this will be received by Kay Fisk from Horizons. (reads proclamation)
...and, again, this will be received by Kay. Welcome. You're muted. Kay, you're still muted.
We can't hear Kay. What we'll do is ... um...
Kay Fisk: There! Can ... are you hearing me now?
Teague: Yes, we can hear you now.
Kay Fisk: All right, so sorry. I am very, very happy to hear your proclamation, Mayor. Thank you so
much and thank you to the Council Members and everyone present. This proclamation is
something that brings awareness to Meals on Wheels program, not only in your area in Iowa
City, Coralville, and North Liberty, but in the other counties that we serve in your area, which is
Cedar and Washington and Iowa Counties. So, um, this reaches out to all these different areas.
When I say bringing awareness to the program, I'm talking about the ... the fact that we have
many shut-in older adults that their only lifeline is getting the Meals on Wheels delivered each
day, and during the pandemic and during the very severe winter months, they have depended on
us greatly, and we've had to serve frozen meals, which is not our choice of meals to serve, but
the kitchen where the meals have been prepared has in... uh, is in Cedar Rapids, and we have
not been at a capacity where we've been able to produce hot meals. We're looking forward to
starting our hot meal delivery again in, uh, May and this is going to be to the delight of many
because a hot meal is much nicer than a frozen meal that you have to warm up. Nevertheless,
having a meal delivered does give a nutritious dinner into the .... the stomachs of these
individ... individuals, plus the wellness check that we do at each visit is extremely important,
and (garbled, noise on mic) wellness check I'm talking about things like just maybe asking
some questions that are relevant to health, like have you checked your blood sugar today? Have
you taken your meds? And god forbid that we find somebody who has fallen. That's one of our
worst nightmares is to find a person who's fallen and that does happen, so these are just some of
the small things that we can do to be able to make lives better for these individuals. We've been
able to give them some personal hygiene products, some cleaning supplies, paper goods, and
things like that during the pandemic that, um, relieves them a great deal from having to make
trips outside the home. So we'll continue to do that as long as possible. Your community and
the Cedar Rapids community are both absolutely outstanding when it comes to donations and
bringing things to us to use for our deliveries. So we encourage everybody to keep that up and,
again, we thank you for the proclamation and the hope to be able to continue to serve the area
(mumbled) the future holds. So I'd be happy to take any questions, if anybody has any any
questions.
Teague: Kay, we really appreciate all the work that is done through Meals on Wheels in our
community. Thank you so much for being here today.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 4
Kay Fisk: Absolutely, and thank you as well. Have a good evening.
Teague: You as well.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 5
3.b. Transgender Day of Visibility
Teague: Luck Markstone with Iowa City Pride will be accepting. I don't see him just ... I don't see Luck
just yet. So, Luck, if you are on the call ... and maybe you're on the phone. If you can press *9.
All right. (reads proclamation) And I'm going to see if I ... I am not seeing a hand raised. Well, I
see three. But they are not for ...so I'm going to assume that Luck is not with us...at this time.
But nevertheless, this is a great proclamation that we're very happy to give. Um, I do see Harry.
Harry, are you here to accept the proclamation?
Manaligod: Sure, if I'm in a position to accept this, but I just want to say that as a transgender woman
in Iowa City, who has seen my transgender friends be groped and harassed by Iowa City police,
I just don't really see this as, uh, very meaningful to my own personal experience living in Iowa
City That is all.
Teague: Thank you. All right.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 6
10. Community Comment (items not on the agenda) (UNTIL 8 PM)
Teague: And this is a time for the community to make any comment on items that are not on the
agenda. I do understand that there are several people on here for Item #26, which is the Truth
and Reconciliation Commission. So there is an item that will be further down on our agenda, so
if that is the item that you would like to address, we ask that you wait until that item come up.
At this time we ask that people keep their comments three to five minutes, and I will start with
the caller on the phone whose number ends in 9787. Welcome.
Foulks: Hi, my name is Angela Foulks and so this is the first time I've participated, so if I ask a
question that I cannot, please just let me know. But I would like to ask a little more questions or
have clarification. When Harryjust spoke and said Iowa City police have groped some of his
transgender friends, I do not appreciate open-ended statements. Can we get dates and
policemen's name for things like that?
Teague: Just so that callers, uh, just so that everyone know this is a time for you just to speak and share
what's on your mind. Council will not engage.
Foulks: Okay, so I didn't know if I could. I've never done this before.
Teague: Understand.
Foulks: So then I guess I have nothing to say.
Teague: Thank you, um, and can you give us your first and last name please?
Foulks: Angela, last name Foulks, F -o -u -l -k -s.
Teague: Thank you.
Foulks: You're welcome.
Teague: Welcome, Jennifer (both talking) Welcome, Jennifer, followed by Emilia.
Banta: Thank you, Mary ..Mayor Teague. I am here from ... Jennifer Banta from the Iowa City Area
Business Partnership.
Teague: Could we have you speak a little louder please?
Banta: Oh yes, I'm sorry! Can you hear me now? Is that better?
Teague: Yes.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 7
Banta: Okay, so Jennifer Banta from the Iowa City Area Business Partnership. We represent over 700
member businesses here in Johnson County, and we focus on making our community the best
place to live, work, and learn. So I ... I wanted to give you all a quick update on the recent
`Humanize My Hoodie' ally training that you supported through providing scholarship funding
to participants. The online `Humanize My Hoodie' workshop provided attendees with a
comprehensive approach to preventing racist attacks on black people, indigenous people, and
people of color. The subject matter is critical for professionals in a wide array of backgrounds,
including healthcare, education, banking, just to name a few. Um, Director of Ally Training,
Seema Pothini, facilitated the `Humanize My Hoodie' ally training to 59 area business
professionals, in order to learn how they could become better allies, so that in turn they could
become better business leaders, colleagues, friends, and community members. We partnered
with Andre Wright and Jason Soul with the `Humanize My Hoodie' movement to provide
participants with a customized, facilitated online safe workshop experience. Participants gained
valuable knowledge to reduce threat perception, identify micro -aggressions, debunk myths of
black criminality, and understanding better what allyship means, and to identify barriers faced
by youth and adults who identify as BIPOC. We hosted this event on Saturday in ... January 9th
at 8:00 A.M. because this workshop required some deep personal reflection and introspection.
We felt like keeping it out of the workweek allowed participants the space to really be involved
and not distracted by what's going on in the office. Like I said, we had 59 community members
participate, and we found that attendees were active, honest, and engaged in small group
conversations throughout the workshop during breakout sessions. If you're not familiar with
`Humanize My Hoodie,' it was co-founded by an alumnus of our Community Leadership
Program, Andre Wright, with a mission to debunk stereotypes, and he uses fashion, activism,
and education to help really humanize people of color, and we just wanted to thank you for
participating and being a partner in this workshop, and providing scholarships to our residents
and business owners and business leaders, so that they could participate and learn more about
being an ally. So thank you so much, and I appreciate your support in this endeavor.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Emilia, followed by Nicholas.
Roberts: Hi, can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes we can!
Roberts: Okay, so I have two things that I want to kind of just touch on, um, after that lady that just
called in. The first thing I want to say is Harry, who is a she. She does not owe you an
explanation. And quite frankly that was completely overstepping someone's boundaries, as well
as it threatens trans people safety in our community. So comments like that (mumbled) utterly
ridiculous, and I really don't even have words, but moving forward, the first thing that I would
like to bring up today is the situation with Chris Kelly. And I think many of us are familiar with
the situation and incident, and if you weren't, I really suggest that you kind of Google it and do
some research into it. Um, first I want to show my support and stand in solidarity with him. To
put it quite frankly, the City's response to this whole situation is disgusting and everyone
involved trying to silence Chris Kelly and hide the fact that we have violent white supremacists
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 8
in our police force and in the Johnson County Attorney's office, which I think many of us have
known, but that shows us even more now, um, should be ashamed of themselves and should
resign. The fact that your own City Attorney won't even meet with Mr. Kelly's lawyer to
discuss the settlement says everything we need to know about Iowa City's response to racial
justice and goes to show why the TRC is a complete mess to begin with, um, thanks to City
Council. The officers who assaulted and arrested Mr. Kelly and the Assistant Johnson County
Attorney should all be under investigation. This should have been ... been happened when the
City very first made ... was very first made aware of this incident. Everyone involved in this, as
well as the people trying to bury it, have all completely violated Mr. Kelly's rights. The City
not only brutalized Mr. Kelly, they took eight months from his life. It seems that the main
officer involved in assaulting Mr. Kelly plays a role of Community Relations officer. This is
exactly what we meant when we all opposed the Fruin plan for the police budget, if it's not
clearer than ever now. The Fruin plan is just a complete insult to the residents of Iowa City and
a joke. Another thing is Janice Weiner decided to take upon herself to write a whole opinion in
the Press -Citizen about spray paint, but hasn't said a word about Chris Kelly or any other act of
violence ICPD has put black residents through. Just like the, um, article about the lawsuit says,
this case wasn't... wasn't just an isolated incident, born of one person's mistake, but instead a
particularly flagrant instance of a broader and longstanding custom in practice that is familiar to
many, many black people in Iowa City. So, yeah, that's kind of all I just wanted to say, and
yeah, I would just like to show my support to not only Harry, but Clods Kelly. That's all.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Nicholas, followed by Kim.
Theisen: Good evening, Council. Can you hear me okay?
Teague: Yes!
Theisen: All right, thank you. First of all I want to second everything that Emi just said, especially with
regards to the Chris Kelly situation and the City's absolutely atrocious behavior, and the thing is
it's not just with regards to the civil rights lawsuit itself. I mean first of all, you all should be
embarrassed... that at the very same time that you believe yourselves to be engaging in this great
resolution in support of black lives, that you're actually being sued by a black man for a civil
rights (laughs) violation by your own police department. A police department that you regularly
go to the mat for for reasons that continue to bewilder me. And the thing that I specifically
want to add to what Emi said is that you have a pattern that is being established here. It's not
just the Chris Kelly situation. It's not just the complete omni shambles that you made the TRC
into. It is also the fact that your own Human Rights Commission several months ago
recommended to you to create a non-voting seat, specifically so that you could have someone
on Council to help you with these matters and, in fact, the Commissioners were in universal
agreement about the fact that you all have a massive blind spot when it comes to these issues.
That's your own Human Rights Commission. So I don't really understand like who has to
finally get it across to you that like your own judgment is fundamentally in question, and now
the fact that you have stuck this absolutely ridiculous item on the agenda. Like I just don't even
understand where your heads are at anymore. So honestly what you should be doing right now
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 9
is you should be directing your City Attorney to immediately engage in (laughs) a settlement
agreement with Mr. Kelly. Hopefully then you'll actually be able to save a little bit of face
because to be perfectly frank, if this suit goes where I'm pretty sure it's going to go, like you
think you're embarrassed now, like wait till that goes down. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Kim, followed by Bailey.
Casko: Thank you and good evening. I'm Kim Casko, President and CEO of the Iowa City Area
Business Partnership, and as my colleague Jennifer mentioned, we represent over 700 local
businesses and exist to help make this a good environment for our businesses to grow and thrive
here, which was significantly challenged this past year with the COVID-19 pandemic. So I'm
really here this evening to thank you all for running the Iowa city small business relief program,
which has provided critical funding to help our businesses survive so that they can one day,
hopefully soon, get back to throwing... not throwing... growing and thriving here. There were
many businesses that were ineligible for some of the other federal and state financial resources
that were out there this past year, particularly our minority owned businesses, and many were
starting to lose hope and considering closing. This program was very timely and it filled the
needed gap, and so we appreciate you dedicating the Community Development Block Grant
dollars that were allocated through the federal CARES Act to supporting our local business
community. We also want to thank you for allowing the Business Partnership to partner with
you on marketing the program and providing assistance with completing the application. We
know through prior efforts that a good number of businesses were not getting COVID- 19
financial assistance, simply because they were unaware of what was available and didn't know
how to even complete the paperwork required for the applications. So we've been doing a lot of
outreach to our underserved businesses in this community, and so our partnership on this
program really allowed us to leverage that, and also our partnership enabled us to offer
businesses free assistance with completing the application and assembling the necessary
paperwork, which is I think what made this program really unique compared to other resources
out there. We provided that assistance through a local organization, Communities CPA, which
specil ... specializes in assisting small businesses and particularly minority owned businesses.
We think that that assistance was very much appreciated and so again, we appreciate your
partnership on that and I particularly myself (garbled)
Teague: Kim, you just went out (both talking)
Casko: ... working with Tracy Hightshoe, um, from the City team. (garbled)
Teague: You're back!
Casko: Oh, okay! Well I just ... I'm giving a shout -out to Tracy for all her fine work on that program
and again just want to thank the Council for ...for supporting our business community, for
running that program. We want you to know that we're committed to continuing to doing this
outreach and building relationships with and building a better support ecosystem for our most
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 10
underserved businesses here, and we hope that you will continue to partner with us on those
endeavors. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Bailey, followed by Raneem.
Baker: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Baker: Um, well first and foremost, I would like to point out that, um, what Angela Foulks just said
was ... I mean Harry just said that she was a woman and then Angela came in, called her a him,
and I just think that that's something that the City Council should definitely be addressing,
especially in the wake of claiming to care about trans (mumbled) visibility. Um, you just
allowed that to happen under your noses and didn't say a word, and I'm very disappointed in
you right now. Um, and yeah, I would like to second and third everything that Emi and
Nicholas said about the Chris Kelly case. I mean I just don't even understand how the City
Council is able to just kind of pick and choose what they speak about. I mean sometimes you
guys act like your hands are tied. But then, as Nicholas said, you are able to write think pieces
about whatever you want and get them put into the local media. So, um, I just really wish that
you guys would put some money where your mouth is and quit with these ... um (mumbled)
word I'm coming up or I'm blanking on this word right now. Um, not symbolic, but these
symbolic and kind of useless gestures when your actions are the exact opposite. Thanks.
Teague: Thank you, Bailey. Raneem, welcome, followed by Harry.
Hamad: I also would like to ... I guess fourth at this point every... second everything that Emi, Nicholas,
and Bailey just said, and I also stand with .... in solidarity with Harry. Um, it is not acceptable
that they were misgendered under your nose, as like Bailey said, and you guys said nothing
about that. Again shows... speaks to the (mumbled) of City Council in general. Second of all
with regards to the City, the Chris Kelly case and the City, it is just laughable that you guys, like
Nicholas said, didn't even think of nudging your City Attorney to discuss this case with Kelly's
lawyer. It just shows, again, that how... Eleanor, you are (laughs) allowing... you're functioning
within the white supremacist system, and you are allowing... all of you on City Council are
again functioning within this white supremacist system that is Iowa City and allowing it to
continue to be perpetuated upon black people, and harming black folk continuously day after
day. You guys are all involved in it, and if you don't want to be called out for being perfor...like
people who are performing within this white supremacist system, then change your actions like
Bailey said. I also want to tell the public that documents and videos regarding Chris Kelly's
case, if you wanted to do more research, are on walkingwhileblack.org, that's all lowercase and
there's no spaces, walkingwhileblack.org. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Harry, followed by Annie.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 11
Manaligod: Uh, yes. So ... basically what I would just like to say is that it has become increasingly clear
that the City Council of Iowa City has never had any intentions of working with the people of
Iowa City, who have sent a clear message of defunding the police and just working in that
general direction, you know. Um, it's become increasingly clear that the City Council created
the TRC with the intention of absorbing, diffusing, and frustrating the revolutionary and
transformative energy that is so common among your constituents. Why else would the more
centrist neoliberal members of the TRC jump ship as soon as leadership is obtained by
somebody with more radical ideas? Why else would the City Council be choosing now of all
times to suspend the TRC? The reason for this, I believe, is that the centrist neoliberal
individuals in this City Council have worked their butts off to make sure that no real
transformative change happens in the city. Despite the fact that the people of the city have been
overwhelmingly in support of defunding the police, despite the fact that you guys actually
agreed to a list of demands explicitly... including one explicitly defending the police. So ... I don't
even know what that promise means, nor what any promise coming from this City Council
would mean coming forward in the future. Um, but basically what happened was as soon as the
people of Iowa City started to win this game, the politicians that are supposed to represent us
flipped the board over. That's called a rage quit and it is not a good look. It shows that you're
controlling and desire... and desire to control the narrative to ensure that no real change happens
in the city. We have barely gotten to discuss the Chris Kelly case because Iowa City cannot
reconcile the reality with their desires. That's why we have barely heard any comments from
anybody in City Council on ... with regards to Chris Kelly, and it's absolutely shameful. The
government of Iowa City believes that they can do abusive things and then control the process
by which victims heal and find justice, and... personally, it's just not okay. It's just ... I don't think
the City Council is doing anything that they need to be doing. They're not doing their jobs.
Um, and just quickly, if Angela's still listening, I'd just like to talk to you, woman to woman,
and I would just like to say that when we hear about sexual violence happening to women, we
don't demand evidence... and documentation because that's not how we (mumbled) that's not
how we stand in solidarity with each other. Um, so please do better, both you and the City
Council, do better. That is all.
Teague: Thank you, Harry. Welcome, Annie, followed by Dan.
Annie G: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Annie G: Good evening! I just wanted to thank Harry and Emi and Nicholas and Bailey and Raneem
for sharing their distaste with the performative activism of City Council, while they allow racist
and transphobic oppression to a current Iowa City daily. I support Chris Kelly's civil case and
hope that justice is served. In the meantime, you as Council must not accept the City
Manager's current restructuring plan of Iowa City Police Department, and you all on the City
Council, as well as City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes, should resign for the immense harm you have
done to our community. Listen to and represent the people. I'm sincerely ashamed to call you
my government. Thank you ... not.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 12
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Dan, followed by Taylor.
Kauble: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Kauble: Okay, um, I am here speaking out in support for Chris Kelly, and I just would like to say that I
hope the City Council does right by him. I'm a lifelong resident of this community, currently
residing in Manville Heights. And I'm speaking tonight because not one person on the City
Council seems intent on doing the legwork needed to improve our community. Um, it seems
like they haven't been engaging with people who've been reaching, out and a lot of their
interactions with the public have been negative. Um, I ... this is especially true in regards to the
suspension of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission and, um, I ... everybody here I think
pretty much has deep concerns about what voting yes on that proposition will mean for, uh, the
residents of Iowa City and (mumbled) specifically BIPOC residents. Um, for years Iowa City
has been painted as the San Francisco of the Midwest. (mumbled) that's just not true. Um, it's a
lie, and a lot ... the veneer of it has been taken away over the last year, and I just wish that the
City Council would acknowledge that and that they would commit to reform on ... sorry, I lost
my place. Um, this is why you vote tonight regarding the indefinite suspension of the TRC is
so important. The TRC had a rocky beginning, um, since many of the members seem more
interested (garbled) Iowa City's (garbled) political establishment than creating the changes
needed to better the lives of their BIPOC residents. Um, the Iowa City Council sits idly
(mumbled) Royceann Porter's bullying derailed the commission's progress. Since last time the
Commission has been going smoothly and making more progress than ever. Despite the empty
seats that have yet to be filled ... filled, it is clear to anyone actually watching their meetings that
things are going well for them. It should also be noted that the Council hasn't used similar
vacancies as an excuse to disband other groups. There's no good reason for you to suspend the
Commission. Doing so, um,therefore, can only serve one purpose: upholding white supremacy.
Council Members, whose side are you on? If you vote to suspend the TRC, don't claim that it is
for the good of the community. It's not. Don't piss on our backs and tell us that it's rain,
because it's piss. Stopping the work of a well- functioning commission trying to solve issues of
racism in our community is not the way to serve people in the community or to uphold its
mission. Uh, you ... by doing so you would be doing far worse to Iowa City than the white
supremacists who spray painted Nazi slogans all over City Park last October,. Whose side are
you on? Good night. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Dan. I did want to just ... I know that we have a few people that, uh, it's probably
your first time coming to a Council meeting. Um, the TRC is an agenda item, and this is not the
appropriate time to talk about the TRC. Welcome, Taylor, followed by Ala.
Kohn: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 13
Kohn: Hi, I want to echo, um, now too many to list, um, Emilia, Nicholas, Bailey, Harry. I will not
address the TRC, but 1 agree with them as well. Um, I agree about Chris Kelly. I am appalled
with the way this Council has acted, the way this Council has failed to act, um, until ... until it's
time to undermine the work that radical people are doing in this city. I ... I don't understand how
we're supposed to accept that this Council is still on our side. It very much seems like
everything that has been done since last summer has been an effort to either appease, um,
people who are demanding change or to put it off until we forget. We are not going to forget.
Um, I'm sorry. I ... I don't do well speaking. I ... I've been emailing you since last summer and
I've been tuning into these, um, and listening to these meetings, and I hear people say repeatedly
what they want and what they believe, and then I hear you all say that you've heard different
and that the public actually feels different and that actually there are good enough reasons to not
listen to us, and I'm sorry. That is ... I'm not sorry! That is unacceptable. That is (laughs)
unacceptable and I don't understand how you can ... you can take the actions that you are, um,
proposing later tonight and other actions that impede this progress, and ... and I don't understand
how we're ever supposed to trust you again. I don't understand why anyone who is pushing for
change should ever trust you to work for it again, or should ever work with you within the
system if you go through with this. I ... I ... (laughs) Iowa City has a chance to do historic things.
This is the ... maybe the only place in Iowa, certainly I think the... the... one of the first places in
Iowa that is capable of doing this and I don't understand why you don't want to make this
change. I don't understand why you don't want to be able to put this on ... on ... on Iowa City's list
of accomplishments, that we are actually making bold change... that... that we can point to and
say actually this does work, actually look at this. We are... we're learning, we're figuring out a
new way to keep people safe, to have a kind, safe community, an anti -racist community, not one
that's obsessed with optics. Not one that hears us and sees us, but that is actually working
against structural problems that... that... that endanger marginalized people, and I'm sorry.
I ... I'm ... I'm appalled. I'm disgusted, and there has to be a turning point here. You guys have to
rededicate yourself to this. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Ala, followed by Maya.
Mohamed: Hello, my name is Ala. I just want to agree and I show my support for Harry. I agree with
Taylor, Raneem, Nicholas, Harry, um, hopefully ...Emi and hopefully I didn't forget anyone.
Um, about the Chris Kelly case, um, I just want to talk ... I do stand in solidarity with Chris
Kelly. Um, I do want to talk about the officer that harassed and attacked Chris Kelly, and how
he was still left within the force after that happened, and I hope you guys know that the same
day that ... that the Chris Kelly incident did happen, that Officer Travis Neeld did go and perform
an illegal search and seize at an apartment in Coralville that same day. And so the fact that you
allowed someone like that within the force, and then you all continue to say, oh, don't defund it!
We're going to work with them. Um, that's not possible, because how are you going to work
with a structure that is ruthless and careless, rude, racist to begin with? I just ... it's just sad to
hear that he did ... like people reached out to you guys and you guys failed to comment, or you
guys failed to do anything regarding this case until it got to this point, and it just goes to show
that you guys aren't out for the people. Um, the police do work for you guys. You guys don't
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 14
really want to do anything regarding how the police is structured, how racism still continues
within the force, and how we see it, right now, and still no word from City Council. That's very
sad, um, and that's all I have to say.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Maya.
Sims: Good evening, my name is Maya and I just want to support and second the people who have
spoken before me. They put it more eloquently than I ever could, but it's obviously clear that
we are incredibly frustrated. Harry, Chris Kelly, and the entire Iowa City community deserve
way more than what you've been doing. Y'all need to be louder about injustice in our city.
Please use your platform for good and not to uphold the racist power structures that persist.
You're upholding it when you don't speak out. Your silence speaks volumes and we are tired of
it. We need transformative change, and if y'all aren't going to oversee it, then you're going to
get voted out. Again, I just want to stress that you do right by Chris Kelly. Thanks.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Joe, followed by...Ava.
Coulter: Thank you, Mayor Teague. I am Joe Coulter. I am a ... member of the Citizen Potawatomi and
I just want to remind people that the land that you are on tonight or the land of my ancestors.
The Potawatomi, the Ottawa, the Chippewa, the Otoe Missouri, the Ioway, after which the state
is named. Uh, where ... where is your land recognition? Where are you? What have you taken
away from us? Think about it. I'd like to see the City Commission... City Council begin their
meetings with a land acknowledgment. Migwetch, thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Eva, followed by Oliver.
Fruehling: (mumbled) looks like they've got an older version, so I'll have to promote to a panelist. It'll
be just one second.
Sileo: Hello, can you guys hear me now?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Sileo: Okay, great, um, it's good to see everybody. I'm Eva. I'm a lifelong, third generation Iowa City
resident. My grandparents went to the University. My mom went to the University. I go to the
University, and I just wanted to come here and tell you guys as a citizen who's pretty deeply
embedded and invested in this community that it kind of like appalls me that you're considering
suspending the TRC following this resignation. Um, there was like a series of super
dysfunctional displays by the leadership and (both talking)
Teague: Eva, I'm sorry. The TRC is later on the agenda, and you'll be able to come back and talk about
the TRC. Thank you.
Fruehling: Think we lost the Mayor.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 15
Iowa City: This is Lily. I'm going to go help Bruce get reconnected.
Salih: I can take over and we can just move with the next one. I guess Dan.
Kauble: Can you hear me?
Salih: Yes.
Kauble: Hi, um, I would just like to say that regard ... in regards to the TRC, it's the most important
issue that I think, one of the most important issues (both talking)
Salih: I'm sorry, Dan, the TRC, it is on the agenda (both talking)
Kauble: ... much later. I mean, I think that the people should be allowed to speak their truth, because
some of us can't stay on the (mumbled)
Salih: Yeah, but we cannot talk about something on the agenda right now. We have ... because
(mumbled) agenda.
Kauble: We're not asking the Council to comment...
Salih: I can't hear you, you're muted.
Kauble: I got ... I just got muted, but um, I think a lot of people it's what, I mean, a lot of people won't be
able to have their say, so I think that the Council, I mean, they don't have to respond to what
people are saying, but I think people should be allowed to speak their truth and so waiting an
hour and a half, two hours, how long ... however long it takes. That's all I have to say.
Salih: Okay. Next ... Oliver.
Weilein: Hello, can you hear me?
Salih: Yes.
Weilein: All right, thank you. My name is Oliver Weilein, long time Iowa City resident and board
member of the Iowa City Tenants Union. I use he/him pronouns. Um, I just wanted to echo the
course of people before me who were talking about how they're disappointed in the way that
virtually no City leaders have spoken up about the Chris Kelly case and the Chris Kelly lawsuit,
and no one has even come out and condemned, um, violent, racist police officers, such as Travis
Neeld for racially profiling him and a federal judge saying that he did so. And I understand that
you're probably being advised by the City Attorney or something to not say anything because of
ongoing, you know, civil lawsuit cause you don't want the, you know, the City to fork over
millions of dollars or something, but I mean that's kind of...it's `what you reap is what you sow,'
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 16
and this is the byproduct of the police ... of policing in general, and I would say you would have
to worry about this list if the police department didn't take up way too much of our funding and
didn't take up so many resources and didn't demand and strike fear in City officials because of
fear of backlash. That's all I wanted to say and I thank you very much!
Salih: Thank you. (loud noises on mic) ...to to Taylor. (loud whine continues)
Kohn: Hi, yes, um, Dan got cut off there, but I agree about his point about the agenda and the fact that
the most important issue is last on the agenda. I think in the future it would be great if things
like that were earlier on. A lot of people have to go to bed to get up early for work. I for one
have to getup at 3:30. I was still ready to stay up, however, late this goes, because that is a
crucial point, but like not everyone has the ability or the privilege to be able to do that, and it's
pretty appalling that, um, that that's the choice people have to make in order to ... to speak up for
their community. Thanks.
Salih: I don't see anyone else (loud whine continues in background)
Fruehling: Geoff, can... can we take just a minute? We're having some technical issues with ... with
Zoom.
Fruin: Yep. Let's, uh, we'll just take about a 3, 5 -minute break and then we'll fix the technical issues
and be right back.
(BREAK)
Teague: All right, if everybody is ready to get us started again. So sorry about that. And thanks, Mayor
Pro Tem, for jumping in there and taking over. All right, we have Robert Johnson.
Salih: Since our comment normally go until 8:00, I thinks we have, uh, five minute for more comment
and yeah, there is...Robert is the one. Dan already spoke, but you have Robert on the call, yeah.
Teague: Thank you, thank you. Welcome, Robert. We can't hear Robert, yes.
Johnson: Can you hear me, Mayor?
Teague: We can, yes.
Johnson: Awesome. Well thank you so much. I really just wanted to reiterate the fact that I do believe
that you and the Council are doing what you can to try and do to make the right decisions for
the best for... for the betterment of everyone as a collective group, and so (mumbled) you know,
we do see the Chris Kelly thing, but we do believe that you and your team are making the best
decisions possible. So just wanted to reiterate a little support for you and your ..and your team.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 17
Teague: Thank you. And, Dan, you've already spoken. Is there anyone that also would like to
address -to make a comment during this time? Welcome, Jaylen.
Cavil: Hey, uh, I just wanted...
Teague: Jaylen, you're on mute.
Cavil: Yeah...
Fruehling: I'm sorry, technical difficulties.
Cavil: Hello, I keep getting (mumbled)
Fruehling: I'm sorry, Jaylen.
Cavil: Um, yeah, I guess I just wanted to speak up and say that I don't agree with the last person who
commented. I think that the ... the responsibility does fall on the City Council of Iowa City, and
we see these situations like the Chris Kelly situation and I think that everyone on the Iowa City
City Council is directly complicit in that. And it is up to y'all to make this situation right by
defunding the Iowa City Police Department. You all need to tear down this racist system. Um,
it's not working for people of color, its not working for black people in your community, and
you all are complicit in the violence that continues to happen in your city. So for that last
commentator to come on here and say that y'all are doing the best you can, well the best you
can is not good enough, because people are getting hurt. People are being impacted by your
decisions, and you're not doing enough at all. So you need to step it up.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Paden.
Sheumaker: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Sheumaker: Yeah, I just wanted to come and say that I agree with what Jaylen just said, that you guys
really aren't doing everything that you can be doing. I think you're trying to appear like you're
doing everything that you can be doing, but definitely that is not the case, because you haven't
defunded the police, you're trying to get rid of the commission that could actually be helpful,
and you're really not doing anything. So I don't know why anyone would come on and say that
you're doing everything you can be doing, but you can definitely be doing a lot more, and you
should be. That's all I wanted to say.
Teague: Thank you. We have two more, and these will be the last two individuals that we'll allow
during this time. Welcome, Kevin, followed by Adam.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 18
Zaldivar: Hi, I just wanted to add some words about the fundamental necessities of police in our
structure of government. The police are a business themselves, and they operate as a business,
and the problems that we have with the police departments are quantifiable. We can see how
much money that they take from the City govennnent. We can see the arrest rates. We can see
the returns of investment from crime rates, and if the importance of public safety is to lower
those crimes, we need to try a new method into the city. Investing in other funds have a greater
and higher... and would have a greater yield of investment than keep continually funding
millions of dollars in the police department, and this pattern isn't unique to Iowa City. This is
unique to all police departments across the country. So if we really want to stop an emotional
debate and look at quant ... like in qualifiable objectives, it is there. Um, it is there in numbers
that the police have been and will always be a racist institution. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Adam, and Adam will be the last person for now.
Callanan: Hello, my name is Adam. I use he/him pronouns. I just wanted to speak on (mumbled)
before me, but also (garbled) in Iowa right now with a lot of the legislation they've seen at the
state level. It's a very scary place to live, um, and it's really a time for ...for local governments
that can support us to ... to step up for us. And a lot of that comes to the fact that somebody
called into this meeting and misgendered Harry at the beginning. Thank you very much, Harry,
for speaking. Um, and Council did nothing to protect them. That directly ties to the fact that at
the state level there have been many attacks on trans autonomy or just trans rights in general.
Yeah, I think it's really time for... for Council to step up and in cases like that to be protecting
people they can against just the horrendous things they're seeing at the state level. Um, also of
course wanted to highlight the ... the Chris Kelly situation, um, and how just horrific it is that
something like that could happen to us in Iowa City. It's just, very quickly, you aren't doing
enough and you're also positively choosing to do things that are, um, turning the needle
backwards. You're not just failing to move forward, so you're actually regressing a lot of things
that a lot of people in this meeting have already talked about, since the promises made last year.
So just wanted to speak on that.
Teague: Thank you. All right, thanks to everyone that has, um, shared tonight, and we understand
there's others that want to share, um, but our time will not allow us to continue with public
comment.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 19
11. 2021 Tree Planting — Resolution approving project manual and estimate of cost for the
construction of the 2021 Tree Planting Project, establishing amount of bid security to
accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to bidders, and fixing time and
place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing, and welcome, Juli.
Seydell Johnson: Hi, good evening, Mayor and Council. I believe Kellids gonna put a map up to show
you on the screen. This is a tree plan ... tree planting project that we will have contractors doing
this summer and fall, 690 trees to be planted in two locations. Um, beyond that though I
wanted to let you know that we have about six other tree planting events happening towards the
end of April. These are public events that will have community volunteers helping at a very
variety of locations. So we'll be getting those dates to you in an information packet, if anybody
wants to come out and join the volunteers with tree planting. This particular project is contract
tree planting 690 trees of over 100 species, different species mix; one inch to one and a half
inches. The first map shows the locations on Scott Boulevard in the right-of-way from Dodge
Street to hi ... all the way a Highway 6, and then the other location, if we can change the map, is
in the Mackinaw neighborhood. This is on, out on ... past... out on Foster Road, throughout this
entire neighborhood, which includes Sugarloaf Circle, Tranquil Bluff Trail, Mission Point Road,
Arch Rock Road, Algonquin Road, and Manitou Trail. All of this area is just a little bit
different. They'll be getting slightly smaller trees, more like crab apples and ornamental trees,
just because of the planting area along those right-of-ways is not nearly as large as what it is in
some of our other areas. All of the property owners in both of these locations have been
notified by mail, have been given the option to opt out of the program. We've had very few opt
out. We've had a few contact us with specific tree species recommendations or location changes
slightly with ... in front of their properties, but in general seems like we would get a lot of
positive momentum happening with this project.
Teague: Any questions? Public discussion? If you would like to address this topic, please raise your
hand and I'll call upon you. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a
motion to approve please?
2. Consider a Resolution
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Taylor. Council discussion?
Thomas: Well it's nice to see, uh, some new tree plantings in various locations. I for some reason had
overlooked the ... the Scott Boulevard plantings. So that's... that's a nice addition to my
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 20
understanding of what's being planned, and also to learn about the volunteer plantings. In fact I
was planning to contact Juli in ... in Parks tomorrow about another one, which I hope we can
initiate perhaps on Arbor Day, is... is where we're thinking of doing it. So thanks for all your
work on this.
Teague: Any other comments?
Weiner: So right after the derec... derecho, it's particularly important that we plant and restore our tree
canopy, so happy to see this.
Seydell Johnson: And I should just quickly mention also our Root for Trees program is still available.
If you go on the City website, you can plant trees on your private property within the city, um,
that you can get at a 50% discount at a number of local locations. So look that up. It's not only
on our right-of-way trees, but a lot of tree replacement happening throughout the community.
Teague: Great. Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 21
12. City Park Ball Field Improvements — Resolution approving project manual and estimate
of cost for the construction of the City Park Ball Field Improvements Project, establishing
amount of bid security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to
bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing ... and welcome, Juli.
Seydell Johnson: Hi, so this item takes on our older baseball fields at City Park. We've been working
with the use of...youth associations that play baseball there and upgrades they'd like to see, and
it needed safety and player, uh, accommodation on ... updates that we need. This one replaces
the fences on fields 1 through 7; and adds them to field 8, along with foul poles and improving
the dugout. So it's just a very much some, uh, maintenance upkeep on this facility that should
keep it as one of the nicer facilities in the ... in the area.
Teague: Any questions for Juli? Would anyone from the public like to dress this topic? If so, please
raise your hand or press *9 on your phone. I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a
motion to approve please?
2. Consider a Resolution
Bergus: So moved, Bergus.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: Discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 22
13. Asphalt Resurfacing 2021— Resolution approving project manual and estimate of cost for
the construction of the Asphalt Resurfacing 2021 Project, establishing amount of bid
security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to post notice to bidders, and fixing
time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing, and welcome, Jason.
Reichart: Welcome, Mayor Teague ... uh, Council Members. My name is Jason Reichart. I am the
Senior Engineer in charge of the annual resurfacing project. I have a brief presentation, kind of
go over what we got going on this year. Everyone see my screen?
Teague: Yes.
Reichart: Okay, so the asphalt resurfacing 2021 project. Tonight we are approving the plans and
specifications. So brief project overview, this is part of the annual pavement rehabilitation
program, which also includes crack sealing and PCC patching. This is the asphalt resurfacing
portion and will include pavement milling and asphalt overlay, storm intake repairs, curb and
gutter repairs, replacement of curb ramps to meet current ADA standards, and new pavement
markings where needed. The sites included in this year's program are North Clinton Street.
Sorry. (mumbled) North Clinton Street from Church Street to Iowa Avenue; Jefferson Street
from Madison Street to Dubuque Street; South Dubuque Street from Court Street to Prentiss;
Dearborn Street from Muscatine Ave to Jackson Ave; Rohret Road from Deerfield to Mormon
Trek Boulevard; First Avenue from Muscatine to Bradford. And this year we also have a couple
of Parks' projects. We are overlaying some various roads in Oakland Cemetery. We are going
to overlay the Robert A Lee Rec Center parking lot; uh, the Mercer Aquatic Center parking lot;
and the Forestry maintenance lot. And, um, well... another aspect of this project, we also do
some chips sealing of various roads in the city. There is not very many, but Taft Avenue is one
that we do annually, and that will be part of this program, as well. Um, the project timeline,
again as I said earlier, we're approving plans and specs tonight. Uh, will go out to bid
tomorrow. We have a bid letting on April 8th and we'll award the contract at the April 20th
Council meeting, with a specified start date of May Yd, and a final completion date of October
29th. Um, I ... I did want to talk a little bit about the length or duration of the project. Um, we're
anticipating that contractors are going to be pretty busy. The contractor from last year still has
some work remaining on the 2020 resurfacing project, and we do have another rehabilitation
project coming up. That should bid later this year, as well. That, um, along with the North
Clinton and Jefferson Street sites obviously being affected by University traffic, um, we've set
time limits and restrictions on those sites, so they can be done in the summer months and allow
for University move -in and some other University projects that are going on in the same area.
So, uh, although the ... the duration seems a little long, we are working around quite a few
restrictions, and so we're just trying to provide as much flexibility as we can to get everything
done this year, so with that ... are there any questions?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 23
Teague: None! Thank you. Would anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so, please raise
your hand. If you're on the phone, press *9. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public
hearing. Could I get a motion to approve please?
2. Consider a Resolution
Taylor: (garbled) Taylor.
Teague: Moved by Taylor, seconded by Bergus. Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes
7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 24
15. Melrose Avenue / IW V Road — Highway 218 to Hebl Avenue Improvements — Resolution
approving project manual and estimate of cost for the construction of the Melrose Avenue
/ PVW Road — Highway 218 to Hebl Avenue Improvement Project (STP -U-3715(668)-70-
52), establishing amount of bid security to accompany each bid, directing City Clerk to
post notice to bidders, and fixing time and place for receipt of bids.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing.
Havel: Good morning ... er, good evening, Mr Mayor and Council. Just had a brief presentation. So if I
can try and share my screen here. Can you see that?
Teague: Yes.
Havel: All right, so the Melrose Avenue, IWV Road improvements project is a joint project between the
City and the .... and Johnson County. The map down there in the bottom right, you can see it's
located on the far west side of Iowa City, where Melrose Avenue extends into the county. The
project will include complete roadway reconstruction from essentially Highway 218 out to Hebl
Avenue. It'll start at ... the section where it transitions from two lane to four lane on the east end,
and then on the west end it'll stop just east of Hebl Avenue. It'll tie into the project that the
County had completed a few years ago. In addition, it'll include replacement of a number of
drainage culvert's out there. The drawing here, you can see those yellow lines. Those are the
approximate locations of the ... the main drainage culverts that'll be reconstructed with the
project. And then finally, it'll also extend City water main out to the Landfill. Currently the
City's water main ends at Slothower Road. Sothis project will extend that to the west, out to
Hebl Avenue and then south to the Iowa City Landfill and Recycling Center. Here's a typical
cross-section of the project. So the top is a drawing that shows an illustration of kind of the
various measurements for the cross-section. The bottom right shows, uh, the section that was
completed by the County a few years ago, so it gives you an idea of what it's gonna look like.
Overall, it'll be a 30 -foot ... 34 -foot pavement width that'll include 12 -foot travel lanes, one in
each direction, as well as five-foot paved shoulders. In additional it'll include a three-foot
granular shoulder on one side and five-foot granular shoulder on the other side. The difference
between those two is related to the traffic staging that we're doing for the project. We have
some shifting that we're doing to maintain traffic, and so one of the sides will actually be a little
bit wider during construction, and so the decision was made to just leave that for following
construction, since it will have to be constructed for the project. Right-of-way will vary
between 100 feet and 160 feet. Those wider areas will be in areas where additional space is
needed for drainage and the drainage culverts. And then the posted speed limit will be 35 miles
an hour, which will be consistent with what is located west and east of the project. This one's a
little more complicated than usual, given that its a joint project with the County. We have four
vi ... four divisions in total. Division one will be 100% County funded, so that's the section that's
completely within the county. That will be funded completely by the County. Division two is
the area between Hurt Road and the city limits. That'll be a joint -funded section between the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 25
City and the County. That's also going to be the section where we are going to apply the STBG
funding that we received. So that's federally that we receive. We'll be applying that to division
two with the intent that if there is ... if there's money... it'll cost less than the STBG funding that
we have and the City would retain any outstanding money. So the thought is that the STBG
funding would apply for that section and likely pay for that section. And then division three
would be the roadway section that would be completely funded by the City, and that's the
section that's located within the existing city limits, and then finally division four is the water
main and that would be completely funded by the City. So looking at kind of a breakdown of
cost and schedule, total project cost is about 5.1 million. That includes the 930,000 that we
have in STBG funding. So again that'd be the federal aid for the project. The breakdown ends
up being about ... little over 3.1 million from the City and about 1.9 million from the County.
Again, that would include that 930,000 which would be expected to be applied half and half to
the City and County portions. It will be a DOT letting, and so we will look at a March 18th bid
letting for the project, looking at construction starting this summer. This year's construction
will likely include water main construction, as well as construction of the drainage culverts, as
well as some grading that would happen outside of the roadway. So the road would be
maintained, other than when they are constructing the drainage culverts, and then next year
would be mostly the paving that would occur in the 2022 construction season. And with that ... I
will take any questions.
Teague: Hearing none. Thank you. Anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so, please
raise your hand and I'll call upon you. If you're on the phone, press *9. Seeing no one, I'm
going to close the public hearing. Could I get a motion to approve please?
2. Consider a Resolution
Bergus: So moved, Bergus.
Weiner: Second, Weiner.
Teague: Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 26
16. FY2021 Budget Amendment Public Hearing — Resolution amending the FY2021
Operating Budget.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. Staff presentation (mumbled) Dennis.
Bockenstedt: Sure, uh, good evening, Mayor and Council. I'm Dennis Bockenstedt. I'm the Finance
Director for the City of Iowa City and tonight there's a number of items that are the completion
of a long budget process and capital process starting last September. And the first action tonight
is the public hearing and adoption of the budget, or the amended budget, for the fiscal year 21
budget. This is the second amendment for the fiscal year 21 budget, and this came through the
budget process and was part of the 21 to 23 financial plan, and 21 to 25 capital improvement
plan document that was given to the City Council and the general public in December, and then
through January and Februa, uh, February, the City Council met and discussed that document,
which incorporated this amended budget. And since those discussions, there has been no
changes to that financial plan or to the capital plan that had been discussed or proposed. And
just to give you some highlights that were in this amended budget that came through that
process, it includes the addition of the $1 million appropriation for Black Lives Matter. Uh, in
addition there was couple projects added, uh, at the Landfill which included a upgrade to the
bulldozer, a bulldozer out there, and expansion to the leachate system. Also, there has been a
delay of one year for the Rochester Avenue reconstruction and the Governor Street bridge
projects, uh, just due to better timing of those. Uh, in addition there's the addition of the
purchase of public housing units at the Augusta Place Apartments and the Chauncey building.
And then there was a myriad of adjustments due to COVID-19, uh, related revenues and
expenses. And so tonight, you know, we're just asking you to adopt the amended budget, and I
will take any questions if you have any.
Teague: Hearing none!
Bockenstedt: Thank you.
Teague: Anyone from the public like to address this topic? Please raise your hand or press *9 on the
phone. Seeing no one, I'm going to close the public hearing. Could I get a motion to approve
please?
2. Consider a Resolution
Bergus: So moved, Bergus.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 27
17. FY2022 Budget Public Hearing — Resolution adopting the annual budget for the fiscal
year ending June 30, 2022.
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing. And ... hello, Ashley.
Monroe: Hi, good evening. I ... you should see on your screen the short, very short slide summary here.
Um, Dennis walked through the 21 budget amendment. I'm going to do a very short overview
of the 22 budget summary. So this will also encompass the items in the three-year capital plan
and ... three-year financial plan and five-year capital plan that Council reviewed early in January.
So as Dennis said, we started the budget process in September last year. Staff put together the
budget and presented the capital improvement plan to Council in early January, followed by the
operating budget review on the 9th. In February we set some public hearings, um, had to set the
final maximum property tax levy, and then we set the budget public hearing, and find ourselves
here today in March for the adaption of the budget. It needs to be into the County Auditor by
March 31 st by State law. A couple of the strategic initiatives included in the budget and capital
plan includes a million dollars general fund contribution towards affordable housing efforts.
We have 595,000 to, uh, support community nonprofit agencies. In the past fiscal year, Council
increased that amount, and this is a continuation of that effort. We've capped our three-year
progress to getting a minimum wage for hourly employees to $15. We're also aggressively
funding climate action and adaptation efforts, as well as in ... investing in our master plan, so
parks, bikes, and other road improvement projects along with our facility planning. A couple of
highlights in the budget itself - we're reducing the tax levy rate. This is at minimum a decade of
reductions in the tax levy rate. I'll hit on that slide. We're building strong reserves for Iowa
City future, and I'll just highlight that we're not ... not proposing any new utility, transit, or
parking fee increases. Two years ago Council approved a two-step water rate increase, and this
would apply the second 5% increase that we delayed because of the pandemic in the last year.
So final slide, this is a review of our property tax rate trend. So the blue line indicates the levy
itself, as well as the yellow bars indicating the increase in valuations of property. And we
landed at a final property tax rate levy of $15.67, and that's a decrease of 10 -cents from the
prior year's property tax levy. So that concludes my presentation and will take any questions if
you like.
Teague: Hearing none, thank you. Would anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so,
please raise your hand. Welcome, Karen.
Kubby: Yes, my name is Karen Kubby. I live in the Mark Twain neighborhood, and I just wanted to
say that although there's been lots of critique of local government, some of which may have
some grains of truth to it, I also want to note many of the very progressive items that are in this
budget, um, it is unprecedented to have that much money going to affordable housing from the
general fund, as well as the $15 minimum wage and the climate action... investments that the
community is making through its City Council, and so, um, not everything is good or
everything is bad, and I think it's just really important for the community to be reminded of that.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 28
Teague: Thank you. Would anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one, I'm going to close
the public hearing. Could I get a motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Mims: So moved, Mims.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: Moved by Mims, seconded by Thomas. Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes
7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 29
18. Three -Year Financial Plan and Five -Year Capital Improvement Plan — Resolution
approving the three-year Financial Plan for the City of Iowa City, Iowa, and the five-year
Capital Improvement Plan.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Weiner: So moved, Weiner.
Mims: Second, Mims.
Teague: Staff presentation.
Frain: Mayor, there's no presentation on this item. It's kind of wrapped into Ashley's previous
presentation.
Teague: Great! Um, anyone else like to address this topic from the public? Welcome, Karen ... or was
your hand still up? Maybe I didn't notice.
Kubby: (mumbled) just some ... a quick comment about the CIP. I know I've spoken with many of you,
and at public meetings about the dropping of the two-way conversion of Jefferson and Market.
I do realize that you all will be speaking about this in April and hope next year at this time I can
come to the public hearing and thank you for reinserting that project back into the CII'.
Teague: Thank you. Anyone else like to address this topic? Seeing no one, Council discussion? Roll
call (both talking)
Mims: ... if I would real quickly, I would just like to say, you know, I'm really pleased to see that we've
been able to get in ... it's our 10th or 11th year, 10th year I think, of reduction in our levy to get us
a little bit more in line with some of the larger, other larger cities in the state, and also glad to
see that we're able to continue to build those facility reserves, as well as our emergency fund. I
think the presentation in our work session tonight on our needs for streets and to try and find
some additional funding for those to avoid significant deterioration in that quality of those
streets, um, is ... is a really important thing, and says that while we've got I think a good budget
here, we certainly have a lot of work to do over the next five to 10 years to figure out how we're
going to continue to try to maintain the services that we have and/or add additional services.
Thank you.
Teague: Great. Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 30
19. $10,200,000 General Obligation Bonds — Resolution instituting proceedings to take
additional action for the issuance of not to exceed $10,200,000 General Obligation Bonds
1. Public Hearing
Teague: I'm going to open the public hearing.
Bockenstedt: Uh, good evening again, Mayor and Council. I'm gonna share my screen here. Hopefully
you can ... can see that PowerPoint presentation. Is that correct?
Teague: Yes!
Bockenstedt: Okay good. Thank you. So tonight is a ... a number of public hearings and resolutions to
institute the proceedings for this year's, uh, 2021 GO bond issue, um, and this came out of the
City's capital program and budget that we went through this past year, and so I'm just going to
talk a little bit about this ... this issue and then, as I said, it's addressing a number of public
hearings and resolutions that are before you tonight. The timeline for this ... for this year's bonds,
we set the hearing on March 2nd and then tonight there'll be three public hearings. One for
each portion of it that falls under a different part of the State law, and then there is a ... a
resolution to authorize the property tax levy for the repayment of the bonds. Right now we're
planning to have a Moody's bond rating call on April 13th. And then we'll come back on April
20°i at the City Council meeting for additional resolutions to proceed with the sale of the bonds.
And then on May 4th we'll take the actual bids, open the bids for the bonds, and then on May
18th the City Council would do the final approval of the issuance of the bonds, and then on
June I", uh, we would take proceeds from those bonds. This slide shows you the projects that
were approved as part of the capital improvement program for 2021 that are being funded from
these general obligation bonds. I'll note that the ... the largest portion of this bonds here is for
street work. So you've got $1.3 billion that's an augmentation of the ... the (mumbled)
rehabilitation program that Jason was talking about. We have about another 1.78 million for the
Melrose Avenue reconstruction that Jason just spoke about. The other Jason (laughs) Jason
Havel. And then the Benton Street rehab, um, 2.4 million, and Orchard Street reconstruction
1.2. So the largest portion of these bonds is going towards street reconstruction. Other notable
items include $1.5 million for a ... a new fire truck; $700,000 for the Senior Center
improvements that are currently underway, are being studied and planned; um, $620,000 for a
new south side recycling site; and then additional sand and salt storage bunkers, uh, which may
have come in handy this year at the Public Works facility; and then some additional funding for
the Highway 6 trail. And just to reiterate that these were projects in this amount of bonds was
approved through the 21 amended budget and five-year capital improvement program. That
this is ... these have been incorporated current and future property tax levy projections. Um, this
will be a competitive sale for these bonds, which we'll take bids for and then after this you'll
take a series of actions, item 19 through 22. There's three public hearings, followed by a
resolution, and then another resolution after that. And I will take any questions if you have any.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 31
Teague: Hearing none. Thank you. Would anyone from the public like to address this topic? If so,
please raise your hand. Seeing no one, Council discussion? Oh ... I'm going to close the public
hearing. Could I get a motion to approve?
2. Consider a Resolution
Thomas: So moved, Thomas.
Bergus: Second, Bergus.
Teague: Council discussion? Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 32
23. Parking — Curbside Pick Up & Delivery — Ordinance amending Title 9, entitled "Motor
Vehicles and Traffic," Chapter 4, entitled "Parking Regulations," Section 10, entitled
"Parking for Loading and Unloading," to establish a curbside pick up and delivery space.
(First Consideration)
Teague: Could I get a motion please?
Salih: Move, Salih.
Taylor: Second, Taylor.
Teague: All right. Welcome, Geoff.
Fruin: Mayor, this is a really brief item here, but essentially as we've adopted to more curbside pickup
in the downtown area we need to update our code to ... to reflect those new ...those new standards,
which will allow us to enforce those regulations. So this ordinance will allow us to force those
delivery pickup, curbside pickup areas in the downtown.
Teague: Great. Any questions for Geoff? Is there anyone in the public that would like to address this
topic? If so, please raise your hand or press *9. Council discussion?
Taylor: I've used these, uh (garbled) parking places many times for a lot of these downtown, uh,
businesses and I think it's a great idea and... and it's helpful to these businesses for people to stop
there and order food items, etc. So it's a great... great idea.
Teague: Roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 33
25. Renaming Creekside Park to McPherson Park — Resolution renaming Creekside Park as
James Alan McPherson Park.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Weiner: So moved, Weiner.
Mims: Second, Mims.
Teague: And welcome, Juh.
Seydell Johnson: Hi, Council, Juli Seydell Johnson, Parks and Recreation Director. Last summer you
directed staff to look into having a park renamed after a prominent black person in the
community. Shortly thereafter, we had a number of residents contact both Council and staff
recommending James Alan McPherson for the honor. He's a black author who was a faculty
member at the Iowa Writer's Workshop. He passed away a few years ago, but he was the first
black Pulitzer -prize winning author in nonfiction. At the Parks and Ree Commission meeting
when this was discussed, we had nearly 20 people speak in ... in positive things wanting in
support for this change. They knew Mr. McPherson and you may say, well, why name a park
after someone with a literary background? His entire ethos was about community gathering and
having spaces for people to gather, get to know each other, spend time together, which I think is
completely appropriate for the times we're in now. He was a resident not far from Creekside
Park. We've notified the neighborhood, had social media posts, a number of things go out.
In ... in general lots of positive comments about supporting this. Other parks were considered.
Um, the Commission talked about a smaller park, Rogers Green, which is actually very close to
where Mr. McPherson had lived. Uh, they talked about Riverfront Crossings as a large park.
Uh, they talked about Wetherby Park in the south, but decided that since that was one of the few
parks we have that was (mumbled) someone else, um, to not use that park, and then settled on
Creekside due to its location close to where he lived, his neighborhood, and just the essence of
that park. It's a newly redeveloped park with a lot of gathering spaces. It's well used, um, and I
think it'll be a really nice location to honor Mr. McPherson. And I can answer any questions
you may have.
Teague: All right, no questions. Is there anyone from the public that would like to address this topic?
If so, please raise your hand. I do see a raised, uh, hand raised. Oh, okay, one second.
Welcome, Rachel McPherson.
McPherson: Howdy, thank you for that wonderful recap of the meeting. I just ... I just wanted to point
out that his middle name is misspelled on the agenda. So it's A -1 -a -n, but anyway just a small
thing, and then ... and also he was the first person to win ... black person to win a Pulitzer Prize for
fiction, but he also writes (garbled) Anyway, thank you.
Teague: Thank you (several talking) Welcome, Dan.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 34
Kauble: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Kauble: Um, I would just like to say that like it's really cool that like we are renaming parks and stuff
after people color, but ... I mean if you're not doing any more than just that, it's ... it's all just
performative ... and it's pretty meaningless. So that's all I have to say.
Teague: Thank you, Ryan ... or Dan. Welcome Raia... and pronounce your name correctly for me. I'm
sorry if I mispronounced it. Um, I don't see ... oh, there you are. You're on mute.
Lichen: I didn't realize I was going to appear on camera. Um, well I ... I would just like to make
comment in support of the naming of the park, and I actually disagree with Dan. I think that it
is very meaningful that we are doing this, um, and irregardless of other issues pertaining, I don't
think that we should let other criticisms that have been mentioned in the Council to interfere
with the importance of this and honoring James Alan McPherson in this moment. So let's not
meddle this and really just give our gratitude to this moment. This is really special and this is
big. So I would just like to, um, say hi to Rachel McPherson, James Alan McPherson's
daughter, who ... (laughs) who has done so much for this to happen. Uh, and anyway, just please
let us honor this. Thank you for making this vote today.
Teague: Thank you. And I'm going to welcome other individuals. I'm also going to ask people to keep
their comments to three minutes. And then we have, and I'm sorry if I pronenc... pronounced
this wrong. Um, last name Kushner, followed by Emilia. And please pronounce your first
name for me.
Kushner: (garbled) yes, my name is Aviya... Aviya Kushner and it is an honor to be here. I just want to
say about Jim McPherson was my teacher, he was my friend, he was my neighbor of many,
many years, and I think this is extremely meaningful. I think Jim ... Jim loved Iowa City, he
loved public spaces, and I'm very grateful for ...for this naming, and I think ... I think it's ... it's both
symbolic, and I would say actual, because it's going to provide a place for people from all walks
of life to talk with each other and remember Jim, and I think that's what Jim would have
wanted. So that's all I have. Thank you so much.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Emilia, followed by Mohamed.
Roberts: Hi, I just want to say that, um, so I just want to say that I do support Dan's comment. Um, I
think it's ... it's very legitimate and a very legitimate concern. I don't think at all what he was
trying to do was disrespect James' family or anybody, or this opening of the new name of the
park. I think he was just merely pointing out that, you know, there's been a large group of black
individuals, um, IFR who have been pushing to do a lot of work in Iowa City and have been
completely ignored, and I think, um, I just think like it's just one thing to like name a park and
then like completely not support a group of black individuals that are trying to do like real work
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 35
in the community. I think there's many other ways that we could see real change done in the ... in
the name of James, as well as I'm happy about the park. So that's just kind of all I want to say.
Teague: Welcome, Mohamed, followed by Joe.
Traore: Thank you, Mayor Teague. Um, I just wanted to say that I am also very appreciative of the
action of renaming this park and like to thank Miss McPherson for everything that she's done to
accomplish this, and for the City for considering this as well. And while there is a lot of other
work that needs to be done, it is nice to see a step such as this taken, because at the end of the
day, anything that pushes us into the right direction is highly important to the process, and thank
you very much.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Joe, followed by Sara.
Coulter: I wanted to say that somehow Iowa City needs to, uh, dedicate a park to our indigenous native
people of Iowa. It's time we did this. It's time we recognize where we are, who has been here,
and who remains here in dedication. I agree with the adoption of this park, and I hope to see a
park for indigenous people in Iowa City. Thank you, migwetch.
Teague: Thank you. Is there anyone else that haven't already addressed Council that would like to
address Council? Wel ... welcome, Sara. Sara, we can't hear you.
Haroun: Oh, I'm sorry. Hi everyone, my name is Sara Haroun. I just want to say I'm honored to be
here. I just want to say I'm so ... I'm grateful to know Mr. Me ... McPherson. Um, I take care of
him of the end of his life care at Oaknoll (mumbled) time when I knew him and I'm so honor,
I'm so grateful to know him, and I want just to say hi to his daughter. Even I didn't get to meet
her at that time, but I'm so glad to say hi to her right now. And just want to let ... to let you know
I'm ... at that time I'm the only one, uh, as a black African women work at Oaknoll and also at the
same time, he is the only one, uh, African man he at, uh, Oaknoll, and I'm just want to say I'm
so honored, I'm so glad, uh, grateful to know him and take care of him at the end of his
life... care.
Teague: Thank you. Is there anyone else that would like to address Council that hasn't already
addressed Council? Seeing no one, we are going to move on to Council discussion.
Mims: I'm really glad that we're able to do this, um, as a result of a lot of the things that happened this
past summer that kind of pushed us in this direction. Something I think is long overdue, and I
think the community came out and recommended an absolutely outstanding and deserving
individual and very, very happy to support the renaming of the park for James Alan McPherson.
Thomas: It is a ... a really beautiful story behind the naming, and I'm really, really pleased and happy that
it's taking place.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 36
Taylor: (both talking) Oh I'm just gonna say that I'm very pleased too, and I think it's a very
appropriate park, uh, because of the location and the openness of it and ... and I think it'll be
perfect, and I look forward to seeing a new nameplate there for it.
Teague: I believe Mr. McPherson is well deserving of this park named after him. If you knew him, you
would know that he was all about community, making people laugh. He was quiet a storyteller,
highly intelligent. I think that this is a great honor and so happy that the City of Iowa City have
the opportunity to vote to name this park after him tonight. All right, hearing no more
comments, roll call please. Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 37
26. Ad Hoc Truth & Reconciliation Commission — Resolution Temporarily Suspending the
Operation of the Ad Hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
Teague: Could I get a motion to approve?
Mims: So moved.
Thomas: Second, Thomas.
Teague: All right. Well, this is an item that I actually had directed to put on the agenda, and it was ... it
really came out of an abundance of seeing various things happening with the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission I believe that Council needed to address, um, have a discussion
related to the TRC, and this will be our time to have that discussion. I do know that there will
be some people that want to make a comment, and so I'll come back and make more comments
after. So we'll open it up to the public, and we ask that you keep your comments to three to five
minutes, and we'll start with Ashley, followed by Mohamed.
Lindley (she/her): Am I on?
Teague: Yes, you are.
Lindley (she/her): Thank you, Mayor Teague, Honorable City Council Members. My name is Ashley
Lindley and as I'm sure you know, you appointed me to the Iowa City Human Rights
Commission. I am incredibly proud to be able to serve, so thank you for that. I am here tonight
to express my personal support for the Iowa City TRC. Having read all of the related
correspondence in your packet, I'm actually going to take a slightly different approach with my
statement, so bear with me here. In my eight years as an Iowa City resident, I focus my
energies on social service work and advocacy. I believe in standing up to injustice and uplifting
those who are depressed, and have helped advance this work with area social service
organizations. I serve on the HRC's anti -racism subcommittee and also an independent Human
Rights working group. Um, that is alongside Mr. Aaron Page whose letter was included in your
late handout packet. Now this statement is not meant to (mumbled) um, rather it is to stress the
fact that as a body you are tasked with appointing the most appropriate individuals to each
commission, people who will presumably do the most good, and then to support them. I
imagine that you appoint individual commissioners not only because of the breadth and depth of
their experience, but also for their passion and dedication to their commission's work, and their
unique backgrounds and perspectives. I suspect that while I wasn't there for the discussion, this
is likely even more true for the TRC commissioners. Now the TRC is not the first commission
to have resignations. I know that just since I began my time with the HRC, we have had two,
both for different reasons. These resignations occurred very early into both commissioners'
terms, and I believe it's important to affirm that resignations do happen. We also don't get a lot
of journalists or other visitors, so it might surprise some folks to know that commissioners on
the HRC don't always agree. Last year when it came to discussions of the protests and how to
express our support for the Black Lives Matter movement and IFR, I recall much passionate
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 38
discussion and debate over how to express our support, because at the end of the day, human
rights work is hard. And we can't expect the work of the TRC to be any less so. Now the TRC
commissioners were appointed by you, presumably for the same reasons that you appointed my
fellow commissioners and I to the HRC. However, unlike our broad focus on all things human
rights, they are digging into the work of discovering truths and trying to create reconciling
solutions to oppressive systems that have existed in one form or another here in our country for
hundreds of years. Mayor and Mayor Pro Tem, you said to the TRC at their last meeting that
you believed in them and their ability to get the work done. And I'm concerned that by
considering suspending this commission, when they still have a quorum and have taken the
steps needed to begin their work in earnest, you are not only undermining your own words, but
also potentially creating further division by expressing a lack of faith in the current
commissioners and their ability to do the work. As someone who's been in attendance at most
of the TRC meetings so far, I believe this past meeting was actually one of their better sessions,
both prior to the leadership vote and at the close of the meeting. I want to express my
admiration for Chair Traore and his calls for unity, his statement to Royceann Porter
acknowledging the many positive impacts she has made in our community, and his resolved to
lead alongside his fellow commissioners, rather than leading over them. Now transitions of
power can be messy, but a lawful vote occurred and new leadership is now in effect. The
remaining commissioners are still a diverse bunch with differing opinions on what truth and
reconciliation look like, but I believe they can get this work done if given the chance. So I urge
you to please honor the charge that you have given to these commissioners and let them
continue working to create meaningful change in our community. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Ashley. Welcome, Mohamed, followed by James.
Traore: Thank you very much, Mayor Teague.
Teague: Yes, welcome (both talking)
Traore: I come ... I come to you today to offer my full perspective. First and foremost, I would like to
make it known that I did not join the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to stroke my ego, as
some would make it seem. I did not join the Commission in the hopes of crushing the City
government, shutting out the voices of those who disagree with my viewpoints who are in the
pursuit of more power. I joined this Commission because I believe myself to be someone that
cares deeply for this community, this state, this country, and all the people I have the good
fortune to come across in my life. I'm sure to state this, as the recent media coverage and
opinions offered by some of my fellow community members (mumbled) cast doubt on my
leadership skills, my intelligence, most importantly my character. To this I take great offense.
Every single day that I have the pleasure of opening my eyes to experience another day, I go
forward looking to learn and to grow. While the statements and opinions given by other
members of the public as to the dysfunction of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission hold
weight, they are unfair and do not tell the entire story. Growing up I learned that a leader is one
that takes all responsibility for every failure and every shortcoming. I also learned that a leader
is one that praises their peers before they look to praise themselves. As I've said on many
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 39
occasions in our TRC meetings, I'm here to find the best outcomes for any and every individual
that steps foot in this community or chooses to permanently reside here. I did not hyper -focus
on erasing those statements, so excuse me if I'm puzzled at some members of my own
community insinuating that my position as chair of the commission will certainly lead to
disaster and disunity throughout the community. I do not know everything. In fact, I take great
pleasure in learning new things. Recently I learned that the great Miss Maryann Coleman was
subjected to outright hate and death threats during the civil rights era and ensuing period. But
on several occasions she had attempts made on her life or other serious threats of violence.
Through it all she stayed the course. I love her for that, among other things. The Townsends
are pillars of this community too. Their contributions do not go unnoticed. I love them for
everything they have done for the advancement of Iowa City, Iowa, and the United States of
America as a whole. Never will I be one that personally looks to gatekeep the conduits of free
speech, debate, truth telling, and reconciliation. If I've made anyone feel otherwise for that, I
sincerely apologize. I value the opinions of all people, because I believe that truth is subjective.
The great philosopher Isaiah Berlin says that the only concrete truths belong to nature and
anything man-made is essentially up for debate. He says that it is through these debates that we
get closer to the truth. It is through the painstaking task of listening to understand before we
listen to reply that we slowly reach the consensus that we deem to be the truth. If we are here to
succeed in the mission of the TRC and to achieve the best individual outcomes for everyone in
our community, we must be diligent and keep that in mind. I spent the past week reading and
learning about the opinions of our former commissioners and our former... never signed his
contract... facilitator. In that time I learned a little more and I've come to a conclusion on what I
feel that this public disagreement is truly about. Everyone failing to understand before they
listen to reply. I will admit I've made this mistake in times. We are all guilty of this. This time
we all admit this, learn from it, and move forward... together. The former commission members,
a former facilitator, keyboard warriors of all ages, City Council are going to be making
recommendations for how we move forward, that I believe it to only be fair that as a sitting
chair of the TRC that I make some recommendations of my own. I recommend that anyone that
wishes to speak on the TRC, our characters or leadership capabilities, the intentions and
abilities of my fellow commission members, etc., keeps this in mind. Every second you spend
bickering about what we have or haven't accomplished is wasted energy, if you feel to truly
offer your assistance to help us succeed. I've met with the South District Neighborhood
Association, my fellow commissioners, a representative of the Iowa City Area Development
Group, and contacted representatives, the United Action for Youth. and the University of Iowa
Student Government with the intention of gaining a better perspective of the needs of different
cross-sections of this community and to build a coalition of representatives from all walks of
life to further the ultimate goals and progress, truth telling, and most importantly reconciliation.
So if you wish to suspend this Commission, make your votes. This decision is your own. All
we can do is offer you our opinions. Just know this, we will not be suspending our work to
pursue better outcomes for all individuals in our community. We believe in that mission far too
much to divert our efforts due to the impact of media narratives, apathy of certain cross-sections
of the public, a number of other projects we will be working on, or the fact that we have
engaged in this commission fully without ever even asking for a penny in compensation. If you
still do not trust us to go forth with the TRC, explicitly state so. I need to hear you say the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 40
words in this public format. If any of you truly believe this commission cannot be salvaged,
make it known immediately so I can tender my resignation. We will not solely rely upon this
commission to keep fighting for what we believe to be to be right. We do not need your
validation to do the right thing. All that we need are eyes and ears of those that have the same
or similar ideals when it comes to achieving true unity. Together we will achieve truth and
reconciliation. It is not the critic who counts, not the man who points out the strong man who
stumbles or the doer of deeds who could have done them better. The credit belongs to the man
who is actually in the arena, whose face isn't marred by dust and sweat and blood. Theodore
Roosevelt. At this time I believe it is safe to assume that you all essentially had your mind
made up before this meeting began. Your intention is to suspend or disband the commission,
start anew with a process even more closely controlled, so be it. That is your prerogative. I just
hope that you have successfully ...that you have carefully considered that your decision
may ...what your decision may bring. Community participation in truth and reconciliation will
not and shall not be completely on your terns. It will be on ours. It will be on the people.
Before I finish I would like to remind you of something that might help bring more clarity as to
why the majority of the Commission felt that a change in leadership... leadership was necessary.
The TRC shall strive to provide a safe and supportive space for its work, premised on mutual
respect and (mumbled) promote healing and justice. The TRC shall carefully consider
mechanisms to protect participants and shall work to support those who allege harm due to their
participation in the TRC process, City of Iowa City Resolution 20-228. Finally, I would like to
add T'Shailyn Harrington would have done a phenomenal job as chair... chair that TRC.
However, she did not receive the votes in our process. I want to say publicly Miss Harrington's
a rising star on this community. She's highly capable, intelligent, strong-willed, and
determined. I'm happy that we are so lucky to have her in this community. I'm happy this
community is fortunate enough to have Mr. Anthony Currin (mumbled) and Miss Royceann
Porter too. Thank you all for your time, good luck to you in your decision. We have work to
do. Sincerely Mohamed Traore.
Teague: Thank you, Commissioner Traore, and sorry I didn't acknowledge your... your.. your work with
the TRC earlier. Welcome, James, followed by Oliver.
Wilbum: Yeah. Thank you, Mayor Teague. Good evening to all community members who have joined
tonight, and Council Members, uh, thank you for your time this evening and continued work to
improve our local community. My name is James Wilburn. I was born and raised here in Iowa
City, a 2009 graduate of Iowa City High School. I'm quite familiar with the rewarding and
difficult work involved for each of you as Council Members. Both of my parents have served
time, elected, serving in the seats you sit in today. With that being said, it is generally my
preference to fly below the political radar. However, I'm here tonight because I could not in
good conscience sit silent at the potential to temporarily or permanently suspend the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission. We are at a point in history where many have a false sense that the
civil rights movement is a thing of the past, that prejudice and profiling exists but quote
unquote ... not in my community. I urge each of you to consider the message it sends to
marginalized communities, and the Iowa City community as a whole, to leave this commission
without the full support and guidance of the Council. We in Iowa City are in a position to lead
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 41
the state, country, and world by example, or to be left behind. Iowa City is a community which
prides itself in toting welcoming, forward thinking, and inclusive values. Personally, as a
member of multiple marginalized communities, it is my hope that you all will back those words
with intentional actions. Today I stand in support of all marginalized communities and ask you
to do better, bringing real change to fruition when many members of these marginalized
communities and our allies feel that institutions funded by tax dollars, to serve and protect, do
less of these things or in some cases the opposite for certain members of the community without
substantive reason. It is well beyond time to bring cognitive dissonance to an end, to be kind to
individuals yet tough on systems which disproportionately have a negative effect on
communities of color. It is time to take a stand at the local level for the Constitution upon
which this country was founded, and align our systems in both theory and practice to embody
the values of liberty and justice for all members of the human race. On your website it states
that this Council established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to bear witness to the
truth of racial injustice in Iowa City and to carry out restorative justice. Suspending this
Commission, even for a brief time, sends a message to persons at risk of racial injustice,
including myself, that these injustices will continue unchecked here in Iowa City. At a time
when there is an active federal civil rights complaint filed against the City, this would be an
extraordinarily disheartening message to send to black and brown community members and our
white allies. It is my recommendation that the Truth and Reconciliation Commission not be
suspended, but rather expanded, beginning training and procedural guidance for current
commissioners immediately, while seeking to replace resigned commissioners and facilitator in
a timely fashion. It is my recommendation the Commission be left intact and active to provide
independent review for complaints filed against the police department, as well as taking
(mumbled) expanding legitimate evidence -based cultural competence and training for the police
department and all City law official; that the Commission host regular public hearings for
community members to voice concerns, as well as an avenue to submit anonymous concerns;
that the Commission be granted the ability to look into and address concerns brought
fa ... brought forth by the community. It is my recommendation that the City Council guarantee
full cooperation of both the police and law departments, as well as any and all City
governmental officials and employees in evidence -based restorative justice practices, in cases
the Commission deems action necessary; and that the Council encourages the school and
healthcare systems, housing providers, and financial institutions to lean on the support and
skills of this Commission, these ... using these same practices to make Iowa City a better place
for all who live here. I hope each of you takes serious the impact your decisions regarding the
Truth and Reconciliation Commission will have on the Iowa City community as a whole.
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. I did want to point out that there are 18 people with their hand raised, which is
great. We want to hear from you, and I'm going to ask that everyone do keep your comments
three to five minutes, and I'm ... will have to interrupt if someone goes longer than that.
Welcome, um, Oliver, followed by Ala.
Weilein: Hello, um, this is Oliver again from the Iowa City Tenants Union and my pronouns are he/him
(mumbled) Iowa City resident. I just wanted to, um, I think lots of people, even on the City
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 42
Council, um, who are considering, um ... or somebody on the City Council who is considering
suspending temporarily the Truth and Reconciliation Commission would ... would say something
to the effect of, well, we support the Commission. We just think that we need to step in due to
quote unquote dysfunction or conduct at the meeting, that type... meetings and that type of thing.
I just wanted to speak to the fact that, um, most of the commissioners, we were aware of
inappropriate conduct at the meeting or dysfunction at the meeting, and so what they did ... what
they did was they took care of it, and not only for those reasons, but for ideological reasons,
they decided that new leadership was needed, and you can tell with the last meeting that
happened, where the former chair was not chairing the meeting and was not leading any
discussions that the meetings, uh, that the meeting went extremely well. Um, commissioners
conducted themselves very professionally. Um, and it seemed just from the meeting standpoint
that the problem had mainly been solved, um, and that the commissioners are absolutely more
than capable of taking care of these issues, these problems, themselves and don't need any
meddling with the Iowa City ..from the Iowa City government. Also, I know that it was a point
of contention when establishing the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, the TRC, that
commissioners were a little bit ... some of the commissioners were a little bit concerned about
their autonomy and they were reassured by some City Council Members that they would not be
interfering, they would not be, you know, pulling any strings behind the scenes, anything like
that, and that they wouldn't have to worry about it. Well now it really seems like they have to
wont' about it, and it seems like an intentional, um, even if people aren't aware of it, even if
they're doing it subconsciously, an intentional political takedown of people who the City
Council just generally just doesn't agree with, um, and that totally violates all of what the City
government has been trying to reassure the TRC of, which is they aren't going to meddle in their
business. Um, I would also like to say that, you know, the ... the protests over the summer,
which, you know, me and lots of people who are going to comment on, were out there every
single day, um, were subjected to brutal police violence. Um, I'm not sure how many City
Council Members have been tear gassed, but I do not recommend it. Um, it is certainly not
something to just get over it, to quote some other person. Um, it ... lots of people were even ... not
happy about the fact that it seemed like the City Council was trying to put just one solution to
fix all, that was the TRC, and even people that are on the Commission and people in the IFR
recognize this, but still in good faith have decided to participate and give it their all, and within
the rules they have done everything that they can, and they did not do anything wrong, but it
seems like they are still being punished for flexing what little power they have been given. And
I think it's an absolute slap to the face to not only them, but every single person who was out
protesting every single day, getting brutalized by the Iowa City Police Department, by the Iowa
State Patrol, by the University of Iowa Police Department, um, to temporarily suspend
something just because you personally do not like the direction that the Truth and
Reconciliation Commission is going. I think that it has a lot to do with personal relationships
with some of the commissioners that resigned, and I think that it is highly not only
unprofessional, but it's extremely .. (laughs) it's extremely disrespectful, like I said, to everybody
who is out protesting every single day over the summer so ... thank you.
Teague: Ala, followed by Billie and Orville.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 43
Mohamed: Hello, I have a few questions for the (mumbled) I mean for the Council Members. When
the TRC was created, did you all really mean to create it for the people, so you guys can take
charge of (mumbled) to do whatever you guys want with it, because the reason why IFR wanted
to (mumbled) TRC was for the people, and only the people, and so to see that when work has
just started to begun, see how (mumbled) started to begin, and the TRC is now being questioned
into like ... (mumbled) I just don't understand where that is coming from, because there are
many, many solutions to dealing with what had happened and the incidences that have
happened within the TRC, not just pausing it. You guys could have worked behind the scenes
with the commissioners, could have done all of this actually under the table. The people
didn't... the community members didn't really need to know about the dysfunction or what's
going on, because clearly a lot of things are not making sense as to why it's being paused. One,
literally it doesn't need to be paused. You could literally have that kind of conversation with the
commissioners. That's not an issue. Um, to everything that was happening when we...
community members were being harassed. I was being harassed by ex -Chairman Porter. No
one did anything from the, um, City Council, no one stepped in, and it wasn't until everything
was resolved, work started to happen, um, subcommit... subcommittees were starting to begin to
build. Then all of a sudden we're getting, oh, we're about to pause it, for no reason. That
doesn't make any sense to me. I feel like all the evidence... all the evidence that has been
proved, that has been stated, to say that this TRC should be paused does not make any sense to
us, and I feel like that's why you're getting a lot of community members coming out to speak
about this, because this is how important the TRC is. It's for the people. This is why we care so
much about why you guys are pausing it.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Billie and Orville, followed by Emilia.
Townsend: (Billie) Okay, we're... there's... both of us want to speak. I'm going to let Orville go first.
(Orville) Good evening, Councilors. Thank you for allowing me to speak to you. I
attended.... well, I participated in one of the Council's meetings, and during that meeting I ... I
became increasingly concerned. This was the meeting where Council... well, um, Commissioner
Porter, uh, they decided they wanted a vote of no confidence, so they ...they voted her out. But
basically they had a barrage of people coming up to speak. It got to the point where Royceann
resigned as chair. Now, they continued bringing people to speak against her. The new person
who had just taken the Chair pointed out that since Royceann had resigned there was no need to
continue, but this group decided that, no, they wanted to continue to present their case, which
they did. I, you know, it's sort of like an attack on Royceann. If you know Royceann, all the
committees she's been on and all the things she's done, she's never had any problems with
anybody, but all of a sudden on this commission, you know, she's a bad person, non-functional
person. So then they committed... they began to elect new officers,. So they voted in a new
president... and and new Chairperson, and you know, once that person was in ... the young lady
from, uh, that participates from New York had put a budget up on the screen that had their
recommendations, and one of them was $700,000, $750,000, you know, for reparations. Uh,
basically, you know, this group is ... I couldn't believe what I was ... what I was seeing. Black
Voices and I feel very strongly about that. What we're recommending is that the committee be
disbanded and that you start over, and you start over in a new approach by laying
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 44
expe ... expectations and guidelines out, and that you have a mandatory orientation for all new
members. One of the reasons I feel that the committee... commission should be dismantled is
that if you bring on new members, the old members that were already there doing a job on
Royceann, it's the type of mentality that we are going to be dealing with, and I don't think that's
very healthy, you know. I'll speak for myself. I have worked along with you guys for years. It
hasn't always been to my favor, but hey, you know, I ... I've stuck it out, you know, and I think
basically this is kind of the way that Black Voices and a lot of other blacks, old timers, feel. So,
I mean, whatever comes to this, you ... I encourage you to dismantle, and if you do that and you
get a lot of fallout, just remember that us old timers that's been here, side by side with you all
the years up to today, if we have to pick up the pieces, we will be there with you to pick up the
pieces, but I hope that you will take great consideration in dismantling and starting over.
(mumbled) starting over. Thank you (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Orville.
Townsend: And this is Billie. I want to say that I'm very disappointed with the Truth and
Reconciliation Ad Hoc Commission. Um, I want to put a ... give you a little background. I
moved here 30 years ago. I worked at the University for 30 years. I've been on many, many,
many committees and commissions and ... and associations. I've ... I know how committee work
is supposed to happen. Each entity operated with rules and regulations, starting with a mission
statement, bylaws, following Roberts Rules. We usually knew what we were ... we all had the
same goal in mind, and we all knew what we were there for. I say this to let you know that I
have a little bit of expertise with committee work. I attended the last TRC meeting and was
amazed at how the meeting progressed. The members were disrespectful to the Chair, to the
County Attorney, to the facilitator, to each other, and even to the people over a certain age.
There was no order to their meeting and the public was allowed to chime in at will. I can
certainly understand how nothing has been done in the 11 weeks since they began. The
fulfillment of the charge of their group has not been met. Since the City Council set the ad hoc
commission up with no rules, no regulations, or guidelines, a resolution that at the first meeting
or one of the first meetings, they decided to rewrite that resolution. I see no reason why the
City Council cannot now do the right thing. Shut it down, start all over again ... with a firm
resolution, with bylaws, with a budget that they understand, which is not a million dollars just
for them. A new set of commissioners, uh, that would have to apply and be selected by the City
Council, and start all over from the beginning. I think you owe this to our community. I
understand that the young people want to do it their way, but their way is not always the right
way, and they need to understand how things have worked and have worked well in Iowa City.
Yes, the police department is not perfect, but they're what we have now and we need to change
it, but we need to change it in the right way. That's it!
Teague: Thank you, Billie and Orville. Emilia, followed by Charles.
Roberts: Hello, so I had something written out, but after that last comment ... I guess the main thing I
want to push back on there, and I'm not gonna waste my time really. It's ... the last people made
a comment about doing what our community wants. This is precisely what our community
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 45
wants. If you participated over the summer, you saw the outstanding numbers of people who
supported defending the Iowa City Police Department and they are the reason why we even
have this Truth and Rec... TRC Commission. IFR are the main people who got ... brought this to
the table. So it's like the disrespect is just like out of this world, like I just ... I really, really don't
get it. So that's the one thing I want to say is we saw ...we saw when we had ... what, there was
questionnaires last summer and majority of the people that turned in them, um, were in support
of defunding the Iowa City Police Department and making radical change in Iowa City. And
that's very, very, very clear, and when they talk about how a bunch of people from the
community came up on kind of Ue... I don't know what. They think we ganged up on them?
That's showing majority. We were the majority of people who are in favor of getting a new
Chair and that's perfectly okay. That's how it's democratic, that's how it's supposed to be, and if
you don't like it, quite frankly, you need to tell people to come, more people to come participate
then, because that's what I was told. Before I was participating, I was told on City Council
meeting to come and participate, and that's exactly what I did, and I was told that by Royceann
Porter and Eric Harris. But the main thing that I have run up is, um, so I'm going to be speaking
in support of the TRC Commission, if that's not clear already, um, and the commissioners and
the TRC in general. So the motion to suspend the TRC is just so ridiculous and just makes
completely no sense. You know, none of us can help but notice the timing of the suspension,
just when we see commissioners ... three commissioners who we all know were there to support
City Council's agenda, stepped down. Now all of a sudden you're looking to suspend the TRC.
Seems to me that City Council has lost all control over the TRC and the budget, so now they
want to step in and intervene, but when we saw former Chair Royceann Porter continuously
abusing her power and bullying other people, other commissioners, the public, um, in the
public, which is even more absurd, you never once said anything or stepped in, which is just
like out of this world, and then for people to come on here and say that we're trying to attack
Royceann. No, that is not what happened, and this is factual evidence, like you can go back and
rewatch these. That is not what happened. We were all very civil with Royceann and respectful
until she became disrespectful with us, and that's just the truth right there and then. Like I just
don't get it, the whole thing ... the whole point that ... one of the points that was made that why she
was taken down as chair was very legitimate. Picking up the phone to go call someone because
you didn't like what they said over public comment is completely ludicrous and ridiculous, and
just completely... that was just completely justified to take her down as chair. That call
should've never happened. It doesn't matter what was said on the phone call, um, although we
do know what was said, because the public commenter came back and told us the story. Like
the phone calls should've never happened in the first place, um, and that's exactly why she got
voted down democratically, as I once mentioned. Um, never ...so there is no reason the
commission can't keep going, like I think the purse ... first public commenter said, um, that you
can just keep going with the commission and then filling in the spots as they keep going and
doing the work that they were doing, which I think is a great idea. Or you know, wait until the
commissioners who recently resigned could be replaced. You could have set an end date to the
suspension, around the time of when the spots are going to be filled, which would also make
sense. It really blows my mind that you think now is the time to intervene with the TRC, just
when new leadership is in charge, new leadership we all know you resent, and also in the light
of the human rights lawsuit the City is now facing. Now would be the worst time to suspend
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 46
the TRC, and I also don't like how you're painting this picture as new leadership is at fault, um,
the dysfunction of the commission when we all know that ... for the dysfunction of the
commission when we all know that you City Council are to be blamed for that. Um, you City
Council are the reason the TRC was set up to fail. It's some ... it's the same group of
commissioners who are trying to fix mistakes, and if you ... and if you ask me, they are doing a
great job. I demand that you let the TRC keep going and doing the work, and I demand that you
listen to the people on the commission itself. Like that's the whole point of why they're there.
Um ... um, they already have committed the time and energy to (mumbled) with City Council
ruined, um, so I say let them keep going, and they have the majority of the community support,
I'll tell you that, and that's all I have to say.
Teague: I wanted to just get a ... a, the Council thoughts. Now we started at 9:04. Um, I would propose
that we go to 10:04 with public comment. Do we have ... that will be one hour. (both talking)
Salih: I really propose (both talking) Mayor, I propose everybody to talk for three minutes so we can
give a lot time for a lot of people to speak. (both talking) because now people going
almost ... I'm taking time, almost five minute, but three minute is cool. Thanks.
Teague: Thank you ... I would agree. Yeah, I see a majority. So we're going to ask everyone to keep
their comments to three minutes, and then we will go until 10:04. Welcome, Charles, followed
by Dan.
Eastham: Thank you, Mayor, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, welcome.
Eastham: Thank you. Uh, I'm reading a letter here that was sent to the Council earlier by the Black
Voices Project Board of Directors. On the board are Royceann Porter, Orville Townsend,
myself Charlie Eastham, and Mary Kenyon. The letter says, We have followed the progression
of the ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission with great interest and with growing
concern, since its formation in December. The commission was formed to bear witness to the
truth of racial injustice in Iowa City and to carry out restorative justice through the collection of
testimony and public hearings. It is charged with fact-finding, truth telling, and reconciliation.
We believe that the City erred in failing to provide structure for the commission or any
orientation for commission members, about the scope of their work. This left some
commissioners with a ... with an unrealistic expectation of what they could do, so much so that at
the first meeting there was an attempt to reject and rewrite the resolution the Council passed to
create it. There's also a significant misunderstanding about the funding available to the
commission your resolution, to create the Commission state to the city is allocated funds. For
the Commission. Your resolution to create states that the City has allocated funds for the
commission... or for addressing the Black Lives Matter movement and system... systemic racism
in the wake of the murder of George Floyd, which includes a variety of initiatives, among them
the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. As a result of the lack of direction and lack of
adherence to the following resolution... to the founding resolution, I'm sorry, we now see the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 47
commission floundering, and it's time for you to step in. Calling on you to disband the
commission, start over with clear parameters for the structure and scope of the commission, as
well as train on the role of a commissioner for all of its members. The commissioners
(mumbled) three resignations in the last week claimed to represent the BIPOC
communi...community. They do not. The way this commission is approaching this work is
causing further division in the community as a whole and within the black community. This is
not what we want. Many of us have spent decades working on righting the wrongs of racial
injustice in Iowa City. We know there's still work to do. We're committed to do it. We are not
in favor of upending all existing governance structure. We note with great concern that the City
is opening itself to liability, which (mumbled) by us as taxpayers, if it allows the commission to
continue to operate without regard to open meeting and anti -discrimination laws. We
remain ... we remain supportive of the idea of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission.
However, it is in current... in its current condition, the commission is doing more harm than
good and is unable to turn a path towards reconciliation within its own membership, much less
the community at large. (mumbled) Commission will surely deliver a set of recommendations
that you cannot adopt. This will only further inflame tensions between the community
members and City leadership, an exact opposite of what we are trying to achieve, and I'll stop
there at the end of my three minutes. Thank you very much, Bruce.
Teague: Thank you. Wel ... welcome, Dan, followed by Aaron.
Kauble: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Kauble: Okay, um, well so first of all I would like to say in response to Billie and Orville, um, they
didn't really provide any solid reason for why the committee should be suspended, aside from
people rightfully calling out Royceann and the other abuses which occurred. Um, I mean
they ...they didn't ... no one has provided evidence that the end product of what the committee is
(garbled) go for is not (garbled) Um, if you focus on all the things the TRC is moving towards
achieving now ...now more so than ever, given the fact that the abusive members are gone. You
will be amazed at how great the community will look once the commission finishes. The
people leading it are some of the most gifted individuals in our community, and they should be
given a chance to fix (garbled) Um, about earlier, sorry I did not mean to blow up the
discussion about the Parks or den... denigrate, um, Mr. McPherson. I was just speaking up
against ... I was not speaking up against renaming the park. Rather I was speaking up against the
irony of the situation, and honestly the hypocrisy of everybody on the City Council. Um,
everybody, uh ... everybody here tonight has shown you evidence and given you reasons, and you
would see these reasons if you watched the committee meetings, of how the ... how well the
commission is functioning in regards to achieving its goal. Um, the City Council suspending it
serves no purpose, aside from perpetuating white supremacy. If you do not support the
commission in its quest to better Iowa City, what value is that park? What kind of ally to
pat ... pats themselves on the back as a champion of racial justice (garbled) just because they
renamed a park minutes before voting against (garbled) How disgusting would it be ... sometime
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
after you celebrate this park naming as a great win for racial justice without doing the legwork
to actually increase such justice, how disgusting would it be if a person of color in that park gets
killed by Iowa City police after being racially profiled. What if someone with as much
potential as James Alan McPherson gets murdered by an Iowa City police officer?
Congratulations Iowa City Council. I'm sure that person's family will appreciate the fact that
their child was murdered in such a progressive park. Um, I honestly... what would McPherson
think about that kind of performative hypocrisy? I mean it's really, really disgusting, and it
really reflects the quality of the Iowa City Council (both talking) tonight so I'm gonna let other
people chime in.
Teague: Welcome, Aaron, followed by Joe.
Page: Yes, hello Council, thank you for hearing from me. My name is Aaron Page. I teach human
rights, and I was, uh, helped form a support group, a human rights working group, to help
support the TRC, and I've got a letter in the ... in the record, and certainly won't waste time
overdoing it, given that letter's in the record. I did want to say, you know, we assembled some
people to help support the TRC. I am personally absolutely available to help. You know, the
current TRC has a quorum, it seems dedicated, and really ready to start working. And, you
know, just to add like we really just ... are really just scratching the surface, with the resources
we have in community and the University, nationally, internationally, there's a lot of interest out
there. There's a lot of support that can be built into the process, while this current TRC, you
know, fills out the membership and keeps working and keeps that positive energy that we heard
at the last meeting, that call for unity that Commissioner Traore put out. You know, there's
just ... there's really a lot of positive energy and resources available, and just wanted to stress
that, and I know I'm ... I'm personally committed to it. And, you know, just... finally to just
comment on that energy, I mean, really, you know, the reality is the TRC did come out of that
energy, the call for the TRC came out of the energy from last summer, and that was intense
energy, um, and I know it's controversial, but it ... I ... I wanted to emphasize something in the
letter which is it's also precious. It really is precious. (garbled) it's what's available for us ... to
make change happen. That energy is precious. We're lucky to have it. We're fortunate to have
it, and we ought to be treating it with great respect. And I do worry, I know other people have
mentioned, I really worry that the damage, uh, that this vote could do, uh, whatever the Council
intends by it. I really feel like it could do some damage to the ... to the positive energy
that ... um ... that that represents or could misdirect it in ... in different ways. So I really hope we do
get to see this Council ... or the ... this current commission, um, continue to grow and do the work,
and I and so many others stand ready to support them. Thank you very much.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Joe, followed by Steve.
Coulter: I'm Joe Coulter again. I'm a ... indigenous. I'm a Potawatomi Indian. I previl... previously
served on the Ad Hoc Diversity Committee for the City of Iowa City. I have also served a full
term on the Human Rights Commission, including being the Chair. Uh, I just want to say that I
want to see the TRC ... to proceed forward and be more inclusive of the people that are here, and
to recognize where you are, who was here, and all of the problems that we have experienced as
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 49
native people in our community. Now I do recognize that the ... rights and the problems with our
black community, with our Latino community, and others are serious. And I think the Truth and
Reconciliation Committee, uh (mumbled) not necessarily completely disorganized, but get
repositioned to address these problems directly and include indigenous people on the
committee. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Joe. Welcome, Steve, followed by Karen.
Roach: Okay. Hello. Hello, I'm Steve Roach. I'm a Iowa City citizen, and I am also a, uh (mumbled)
member of the Shawnee Tribe. So I'm a ... I will be another indigenous voice. And I would say
as a country, we have this incredibly terribly long history of...of bad behavior. And I think
what ... what we're trying to do with the ... my understanding of the TRC is try to address some of
that very long in historic problems and what you can see is that with ... with this there are some
generational divisions. It seems like the younger folks are really looking for more change and
pushing for more change. And I think that, you know, that does make older folks a little bit
more nervous, but I think that's really what the whole point of the ... the TRC is, is to make
people uncomfortable and particularly to make you Members of the City Council
uncomfortable. If they did not make you feel bad and make you think, hey, am I doing
something right, and what is the more that we should be doing. They were failing, and I think
when ... when it starts getting uncomfortable is not the time to kind of pull the rug out of it and
say we have to stop, we have to think, we have to find a safer way to go forth, because there's
really not a safe way to go forward. So I ... I, you know, this ... this idea that, okay, we've... they've
made us uncomfortable. And .... and that was what they started with, you know, with the
protests last summer was to make people uncomfortable ... so we can move, because as long as
we're comfortable, we've stuck in a place that's bad for a lot of people so I, you know,
the... there's a quorum. Maybe the Council should work really hard to, um, fill the missing ... the
empty positions on the Council, but it just seems totally inappropriate at this point, once they're
starting to make the ... the level of uncomfort there, to stop it, because that's what we need to go
through to get to actual real change, so thank you.
Teague: Thank you. We're gonna have Karen, followed by Annie, and I want to just make mention that
we're just 14 minutes away from ending our public comments. Welcome, Karen.
Kubby: Thank you, Mayor ...Mayor Teague. I did get a chance to look at both the March 1 st and March
4th meeting of the TRC, just to ... because I was unable to go to the meeting directly, so I was
happy to be able to see that, and I think what we have asked of the TRC is the hardest work
we've ever asked res ... Iowa City residents to do, and then they've had to do it on Zoom (laughs)
and so it makes it very difficult to really have these deep, hard, and uncomfortable
conversations, and so I think I'm joining the voices to say this is not the time to temporarily
suspend the TRC. I think that the resolution's maker Laura Bergus has really spent a lot of time
listening and wanting to really contribute in a deep and meaningful way, and I know there's
going to be a lot of people on this call that disagree with that. But I've talked with her
extensively about this, and I believe that the (mumbled) that the purpose of the resolution is to
slow things down, to get structures so that the work of the TRC can be supported. So I am not
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 50
questioning the intent of the resolution. I may in many aspects actually agree with the intent.
But I think that the result will not be those things. I think the result will be perceived as being
about dis... distrust about the TRC not being capable of the work and about control, and that's
one of the biggest reasons I really hope that you will vote down this resolution, but I also hope
that you will provide the support that is needed to the TRC to do their work. I actually have this
idea that I want you to not accept the resignations of Commissioners Porter and Harrington and
Currin, and that they be welcomed back to the TRC in a way that ... truth from all sides can be
talked about, uh, without other people putting their own intents onto what is said, um, that there
can actually be reconciliation within the commission, in public, in a public meeting, um, so that
people can see that model. We are desperate for models about reconciliation, without a caustic
tone to voice, without putting intents into other people's motivations that we don't know about.
We should tum those into questions about people's intents, and huge discussions about respect,
and no one is asking about (both talking) how do you (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Karen. Um, we're gonna go to Annie, followed by Amel.
Annie G: Hi, my name's Annie. As an Iowa City constituent, I ask that the City Council votes no on
indefinitely suspending the Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Based on the behavior of
the Council that, reminder, currently has a complaint against it for racist... racist police brutality,
we cannot trust this governing body alone to support the needs of our BIPOC community. The
TRC is no doubt a new endeavor that will have difficulties in adjusting, and conflict is hard to
hear in our town, but it is necessary to sit through these uncomfortable conversations in the
name of racial justice. The controversy of last couple weeks highlighted inappropriate and
unethical behavior by a certain Chair member and the TRC democratically responded. And I
might add a certain Council Member allegedly called the commissioners to alert them of the
potential pause followed by a statement that there was no support for the former Chair's
harassment. How disappointing and a symbolic example of our Council Members actively
minimizing constituent's concerns. The TRC has democratically elected on its current
leadership within acceptable rules. It currently meets quorum standards. The inappropriate
behavior of a past member has been resolved with her resignation. Let these commissioners
have the time and space to do this transformative work. They are the experts. Let this
commission find its feet create its bylaws, as they're doing right now, and let them lead the way
in making Iowa City the anti- racist, welcoming community it purports to be. Vote no on
pausing the commission and let freedom ring! Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Amel, followed by Jaylen.
Ali: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Ali: All right. So hi, guys. Um, so I'm calling today just to urge the Council to just give new Ii...
leadership of the TRC a chance to show you what we're capable of. Um, I know that, um, my
talks with Laura and Janice outside of this. I know that both of them are very aware of how
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 51
passionate and how true to my colors I actually am. I'm worried that if you guys decide to
make this pause today, you're going to be letting BIPOC youth and young adults know that you
don't value our voices as it pertains to the future of our community. I'm actually really sad that
instead of reaching out to commissioners and helping guide us over the last few months, you're
choosing now to make a decision to temporarily pause, and I'm putting quotation marks over
that, because who knows if you guys are going to choose to make it, urn ... indefinitely, um, but
you guys want to do this with no concrete plans for training, um, or plans on what you're going
to do as far as adding commission members anytime soon, um, where I have told, you know,
Councilor Bergus that I have two friends who are, you know, Native American and would be
great, um, representatives on this commission, and I believe one of them has reached out. So
the last two weeks the ToRC has had ... the TRC has had more communication with one another
and like more teamwork than we have had over the last 12 weeks prior. Um, we're working
together to earn one another's trust, and we are finding common ground in the visions that we
have for our community going forward. When we've met in our subcommittees, we've gotten
serious and legitimate work done as it pertains to the budget and I would like to say that, yes,
we do know that the million dollars is not allotted for the Truth and Reconciliation
Commission. If you guys would, you know, give us an opportunity to show you what we have
on the agenda for Thursday, you'll see that we have just an operational budget. We've created
bylaws, which we only spoke about bylaws in past meetings. Um, we even had it on the last
agenda, but for some reason we never voted on and we pushed off for the next meeting.
Pushing the important details for future meetings and failing to truly make them a priority was a
norm under the past leadership, which is incredibly unsettling. In addition we have had
members of the community tonight, and the last meeting, um, who want us to have this land
acknowledgment. This is not the first time, this is not the second time, not the third or the
fourth time we've even had this conversation. We want to show everyone (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Amel. Welcome, Jaylen, followed by Paden. We can't hear you, Jaylen.
Cavil: Hello, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Cavil: Okay, sorry about that. Please don't hold that against my time. Um, as I start speaking I just
want to point out that I believe that you all need to let everyone speak on this agenda item.
Everyone who has their hand raised needs to have the opportunity to speak on this item. You
had a three to five minute time limit and you moved that down to three minutes. That's fine.
You can keep it at three minutes, but you should still respect everyone who wants to speak on
this item and allow them to speak and go past your arbitrary 10:04 cut off time that you just
made up because you saw so many people were signed up to speak in the first place. Um,
speaking on this TRC, I think that it is absolutely ridiculous that y'all would consider
suspending the TRC, and make no mistake, folks, they are not trying to suspend the TRC. They
are trying to dismantle the TRC. They do not want it to continue. This suspension is just a
cover up, um, and we do not ... I do not believe that they will actually renew the TRC if this ... if
they do both to suspend it. You know, I told a lot of folks when I first was hearing about the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 52
TRC and starting to look into the TRC and joining the meetings that I thought that this was
(mumbled) um, and you know, the Council actually proved me right, and they're proving me
right tonight with what they're doing. The way that this TRC was set up by the Council, um, it
was intentional. Fall do not want (garbled) close friends to many Council Members, who has a
vested interest in (garbled) the way of the progress that the TRC is attempting to push. That
same person who you appointed made the meetings dysfunctional, made the meetings hostile,
made people feel uncomfortable, and personally called me after I made a public comment,
pushing for unity and pushing for the TRC to be more functional, they called me, um, cussed
me out, and told me that I did not know what I was talking about. Um, and once, finally, the
TRC was able to get its grasps and vote out that commissioner and replace it ... replace them with
new leadership, and finally begin to be functional and start pushing forward on the things that
they really want to work on, you all come out of nowhere and decide that you want to suspend
the TRC. What you are doing is an affront on justice and it is not right. I want to also call
attention to some previous comments, because I think that they really showed some (mumbled)
moments, especially, uh, I don't remember their name, like Orville Redenbacher or something
like that and their wife. When they were speaking and they said that they were so offended that
someone on the TRC, one of the commissioners that was appointed on the TRC put a budget
out that allocated the majority of the TRC's budget to reparations. That was an excuse that they
used as a reason why they think that the TRC should be suspended, and I would reckon to say
that I think that many Council Members probably agree with that, um, and there's another
reason why you all are trying to stop the TRC, because you do not want to see reparations
which are owed be given out through this t(garbled) yes to suspend the TRC. (garbled) and it
is ... and it will not be forgiven. The people of Iowa City have spoken, and they want this TRC to
remain. They want to push forward with the ... with the goals and the things that they want to do,
and you all need to step back and let them ... let them do their work. This is a civilian
commission, an ad hoc commission, that you all created. Now you need to step aside and let
them do their work. This is an affront to justice (both talking)
Teague: Thank you, Jaylen (both talking) Welcome, Paden, followed by Maya.
Sheumaker: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Sheumaker: Hi, um, I just want to uplift what Jaylen said that I think you should let everyone speak on
this issue, everyone who wants to speak should be able to. Um, I wanted to say that if you
suspend this commission right now, it's just forever going to be a fake performative action that
you've taken to placate people who are calling for justice, uh, and it really reminds me of the
marijuana task force that was in Des Moines. You know, you had people who wanted to work,
who did the work on this task force, and then had council completely ignore all of everything
that they did. It was literally just a means to placate one of the calls for justice that was coming
out of Des Moines. It was just a means to draw out the time until people stopped paying
attention to that issue, and it did that basically, and that's really what you guys are trying to do.
You're just trying to draw this out until people stop paying attention, but people are not going to
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 53
stop paying attention. If you suspend this, people are going to notice, your community is going
to react, and the calls for justice are just going to get even stronger, and it's not going to look
good for you. You can't suspend this commission if you actually want to find truth and
reconciliation. If you want the commission to work, you have to keep it going. If you don't
want change, if you don't want truth and reconciliation, that'll be clear on how you vote today.
And just because the commission is finally going in a direction and doing work that might
actually affect change in the community doesn't mean you can just put it on hold until people
aren't paying attention anymore. You know, you don't just get to take your ball and go home
because things aren't going the way that you want them to anymore. So you have to keep the
commission going ... of people on the commission want you to keep it going. They want to keep
doing this work. This work is important to them. It's important to the community. You need to
let them keep doing it. Um, there's really no reason for them to stop right now, there's no reason
at all except that you don't like it anymore, and it's clear the suspension is really just a thinly -
veiled attempt to take over the commission because you don't like the way that it's going, you
don't like that it's actually going to do something good for your community. And you don't like
that the people that you appointed are doing the work that you appointed them to do, and I think
that's ridiculous. Thank you.
Teague: Okay, so we are at the 10:04. I already said that Maya will come, so welcome, Maya.
Sims: Thank you. First of all, please, please let everybody speak. Second of all, I would like to
express my deep concern that the Council's even considering suspending the TRC. This agenda
item alone is a slap in the face to our community. The mission of the TRC is arg... arguably the
most important work in this community going on right now. To suspend it would be to suspend
the justice this city so desperately deserves. It got off to a rocky start, so that means the City is
no longer in need of reconciliation? That sounds so backwards to me. Please give the TRC the
support they need to be successful and let them run with their beautiful mission. Just because
y'all aren't willing to do the work to see real justice in our community, please don't take away
the small amount of power from the people who have been putting in the work. I am so
concerned with and devastated at the Council's overall response to the young organizers who
are working to make our city a better place for all. What these young people are doing is
beautiful and deserves to be celebrated. Instead we are making their work impossible every
step of the way. Councilors, I implore you to open your hearts, listen to your constituents, and
please do not suspend this commission before they even get the chance to do what we all know
they can. You can say that this is temporary, but even a temporary pause isn't (mumbled) is an
injustice to our community and a reflection of the Council's dedication to the status quo.
Finally, I want to take a second to say thank you and hell yeah to the public for speaking out
against injustice. Our ...our solidarity is beautiful and it is powerful. Thanks!
Salih: Mayor and Council, I really would like to propose that the rest of the peoples can speak, uh, by
just taking time. Three people spoke almost 15 minute in the beginning, and I don't think this is
fair for the rest of the people. We can make it two minute, half an hour, everybody to speak.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 54
Teague: (several talking) I personally am supportive of it, but I do want to cut it off at the last person
that I see, which is Maryann Coleman.
Salih: No, we are not going to cut it off. We're trying to take everyone, as much as we can.
Teague: What I'm saying is ... for the hands that are already raised.
Salih: Oh, you mean no one else raise after that? Okay, thank you, yeah. Yes, yes, yes, yeah. Thank
you.
Weiner: I agree, we should hear everyone.
Salih: I will keep (both talking) taking the time.
Teague: Yep! There's 18 people right now ...with their hands raised. All right, welcome, Carl, followed
by Riley, and we do ask that you keep your comments to three minutes or less.
Smallwood: Thank you, Mr Mayor, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Smallwood: Thank you. Members of Council, members of the commission, and members of the Iowa
City community, my name is Carl Smallwood. I'm a Co -Director of the Divided Community
Project at the Ohio State University Moritz College of Law, so I'm from out of town. We help
community leadership teams address conflict tension and distrust, and help them chart a path
forward and we do that at no cost to the community. Now I've watched the Iowa City TRC with
interest and with hope. I've attended a number of the meetings on Zoom, and I've watched with
some concern in recent weeks the tension and distrust that developed, and the vacancies that
now exist, but please understand, uh, I don't represent a side in this. The only thing I'm
concerned about is that I'd like to see the Iowa City TRC succeed to address the issues that
you've identified, to bear witness to the truth of racial injustice in Iowa City, and to carry out
restorative justice through collecting testimony in public hearings. These same issues confront
and divide all of our communities, our states and our nation, and we'd like to see Iowa City's
work resume with the urgency that your community felt when you formed this commission. We
have a group of skilled mediators and consol ... conciliators who help communities chart a path
to... through conflict, if that would be helpful to you. We do that without charge. The second
thing that is true is that we have a particular interest in these types of processes, and in late
January convened a group of meeting .... a group of people from four continents to talk about
how to design these processes. We invited your former Chair Royceann Porter and your Vice
Chair T' Shailyn Harrington to attend that meeting, and they did. Unfortunately, we couldn't
invite all of your commissioners, and we couldn't foresee what would happen in the weeks
since. The point is that we welcome the opportunity to observe, work with, and learn from the
Iowa City TRC, whoever is a member or whoever is a leader and wher...whenever its work
resumes. Last Friday we issued a draft guide from our learning. It's something we're happy to
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 55
share. We sent it to the TRC Commission staff member. We're happy to share it with the
Council or with the public. It's a draft. A nicer version will be available in a couple of weeks,
but in closing, we believe and understand the urgency to respond to the events of last summer.
As Martin Luther King, Jr., said, The fierce urgency of now. So if our bridge initiative
mediators can be helpful to your community to bring these disparate voices and concerns
together, please let us know. If we can be assist ... of assistance to you in planning, the draft
guide may be of some use to you, and all of these services are available at no cost. All you need
to do is reach out to me at the Divided Community Project at Ohio State. Thank you (both
talking)
Teague: Welcome, Riley, followed by Vanessa.
Wilson: Hello, can you hear mel
Teague: Yes.
Wilson: Great. Hello, City Council, my name is Riley. I use he/him pronouns. Up until last year I was
a student of UI and I lived in Iowa City for five years. First of all, thank you for letting us
speak. Des Moines City Council, please take notes. Regarding the TRC, I would like to remind
City Council what the original demands were this summer. The demands were defund the
police; to give a citizens oversight board with real power; divestment from and removal of
military -grade weapons, equipment from police; a strong statement of favor in ... or, a strong
statement in favor of protesters; decriminalization of marijuana use; reduction of the probation
length; ban on police enforcement of evictions; as well as other demands of the School Board,
all of which are actionable and many of which, unless I'm wrong, have yet to be met. As you
may have noticed, at no point did anyone in the community, nor did the Iowa Freedom Riders,
voice a demand for you to try to set up the community for failure, and at no point did anyone
voice a demand for you to blow up the TRC when you realized you could no longer prevent the
commission from doing what it was supposed to do. I would also like to remind Council where
power comes from. Mayor Teague, when you were elected in 2018 you earned 2,277 votes. On
June 6, 2020, the Iowa Freedom Riders led as many members of the community into the streets
in protest than you managed to lead to the ballot box. Since this summer, IFR has hosted vigils,
rallies, support for area mutual aid organizations and nonprofits. They've made space for black
art, and they started crucial conversations about race and abolition. IFR have been a pillar of
the community in a way that literally no member of the City Council has ever been, aside from
maybe Council Member Salih, through her work with the community, such as her tenure with
the Center for Worker Justice. The TRC is merely an extension of all the work the community
has done together, but it is crucial nonetheless to preserve the only real concrete step forward
that City Council has allowed the community to make. It should go without saying that the
work of the community would continue, even without the existence of the TRC, but to suspend
the TRC even temporarily would represent a despicable act of cowardice and a complete failure
of the City Council's governing ability. Furthermore, I just wanted to say that, um, if Council
wanted to represent the public democratically, they would stand behind the TRC and offer their
commission their full support. If not, we'll see you when meetings go back to being in person.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 56
I also want to stand fully and vocally behind Joe Coulter's actionable demands for City Council
to begin meetings with the land recognition, for the TRC to include native issues within its
scope, and for the Council to dedicate public commons, uh, the names of public commons to the
ancestral stewards of the land we live on. All power to the people. Fuck the pig. Solidarity
for... solidarity forever. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Vanessa, followed by Raneem.
Moranchel: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, we can.
Moranchel: Hi, my name is Vanessa Moranchel. I use she/her pronouns. Thanks for the opportunity to
speak. I was pretty disappointed that I almost lost that opportunity, so thank you to everyone
who spoke up on that. I really appreciate it. This is a new issue for me. I'm joining tonight in
solidarity with individual activists and groups that made a call out for us to join, um, because
you all are trying to cancel the TRC. I did my research and for the life of me I can't figure out
why you guys are trying to suspend it. It doesn't make sense. I've been listening to everyone
speak, and yeah, there's no reason you should be suspending this program. I can't imagine the
effort that was put into ... one, getting this program approved; two, putting it in place. So why
would you take the time to suspend it after all that effort? Keep pushing forward. It was like
this article that I read, I believe their name is pronounced Amel Ali. They express concern over
Thursday ...on Thursday over why the City Council would want to intervene, pointing out that,
one, there are vacancies on other commissions that Council works to fill those vacancies, while
the commission continues its work. So do that. Um, I read the Ad Hoe Truth and
Reconciliation Commission information from the icgov.org page. It says the City Council has
established the Truth and Reconciliation Commission to bear witness to the truth of racial
injustice in Iowa City, and to carry out restorative justice through the collection of testimony
and public hearings, with such work to include and rec... a recommendation to the Council of a
plan for dedicating and/or renaming public spaces, and/or right... rights-of-way in honor of the
Black Lives Matter movement. So if you suspend this program, what are you saying you think
of the Black Lives Matter movement? And that's all.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Raneem, followed by Luh.
Hamad: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Hamad: My name is Rancem and my pronouns are she or hers, and I'm a Commissioner, current
Commissioner on the TRC. First I'd like to start with I tried to insulate that ... I tried to insulate
the TRC from political influence at the beginning and tried to even include the one word
`independent' in the TRC mandate, and Council wouldn't have it, and now we see why. I also
tried to focus the TRC on a genuine transformative justice mission from the beginning. The
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 57
TRC wouldn't have it, and now you see why. I tried to address this ... the dysfunction under the
old Chair and hold leaders accountable for their abuse of power, harassment, and the harm they
did to the public and other commissioners, and when we finally did it, out came the
intimidation, threats of litigation, and suspension. When Councilwoman Laura Bergus called
me to let me know of this dismantling, I asked her why she didn't decide to step in when the
TRC was dysfunctional under previous leadership. Her response was, and I quote, there was no
support for that, Unquote. When I pointed out her hypocrisy, she proceeded to gaslight me and
asked me why I believed in such conspiracies. I had to hang up the phone because I became too
emotional and did not want to cry on the phone. I requested a BIPOC facilitator and when that
was voted against, I raised questions about the mission loyalty of the white facilitator, and now
we see why. In fact, the Iowa City neoliberal establishment tried to change the narrative from
one about accountability and the audacity of a cis -white man's (mumbled) position, to one that
victimized him under the misguided premises of reverse racism, to which I might add that
reverse racism does not exist when we live in a society with white supremacist power
structures. New leadership wasn't even given a single ... a single session to show what could be
accomplished. In fact, new leadership has done more in one week than previous conservative
leadership has done for the past three months. No evidence... there is no evidence present that
Council ever took the TRC more seriously than some Black History Month events. Council can
do what it will, but the facts are plain for everyone in our community to see. You continue your
charade as you add green check marks to your performative racial justice checklist, yet every
single one of you is complicit in perpetuating a white supremacist nature of the City
government. We all make choices and are accountable for them, and it is saddening, I believe,
most saddening to see that black leadership is continuing and participating in this act. Thank
you. I yield my time.
Teague: Thank you, and I want to also acknowledge you as Commissioner Hamad. Thank you. Luh,
followed by Chelcia... Chelsea.
Jane: Can you hear me?
Teague: Yes, welcome.
Jane: Okay, this is Luh Jane. I'll just rushing... whatever. To start, Laura claimed that the TRC should
be paused for multiple reasons. One being that it's missing three of its members. Laura, who
knows the law, should know that Iowa Code only requires two-thirds majority, a super majority,
in a commission for a quorum. This quorum can and should still be able to make decisions,
regardless of its missing members. So for speaking of technicalities and numbers, legally they
can continue, and I don't see that as enough grounds to just pause the commission.
Furthermore, it is very coincidental that just as the Mayor's friend and colleague Royceann
Porter is voted off the commission, another one steps down in coalition with the
faci ... facilitator. From the start, the Council has set this commission up to fail by electing Jesse
Case as the facilitator. It is honestly insulting to the nature of the Truth and Reconciliation
communities everywhere... committees everywhere, that a man who has connections and
employees that are police officers, as well as the simple fact of him being a white man was
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 58
deemed a better candidate than others in our community. By placing him as a facilitator, the
commission was already off to a toxic start. Porter and Currin were personally
respondin... responsible for getting Case on the board, and Porter used to work with (mumbled)
for him. Was this not basis enough for electing different commissioners? Have you ever
considered giving leadership positions to anyone outside the status quo? Additionally, the fact
that this facilitator's had previous employee relationships with members of the commission and
the interconnectedness of many people in power in Iowa City also destabilized the committee.
It added grounds for biases and mixing of relationships and business. Not only that, but many
commissioners blocked many agenda items that could have furthered the commission in this
work, um ... if anyone can even call that. Anyone, uh, should be able to see that these direct ties
directly influenced the quality of the work the TRC was able to do and that should have been
obvious. The dysfunctionality of the TRC was the response to the commissioners that were
publicly outed for harassing members of the public. Um, even claims like that without proof,
even though there was proof, should be investigated and further dealt with. It doesn't seem
coincidental (mumbled) pause comes following the last meeting, where members were either
voted out or resigned (garbled) The rest of the commissioners weren't even allowed to meet
again and reconcile within themselves to continue forward. Do you not believe that choosing to
pause this commission is an obvious lack of faith in the new leadership? The commissioners
who were just voted chair and vice chair have been putting in more work in the past week than
the previous members did in three months. Is it not ... is that not grounds enough for you to
reconsider your deci... your decision? Are you open to discussing offering this training while
the board continues? I'm not sure why it has to be completely obliterated. Finally, I'd like to
say that this is very clear to many young folks and frequently silenced folk in our community
that this is not random. That everyone's interconnectedness has in one way or another letter, led
to the ultimate but planned doom of the TRC. This is insulting and a bit disrespectful that the
decision to pause this committee was not brought up in an open and honest discussion, instead
of a vote. Um, instead of asking the commissioners what they would like to do, you decide
what is best based on what you know. It's chilling how systemic racism is far more than direct
verbal abuse. It is an entire system that sets commissions like these and folks up to fail, and
then asks them when they fail, what happened. This is the problem with the neoliberals of
today. Maintaining an aura of stability when in reality real instability and real discomfort birth
ideas, knowledge, interaction, and growth. (both talking)
Teague: Thank you! Welcome, Chelsea, followed by Harry.
Chism-Vargas: Hi. Thank you, yes, uh, my name is Chelsea Chism-Vargas. My pronouns are she/her
(mumbled) Um, it's unfortunate that that last person just got cut off because they were, um,
saying a lot of really, really important things. I joined this meeting. I'm a resident of Des
Moines, Iowa, but what you folks are doing here in Iowa City, this is causing concern for all of
us as we're fighting for racial justice across the state. Today is the same day that we had Iowa
House representatives talking about not allowing trainings on implicit bias and institutionalized
racism, and to see Johnson County, Iowa City, the bluest area in the state, um, trying to disband
this Truth and Reconciliation Committee is ... is bad. This is the wrong move. Um, Iowa City,
you folks need to be standing up. The Council Members in Iowa City, you folks need to be
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 59
fighting to support this. It's the community members who really made this, um, Truth and
Reconciliation Committee even happen, and it's not a surprise that when you folks chose the
leadership, um, as ... as Council Members, that you did a bad job. So to then go back and say,
hey, we want to go ahead and try again. No, you have people who are already on that board,
who are already wanting to do the work, and you folks are wanting to take a pause. However,
the police in Iowa City, the police on campus, they're not going to take a pause. They're going
to continue to racial profile. They're going to continue to target black community members, and
you guys want to take a step back to allow that to happen? We don't have time. I stand in
solidarity with Iowa Freedom Riders and everyone else who's on this call, making sure that this
committee continues the way that it was intended to. And if you folks don't allow that, many of
us will come to Iowa City to push for this. We stand in solidarity. We will not stand down.
This needs to continue. We need to keep pushing on law enforcement. This is not just about
Iowa City. This is about the state of Iowa. This is about our country, and we need to stand
together on these issues. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Harry, followed by Nicholas. We can't hear you. You're muted. We'll
come back ... oh, there you are! (both talking)
Manaligod: Sorry about that! Okay, so....my name is Harry. Firstly, I would like to support everything
that everybody has said in support of the TRC and the new leadership of the TRC. I would like
to particularly echo what Joe Coulter and other indigenous members of our community have
said. We all live on stolen land and the City Council and so many others have completely failed
to even participate in a dialogue about justice with respect to colonialism. Secondly, I would
like to demand my full five minutes. I might not use of it ... I might not use all of it, but I am
entitled to it. I don't care if it's getting late and the City Council is getting tired. I'm tired too. I
am tired of the City Council continually ignoring the voices of the people. I am tired of the City
Council throwing their hands up and ending the conversation when things don't go their way. I
am tired of the violence and the lack of justice. I am tired of the actions of the City Council. I
would like to also clarify a few things for some of the Councilors and some of the members of
the community that seemed to have some misconceptions about what has happened in the TRC
over the last few months. The TRC was created by the City Council. The councilors had to
apply in a very orderly and official way, and were voted on by the City Council. The way that
Commissioner Traore obtained leadership was through the proper channels. It was all by the
book. So it's very strange to me that those who are more aligned with the establishment claim
that there is a new movement which has disrespected the proper procedures by which policy is
created. The only people here disrespecting our democracy here is the City Council. The
people of Iowa City tried to play by your rules, but now that you're losing, you want to change
those rules. Suspending the TRC at this time would only reveal just how trashed this City
Council is. You're in the middle of a lawsuit about a hate... about fucking racism, and like
(sighs) not only that, we still got to deal with the whole tear gassing thing. We got to deal with
all of this, and continually the City Council moves in the opposite direction, like adding more
funds to the police when everyone says to defund the police, ignoring real shit that's happening
in the community because ... it's inconvenient for them. And I just ... I have no faith in the City
Council, and I believe that ... I believe that it will be wrong to suspend the City ..it would be
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 60
wrong to suspend the TRC, but I ... I could see an argument for why one would need to suspend
the City Council, because this City Council is not doing its job. It is not representing the
people. It is not representing its constituents. It is not representing the most vulnerable people
in our community. It's bullshit. Goodbye, good night.
Teague: Welcome, Nicholas, followed by Angie.
Theisen: Good evening again, Council, um, thank you for letting me speak once again. Um, I ... well
first of all, I would actually like to express my great love, admiration, and appreciation ... well,
one, for not any of you, except for, um, Councilon..sorry, Mayor Pro Tem Salih, who ... I think
very bravely demanded that we all be allowed to speak, and I think that was very bold of her,
and I think you're all cowards for having to basically put her in the position to advocate for us.
I would also like to express my love, my admiration, my (laughs) revolutionary solidarity with
everyone who has spoken on this call, except for the weirdos. Um (laughs) but, you know, you
know me, I like technical things. So I want to talk about a technical issue. I actually read the
resolution that you all wrote, and what is extremely disappointing, well in fact actually kind of
terrifying, is that the suspension of the TRC is indefinite. I hope you realize that when you go
to vote for it, because you probably will vote for it, and the reason why this is so concerning is
because we all have to deal with your crazy whims on a day to day basis. You know, you're
probably all going to try and say, like oh well, you know, once things are back on track we'll
just rescind, you know, we'll just rescind the resolution and then everything will be fine again.
But who's to say that a month from now you're not going to have a completely different opinion
on things and be like, well, no actually let's just leave it suspended, because you're actually
creating a giant hole whereby that can be done. And this isn't just a technicality. You could
have written the resolution in such a way that a month from now it would have been
automatically repealed. You could have written it in such a way that, you know, once certain
criteria were (clears throat) achieved that it would be repealed. No, you decided to do an
indefinite suspension because you don't want to have to face the fact that what you actually
want to do is terminate it. You want to kill this commission. But you can't actually do that out
in the public because you know that precisely what has happened tonight will happen to
you ... well basically an order of magnitude larger than what has happened now. So ... I know
what you're going to do, but I plead for you not to, because (sighs) No, I don't. To be perfectly
honest you're going to do what you're going to do, and I just want to express my love for the
people who actually understand what the right thing is, and not for you. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Angie, followed by Anika.
Jordan: Can you hear me?
Teague: We can, yes.
Jordan: Okay, great. Um, thanks for having us tonight, thanks for having everybody speak tonight.
That's... that's a big deal. I'm grateful. Um, I have a lot of emotions in my body right now, so I
don't know if there's gonna be snot or tears or laughter. I ... I'm not going to apologize for my
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 61
feelings, but for those of you who are Game of Tbrones enthusiasts, winter is coming on my
side of town off of Broadway near Taylor, Sandusky. Summer is coming... and that's a very
exciting time. It's also, uh, for me speaking as an individual resident on that side of town, um,
in the South District, it can be very terrifying, and I just want to put that out there, uh, for lots of
different reasons. I also want to say that I'm still excited about the TRC. I've gone to all the
meetings. I think I missed one but went back and listened to the four hours that I missed. I
continue to engage the commissioners the same way I continue to engage other folks in
leadership. Um, I was really excited to see the progression of the commission. Um, the last
two committee meetings, again for those of you who were at all of them and have been at all of
them, you've seen the progression. They formed a committee, they were close to having a
facilitator, um, and it got me more excited. I think some things just to offer, cause I want to
make sure I speak within my space. Um, things that I'm concerned about ... is the safety of ..for
the commissioners on (garbled) levels. Thinking about team building and strategic doing, and
what do we have in common, what do we get excited about, what are our differences, but what
makes us smile and get all jittery and happy because, in my opinion, and my experience with
activism and community development and all the other things, that's what moves you forward.
That's what brings you together, and that's what sustainable. It usually starts real small and then
it snowballs, and it just takes over the world. So I'm not sure (laughs) what you guys are going
to do tonight, but whatever it is, I hope that it embraces what has been created and allowed
through the TRC already. Whether people realize it or not, there's some spaces where people
like me can go speak to and share, um, that didn't exist, and again, I know I'm not saying
everything, but I just want to say as a resident who lives on the south side, summer is coming,
and whether or not the TRC exists, there's a lot of work that folks that I'm part of, and that I'm
newly part of, we're going to get done one way or another. Uh, so I, again, I am grateful for this
time and I'm still here, ready (garbled) on deck.
Teague: Thank you. I did want to just remind anyone if you ... if you've already spoke during this time,
please lower your hand. I ask that you please lower your hand so that we can allow others to
speak. Anikia, followed by Adam. Anika, yeah, I'm not sure how to pronounce that.
DeWald: (garbled) I'm Anika. My pronouns are they/she, and this City Council tasked the TRC with,
quote, bearing witness to racial injustice and to carry out restorative justice. This Council has
proved to be incapable or unwilling to rise to this task themselves. You guys proved that with
your independent investigation into the events of June Yd, where it was determined that the first
act of physical aggression was protesters throwing tear gas back at the police. This Council has
done nothing to carry out justice for those terrorized by police on June 3rd and continues to
actively fund and support the police. Voting against the TRC would show the City Council for
what it is, a performance with no intention to address real racial injustice in this community.
The community stands with Iowa Freedom Riders and the TRC. Let those who want to do the
work do it. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you, Anika. Welcome, Adam. And followed by...Taylor.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 62
Callanan: Hello, my name is Adam. I use he/him pronouns. I want to start out by saying that if you're
in this call supporting TRC, please do work outside of TRC as well. Um, I believe you are, a
lot of you, but I just want to remind you all that you're all an amazing group of people that have
come into put hours work into this tonight. Um, so please if you can find ways to do ... to work
outside of this as well, because I'm sure you all can achieve a whole ... whole lot of stuff on your
own, um, you just have a lot of power in being on tonight, so thank you again for all speaking in
support the TRC. Um, anyway, on to other things. The Council put, uh, public comment in
question a bit ago, after guaranteeing public comment on TRC during the community
comments, which just shows a sort of, um, not following through with promises, which is what
is happening with the TRC as well, um, the kind of taking back what they originally promised.
As well as I want to point out that the people calling for suspension of the TRC, they aren't
really offering any guarantee for replacement. They gestured of vague things like training or
like we need certain rules, but they aren't really offering something in place. They're really just
opening up the gap, kinda like Nicholas talked about. You know, Jaylen talked about as well,
this is really just indefinitely ending the TRC, unless something else happens. Also want to talk
about how Council is failing to give a reason or any explanation, uh, because there is none
really. There's some excuses given, but if you were in the meeting, however many weeks ago
that was where, um, Royceann resigned, it doesn't really line up with what they're claiming
happened. It's just really bizarre, um, and like I said, it's ... there isn't really an explanation and
that's why everything is so confusing and why there isn't a clear story being given, um, from
Council as to why they're considering suspending the TRC. This vote even taking place
expresses that Council can shut down TRC whenever it wants. Um, that's very dangerous that
they even consider this. There's already been an amount of trust that's lost through even having
this on the agenda, and especially going forward with the vote. Also there's no actual
accusations or reasons to stop, like I said. Um, really failing to give any concrete reasons. Um,
also some people have been referencing that Royceann was voted out. She wasn't, she resigned
and admitted that she had made the phone call. Um, yeah there was nothing in question about
what happened, um, and it was a resignation, not ... Royceann was not voted out. Um, yeah ... I
also just want to point out something really dangerous is happening here, which is you're
removing an option from the next protest. If this summer there's more protests, you can't say,
well come to Council and talk to us. You're removing that option. You're taking away options
for people who probably will be in the street this summer, and that is very dangerous, because
now they know that they have done, quote unquote, the right way, as you commanded. You
know, you approved of this commission, you approved of the members in the majority of the
group that you allowed to be this TRC committee, commission, sorry, did something you didn't
like and now you're striking back at them for that. That's showing people that there is not a
right way, which I'm glad and I hope that y'all that are participating here in the public notice that
there is not a right way to do this, and that's because if you, quote unquote, the right way, they
will change the rules on you. I yield my time.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Taylor, followed by Miranda.
Kohn: Hi, can you hear me?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 63
Teague: Yes.
Kohn: Thanks. Okay, first of all I want to second the calls for land acknowledgment. That's the bare
minimum that indigenous people deserve, and they deserve a lot more. Second, you said you
trusted this commission, you said we didn't want to babysit this commission, you said you
wouldn't interfere with this commission. I heard the Mayor say that at the beginning of the last
TRC meeting. If you overturn this commission, you have broken that word. You have shown
you do not trust the commissioners you appointed. That will inflame tensions in this
community in response to a previous comment and not the TRC. The TRC is not inflaming
tensions tonight. The TRC has been shown appalling disrespect. This meeting has inflamed
tensions. We are not mad because of the TRC's budget. We are not mad about a million dollars
for reparations. We're mad that the Council is interfering. You have a chance here to stay out
of the way, like you said you would and let this commission work. You can prioritize
appointing new members to replace the ones who stepped down. If you weren't going to step in
when the Chair was harassing the public, you don't have any business stepping in when the
commission is beginning to do the work they were trusted with done. I agree that what you
want is to shut this commission down, not to pause it. You want to shut it down because it
became a threat to the performative, empty version of progress that you want to pursue. It is
shameful and I'm heartbroken for marginalized people in this community, especially black and
indigenous ones who have watched this glacial conversation happen since last summer, only for
City Council to make it stop right as it actually began to look like things might happen, to make
this a safer place for them to live. Shame on you. The police department that arrested Chris
Kelly and the system that imprisoned him for eight months is still funded and empowered.
There should be urgency for this Council. You should feel more urgent. You should be acting
more urgently. It is good if the commission acts with urgency you haven't shown. I trust the
commissioners you appointed. I want them to do their work. I want this Council to let them.
And in case it wasn't clear by the response tonight, this is going to be the last straw for a lot of
people as far as whether there's any chance we can trust you to be on our side, to even pretend
to be on our side. So I urge you, I beg you to consider that fairly well before voting tonight.
Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Miranda, followed by Royceann.
Crawley: Hi, can you guys hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Crawley: Okay, so I wasn't planning to speak. It makes me kind of anxious, but I've been jotting down
a couple of thoughts, um, throughout the meeting. So someone said earlier about, um, like
Royceann... Royceann never had issues with other commissions she's been on so it must be the
whole TRC that's the problem and that they've been on other commission work ... like doing
other commission work and we need to understand how things are supposed to work. And I
think maybe that's the difference here is that the other commissions have never had people
speaking truth to power, um, truth being the entire point of the commission. So I think we need
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 64
change not just in policy, but in the environment, the way City politics works. Um, it's ... it's a
small club, and I think Council's made it very clear that we of the community are not part of it.
Um (clears throat) I think that you guys have had your time to try and make change with
incrementalism and performance, and it hasn't worked, and I think that now is the time for you
guys to give a chance to young people with new ideas, and you can do that with the TRC, and I
hope that when you guys vote on this you remember that your job is to represent us. And I
think it's been very clear with the overwhelming majority speaking tonight that we're in favor
of the commission. If you do decide to vote to take it away, um, I'd love to know what concrete
actions you guys are ... will be taking to address the demands of IFR. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Royceann, followed by Eva.
Porter: Okay, thank you. Um, Royceann Porter. I spoke on behalf of Iowa City Council when you
were called cowards. One week later I was retaliated against by Nicholas Tyson in the Daily
Iowan op ed. Next you were sent correspondence from Raneem Hamad, stating that I had
somehow violated rules as Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission for speaking up
for the Council. And then I'm falsely accused of intimidation, bullying, traumatizing, literally
lied on by Jaylen Cavil of Des Moines, Iowa, who states that he is the head person of the Iowa
Black Liberation Movement, without no fact finding, investigation, or anything. There was no
investigation. There was no recording. Yes, I had a conversation with Jaylen Cavil ... Jaylen
Cavil and it literally ended up with us having a conversation about the GuideLink Center. For
Jaylen to go to these people and lie to them the way he did it's understandable, it's okay. Mayor
Bruce Teague and Mayor Pro Tem Mazahir Salih, you two sat on that whole meeting and you
never said a word. I got no support from City Council as a whole. I resigned before expecting
the Commission to do a no confidence vote on me. A no confidence vote from six people in
which I am the Johnson County Vice Chair. I have confidence. 46,000 people voted for me, so
therefore somebody has confidence in me. Those of you on here, you young people, white
people who don't know Royceann Porter, please Google Royceann Porter so that you can see
people speaking to truth, to power is Royceann Porter. I have stood there, I have been there, I
have done the work. I would also like to quickly read something I received, uh, from Mohamed
Traore, which I thought was really pretty decent. "Hi, this is Mohamed Traore. I just wanted to
say I meant what I said in terms of seeing you as family. I apologize for how things went and
want to stress that I have absolutely nothing against you as a person. I think you are a pillar of
this community and highly important to the advancement of everyone in this community.
Thank you so much for everything you've done for this community and continue to do. Your
expertise, mind, and strength will be highly essential in the continued work of this commission.
I want you to know that I expect you to hold me to the highest standards and to never pull any
punches when it comes to fall criticism, as it is highly necessary. I love you and hope you have
a great day and weekend. Let's keep building. I also plan to write an op ed for the paper to
clear up any of the negative (mumbled) that the media has painted by leaving out the majority
of the healing process we participated in at the end. I want to ensure the public realizes you're
still important to all of us, to all of this, and all of us." And for, uh, the City Council, I would
like to say, the Commission was set up by City Council who are appointing applicants of Iowa
City, Johnson County with no guidelines by law, Robert's Rules, or anything. (both talking)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 65
Teague: Thank you, Royceann. Welcome, Eva, followed by Denver. We can't hear you.
Sileo: Okay, cool. Sorry I started talking (mumbled, laughs) That was embarrassing. Um, but I'm
Eva. Like I said, I'm a lifelong resident of Iowa City. My parents are from here, my
grandparents were from here, and I just wanted to hop on here and support everyone else in
favor of -that has spoken in favor of, um, keeping the TRC intact as it is. You know, I
understand that your jobs are probably sometimes exhausting and that it probably gives you the
feeling that you know much better how to run the city than maybe the voting populace does, but
I would just urge you all to remind yourself that you're not celebrities. You're public servants
and whatever history of activm... activism you have (mumbled) always going to be subject to
public critique, and it's part of your job. And, Royceann, I'm sorry. I'm ... I voted for you. I ... I
root for you, but you know if you don't like this element of it, then you shouldn't have been an
elected official. You all are our representatives, and I know that you all know how difficult it is
to gather mass participation around a policy issue, especially on a local level. And I know you
know how little turnout City Council elections get and how relatively unengaged the people in
this town can be. So I'm here with everyone else, asking you for to take ... for you to take this
spike in participation and in demonstration and just in general engagement as evidence that this
is a big deal to the people that you serve. How can you earnestly look back over the events of
this year from George Floyd to Chris Kelly and argue that the best decision for our town right
now is the suspension of an aspect of our municipal governance that is attempting to deal with a
systemic issue by empowering civilians. Do you, um, do you really believe there's not enough
racism in our criminal justice system to justify trying ... to trying something different than what
we've been doing for 30 years? We are literally one of the worst states in the nation in terms of
disproportionate incarceration of minorities, and Iowa City isn't excluded from that just because
we're democrats. You have to know that. A previous comment in support of suspending the
TRC cited how well Iowa City has done with the current protocols the way things have been,
and my question is this. It worked well for who? Because it didn't work well for Chris Kelly.
So for who? Middle class, mostly white landowners? What about the black and indigenous
population of this town who have to confront what seems to be one of the most racist cultures of
policing in the country. It is my feeling that this is an excuse to take back control of a
committee that is finally being operated in a way that agrees with majority opinion, and that's
not democracy. Like seriously, drive around Iowa City sometime and count exactly how many
houses on each block have prominent Black Lives Matter signs from the summer still. There
isn't some silent majority that you should be catering to you over the people that are actually
bothering to show up again and again and sit through these five hour Zoom calls to try to talk to
you about this, and with that I yield my time. Thank you.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Denver, followed by Dan.
Foote: Hello, my name is Denver Foote. I use she/her pronouns. Um, I wanted to say to Royceann that
I did Google her. Um, it says that she is a recognized community leader who has been devoted
to improving the lives of her neighbors. So, if that is how you feel somebody who was part of
this commission, um, why did you use your time talking attacking a neighbor, somebody a part
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
=0
of our community in a part of our state. I also want to uplift everyone who has spoken before
me in support of the TRC to continue, to not suspend it. I want to reiterate, if they do suspend
it, it is indefinite and it will not start again. Also, this commission is something that was born
out of the Black Lives Matter movement this summer and the Black Lives Matter movement is
to defund and abolish the police. The police history started from controlling slavery in the
south and in the north by controlling... like helping white land owners protect their land. So I
want to reiterate that if you do shut down this TRC, you are speaking, um, against that and
against the movement. There obviously is a mass support in this TRC Commission. Um,
Vanessa mentioned the article that says that there are other commissions that function without
commission members, and this commission has been doing more work in the past week than
they have been doing since it started. So I just want you to know that. I want you all to hear
our voices and respect it, and I do respect that you let everyone speak. Des Moines City
Council could never, so I appreciate that.
Teague: Okay. We only have two more people to speak. I don't see Marianne Coleman hand up
anymore. It kept going up and down. I see it now. We have Dan Kauble, followed by
Marianne Coleman, and then we'll be done with public comment. Welcome, Dan.
Kauble: Hi, can you hear me?
Teague: Yes.
Kauble: Hi. First of all, I would just like to say to Royceann that, I mean, I think all of us...at the
beginning of the summer looked up to you, and really, I mean, I know I did, just believed in you
and looked at ... up to you as a leader. Um, so it's been really disappointing watching other
people who we look up to and respect and care about and trust say these things about you, um,
and I mean it's ... it's been hard having to ... to, um, choose sides, as it is ... as it is and it's terrible
that it's gotten to this point, but, um, I just think that I trust the people and what they've been
saying about how they feel that they've been attacked or, urn ... bullied, and so it's ... I trust them,
and I think that honestly I think it's been proven. Um, and another thing I would like to point
out is this individual Carl Smallwood, who brought up his firm or whatever his group is that he
said would be able to mediate future Truth and Reconciliation Committees. I'm sorry but that
just seemed really suspect, and he says he's non -biased, but he also has political connections to
the former chair of the committee. And it just seems really suspect, and I ... I think something
really dirty happened at the meetings, to be honest, because I won't be surprised if you said, oh,
this guy Carl Smallwood, we could use an organization like him in rule ... in your ruling to
suspend the TRC and, lastly, I just want to reiterate ... uh, guys, City Council, who do you serve,
whose side are you on? The committee is working. It's been shown to work, I mean we have
people who've been attending the meetings, saying that they see progress happening.
Everybody, the majority of the community supports the efforts of the TRC. I mean, I don't
understand... you had so many people come on here tonight supporting it. And what they've
seen, their evidence, with their own eyes. I just don't understand why ...why it's so hard for the
City Council to acknowledge something that's working, unless they are just happy to comply
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 67
with the horrible status quo, I mean that's ... it doesn't make sense to me. I wish it did, but, um,
yeah. That's all I have.
Teague: Thank you. Welcome, Marianne Coleman, um, your hand went down again, so I'm not sure if
you want to speak. And I may have let someone that just spoke already go. I am sorry if that
happened. I, um, didn't notice. So Marianne Coleman, welcome. Her hand went up and then
down again.
Fruehling: I'm trying to find her here.
Salih: Is muted.
Fruehling: Yes.
Teague: Mrs. Coleman, are you able to unmute yourself? We can see you. Once we do start Council
discussions we won't be able to go back to public comment, or I would suggest that we not.
Fruehling: Mayor, I can try promoting to a panelist. I don't know if that'll help.
Teague: Okay, let's try that. Mrs. Coleman, can you unmute yourself? Well sorry we're not able to hear
you. We did see your hand go up and down a few times. I'm going to go ahead and close
public comment and open it up for Council discussion. I ... I would like to start, cause I know
that I was the one that actually put this on the agenda. Um, and first I want to say thanks to
everybody that came and voiced their concern. One, you have to know (laughs) well I'm going
to tell you, uh, my position and what I'm thinking. One, this grieves me to my core that I as a
black sitting Mayor have to come before this Council and ask for a suspension. Um, there's a
lot of things that have happened within this TRC that we cannot deny. We have heard from
community members that have said, you know, that have... that have talked about the
challenges of this commission. Where I am is, and I have a, you know, I had a lot of things
prepared to talk about tonight. Um, one, I am totally committed to the charge of the ... of the
TRC. The charge, the goals, the charge and the goals is where I want to focus. What I've seen
(mumbled) developed through the TRC has been... unbelievable on ... on various terms. (coughs)
For one, the Council, I believe, really responded after we saw George Floyd and what
happened, and we wanted to really create something that would bring about systemic changes
within our community. That's why the TRC was a part of our 17, um, system. The hope for our
city is still to identify race problems and for us to find solutions, and to make real systemic
changes. The challenge with the ... the TRC, yes, it started with a rocky start, and I totally
believe in grace. I believe in grace, but we have... we have ... it's been ... it's been developed into
this unsafe space. It's a unsafe space for a lot of people that would want to go and be on the
TRC. We had three individuals on the TRC that are part of the BIPOC community resign. That
sends a signal that should be concerning to all of us. It is not about choosing sides. This is real.
People that have been dedicated within this community that started just like anybody else that
came on the TRC to make a change, to be a part of the change, and for a ... a litany of things that
have taken place now has resigned. That should concern us. It is ... I don't think we can avoid
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 68
that I have heard from a lot of IFR individuals tonight... that... that, you know, continue to talk
about the...the TRC as being ... what I'll interpret as a place for their policies to be expressed.
Now maybe I got that wrong and forgive me if I do. I believe that the IFR has a ... you all came,
you ... you... you protested. I was out there as well. There was ... I'll not mince my words when I
said that there is some things that I totally agree with IFR, as far as like the mission and the
hope to bring systemic changes, but there are some tactics that is not acceptable. It is not
acceptable, and we're seeing some of those. I'm seeing some of those, and it's not acceptable.
Where I am today is definitely I am committed to the continued work that we have to do as a
community. I'm continued ... I want to continue the work and the goal of the TRC, but I believe
there's a few ways that we can achieve it. It is through the continuation of the TRC. I would
caution Council... Council that if we do continue the TRC, one ... one important step is to have a
joint meeting with the TRC. I do believe that we need to at this moment in time pause the TRC,
and we need to look at the charges of the TRC. We have a lot of things coming. I think the
work, uh, there's an education of police, of housing, um, subcommittee. One of the challenges
that 1, and I don't ... don't take this for me being ... wanting to micromanage the TRC, but one of
the things that I ... that I know is that we have some other committees that are forming that I
would love to see if there is interest from the TRC, them to join some of those housing
commissions or committees or .... uh, we're going to be having, you know, our conversation
surrounding policing. Let's have them there. Education don't totally fall under the City, but I
think it's very important. Education is hugely important. So where I am is the TRC, and I'm
going to speak to what happened to chairpers ... Chairperson Porter, because I believe that ... that
was not appropriate, and I'm ... this is me giving my own view. This is me. That was not
appropriate. To bring someone that don't even know what is being brought against them to have
someone testify against them, and ... and that person claims to be the victim, and then it was not
desired for Royceann to even give her own side of the story. For one, I don't even believe that
was appropriate. If you wanted to vote her off as chair, then you have ... that on the agenda, and
you discuss your reasons for why you don't want her as chair. To have someone come and talk
about ... their experience in the telephone call, that's a he say/she say, and beside, that is a
conversation that Royceann had ... Royceann had with them. Why would it be a part of this
commission, the Truth and Reconciliation Commission, to bring it forth publicly? You're
talking about Council coming to the TRC behind closed doors and trying to work out some of
the challenges. This was the opportunity for the TRC to work with the Chair Porter and say,
hey, these are the things that I don't like about how the meetings are going, can you change this?
I got ... I have information about somebody calling you. This is concerning to me, but this is,
you know, my comments. There's going to be lots of write up about this tomorrow. It is what it
is. Um, I ... I believe that (garbled) this whole process, and last week when I came and spoke to
the TRC, I value each one of you. This is not about you as individuals. This is about how do
we regain safe space for people of color, the BIPOC community, how do we regain spaces
of...uh, that feel safe for them to come back to? So I ... I know that there's other Councilors that
want to talk, and I'm going to, you know, kind of bring this to a close really quickly, um, but I
believe that we must work towards the goals that we set. We... that is our commitment,
Council. The TRC is a vehicle ... to achieve those goals. I am not saying that we need to totally
discount it, but I also believe that we should look at other ways to achieve this goal. I am in
support of temporarily suspending the commission to allow further action by the... further
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 69
discussion and action by the Council. I believe that some of the things that we've seen happen
on the TRC, we can collaborate with the TRC and have discussions... collaboratively to figure
out how do we go forward from there. Otherwise, we can look, I mean, that is one option that I
think is appropriate. Simultaneously, I believe that we can look at other options... that will also
meet our goals. So this is, for me, I don't believe that ... that the TRC should continue as it is,
without a meeting with Council, a joint meeting with Council, and I want it to be very clear that
I am 100%...100% committed to the work of the TRC. 100% committed. And 100%
committed to identifying and ending systemic racism in the City of Iowa City.
Bergus: Thank you for your comments, Mayor. I'll jump in. Um, it's been 85 days since the
commission first met. Only 85 days, not even three months, and a lot has happened in that time,
but I think we can all acknowledge that the commission has not yet been able to begin its
substantive work in that time. And I agree that what we've tasked this commission with is some
of the hardest work that we've ever asked of City commissioners, and I also agree that there was
a lot of progress in the last meeting that happened on March 4th. There was also a lot that's
happened since then, and since then the commission lost its facilitator, who they appointed 8-1
and we appointed unanimously. And they've lost three commissioners, commissioners who
were unanimously selected by this Council, who were committed to the work and to
help ... and ... and who helped inform the commission's mission, and I trust those commissioners,
and I trust the six who remain, who also have been put in untenable positions at times. And I
thank all of them for showing up and going to those hard meetings, and continuing to try to
push forward no matter how chaotic or difficult it was. And it's (sighs) when we... when we
created this commission, we talked not just about the work that it could do, but we talked about
its composition, we talked about its size. And we have one-third of this group who is supposed
to work as a team ... who felt that it was not a place that they could participate. It was not a safe
space. And that to me is a significant change from what we saw in the meeting on March 4`h,
that went from the commission of nine to now the commission of six, and ... what we haven't
seen yet is for this group to be able to come together... to build trust with each other, to have the
opportunity to sit in a room together, uh, to share their goals, to work on that common ground,
and they may disagree on policy. They may disagree on substance, but they must agree on
process, and that has not happened either. And ... we've heard from so many people who care so
deeply about our community, and we can see and feel the tension that ... that we've created, and
we've heard from people on what has been laid out as ... as sides, right, as ... as if there's different
sides, although I think we share common goals, and we're hearing from people in ... from
different sides, uh, all saying that the Council set this commission up for failure. That's been a
consistent theme, that we did not provide the guidance that was necessary, that we did not
provide the framework that was necessary, and now when we consider intervening,
we're... we're... that also isn't ... isn't acceptable or wouldn't be a trusted response, and it's hard to
see any kind of path forward when those are our options. It's hard to know what the next steps
could be. I propose to the Council a temporary suspension with benchmarks, with specific
actions that we would have to take. I am not in favor of an indefinite suspension. I'm not
supportive of that. I think we need to fill the open seats on the commission, and we need to find
a way to get everyone on the same page procedurally, to get everyone on the same page for the
team building that has to occur, and I am frankly thrilled by Commissioner Traore's comments
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 70
tonight and what I've heard him say, and I trust him, and I trust that that would go in the
direction that we need, but I also hear all the pain that's sitting out there right now, and I think
we need to be able to take a breath. So I'm ... I'm not sure exactly what the composition of this
resolution that we're voting on tonight is. Um, again, I'm not in favor of an indefinite
suspension, but I do think we need to fill the commission.
Mims: I would ... I'll pipe in here. Um, I want to thank both the Mayor and ... and Councilor Bergus for
your comments, and I want to thank everybody who has spoken tonight. There is a lot of pain,
there's a lot of distrust in this community. I want to, I think, reiterate what I've heard from
Councilors is that I am committed to the goals and the ... the outcomes that we hope to have from
the TRC. I am certainly not ready to give up on the TRC as our mechanism for doing this. I
agree with Councilor Bergus that I do not want to see an indefinite suspension. I think that
sends the wrong message to the community. I think we need to make it clear that we are
committed, um, and I would ... I guess I would agree with people who say that we made some
mistakes when we set up the TRC. I think we were trying very hard to give them as much
independence and as much, um, kind of a hands-off approach as we established the
commission. I think in hindsight, um, when we look at what's happened here, uh, compared
maybe to some other ad hoc commissions, I think you ... you take a look at, um, the topic that
we ... that we have in front of us, that they have in front of them, and as we've heard from so
many people, and I've ... I've read through the letter from Eduardo Gonzales a number of times.
You know, how difficult this type of communication and activity is, and I think also with a lot
of people that we put on here, we have a real mix of people, and you know, age, etc, and we
may not have the same kinds of experiences with serving on commissions, and we didn't give
them bylaws, and we ... and we made those decisions intentionally, and I think in hindsight that
probably was a mistake. I think to try and give some sort of guard rails, so to speak, some kind
of structure to help them get started, and ... or you know, we left it up to them because we wanted
to ... to get a facilitator. And so I think they ...they kind of started with no structure, and I think
when you take that lack of structure and you take such a .... a topic that is so emotional, so
emotionally charged, and ... and hard to work with, um, that's been ... that's been a real challenge,
but I'm committed to ... to trying to help them move forward, without being prescriptive, without
trying to tell them how to do their work, but to try and help with some of the structure. I ... I look
at, and I'll just quote briefly out of Edward Gonzalez... Eduardo Gonzalez letters, is if the
Council decides to keep its visions of ongoing process for truth and reconciliation, filling out
the vacancies and allowing time for internal reflection, the commissioners could work with a
trusted facilitator to identify intra -group dynamics, and establish a functional process, reviewing
comparative cases across the country and the world, and envisioning together a transformative
process. I totally agree with Councilor Bergus that this is a unique situation where we have lost
a third of the members of the commission early on in its development and its efforts to work
together. I think one of the key things for them to be successful is that intra -group dynamics,
and so to have only two-thirds of a group continue to move forward without the other third, I
don't believe allows that kind of group dynamic, um, to build in a way that they can really be
cohesive. I would just ... I want to just go back really quickly. I do not believe that ... and I'm just
looking at some things I wrote down from comments tonight. I do not believe that this Council
has a lack of faith in the commission. I think we have a lot of faith in them, and we've seen the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 71
challenges they faced, and we want to fill out the commission and do what we can to help them
move forward. I, as I just mentioned, the comparison of this commission being down members
is not at all comparable to having other commissions who have somebody resign here or there.
This is a third of the commissioners at the very beginning of their work. The importance of
developing that commission cohesion, um, I think is really important before they can get into
the substantive work. So I'm in support of a suspension, but not an indefinite suspension, and
then I think we need to have significant discussion as a Council and potentially with the TRC
about those kinds of things that we need to put in place to help them be successful.
Taylor: Thank you, Susan. I ... I had some words prepared but listening to Councilor Mims and Bergus,
and of course the Mayor, uh, who put it into words very clearly about I think how ...how the
Council feels on this. First and most importantly I ... I wanted to thank Councilors Bergus and
Weiner for all of the time and effort, uh, that they put into composing the original resolution that
established the TRC. I ... I believe it was well written ... a well written resolution and we as a
Council had good intentions with creation of the TRC. We truly believed in ... in the ... in the
goals and mission and objectives of it, but unfortunately I have to admit that I believe we
moved in haste. We were eager, very eager to get the TRC established and underway, and in
that haste, we did not put into place guidelines and bylaws to be followed by all of the
commission members, in order to have productive meetings, and I think this lack of guidelines
led to what I saw, um, as a very antagonistic environment, and we keep hearing and talking
about there needs to be a safe environment, and ... and Laura I think mentioned how many, 85
days, uh, I don't think there was that sort of environment existed. One option I've ... I've heard,
and no one has spoken to this, is that our ..our best option might be to repeal the original
resolution and ... and start over with one that includes some of those goals and objectives for ...for
the TRC. What I strongly believe is that we ... we do need to take some time to provide better
direction, uh, that would establish clear guidelines and bylaws. I ... I believe that would be
important in ensuring success of the commission in accomplishing its goals, and despite what
some folks have said and ... and as Susan mentioned, we do believe in that mission, and we do
believe. We do want to help them accomplish the goals that were set forth. So I'm not really
sure where I stand on this resolution, uh, to just suspend. It sounds more like I'm leaning
towards starting... starting all over, um, with, uh, because the current system seems to be broken.
Um, but we do need to establish some benchmarks. That would be very important. And
that... that's all.
Weiner: Some have said this evening the Council's aim from the outset was to give the TRC maximum
flexibility to set its own parameters, elect a chair, select a facilitator, and get to work. That was
a sign of trust. I ... my really, truly deep thanks to every single commissioner, to those who have
tendered their resignations, to Royceann Porter, to ... to T' Shailyn Harrington, to Tony Currin, to
Mohamed Traore, and Amel Ali who spoke out this evening, as well as everyone else, for
putting themselves out there and for taking the time and for doing the work. And I thank
everybody who weighed in this evening on this ... on this really important matter. The pandemic
and the Zoom platform have not made any of this easier... for either the Council or for our
commissions. I think we underestimate at our peril the toll it has taken to not be able to meet in
person, to build relationships, and the sooner we as a Council and our commissions can safely
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 72
revert to meeting in person, the better. And I say this as a COVID safety wonk. I think
that ... that every commission we have (mumbled) needs to understand and operate ... has to
understand and operate under the open meetings laws and that we need to build in, um, to ... to
this commission and perhaps others, essentially a training module that everyone can benefit
from. I think it is essential for people to treat each other with respect and to create safe spaces
for conversation. People do not have to agree on policy or even like each other to be able to do
that. It is very hard to hear when people yell, whatever the forum, whether it's a family or an
outside forum. And it is much, much harder to work together as individuals, each with lived
experiences than it is to obstruct or to defend the status quo. I appreciated what a number of
people had to say tonight. I appreciated what Karen Kubby said about the ... the idea of
extending an invitation essentially to those who have resigned or not accepting their
reservations, and at least and ... or extending an invitation to them to ... to come back and see if we
can't create a forum in which all the different voices in our community can come together and
work together, and use that as a model for our community as a whole. We didn't specify what
sort of facilitator. I mean a facilitator to me is someone who's there to help access resources, to
serve as a conduit between outside experts, and connecting with parts of the community.
(mumbled) they can... as Eduardo Gonzalez said in his letter, they can identify intra -group
dynamics and help establish a functional process. We have two offers of help on the table right
now, from two outside institutions. The Mary Hoch Center at George Mason University, which
has expertise to offer, and the ... and this Divided Community Project, which I looked up
while ... while we were talking and who a representative of...of which spoke. Those are
resources that I believe... that are the type of resource that can be facilita... facilitators that can
serve as the bridges and ... and have the perspective that ... of...of experience and
experience... people who are experienced with other TRCs that can help this move forward.
They don't have an agenda. The learning curve is steep for all. I believe that every single
Member of Council and every single commissioner needs to take ownership, and we need trust.
Trust is not built by tearing down other people. Trust is built by sharing ideas and listening to
other people. We absolutely have to get this right, and in large ... and in part not just for
ourselves, but in part because I'm watching every day as our legislature is trying to tie our
collective hands on many issues that are... that are closely related to this, um, including today
from ... from telling... telling demonstrators what they can and can't do to banning... working on
blanning... on banning implicit bias training. I came into this meeting thinking ... I ... I try to come
into meetings with an open mind. I came into this meeting thinking that I was going to say, yes,
let's have a short suspension. I'm not sure I believe in that now, but I do need ... we need certain
things to go forward. If..if we are going to have a suspension, there needs to be built into this
resolution a specific time frame to relaunch, a process curriculum for all who are going to serve
on the commission. It can be useful for all City commissions. The ... I think people ... it clarified
about the money this evening. I think it would also be useful for us to build into the future just
to clarity about the money, that we need an operating budget, and that that is not the whole
million dollars. We'll need to extend the time, you know, if we do ... if we do suspend, we're
going to have to, we need to extend the timeline for a budget, we need to extend the timeline for
the commission as a whole. One narrative we heard a lot this evening, and I'm sorry, I'm not
going to take much longer. Is that because those who have have often been... been... been in
power aren't anymore, um, we have to intervene. To me it's that we need all the voices at the
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 73
table. We ... yes we ... and ... and we need all voices present in a way that is quali ... qualitatively
different from other commissions. This cannot end up being about young versus old,
established community voices versus new voices, black voices versus immigrants, any other
dividing line you want ... you want to name, it has to be all voices. And finally, as Eduardo
Gonzales from the George Mason Project wrote to us, it's normal, it is rational to distrust.
Building just societies with new ideas and sources of authority requires the paradox of trust and
the recognition of our own wounds. He also wrote succinctly that successful truth commission's
learn from their peers, strong commission's rarely vote, they function based on consensus and
mutual aspect... respect, effective commission's are listening places, and successful
commissions carry out extensive society consultation. Sorry, I have laryngitis. That's all.
Thomas: Well I, you know, those of you who've listened to Council and have heard my thoughts on
issues that we've ... we've been asked to address are familiar with my...my inclination to try to
understand what the nature of the problem is, and if there is a particular model that could
perhaps be applied in order to approach that particular issue or problem, and as has been said
tonight, the ... the notion of a Truth and Reconciliation Commission is a very, very difficult
problem. And there are many models, I mean there are some ... but it's not one that I could say
I'm confident I understand the terrain. And so it was something that ... and we've since heard
from ... from some of these folks that I would be interested in hearing from. I ... I was interested
in understanding what these experts, those who understand the terrain of the truth and
reconciliation commission could provide us in terms of providing a framework to get the work
done, because my concern and having watched the meetings of March I st and March 4th
was... and... and I think Jesse Case tried to keep emphasizing this. We've got to get to the work,
you know. I think sometimes getting to the work can be a unifying theme, rather than ... than the
kind of interaction that we were seeing on the commission. But I don't feel we as a Council
(mumbled) was not, uh, I don't ... I don't think there was anyone's fault here to be blamed or to
point fingers at. We were all I think working with the best of intentions, but I do think we did
not give the commission sufficient framework in order to ... to thrive, at least from an earlier
stage in the process. You know, what ... what is the nature of a truth and reconciliation
commission? Bring in some experts to help them understand what they are embarking on,
because it is a difficult journey. And we didn't provide that. I feel we do need to provide that
now, I mean in terms of the resolution, the idea of a temporary... temporary suspension, would
be to try to provide that foundation that I felt we as a Council did not provide to the
commission, so that it would be easier... easier for them to succeed in their work. Uh, give them
an idea, give them the ... the facilitator prior to starting their work. I think that was another
concern that I've had is that.... that... that that facilitator, which I would almost want to say is
also a project manager, to try to get this project to its completion. I think if that person had
been there from the beginning, it would have also been helpful. I think that facilitators should
be more of a neutral party. In ... in hindsight I think having Jesse Case being better acquainted
with some of the members than others fed into some of the the differences that exist between
the commissioners. So, in my view, I would like to try to form that foundation that I think we
failed to provide the commission. That would be the purpose of the temporary suspension
would be to bring in the experts, to help all of us understand what the nature of this problem is,
that is the truth and reconciliation commission, and try to provide a framework moving forward
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 74
so that the work can flow, uh, and do so in a way that's timely sequenced and related to the tasks
that we gave them. Another thought that I, you know, was one of three ... the three options that
Jesse presented, Jesse Case. I have from the beginning have in looking as I ... as I could to see
some ... what some of these models in other truth and reconciliation commissions have presented,
some of them have been nonprofits 501 cis. I just read about one today that was established in
Maine maybe five years ago, that it was successful in its ... in its mission. Given the ... the issues
that this commission has bad with the Council in terms of independence, it's still something that
I think at least should be considered, because it...it...if...if this commission wants true
independence, that would be one way of achieving it. So that's again something that could be
considered in this ... in this, um, time that we, the space that we would allow for reconsidering
and re- establishing the foundation for this commission.
Salih: I really think there is no single one thing reason to suspend this commission. There is no one
single reason to pull this commission. I don't see any reason. Is the commission have
challenges? Yes, they do have a lot challenges happening. But we have to admit, the last
meeting that they have they made a lot progress on those challenges that (mumbled) I talked to
some Council outside this meeting about them or...or not, but ... this is what happened. Last
meeting was great, uh, in like improving that ... the way that they conduct the ... their meeting.
I ... if...I hear Council saying about training and all this kind of, uh, you know, I think that we
need them to learn, like proposing maybe training, bylaws. All this can be happening without a
suspension or without a pause. We can just continue and ask ... give them a clear direction for
the next meeting, to do what we want them to do. We ... and in the meantime, we can consult
with all the, you know, the University, uh, that Janice mentioned earlier, so they can just give
them training and, you know, like how (mumbled) stand up. This is not easy, and... and I think
this commission is making history. I told them last time that they are making history, and this
is ... this commission is unique of its kind, and we need to continue... like with it. I don't support
a pause or I don't support even, you know, suspension. I really propose that we let them
continue with clear instructions of what we want them to do. Everybody here saying that
training, like consultant. Do this and do that. That's not going... yeah, we have three people,
you know, three vacants. We have vacants all the time in different commission. In fact, every
single meeting of the Council we analysis new vacants. We can continue(mumbled) the people
who resign to come and apply again. This position is open for everyone, if they want to, but I
don't see any necessary for suspension or pausing this commission.
Teague: All right, I think we've all had a chance to express ourselves. I guess one of the ... one of the
questions is it sound like I heard a majority supporting the suspension of the TRC. Within that 1
heard some comments about, um, having some ... a little, be a little more direct in what we're
going to do, um, during the time of the suspension. I did just want to make a point about
the ... the suspension that was submitted, um, in our packet, not the one by Councilor Bergus, but
this one was more generalized where it didn't really ...lock us into anything specific, uh, TRC
pending further discussion and action by the Council. Personally, I do believe that if the
TRC ... I believe that the TRC needs to be in conversation with Council, but that's only one me
that I heard say that. Um, I heard process and clarity, timeline. I think some of that is actually
covered in what Councilor Bergus submitted. So I guess the question is where do people want
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 75
to be with the language and the suspension? I will also say that I heard, I think the ma ... I heard
quite a few Councilors talking about wanting to continue the commission. So, I mean, whether
there is a lot of words in this or not, in the suspension, I still feel that we have opportunity,
there'll be opportunity to have meetings and... and figure out next steps.
Salih: I just think that all the Council talked about, you know, sometimes it's not really clear... clear that
(mumbled) you want it to be suspend or you want it to be suspend temporary, or can you just let
us be clear without like talking too much about it, just like two word. I would like this
commission like, for example, I'm not, of course. I don't like this commission to be suspended
or pause. Can anyone say what they want, so maybe you can say, `I want it to be suspend but
for ...for one meeting, and resume with the same people on the Council. Really I need to ... when
you talk about it, talk about it clearly so we can understand what we are voting for. Please,
everybody, you can (mumbled)
Mims: (mumbled) from my perspective I think we need to put a deadline on it. And I guess one of the
questions I would have is, you know, if we're going to advertise for new positions, clarifying
how long that is, cause I think we need to have the commission filled. Again, I think having
those three people out is ... is a real problem when this commission has just started. So I think it
needs to be long enough to get those three people on. And for me tonight, we don't necessarily
need any other language other than a deadline. And I think during that time we need to then
work on some of those other things we've talked about tonight, but I don't .... I don't think we
have to decide all of that tonight. I do think we have to do a deadline, so it gives the public the
confidence, um, as much as we can. There's not a lot of trust out there right now, at least not
with the people that spoke tonight, but at least they know that we are serious about not
disbanding this, that we actually want to continue and so have a deadline. So I don't know if
that's 45 days, I don't know if it would take us 60 days, but I think we need to get those three
people back on.
Teague: I'll just add that the applications for the positions are due the 27th of April, April 27th, which is
a Tuesday, 5:00 P.M. and so at that meeting is when Council would be appointing new
commissioners.
Salih: Can you say that again, Mayor, please?
Teague: Yeah, so, um, for the ... for the three positions that's available, applications must be received by
5:00 P.M., Tuesday, April 27th. And so I just wanted to offer that.
Frain: So to clarify, those appointments would be the following Tuesday, May 4th would be your next
Council meeting. The application's due April 27� , appointments May 4th.
Salih: Why you're saying application 27th of April, why is not like early April? If we really would like
to fill out those, you know, position as soon as possible.
Fruehling: We have to give a 30 -day notice, a minimum of a 30 -day notice
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 76
Salih: But the Council can not waive that?
Fruehling: I ... Eleanor, you can chime in. I don't believe so.
Dilkes: I don't ... I don't know that there's a specific resolution that sets that 30 days, is there, Kellie?
Fruehling: I thought it was State law.
Dilkes: Well, no it's not. It's not a matter of State ... State code. You could choose to open it for a period
of time.
Salih: Okay, then I encourage the Council to have the application by our ...like early April. If we really
would like to move forward in this TRC, then let us fill out the, you know, positions and move
forward!
Weiner: Maz is right.
Teague: What are thoughts?
Bergus: I appreciated the idea of a joint meeting, um, and trying to maybe ... well if we're talking about
direction and... and unders... understanding and shared, um, shared understanding, I think a joint
meeting makes a lot of sense, and I think having that as soon as possible makes a lot of sense.
Teague: I think one of the (both talking)
Mims: I'm sorry, what if we ... what if we had the applications due, I don't know what Kellie, I don't
know what your turnaround time is, but what if they were due by the 13th or 14th of April, so
they could be in the packet on the 15`h, and we could make appointments on April 20th. That
gives people almost a month, right about a month, and then I ... I ... I agree on the meeting, but I
think that meeting needs to wait till we have a full commission.
Taylor: I like that calendar that ... that Susan just proposed. That ... that sounds logical and gives people
time to think (mumbled) and gives us time then to look at the applications and do the
appointments, and then proceed in May with ... with helping them to ... to get settled with some
objectives and bylaws and learning Robert's Rules and and those kinds of things, to get ... get
going smoothly, and our joint meeting, having a joint meeting with us, with ... with a full ... with
their full commission then.
Salih: That's when (mumbled) meeting. I don't think that will be like ideal, and also is still 30 days.
My whole proposal was about not make it 30 days. It's almost 30 days though, but if we can
just really have it by the end of the month, or the first of...April I guess. Let me see, yeah, if we
have it like before the Thursday, the end of like the end of the month, the 31 st or the 30`h, and
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 77
we can discuss this appointing on like, you know, the meeting of the 6th of April. I ... I think
that's will be good.
Mims: I think that's too short. I think people in the community, given what's been going on, I think
there's a lot of people are going to need to take some time and talk to others about whether they
want to serve and what that means, and so I'm not comfortable rushing it in two weeks.
Salih: I'm not comfortable delaying it and that's will make them delay more than three meeting, which
is not okay. I just, if the Council please if you can speak about this and see if we ... if you agree
for that or not.
Teague: I...I believe that it's important for the commissioners to meet with Council and if there will be
appointments made, those new commissioners, I think, it's vital that they meet with Council. I
do hear the urgency from Mayor Pro Tem and I respect ... I hear you very clearly I respect that.
I also know that just timewise with people, you know, get... getting applications in, I think that's,
you know, we have to allow that time for people to do that.
Salih: That's true, we can always extend it if we don't have enough people, Mayor. We being doing
that, last time we just extend the one, uh, because only one person apply, and I ... I thinks we can
extend it but, for me, if we can ... because we need to meet with the commissioner, we can meet
on the second meeting, like the 20 of April with the commissioner and before that we need the
fifth commissioner.
Teague: Yeah. I ... I hear what you're saying. I guess for me personally, I think if the 13th is the ... if we
have applications due by the 13th and we appoint by the 20°i, if Council wants to, you know,
have a... have a special meeting with just the commissioners, we can do that. Otherwise, you
know, Tuesday the 4th of May, but I mean I hear that, but that's where ... that's where I would be.
I do wonder if there is some work that can be done in between time, that can kind of...because I
hear Mayor Pro Tem saying that that's a little long out, far out. I wonder if there's something
that we can do in the meantime, um, either with current commissioners or I saw that in ... in
Councilor Bergus, she had ... her resolution, which really, um, you know, focusing on training to
assist the TRC, and creating and maintaining safe spaces for dialogue, building trust, and
committing to consistent meeting procedures. So ... I personally believe there needs to be work
on the ... on the current resolution for the TRC so that it's more prescriptive. So maybe if that is
some work that we can do before, in the meantime, that ... I think that could help the process
along.
Weiner: I ... it's my understanding that they ..that at least one member has now been... already been in
touch with this George Mason University Center and has asked for assistance, and that's the part
where it gets ... it gets very difficult for me to under ...to want to disrupt that portion, because
those are resources that ... that have the experience, that have the links with people who've served
on reconciliation commissions in Greensboro, North Carolina, in South Africa, and as well as
expertise. I've not heard of the Ohio commission before, but these are the types of resources
that ... that they should be working with now.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 78
Mims: But my concern is all the counc... all the commissioners should be working with them. I..I think
if six of them start working with these (garbled)
Teague: You froze, Susan. Yep, she froze.
Thomas: Well, I certainly agree that it would be highly preferable to have all the commissioners
participate with, you know, outside experts, if we're ... if that's the direction we're going. Uh,
would Ma ... would March 30th be too early for the applications to be due? T\vo weeks.
Salih: I really support that because we need all the commission to have, you know, the opportunity to
meet with the expert and to have the opportunity to learn and to have the opportunity to meet
with us as soon as possible.
Bergus: I think just ... just to kind of clarify what ... what we're looking at too. I'm not in favor of re-
forming the ... the resolution that made the ... the commission, personally. I mean, I think that,
you know, giving them the ... the opportunities for training of what a City commission is and
how, you know, kind of like what those expectations are. That ... that's more my intention. I
really do like the joint meeting idea. That would require the full commission. But if there's any
of that training that can happen in the short term, because it wouldn't have to be the full
commission as a group. I think bringing, you know, that ... I think sharing some of those
resources and letting that part continue, just like Janice was saying, makes a lot of sense to me.
I mean not ... not in the context of a, you know, the entire group having a meeting because
obviously if there's a quorum of whoever is there, it needs to be a public meeting. But if there's
individual connections that can be made and resources shared while we're waiting to appoint the
open seats, I don't ... I don't know why we couldn't do that.
Teague: So then would it be of interest to have someone from, is it George Mason ... or we also had
Eduardo to meet with ... between the commission and Council. Is that what I'm hearing or no?
Weiner: So ... so be clear, Eduardo Gonzales, who wrote us a letter, is part of the George Mason
University Mary Hoch ... Mary Hoch Project to support TRCs.
Teague: Great. Thank you.
Salih: And I don't think we have to be on that meeting.
Weiner: We don't ... I don't ... I agree. I don't believe we need to be part of that. That should be between
(both talking)
Salih: The TRC (both talking)
Weiner: The TRC and their... their mentors or the people who are putting them in touch with people who
know how TRCs are run and ... and what the challenges are, and how to confront them.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 79
Salih: Sure. Now what? Uh, still we don't have clear direction.
Fruehling: (several talking) I mean I...just so you guys can have the ... the dates, as far as getting notices
in the paper. We could get that, the ... the three vacancies in the paper by Friday. And as far as
turnaround time, having it on a Tuesday for a Thursday packet is the normal, but just so you
know, it wouldn't go in the paper until Friday the ... l9th.
Salih: And that's would give us two week.
Fruehling: (mumbled) I'm sorry, Saturday.
Salih: The 20?
Fruehling: Correct.
Salih: Okay, and if we ... (mumbled) be on the 1st of April?
Fruehling: Uh, it would be for the April 1 st packet. Normally we would have a deadline on the
Tuesday before that. Just gives us time to put it together.
Salih: (garbled)
Teague: So lots of silence. All right, so ... I guess I'm just going to take some votes here and see where
people are. I know Susan isn't here. She's having internet issues and trying to join back in. So
it sound like applications could be ... so they can be due whenever we say they're due, right?
Um, so I guess the question that I'm going to pose first is the date that we actually appoint
commissioners. Would it be the first Tuesday in April or the third Tuesday in April, so the 6th
or the 20th. Or, you know, I ... I mean we can go into May, but I'll start there.
Salih: The 6th.
Teague: So, if you want the 6", just say the 6th ... and I'll just start counting.
Bergus: Yeah, the 6`h. (several responding)
Teague: Okay.
Taylor: I would prefer longer because I think problem we ... we moved so hastily when we initially
started this. I just think giving time for... for people to think about this and apply, but if the rest
of you feel the 6, all right, that's fine.
Teague: Okay, so majority is for the 6th already. Um, all right, so applications ... appointments will be
on the 6th. And so the due date, so that we can give Kellie... Kellie, do you need a due date?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 80
Fruehling: It would be March 30th by 5:00 P.M.
Teague: March 30th by 5:00 P.M. All right. So then ... TRC joint meeting, um, would it be on the 20'hq
Salih: (mumbled) same day of our meeting or that's will be a special meeting?
Teague: While we're appointing on the 6th so I don't think that we can ... we wouldn't appoint until after,
and I think ... at least I've heard from a few Councilors that they want the full commission, uh,
full commissioners there.
Weiner: I think what Maz meant was the separate, um, like a ... not with our regular City Council
meeting on the 20', but a separate special (both talking)
Salih: Yes. Yes, thank you.
Teague: I'm open to that.
Salih: Yeah, I mean like we can choose, uh, week of the 8", the week after ...between the various City
Council meeting on April and the 2nd. So if we can have ... it is not the 8th .... the week of the
12'h, any day, special meeting and especially this is would be just for this matter. It will be
better not to be on the same day of the City Council meeting. Today we have long meeting.
Taylor: And the agenda on this meeting would be what? (mumbled)
Weiner: So do we need to decide this right now or (both talking)
Teague: (mumbled)
Weiner: ... need to be focused on sort of what ... what exactly the resolution is gonna say right now?
Teague: I think if we can focus on the resolution and then ... the meeting for the TRC joint meeting,
maybe we can have, uh... uh, Kellie send out an email to confirm the date ... and time.
Fruehling: And you're looking at the week of the 12`h?
Teague: Yes.
Fruehling: Okay, I can do that.
Salih: Okay.
Teague: So then as far as language ... um, one thing that was proposed is adding a date of...to end the...
the suspension. So it would be a temporary suspension until... such date.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 81
Salih: Can you tell me, because I really not following their meeting, um, what their meeting will be in
April?
Teague: Well I think they're going every other Thursday, which in April, because there's... normally
they're the week ... they have been the week of Council meetings, but in April they would have
been on the 1 st. So then they're ... then they're going opposite Council meetings.
Salih: You mean on April (mumbled) they should have a meeting, and on, uh, and on the 8th no, but
every other meeting Thursday, right?
Teague: Correct.
Weiner: Right.
Salih: I thinks they can resume ... if we ... if we can ... if we appoint on the 6th and we have, you know,
meeting with them on the week of the 12th, maybe we can let them start on the 15.
Teague: I think the only challenge is ... we need to meet (laughs)
Salih: Yeah, we meet between that. We have to figure out the time. You know, this is important. We
don't want to delay it.
Teague: Yeah.
Dilkes: Can I just mention, you might want to think about if you're going to appoint on the Oh, you're
going to want to consider the availability of...of the commission members for meeting with you
as well.
F�'fllifWOVIM11
Dilkes: So...
Salih: That what we said, Eleanor. We said we're going to meet with them on the week of the 12th.
Dilkes: I know, but you ... but you won't know until they're appointed who ... what their availability is.
Salih: We can always change it, I thinks.
Teague: Uh huh.
Bergus: Is ... is Council available on the 15ffi, and we can try and set our joint meeting on their regular
meeting?
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 82
Salih: (both talking) idea. Good idea. I'm available.
Thomas: I am too.
Teague: I'm available.
Taylor: April 15a`, I'm available.
Teague: Okay.
Taylor: (mumbled) again that ... the whole point of this also is to give them some time to totally
understand because that was ... a big issue in those early meetings, was they had no
comprehension of Robert's Rules or how a meeting runs. The whole thing about open meeting
laws and agendas and only talking about items that are on agendas. We need to make it clear
and know that they, the members, understand those rules and guidelines, and that ... that that's
what a commission follows and how a commission is run. So we need to know that they've had
the time to ... and as it was brought up, they wouldn't have to all in group be instructed on these
things, but individually, uh, or two at a time or something could meet with Kellie or whoever's
designated to help them understand these things, or Eleanor, uh, but that needs to be done
before they have ... before we allow them to meet again, and I think that's just totally important
to me.
Salih: But first, you know, I just want to tell you that, Pauline, the Robert's Rules, we never asked them
to do that ... in the beginning. So if we want them to do it, it has to be the full commission, and
you know, maybe on our joint meeting those kind of thing will be our recommendations ... to
them, on that joint meeting. After that they can go and like learn all this, because they are not
going to meet, as I know. They are ... if you going to suspend it now until the 15°i, nobody
should meet between then. Am I right, Mayor, or..you want them still to meet?
Teague: If it's suspended, they shouldn't be meeting until after (both talking)
Salih: Then ... you know, then I thinks we just need ... on ... on the meeting on the 15°i, we're going to give
them clear direction on whatever (garbled) like the Council think, what they can do.
Teague: And I don't know if we, I mean, I think it can be ... there's question as if...even if we suspended,
if the ... if the commission still exist... and because they're still appointed, um, maybe we need
to ... I don't know. Yeah. Becomes a little complicated at that point. I guess we can suggest that
they not meet until after we meet.
Salih: (garbled) available on the 15'?
Weiner: Yes.
Teague: Are we...
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 83
Taylor: Oh ... question (mumbled) Um, have we actually voted on the resolution temporarily (both
talking)
Teague: No.
Weiner: We haven't voted on anything.
Taylor: When ... when are we going to do that (laughs)
Teague: We're going to do that next week. We needed to ... there was a desire (garbled) date. At least
have a date in there ... of when the TRC would convene. Um, so I guess the question is ... are they
convening, um, on the 15a'?
Salih: (several responding) Uh huh, yes.
Teague: Okay. I personally think that Council should come and have another discussion on the 20°i, in
a work session, and then decide if...if the ... at that point, um, have the ... have this suspension up
for discussion.
Salih: (unable to understand) suspension with a date (unable to understand) on the 15°i . Why we are
coming again and talking about it on the 20?
Teague: Um, one I believe that depending on how that meeting goes, Council may have thoughts ... but
that's just me personally.
Salih: Let us be (laughs) optimistic. I'm positive about it, and I think this is will be great.
Teague: So, Council, are you saying the 15`s9 Okay. Um, I see three heads. I see four. All right.
Weiner: I think Susan is on by phone now, she said. I don't know how...
Teague: Oh, can we switch her from ... um ... I think they're working on it. Yep, there she is. All right.
And I'm not sure how much you heard during your time away. Sorry we had to continue
(laughs) Um, so at this point the resolution proposal will... are... are people comfortable with
the ... not the one that Laura did, but the one that was in the packet where we would add a, um,
suspension until April 15?
Thomas: (mumbled) changed to, um...
Dilkes: (mumbled) I think if...if you just, um, make a motion to amend the resolution that ... or not...
make a motion to amend the resolution on the floor to, um, temporarily suspend until April 15,
rather than until further action by the Council. That'll be sufficient.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 84
Salih: Does the current, uh, resolution say that we must keep all the current commission there or this is
have something to do with anything. I really haven't read it to the end.
Dilkes: It ... it doesn't say anything abo... except suspending the commission till further action by the City
Council, which if you make this motion, it'll then say `suspend the commission until April
15th.'
Weiner: But it wouldn't... wouldn't change anything of the remit. It wouldn't change anything else, is
my understanding.
Dilkes: Right, I mean the title change, etc, but substantively that's what'll change.
Bergus: Just to be more clear, the commissioners who are still there are still there.
Salih: Mmmhmm.
Dilkes: It doesn't have any effect on that, right.
Bergus: Right. Thank you.
Weiner: Kellie, I'm not sure that Susan can unmute right now. Is it ... I'm not sure what's going on there.
Is it possible to promote her as she ... is she able to participate?
Fruehling: I'm not sure either unless we try to make her a co -host ,which I think Lily will have to do, if
she can. Okay she's a co -host. I don't know if she can unmute now or not. Bruce, is it *9 from
your phone?
Teague: That's what I've been told.
Fruehling: (both talking) that's to raise hand.
Teague: Right, to raise your hand.
Fruehling: (mumbled) issue. I don't know what the unmute is from your phone.
Weiner: If I'm on my i -Phone, if I ... usually if I'm ... scroll all the way to the left, there's an option to
unmute. There's also usually an option to (mumbled) at the bottom. (mumbled) tech problems
are always the most fun.
Iowa City: It's also *6 to unmute on a phone.
Fruehling: Okay. Hopefully she can hear. I may text her the phone number to call into, just in case.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 85
Teague: So while that's working out, I just want to at least make it clear what we'll be voting on. Um,
so we'll be voting on accepting the TRC until April ... uh, suspending the... temporarily
suspending the TRC until April 15°i, and we'll be removing the ... the following: `The operation
of the TRC pending further discussion and action by the City Council.' So that's the language
changes that we'll be voting on.
Weiner: So I'm sorry but I'm still confused as to where we stand with the ... with the... procedurally did...
did we actually have a ... the motion on the floor and is ... that we now need to actually have a
motion to amend that?
Bergus: You're muted, Eleanor.
Dilkes: Yes, that's correct.
Weiner: Thanks.
Teague: I kind of wanted to wait for Susan to come back to hear the amendment.
Weiner: And I think she could hear us. She's been texting me that she can't ... even though it's
(mumbled) tap to unmute or do other things, she hasn't been able to unmute, but I mean ... so
she ... she could, she can text me ... but (laughs)
Salih: Can she call you and you put her on the phone (mumbled) when she talk?
Weiner: We could do that too.
Fruehling: I think she must be trying to call in cause she just dropped off. See if she shows up here.
Bergus: Mayor, while we're ... while we're waiting, so I'm looking at the ... the textual change of the
resolution that we were talking about. I just want to be clear about a couple of ideas that we
bounced around of like what ... in the interim, right, like individual commissioners or less than a
quorum of commissioners getting... connecting with Eduardo Gonzales, and, um ... I think we're
okay with that, right? I mean I don't know where other Councilors stand. That was ... that was
my understanding, and then the ... the actual, uh, next meeting of the commission would be the
15`s, which would be a joint meeting with Council. Or is that not what we're talking about?
Mims: Can you guys hear me now?
Teague: Yes we can (several responding)
Mims: Okay! Yeah, technology, such a wonderful thing! (both talking)
Teague: Yep (both talking)
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
MM10
Mims: I missed a lot of the discussion. I'm hearing you talk about a meeting on ... April 15'. I guess
my question, if you can just really briefly fill me in. When .... what's the deadline going to be
for stuff to fill the three positions, and what do we expect to accomplish at that meeting on the
15`s?
Teague: So March 30 is the deadline for the applications, if I understood correctly. April 6th is when
we'll do the appointments, and then April 15th is ... would be a typical TRC meeting, you know,
because they meet every (garbled) and so Council would meet with them in a joint session at
7:00 P.M., is that ... I believe is their meeting time.
Mims: Personally I think that's way too short to get applicants.
Teague: And I hear you. I think there was a majority that actually put it forth on, you know, with that
time frame. So I just wanted to get you up to speed there.
Mims: Thank you, appreciate it!
Teague: Yes, so I think Bergus just had one last clarification question, and that was ... TRC members
meeting between now and the 15th.
Mims: To me they should not be if we're suspending it, plus I ... I, to me I think it's really important to
have the full commission together as they move forward.
Weiner: Right, Laura, I don't want to put words in your mouth, so please correct me if I'm wrong, but
my...my understanding was that you were talking about small groups of them talking to, um,
the ... the experts at the George Mason Center, as opposed to meeting among themselves.
Bergus: Correct, that the understanding would be there couldn't be a quorum are full ... full commission.
Eleanor, you looked like you were going to say something.
Dilkes: That's what I was gonna say.
Bergus: Okay. Yeah, like that ... that we're suspending the... the... the meeting as a body, but anything less
than a quorum, they're still appointed commissioners. They could, you know, they're
individually doing research or talking with people. I don't ... I don't think prohibiting that makes
any sense.
Dilkes: And I'm not sure we could at this point.
Salih: I think that's a very good idea for them to start like reaching out, as Janice said, and during this
time just like make things ready when they have full commission, they can just do those
meetings.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 87
Dilkes: One more question before you make the motion to amend. Do you want the resolution to say
`suspended until April 15th, at which time there will be a joint meeting with the City Council'
or you just want to say `till April 15T
Taylor: I think it needs to be clear that it ... what we want is the joint meeting before they meet on their
own again.
Dilkes: Okay. So if that's the case, you should include it in the motion.
Salih: Sure, but Mayor, have you ask Susan if she available on the 15, because everybody is available,
but I don't hear if she is or not.
Mims: Yes, I am! Thank you, Maz.
Teague: Okay. Any last final comments?
Salih: Don't suspend it, don't pause it (laughs)
Teague: Okay, all right. So I do have one final comment. Um, I am ... you know, changing the language
from fiuther discussion and action by the Council. I think as a subset of change that ... I worry
about, um, until April 15'h. It sounds like, you know, majority of Council wants to go for this,
but just for me personally, I felt that this is too fast, so I'll leave it at that. All right, could I get a
motion to amend the resolution to state ... where we will remove the operation of the TRC
pending further discussion and action by the Court ... City Council to now state to temporarily
suspend until April 15th, at which time a joint meeting with Council will take place.
Dilkes: I think I can wordsmith it. (laughs, both talking)
Teague: Could I have a motion please?
Bergus: Did we need to amend (garbled) motion? So does that need to be whoever made that motion?
Dilkes: No, it's just a motion... it's just a motion to amend the resolution that's on the floor, so, um, that's
all we need.
Thomas: I'll move that. (both talking)
Bergus: I'll make that motion.
Teague: So Thomas move, Bergus second. All right, and then we're going to do a roll call please.
Dilkes: Just a voice vote.
Teague: Oh, all in favor say aye. Any oppose? I can't hear you.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 88
Mims: Nay.
Taylor: Nay!
Salih: Is this (several talking, garbled) or what this for?
Teague: This is amending for the current language.
Salih: Why (garbled)
Teague: So it ... it's temporarily suspending... until April 15th.
Salih: Yeah, but this is just to change ... to change the ... the motion, and after that we're gonna vote for
the motion? (several talking) Okay!
Teague: All right. So, yes, and then we have two ... three nays. It was Taylor, um, myself, and Mims.
All right, so we have the motion on the floor now to, uh, temporarily suspend the operation of
the ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission. Roll call please.
Salih: Is that the first one, now I'm confusing. The first one that we already have a second and ... okay.
Teague: Correct.
Bergus: I'm sorry, what ... we're voting on...
Dilkes: We're voting on the resolution as amended.
Bergus: As amended. Thank you.
Salih: Not as amended because we have already one on the floor for ...for without amending it. We
have a first and we have a second.
Weiner: Well, we just amended this resolution to make ... so that it ends on the 15th. And now (several
talking)
Dilkes: So let me start at the beginning. When you started this whole discussion, the resolution
temporarily suspending the operations of the ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission was
put on the floor. You just amended it so that it is a temporary suspension until April 15th, at
which time they will meet with the City Council. So that resolution has now been amended.
Now we're going to vote on the resolution as amended. So you're voting on whether to suspend
the ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission until April 15th, at which time they'll have a
joint meeting with the City Council.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 89
Salih: And we going to come back to that or we are not coming back?
Dilkes: No, we're not coming ... this is the last vote.
Salih: And if this failed, what going to happen?
Teague: If it fails, then there's no suspension of the TRC.
Salih: Okay.
Dilkes: We ready?
Teague: Motion passes 5-2. Could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Weiner: So moved, Weiner.
Bergus: Second, Bergus.
Teague: All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion passes 7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 90
27. Council Appointments
27.a. Board of Adjustment — Board of Adjustment — One vacancy to fill a five-year term,
January 1, 2021— December 31, 2025 (Term expired for Ernie Cox)
Teague: And this, urn .... Council discussion? I believe there are two people that are there. We have
Nancy Carlson and John Hatley.
Taylor: Think the last time we looked at this, we were hoping to get a better gender balance than ... than
what exists, so I'm happy to see that a female, Nancy Carlson, applied, and I would move that
we put her on ... on the Board of Adjustment.
Thomas: I support that.
27.b. Civil Service Commission — Civil Service Commission — One vacancy to fill a four-
year term, April 6,2021 —April 7, 2025 (Term expires for Melissa Jensen)
Teague: I'm seeing a majority of heads nodding in support. All right. And then, why don't we go ahead
and do the next one, 27.b., which is civil service, uh, Civil Service Commission. (reads
description) And there was only one applicant there, Melissa Jensen. (several talking, garbled)
Go right ahead!
Mims: First, I was just saying I would support Melissa. She's been on there. She's (garbled) full term.
Teague: Yeah she's finishing a full term. I don't know if this is one of those commission's where it's
hard to get applicants, or if there's a ... some can have a need for a second term.
Mims: Yeah, we've waited quite a while before, uh (mumbled) to apply. So we had a vacancy for quite
a while. Um, and so I think Melissa's been on there. I think she's done a good job. So I would
support her reappointment.
Weiner: It seems to me like one of those commissions where you actually need some knowledge and
expertise to begin with, not that people (both talking) I would support her as well.
Teague: Okay. I'm seeing support. All right, and I think that is it. So then I'm going to have... could I
get a motion, um, to appoint Nancy Carlson to the Board of Adjustments, and Melissa Jensen to
the Civil Service Commission?
Salih: Move what you said.
Weiner: Second.
Teague: Moved by Mayor Pro Tem and seconded by Weiner. All in favor say aye. Any opposed?
Motion passes.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 91
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 92
29. Announcement of Vacancies — New - Applicants must reside in Iowa City and be 18 years
of age, unless specific qualifications are stated.
Teague: This is the ad hoc Truth and Reconciliation Commission, three vacancies to fill unexpired term
upon appointment through June 30, 2022. And applicants must be received by...do I ... can I
make this change because now we have applicants need to be received by 5:00 P.M. on the 30th
of March, 2021.
Salih: Kellie, I have a question for you. Is the ... the people who are already on file, can they apply or
how you ... you will notify them on how things work, and you have some people already apply
for this position before?
Fruehling: They will automatically get an email saying that there's vacancies and their application that
they previously submitted will be put back in for those vacancies. And it says if you would like
to opt out ... opt out, they have to reply to that email. Otherwise they'll... they'll automatically be
put in there.
Salih: Thank you, Kellie.
Teague: All right, could I get a motion to accept correspondence?
Thomas: So moved, Thomas (both talking)
Bergus: So moved, Bergus.
Teague: Moved by Thomas, seconded by Bergus. All in favor say aye. Any opposed? Motion passes
7-0.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 93
30. Community Comment
Teague: I did see Ryan from UISG. Not sure ... there he is! Hello!
Longenecker: Good evening, Council. Uh, given the time I will ... I will (laughs) yeah, good morning.
Uh, I will X out what else I had to say in my report, but I just want to reiterate on behalf of the
Undergraduate Student Government that we very much support the work of the TRC and the
important work they have to do in attacking systemic racism in Iowa City and to be a model for
the rest of Iowa. And so we continue to voice our support for the TRC, especially given the
leaders of it being so many young people and so many people who have such a great effect on
the University population and the University populations, uh, life in Iowa City, so I just wanted
to say that again, and I apologize it's not best worded. It's 12:30 in the morning, but that's all I
had to say for tonight, and thank you very much (garbled)
Teague: Thank you!
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.
Page 94
31. City Council Information
Teague: Anyone?
Weiner: Really, really brief. Extreme condolences to the City of Atlanta, and this ... what appears to
have been a really horrendous hate killing tonight... of Asian Americans.
Teague: Sad to hear that.
This represents only a reasonably accurate transcription of the Iowa City City Council regular
formal meeting of March 16, 2021.