Committee of the Whole Meeting

MEETING OF THE COMMITTEE OF THE WHOLE City Hall, 220 Clay Street March 18, 2024 The meeting of the Committee of the Whole met at City Hall at 5:45 p.m. on March 18, 2024, with the following Committee persons in attendance: Mayor Daniel Laudick, Councilmembers Gil Schultz, Chris Latta, Daryl Kruse, Aaron Hawbaker, Dustin Ganfield, Hannah Crisman and Kelly Dunn. Staff members from various City Departments, a representative from the Waterloo Courier, and members of the community attended in person. Committee of the Whole: Mayor Laudick called the meeting to order and introduced the first item on the Committee of the Whole Agenda, Discussion on the City’s Current Conflict of Interest Disclosure Requirements. Bailey Schindel, Human Resources Manager, provided an overview of the current forms and process for City employees, Boards & Commissions members, and elected officials. Councilmember Hawbaker suggested the existing elected officials Conflict of Interest Form be reviewed and include a financial disclosure statement to provide additional transparency to constituents. A State of Iowa financial disclosure form was presented as an example. Councilmembers discussion included defining conflict of interest, the top three most typical conflict of interest concerns (employment, income earned from property, and participation in boards & commissions), and peer enforcement. It was determined campaign contributions did not need to be included because it is public information reported to the State. Councilmember Latta motioned to recommend to Council to direct staff to gather comparative information from other cities and develop a more robust version of the elected officials Conflict of Interest form. Councilmember Dunn seconded. The motion passed unanimously. Mayor Laudick introduced the second item on the Committee of the Whole Agenda, staff bringing to Council a plan to utilize funding allocated in the CIP for FY25 for proposals for changes to zoning and parking for the College Hill character areas 1, 2, and 3 as designated by the College Vision Plan similar to the character districts established for the Downtown with priority given to areas 1, 2, and 3; however, the impact and future possible changes to areas 4 and beyond can/should be included in the recommendations. Stephanie Houk Sheetz, Director of Community Development, provided an overview of memo in the packet on College Hill suggestions for priority actions that included zoning initiatives, the process for zoning work (timeline), and other initiatives not related to zoning. Zoning initiatives included: focusing on updating zoning in Character Areas 1, 2, and 3; improving parking policies and regulations; evaluating the College Hill Overlay District; and stabilizing neighborhood areas. The process for zoning work timeline starts in May 2024 with the recommendation to hire a consultant to provide zoning strategies. With the inclusion of public engagement, the estimated time of completion of zoning changes/updates would be November/December 2026. Other initiatives that are ongoing as a part of the College Hill Vision Plan are: continued rental and code enforcement; expanding the rental- to-owner conversion program; improvement and widening sidewalks and addition of street trees in the business district; upgrading the streetscape; making biking easier; and investing in outdoor spaces, such as Pettersen Plaza which was completed in 2023, Houk Sheetz noted Seerley Park’s anticipated completion in 2024-25; 23rd Street East of College Street as a flexible gathering space; and continuing to identify projects for the Dry Run Creek corridor. Councilmembers discussed the timeline, including public engagement opportunities and first steps. Kruse stated when Request for Proposals (RFPs) for a consulting firm are reviewed that the Council should look for expertise in all types of zoning to allow the most possibilities in zoning styles. Councilmember Dunn motioned to recommend to Council to have staff carry out recommendations as proposed in the presentation; seconded by Councilmember Crisman. Motion passed unanimously. Crisman also provided thanks to Houk Sheetz for work on moving this project forward. Mayor Laudick opened for public comment. Jim Brown, Cedar Falls with the Cedar Falls Economic Development Corp, shared that consistency, expediency, and immediately addressing parking are what the project needs; Brown asked the Council to trust the process, staff, and Planning & Zoning Commission as the project moves forward. Chris Martin, Cedar Falls with College Hill Partnership, expressed thanks for the Council restarting this process. A motion was made by Councilmember Ganfield to recommend to Council to refer Accessory Dwelling Unit (ADU) ordinance development and discussion to staff. Seconded by Councilmember Crisman. Motion passed unanimously. The meeting adjourned at 6:36 p.m. Minutes by Kristin Thomas, Administrative Supervisor