Standing Committee Meeting

MEETING OF STANDING COMMITTEES City Hall, 220 Clay Street April 17, 2023 The meeting of Standing Committees met at City Hall at 5:45 p.m. on April 17, 2023, with the following Committee persons in attendance: Councilmembers Susan deBuhr, Kelly Dunn, Simon Harding, Daryl Kruse, Dustin Ganfield, Gil Schultz, and Dave Sires. Staff members from all City Departments and members of the community attended in person. Committee of the Whole: Chair Harding called the meeting to order and introduced the only item on the Committee of the Whole Agenda, Review of Council Salary and introduced Controller/City Treasurer, Lisa Roeding. Ms. Roeding stated that City Council members and mayors are considered employees of the City established by ordinance as required by Iowa Code Section 372.13(8). The Cedar Falls' Code of Ordinance (Sec 2-47) states each councilmember of the City shall receive an annual salary of $4,098.60 and after January 1, 2000, an annual salary adjustment equal to the latest calendar year annual federal consumer price index (CPI) rate awarded at the start of each fiscal year. Ms. Roeding gave an overview of the council salary rate history from 2000-2023, percentage of rate change from 2000-2023, and salary survey results that included 24 responses from cities with an average annual salary of $9,372.60 with the City of Cedar Falls currently receiving $6,982.32. Ms. Roeding explained council shall not adopt an ordinance changing the compensation of the mayor, council members, or other elected officers during the months of November and December in the year of a regular city election and a change in compensation of council members becomes effective for all council members at the beginning of the term of the council members elected at the election next following the change in compensation per Iowa Code Section 372.13(8). Councilmembers discussed how often cities surveyed had council meetings, details of top 25 cities, Davenport, and the Cedar Falls salary. It was motioned by Kruse and seconded by Ganfield to have staff draft Section 2-47 of the Cedar Falls Code of Ordinance to state that each councilmember of the city shall receive an annual salary of $12,000 and after January 2024 and annual salary adjustment equal to the latest calendar year annual federal consumer price index rate awarded at the start of each fiscal year. Staff were given direction to clarify the language as needed. The motion was put to vote. Aye: Dunn, Harding, Kruse, Ganfield and Schultz; Nay: deBuhr and Sires. Motion passed. Community Development Committee: Chair Harding called the meeting to order and introduced the first item on the Community Development Committee Agenda, Downtown Public Restroom Study and introduced Community Development Director, Stephanie Houk Sheetz. Director Houk Sheetz explained the background behind the public restroom discussion and provided a map of the current restrooms available. Director Houk Sheetz discussed private restroom requirements, accessibility requirements, potential change to specific locations, installing a permanent standalone facility, restroom in future parking ramp, temporary restrooms, or a public-private partnership. Potential restroom locations were discussed along with vandalism, cleaning, and maintenance of restrooms. Councilmembers discussed staff pay rates for vandalism, cleaning, and maintenance of restrooms, directional signs to restrooms, pay restrooms, push buttons at Library, QR code for restroom locations, TIF funds for downtown restrooms. Chair Harding called for public comment. Rosemary Beach, 5018 Sage Road, spoke about the availability of restrooms in the Main Street area, vandalism, and accessibility in restrooms. It was motioned by Ganfield and seconded by Kruse to have staff install push button openers on the first floor of the library restrooms and incorporate QR code for restroom locations. The motion was put to vote. Aye: deBuhr, Dunn, Harding, Kruse, Ganfield, Schultz, and Sires. Motion passed. Community Development Committee: Chair Harding called the meeting to order and introduced the second item on the Community Development Committee Agenda, Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Credit and introduced Community Development Director, Stephanie Houk Sheetz. Director Houk Sheetz gave an overview of the Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Credit Program, program highlights, eligible project sites, requirement/financial highlights, most recent Cedar Falls applications and reviewed the 2023 potential applications. Councilmember discussed an interest in reviewing the proposals, to discuss potential local match/resolution of support from the city. City Administrator Gaines explained local match from the city could be expended from the Economic Development budget. A majority of the Councilmembers expressed interest in reviewing the projects. Meeting adjourned at 7:10 p.m. Minutes by Kim Kerr, Administrative Supervisor