Iowa city council members discussed ways to make Iowa City greener — including moving forward with a climate action steering committee, making the city more bicycle friendly and making it easier to recycle — during a Tuesday meeting.
Iowa City Council
Posted inCommunity/News
Susan Mims to seek re-election to Iowa City Council
Iowa City council member Susan Mims, who is completing her second term on the city council, announced her decision to run for re-election in November as the representative of District B. In the announcement, she said her focus would be on continuing to improve resident’s quality of life and maintaining the city’s financial stability.
Posted inCommunity/News, Features
Mazahir Salih announces campaign for Iowa City Council seat
Issues of affordable housing and discussions about creating an accessible, inclusive community took the forefront Monday evening as Mazahir Salih, the current president of the Center for Worker Justice of Eastern Iowa, announced her candidacy for one of two Iowa City Council at-large seats in the 2017 election.
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Iowa City Mayor Throgmorton checks in on the ‘State of the City’
Iowa City Major Jim Throgmorton outlined plans to “foster a more inclusive, just and sustainable city” in the annual State of the City speech delivered during Tuesday’s Iowa City Council meeting. The speech addressed the progress Iowa City made and setbacks experienced in 2016 — quoting Charles Dickens, “It was the best of times, it […]
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GOP-led collective bargaining bills ‘worse than expected,’ critics say
A Republican-led push to end collective bargaining on everything but wages came to fruition Tuesday in the form of two companion bills in the Iowa Senate and House. Critics are calling the proposals, which have been dreaded by public worker unions for weeks, far worse than they expected. “It’s basically a way to kill unions,” […]
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Iowa City Council passes food truck pilot, voices support for UI graduate student union
Collective bargaining rights and food trucks featured at Tuesday night’s Iowa City Council meeting, as plans for a food truck pilot program moved forward and representatives from the University of Iowa’s Campaign to Organize Graduate Students (COGS) sought the council’s support of collective bargaining and union benefits following legislation introduced yesterday in Des Moines. COGS […]
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Council approves first reading of inclusionary housing ordinance
On Tuesday, June 21, the Iowa City Council, in a unanimous vote, approved the first reading of an inclusionary housing ordinance amendment. This zoning code amendment would ensure that a minimum percentage of rental units available at the forthcoming Riverfront Crossings District be made affordable. The Iowa City Planning and Zoning Commission recommended this amendment […]
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Community responds to Rose Oaks renovations
By Adam Burke and Caleb Rainey About two months ago, Mankato, Minnesota-based developers College Fund Properties took over the rental complex known as Rose Oaks, formerly Lakeside Point and Dolphin Lake. The new owners have been embroiled in a rental shakeup since. Many renters left immediately after receiving a letter in late March that read, […]
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Uber ordinance draws support and questions at City Council meeting
At last night’s City Council meeting, community members hoping to bring ride-sharing to the area clashed with taxi company advocates during discussion of a Transportation Network Companies ordinance. Although the ordinance would have further implications, the conversation largely centered on Uber, the popular ride-sharing company that first tried to stake a claim in Iowa City […]
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At City Council meeting, community members address The Lens
Before the Iowa City Council voted 5-2 against contributing $50,000 toward The Lens on Tuesday, nearly 20 community members approached the podium to offer support, opposition and questions regarding the Black Hawk Mini Park and public art project planned for the north end of the Ped Mall. Those in favor of the project spoke to […]
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What will the “Core Four” councilors mean for Iowa City’s pending development projects?
Last November, prior to the election of a slate of candidates who called themselves the “Core Four,” then-Mayor Matt Hayek penned an open letter predicting the consequences of such a win. It would, he wrote, see a “return to the anti-growth, micromanaging City Hall of eras past.” But at the top of 2016, to many […]
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The ‘Core Four’ won: Now what?
Mayor Matt Hayek warned that, if elected, the Core Four would return Iowa City to the ‘anti-growth, micro-managing city hall of eras past.’ Now, having swept the election, the Core Four gets its chance to prove him wrong. As the air gets colder and the prairie wind begins to unleash its bite, the hearts of […]
