6 25 18 City Council Proceedings Official_ Special1
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:00 p.m. on June 25, 2018 in the
Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Del Toro, Jones, Larson, Rios, Shaw; City
Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
Absent: Council Member Resnick
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council called
for the purpose of conducting a work session on the following topics.
WORK SESSIONS
Workforce Solutions
and
Enhanced Broadband Capacity, Access and Equity in Dubuque
1. Workforce Solutions: Kristin Dietzel, Vice President of Workforce Solutions for
Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, 900 Jackson Street conducted a work
session the work session. Topic included:
• Workforce landscape: population and labor data and five -year trends
• Dubuque Works Community Marketing: goals and targets
• Economic Overview 2017-2027: Trends in working age population, jobs, labor
force
• Data-Driven Solutions: People, jobs & wages, employers, programs
• Opportunity Dubuque: Definition, current certifications
• Outcomes: Graduation and employment rates, race/ethnicity, gender
• Process Pathways: traditional, Second Chance, HSED/re-engage
• Case stories
• Student outreach and offerings to employers
• Employer How-To Guide College Employer Connection
• Iowa Vocational Rehabilitation Services partnerships
• AccessDubuqueJobs.com: community workforce resource
• Investor Spotlight: Stonehill Franciscan Services and Medline Industries, John
Deere
• Newcomer Services: engagement and retention tools
• Community Tours
• Distinctively Dubuque participation
• Newcomer Focus Group
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Ms. Dietzel responded to questions from the City Council regarding barriers to
participation such as lack of childcare and not being familiar with the program; marketing
solutions such as grants, apprenticeships, course schedules; the focus on closing the
skills gaps; and opportunities for navigating the housing market for students and
newcomers. Ms. Dietzel stated that many people are looking for pet-friendly housing and
walkable, urban areas with amenities.
The work session ended at 6:50 p.m.
2. Enhanced Broadband Capacity, Access and Equity in Dubuque: David Lyons,
Sustainable Innovation Consultant for Greater Dubuque Development Corporation, 900
Jackson Street; and Chris Kohlmann, Information Services Manager for the City of
Dubuque conducted the work session. Topics included:
• 2015 City Council goal setting
o Initial analysis = middle path
o Key focus: capacity, access, equity
• Early signs of success
o Doubled conduit
o Quadrupled fiber
o Increase in providers from 3 in 2015 to 8 in 2018
• Challenges with fiber-to-home, demographics gaps and control
• 2005 feasibility study and referendum
• 2005 Municipal Communications Utility Feasibility Study
o Consultants hired, contract, residents surveyed
o Fiber-to-the-Premise Models
o Wireless Model
• Net Neutrality Defined
• Campaign for Dubuque Municipal Internet
o Citizen Petition
o Christine Darr presented the Campaign’s supporting viewpoint while
addressing issues caused by large company mergers, a change in internet
trends, inequitable benefit to for-profit companies; and the need for a new
feasibility study and constituent input.
• Challenge Infrastructures: physical human, technological, financial, governmental
• Cost estimates for new feasibility study
Ms. Kohlmann and Mr. Lyons responded to questions from the City Council regarding
the complexity of a connecting a municipal service to the internet through many providers,
that a municipal service would be improved but not totally neutral; and that local control
can still be influenced by state and federal pre-emptions. Keith Brimeyer of Comelec
Services addressed issues caused by Dubuque’s topography, lot density, return -on-
investment timeline, and provided information on the status of Comelec’s progress in
laying fiber within the City.
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There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 7:53 p.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, CMC, City Clerk