7 24 17 City Council Proceedings Official_Special CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:00 p.m. on July 24, 2017 in the
Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Connors, Del Toro, Jones, Lynch, Resnick,
Rios; City Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
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 Chaplain Schmitt Island Placemaking
& Implementation Plan.
WORK SESSION
Chaplain Schmitt Island Placemaking & Implementation Plan
Chaplain Schmitt Island Task Force Member and Council Member Kevin Lynch
introduced the work session with a brief description of the background of the plan and the
consultants involved. Ryan Peterson of RDG Planning & Design presented the Chaplain
Schmitt Island Placemaking planning process. Topics included:
•Vision: Dubuque's gateway to entertainment and the Mississippi.
• Plan
1 . Move 2014 plan to implementation
2. Celebrate the island's historical, cultural and environmental attributes
3. Bring more people to the island
4. Create a dynamic icon or series of integrated placemaking elements
•Six Tasks
1 . Steering committee / design review
2. Site visit & assessment
3. Regulatory overview
4. Program development and feasibility
5. Concept development
6. Promotion document
• Chaplain Schmitt Island Task Force Members
• Placemaking definition
• Four goals from the 2014 Master Plan
1 . Connect the riverfront;
2. Celebrate the island's "islandness;"
3. Put your feet in;
4. Spend the day and night /visit in any season;
•Strategic Baseline - 7 Themes
1 . Increase foot traffic on the Island;
2. Build a landmark. Create a Gateway. Bring people to the island;
3. Think big;
4. Leverage the island program for economic development;
5. Connect the island to Dubuque and the region;
6. Create a year-round destination;
7. Opportunities for education / history / future.
• Mission: A connected island that welcomes visitors and the community to
recreation, entertainment and the outdoors.
• Community
• Tourism
• Main areas of interest
• 2014 Master Plan
• 2017 Placemaking & Implementation Plan
1 . Veterans' Pond
2. Eastern Gateway
3. Peosta Channel
4. Western Gateway
• Implementation Prioritization Factors & Costs
• Regulatory Findings & Next Steps
Council Member Lynch, City Manager Van Milligen and Mr. Peterson responded to
questions from the City Council regarding retaining Miller-Riverview Park, other
campground options, vehicle access to planned recreational areas, flood mitigation, plans
for the existing military memorials, the implementation of emergency call boxes and
security, modification of existing ballfields and related issues, and Q Casino involvement
and success. Presenters emphasized that plans are conceptual with nothing imminent
now.
There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 6:51 p.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, CMC, City Clerk