2021 State Legislative Priorities Copyrighted
January 4, 2021
City of Dubuque Action Items # 2.
City Council Meeting
ITEM TITLE: 2021 State Legislative Priorities
SUM MARY: City Manager recommending approval of the City of Dubuque 2021
State Legislative Priorities to be presented to legislators.
SUGGESTED Suggested Disposition: Receive and File;Approve
DISPOSITION:
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
State Legislative Priorities-MVM Memo City Manager Memo
2021 State Legislative Priorities Supporting Documentation
Dubuque
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TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
SUBJECT: 2021 State Legislative Priorities
DATE: December 30, 2020
Upon Teri Goodmann's retirement in 2020, these State Legislative Priorities were
mostly completed and Teri volunteered to work with Department Managers and partners
to finalize a recommendation on this year's State of lowa Legislative Priorities to bring it
to its conclusion. The priorities, as adopted by the City Council, will be presented to our
legislators.
I respectfully recommend Mayor and City Council approval of the legislative priorities.
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Mic ael C. Van Milligen
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Attachment
cc: Crenna Brumwell, City Attorney
Cori Burbach, Assistant City Manager
Dubuque
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State Le islative Priorities
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Table of Contents
Artsand Culture....................................................................................................................... 34
EconomicDevelopment...........................................................................................................4
Emerqencv Manaqement — Homeland Securitv............................................................... 19
Equity ............................................................................................................................................ 9
HistoricPreservation .............................................................................................................. 28
Housinq....................................................................................................................................... 17
HumanResources ................................................................................................................... 23
lowaCode Chanqes................................................................................................................. 25
LibrarvServices ....................................................................................................................... 23
Parkand Recreation................................................................................................................ 29
Partnerships.............................................................................................................................. 45
Planninq & Zoninq ................................................................................................................... 26
PublicHealth ............................................................................................................................. 39
PublicSafetv ............................................................................................................................. 21
Sustainabilitv............................................................................................................................. 37
Technoloqvand Innovation................................................................................................... 18
Transportation .......................................................................................................................... 14
1
Local Government Financial Stability/Local Control
Local governments and local economies have been severely impacted by the global Covid-19
pandemic. While Congressional members have supported funding for some enterprises of local
communities like airports, transit and housing, they have continued to ignore the significant
needs of local governments by eliminating direct funding to cities in the CARES Act stimulus
legislation. Federal leaders ignored mayors from across the country and also ignored nationally
recognized economists from both parties who advocated for direct funding to local governments
to ensure the health and safety of its citizens and to provide for a robust economic recovery.
In order to provide for lowa's citizens and our local economies, IOWA'S mayors and local
elected officials depend on state legislative leaders to prioritize local control and financial
stability for local governments. Added to the lowa Constitution in 1970's, Home Rule allows
flexibility to make key decisions locally - where best decisions are made closest to the residents
impacted. Financial stability is provided through commitment to support for the backfill, through
continued funding of necessary resources for public safety and through preservation of
economic development tools like tax increment financing and other programs and policies that
promote strong local economies, provide for a good quality of life and ensure strong public
health resources.
Protect and Support Backfill
Legislation providing for commercial property tax reform passed in the lowa Assembly in 2013.
This legislation included language providing for cities and protecting local residential taxpayers
ensuring they would not bear the tax burden of this reform bill.
Requested Action:
Continue to hold lowa cities and residential property tax payers harmless
for the backfill created by the commercial property tax reform legislation.
Continue backfill payments to local governments.
Property Tax
The current tax structure for state and local governments is a mix of tax laws, rates and policies
that do not provide for a fair and consistent tax system. The lowa League of Cities and the lowa
State Association of Counties (ISAC) have identified key areas needing revision for a
comprehensive tax reform in lowa. They include: 1) changes to assessment and valuation
procedure, 2) changes to city and county budgeting processes, 3) developing an alternative to
current property tax limitations, and 4) elimination of the rollback formula and homestead
exemption.
Requested Action:
Work with the lowa League of Cities, the Metropolitan Coalition and ISAC to
approve legislation to design a tax structure that provides tax equity and
policies that are consistent with an overall direction for state and local
government taxation.
2
Local Option Sales Tax
The State should give consideration to increasing the allowable local option sales tax from 1%
to 1.5%. This would allow local governments more flexibility to deal with any negative impacts
property tax reform may cause. In the case of Dubuque, an increase of 0.50% in local option
sales tax would generate approximately $4 million dollars, half of which is used for property tax
relief.
Requested Action:
Increase the allowable local option sales tax from 1% to 1.5%.
Repeal Amended Administrative Rule ARC2178C
Recent actions by the State Administrative Rules committee have preempted the actions of the
Legislature in defining lowa Tax Code. Consequences of this action by the Administrative Rules
Committee will have an impact on City of Dubuque revenues and specifically have an adverse
impact on the Flood Mitigation Program of harvesting sales tax increment to pay for bonds
issued.
Requested Action:
Seek legislation to disapprove of any amended revenue rules adopted by
the lowa Department of Revenue as proposed in ARC 2178C that "expand
the number of items that qualify as exempt computers, machinery, or
equipment" in lowa Code Chapter 423, which is how the proposed rules
described what they are intended to do.
Assessor's Bill
Property tax experts or representatives are now part of the tax appeal process. A tax
representative can file an appeal for a large commercial property under a contingency basis,
receiving their pay based on a percentage of the property tax savings they can achieve for their
client. In many of these cases little or no money is expended by the taxpayer. The
representative files a protest with the Board of Review and supplies little or no information to the
Board. The Board may deny the protest, but the tax representative will file a protest to either
District Court or the Property Assessment Appeal Board. At this point the tax representative
may produce more information or they may try to negotiate a settlement. On the assessor's
side it may be very costly to hire appraisals and fight this out in Court. A single appraisal for a
large Commercial or Industrial property will easily exceed $5000.
Also, many appeals to the Board of Review are filed at the last minute with a statement such as
information to be presented at hearing. Many appellants never provide the information or
provide it very late in the Board of Review session, so the Board is unable to reach a well-
founded conclusion.
Requested Action:
Request the lowa Legislature to limit appeals to District Court and the
Property Assessment Appeal Board to matters and information that were
presented before the local Board of Review.
3
State Mandates
Cities are often faced with implementing mandates from the state and federal governments
without receiving the necessary funds for implementation.
Requested Action:
Enact legislation that exempts local government from providing any new
service or engaging in any new activities mandated by the state if the state
does not provide full funding for the mandated additional staff, equipment
and infrastructure.
Economic Development
The role of city government in economic development is crucial. Economic activity
requires roads, streets, airports, water and sanitation. New jobs necessitate more and
better workforce housing. Growing businesses seek quality of life amenities for
employees and families, such as parks, recreation, bike trails, art, museums, and
libraries. Protection and safety of property and life must be assured. A community
must value equity and be welcoming. This can only be accomplished with the strong
support of an effective city government in partnership with local private sector and non-
profit leaders and state and federal government officials.
Tax Increment Financinq (TIF)
The lowa Code provides that cities can use TIF for certain public and private economic
development purposes once an urban renewal plan is approved and an urban renewal
district established. The ability to use TIF to assist private economic development
projects in urban renewal districts is an essential ingredient of the City of Dubuque's
nationally recognized success, providing financing and incentive for private investment.
The City of Dubuque has prioritized the redevelopment of our urban core; cities need
tools like TIF to accomplish this. The Slum and Blight Urban Renewal TIF allows cities
across the state to reclaim their urban cores, restore otherwise abandoned historic
properties, and create more sustainable communities. TIF is one of the most important
economic development tools available to cities.
Since 2010, there have been a total of 44 development projects that have utilized TIF.
These projects have received an estimated $33,961,779.89 in direct TIF incentives..
These projects have leveraged $307,964,204 in capital investment throughout the
greater downtown. These projects have resulted in the retention of 3,229 jobs in
Dubuque and the creation of 729 jobs. This does not include many of the jobs added to
the downtown employment base where there was no direct TIF agreement with the
employer but rather the projects were facilitated by loan pools and other methods
benefiting from the Downtown TIF district.
This has all worked because responsible elected officials, who while acting in an
entrepreneurial fashion to encourage community growth, have used TIF, the City's only
meaningful local economic incentive, in a strategic fashion.
4
Dubuque has leveraged TIF to achieve consistent, significantjob growth and maintain a
strong, diversified local economy. Over the years, it has facilitated the purchase and
development of 1,470 acres of land in our industrial parks and Port, the attraction and
expansion of 55 businesses, and created 6,483 jobs.
The Milken Institute named Dubuque its 10th Best-Performing Small Metro for 2013, the
same year that Forbes ranked Dubuque 14th in the nation in its annual "Best Small
Places for Business and Careers." Wages and income for residents have grown, as
evidenced by a 15% increase in median household income from 2013 ($51,475) to
2017 ($59,150) in Dubuque's MSA. lowa Workforce Development reported Dubuque's
MSA labor force to be 60,300, a 20% increase from 50,500 just two decades
ago. Dubuque's unemployment rate was just 2.4% in August 2019, a tremendous
rebound from 1983 when it was 24%. This type of job growth and low unemployment is
only possible through the strategic use of TIF. Like many other communities, the
COVID-19 pandemic has had a deep, negative impact on local employment. The
Dubuque Metropolitan Statistical Area unemployment claims for May 2020 reached as
high as 12.6%. However, unemployment claims for June 2020 we reduced by 3.9%
resulting in the second highest employment growth rate in the state.
Since TIF is really the only economic development financing tool available to lowa
cities, Dubuque often uses TIF as the local match required when partnering with the
lowa Economic Development Authority. This was certainly the case with the 1,300 jobs
created by IBM, the over 200 retained and 200 created jobs at Hormel and the 420 jobs
retained and created by A.Y. McDonald. Without the flexibility this tool provides,
Dubuque would not have this kind of success in job creation and retention.
A very important priority of the City of Dubuque, the Historic Millwork District, benefited
initially with a $105 million investment of private and public dollars, rebuilding much of
the street network, underground utilities, creating parking
and renovating the Caradco Building (Schmid Innovation � �
Center) into 72 apartments, and 35,000 square feet of ��` � � � '�
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commercial and retail space. Two additional buildings � �. , �, R� F �,�,.
requiring approximately $40 million in investment, with 92 = ff �� �� � � ��� �'�.l�l��l
additional apartments and tens of thousands of square .�,]�,:� ��, �,������,���(1l
feet of commercial industrial space were renovated and - ��' 'r -'
came online in 2015. In 2019, Dupaco Community Credit �-r���
Union began the rehabilitation of a five-story building to }
house its corporate headquarters. Ultimately, the entire Historic Millwork District will
have well over $200 million in investment leveraging new business creation and much
needed workforce housing for Dubuque. This Historic Millwork District slum and blight
subarea TIF was established in 2008. Legislative proposals which place restrictions on
Slum and Blight Urban Renewal TIF Districts would rapidly dissolve the City's financial
investment in this priority project for the City of Dubuque which will require many more
years, and likely decades, of investment in order to reach its potential.
The City of Dubuque would oppose TIF reform that would prohibit the use of TIF
revenue on public buildings, which would stop the creation of parking ramps
(vital to the economic viability of downtown businesses!) and City efforts to
restore the Historic Federal Building, an iconic anchor building in the downtown
allowed to go into disrepair by the Federal Government.
5
The City of Dubuque supported legislation requiring increased transparency, fastidious
data collection and antipiracy language for TIF reform, but cannot support reform that
limits or sunsets the City's use of slum and blight and economic development TIFs.
Even in these areas, the language should be narrowly crafted so as not to stifle
economic and community development activities by cities. No language should be
included that could limit or destroy job creation and economic development potential
that exists in current TIF laws.
Requested Action:
Support efforts to maintain Tax Increment Financing as an economic
development financing tool. Oppose restrictions on use of TIF for public
infrastructure and oppose the "sunsetting" of TIF districts.
Retiring TIF - New Tax Money to Taxing Bodies in
Fiscal Year 2019
$900,000
$795,174
$800,000
$700,000
$800,000 $579,086
$500,000
$400,000 $337,144
$300,OOD $�34,752
$2U0,000 $170,958
$99,532
$100,OOD . $1� $58,478
$9,854 _ =,377
$-
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Eminent Domain
During 2006, the Legislature approved changes to the Eminent Domain Law. Included
in the changes, and of particular concern, is the requirement that seventy-five percent or
more of the area included in the urban renewal plan must consist of property in a slum
or blighted condition at the time the plan was established in order for the entire project
or acquisition plan area to be subject to condemnation by the municipality. We believe
that a 51% threshold is more reasonable. Furthermore, the new language provides that
the project or acquisition plan area shall only include the adjacent and contiguous
parcels necessary for the completion of planned activities for a specific business or
housing project. This language would be limiting for downtown development projects
that may be larger in scope than just the parcels that meet the definition of slum and
blight. Lastly, the burden for the use of eminent domain for airport project is increased
by the requirement that the Board of Supervisors must hold a public hearing and pass a
6
resolution unless the airport improvement is FAA-required. This creates additional
layers of burden on a municipality.
Requested Action:
Support efforts to amend sections of the Eminent Domain Law to allow for
changes as proposed by the lowa League of Cities and noted above.
State Historic Tax Credits
The lowa Historic Preservation Tax Credit was passed in May 2000 to promote
investment in our historic resources in communities, codified in Section 404A.4.
Rehabilitation of these resources contributes to the economic viability as well as the
strength of our communities. The secondary impacts of this historic tax credit on our
communities are countless. The program provides a tax credit of 25% of the qualified
rehabilitation expenses for qualified projects. Thus, each credit represents an
investment in our community of at least four times the amount of the credit. Additional
revenues are generated through increased property taxes, income taxes, and sales
taxes.
The cap for the program is currently set at $45 million per year.
Between the beginning of the program in 2000 and the year 2013 (the most recent year
for which we have total project costs available from the state), Dubuque completed 31
projects using the State Historic Tax Credit program. Just over $42 million in SHTC
funding leveraged over $142 million in additional funding sources. And, between 2014
and 2016 an additional 13 projects were awarded funding by the state.
These projects have added well over 2,000 permanent jobs to our economy, not
including the construction jobs to complete the large projects. These 2,000 people
would equate to an $80 million annual payroll.
Critical workforce housing needs in the City of Dubuque make state historic tax credits
and other financial incentives a top priority as the City works to promote redevelopment
and reinvestment in our urban core.
Recent concerns raised by the lowa Department of Revenue have resulted in a
slowdown of the State Historic Tax Credit program. City staff and partners of the Smart
Growth Coalition will work with the respective state agencies (DCA, IDR, and IEDA) to
reduce current overall timeframe or Part 1, 2, and 3, and tax credit certificate return.
Other suggested administrative changes to the program include recommending an
adjustment go the basis method and clarification of submission requirements to reduce
the number of resubmissions, due to an increased number of exceptions.
Requested Action:
Join with local governments across the state and private sector partners
through membership in Smart Growth Development Coalition to:
• Preserve, improve, and expand the State Historic Tax Credit Program
boosting credit from 25% to 30% to mirror the Federal Historic Tax
Credits
• Increase the State capped dollar amount
7
Quality of Life and Community Enhancements
Successful quality of life programs need continued funding, such as Enhance lowa, REAP, CAT
funds, RECAT lowa Great Places, the lowa Main Street program funds, and tax credits for
historic preservation.
Requested Action:
Protect and enhance economic development tools enabling cities in lowa
to promote economic improvement throughout the state.
Childcare
In many lowa communities, childcare has become unaffordable, inaccessible,
or nonexistent. As a result, working parents miss work, drop shifts, are less engaged on the job,
switch employers, or leave the workforce altogether. Child care is an essential and under
emphasized tool for our state to develop, grow, and sustain a reliable workforce..
Research consistently shows that increasing workers' access to affordable, high quality
childcare options isn't simply a benefit for parents; it improves the economy. Providing access
to quality affordable child care positively impacts the bottom line of lowa companies and is
critical to sustaining a strong workforce and economy.
The lowa Women's Foundation recommends the following:
Requested Action:
Top recommendations
• Increase funding to Early Childhood lowa (ECI ) for a public private
partnership for the purpose of increasing the availability and access to
quality affordable childcare.
• Increase funding to lowa Association of Young Children to adequately
support and expand WAGE$ statewide.
• Reinstate the Before and After School Grants program that was established
in 2007 to create a state funding stream for quality before school, after
school and summer programs
• Increase Child Care Assistance entrance income limits.
• Increase reimbursement rates (using $8M DHS holdover)
Other recommendations
• Continue flexibility regulations...
• Implement tax credits to incentives that encourage investments in
childcare solutions
o Business Tax Credit: Provide a credit for businesses that have
donated funds to childcare centers to support eligible childcare
expenses, based on the quality rating of the center.
o Family Tax Credit: Support families based on childcare expenses,
federal childcare tax credit, state childcare tax credit, and the quality
rating of the center at 100% deductibility for child
o care expenses.
o Provider Tax Credit: Reward centers based on their quality rating
and the number of Child Care Assistance Program or foster care
children that are served. Centers become eligible if they participate
8
in the statewide quality rating system at a level 2 or above, and their
benefits increase with the proportion of at-risk children they serve.
o Teacher and Director Tax Credit: Recognize teachers and directors
for their professional education and commitment to the field.
o Child Care Resource and Referral Tax Credit: Provide a credit for
businesses matched to the amount donated to Resources and
Referral agencies up to $5,000.
• Include the Child Care Workforce as high demand occupations with lowa
Workforce Development
Land Bank Policy
In order to return blighted and abandoned properties to productive use quickly, states
have passed legislation that streamlines the tax foreclosure process by giving
ownership of these tax reverted properties to a nonprofit land bank therefore obtaining
them earlier in the tax foreclosure auction process. Further legislative reform in these
states has redirected money collected from unpaid and delinquent property taxes
toward land banks for purposes of funding the land banks and for the purchase of tax
reverted properties. The City of Dubuque in collaboration with its regional partners will
explore the formation of a land bank that would purchase tax reverted properties
through the tax foreclosure process. The land bank would maintain these properties
until purchase by a responsibility buyer, ensuring the properties return to productive
use.
Repuested Action:
Support Land Bank legislation and work with State partners to approve
redirection of monies collected from unpaid and delinquent property to a
regional landbank for funding and for the purchase of additional tax
reverted properties.
E ult
Mandatory Minimum Sentencinq
Mandatory minimum sentences are punishments ordered by judges with terms set by
Congress to those who have been convicted of crime; they dictate that certain crimes
require, by law, a set amount of time in prison. Mandatory minimum sentencing laws
effectively strip judges of their authority to take the circumstances of a crime into
account and shift sentencing power to prosecutors who often use the threat of these
laws to intimidate defendants into pleading guilty in order to receive a reduced sentence
(Written Submission of the American Civil Liberties Union on Racial Disparities in
Sentencing, 2014). In theory, mandatory minimum sentencing laws are "race neutral"
and should affect everyone who has been convicted of a crime equally regardless of
race. In practice, however, this is very much not the case. Prosecutors are more likely to
levy heavier sentences against people of color in general than they are against whites,
while federal prosecutors are over twice as likely to charge black defendants with
offenses that carry a mandatory minimum than white defendants (Report to the United
9
Nations on Racial Disparities in the U.S. Criminal Justice System, 2018). This has led to
lowa having one of the highest rates of imprisonment for black people in the nation
(Stageberge & Rabey, 2013).
Requested Action:
Support striking mandatory minimum sentencing provisions, allowing
judges to apply sentencing guidelines in a way that takes facts into
consideration so that sentences fit the crime.
Minority Impact Statements
Used to address possible disparities caused by proposed legislation, minority impact
statements largely serve as guidelines for state legislators to utilize in crafting laws that
are fair and do not have disproportionately negative effects on women, people of color,
or people with disabilities. Minority impact statements were designed to help prevent
disparities from getting worse. A 2015 review of lowa's minority impact statements
conducted by The Associated Press concluded that the statements had "a modest
effect"; of 26 bills that were concluded to have disproportionate effects on minorities,
only 6 became law, while 14 out of 35 bills that were determined to be neutral or had
positive effects on minorities passed and became laws (Foley, 2015).
Requested Action:
Support legislation that requires minority impact statements to be attached
to any bill, joint resolutions, or amendment.
Fundinq for youth/younq adult internships
Internships provide experience, training, and build connections that can help youth and
young adults achieve professional success. Youth and young adults with internships on
their resumes are more likely to find full-time employment after they graduate, with over
50% reporting job offers by the time they graduate (Hecht, 2016). In addition,
internships have been shown to help change career directions for the better, with 34.8%
indicating a significant change in career direction and 46.3% indicating a slight change
(Saltikoff, 2017). There are significant racial disparities among interns; while over 68%
of white students have participated in internships, less than 60% of black and Latino
students have participated in them (Hecht, 2016). Gender disparities are also
significant, with women being 20% more likely to be in unpaid internships than men.
Unpaid internships largely go to those who can afford them, with students from high-
income households being more likely to participate than students from low-income
households.
Requested Action:
Support legislation that provides funding specifically targeted towards
creating paid internships.
10
Early Warninq Systems
As it relates to policing, an early warning system is a data-based management tool used
to detect and categorize officers who exhibit problem behaviors and to correct said
behaviors. Effectively, early warning systems are supposed to help police departments
get involved before their officers' problem behaviors merit some form of penalty. Early
warning systems have been used since the 1980s. By 1999, 39% of police departments
were using early warning systems (Walker, Geoffrey, & Kenney, 2001). By 2007, an
estimated 65% of police departments utilized early warning systems (Vracar, 2020).
Even though early warning systems have seen more use over the years, problematic
behavior persists. The core issue with early warning systems is not that they are
underutilized, but that there is no process to audit existing early warning systems that
would prevent protocol from being ignored.
Requested Action:
Ensure that local governments have the flexibility to establish early
warning systems.
Support for Minority Owned Small Businesses
With only one minority-owned business for every 43 residents, lowa's ratio is the lowest
in the nation (Clark, 2014). lowa's black population is one of the most underserved
small business markets in the nation, representing a mere .8 percent of lowa's business
population compared to 7.1 percent nationally (Armstrong, 2016). Disproportionately,
businesses owned by people of color have not had access to the funding provided by
certain federal and state programs. Programs like the federal Paycheck Protection
Program exclude many minority-owned businesses by requiring businesses to have
employees (other than the owners) on the payroll in order to qualify. People of color
who own small business are less likely to have strong relationships with their financial
institutions, and many immigrants and refugees who own small businesses are less
likely to have access to information they need (Thrane, 2020). The largest minority
business development program in the state — the Targeted Small Business (TSB)
program — has received severely limited promotion since 2012 (Augustine, 2014). As a
result of the COVID-19 pandemic, however, a fund has been created to support the
TSB program (COVID-19 Targeted Small Business Sole Operator Fund, 2020).
Consistent funding for and promotion of the TSB would make it easier for more minority
business owners to access and learn about resources they could use to support their
businesses.
Requested Action:
Support legislation that provides targeted funding for black-owned small
businesses.
Disproportionate arrests for Mariivana use and possession
Under both federal law and lowa state law, recreational use of marijuana is illegal. lowa
has some of the harshest penalties for first-offense marijuana possession in the nation,
with possession of any amount of marijuana being a misdemeanor with 6 months of
incarceration and having a maximum fine of $1000. These penalties are far more likely
to harm people of color. With black people being almost eight times more likely than
11
white people to be arrested for marijuana possession (despite the fact that both use
marijuana at roughly equal rates), lowa is surpassed only by Montana, Kentucky,
Illinois, and West Virginia in terms of racial disparities in arrests for marijuana
possession (Edwards, et al., 2020).
Requested Action:
Support legislation that legalizes marijuana or, at a minimum,
decriminalizes marijuana use and possession.
Oppose State Leqislation Pre-emptinq Cities from Addressinq
Affordable Housinq Crisis
The Fair Housing Act is over 50 years old. However, housing in the state of lowa is
anything but fair. The availability, cost, and conditions are greatly impacted by available
resources (income), age, disabilities, marital status, familial status, race and ethnicity. It
is also important to mention that affordability doesn't equate to quality. Often, homes that
are affordable are not quality units.
lowa is, sadly, #2 on the list of"The 10 Worst States for Black Americans." Black lowans
are half as likely as white lowans to own a home. 11% of black Dubuque residents owned
their home compared to 74% of white Dubuque residents. It is important to note this is
not just a black/white issue as 65% of Hispanic households are renters. The
demographics of renters in Dubuque are as follows:
26% White
89% Black
35% Hispanic
Thousands of families in lowa continue to struggle to afford a home. Rents continue to
rise, but wages aren't rising. In 2017, the rents in Dubuque required a wage of$15,75 to
be able to afford a 2-bedroom apartment at an affordable rent. At a minimum wage job,
it would require 2.2 full-time jobs to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in Dubuque. Of note,
affordability also increasingly impacts seniors living on fixed incomes.
The recommended percentage a family should pay for housing is 30% of gross income
on housing. In Dubuque, 21°/o of renting families are paying more than 30%, and 24%
are paying more than 50%, of their gross wages toward housing. Blacks, Native
Americans, and Latinos are disproportionately likely to be severely cost-burdened.
Across the country 1 in 6 families spends more than 50% (half)of their income on housing.
The federal Housing Choice Voucher program can ONLY provide assistance to
approximately one-quarter ('/4) of the families eligible across the nation. While there is a
need for four times (4x) the funding, the programs supporting housing at the federal level
continue to be scaled back. For example, the budget for the federal HOME Investment
Partnerships Program, for affordable housing for rent and homeownership for low-income
people, dropped 62% between 2005 and 2015. Funding for rental assistance has
reached its lowest level relative to the size of the economy since 1980 over the last 6
years.
12
The recent federal tax bill limited the value of the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit and as
a result, it is estimated that nearly 235,000 fewer apartments will be built over the next
decade.
At the federal and state level the housing crisis isn't being addressed sufficiently. Local
governments have been forced to get creative to help the vulnerable and poor populations
in our communities, which are often our older citizens, single parent households, and
communities of color.
The state should be supporting cities efforts to address disparities in affordable, quality
housing in lowa instead of using preemption laws to stop local governments from
addressing the housing crisis that's touching every corner of the nation.
Requested Action:
Oppose legislation pre-empting local government from passing Source of
Income ordinances or other local ordinances to address the affordable
housing crisis.
Support Court Fine and Fee Reform
Court fines and fees often become a barrier to financial self-sufficiency for families living
in poverty. Given the disproportionate number of African-Americans living in poverty and
interacting with the court system, this has a significant racial equity impact. Currently,
under lowa Court Rules Chapter 26, an individual must have $300 in court debt before
they are eligible for a payment plan or can perForm community service. When they
enter a payment plan, a minimum payment of $50 is required. Community service is
valued at the minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, yet the value of a volunteer hour in
general is $27.20 as of July 2020. Participants in community service supervision
programs currently are charged $50 to be supervised, which defeats the purpose of
allowing community service as an alternative to payment because they cannot afford
the fees and, in any event, is not a financially sustainable model. The agency
historically tracking community service in Dubuque (Project Concern) couldn't financially
support the continued operation of the program as the $50 paid by the individual
needing supervision was a flat fee. $50 was paid whether the individual had 2 meetings
over the course of a month with the staff member or 25 meetings over three (3) years, it
wasn't a sustainable model financially. While the judges at the local level were
supportive there were no court funds to support the work being done. A community
service funded program to work off Court debt should properly be managed by the
Courts/Clerk of Court.
Requested Action:
Eliminate the $300 eligibility threshold for a payment plan; eliminate the
minimum payment requirement of$50; eliminate the $300 eligibility
threshold for community service; set a viable and realistic value of an hour
of community service to equate to the value of a "volunteer hour" which
was $27.20 as of July 2020; properly fund staffing in courthouses to
account for tracking community service efforts across the state as
opposed to the hodge podge of community service systems set up at the
local level without proper funding across the state.
13
Transportation
Transportation fundinq
Dubuque is the regional economic center for the lowa,
Illinois, and Wisconsin tri-state area. With local
international companies and businesses such as the
John Deere Dubuque Works, Nordstrom Distribution � �=.�_:- '- "�'"~�"�""��
Center, Mc Graw Hill Publishing Company, AY McDonald � �'���r'�� -_s.�R-3.
Manufacturing, KendalUHunt Publishing and Hormel Food � �=� `���:�
Corporation, a 21 st century transportation infrastructure �
system is essential. In order to continue the consistent
and strong economic growth and job creation in the tri state area, critical
transportation infrastructure requires increased state and federal funding.
Transportation projects and improvements in Dubuque include:
• Completion of the Southwest Arterial bike trail
• Planning, design, ROW acquisition and construction of the East West
Corridor
• Improvements and enhancements of the at grade railroad crossings in
Downtown Dubuque
• Intersection enhancements at the Northwest Arterial and Highway 20
intersection
• Bring the Northwest Arterial up to a state of good repair prior to the transfer
of jurisdiction of the SW Arterial to the IDOT
Requested Action:
In order to increase transportation revenue for these and other important
transportation projects the City requests support of the lowa Department of
Transportation Commission to maintain its current programmed funding
and increased opportunities for funding to ensure implementation of
priority transportation projects.
lowa's Road Use Tax Fund (RUTF)
According to lowa Code, road use tax funds (RUTF) are studied every five years in
order to identify alternative revenue options that could support and enhance the fund as
traditional transportation modes evolve and older funding streams diminish.
Local governments recognize that local transportation systems carry great importance
not only for public safety and quality of life, but also for mobility, commerce, community
vitality and economic development. The transportation system is in demand 24 hours a
day, regardless of its road and bridge conditions or other factors. When existing funding
14
sources are inadequate to address failing or deteriorating infrastructure needs, local
governments are faced with aging and limited infrastructure as well as safety concerns.
While the State of lowa's gas tax increase in 2015 increased current and near-future
Road Use Tax Fund revenues, consideration needs to be given to future road funding
needs and mechanisms as lowa's drivers purchase fewer gallons of conventional
vehicle fuels.
Requested Action:
Investigate alternative funding mechanisms to increase funding for lowa's
transportation infrastructure. Study to include possible additional revenues
from agricultural, energy, and other sectors that have heavy traffic and load
impacts on lowa's transportation systems.
COVID Stimulus Bill Fund Distribution
The $900 billion stimulus bill recently signed by the President contains no direct
transportation funding for local governments. However, the Governor can choose to
direct stimulus funds to local governments to replace lost revenues due to COVID.
Requested Action:
Legislative support for local governments to receive COVID transportation
fund reimbursement for lost Road Use Tax Funds.
Passenqer Rail
Through the Envision 2010 process, the Citizens of Dubuque have established a
Passenger Rail Committee to support and promote the return of passenger rail service
from Chicago to Dubuque.
There is a Memorandum of Understanding with the State of Illinois to implement
passenger rail service between Chicago and Dubuque. Currently funding provides for
connection from Chicago to Rockford, Illinois. The City has been successful in
partnership with DMATS and the local Ride the Rail citizen group in securing funding for
the feasibility study of passenger rail return from Rockford to Dubuque.
Requested Action:
Continue to support the return of passenger rail from Chicago to Dubuque,
with local and regional partners.
Dubuque Reqional Airport
According to the State Aviation System Plan (2010-2030) lowa's aviation system need is
$816M or $43M per year. From commercial passengers, to commercial freight, and our
corporate and general aviation communities, lowa's system of airports needs significant
investment if lowa is to remain competitive in today's global marketplace.
15
Airport Infrastructure Reinvestment for lowa (AIR-lowa)
The State of lowa's allocation in 2020 for airport vertical infrastructure was $1.8M
dollars leaving an unfunded gap of$40.2M annually.
Requested Action
• Approve a 10-year allocation of Rebuild lowa Infrastructure Funds
(RIIF) in the amount of $16.5M per year, for a total of $165M toward
airport vertical infrastructure.
• As proposed, lowa's annual investment in commercial service airport
vertical infrastructure would increase to $13.5M annually; and,
• As proposed, lowa's annual investment in general aviation airport
vertical infrastructure would increase to $3.OM annually; and
• As proposed, vertical infrastructure grants should require a five
percent local match by the airport owner.
Keep lowa Aviation Emplovers Competitive
IPAA supports the concept of previously proposed HF 2573 - Aircraft Parts and Labor
Taxes (F) - The bill would have repealed lowa's taxes on aircraft parts and labor. House
File 2573 was approved by the House of Representatives on a vote of 89-7 on March 5,
2020. Less than a week later the Legislative Session was shut down for over two
months over health concerns. Five of lowa's neighboring states (IL, MN, MO, NE, WI)
have a sales tax exemption of aircraft parts and labor. Only SD does not. This effort is
about helping lowa employers offer competitive pricing to nontaxed discounted pricing
offered by out-of-state companies.
Requested Action
Current lowa Statute limits the parts and labor sales tax exemption to "air
carrier" only, thereby, excluding many of lowa's aerospace employers. This
exemption should be extended to include general aviation operation as well.
Protect Airport Zoninq and Airspace
Protecting and preserving airport approach and departure paths is one of the main
reasons airport protections were placed in the lowa Code many years ago. The safety
and protection of the public, pilots and passengers must not be placed secondary to
tower siting considerations.
Requested Action:
DBQ opposes any efforts to eliminate, supersede, or lessen the zoning and
airspace protection abilities of local communities for their public airports.
16
Housinq
Smart Growth Workforce Housinq Grant Proqram
Creation of the Smart Growth Workforce Housing grant program under the discretionary
policy of the lowa Finance Authority provides greater opportunity for the City of Dubuque and
its partners to stabilize the community and will prioritize environmentally sustainable
development and will promote economic development. This grant program was established in
the 2010 legislative session. The program, however, lacks funding.
Definition
Smart Growth practices are settlement patterns that avert urban sprawl by encouraging more
compact development, greater transit use, and enhanced environmental protection. Workforce
housing is normally defined as housing affordable to households earning between 80 percent
and 120 percent area median income (AMI). Affordable, in the housing industry, means a
household pays no more than 30 percent of its annual income on housing. Smart Growth
Workforce housing is the combination of these concepts—the development of sustainable,
transit-oriented housing that is affordable for our workforce.
What can our workforce households afford to pay for housing? "The National Housing Act of
1937" created the public housing program... [wherein] a tenant's income could not exceed five
to six times the rent; and by 1940 income limits gave way to the maximum rent standard in
which rent could not exceed 20 percent of income— in practice, the same as the predecessor
income limit standard. Over the decades, that percentage has risen, so that by 1981 the
threshold was set at 30 percent of income. Households that spend over 30 percent of income
on housing are considered cost burdened. Why the increase? Was it truly deemed a more
appropriate benchmark? Or was it simply in response to an increase in housing costs and the
government's inability to subsidize housing for an ever-growing number of struggling
households?
Over the past decade, rising housing costs have outpaced the =�_�
average salary across the United States — in some areas by two- to =�--_==_=-=
five-fold. Many workers in urban areas have dealt with this �° � k�_ �,� �o �-
t __.
discrepancy by living far from their downtown jobs or by living in R ��` --
housing they can't afford. Unfortunately, the former solution is offset � �� , ' � `� �
by an increase in transportation costs. And what is the price we pay � � �►��,,;,;,, ;,::�4�_'���,,i �
for the latter solution? "Families who pay more than 30 percent of � � -�,�� _ �
their income for housing are considered cost burdened and may '�
have difficulty affording necessities such as food, clothing, transportation and medical care." In
fact, a full 37% of homeowners and 50% of renters today are cost burdened.
Fortunately, housing costs in smaller urban and rural areas are often within closer reach for
workforce households. However, in areas where vacancy rates are low—calling for the
production of new units—development of quality housing is financially impossible, as
operational income on the properties is not enough to cover interest payments on the project
mortgage. Low local rent levels, although beneficial for tenants, preclude developers
from creating new units, despite a community's housing shortage. For this reason, many
developers have turned to the LIHTC program to make their projects financially feasible,
whether or not this fulfills the community's particular housing demand.
Meanwhile, the recent economic downturn and housing market woes have combined to create a
new class of workers, forced into the rental market because they do not qualify for a mortgage.
Displaced workers with homes that won't sell, families who've had their homes foreclosed,
young professionals with student loans, and households that might otherwise be able to afford
17
mortgage payments if only they could come up with the higher requisite down payment
demanded in a tight lending climate— all of these are moving into the rental market. This
creates a rather sudden increase in the demand for rental residential units for households that
are neither wealthy, nor are they eligible for low-income housing.
The creation of affordable housing options for our workforce allows communities to attract and
retain quality employers. If the only housing that developers can afford to produce is intended
for low-income or wealthy households, we should not be surprised to see such a disparity in our
communities' income levels. To have a healthy mix of incomes, we must have housing options
available for all income levels.
Requested Action:
• Fund the lowa Finance Authority Smart Growth Workforce Housing
grant program.
• Allow access to funds from the National Housing Trust Fund for the
rehabilitation of dilapidated and long-vacant properties, despite
having a prior residential use.
Workforce Housinq Tax Credits
The "sun-setting" of the lowa Economic Development Authority's Enterprise Zone program in
2014 resulted in the creation of two new tax credit opportunities under the High-Quality Jobs
Program: one for economic development and the second for workforce housing. The City of
Dubuque supported this policy decision in the 2014 legislative session however some
refinement of the workforce housing tax credit program will be necessary in the 2018 legislative
session in order to meet the demand identified in the State's workforce housing study completed
in 2012. The legislative changes in 2014 expand access to the worthwhile housing program, but
the cap is unnecessarily limiting.
Requested Action:
The City supports moving the workforce housing tax credits out of the
aggregate lowa Economic Development Authority's Economic
Development Tax Credit Cap. The workforce housing program is a housing
program and not a direct economic development incentive and should not
be restricted as such.
Technoloqy and Innovation
Broadband Infrastructure
Dubuque supports state efforts to expand broadband access and speeds in the state.
Like water, sewer, energy and roads, affordable access to globally relevant internet
speeds is a minimum infrastructure necessary to the quality of life of our families and
the competitiveness of our businesses. State policy should support and incent
public/private collaborations to accelerate broadband access and services. State policy
should support innovations in new technologies and flexibility in existing systems like
the lowa Communication Network (ICN). State policy should fund innovative
approaches by local communities to bring globally relevant broadband speed and
services to under-served and hard to serve populations. State policy should not hamper
18
local municipalities from directly addressing the issue and providing service to citizens
where appropriate. Also, while we support the concept of improved efficiency and
transparency in the regulatory process to encourage private broadband investment, we
ask that care be taken with State policy to assure there is sufficient flexibility for local
government to be able to respond to local complexities and needs with permitting,
licensing and regulatory decisions. Preservation of the use of the public right of way for
utilities provides benefits to all right of way users. Reasonable regulations that provide
for efficient use of sometimes very limited public right of way space is a wise investment
that pay dividends in the future to all taxpayers. When the first utility into a location
inefficiently installs their utilities, it drives up future installation costs for utilities that
follow behind. The additional incurred costs by the following utilities are then passed on
to rate payers. Individual residents and commercial property owners can also incur
additional costs installing private service laterals when utility conflicts exist in front of
their private property. Lastly, if the State chooses to "target" its broadband efforts, those
targets should not be based on artificial distinctions of "urban versus rural" or "small
versus large", but rather on key consideration of whether in a specific location there is
access to globally competitive infrastructure in terms of broadband access, choice,
speed, redundancy, safety, and cost.
Requested Action:
Continue to support policy and funding for expansion and universal access
to broadband in the State of lowa. Modernized the statewide
telecommunications franchise agreement from 1918 (check date with
Barry). We continue to support home rule around location and policy
regarding broadband resources.
Requested Action:
Redefine "rural" and create an equitable formula for the distribution of
broadband grant funding and other broadband funds throughout the state
of lowa.
Emerqency Manaqement — Homeland Security
Flood Mitiqation Proqram
Federal Emergency Management Administration has asserted that for everyone dollar
expended in disaster mitigation programs/projects, taxpayers save four dollars in
recovery costs. The newly established State Flood Mitigation program is designed to
leverage local and federal dollars with state financial assistance and is funded up to
$600 million over the next twenty years. This amount will most likely be insufficient in
addressing the flood mitigation infrastructure demands of lowa cities.
Requested Action:
We urge legislators to continue to appropriate funds annually to the flood
mitigation account in order to support local governments faced with high
costs of these public infrastructure flood mitigation programs in order to
protect the lives and property of lowa citizens.
19
Combined Emerqency Communications and Emerqency Operations
Center
Dubuque County has experienced eight presidential disaster declarations since 1999.
Increased frequency and impacts of disasters on the City of Dubuque has created the
need for expanded facilities. Combining emergency operations and communications
will deliver services more effectively and efficiently to citizens of Dubuque and Dubuque
County.
Emergency Operations Centers have been in place throughout the state of lowa for
decades. The City of Dubuque's Emergency Operations Center is currently located at
the Dubuque Emergency Responder Training Facility. It had been previously located in
the Dubuque Fire Headquarters basement since the mid-twentieth century. EOCs were
built during the Cold War and with a focus on civil defense. Today, with more frequent
and extreme weather events as evidenced by Dubuque's high number of Presidential
Disaster Declarations, demand for a new combined center is evident.
The Emergency Communications Center is located in the Dubuque County Law
Enforcement Center. It is in the middle of the building and is restricted for future growth.
Currently there are 5 full console positions, and 1 administrative (computer only)
position. With the numbers of calls and the severity of some of them, there is a need to
have additional capacity for call taking and dispatching. The Center has been
remodeled several times and future expansion is limited. Due to the COVID-19
Pandemic and new Social distancing restrictions, the Communication center has been
split into 2 different room until the pandemic is over. The center is nearing completion of
updating its radio system to a P25 System with all Public safety agencies using the new
system at this time and by February 2021 having Dubuque Public Works Department
and other city departments using the system. Even though updates to the radio system
have occurred at current location, there still is restrictions on growth and capabilities
during high volume times and disasters.
In order to respond to the well-being and safety of the citizens of Dubuque, and to the
increased demand for services created by more frequent disasters, and in order to
replace aging and inefficient facilities, efforts are underway to explore funding
opportunities that would enable the creation of a combined Emergency Communications
and Emergency Operations Center.
The State of lowa has partnered with many larger city/county governments to assist in
funding combined emergency communications centers and emergency operations
centers.
Requested Action:
Work with area legislators to explore opportunities for partnership and
funding for a combined Emergency Communications and Emergency
Operations Center.
Support increasing 911 Surcharge funding percentage to get the 911 Funds
back into the local's hands to assist local 911 Service Boards with
maintaining 911 systems.
20
Public Safety
On January 24, 2017, Dubuque Chief of Police Mark Dalsing and Davenport Chief Paul
Sikorski, along with the County Attorneys from Polk and Blackhawk Counties, and the Mayor of
Des Moines, testified before the lowa Senate Judiciary Committee to request the State take a
harder look at firearms and violent crime issues across the state.
Chief Dalsin_q pave a statement requestinp the followin_q, and this is Dubuque's
Requested Action:
• Requirements for high, cash-only bonds for crimes involving
firearms or violent crime
• Review of existing codes to determine if penalties are sufficient (as
compared to federal penalties)
• Exploration of new codes to address additional unauthorized
persons possessing firearms (as compared to federal codes)
• Exploration of limitations on plea bargains for cases involving
firearms or violent crime
• Review of sentencing guidelines for gun crimes, including
mandatory minimums
• Analytical research into the individuals involved in gun crime and
violent crime for commonalities and cause and effect variables so
effective treatment can take place
Chief Dalsing has provided the following information on shots fired calls:
Confirmed Shots Fired Murders
2016 2017 2018 2019 2016 2017 2018 2019
Dubuque 26 20 5 16 1 1 1 0
Davenport 152 168 195 195 6 12 6 2
Cedar Rapids 77 103 117 99 4 6 3 6/7*
Waterloo 99 62 85 92 3 6 6 2
lowa City 20 20 NA 13 0 4 0 1
Ames 3 3 2 2 1 1 1 1
NA = Not Available
*6 incidents with 7 victims
21
Establishment of professional Mental Health/EMT teams to Support
local Police and community safety
State leadership and funding is required to establish and support alternative teams of
local community service providers to work with local police professionals to address
public safety. Police professionals are called upon more frequently to serve as first
responder, mediator, mental health counselor, and social worker.
Requested Action:
Create a state task force to study replicable models that could address the
need for support teams for local police. Identify funding sources for mental
health professionals, medical professionals and social workers who would
staff this expansion of community service to residents.
Full Fundinq for Judicial Branch Services
Public safety and basic tenet of judicial process depends upon a robust fully funded
judiciary which provides for its citizen clients: access, timely processing, staffing and
services. Critical funding must be provided for all judicial services including juvenile
court offices and services, drug court, and judicial access.
Requested Action:
Support legislation which provides full funding for the requested budget of
the State of lowa's judicial branch. To do otherwise jeopardizes work being
done with youth and is a compromise to public safety.
Hate Crime Statute
According to FBI Hate Crime Statistics, hate crimes against people based on gender
identity are on the rise. The 2016 data, released in November 2017, indicates that 2%
of reported hate crimes were committed against people based on gender identity. This
compares to 1.7% of reported hate crimes in 2015, 1.8% in 2014, and .5°/o in 2013 (the
first year that hate crimes based on gender identity were reported). Note that not all
jurisdictions report hate crime statistics to the FBI and jurisdictions like lowa would
report zero based on gender identity because state law omits gender identity from the
hate crime statute.
As of July 2017, 17 states plus the District of Columbia have hate crime laws that
include gender identity. lowa is one of 13 states whose hate crime law includes sexual
orientation but does not include gender identity.
http://www.lqbtmap.orq/equalitv-maps/hate crime laws.
A 2016 murder in Burlington garnered national attention when local law enforcement
officials could not charge the homicide as a hate crime based on the lack of including of
gender identity in the statute. https://www.nytimes.com/2017/10/26/us/transgender-iowa-
murder-trial-kedarie-johnson.html.
The American Psychological Association, which takes a public health approach to
violence prevention, notes that dehumanization of unfamiliar groups and targeted
22
aggression that is behind hate violence can result in more dramatic psychological
effects on victims as compared to crimes that are not motivated by bias. In addition,
hate crimes tend to decrease feelings of safety and security in the community for
members who share the victim's group status.
http://www.apa.orq/advocacy/interpersonal-violence/hate-crimes.aspx
Requested Action:
Amend hate crimes statute to include gender identity.
Library Services
Fully Fundinq Enrich lowa Proqram
Enrich lowa is a state aid program for lowa's libraries. Until recently, lowa was one of eight
states without direct state aid to libraries. Current state funding is at $1 million statewide versus
the recommended $3 million for full funding. If Enrich lowa were fully funded, the Carnegie-
Stout Public Library could realize a significant increase annually in state aid.
Requested Action:
Support efforts to increase funding for the Enrich lowa program.
Human Resources
Municipal Fire and Police Retirement System of lowa
Police and firefighter pensions are funded through the Municipal Fire & Police Retirement
System of lowa (MFPRSI). Employees contribute a fixed 9.4 percent of their salary, while their
employers contribute at a variable rate, with a statutory minimum of 17 percent.
The city contribution rate is set by the nine-member MFPRSI board to meet actuarial
requirements. The board includes four members representing police and firefighters, four
members representing cities, and one private citizen —all serving four-year terms.
The employer contribution rate was 17 percent from fiscal years 1997 through 2003. As a result
of market crashes after the September 11, 2001 attacks, it was gradually raised to 28.21
percent in Fiscal Year 2006 before again dropping to the statutory minimum in Fiscal Year 2010.
Since then, it increased to 19.90 percent in Fiscal Year 2011, 24.76 in Fiscal Year 2012, 26.12
percent in Fiscal Year 2013, 30.12 percent in Fiscal Year 2014, 30.41 percent in Fiscal Year
2015, 27.77 percent in Fiscal Year 2016, 25.92 percent in Fiscal year 2017, 25.68 percent in
Fiscal Year 2018, 26.02 percent in Fiscal Year 2019 and 24.41 percent in Fiscal Year 2020.
The problem with MFPRSI is largely about the variability of the contribution rate. Cities' IPERS
contribution rates since 1994 have never been below 5.75 percent and never been above the
current 9.44 percent—a difference of 64 percent. With MFPRSI during the same period,
however, the difference between the statutory minimum and the maximum (30.41 percent in
Fiscal Year 2015) is almost 79 percent.
Another small but contributing factor is the state's decision to phase out payments to MFPRSI.
23
At one time, the state contributed 3.79 percent of payroll to the system —an amount that would
be more than $9 million now. Then the contribution level became a flat $2.7 million — and it's
dwindled since then. The state used to contribute $1.5 million a year and now they contribute
zero.
In a larger context, the public-safety-pension issues relates to local control. Cities cannot
bargain with police and firefighter unions on pensions, yet they have to fund them at state-
mandated levels.
Requested Action:
The State of lowa shall fund their obligated percentage for their share
(3.79%). Change legislation to lift the cap for the employee contribution
and consider reducing enhanced benefits for new employees coming into
the system.
411 Subroqation
Currently in Chapter 411, cities are not allowed to seek reimbursement from Third Parties for
costs incurred for Police and Fire injury and illness claims. As such, a Police or Fire employee
may collect against the City for an injury or illness claim and collect a second time for the same
incident against a Third Party. If the employee is successful in getting payment from the Third
Party, the City is currently not able to obtain reimbursement (subrogate) from the Third-Party
payment.
Requested Action:
Amend Chapter 411 to allow cities to seek reimbursement from third
parties for costs incurred for Police and Fire injury and illness claims.
Continuation of Group Insurance
lowa Code Section 509A.13 states:
"If a governing body, a County Board of Supervisors, or a City Council has procured for
its employees accident, health, or hospitalization insurance, or a medical service plan,
or has contracted with a Health Maintenance Organization authorized to do business in
the state, the governing body, County Board of Supervisors or City Council shall allow
its employees who retired before obtaining sixty-five years of age to continue
participation in the group plan or under the group contract at the employee's own
expense until the employee obtains sixty-five years of age."
The Governmental Accounting Standards Board (GASB) has issued an Accounting
Standard Statement 75, related to other post-employment benefits. This statement
requires public employers sponsoring and subsidizing retiree health care benefit plans
to recognize the cost of such benefits on an accrual basis. This post employment
benefit is provided in the form of an implicit rate subsidy where pre-age 65 retirees
receive health insurance coverage by paying a combined retiree/active rate for the self-
insured medical and prescription drug plan. This creates a liability that must be
reflected on the year-end financial statements. We are not required to fund this
obligation; however, the total obligation appears in our Comprehensive Annual Financial
Report.
Requested Action:
Repeal lowa Code 509A.13, Continuation of Group Insurance.
24
lowa Code Chanqes
Mobile Home Communitv Protections:
Legislation related to mobile homes and mobile home communities was adopted at a
time when mobile homes were truly mobile. Today, mobile homes are more stationary
than they have been historically. However, lowa laws have not been updated to reflect
this important and highly consequential change. Today, some companies are using
current law to their financial benefit and to the detriment of mobile home community
residents. These predatory practices are putting vulnerable citizens in financially
precarious situations and sometimes in financial jeopardy. Mobile home communities
can be a viable choice in lowa's efforts to create affordable housing opportunities
across the state. Therefore, review and reform of current law is vital.
Requested Action:
A comprehensive review and reform of the State code related to mobile
home community protections is necessary to protect lowa citizens and to
support the goal of affordable housing in lowa.
Authority to Petition for Title to Abandoned Lots
A gap has been identified in lowa Code, Chapter 657A; while cities can petition for title
to abandoned residential, commercial, and industrial properties with buildings, cities
have no authority under 657A.10A to petition for title to abandoned lots. Abandoned
lots can be time consuming and expensive for cities to maintain.
Requested Action:
Include abandoned lots in lowa Code, Chapter 657A and allow cities to
petition for title to abandoned lots as well as abandoned residential,
commercial, and industrial properties with buildings.
Underaqe and Binqe Drinkinq
Current legislation provides for a penalty to be placed upon the establishment that
serves minors. However, only a simple misdemeanor penalty is placed upon the
underage person attempting to purchase alcoholic beverages. This does not
discourage this problem, which is particularly prevalent in college-age students. In an
effort to combat underage consumption and "Binge Drinking" by our college age
population, we would ask legislative consideration to increase the simple misdemeanor
penalty found in lowa Code Chapter 321.216 and 123.50 to a higher penalty.
Requested Action:
Pass legislation to increase the simple misdemeanor penalty found in lowa
Code Chapter 321.216 and 123.50 to a higher penalty.
Eliminate "Good Moral Character" lanquaqe from lowa Code
One of the criteria for the issuance of a State of lowa liquor license is determined by
"Person of Good Moral Character" as defined in State of lowa Code 123.3 (26)(d). The
25
State takes into consideration the local municipality's interpretation of"Person of Good
Moral Character" prior to issuing a liquor license.
Requested Action:
Urge legislators to eliminate "good moral character" language and replace
it with objective standards.
Adult Entertainment
The City supports efforts by city attorneys to create legislation that would allow the city to
regulate adult entertainment. Draft legislation would provide that cities and counties would
regulate establishments that offer, allow or permit nude or semi-nude dancing.
Requested Action:
Support legislation drafted by city attorneys of lowa giving the City
authority to regulate adult entertainment establishments.
Planninq & Zoninq
Expand Cities' Extraterritorial Jurisdiction
Cities have extraterritorial jurisdiction (ETJ) for up to two miles from their corporate
limits for subdivision review and approval only if the County has zoning for the rural
areas. Extending the cities' ETJ to include review and approval of zoning changes
would facilitate planned and managed growth. Legislation should provide incentives for
governments to voluntarily plan together and identify recommended land use impact to
be considered during the planning process. The League supports legislation that
expands land management practices such as ETJ of cities to include review and
approval of zoning changes.
Requested Action:
Support legislation enabling cooperative planning and effective land
management practices.
Smart Planninq Principles
State agencies, local governments, and other public entities shall consider and may
apply the following principles during deliberation of all appropriate planning, zoning,
development and resource management decisions.
Requested Action:
Support comprehensive planning and the Smart Planning Principles
outlined in lowa Code, and opposes any legislation to remove or weaken
the practice of sound planning in lowa's communities.
26
Livable Communities
A livable community is one that is safe and secure, has affordable and appropriate
housing and transportation options, and offers supportive community features and
services.
Requested Action:
Supports state policies that seek to improve quality of life by promoting
development of safe, accessible, and vibrant environments. Policies could
address sustainable land use, mixed use developments, multigenerational
and affordable housing, alternative transportation, and efforts to help
residents age in place.
New State Law: Payday Lenders
Payday loans are defined as small, short-term, unsecured loans, and are sometimes
referred to as cash advances. Payday loans generally require that the consumer have a
previous payroll and employment record, generally charge a much higher interest rate than
a standard bank loan and carry a substantial risk to the lender.
Payday loans are packaged as short-term loans due on a borrower's next payday, but in
reality, borrowers are indebted far longer and pay far more than advertised. The average
loan requires one-third of a borrower's biweekly paycheck, exceeding what most can afford
without having to borrow again. Opponents of payday lenders recommend that cities and
states regulate the industry by capping interest rates, requiring credit checks for patrons
and by implementing zoning regulations.
Payday lending is legal in the state of lowa according to lowa Code Ann. § 533D et seq.
Loan terms are as follows: the maximum loan amount is $500 and the maximum term is 31
days. A lender is allowed to charge finance charges and fees up to $15 for a loan of$0-
$100 as well as $10 more on every $100 borrowed thereafter. Finance charge equals
$16.67 for every $100 borrowed for 14 days. APR equals 433% for every $100 borrowed for
14 days.
In lowa, many cities have adopted separation requirements for the location of payday
lenders; however, zoning to separate payday lenders has little effect on existing businesses
or on consumers using an existing business or an on-line resource. lowa communities
cannot regulate interest rates or prohibit payday lenders.
Since 2011, Pew Charitable Trust has conducted extensive research on payday, auto title,
and similar loans, and found that these products suffer from unaffordable payments,
deceptive business practices, and excessive prices. The Pew Charitable Trust has these
five policy recommendations to minimize harm to consumers and make small-dollar loans
more affordable:
1. Limit payments to an affordable percentage of a borrower's income. Monthly
payments above 5% of monthly pretax income are unaffordable for most borrowers.
Loans requiring more should be prohibited unless rigorous underwriting shows that
the borrower can pay the loan while meeting other financial obligations.
2. Spread costs evenly over the life of the loan. Front-loading of fees and interest
should be prohibited. Any fees should be paid evenly over the life of the loan, and
27
loans should have substantially equal payments that amortize smoothly to a zero
balance.
3. Guard against harmful repayment or collections practices. Policymakers should
prevent or limit the use of postdated checks and automatic withdrawals from
borrowers' bank accounts. They should also make it easier to cancel automatic
electronic withdrawals and protect against excessively long loan terms.
4. Require concise disclosures of periodic and total costs. Loan offers should
clearly disclose, with equal weighting: the periodic payment schedule, the total
repayment amount, the total finance charge, and the effective annual percentage
rate (APR) inclusive of all fees.
5. Continue to set maximum allowable charges. Almost every state sets maximum
allowable rates on some small-dollar loans because these markets serving those
with poor credit histories are not price competitive. Policymakers may limit rates to
36% or less if they do not want payday lenders to operate, or somewhat higher if
they do.
Requested Action:
Pass legislation to implement the policy recommendations listed above for
payday lenders.
Historic Preservation
Restore the Historic Site Preservation Grant Proqram (HSPG)
The State of lowa needs to restore funding to the Historic Site Preservation Grant Program
(HSPG). This program was the only "brick & mortar" fund to encourage cultural growth and
development throughout the state of lowa. The Historic Site Preservation Grant provided funds
to acquire, repair, rehabilitate, and develop historic sites that preserve, interpret, or promote
lowa's cultural heritage. Projects funded by this program had to promote an understanding of
the record of human experience within lowa.
All HSPG projects were limited to work on "vertical infrastructure," which is defined in lowa Code
Chapter 8.57 as "land acquisition for construction, major rehabilitation of buildings, all
appurtenant structures, utilities, and site developments."
The maximum allowable grant request was $100,000. The minimum allowable grant request
was $40,000. Projects required dollar-for-dollar cash match.
Requested Action:
Restore State funding for the Historic Site Preservation Grant Program
(HSPG).
Property Owners on Historic Preservation Commissions
Section 303.34 of the lowa Code requires that "At least one resident of each designated
area of historical significance shall be appointed to the commission." This requirement
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is problematic for the City of Dubuque's Old Main Historic District, which is primarily
commercial. It would be beneficial for the City in the recruitment and retention of
commissioners to be able to appoint property owners to represent historic districts.
Furthermore, since historic preservation regulations apply to the rehabilitation,
renovation, and restoration of property, allowing property owners to serve on the
commission would be appropriate.
Furthermore, some lowa cities are experiencing burgeoning commissions as historic
districts are designated and representatives of each district are appointed. To avoid
"over-populating" a commission, allowing a majority of the districts to be represented on
a historic preservation commission would be appropriate.
Requested Action:
Enact legislation allowing property owners to represent a majority of the
historic districts on the Historic Preservation Commission.
Appeal of Actions by Historic Preservation Commission
Section 303.34 of the lowa Code states that an aggrieved party may appeal the action
of a historic preservation commission to the City Council, and then to district court. The
City Council, like the court, has to consider whether the commission exercised its
powers and followed the guidelines established by law and ordinance, and whether the
commission's action was "patently arbitrary and capricious." This process places the
City Council in the difficult and uncomfortable position of interpreting technical
guidelines and determining their appointees "arbitrary and capricious." The City Council
would support an alternative process.
Also, there is no procedure specified in Section 303.34 for appeals to district court. The
procedure for appeals should be spelled out in that section.
Requested Action:
Consider legislation providing an alternative appeal process regarding an
action of the historic preservation commission. Also, clarify the procedure
for appeals to the district court.
Park and Recreation
Parks to People Initiative
The lowa Parks Foundation has been working tirelessly to create economic and
recreational facilities opportunities to grow all regions across the State of lowa. The
Jones, Jackson and Dubuque county region was selected for the lowa Parks
Foundation's pilot project. The pilot project - Parks to People - aims to better connect
state, county and city regional park systems to local communities. The initiative
beautifies and improves state, county and city parks to ensure lowa will become a
premier parks region in the Midwest. Parks to People is also a quality-of-life program for
29
the citizens of the State of lowa and an economic development and tourism
enhancement initiative.
As a part of the first pilot region (Dubuque, Jones and Jackson counties), parks in the
region received $1.9 million in state appropriation and has been assisting in raising an
additional 5:1 match which will include financial contributions and volunteer donations of
time, talent and resources. Currently the region which is now called Grant Wood Loop
has projects totaling over $50 million to build upon the state's $1.9 million appropriation
far, far greater than the 5:1 match required of the state provided funding. More than 80
projects across the three counties (both rural and urban) were completed prior to the
December 2018 pilot project deadline.
The regional Grant Wood Loop initiative continues today with very strong public-private,
government, and nonprofit partnerships. The City of Dubuque supports the regional
Parks to People efforts and promotes the goals of regional collaboration: economic
development, quality of life, wellness, education, arts and culture and outdoor
recreation.
Requested Action:
Create $2 million-dollar dedicated funding for regional planning,
redevelopment, enhancement and development planning and
implementation that leverages strong public-private partnership with state
resources leveraged at 5:1 match at the State Department of Natural
Resources.
Increased/Stable Fundinq and Staffinq for Mines of Spain State
Recreation Area
The ability of 1,400-acre Mines of Spain State Recreation Area near Dubuque to remain
a focal point for environmental and cultural educational programs and interpretive
activities for the tri-state area of lowa, Illinois, and Wisconsin is seriously threatened by
tenuous State funding.
Loca/Response to State Needs
The Mines of Spain is a regional destination where visitors and residents can reconnect
with the natural, cultural and ecological aspects of the park through interactive and
comprehensive outdoor and indoor learning opportunities.
The Mines of Spain and the E.B. Lyons Interpretive Center currently serves over
250,000 visitors annually and provides hundreds of programs for school aged children,
college students, youth groups and families.
When more space was needed at the Interpretive Center, the Friends of the Mines of
Spain (FOMOS) planned and coordinated an expansion that updated and more than
doubled the original space for educational purposes, raised $1.8 million in private, local,
state and federal funds.
The award-winning LEED-certified Interpretive Center welcomes visitors to one of the
region's best-conserved natural and cultural resources, where people can explore the
history and natural riches of the park.
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Working with the IDNR, the City of Dubuque, the FOMOS, private donors and the lowa
Natural Heritage Foundation raised over $1.98 million to acquire and developed a 52-
acre addition adjacent to the Interpretive Center.
A Unique Sfate Park wifh Nafional Park Credentials
The Mines of Spain State Recreation Area includes woodlands, prairie, and bluff lands
that overlook the Mississippi River along a 3-mile shoreline. This state park is a
National Historic Landmark and a state preserve. Trails connect visitors to a farm site,
forests, prairies, archeological sites, and wetlands.
It also boasts some of the most diverse ecological habitats ranging from bluff lands that
overlook the river to tall grass prairies, forested woodlands and wetland.
This National Historic Landmark also contains thousands of years of human history
dating from the early Mississippian period through the early 20th century. Mounds,
village sites, rock shelters, trading post sites, and campsites dot the landscape. The
Mines of Spain Recreation Area was designated in 2005 as a Silos and Smokestacks
National Heritage Area Site.
State Support for Investment and Operation
The IDNR, the City, and the Friend of the Mines of Spain have an excellent track record
as partners. This partnership success can continue with the increased and stable
funding for the operation, maintenance, and staffing of the Mines of Spain. Success, we
believe, will be reached with asset management funding from secure State funding
sources to enable us to fully use the expanded Interpretive Center and park area. With
stable State funding, Park staff can maintain the Mines of Spain as the local, regional,
state and national treasure it is and should remain. The outcome is a place for
expanded education, increased experiences for the visitor and heritage tourism to
attract more visitors to the state. Without this increased/stable funding the ability to use
and appreciate these newly built and acquired facilities/land are seriously threatened;
past investments are at risk for being wasted.
COVID-19 brought thousands of new park users to the Mines of Spain Recreation Area.
This use increases the health, both physical and brain health of lowans. The increased
usage creates additional need for maintenance staffing and support thus state help is
needed for increased funding for the operations and staffing of Mines of Spain
Recreation Area.
Requested Action:
Increased state supported funding for the �, � ��
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Increased fundinq of REAP (Resource Enhancement and Protection)
REAP stands for Resource Enhancement and Protection. It is a program in the State of
lowa that invests in, as its name implies, the enhancement and protection of the state's
natural and cultural resources.
REAP is funded from the state's Environment First Fund (lowa gaming receipts) and
from the sale of the natural resource license plate. The state legislature sets the
amount of REAP funding every year. Interest from the REAP account and receipts from
the sale of natural resource license plates add about $500,000 to this appropriation.
Last year REAP received an appropriation of $12 million although the REAP program is
authorized to receive $20 million per year.
REAP has been used extensively in Dubuque for land acquisition and trails. Most
recently it was used to acquire an adjoining property to the Mines of Spain State
Recreation Area and extension of the Northwest Arterial Trail which directly connects to
the Heritage Trail as well as environmental restoration of Eagle Point Park. Both benefit
tourism and connecting people to the outdoors with active recreation. Since 1998
Dubuque County has received over $6.95 million in REAP allocations for 220 projects
for city parks and open space grants, conservation education, county conservation
grants and allocations, historic resource development grants, land management,
roadside vegetation, and soil and water enhancement.
Requested Action:
Request that the lowa Legislature work to increase REAP to full funding of
$20 million and create more permanent year after year funding.
Natural Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund
The lowa Legislature has a great opportunity to fulfill its promise to lowans to protect
lowa's land and water by passing a measure that funds the Natural Resources and
Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund, also called lowa's Water and Land Legacy.
In 2010, over 60% of lowa voters supported creation of the Fund to provide reliable and
dedicated funding for the protection of water quality, conservation of agricultural soils
and improvement of natural areas such as fish and wildlife habitat. However, no money
will go into it unless the Legislature raises the sales tax. If raised, the first three-eighths
of the tax will go toward the Trust Fund. It was reported that this would generate about
$150 million a year. Once funded, the Trust Fund guarantees that money in the Trust be
allocated as shown in the graph.
32
REAP
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Our most productive soil is being lost at an alarming rate, threating the economic engine
that is lowa's family farms. Funding the Trust Fund will provide protection of these
resources for future generations by:
• Providing significant funding for investments in voluntary soil conservation
practices and technology that can improve yields and profits on lowa farms.
• Fostering and leveraging partnerships between agriculture, the non-profit and
private sectors and government for implementation of water quality and soil
conservation practices.
• Allocating 33% of the funding to voluntary soil and water conservation and local
conservation partnerships.
The Trust Fund will also allow for investment in natural approaches to flood prevention
that can improve water quality while protecting our farms, cities and neighborhoods from
future flooding.
Outdoor recreation provides real economic benefits to lowa's communities, particularly
rural ones by contributing millions in local and state tax revenues, providing jobs and
generating billions of dollars in lowa's economy.
• Hunting, fishing and wildlife watching generate $1.54 billion per year in
lowa. This includes $974 million in local retail sales, creating and supporting
more than 17,800 jobs.
• Hunters alone support over 7,000 jobs in lowa and spend over $449 million
annually on their sport, which in turn generates over $47.8 million in state tax
revenue.
• Visits to state parks, county parks, lakes and trails are estimated at 50 million
visits per year, representing $2.63 billion in spending levels.
• River recreation supports more than 6,350 jobs with $824 million in sales and
$139 million of personal income.
33
Recreational amenities and quality of life opportunities are critical to recruiting and
retaining a highly educated and motivated workforce.
Requested Action:
Pass legislation to increase the state sales tax from 6 percent to 6 and 3/8
percent with the 3/8 of one percent to be deposited in the Natural
Resources and Outdoor Recreation Trust Fund that the voters of lowa
already supported with a significant majority.
State Recreational Trails Proqram
The state recreational trails program (SRT) provides funds to establish recreational
trails throughout lowa for the use, enjoyment and participation of the public. The
program is restricted to the acquisition, construction or improvement of recreational
trails open for public use or trails which will be dedicated public use upon completion.
The citizens of Dubuque have benefitted from this grant program to establish trails in
our community connecting recreational resources as well as providing trail
transportation corridors for bikes and pedestrians. Trails continue to grow in popularity
and are an economic engine for the state.
In the last six years the lowa Department of Transportation program has had funding of
$3.4, $2.5, 1.2, $1, $1.5, and $1 million to award with requests each year ranging from
$23.4 million to $10.5 million in the lowest year. The need far outweighs the funding
available which keeps decreasing.
Requested Action:
Authorize additional funding each year at a stable level appropriate to the
needs for the State. The fund typically had a $2 million funding but in
recent years that has seen a 25 to 50% decline.
Arts and Culture
Vibrant and livable communities in lowa are those that support and invest in arts,
culture, and humanities initiatives and programs as tools for economic and community
development. Equitable access to and representation in arts and cultural programs
improves the quality of life for all lowans and stimulates economic activity, helping to
attract and retain a diverse workforce which is essential to lowa's economic vitality and
competitive edge. Arts and culture as a stand-alone industry is a bustling sector,
supporting a wide variety of education, entertainment, recreational, and skilled-trades
jobs while providing essential revenue streams for local travel and hospitality
businesses and generating significant contributes to federal, state, and local
governments. lowa's arts and culture sector is a necessary element of the state's
overall COVID-19 recovery strategy and a long-term asset for the state's overall growth
and vitality in the 21 St century.
34
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Community-created Solidarity Mural at Dubuque's Five Flags Civic Center. Designed by local artist Shelby Fry.
Painted by 75+volunteers June 2020.
Nationally, the arts and culture sector is a $804.2 billion industry, representing 4.3% of
the nation's GDP — a larger share of the economy than construction (4.0%) or education
services (1.1%). In lowa, the arts and culture sector contributes $4 billion to the state's
economy, representing 2.2% of the state's GDP and representing 42,373 jobs.
According to the National Assembly of State Arts Agencies, lowa ranks 4'St of all states
in per capita spending of 47 cents for arts and culture through its state arts agency. The
National average is $1.49. Neighboring states are rank higher than lowa: Minnesota
ranks 1 St at $7.22 per capita, Illinois 2nd at $5.00 per capita, and Nebraska 28th at 78
cents. These total FY2020 appropriations include line-item funds designated by the
legislature to pass through the state arts agency to other entities.
A decade ago, Dubuque participated in one of the most comprehensive economic
impact studies of the nonprofit arts and culture industry ever conducted in the United
States. The Arts & Economic Prosperity IV study was conducted by Americans for the
Arts, the nation's leading nonprofit organization for advancing the arts and arts
education. The results showed that Dubuque's nonprofit arts and culture sector
generates $47.2 million in annual economic activity, supporting 1,530 full-time
equivalent jobs and generating $5 million in local and state government revenues and
$36.7 million in household income to local residents.
The Dubuque City Council is a strong advocate, investing in and prioritizing arts and
culture initiatives to foster equitable access and representation in a thriving arts and
culture community. 'Diverse arts, culture, parks, and recreation experiences and
activities' is one of right City of Dubuque Goals 2024.
Since 2004, the Dubuque's City Council has taken actions such as establishing an Arts
and Cultural Affairs Advisory Committee, dedicating $35,000 annually in special project
grants, and establishing a Downtown Cultural Corridor managed by Dubuque Main
Street. Additional investments include an operating support grant program for local arts
and culture non-profits which has grown from $200,000 in FY06 to $250,000 in FY21.
An annual rotating public art program was seeding as a ten-year $300,000 CIP in FY06
35
and is now funding through the City's general fund at $37,500 annually. A part-time,
now full-time staff position, of Arts & Cultural Affairs Coordinator was added in FY09
and continues as a key member of the City's Economic Development Department team.
To date, the City of Dubuque has provided $3.96 million in funding for the arts since the
establishment of the City's Arts and Cultural Affairs Advisory Commission in 2004.
In 2014, the City recognized the need for master arts planning which would include a
public art plan in order to advance its' reputation as a regional arts hub. The City
engaged Lord Cultural Resources to assist in the creation of this Arts and Culture
Master Plan, which was subsequently adopted by City Council in 2016. The document
serves as a guide to assist the City in strategically resource management, ensuring that
arts and culture remain an integral part of the community into the future, and engages
the community on the implementation of the plan, which reflects the community's desire
to utilize arts and culture to enhance the sense of community; contribute to Dubuque's
economic vitality; create and support an environment where art and culture thrive; and
enrich the Dubuque community culturally, aesthetically, educationally, and
economically.
We are pleased to see that FY20 total legislative appropriation including line items was
a 7.3% increase over FY19. City funding alone is insufficient for the arts and culture to
flourish in state-wide, especially in rural communities where municipal funding for the
arts rarely exists.
The support of the lowa Department of Cultural Affairs, its various divisions, and their
subsequent grant programs, is vital to the arts and culture organizations and creative
workers in Dubuque. Dubuque does not currently offer grant programs for individual
artists or for-profit culture entities; the lowa Arts Council (IAC) Project Grants and lowa
Artist Fellowship Program provide critical opportunities for creative culture bearers to
create their work and engage their communities. IAC's other grant programs including
School Arts Experience, Cultural Heritage Project Grants, Cultural Leadership Partner
Operating Support Grants, Arts Build Communities Grant, and others provide essential
support for educational opportunities, community enrichment, and economic
development arts-based projects that would not take place without sustained or
increased funding from lowa's legislative appropriation to its state arts agency.
Requested Action:
Continue to regard and fund the arts and culture sector as an essential
lowa industry attracts and retains lowa's workforce, inspires business
development, supporting economically viable jobs, generates state and
local government revenue, and is a cornerstone of the state's tourism
economy.
Continue to support and fund programs at or above FY20 levels through
the Department of Cultural Affairs (lowa Arts Council, State Historical
Society of lowa, and Produce lowa) to continue recognizing and promoting
lowa's cultural heritage as key in COVID-19 recovery strategy for all lowa
communities.
36
Provide funding for appropriate staffing levels at the Department of
Cultural Affairs to increase service and support of the arts and culture
community throughout all parts of the state.
Explore and implement funding mechanisms to raise the ranking of lowa
from 41St in the nation per capita through the state's arts agency as
reported by the National Assembly of Arts Agencies. lowa ranks 41st of all
states appropriating $.47 per capita which is less than a third of the
national average of$1.49 in FY20. lowa ranked 40t" in FY19.
Support IA SCR8 to establish a fine arts program interim study. This bill
would create a Fine Arts Program Interim Study Committee to review lowa's
fine arts standards that were adopted in 2017.
Sustainability
Enerqy Efficiency & Renewable/Alternative Enerqy
Every year, the American Council for an Energy Efficient Economy ranks states on their
energy efficiency policy and program efforts. lowa ranked 36th, (down from 24t") in the
nation for its efforts to promote energy efficiency. At one time, lowa ranked as high as
15t"in the nation. Businesses, residents and local governments have taken advantage
of existing incentive programs, but still have much work to do in order to make their new
and existing buildings more energy efficient. As energy efficiency is achieved, private
and public organizations as well as individuals have begun to explore a variety of
alternative and renewable energy options to increase their energy independence,
reduce dependence on coal and oil, reduce greenhouse gas emissions, improve the
competitiveness of local business and improve public health.
In 2016, the lowa Economic Development Authority and lowa Department of
Transportation initiated a statewide process to develop the lowa Energy Plan. The plan,
which the City of Dubuque has been engaged in developing, focuses on energy as an
economic development opportunity, lowa's energy resources, energy efficiency and
conservation, and transportation and infrastructure.
However, in 2018, legislation imposed a spending cap on utility demand-side
investment and now allows customers to opt out of paying for programs that fail to pass
the Ratepayer Impact Measure test. Early indications from utility filings forecast a drop-
in savings of 25-50% for electric programs and 75-80% for gas programs (Source:
American Council for an Energy-Efficient Economy). The impact of these cuts is
already being felt in Dubuque, with decreased funding for the Green lowa AmeriCorps
program. We also anticipate that the decreased funding for rebates and other efficiency
programs will be felt by our residents and businesses in the coming year.
Requested Action:
The City strongly advocates for implementation of the recommendations of
the lowa Energy Plan, specifically as they relate to energy efficiency and
37
opportunities to support the development of renewable energy resources
in the state. The City is represented in the Dubuque County Energy District
and will work collaboratively with energy districts across the state to
provide leadership and technical assistance to advance efficiency and
renewable work.
Successful energy efficiency incentive programs should be continued, and
lowa should explore opportunities to remain competitive with other states
in offering incentives for the installation and utilization of renewable and
alternative energy. Specifically, the state should consider a progressive
energy policy that works with local governments and utilities to 1) provide
energy efficiency assistance, especially to low-income families, 2) remove
barriers to widespread decentralized renewable energy use, 3) stabilize
renewable energy incentives, and 4) protect net metering and third-party
power purchase agreements and support other opportunities to make
renewable energy more cost-effective and accessible.
The City supports removal of code language that prevents cities from
adopting a stricter energy code and encourages the state to adopt the 2018
IECC energy code as well as the International Green Construction Code
(IGCC). In addition, the City supports adopting all building codes one year
after issued by the ICC, which impacts water usage, EV charging
infrastructure, HVAC and other resources.
The City supports state legislation to permit Property Assessed Clean
Energy, or PACE, in lowa. PACE financing offers an innovative way for
property owners to pay for energy efficiency upgrades with strong ROIs
that create jobs for lowans. PACE programs can now be used in over 30
states, with over $30 million provided to improve buildings in the last 12
months according to the US Green Building Council. Long-term financing
linked to properties incent investment in energy-efficiency and renewable
energy projects with long-term ROIs and promote equitable sharing of
costs and savings among current and future owners and tenants. In
addition, the state should offer tax credits from building above the adopted
energy code (such as PHIUS, DOE Net Zero, etc.) and offer tax credits for
efficiency upgrades to low-income occupied homes and rental units.
The City recognizes that buildings make up the majority of our resource
usage and supports making all buildings be Water sense certified and
proposes an energy-use disclosure at sale or lease of all structures.
Additionally, the City supports the lowa Clean Cities Coalition and is
interested in partnering with the State in any way possible to advance the
development of alternative fuel fleets and the infrastructure needed to
make those fleets possible in the public and private sector. Support
policies that incentivize EVs and allow for development of electric vehicle
charging infrastructure.
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Repeal of the Beveraqe Containers Control Proqram
Recent years have seen the introduction of legislation that would repeal the beverage
containers control program and create a recycling enhancement program. While this
legislation has been characterized as moving in the direction of a more comprehensive
statewide solution making recycling easier and more strategically addressing litter, the
real consequences of such legislation would be to shift collection and cost burden from
redemption centers to local government. This increased cost of recycling services
would fall squarely on the taxpayers of Dubuque and other lowa cities.
Requested Action:
Oppose bottle bill legislation that would shift the burden of recycling cans
and bottles to local taxpayers.
https://www.renewableenergyworld.com/articles/2019/07/massachusetts-incentivizes-ener��
stora e�-systems-for-commercial-property-owners.html
Public Health
Brain Health
The 2017 lowa Acts, Chapter 109, Section 17 directed the Department of Human
Services (Department) to convene a stakeholder workgroup to: "...make
recommendations relating to the delivery of, access to, and coordination and continuity
of brain health, disability, and substance abuse disorder needs, particularly for
individuals with complex brain health, disability, and substance use disorder needs."
The Complex Service Needs Workgroup recommends expanding and improving lowa's
brain health and substance use disorder services array to fill gaps for individuals with
the most complex service needs by developing and implementing in strategic locations
throughout lowa.
City of Dubuque Public Health and Safety officials recognize the positive aspects of the
recommendations that align with City Council priorities. The recommendations are very
comprehensive and address the continuum of care for behavioral and brain health
issues, from mild to serious diagnoses. The recommendations also provide the
opportunity for the regions to collaborate certain types of facilities and treatments. The
recommendations address law enforcement issues and provides tools for law-
enforcement and other entities working in community health.
Requested Action:
Support the recommendations from the report of the Complex Service
Needs Workgroup to expand and improve lowa's brain health and
substance use disorder services array to fill gaps for individuals with the
most complex service needs by developing and implementing the following
facilities and services in strategic locations throughout lowa and supports
the following legislative action:
39
• Require brain health and disability services (MHDS) regions to
establish, implement, and maintain services in partnership with
managed care organizations (MCOs) in strategic locations
throughout lowa;
• Direct the Department to establish a single set of provider
qualifications and access standards that are used for Chapter 24
accreditation, lowa Medicaid Enterprise for Medicaid enrollment,
MHDS Region standards, and MCO utilization review standards
• Direct the Department to establish access standards that allow
and encourage multiple MHDS Regions to strategically locate and
share intensive, specialized services among and between MHDS
Regions to best serve lowans in the most efficient manner
possible
• Eliminate the lowa code that limits the number of sub-acute care
facility beds
• Establish brain health specialty courts in statute for each judicial
district, funded with standing appropriations to the Judicial
Branch and Department of Corrections
The City also supports the Workgroup's recommendation that the
Department of Human Services and Public Health (Departments) review the
interim report with the Courts and seek their agreement and support.
Children's Brain Health Priorities
Citizen input describing the experience of navigating the brain health resources for
children in lowa describe a system that is fraught with challenges. These challenges
frequently preclude successful outcomes.
Children's' brain health protocols need to be tailored and age appropriate and not
modeled after adult systems. Barriers to care, lack of services, scarcity of providers, and
lack of professional services in schools and day care all mitigate against good brain
health solutions.
The Children's Behavioral Health Systems state board identified the following priorities:
• Ensure stable and adequate funding of the children's system.
• Continue service growth to all areas of the state including but not limited to core
and core plus services.
• Address challenges impacting the behavioral health workforce, including
implementing strategies to enhance the current behavioral health workforce.
• Implement universal behavioral health screenings with informed consent by
children's parent or guardian.
• Continue to develop and implement statewide data collection pertaining to
children with a serious emotional disturbance.
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• Provide funding to eliminate the children's mental health waiver waitlist.
• Conduct statewide resource mapping for children's services.
• Explore and correct gaps in services.
Requested Action:
Support the legislative priorities of the Children's Behavioral Health
Systems state board.
Community Health Centers
Medicaid Reimbursement for Same-Day Medical, Oral Health and Behavioral
Health Services
lowa's Community Health Centers (CHCs) provide care to more than 69,000 Medicaid
patients, which is 16% of the state's total Medicaid population. As unique primary
health care providers that conveniently offer medical, oral health and behavioral health
services under one roof, CHCs frequently see patients who have scheduled
appointments for more than one type of visit on the same day (for example, a patient
will schedule a yearly medical exam and a dental cleaning on the same day).
Unfortunately, current lowa Medicaid reimbursement policy does not allow CHCs to be
reimbursed for more than one visit if they occur on the same day.
Allowing reimbursement for same day medical and dental visits will also facilitate the
implementation of an integrated primary healthcare model at CHCs. This model, which
is clinically effective and cost effective, utilizes close collaboration between a CHC's
medical and oral health staff to provide a seamless continuum of care for patients.
Visits ideally occur to both on the same day, reducing the high failure rate of referrals to
behavioral health and allow for better coordination of inedical and oral health problems.
Although these issues should be resolved under managed care, there remain issues
connected to Managed Care Organization (MCO) same-day billing.
Requested Action:
Allow Medicaid reimbursement for same-day medical and oral health
services.
Ensure Access to Hiqh Quality, Affordable Health Care
With continuing issues related to the sustainability of the Health Insurance Marketplace
in lowa and the proposals to replace or improve the Affordable Care Act, any changes
need to ensure vulnerable and low-income lowans can access high quality, affordable
health insurance, including lowa's Medicaid expansion program and other safeguards to
maintain our historically low insurance rates.
Requested Action:
It is imperative that any changes to Medicaid rates and coverage, or
increased flexibility at the state or federal level, include adequate services,
providers, rates, and other safeguards.
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Recruit and Retain a Qualified Healthcare Workforce
One of the largest factors limiting a community health center's ability to provide patients
quality care is recruiting and retaining quality providers.
Requested Action:
Support and continue investment in the National Health Service Corp, and
Teaching Health Centers to assist and promote health and dental providers
to serve in rural areas, specialty areas, and community health centers.
Reduce Socio-Economic Barriers to Healthcare Access
Require non-emergency medical transportation (NEMT) to be covered for all Medicaid
patients who have a demonstrated mobility issue. Studies have concluded that one of
the largest barriers to care is inadequate transportation to acute and prevention-focused
appointments, resulting in a delay of lower-cost medical services and increases in the
use of costly emergency department visits. Including coverage of NEMT will reduce
missed appointments and decrease preventable healthcare costs.
Requested Action:
Amend lowa Code Chapter 249N to include non-emergency transportation
services as a reimbursable service for enrolled persons who have a
demonstrated mobility issue.
Recruit and Retain a Qualified Healthcare Workforce
One of the largest factors limiting a community health center's ability to provide patients
quality care is recruiting and retaining quality providers.
Requested Action:
Support and continue investment in the National Health Service Corp, and
teaching health centers to assist and promote health and dental providers
to serve in rural areas, specialty areas, and community health centers.
Opioid Epidemic
Background
Opioid use and overdose deaths represent a public health crisis requiring innovating,
evidence-based responses with community involvement. Opioid overdose mortality
represents a major and preventable threat to public health. Deaths from unintentional
drug poisoning have reached crisis levels in the United States and in lowa. Last year in
Dubuque, we had nine opioid-related overdose deaths, and three have occurred already
this year. Other communities in lowa are also experiencing the devastating effects of
illicit opioids.
A growing body of evidence and experience supports innovating community-level
approaches to preventing opioid overdose deaths in the broader context of efforts to
reduce the risk of overdose through primary prevention of opioid misuse. Numerous
pilot programs and evaluations have demonstrated the feasibility and viability of
providing opioid education to the community, to health care providers, including
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Nalaxone administration, use, and education on the opioid Prescription Monitoring
Program, and harm reduction strategies.
The Dubuque community has been monitoring the increasing opioid crisis and we are
very concerned about the growing impact on our community. A local, community-based
opioid response team has assembled and is meeting regularly. To date, they have
educated 566 community and health professionals, along with 187 law enforcement
personnel, on Nalaxone administration and promoted community-based organizations
to educate the community on the opioid misuse problem. Much of the task force work
has become a model for the state and country.
Requested Action:
• Establish drug specialty courts in statute for each judicial district,
funded with standing appropriations to the Judicial Branch and
Department of Corrections;
• Maintain coverage for vulnerable populations and ensure immediate
health benefit coverage to Medicaid and insurance-eligible offenders
when released from incarceration, including coverage of naltrexone
prescriptions for addicted offenders;
• Create a new public long-term treatment facility for dual diagnosis
patients;
• Direct the Department of Human Services and lowa Insurance
Division to assemble a comprehensive report containing the
following elements:
o Coverage and payment policies for diagnosis and treatment
of substance use disorders by insurance companies,
o Management care organizations and third-party
administrators on behalf of self-funded plans;
• Aggregate utilization data by county on the number of people
treated, services provided, costs incurred, and payments made;
• Prospects/research on the success of abuse-deterrent opioid
pharmaceuticals.
• Explore and pilot the use of research-based harm-reduction
strategies such as needle exchange programs while providing
education to law enforcement, the community, and healthcare
providers.
• Peer to Peer support. Recognize and support the importance of
informal, peer supports such as narcotics anonymous, I Hate
Heroine, CRUSH etc. This includes expanding education, increasing
inclusivity and financial supports needed to expand reach and
efforts.
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Notice of Violation
Currently, a notice of code violation must be sent via certified mail to a property owner if
the City perForms the required mitigation of the problem and assesses the cost to the
property owner. We suggest that a notice be sent via regular mail to the property
owner. Oftentimes, it is difficult for people to collect or pickup certified mail, particularly
if they are not home at time of delivery. Certified also adds a significant cost ($2.87) to
the mailing of each notice.
Requested Action:
lowa Code Section 364.12 (h) changed to allow mailing via regular mail.
Childhood Lead Poisoninq
Childhood lead poisoning is endemic to lowa. Of lowa children born in 2004, 97.7%
were tested at least once before the age of six years, and 3.7% of these children were
lead-poisoned (in eight counties, more than 9% of the children were lead-poisoned). At
the national level, the rate of lead poisoning among children under the age of six years
is so low that it is no longer reported. Homes built prior to 1978 are likely to contain
lead-based paint, and lead-based paint hazards are the leading cause of childhood lead
poisoning. In 2009, the lowa General Assembly passed a law requiring all children to
have proof of a blood lead test prior to entering kindergarten.
Further complicating lowan's ability to help their children, the Centers for Disease
Control (CDC) eliminated a $594,000.00 grant which the lowa Department of Public
Health (IDPH) has historically received annually. This resulted in a 25% reduction in
funds going to local health departments for lead poisoning surveillance activities, and,
more importantly, essentially eliminated the technical capacity of the state level
especially for data compilation and analysis. As IDPH keeps less than 5.0% of state
funds allocated to the lead poisoning preventing program, staff time will now be used for
enforcement activities related to contractors and inspectors, rather than the tracking and
treatment of poisoned children and maintaining accurate data.
Requested Action:
Appropriate adequate funds to allow the lowa Department of Public health
to continue its crucial role as a technical advisor and data manager to local
childhood lead poisoning prevention programs (CLPPP) and increase
funding levels for local CLPPP programs.
Healthy Local Foods
A decade ago, the Legislature charged the Leopold Center for Sustainable --
Agriculture with preparing a local food and farm plan containing policy and -
funding recommendations for supporting and expanding local food =-
systems and for assessing and overcoming obstacles necessary to —_
increase locally grown food production. The Healthy Local Foods principle - _--=---_
of Dubuque's sustainability model aims to provide benefits of wholesome -_=-==—
food from local producers, distributors, farms, gardens and hunters to all.
The City and its partners engaged in the Healthy Local Foods initiative —_
have participated in the forming of the Local Food & Farm Plan. In order -- —
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for local institutions and consumers to increase their purchase and consumption of local
foods, barriers must be overcome that enable more produce and meat to be produced,
processed, and sold locally. Various studies have shown the value of a strong local
food system as an economic development tool.
Requested Action:
Support and help facilitate food donation and food rescue programs.
Promote and facilitate grocery store investment in food deserts.
Facilitate and fund Farm to School and Farm to Institution health food
initiatives.
Incentivize regenerative soil management practices for agriculture, school
and community gardens to protect lowa's major industry and
environmentally sensitive areas.
Partnerships
Dubuque Area Convention and Visitors Bureau
Dubuque is a top tourism destination in the state of lowa and the upper Midwest region.
Dubuque hosts two million visitors annually, and it is important that the lowa Economic
Development Authority provide tools for additional growth that supports tourism and
workforce development.
Support for Tourism Industry through CARES ACT Funds
Travel and tourism industry has been decimated by the COVID pandemic and
accompanying travel restrictions put in place to mitigate the spread of the virus.
Requested Action:
Create a grant program for destination marketing organizations to support
lost revenues resulting COVID-19 pandemic utilizing CARES ACT funds.
Enhance lowa and CAT Fund
The new Enhance lowa legislation provides an opportunity for the legislature to
appropriate funds that will invest in partnerships with local communities through
Community Attractions and Tourism development fund.
The Dubuque CVB also encourages an increase in the level of resources for trail
development in Northeast lowa and support funding for improved water quality.
Requested Action:
Fully fund CAT and the Enhance lowa program.
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Dubuque County
Commercial Property Tax Backfill
Counties consistently try to find efficiencies in how they spend taxpayer resources.
From 2013 to 2019 the county budgets in the UCC have increased about 1.6%, while
the state's budget during the same period has increased by 18%. The state made a
commitment to backfill the revenue loss that was a result of the reduction in the
commercial and industrial property tax rates. In addition, the changes in the multi
residential rates took effect in FY17 (and is not backfilled) which will have an
additional adverse effect on local revenues. This challenge for local government is in
addition to the 102% budget cap in the budget passed in the 2019 General Assembly
session. We expect the State to make sure it continues to follow through on its
promise to backfill the property tax loss.
Mental Health Funding
We appreciate that the legislature followed through on the recommendation of SF 504
and appointed an interim study committee to address the issues of inental health
funding. These issues are simply too important to wait until we have another funding
crisis. With the pandemic and lack of a stable funding mechanism, regions are working
through the process of complying with the directives of SF 504 and HF 2456, as well as
the HF 690 (Children's Mental Health Bill), we would request that the legislature
consider delaying the implementation of these new requirements while the legislature
considers new funding solutions. The legislature should keep its promise and discuss
permanent funding solutions. We believe that with the new responsibilities that the state
has asked regions to assume, any funding mechanism must be long term, sustainable,
and include significant state participation. We would also respectfully request that the
legislature delay the implementation of any penalty or the requirements imposed by the
complex needs law and children's behavioral health law for a minimum of one year, until
a stable, reliable funding mechanism is established. The impact of the pandemic and the
Derecho this year have caused a great deal of workforce instability for many of our
providers and they will require some time to recover from the disaster and adapt to the
new normal of the pandemic before we can expect them to be in a position to develop
new services.
We would also request that the legislature revisit the residency requirements for
mental health services. In the three regions represented by the Urban County
Coalition, we are finding that we are still experiencing the same difficulties that we
have historically faces. Those seeking treatment gravitate towards services right
areas. We believe that this puts an undue burden on the resources of those areas
while allowing other area to move at a slower pace in developing resources.
Additionally, in our border communities, we are faced with people seeking treatment
coming from outside our state and being eligible for services simply by declaring an
intention to reside in the region.
We commend the legislature working with the regions in taking an important first step
toward the creation of a children's mental health delivery system. Regions understand
that is does make sense to have one entity coordinating the spectrum of inental
health care for lowans, but we still oppose the additional responsibilities for local
governments without providing additional funding. Our current levy cap was
established by simply freezing the levels in 2015 and that simply does not reflect the
cost of providing services in 2021. Simply raising the current mental health levy cap
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puts an unjustifiable burden on local property taxpayers. The state must be a reliable
partner in funding any additional responsibilities placed on regions.
EMS Services
We encourage the state to work with counties and municipalities to help find ways to
expand emergency medical services and to expand it to essential service designation.
Rural lowans deserve the same access to emergency services that those in more urban
areas enjoy. In many areas of our state it simply takes too long to respond to a medical
emergency. Additionally, when emergency services are available, those responding
often lack the necessary training to provide advanced lifesaving aid. Where you live in
lowa should not determine if you live.
lowa Public Employees Refirement System
lowa has one of the most solvent and well-funded public retirement systems in the
United States. It has maintained that status with conservative investment policies and
conservative growth projection. IPERS is an important and effective recruiting tool to
help government agencies attract talented workers. We would encourage the
legislature to carefully consider the long-term implications to that viability before any
changes are made to the current system. Additionally, we would request that the state
remove the increases in IPERS contributions from the growth limitations outlined in the
2019 property tax reform bill, Local governments have no control over this and to make
it subject to the growth limitations is a burden to local governments.
Manufactured Housing Communities
Manufactured housing communities are critical to the affordable housing
infrastructure in rural lowa. Counties have seen a dramatic increase in the purchase
of these communities by out of state companies. We would like to see the state
consider adopting laws that offer residents of manufactured housing communities
similar protections to those offered by lowa's landlord/tenant laws.
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