City Priorities Issues Wash DCMEMORANDUM
December 23, 2003
TO:
FROM:
SUBJECT:
The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members
Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager
City Priorities and Issues: Washington, D.C.
Economic Development Director Bill Baum is recommending City Council approval of
the "City of Dubuque Priorities and Requests for Federal Apprepdations," which has
been prepared for use during the February 4-6, 2004 trip to Washington, D.C. to speak
with the Iowa Congressional Delegation.
I concur with the recommendation and respectfully request Mayor and City Council
approval.
MCVM/jh
Attachment
cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel
Cindy Steinhauser, Assistant City Manager
Bill Baum, Economic Development Director
CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
MEMORANDUM
December 22, 2003
TO:
FROM:
Michael Van Miiligen, City Manager
Bill Baum, Economic Development Director~r~~
SUBJECT: City Priorities and Issues: Washington, D.C.
INTRODUCTION AND DISCUSSION
On February 4, 5, and 6 the Mayor and majority of the City Council will be in
Washington D.C., participating in the annual information sharing discussion with the
Iowa Congressional Delegation.
In preparation for the meeting Congressional staff are requesting information on the
priorities or issues of the City. In reviewing the City Council goals for 2004, as well as
the information provided to the staff in the past, I have developed the attached report
entitled "City of Dubuque Priorities and Requests for Federal Appropriations."
RECOMMENDATION
I recommend the City Council approval of the "City of Dubuque Priorities and
Requests for Federal Appropriations."
F:\USERS\WBaurn\Federal Inifiatives~vlemo to Mike 2004 priorities.doc
December 2003
CITY OF DUBUQUE
PRIORITIES AND REQUESTS FOR FEDERAL APPROPRIATIONS
Transportation
IA 32 - (Southwest Arterial):
The Dubuque City Council, the Dubuque County Board of Supervisors, and Dubuque
Metropolitan Planning Organization (DMATS) have identified the completion of the IA 32
(Southwest Arterial) as the No. I surface transportation priority in the Dubuque area. The IA 32
connects the new Dubuque Technology Park on U.S. 61/151 with the new Dubuque Industrial
Center West, and the existing Dubuque Industrial Center near U.S. 20. The highway then
extends north to John Deere Dubuque Works.
Since October 2001, four companies have made expansion decisions at the Dubuque Industrial
Center West, based upon assurances that US 32 was under study and construction was in the
Iowa Department of Transportation five-year plan. The largest of the companies, McGrawHill
Publishing Company made a decision to locate a new 330,000-square-foot distribution center in
the Dubuque Industrial Center West. The completion of Highway 32 is vital to the other
expansion announcements: Adams Company, Vessel Systems, and Giese Manufacturing.
Other companies asking for a connection between U.S. 20 and U.S. 61/151 include John Deere,
Nordstrom Distribution Center, A.Y. McDonald, Swiss Valley Farms, Flexsteel, and Dubuque
Stamping and Manufacturing.
Total Project Cost: Current estimate: $71,000,000. City and County have agreed to cost share
in the Environmental Assessment Phase, and have contracted for $594,000 to complete the EA.
The State of Iowa has committed $21 million for the project in the Iowa Department of
Transportation's five-year plan. The Metropolitan Planning Organization, DMATS, has
committed $7 million in Surface Transportation Program funds for the facility. The City is also
seeking financial assistance through the State of Iowa Department of Transportation Revitalize
Iowa's Sound Economy (RISE) program. In February 2003, the City was informed of federal
budget approval of $1,900,000 to assist in accomplishing this work.
The funding "gap" is $41 Million. The City is requesting this project be identified and
authorized in the next federal transportation bill.
Current Status:
The Environmental Assessment is complete. Consultants are finalizing comments received at
the EA public hearing. A Finding of No Significant Impact should be approved in the spring of
2004. IDOT and City are moving forward with an RFP for the preliminary engineering in order to
obligate the $1,900,000 federal earmark.
Capacity Improvements to U.S.20/Julien Dubuque BridRe
The U.S. 20/Julien Dubuque Bridge spans the Mississippi River and provides one eastbound
and one westbound lane of traffic. On either side of the river, the highway immediately expands
to four or more lanes. The result is a bottleneck in traffic on both sides of the bridge. This link is
important for an east-west connection between Dubuque and other communities. To the west:
Galena, Ill.; Rockford, III.; and Chicago. To the east: Waterloo, Iowa and the 1-35 interchange.
This project is a very high priority with the City Council and the Metropolitan Planning
Organization, DMATS.
The City of Dubuque appreciates the $28 million federal commitment to the bridge
secured by Dubuque's Congressional delegation.
Current Status:
The location study and environmental documentation are complete. IDOT has selected the firm
of Parsons of Chicago, Illinois, in conjunction with WHKS of Dubuque, to perform the
preliminary and final design of the bridge, bddge approaches, and roadway improvements.
The City had hoped to see completion of Phase I construction plans for the new approaches in
June 2003. Phase I construction on the bridge approaches and roadway improvements on both
sides of the River was scheduled for the latter part of Calendar Year 2003 and Calendar Year
2004 with the current money available. New cost estimates raising the total bridge project cost
from $96 Million to $165 Million has derailed these plans.
The design and land acquisition will be completed with existing funds, however no funding is
currently available for construction of the project.
Additionally, the City has been informed of City responsibility to pay the cost of relocation of
utilities, estimated to be approximately $2,662,500.
Latest estimates to complete the project are $130 Million. Therefore, the City is
requesting 90% funding for construction, and utility relocation in the amount of $117
Million in the next federal transportation bill. The City also requests that funding be
provided for the $2,662,500 in municipal utility relocation.
Dubuque Re.qional Airport
The Airport Commission has completed the Airport Terminal Study, which has been accepted
by the FAA. The study identified the need for a new terminal building approximately three times
the size of the existing 50-year old facility. Currently underway is the Environmental
Assessment for the new terminal area in the mid-field section of the airport, which will be
followed by land acquisition. Estimated cost for the entire terminal area project is $25
million. After the Environmental Assessment and land acquisition, the City will be
requesting federal assistance for construction of the new terminal area.
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2. Bee Branch Watershed Flood Miti.qation Project
Purpose: To limit flooding in Iow/moderate income neighborhoods.
In 1999, an unusually intense spring storm deluged Dubuque with rainfall. The storm
produced in excess of four feet of stormwater in city streets and five feet of stormwater
in basements, and resulted in a Presidential Disaster Declaration for Dubuque County.
Flood damage devastated hundreds of homes in the City of Dubuque. At the time of the
flood, the City was in the process of adopting a Stormwater Management Plan. On July
23, 2001, HDR Engineering, of Omaha, Neb., the consulting firm hired by the City to
produce the Stormwater Management Plan, presented its findings to City Council.
One solution is an open waterway proposal for solving the Bee Branch Stormwater
problems. This solution has been controversial, and is therefore, under continuing
study. However, an important segment of the project, not involvin.q the open waterway
concept is not controversial, and will assist greatly in mitigating the problems with the
Bee Branch:
The expansion of the 32nd Street detention basin, at a cost of $4,000,000 would
double the size of the existing basin.
When completed, the basin would reduce peak runoff flows from the 100-year rainstorm
by 69%. This significant reduction will lesson the threat of flood damage to the
neighborhood, and assist greatly in solving the problems in the Bee Branch.
The City has requested an FY04 earmark through EPA's State and Tribal Grant
program "STAG."
The City has approved the establishment of a storm water utility, and therefore the local
match is available for this project.
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3. Dubuque Post Office Renovations
The City is very concerned about the ongoing deterioration of the Federal Building
downtown currently housing the Post Office. Our understanding is that the Social
Security Administration will soon be moving out of the facility, leaving only the Post
Office operation in this magnificent building.
City officials have met with the Regional Administrator Bradley Scott, Jim Ogden,
Deputy Assistant Regional Administrator, and other GSA representatives concerning
the maintenance of the building and the process for disposing of the property to the City
or Dubuque Initiatives as a potential solution. The building needs approximately
$700,000 in improvements. GSA has indicated that after the building is declared
excess inventory, and no other federal agency has a need for it, the property is
determined "surplus", the City or Dubuque Initiatives could purchase the property, most
likely for $1. However the GSA must complete a property disposal procedure that could
take eighteen months.
The City requests the Congressional delegation work with GSA, the City and
Dubuque Initiatives to fund renovations to this building, and encourage federal
agencies to lease space in this downtown facility.
AMERICA'S RIVER AT THE PORT OF DUBUQUE
Shot Tower
Located on Commercial Street in the Port of Dubuque, the City-owned Shot
Tower is a unique National Register structure used in the early munitions industry
to produce lead shot during the Civil War. The Shot Tower needs to be
renovated, landscaped, and improved to make it a strong part of the America's
River project. The City has submitted an application to the Department of Interior
for the Save America's Treasures grant program, but the application has been
denied. The City has applied again for $250,000 in matching funds for the
renovation.
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5. Homeland Security
Regional Emergency Responder Training Facility
PROJECT SUMMARY
The Dubuque Fire Department is part of the group developing the training facility as a
joint venture with all emergency response agencies in Dubuque County.
OUR VISION: To develop an emergency responder training facility including training
tower, an indoor/outdoor evolution lab and classroom to enable flrefighters, law
enforcement officers, EMS personnel, and safety workers in local
manufacturing/commercial industry to safely train in real-life emergency situations.
Firefighters, law enforcement officers, and EMS workers will now be able to participate
in joint training exercises, enabling:
-Preparation for multiple disaster scenarios
-The sharing of ideas and training techniques
-Introduction to and training with new and more efficient equipment
-Team building between departments and communities
FUNDING CHALLENGES: Private/public partnerships have been established to
assist with funding this project. However, additional funding assistance is
necessary. Since much of the training will be related to homeland security
disasters, we are hopeful that some funding may be possible from the federal
government. The total cost of the facility is $2,600,000.
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Proposed Requirements For Security Measures for Ports,
Vessels~ and Facilities.
The U.S. Coast Guard is currently holding meetings and seeking comments on
proposed regulations to implement the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002,
These proposed regulations will provide a requirement for:
Security Assessment Plans for vessels, facilities, and ports.
Security Measures to implement the plans.
The City of Dubuque will assist in developing a Port Secudty Plan, including the
identification of potential threats, an analysis of the threats, and determining
performance standards necessary to implement the plan. However, the City is
concerned about, and will be commenting on these issues:
The regulations should differentiate between large "blue water ports" and small
"brown water ports". Currently the same regulations would apply to Dubuque as
New York City.
Definitions: The City is concerned that the components of "The America's River"
Project, including the River Museum and Aquarium, the Grand River Center, the Grand
Harbor Resort, the Star Brewery and Shot Tower, are classified as '1'acilities", and
therefore required to have security plans and security measures. These facilities
happen to be located near the dyer, but are not connected with or serviced by vessels
navigating the river. We are requesting they not be defined as a facility under these
rules.
The City is concerned about the potential need to develop security plans for
events that attract large numbers of people along the dverfront. The implementation
could mean requiring the same screening process currently found at airports. We are
concerned that these extreme security measures would discourage attendance at the
events. The City is also supportive of the representatives of the gaming industry who
are concerned about the potential loss of patronage and the cost of screening
passengers on gambling boats, if airport type security is required.
Implementing the regulations will be costly, both in the planning stage, and
certainly in the implementation. Will funding from the Federal Government accompany
the regulations?
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Federally Qualified Community Health Center for Dubuque
Access to primary health and dental care has been identified as a critical need for the citizens of
Dubuque County, particularly Iow-income children and families. In addressing this crucial issue,
many organizations and agencies have together to develop a community health center for
Dubuque and the Tri-State area:
Mercy Medical Center - Dubuque
Finley HospitalNNA
Medical Associates Clinic & Health Plan
Dubuque Internal Medicine
Dubuque OB-GYN
Tri-States Independent Physician's Association
Gannon Center for Community Mental Health
Dubuque County Health Department
Iowa Department or Public Health
Iowa Department of Human Services
Hillcrest Family Services
Sisters of St. Francis
Clarke College
Northeast Iowa Community College
Dubuque Community Schools
City of Dubuque
The health center envisioned by this community group would be a non-profit organization
structured so that it could receive federal funding under the Health Centers Consolidation Act of
1996 as amended by section 330 of the Public Health Service Act. The clinic would provide
comprehensive primary care services to all individuals within the center's service regardless of
ability to pay. Specific services that the center would provide either directly, through contract, or
by formal referral arrangements would include:
Primary health care services by physicians and, where appropriate, allied health
professionals
Diagnostic laboratory services
Diagnostic x-ray services
Preventive health services
Patient case management
Pharmacy services needed to complete treatment
Preventive dental services
Emergency services
Transportation for patients who would otherwise lack access to services.
Dubuque is the only major metropolitan area in Iowa without a community health center. The
Dubuque community is now coming together in an effort to create a community health center,
which will meet the identified health needs of our citizens. In February of 2003, the City was
informed of a planning grant of $50,000 to Clarke College from the FY 03 appropriations
bill. We are grateful to the Congressional delegation for the support.
F:\USERS\WBaum\Federa[ Initiatives\December 2003 update to City Priorities.doc
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