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Other Documents RECr=IVED FRIENDS of the MINES of SPAIN 8999 Bellevue Hts. Dubuque, IA 52003-9214- (319) 556-0620 OODEe 18 AH lei: 47 C"'\I ' I ~:, '....1, [ut)~ t. /"."', ~;.~ :) 1....}:;liv8 1/-\ 2 January 2001 Honorable Mayor and City Council Members: The "Friends of the Mines of Spain" is a non-profit, incorporated support group of Dubuqueland citizens on behalf of the E. B. Lyons / Mines of Spain complex administrated by the Iowa Department of Natural Resources. The Board of Directors of the Friends group would like at this time to briefly review our past concerns and shared successes over area environmental issues and express our current objections to the Arco barge fleeting issue. The Friends of the Mines of Spain in conjunction with the Catfish Creek Coalition alerted the people of the Dubuqueland to the threat of a junk car smashing operation in the valley adjacent to the burial site of our city's founder and fronting on our most valuable natural asset, the Mississippi River. Thousands of citizens responded and thanks to the unanimous support of the City Council, the junk yard effort failed; the illegal construction repaired and the then zoned heavy industry status changed to residential/park / recreation usage. The "Friends," the "Catfish Coalition," the Sisters ofCharity-Mt.Carmel and thousands of Dubuque land citizens organized as the "Rip-Row Coalition" to fund with private donations and negotiate the purchase of the threatened land for presentation to city ownership and administration. This goal was accomplished in June of2000 by the citizen groups providing a 50% down payment--the balance to be due three years hence and the remainder being guaranteed to the city by a group of dedicated Dubuque citizens. The City Council wisely agreed to lease the adjacent riverfront acreage (site of previous sewerage plant) to the Iowa DNR for their development and administration as park / picnic / prairie purposes including a trail up to the adjacent Julien Dubuque burial monument. Adjacent to and west of the DNR park area is the newly purchased acreage dedicated by the city for development by the Women's Recreational group to be three state of the art lighted baseball fields, batting cages, parking, refreshment stand, storage facilities and bounded by tree plantings, burns, and prairie management. Funding and citizen in-kind involvement is well underway by the women's group. t We collectively believe that the picnic / park natural riverfront area would be negated and perhaps null and void by the obstruction of the valuable riverfront by possible eyelevel barge fleeting operations here. Use of the river front would destroy not only our vision for the area but would be contrary to the city's newly realized appreciation of our community asset of our location on the banks of one of the world's natural wonders. We believe that the present fleeting of scores of barges in Dove Harbor is adequate for immediate shipping purposes and that additional barge fleeting in not necessary or desirable within the city limits. We therefore respectfully urge you to deny the Arco request for barge fleeting at Rip row Valley. We further ask that no additional barge fleeting be allowed in the City of Dubuque limits. Thank you for your support and studied consideration on this and many other important matters relating to our community's well being. Sincerely, Board of Directors of The Friends of the Mines of Spain J~jff1/1,d cJlw~ Douglas G. Olk, M.D. Charles L. Winterwood, M.D. President Vice President ~~ Ann Ernst, Ph.D. Secretary Joan Higley ;:::.eI; ~_ ~#: /ZZ/~ ~ey ~~etf Board Member Board Member ~~rSQet~ Harold Edebohl Board Member 6-- Wayne Buchholtz Board Member DNR Representative Shannon Ault Board Member DNR Representative TELEPHONE 608/725-2311 FAX 608/725-5044 ARTCO FLEETING SERVICES P.O. BOX 585. CASSVILLE. WI 53806 December 15, 2000 City of Dubuque Jeanne Schneider, City Clerk 50 West 13th Street Dubuque, IA 52001 Dear Ms. Schneider, In reference to our conversation earlier today, Artco Fleeting Services would like the City of Dubuque to remove all of our proposals for barge fleeting within the City of Dubuque from the record. Artco Fleeting wishes that the proposals be destroyed. If you have any questions, please give me a call at the above number. Sincerely, ~~ Brent Nissen Manager \.-,..,." '\ /,""",(, \1 ,\ .~,\ \., .;:',:; ~~~'l ""1 .....( \i ~ .'," [',1\1"\ e'""'\"( . -. . ,.J v.~~~.......~ ~.. S!"' .1) \'\\,1 8 \ 'J3G 00 '::1 '\J .. ~ 03/\\':;j'J:18 ..J . . . ~ ~ CITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA MEMORANDUM December 18, 2000 TO: The Honorable Mayor and City Council Members FROM: Michael C. Van Milligen, City Manager SUBJECT: Vision Iowa The Mayor and City Council have dedicated a great deal of time, energy and City resources to the redevelopment of the riverfront, and specifically, America's River Project in the 4th Street Peninsula area. Riverfront development has routinely made the 5-year goals and annual priority list established each year by the Mayor and City Council, and this year this project has reached a crucial period. The City will be participating with our partners, the Dubuque County Historical Society and the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, in a $58 million application to the State ofIowa Vision Iowa Board to help make the $188 million America's River Project a reality. As part of this application the City is being asked to reaffirm its commitment to invest over $31 million to the success of this project. This $31 million includes land acquisition, creation of parking, cleaning up of gateways, storage tank removal and other items. However, over the years, riverfront development has not been the only City priority and a strong commitment to the America's River Project has been maintained while continuing to support these other priorities. In the area of economic development, $23 million has been invested to acquire and develop 900 acres of property to create five new industrial parks. The sewer and water extensions related to these developments have opened up thousands of acres of private land for development. Since 1995, the City has annexed almost 2,500 acres of property Improving the City's transportation network was identified years ago as a concern, as Dubuque had no four-lane highway connections to other cities. A four-lane connection to the Quad Cities was established in 1999, and connections to Madison, Wisconsin; Ames, and Cedar Rapids will be completed within the next five years. The City of Dubuque has a commitment from the Iowa Department of Transportation to complete the Southwest Arterial within the next six years. This road would create a bypass and move traffic around the City quickly and efficiently. Air service to Dubuque has improved as a result of the airport runway expansion project and a $15 million investment, and jet service returned to the Dubuque Regional Airport in November. The City has created over 700 new downtown parking spaces, invested in a loan pool to get buildings rehabilitated and budgeted to remodel or remove the Town Clock Plaza. .. . Thirteen new parks with over 60 acres have been created and equipment in the existing 800 acres of City parks has been replaced. This investment in neighborhood recreation involved over $7 million in expenditures. The addition of 13 Police Officer positions and the establishment of Community-Oriented Policing has worked to keep Dubuque one of the safest places to live in the Midwest, which is the safest place to live in the country. The commitment to the street program has been significant. The average annual expenditure on the street program prior to 1995 was $2.1 million. The average annual expenditure on the street program has increased to almost $6.5 million. Over an II-year period over 50% of the streets will be either reconstructed or resurfaced. All of these commitments have been made while being fiscally responsible. In the last seven years City property taxes for the average homeowner have not increased, in fact, in four of these seven years, property taxes actually decreased. If you were to compare the cost of City services including property tax, refuse fees, water and sewer bills, a homeowner would pay $9 less in 2001 than they paid in 1995. The $188 million America's River Project has a value in excess of 10% of our community's assessed valuation. It is a project that will meet the elements of the Vision statement created through the City Council goal setting process. . "As a hometown for our families, Dubuque is a place . Where we can raise a healthy family . Where all generations of families can live and play together . Where there are abundant job opportunities that support family wages . Where families can visit and be the guests of our community." I respectfully request Mayor and City Council approval of a Resolution reaffirming the City of Dubuque's commitment to America's River Project. MCVM/jh Attachment cc: Barry Lindahl, Corporation Counsel Tim Moerman, Assistant City Manager Jerry Enzler, Executive Director, Dubuque County Historical Society (via FAX) Steve Horman, President & CEO, Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce (via FAX) . t . . . RESOLUTION NO. 589-00 RESOLUTION OF CITY OF DUBUQUE SUPPORT FOR THE VISION IOWA APPLICATION FOR FUNDS FOR AMERICA'S RIVER FOR THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER EDUCATION AND CONFERENCE CENTER AND THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER DISCOVERY CENTER AND AQUARIUM AT THE PORT OF DUBUQUE. Whereas, the citizens of Dubuque have been working together since 1992 on plans to reclaim the riverfront for the enjoyment of the community and its many visitors; and Whereas, the City of Dubuque, the Dubuque County Historical Society, and the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce have formed a strong partnership to lead the community in efforts to develop Dubuque's riverfront into a world-class attraction; and Whereas, there as been extraordinary levels of private participation in the fund raising for the riverfront development efforts from individuals, corporations, and government agencies; and Whereas, the City of Dubuque is committing to construction of a riverwalk and other infrastructure improvements on the riverfront and in the adjacent downtown area; and Whereas, the private sector has made significant financial commitments, which will leverage the public investment and increase the level of interest in the Dubuque Riverfront; and Whereas, the construction of the Mississippi River Education and Conference Center on the Port of Dubuque will provide the venue to host groups and individuals from around the world and make Dubuque and Iowa the center for learning about the Mississippi River and the State of Iowa; and Whereas, the plans for the development of Dubuque's riverfront meet the goals of the Vision Iowa program by providing Iowa with this world-class attraction; and Whereas, the planning for the development of Dubuque's riverfront is at the stage where the community is ready to begin the construction phase for the major infrastructure improvements of the project. NOW THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE CITY COUNCIL OF THE CITY . OF DUBUQUE, IOWA: Section 1: The City of Dubuque hereby lends it continued support to the efforts of the community for the development of the riverfront of the Mississippi River. Section 2: The City of Dubuque together with its partners, the Dubuque County Historical Society and the Dubuque Area Chamber of Commerce, commits over $31 million in City funds, over $21 million in private participation, over $7 million in federal grants, and over $19 million in private fund raising and land donations to match over $58 million in Vision Iowa funds toward construction of the America's River project in the Port of Dubuque. Passed, approved and adopted this day of ,2000. Terrance M. Duggan Mayor . Attest: Jeanne F. Schneider City Clerk .