10 10 16 City Council Proceedings Official _SpecialCITY OF DUBUQUE, IOWA
CITY COUNCIL PROCEEDINGS
SPECIAL SESSION
OFFICIAL
The Dubuque City Council met in special session at 6:00 p.m. on October 10, 2016 in
the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Connors, Del Toro, Lynch, Resnick, Rios;
City Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
Absent: Council Member Jones
Mayor Buol read the call and stated this is a special session of the City Council called
for the purpose of conducting a work session on the USDA Natural Resources
Conservation Service Conservation Innovation Grant and a close session regarding real
estate transfer negotiations.
WORK SESSION
USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service - Conservation Innovation
Grant: Water Plant Manager/Engineer Denise Ihrig introduced the work session on the
Conservation Innovation Grant through the U.S. Department of Agriculture Natural
Resources Conservation Service. Presenters included Dustin Miller of
Nyemaster/Goode PC/Iowa League of Cities; Mark Keiser of Kieser & Associates,
Adam Schneiders of IDNR; and Larry Weber of University of Iowa/IIHR Hydroscience &
Engineering. Topics included:
• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy Overview
o Purpose of competitive grants and Environmental Quality Incentives
Program (EQIP)
o Integrated Strategy: non -point source; point source
o Reduction goal
o Estimated costs
o Steering committee: water quality credit trading
• Iowa League of Cities
o Environmental coordination committee
o SRF -sponsored projects
o 2014 & 2015 Conservation Innovation Grants
• Market framework for agricultural water quality credit trading in
Iowa
• Award amount; match, initial partners
• Technical Advisory Committee (municipal, agricultural,
environmental, industry, academic, government
• Goals and Deliverables
• Nutrient Reduction Exchange (NRE) Trading framework
• Next steps: demand & supply analysis, examine proposed watershed projects,
registered reduction credits
• IIHR Nutrient Trading Update:
• Develop the scientific framework for a nutrient trading system in Iowa with
specific objectives
• Gulf Hypoxia: research, task force goals (load/area)
• Iowa Nutrient Reduction Strategy (INRS)
o Identify specific nutrient reduction goals
o Offer nutrient trading as a water quality restoration technique
o Physically based modeling framework
• Catfish Creek watershed & hydrologic model development, simulation and water
quality; wetland evaluation and nitrogen evaluation removal process
• Other conservation best practices
The presenters responded to questions from the City Council related to federal
involvement and mitigation; increasingly stringent state and federal mandates;
current/future project credits; practical applications and actual percentages of nutrient
reductions; seasonal testing and property owner engagement.
The work session concluded.
Motion by Connors to convene in closed session at 7:18 p.m. to discuss real estate
transfer negotiations pursuant to Chapter 21.5(1)(j) Code of Iowa. Seconded by Del
Toro. Mayor Buol stated for the record that the attorney who will consult with City
Council on the issue to be discussed in the closed session is City Attorney Crenna
Brumwell. Motion carried 6-0.
Upon motion, the City Council reconvened in open session at 8:19 p.m. stating that
staff had been given proper direction.
There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 8:20 p.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, CMC, City Clerk