11 28 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 November 28, 2016
in the Historic Federal Building, 350 W. 6th Street.
Present: Mayor Buol; Council Members Connors, Del Toro, Jones, Lynch, Resnick;
City Manager Van Milligen, City Attorney Brumwell
Absent: Council Member Rios
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 Source of Income Report.
WORK SESSION
Source of Income
Preliminary Report and Options
City Manager Van Milligen introduced the work session with an overview of the history
and activities of the Source of Income (SOI) Committee. Housing and Community Devel-
opment Department Director Alvin Nash, Human Rights Director Kelly Larson, City Attor-
ney Crenna Brumwell and Planning Services Manager Laura Carstens, Assisted Housing
Supervisor Janet Walker, and SOI Committee Members Patrick Norton, Tom LoGuidice,
and John Pregler then conducted the work session. Topics included:
• Issues identified by housing providers, renters, Affirmatively Furthering Fair Hous-
ing, red tape
• Identifying the goals: collect data; develop compromise; and examine the impact
of an ordinance, ways to address concerns, range of fair housing choices
• Description of the Housing Choice Voucher Program (Section 8), eligibility, com-
mon problems; and quality, availability, and affordability of housing
• SOI legal research: sources of income, federal/state/local laws, proposed legisla-
tion
• Summary of rental survey results: number of respondents, perspectives on respon-
sibility, SOI ordinance & discrimination, risk & incentives
• Review and summary of community dialogues
• Reasons, aspects and potential risks of scenarios: #1 Adopt Ordinance; #2 Incen-
tives/Adjustments; #3 Leave as is
• Preliminary Options Overview
o #1 Maintain the status quo
o #2 Add SOI definition to current discrimination ordinance
o #3 Create a SOI Housing Ordinance separate from discrimination ordinance
o #4 Adopt and implement a mix of education/outreach programs to increase
participation in Housing Choice Voucher program
o #5 Adopt and implement a mix of financial incentives to increase participa-
tion in the Housing Choice Voucher program
o #6 Adopt and implement a mix of financial incentives/policies for creation of
Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) unit throughout the community
A question/answer period followed with the City Council discussing landlord/tenant
rights to choose, concerns over mandating participation in government programs; land-
lord/tenant contracts/leases; perceived errors in data and process expressed by survey
participants; the feasibility/legality of a establishing a damage recovery fund using TIF
funding; and the need to grow the percentage of participation in the HCV program. Mr.
Nash will facilitate additional input from participants that took exception with the input
process. Ms. Brumwell will explore the concept of using TIF for the damage recovery fund
concept. Mr. Van Milligen informed the Council that the City is already doing most of
Preliminary Option #6.
The City Council concurred on Preliminary Option #4 as a baseline and directed staff
to continue work on expanding upon that option.
There being no further business, upon motion the City Council adjourned at 7:39 p.m.
/s/Kevin S. Firnstahl, CMC, City Clerk