October Council Meeting Update

University Heights Municipal website Dear U-Heights residents, City Council held their October regular meeting tonight, below are a few highlights. For more detailed information please see the October 11 Agenda & attachments. Go here to view a webstream of the September meeting.   Conflict of Interest Ordinance Passed Ordinance 193 version B (see the above agenda and attachments) passed its first reading tonight by a 4-1 margin, Quezada voted no. Second consideration will be at the Nov. 15 Council Meeting   Special Meeting Set Council will hold a special meeting on Monday Oct. 17 to consider a public information request policy.  Policy will be posted on the city website later this week. This meeting is to resolve a complaint filed with the Iowa Public Information Board. For more information (see the above agenda and attachments). Football Game Day Forum Don't forget next week's forum discussing football game day issues. That meeting will be held Tuesday October 18 at the University Club at 7 PM. Notice here, Questions here. Oct. 17 Council Special Meeting 6 PM City Office Oct. 18 Game Day Forum, 7 PM U-Club October 27, Leaf Vacuuming Nov. 8 Election Day, U-Heights votes at UI Athletic Hall of Fame       Early voting schedule: Johnson County Auditor November 10, Leaf Vacuuming November 15 City Council meeting Horn School November 17, Leaf Vacuuming Follow University Heights on Twitter Consider contributing to the University Heights Community Fund I also write a blog covering U-H and other timely topics, with my opinions expressed UHForward.blogspot.com Join the community at Nextdoor University Heights! As always it is a pleasure to serve as your city councilor. -Mike Copyright © 2016 Mike Haverkamp, All rights reserved.  unsubscribe from this list | update subscription preferences

Explaining My Actions

A very small part of tonight's meeting that I did not mention in my council write up was an item in the mayor's report called "Possible committee change." Mayor Wally Heitman announced he was removing Silvia Quezada from oversight of the zoning and sanitation committee for the remainder of the current term.  I voted in favor of this change and the measure passed 3-2. Earlier this year council confirmed the mayor's recommendation to remove her oversight of the Board of Adjustment and building and housing staff due to conflicts regarding duties and follow through on tasks.

There was much discussion of actions of councilor Quezada during other portions of the meeting, most notably a complaint she filed with the Iowa Public Information Board. I want to make completely clear that my decision regarding removal has absolutely nothing to do with the public information complaint.

I was extremely dismayed to have to vote on her removal from oversight, and am sickened by the way the operations of the council have devolved over the past 10 months. I am also not happy that I need to talk about this publicly here.

My reasons for pulling oversight are due to the need for the city to conduct it's business in a way that continues to provide services to its citizens. Here are three examples 

• We didn't have a leaf vacuuming schedule until Oct. 6 this year, a routine task that should have been handled much sooner. In fact Silvia was told about this Sept. 26 and it took 11 more days to follow up.
• Details of the 2016 Farmer's Market were not communicated to other council members 
•  A grant from DNR was awarded to U-Heights for recycling at Grandview. Despite numerous requests for a copy of the grant, over a year-long period, it was never shared

So that's why I voted as I did, given a pattern of not following through with tasks, and not communicating with others this was a step that needed to happen.