McCallum announces candidacy for Iowa City Council, At Large

Iowa City , Iowa,  June 27th, 2011- Longtime Iowa City resident and small business person Mark McCallum today announced his candidacy for Iowa City Council.

McCallum is a 24 year resident of Iowa City and is known locally for his interest in redevelopment of historic properties. He was the original developer of Iowa City’s Brown Street Inn. From there, he went on to own and operate Brick House Apartments located on College Street. He is currently in the final stages of converting a former sorority house to studio apartments which he calls College Hill Studios. McCallum has received preservation awards for each of these redevelopment projects. In addition to his development activities, McCallum is a realtor with Iowa Realty.

IMPORTANT ISSUES

” I love and care deeply for our city and will do what I can to keep Iowa City a great place to live.” We need leadership that can focus on expanding our tax base while at the same time maintaining the city’s uniqueness” asserts McCallum.

McCallum supports:

Smart Growth Zoning

Encourage diversity of housing options downtown and multifamily zones by offering density bonuses to developers that incorporate specific objectives in their proposals. Specific objective could be accessible or affordable housing units. McCallum also supports zoning that would allow for conversion of existing apartments buildings to housing cooperatives. This would allow for more affordable owner occupied housing in the downtown area.

Delay of property tax recalculations for Historic Properties.

Encourage investment in our historic and conservation zones by delaying the property tax assessment for exterior improvements approved by the Historic Preservation Commission.

Rental Housing Diversity

Will support density regulations that regulate occupancy in our multifamily zones by bodies per acre of land versus units per acre of land. ( Our current code) This will allow for development of smaller, more affordable housing.

A New Comprehensive Plan for Our Downtown and Surrounding East Side Neighborhoods.

With the new business environment created by the passage of the “21” ordinance. We need to look at new business models that will allow the Downtown to diversify and expand. Important to this goal would be to support zoning changes that would encourage more residential housing in our downtown area. In our near eastside Conservation and Historic Districts McCallum would support a new ” Village Zone” that would allow for apartment building conversions to housing cooperatives, incentives for accessible and affordable housing and more opportunities for “live/work “residential redevelopment.

Melrose Game Day Vendors

McCallum will support efforts to keep vendors in their current location on Melrose Avenue and will oppose efforts to close off Melrose Avenue from the public on game days.

UNIQUE APPROACH

A member of both the development and preservation community , McCallum has a unique outlook and interest in zoning policy. ” I have experience on both sides of the development fence” My business philosophy is to be a good neighbor. If developers are careful to be good neighbors in their business practices, the need for more regulation subsides.

ABOUT THE CANDIDATE

Mark McCallum, 50 is a native of Waterloo, Iowa . Mark has a degree in Journalism for The University of Iowa. He has served as a representative for the Historic Preservation Commission and was a board member of the Iowa City and Coralville Convention and visitors Bureau. He currently serves as a board member for Friends of Historic Preservation.

His family includes brothers Mike and Matt from Cedar Falls and Denver, Iowa . His sister Vicki Royer lives in Phoenix , Arizona.

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Bring “normal” back to neighborhood

Reprinted from August 29th, 2009 Press Citizen Guest Editorial  

 

Mark McCallum

Guest Opinion

 

I attended the neighborhood meeting at Fair Meadows Park and was impressed with the residents passion to take back their neighborhood. These are reasonable community members that simply want to put back " normal" into their lives. To suggest otherwise is simply unfair.

 

It is time for the Iowa City Council to support a reasonable , age-based curfew and juvenile behavior ordinance.

 

For more than a decade, the Iowa City Council has embraced a policy of directing the lions’ share of their Community Development Block Grants to housing programs or assistance at the expense of economic development projects that forcus on job creation.

 

For Fiscal Year 2010 , private and nonprofit landlords will receive more than $450,000. in funding for projects that are focused on public housing programs compared to $35,000. awarded to a local business for job creation. Over the years, the council has made similar allocations and has spent millions to support low income or public housing programs.

 

This is in addition to Section 8 vouchers, which have about a 6 million dollar budget locally, and the 80 public housing units the city owns. This does not include money being allocated to the new Shelter House facility.

 

The affordability of land and housing on the southeast side along with block grant money led to much of this " community investment" that has helped to create the " ghetto" Councilor Connie Champion recently referred to at at council work session.

 

Well, the taxpayers are looking for a progress report and are not aware of many sucess stories. It is obvious to many of us that the local public housing infrastructure is not  sustainable as it currently exisits.

 

To make the southeast side whole again, the council should consider the following measures:

 

* Follow the Scattered Housing Task Force Recommendations. In addition, direct the Local Housing Authority to place a moratorium on new Section 8 vouchers issued on the southeast side. Exceptions can be made for low-income seniors or the disabled.

 

* Make the local Housing Authority report to the Iowa City Police Department in addition to Housing Inspection Services.

 

*Follow the Dubuque Public Housing Model. Dubuque employs a police corporal to work in the Housing Department as a full time investigator. This officer investigates all allegations of fraud or unauthorized occupants. He visits families in assisted units and responds to all complaints about disturbances or illegal activites. Persons found in violation of the regulations have their assistance terminated.

 

*Enforce state residency requirements on all Section 8 participants. We want participants that are willing to make a commitment to Iowa City. Failure to establish residency should result in termination of benefits.

 

*Reallocate CBDG funding with an empahsis on job creation or low-income housing for seniors and / or persons with disabilities.

 

*Mandate that all Section 8 landlords participate in a "Crime Free Housing Project". This has already been done in Des Moines, West Des Moines, Dubuque and Davenport. The program coaches landlords on identifying quality tenants, writing rental agreements, handling evictions, police services and property security and fire safety. Have the police department offer free national background checks to all  Section 8 landlords.

 

*Sell the properties owned by Local Housing Authority on the southeast side. Use money to pay for a police substation.

 

*Ratchet up Housing Authority policy’s eligibility requirements. Local housing agencies are allowed by HUD to set local policies for administration of their housing programs. Our Housing Authority should adopt stricter requirements.

 

Let’s help bring " normal " back to this neighborhood. Let’s support our neighbors on the southeast side.