Iowa City rules committee approves reducing Housing and Community Development Commission from nine to seven members

On May 8 the Iowa City Rules Committee approved an amendment to the Housing and Community Development Commission bylaws to reduce the commission’s size from nine members to seven and to lower the quorum from five to four.

The change, approved by committee motion, was proposed after several commission meetings suffered from low attendance and two January meetings were canceled for lack of quorum. “So the context of this amendment, this came from the request from the commission chair after 2 meetings were canceled,” a staff member said, summarizing the commission’s request. The staff member added that average attendance at meetings since 2021 has been about six members and that the last time all nine commissioners attended a meeting was March 2021.

The committee’s action is a procedural change to the commission’s bylaws intended to make it easier for the commission to meet and conduct business. The resolution also retains staggered terms: one year with three appointments, the next year two appointments, and the following year two appointments to preserve staggered turnover, the staff member said. The staff member also noted that there are currently three vacancies on the commission.

Committee discussion emphasized practicality rather than removing current members. “So reaching that quorum of 4, I think they feel it would be easier to have meetings,” the staff member said. One committee member said, “I would be voting yes for this,” during the floor motion to approve the amendment. The committee moved and seconded the amendment and vocal responses on the record were in support; no opposing votes were recorded in the provided transcript.

Committee members also raised administrative details about timing and membership. The staff member told the committee that terms typically begin July 1 and noted that a commissioner recently removed by the city council still has 30 days to request a hearing, meaning final seat counts could change before the July term start. The staff member added that the office has received a few applications to fill upcoming vacancies and that staff has attempted to contact an absent commissioner who had attended only one meeting since appointment.

The committee-approved amendment changes only the commission’s composition and quorum as stated; it does not, in the transcript, alter the commission’s duties or appropriation levels. The Rules Committee approved the amendment by motion; the transcript records the motion and a second with vocal “aye” responses on the record. Next procedural steps and whether the full council must take additional action were not specified in the transcript.