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HomeMy WebLinkAboutSupplemental Attachments - 7/3/2023 Amended Council Agenda Council Meeting July 3,2023 REMOVE Consent Agenda Item 10: Motion approving Final Quantity Summary with Peterson Contractors, Inc., of Reinbeck, Iowa, for a net increase of$10,507.57, in conjunction with the FY 2022 Sergeant Road Trail Bridges No. 2 and No. 3 Replacement, Contract No. 1070, and authorizing the Mayor and City Clerk to execute said document. Consent Agenda Item 11: Resolution approving Completion of Project and Recommendation of Acceptance of Work for work performed by Peterson Contractors, Inc., of Reinbeck, Iowa, in the amount of$338,171.77, in conjunction with the FY Sergeant Road Trail Bridges No. 2 and No. 3 Replacement, Contract No. 1070, and receive and file a two-year maintenance bond. Do tg n a - 5 ©f. - . Co CD D1 0 CD ? 0 r N n Co 0 W D 0 0 tC 3 N 0 0 0 V CD n w - - �� . . °. 3 . * "• "• n iet t ,� O o 0 v .., o A) or• �• f y c 1 1* A CD 0' a °° - RI-, 00 cn `C x o 2 XD 13 0 P• N i) CO - in CD co -P Co cn CO .. co rn CO - w w C) CO in - o ni 993 01 rn CD 0) 0) CO COn CO j (0 i) IP in o in CO cr -1 m co o w o w w et tv it 1 0 r+ za y a (c ' 1 0et � c et ft t. n 'c o 5 CD W 0 'C 3 o coo 3 W r rt O O p d C. CD n W -. -. �� © .2' " 3 0" 0" et tt 7� ID Er 'C S1 E 0 a v0 c z - I, -. .. e y © C D D C• 0 © otli tTI ° n n 444 �. CD w 1- to ( m 0 A. w iln Co in CO 01 N Ca W CA Co v CO 00 A CA W Ul ---.1 01 v 03 0 03 A O CO --.1 V CO 03 01 O CSi O to O 00 O N -I O — d) (pi Rev. Michael D. Blackwell, Ph.D. I P.O. Box 804 I Cedar Falls, IA 50613 Waterloo/Cedar Falls City Councils: On June 14, 2023, the 24/7 Wall Street organization published its report on the 20 worst ities in the country for African Americans. Out of the 19,000-plus incorporated metro areas, Waterloo/Cedar Falls ranks sixth! It reports: "In these areas, there are significant gaps in income, poverty, educational attainment, unemployment, and other measures be- tween Black and white residents." What an embarrassment for a state with a paucity of persons of color, where three areas— Davenport at 13, Des Moines at 11, and Water- loo/Cedar Falls at 6—rank as worst! The Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development, of which 38 member na- tions, including the United States, are signatories, has a better life index. The factors comprising this index are: Housing; Income; Jobs; Community; Education; Environment; Civic Engagement; Health; Life Satisfaction; Safety; and Work-Life Balance. It is not dif- ficult to ascertain that African Americans and other persons of color are disproportionately numbered among those unable to reach those better-life standards. An objective under- standing of history can easily identify the reasons why. In the383 metro areas specifically examined by the 24/7 Wall Street researchers, "the gap between white and Black residents center on poverty, high school and college edu- cation, homeownership, income, unemployment, mortality, and incarceration." The data used were derived from "the U.S. Census Bureau's American Community Survey, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the Bureau of Justice Statistics." A specific example for our area indicates 12 percent of white residents, but over 33-and-1/3 percent of African Americans, are in poverty. Despite our oft distorted perceptions re- garding race and ethnicity, "Systemic racism and historical inequality have been passed on into racial disparities into daily life in America. Black Americans are much more likely than white Americans to face serious financial hardship, be incarcerated, or have poor health outcomes." The report acknowledges that these adverse conditions abound in many areas across the country; however, the differences within the worst twenty are the starkest! I urge the two city councils of our metro area to come together to address these horren- dous conditions and proactively seek practical solutions to eliminate the disparities and radically to improve the life chances of African American residents in our metro area. The multiple and cumulative causes of these disparities need to end so that all residents can enjoy the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness! Thank you. /�/�