Iowa
Iowa City’s plate reading technology approved in parking ramps. What to know:
Iowa City’s parking department can use automated license plate technology in city ramps and on certain city parking enforcement vehicles. They are also allowed to use traffic cameras “primarily for traffic engineering and study.”
The ordinance was passed and adopted into Iowa City code by a narrow 4-3 vote by the Iowa City City Council on Tuesday, August 20. Councilors Andrew Dunn, Laura Bergus, and Mazahir Salih voted “no.”
The ‘no’ votes came despite the council unanimously adopting Dunn’s changes prior to the final reading and vote to the surprise of some councilmembers.
More: Iowa City moves closer to using automated license plate cameras in parking ramps
Cameras meant to save time, city says
City staff said the new code will increase efficiency and save time for both the city’s Parking Division and the community. The recently installed cameras are equipped with plate reading capabilities in three of the city’s ramps. The two ungated ramps at Chauncey Swan and Harrison have the tech available, as does the gated Capitol Street Ramp. Those cameras have not yet been activated.
Staff members said the cameras would improve efficiency around the entrance and exit of the city’s gated ramps. Associate Director of Transportation Mark Rummel estimated the technology will save the division an hour of manpower per ramp per day.
Rummel said the cameras will also discourage customers who park in a ramp for several days and then choose the ‘lost ticket’ option open at the exit gate. Likewise, the camera tech will help drivers who actually misplace their tickets.
Drivers with city parking permits would also no longer need a physical “hang tag” that is issued annually.
Traffic cameras are OK
The city’s “traffic engineering” cameras—or “intersection cameras”— are now code-exempt as well.
The city uses intersection cameras to investigate damaged or malfunctioning traffic signals.
The council held lengthy discussions about Flock cameras recently as they built the Fiscal 2025 budget, ultimately deciding not to buy them. Flock is an automated license plate reader that some police departments, including the University of Iowa PD, have used.
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City can’t store license plate data for common use
A previous council had instated protections against the use of automated plate readers and automated traffic surveillance systems and necessitated this change.
The recent change carved out legal definitions for the use of the traffic-related automated systems. It restricts the city from storing, selling or aggregating data from the automated plate cameras and automated traffic systems “unless the data directly pertains to a qualified traffic law violation or other criminal law violation for which a ticket, citation, or arrest was issued.”
Councilors voted unanimously in favor of these amendments.
On plate cameras, the ordinance will now read:
“Automatic license plate recognition systems or devices installed in City parking ramps or on City Parking Department vehicles, primarily used for parking enforcement, are not included in this definition.”
On traffic camera technology, the ordinance reads:
“Specific Streets and Traffic Engineering Division cameras installed at intersections with traffic signals or roundabouts, used primarily for traffic engineering and study, shall not be included in this definition.”
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Council did not want to completely restrict police from accessing cameras
The language in the amended city code still allows police to access the parking cameras during investigations, consistent with department policy.
Previous discussions considered limitations to the police department’s power to use these cameras in relevant investigations. For example, some of the off-the-cuff amended language proposed by Dunn at the last meeting had unintentionally created exclusions for police by limiting camera usage “exclusively” to the Parking Division.
This could have then stopped police from using the parking and traffic cameras to help investigate a sexual assault where they had little other details to work with, for example, City Manager Geoff Fruin said at a previous meeting. The council seemed hesitant to limit police use in all cases.
Councilor Shawn Harmsen also noted on Tuesday that police could have used the cameras to help locate a missing person “out of concern for their health and safety” during a recent investigation.
He wanted to ensure that the code did not restrict police and still allowed investigators to use the litany of city cameras to find or investigate a person’s whereabouts in a similar situation.
City Attorney Eric Goers said that would be allowed in the altered code.
Councilor Dunn wanted the city to find a balance between stopping the omnipresent use by city departments and allowing other relevant uses, like a police investigation where little other evidence is available.
“The really big thing that I wanted to avoid was excluding entire camera systems,” Dunn said. “This excludes cameras used for a specific purpose in a specific way, but it does not exclude every camera that is operated by the traffic services department. I believe that, functionally, it has the same effect as was desired by staff.”
Goers said the amendment did not amount to a “substantive change” of the previously twice-passed ordinance after some additional late modifications by Dunn. A substantive change would have required the council to consider the code change three times again and adhere to Dunn’s initial language.
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Ryan Hansen covers local government and crime for the Press-Citizen. He can be reached at rhansen@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, @ryanhansen01.
How much rain does Des Moines get? See the 5 wettest days on record
Wondering how the rainfall total compares? Here are the five wettest days on record for Des Moines, Iowa.
Drought conditions in Iowa improved for a second consecutive week, though areas of moderate drought expanded in parts of the state.
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday. What are the current drought conditions in Iowa?
U.S. Drought Monitor map: How much of Iowa is in a drought?
The latest Drought Monitor report, released on Thursday, June 18, showed about 46% of Iowa experiencing some form of drought. This continues the streak of conditions improving week to week in Iowa. The previous report, released on June 11, showed that 63% of the state was experiencing some form of drought.
The most recent report reflects conditions as of 8 a.m. June 16, right as storms were sweeping through Iowa, with parts of eastern Iowa seeing more than 2 inches of rainfall. Light rainfall on June 17 led to areas like Iowa City and Burlington reporting around an inch of rain.
Here is the breakdown of current drought conditions in Iowa:
- 61% of the state of Iowa is experiencing no drought conditions
- 39% of Iowa is experiencing abnormally dry conditions
- 7% of Iowa is experiencing moderate drought conditions
- 0% of Iowa is experiencing severe drought conditions
Even though drought conditions have improved overall in Iowa, the area experiencing moderate drought increased from the week of June 11, particularly in northern Iowa. Much of Cerro Gordo, Hancock and Kossuth counties are under D1 conditions, with nearby Palo Alto, Winnebago, Floyd and Mitchell also in moderate drought.
Pockets of moderate drought also persist along the northwest edge of Iowa in Lyon, Sioux and Plymouth counties. In eastern Iowa, Jackson, Clinton and Scott counties saw their moderate drought status ease week to week.
Most of the U.S. is facing drought conditions
About 73% of the U.S. is experiencing some level of drought, a 2-percentage-point improvement from the prior week. Some of the most intense drought conditions are in the southeast and the mountain west.
Iowa Drought Monitor tracks conditions weekly
The U.S. Drought Monitor offers a state-by-state tracking of drought conditions nationwide. New maps and forecasts are released each Thursday.
The intensity levels range from abnormally dry, or D0, to exceptional drought, or D4.
Typically with D0 conditions, corn can show drought stress. Pond levels start to decline under moderate drought conditions and soybeans abort pods, according to the Drought Monitor. The Drought Monitor also has a look-back chart that compares drought conditions from 3 months ago up to 1 year ago.
Cooper Worth is a service/trending reporter for the Des Moines Register. Reach him at cworth@gannett.com or follow him on X @CooperAWorth.
Confirmed tornadoes were reported in Illinois and Iowa Wednesday night as severe weather descended on a large swath of the Midwest.
According to the National Weather Service, a confirmed tornado was reported near the small northeast Iowa community of Harpers Ferry at 5:10 p.m., while a second confirmed tornado rolled through Charleston in central Illinois at about 6:40 p.m. local time.
Both tornadoes were flagged by the weather service as a “particularly dangerous situation,” a rare designation used by the weather service for environments in which “strong and violent tornadoes” are possible.
Photos and videos obtained by CBS News showed extensive damage in Charleston, with downed trees and power lines. Hail that measured 2.75 inches was also reported in the Charleston area, according to the weather service.
“There are a large number of trees blocking roadways throughout Charleston at this time,” Charleston police said in a Facebook post. “Unless it is an absolute emergency, do not drive or attempt to go anywhere.”
The city of Charleston later declared a local state of emergency.
One cell phone video captured the terrifying moments what appeared to be a large tornado tore through Effingham, Illinois, located about 40 miles southwest of Charleston.
Larry Thies, coordinator for the Effingham Emergency Management Agency, told CBS News that initial information indicated damaged buildings, trailers, and downed power lines and trees. He said officials were working to set up an emergency operations center, but were facing challenges because internet was down in the area.
The extent of the damage to region was still unclear. There was no immediate word of injuries or fatalities. CBS News senior meteorologist Rob Marciano said there were at least seven reported tornadoes during the weather event.
According to utility tracker PowerOutage.us, at least 55,000 customers were without power in Illinois.
Earlier Wednesday, Marciano reported that more than 125 million Americans were facing severe weather advisories, including the Gulf Coast states, which were under flood alerts due to Tropical Storm Arthur. Speaking on “CBS Evening News,” Marciano said such ripe tornado conditions were rare for June.
“This is unique for June, this is unusual to have such a strong jet stream just screaming across the country, then you’ve got the summertime tropical moisture coming in…and then some cold air coming in,” Marciano said. “And winds coming at different direction, at different levels, creating that spin. So what that equates to is really the high probability of seeing, not just tornadoes, but intense tornadoes of EF2 strength or higher on the ground for a long time. And also damaging winds at 75 mph or higher, and of course big time hail.”
When is Juneteenth and how is the holiday celebrated
Juneteenth is coming up. Here is what the holiday is about and how it’s celebrated.
It is a busy weekend in Iowa City as summer officially begins on Sunday. From Iowa City Pride and Juneteenth celebrations, there is no shortage of activity happening around town.
Here are four events to check out.
Enter the whimsical world of ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’ at Lower City Park
Thursday to Sunday: Riverside Theatre’s summer tradition, Shakespeare in the Park, has returned to Lower City Park. Catch a free performance of William Shakespeare’s iconic comedy, “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” that follows the chaotic events of four entangled lovers and a troupe of actors wandering into a mystical forest. All of the free shows through the weekend start at 7:30 p.m.
Celebrate Juneteenth with live entertainment and community
Friday: The Black Voices Project and Dream City are teaming up to host the community-wide Juneteenth Celebration. At 1 p.m. Friday, June 19, at the South District Market Parking lot, enjoy live music from Kevin Burt, along with community presentations, activities for all ages, and a fashion showcase.
Show your pride at Iowa City Pride events
Saturday: Iowa City Pride is back for the 56th year. Principal events, the Pride Parade and Pride Festival, will start at noon on Saturday, June 20. The festival will be on the Ped Mall, and the parade will begin at College Green Park, working its way downtown along Iowa Avenue and East Washington Street. The festival runs from 12 to 9 p.m.
Catch a romantic comedy under the stars at FilmScene in the Park
Saturday: FilmScene in the Park returns at 9:15 p.m., Saturday, June 20, with a screening of the cult classic “13 Going on 30″ at Chauncey Swan Park. Seating is on a first-come, first-served basis. Concessions, including beer and wine, will be available 30 minutes before the film begins.
Jessica Rish is an entertainment, dining and education reporter for the Iowa City Press-Citizen. She can be reached at JRish@press-citizen.com or on X, formerly known as Twitter, at @rishjessica_
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