Dear Mayor and City Council:

During the 70's I worked to get the Grand Rapids School Board to divest its holdings in banks and corporations doing business with the Apartheid of South Africa. The worldwide effort was in part the reason that Apartheid was dismantled. 

Today we have a similar concern which can bring harm to residents of our state. The Keystone XL Dakota pipeline when completed will run through 18 Iowa Counties on the path from the Bakken fracked oil fields of North Dakota to Patoka Illinois, threatening Iowa farm land, wildlife habitat, recreation areas and clean drinking water for the state residents and millions of other people along the pipeline route. 

Wells Fargo, a bank which is a depository of our citys community funds is committing $467 million to the companies hoping to profit from the pipeline. Likewise another bank who our city is doing business with is US Bank which has invested $275 million in the pipeline. I desire our community revenues be moved from Wells Fargo and US Bank to local banking institutions and Iowa City cease doing business with Wells Fargo and U.S. Bank until they withdraw their assets from building, operating, and maintaining the Keystone XL Dakota pipeline. 

Is the interest in these holdings worth more to you then the lives of residents and wildlife. I request you do this as an act of humanity, protecting the culture of the Standing Rock Sioux Tribes, preserving life of people and animals, respecting our natural resources, and civil rights all of which our community values.

I thank you for your time and attention to this matter.

Truly,