MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
JANUARY 4, 2007
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Burns and Associates Project Developer Tracy Falcomata: Right-of-Way Agreement for Melrose Ridge Apartments....................................................................................................................................... 1
Senior Center Commission Member Bob Engel: Senior Center Update....................................... 2
Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek: Wireless Communication Policy....................... 3
County Attorney Janet Lyness and Leff Law Firm Attorney Mark Danielson: Amended Resolution Approving Plat and Certain Legal Documents of Timberland Estates Part Two, Johnson County, Iowa............... 4
Reports and Inquiries from Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan................................................... 4
Discussion: Appointments of Board Members to Various Boards and Committees...................... 5
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors................................................................. 6
Chairperson Harney called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:07 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Burns and Associates Project Developer Tracy Falcomata said that she has been working on the Melrose Ridge Apartments project. She thanked the Board for their support of this project thus far. She asked the Board for the approval for the right-of-way agreement with the City of Iowa City. She explained that the project has been worked on in this community for over a decade. The goal is to provide permanent supportive housing for people with chronic mental illness. Chatham Oaks has stepped up to be a general partner in the ownership entity and to provide management services and a support service presence in the two buildings. Each building has eight one bedroom apartments and one two bedroom apartment. The project is located next to Chatham Oaks on Highway 218 and that proximity lends itself to Chatham Oaks availability for 24 hour support if there is an emergency. She added that although Chatham Oaks does provide support, the tenants have the right to secure services from anyone they would like. There are multiple sources of financing in the project including the City Home Loan, a State Home Loan, the leased land at a nominal rate, and low income housing tax credits which are administered by the State.
Falcomata said that the right-of-way agreement is drafted by Iowa City and it allows for temporary access to Melrose Avenue from the project site. This temporary access allows for construction vehicles to enter the site. She said that construction started at the beginning of November. However because the land was leased it added a new wrinkle to how this agreement is drafted and it took the City a little extra time to figure that out. The project is up against some pretty hard deadlines for construction because of the tax credit financing and they just weren't able to wait for the agreement to be drafted. If they didn't expend a certain amount for the project they would have to give the tax credits back and that was a significant amount of the financing. Therefore they moved forward, and the City got the agreement together by the middle of December to have it executed by the end of January, and it will be retroactive to the beginning of November. Because the County owns the land, this is where they come in. She said she has worked with Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell, and asked if there were any legal concerns. County Attorney Janet Lyness said that there were not.
Stutsman asked if this agreement is to be in place until November of 2008. Falcomata said that this is correct. Harney said that there was an ag entrance there that would eventually be removed. Falcomata agreed. The Board agreed to put this on a future formal agenda for approval.
Bob Engel said that six months ago he told the Board about organizing the Commission into working committees, which they have done. He said that the Promotions Committee is working on a project called the Legacy Project, which is an attempt to identify retired people in the community who would be willing to write letters about experiences that could be shared with younger adults who are just starting out in their life work. The Committee has been able to get the cooperation of the Press-Citizen in not only publicizing this but maybe printing some of these letters as well. He said they hope it has a positive effect on everyone. Another project they are working on through the Outreach Committee is the development of a Speakers Bureau. The Outreach Committee has met and identified individuals who are active in the Center to volunteer to be a part of the Speakers Bureau. There is training going on and they have done trial speeches. The goal is to get out in the community more than they have in the past. Engel said that they have lots of programs that are going on, such as one session programs or a six week exhibit. They have language classes, art classes and others. One of the things that the Center has done in the last six months is a drill team. The drill team performed in the homecoming parade, which is fun for them and good for the Center.
Engel added that on December 8, 2006, the Coordinator sent a letter to Johnson County Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia with a report of information and data. This was the first time she had prepared a report. He presented a couple of items of interest. One is the Masters of Social Work Practicum Partnership with the University of Iowa, which allows students to work with the Senior Center, Oaknoll, and Hospice. A second highlight is a new project called the Memory Training Program, which is targeted at any citizen who would like to improve their memory skills. The Senior Center applied for and was awarded a grant for a memory training program that was developed by Dr. Gary Small of UCLA's Center on Aging. As part of this program a trainer will come to Iowa City and train up to 20 volunteer teachers who can then offer this class in a variety of locations. The training will take place early in 2007, and the first classes will be offered in April or May. Fifteen teachers have been recruited, and two sections of the course will be offered starting in April.
Finally, the annual report of the Senior Center has been published, Engel noted. He said that about 80% of their support comes from the City of Iowa City, and most of the membership is from Iowa City, although 18% is from other cities and 6% is from unincorporated areas. They receive $75,000 a year from the Board of Supervisors, which is about 10% of the budget. Stutsman asked how people can participate in the memory project. Engle said they could call the Senior Center. The Board thanked Engel for his report.
Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek presented the fourth draft of the Wireless Communication Policy. She said that the policy has a long history. They currently do not have a specific policy for wireless communication. The recommendation that they have a policy came from Eide Bailly. The Employee Handbook Committee originally drafted a Wireless Telecommunication Policy back in the summer. It was presented at a Department Head Meeting in September and they received a lot of feedback. It went back to the Committee in October, and went back to the Department Head Meeting on the November agenda. Now they are ready to present the document. It covers the tax consequences of three different options, those being the County cellular phones, a cellular phone allowance for employees who have their own telephone and use it for County business, and for personal cell phones which are occasionally used for business calls. She said that it is up to elected officials and department heads to determine what option is best for employees based on their job classifications and specific duties.
Shramek said that this policy does not apply to most employees, only those who use phones for County business. Neuzil asked about the effective date. Shramek said that there were a lot of things to consider. One thing could be to make it effective as of July 1, 2007. The other thing is that they have contracts with a lot of providers which need to be fulfilled. Some departments are ready right now. Stutsman said that this policy doesn't only address County owned cell phones, but also deals with the possibility of stipends of up to $40, which is at the discretion of the department head. Shramek said that this is correct, and added that some departments have these funds in their budgets right now. Stutsman asked if this policy is on the County website. Shramek said that it will be.
Harney asked when the policy should start. Shramek said that whenever there is a new policy, they like to give at least 30 days notice, so she wouldn't recommend anything earlier than March 1, 2007. Stutsman said that she thinks this should be implemented as soon as possible, but that no additional funds are available until July 1, 2007. Neuzil asked whether the $40 would be allocated pre-tax. Shramek said that it is the benefit amount, and that it is $40 before taxes and $40 is the maximum allowance.
Stutsman said that this policy is at the discretion of the department head when they feel that an employee needs to be accessible by cell phone. The Board agreed to put this item on next week's formal agenda for final approval.
Lyness said that this agenda item is regarding the amended resolution approving the plat of Timberland Estates. She introduced Leff Law Firm Attorney Mark Danielson to explain this. Danielson said he has been asked to champion this request for the resolution in regards to Timberland Estates Part Two. He said that the developer and an attorney in Cedar Rapids requested and had approved Timberland Estates Part One within the last couple of years. It came to the attention of staff that the cul-de-sac road did not meet requirements and had to be adjusted because it was too long for emergency vehicles. It had to be shortened and the lots then reallocated. The result of that was Timberland Estates Part Two, so the property was re-subdivided. What happened in the process was that the legal description that was used for the re-subdivision process was lots one through five and outlot A of Timberland Estates Part One, which inadvertently did not include the private roadways. What was technically approved in the second re-subdivision, rather than being the perimeter boundaries of the property ended up being the lots as they were described in the original subdivision, so it excluded the roadways. The purpose of this resolution is to recognize that scrivener's error in the legal description that was used in the portion of these documents. The plat was correct for Timberland Estates Part Two, so simply ratifying the fact that the plat as originally recorded for that second subdivision was correct but acknowledging the scrivener’s error in the legal description and to correct it in four or five documents that were submitted.
Danielson said that the purpose of the resolution is to acknowledge the error and simply approve the subdivision as it should be. Lyness reiterated that this does not change where the lots are. Harney said the only other option would be to go through platting again, which doesn't seem necessary. Danielson agreed and said that he will continue working with Chappell to finalize the document. The Board agreed to put this item on the formal agenda next week.
Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan reminded the Board of upcoming meetings. M. Sullivan noted that on January 8, 2007 at 9:00 a.m. the Board will be having a budget work session. On January 10, 2007 there is another budget work session. There is a Joint Cities meeting at 4:00 on January 10, 2007 at the Iowa City Public Library in meeting room A. The Board of Supervisors formal and informal meetings are at 5:30 p.m. on January 11, 2007. On January 12, 2007 there is a 9:00 a.m. budget work session. The Board thanked M. Sullivan for his report.
The Board agreed to appoint the following people to the various Boards and Committees: Chatham Oaks-Rod Sullivan with all Supervisors as alternates; City Assessor Conference Board-all Supervisors; County Assessor Conference Board-all Supervisors; Decat-Sally Stutsman and Larry Meyers; Department of Human Services Service Area Advisory Board-Rod Sullivan and Amy Correia; E911 Board-Pat Harney; ECICOG Board of Directors-Pat Harney with Sally Stutsman as alternate; ECICOG ISTEA Policy Committee-Pat Harney with Sally Stutsman as alternate; ECICOG ISTEA Technical Advisory Committee-Pat Harney, Greg Parker, and Al Miller; FEMA Board-Pat Harney; HACAP Board-Rod Sullivan; Housing Task Force-Rod Sullivan; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Board of Directors-Rod Sullivan; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Agricultural Committee-Pat Harney and Sally Stutsman; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Coralville Committee-Pat Harney and Terrence Neuzil; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Human Service Legislative Committee-Sally Stutsman; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce North Liberty Committee-Terrence Neuzil; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Iowa City Committee-Pat Harney; Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Local Government Affairs Committee-Terrence Neuzil and Sally Stutsman; ICAD-Terrence Neuzil with Pat Harney as alternate; Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Board of Directors: Ryan Maas; Johnson County Area Empowerment Board-Larry Meyers; JCCOG Rural Policy Board-Rod Sullivan and Sally Stutsman; JCCOG Urban Policy Board- Sally Stutsman and Rod Sullivan; Johnson County Emergency Management and LEPC-Pat Harney; Johnson County/Iowa City Airport Zoning Commission- Sally Stutsman with Larry Meyers as alternate; JTPA/Workforce Development CEO Board Member- Kim Painter; Juvenile Justice Youth Development Program-Terrence Neuzil and Larry Meyers; MECCA-Larry Meyers; Regional Trails and Bicycling Committee-Sally Stutsman; SEATS Advisory Committee-Sally Stutsman and Terrence Neuzil; Task Force on Aging-Larry Meyers with Terrence Neuzil as alternate; Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee-Pat Harney and Terrence Neuzil; Subcommittees under Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee: Alternatives Committee-Larry Meyers, Facilities Committee-Sally Stutsman and Pat Harney, Public Awareness and Policy Committee-Terrence Neuzil and Rod Sullivan; Johnson County Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Planning Council-All Supervisors; Subcommittees under MH/DD: Executive Committee Pat Harney; Continuous Quality Improvement- Rod Sullivan; Finance Committee - Sally Stutsman and Larry Meyers; Advocacy Committee/Research & Development - Terrence Neuzil; Communications Committee-Rod Sullivan and Larry Meyers; Comprehensive Plan and Land Use Plan-All Supervisors; Economic Development Committee-Terrence Neuzil and Pat Harney; Employee Handbook Committee-Terrence Neuzil; Facilities Planning-Pat Harney, Sally Stutsman, David Kempf, and Rich Claiborne; Finance Committee-Sally Stutsman, Terrence Neuzil, and Rich Claiborne; Safety Committee- Mike Sullivan; Space Needs Committee-Sally Stutsman and Pat Harney; Technology Plan/GIS-Rod Sullivan and Sally Stutsman; Liaison to Lone Tree and Hills-Sally Stutsman; Liaison to North Liberty, Oxford, and Riverside-Terrence Neuzil; Liaison to Solon and Shueyville-Pat Harney; Liaison to Tiffin and West Branch-Larry Meyers; Liaison to University Heights and Swisher-Rod Sullivan; Cedar Rapids Fringe Area-Terrence Neuzil; Coralville Fringe Area-Rod Sullivan and Terrence Neuzil; Hills Fringe Area-Sally Stutsman; Iowa City Fringe Area-Pat Harney and Larry Meyers; North Liberty Fringe Area-Terrence Neuzil; Oxford Fringe Area-Terrence Neuzil; Lone Tree Fringe Area-Sally Stutsman; Shueyville Fringe Area-Pat Harney; Tiffin Fringe Area-Larry Meyers; Solon Fringe Area - Pat Harney; and Liaison to Iowa City Community School District-Rod Sullivan.
R. Sullivan attended budget work sessions, a department head evaluation work session, a liaison meeting with Shramek, and the year end event of the Chamber of Commerce. R. Sullivan also spoke with NACo (National Association of Counties) Public Affairs Director Tom Goodman about inviting presidential candidates to County meetings.
Stutsman attended the year end event at the Chamber of Commerce, Planning and Zoning site visits, the liaison meeting with Shramek, and the Lone Tree City Council meeting to talk about building inspection services offered by Johnson County. Stutsman reported that she was asked to serve on the Economic Development Strategy Review Committee for ECICOG.
Neuzil attended the Chamber of Commerce Local Government Affairs Committee meeting, and announced that he will be having a Government and You Listening Post on January 5, 2007 from 7:30 a.m. to 8:30 a.m. at the Waterfront Hy-Vee.
Meyers said he is excited to be working with every member on the Board as they look for the best answers to problems.
Harney attended an ECICOG budget meeting, the Chamber of Commerce year end event, budget work sessions, and the department head evaluations meeting. Harney also had a meeting with Iowa National Guard Colonel Reefer about the proposed Readiness Center.
Adjourned at 10:15 a.m.
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By Casie Kadlec, Recording Secretary