MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
MARCH 30, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Facilities Director David Kempf: Floor Plans for Proposed Improvements to the Johnson County Administration Building.......................................................................................................................... 1
County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek and Captain Dave Wagner: Update on the Jail Inspector’s Report 5
Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia: Appointments to the Johnson County Juvenile Justice Youth Development Program.................................................................................................... 8
Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia: Draft Job Description for Clerk I for Johnson County Social Services........................................................................................................................................ 8
Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Coordinator Tanja Duffey: Jail Alernatives/Mobile Crisis Team Program Update..................................................................................................................................... 10
County Attorney Janet Lyness: Drug Court Update............................................................ 13
Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan: Renewal of Funding Agreement between Johnson County, Iowa and the Johnson County Agricultural Association..................................................................... 14
Reports and Inquiries from Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan........................................... 15
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors......................................................... 15
Chairperson Sullivan called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:12 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Facilities Director David Kempf said that he and Novak Design Group Representative Jim Novak have been working on several different options for improvements to the Johnson County Administration Building. Stutsman asked what the offices were on the west side. Kempf said they were remodels on the former Information Services area and that would be where Planning and Zoning and Building Inspections would move to. Kempf reported that the Recorder's Office would be moved from the east side of the office area to the west side. He stated that a couple of deputy offices would be placed on the east side. Kempf stated that this plan would result in the least amount of impact to the building as no department would lose space.
Stutsman asked why the Board wasn't gaining any space under the proposed plan. Kempf said the Board would gain more space. He said that Board members would be getting hard-wall offices, which would be quite a bit larger than the existing ones. He stated that a workroom would be added. Kempf stated that Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan and Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne would retain offices. He stated that the reception area would remain in the same area that it is now. Kempf estimated that the Board's meeting room would end up being approximately 40 x 20 feet, which is essentially the same as the current size with the addition of a small storage room. R. Sullivan asked if the proposed Board meeting room would roughly be what it is now in terms of size. Kempf concurred. Kempf said that a second meeting room would connect to the skywalk. This meeting room would be about 10 x 20 feet. Stutsman asked if the stairs would be taken out. Kempf said that three steps would remain and a handicap ramp would be added. Kempf said that the only thing they were losing was the small exercise area at the back of the employee lounge, though they were hoping to have some exercise space on the third floor of the new Health and Human Services Building.
R. Sullivan asked if all of the area designated by the color gray on the handout would be assigned to the Board. Kempf said that was partially correct. He said that two of the gray spaces would be office space for the Recorder Deputies. R. Sullivan asked about the Planning and Zoning and Building Inspections move. Kempf responded that Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak has decided to use modular furniture for the eight workstations in the center of the room. Kempf reported that Planning and Zoning would open a countertop into the hallway across from the current employee dining room. Kempf stated that Dvorak also requested a small meeting room in their new area as well as more office space.
Neuzil asked about the sink area and Kempf said it would probably be relocated into the proposed workroom. Neuzil asked if the Board offices would have windows. Kempf replied that they would. Meyers asked what the approximate size of the offices would be. Kempf replied that the Board offices would be about 15 x 12 feet with hard walls and doors. Neuzil asked what his current office size was. Kempf replied that Neuzil's current office was approximately 8 x 6 feet. Kempf said there would also be a 10 x 20 foot conference room.
Harney asked if Kempf had spoken with Johnson County Recorder Kim Painter with regards to the public doorway. Kempf said the doorways could stay the same, though Kempf said he hadn't gotten it detailed. Neuzil asked if the Boardroom would be almost equal to the existing one. Kempf confirmed this. Neuzil commented that the Board could still have a majority of their meetings in the Administration Building. Kempf added that the Board could also hold meetings in the bigger meeting room in the Health and Human Services Building if needed. Kempf said he thought this would be the better route to go versus creating an extremely huge room that could make for an 'empty' feeling. Novak added that a 10 x 10 foot storage room would be added behind the Supervisors' desks to store miscellaneous items. R. Sullivan said that he wished they had a technological piece like the City of Iowa City. He commented that the reception area for the Iowa City City Council includes a TV that broadcasts the current meeting. Kempf said that the blueprint would allow for three exits out of the Boardroom. Stutsman asked R. Sullivan to explain about the TV that the Iowa City City Council used. R. Sullivan and Kempf explained that Iowa City has a television in the hallway or reception area so that people know when to enter for a specific function.
Kempf showed the Board another floor plan that would be used if the Board decided to have all of their meetings in the Health and Human Services Building. This floor plan would allow for seven offices and three conference spaces. Kempf reported that one of these rooms would measure 20 x 20 feet and would be located right off of the Boardroom. Kempf stated that under this plan, everything would stay the same in the Administration Building except the configuration of the office spaces for the Board members. County Attorney Janet Lyness asked what would be located in the current Boardroom if the Board decided to hold future meetings in the Heath and Human Services Building. Kempf said in that case, the current Boardroom would act as a reception area for the Board.
Stutsman said she was concerned because there never seemed to be enough meeting space in the current office. She said that the new plan was appealing because it allowed for several additional conference areas. She asked Kempf if he could guarantee her that there would still be plenty of conference rooms available in the Health and Human Services Building. Kempf replied absolutely. R. Sullivan commented that the future offices of the Board members will adequately allow for small meetings. Stutsman asked if the Board could use Planning and Zoning's future conference room if need be. Kempf stated that would need to be worked out with Dvorak. He commented that conference room will be located in Planning and Zoning's office area. Stutsman asked if an additional doorway could be place in Planning and Zoning's proposed conference room to allow easier access for those not affiliated with Planning and Zoning. Stutsman commented that she often runs around the Administration Building looking for somewhere to meet. Neuzil and Meyers commented that they have done that too. Neuzil stated that he has had to meet with constituents in the hallway. Novak said that having private Board offices would solve a lot of this.
Novak said the biggest question was whether the Board wanted to hold their meetings in the new building or the current one, though to him the option of trying to do both seemed reasonable. Neuzil commented that he would be satisfied with meeting in the Administration Building in the future, as long as the Board could hold meetings in the Health and Human Services Building if needed. Kempf stated that the Boardrooms in both buildings would have the technology to hold Board meetings. Kempf stated that there would be very little cost difference in holding the Board meetings in one building versus the other. He commented that the remodeling the Administration Building and keeping the Board there seemed to make the most sense. Harney stated that he wanted to fix the Administration Building's functional problems before fixing the aesthetic ones.
Stutsman asked how long the remodeling would take. Kempf replied that he couldn't even provide a good guess as to the answer. Novak estimated three or four months. Meyers commented that it will be a disruptive process. Kempf stated that departments may have to be temporarily relocated while the remodeling is taking place. Neuzil commented that he would request that the Boardroom in the Health and Human Services Building be completed before the remodeling begins so that the Board would not have to find a location away from the Administration Building to hold meetings while the Administration Building is undergoing remodeling. Kempf stated that he understood that request. Stutsman asked if Painter and Iowa City Assessor Dennis Baldridge had been a part of the process and are OK with it. Kempf said that he had spoken with Painter, and that Baldridge knew that he would end up in the current Planning and Zoning area. Kempf said that Baldridge would experience the most office disruption during the building of the Health and Human Services Building and the remodeling of the Administration Building.
Kempf stated that he had not yet determined where to put Medical Examiner Administrator Mike Hensch. Kempf said that County Treasurer Tom Kriz has agreed to allow Hensch to continue to stay in the Treasure's Office area. Kempf reported that Hensch had requested three office spaces and a storage area. Kempf said that Kriz would be getting a new office. Kempf stated that Kriz would also like to create some new spaces for the deputies. Stutsman asked if Kriz's office would move from where it is currently. Kempf stated that it would because of the space that Hensch needed.
Kempf proposed that the conference room at the bottom of the stairs in the Administration Building be given to the Auditor's Office. Kempf stated that they could create a doorway to that conference room from the Auditor's current office. He also proposed giving the back maintenance area to the Auditor's Office for additional space as per County Auditor Tom Slockett's request. Kempf stated that the Auditor's Office could use this room for a variety of things. He said that they could easily carpet the floor and fix the walls in that room to make it like the rest of the Auditor's Office. Kempf reported that they would relocate the building supplies they currently have stored in the back maintenance to a 10 x 20 foot section of Slockett's current storage area. To do this, they would close off the section and create a new entrance to the section of the storage area that will still be used by the Auditor's Office. Kempf stated that he would like to take the small conference room that is currently in the Auditor's Office and give it to Human Resources so that they would have additional office space. Kempf stated that he will also create a small secure storage area for Human Resources.
Stutsman asked where Kempf's office would be. Kempf said that his office hasn't moved anywhere, but that he may end up by Information Services or in the Car Quest building. Kempf commented that he would like to keep his office in either the Administration Building or the Health and Human Services Building. He said that originally his office was supposed to be the mailroom and he might like to see it become the mailroom again as was originally intended.
R. Sullivan said he was still a little confused in regards to the Treasurer's Deputies. Kempf said they were not shown because he had failed to communicate clearly to Novak, though he estimated that the deputies would have two more 10 x 10-foot offices along the north wall of their current office. Stutsman said that one of the Medical Examiner Offices did not have a door to it. Kempf said that the plan in front of the Board was not an exact one. R. Sullivan asked what Kempf needed from the Board to move the project forward. Kempf said that he needed the Board to tell him which version of the two plans they were most comfortable with and where they wanted to have their Board meetings. Stutsman said that she was comfortable with the first plan, in which the Board meetings would remain in the Administration Building. The other members of the Board agreed. Stutsman said she was amazed at people who could look at a blank page and come up with a design. She said that she thought Novak had done an outstanding job. Novak commented that Kempf has been a tremendous help. Kempf stated that he agreed that the first plan was the most efficient use of the space.
Kempf stated that he will bring cost estimates for the remodel to the Board in the near future. He said that right now, it appears that the remodeling will cost approximately $50-$60 per square foot. Meyers commented that that figure is pretty reasonable. Novak stated that it has a lot to do with the mechanical. Kempf stated that the remodel is fairly simple and the mechanical will be on top of that.
County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said that he and Sheriff’s Captain Dave Wagner were present to go over the jail inspector's report, which he said as usual was not favorable. Wagner thanked the Board and community members for their support with the ongoing problem. He said that they have a new Chief Jail Inspector this year, Delbert Longley, who was formerly a small county sheriff. Wagner said that the jail has evolved a lot since he started in his position in 1980 and that he has seen about five different jail inspectors since then. He said that all five inspectors were unique and each had their own way of looking at the jail and the problems associated with it.
Wagner said that they cannot change the fact that the current jail is a linear jail, which was considered efficient when it was built in 1981. He said that every year the jail inspector comments on the problems with the separation of prisoners and the inability to see certain housing areas directly. Wagner said that Longley spoke about admissions and classifications. Wagner noted that both of these are difficult because the jail is linear. He said that because of this, it is not always easy to observe inmates. Wagner commented that newer jails are podular/remote. He said that these jails allow officers to look directly into housing units through glass instead of concrete. Wagner said this also allows officers to intervene when there is a potential problem rather than reacting to a problem that has already occurred.
Wagner said that the jail inspectors in the past have commented that Johnson County's jail is inadequate according to modern standards. Wagner stated that the jail inspector also complained that things were broke, which is common among buildings that are used 24 hours a day, seven days per week. Wagner thanked Kempf for his willingness to resolve these problems as they arise. Wagner said that the jail inspector also tested the hot and cold buttons on the water faucets and the toilets' flushing capabilities. He reported that some were not working on the day of the inspection in certain cells. Wagner stated that he has reported this to Kempf. He said that the inspector also mentioned lighting in his report. Wager reported that that two or three years ago, the Jail Committee came up with a standard of 20 candle power light in the day rooms of the jail per tabletop. To test this, the inspector puts a light meter down on the tables. If the light meter does not register 20 candle power, then the County is not meeting the new standard. The jail inspector found that some of the lights in the cellblocks were not up to this specification. He reported that Kempf will also be working on this.
Pulkrabek said that many people have mentioned the Sheriff in Arizona who is tough on crime. Pulkrabek explained that Arizona is one of 12 or 13 states that do not have state jail standards like Iowa. He said this is part of the reason they get by. Wagner said that for the first time, the jail inspector noted that the window screens were not secured and locked. Wagner explained that there are windows at the ends of the hallways upstairs that are fixed and not able to be opened. He said that these windows have a screen that can be closed and locked. Wagner said that these have never been locked since he began his job in 1981. Wagner stated that his best guess is that the screens were put there to diffuse light coming in from the hallways outside. The jail inspector also complained that the prisoner property storage room was too small and inadequate for current use. Wagner said that they have moved some of the property storage downstairs into the sally port to store prisoners' clothes, but that even this was proving to be inadequate. Pulkrabek explained that even though prisoners are being held out of Johnson County, their clothes still remain housed in the jail. He reported that Kempf helped them build large cabinets to be used for storage. Stutsman asked if the prisoners' clothes had to be stored on the site, or if they could be stored elsewhere. Pulkrabek said that they could look at that option, but it would really be a logistical problem.
Wagner said that there were also complaints regarding security control procedures. The jail inspector said that the control center television cameras were not clear and distinct. Wagner said that they have had their vendor, GrayBill, come in and look at their cameras. He said that some of the monitors are new; however, some of them are old and need to be replaced. Wagner said that currently they have one cell-block camera and one room camera that are both totally nonfunctional. Wagner reported that GrayBill had brought a replacement camera from another facility to be used, but stated that it did not work either. He said they would probably be faced with replacing the current black-and-white cameras with color ones. Pulkrabek said that replacing the two nonfunctional cameras would cost between $10,000 and $15,000 and that his department was not sure where they would get the money.
Wagner said that the inspector also complained about the exercise room, particularly its drop ceiling. Wagner commented that he felt the jail inspector was concerned about the possibility of a prisoner getting up into the ceilings as a way of escape. He stated that those walls go all the way to the top of the building so there is no way that anyone could get out of that room. He added that on the day of inspection the minimum-security block was over capacity and that the jail inspector wrote that he wanted a corrective plan submitted regarding it. Wagner said that he did submit a plan and explained that his staff uses a Microsoft Excel Program to schedule people into the jail. He said that normally the prisoners are sentenced by a judge and then sent down to the jail to schedule a time to serve their sentence. Wagner said that they normally try to manage this, but said that sometimes circumstances are out of their control. He explained that a judge may order a sentenced prisoner directly to jail in which case the prisoner might have to be moved to a minimum-security cell block, which takes up a bed that the jail staff did not anticipate having to use. Pulkrabek said that he wanted to take responsibility for that scenario, because he had directed the jail staff to maximize their planning. He said that he has been opposed to housing inmates out of the County who have been sentenced because this results in the County paying to have inmates serve their sentences. Wagner said that he had told staff to be sure to schedule incoming prisoners tight enough. Pulkrabek commented that the prisoner population is getting larger and larger and stated that he was not sure how long they would be able to maintain not sending sentenced inmates out of the County.
Wagner commented that when the judge sends people to the jail to schedule their sentence, they are usually given a 90 day time frame in order to come in and serve their sentence. He said that if a person doesn't show up on the day that they are scheduled to begin their sentence, his staff has to call the County Attorney and the Clerk of Court to ensure that there has been no further court action delaying the mittimus. Wagner said that if they do not find evidence of any other court action, they enter the person into the National Crime Information Center (NCIC) computer as a no-show, which essentially puts a warrant out for their arrest. If the person is taken into custody it will come up that they owe Johnson County jail time at which point they will be delivered to the jail. When this happens, the person ends up serving their sentence at a time that the jail staff had not planned. Stutsman asked if that happened very often. Wagner replied that it did. Wagner stated that that concluded the report. Wagner commented that without the dedicated jail staff that they have, there would be many more problems.
R. Sullivan noted that the Board members had a chance to read the report, and stated that he thought Wagner was being a little too humble. He said that the report has always been very complimentary towards the jail staff. He said that the jail inspectors tend to recognize that the jail staff has been dealt a bad hand with regards to the current building, but the comments about the staff are always outstanding. Stutsman said that managing the jail is a logistical nightmare and that she wasn't sure how they managed to do it. She said that the staff manages the jail very well and that Johnson County definitely benefits from it. She asked which department the jail inspectors were under. Wager responded that they were under the Iowa Department of Corrections. Wagner said that when he first started doing jail inspections, there were five jail inspectors for the State of Iowa, but then downsized to only two because of budget reasons. He said that when the Department of Corrections realized that two jail inspectors was inadequate, they began to allow jail staff to do their own inspections every other year. After that, the Department of Corrections retrained captains from the Anamosa State Penitentiary to do inspections. Wagner said that currently there is only one jail inspector in the entire state of Iowa. He said that the one jail inspector is responsible for reviewing jails in more than 90 Iowa counties.
Neuzil said the reports from the jail inspector are a continued reminder of what needs to be done. He encouraged the jail staff to do what it takes to keep the inspectors at bay until the Board can get the planning done and the finances in order to support the new jail project. R. Sullivan said that it is important that Wagner and Pulkrabek pass on to their staff and coworkers that the Board recognizes the less-than-ideal facility in which they have to work.
Stutsman asked where the Durrant study is at. Pulkrabek responded that he did not know. Pulkrabek commented that he has not talked with Durrant Representative Mike Lewis since the beginning of January 2008. Stutsman asked if any of the Board members have been interviewed yet. Neuzil replied that they had not. He said that they were anticipating an update on April 2, 2008 during the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee meeting. Harney asked M. Sullivan if he had been in contact with Lewis. M. Sullivan stated that he had contacted Lewis, but had not heard back from him.
Harney commented that Kempf had installed some nice cameras in the Courthouse and asked Pulkrabek if they could look at installing cameras other than the ones GrayBill supplied. Pulkrabek said that they are not married to any one company so they would be doing competitive bidding for that. Pulkrabek said that they have a maintenance contract with GrayBill, which is why they had them come look at the cameras. Pulkrabek commented that Sheriff’s Major Steve Dolezal, who is working on this project, has received a bid from GrayBill. Pulkrabek commented that Freeman Lock and Alarm installed the cameras in the Courthouse. He stated that the new cameras in the Courthouse are outstanding. He said that the technology is much different at the jail. He said that they would also be looking at other companies.
Correia said that three applicants that have applied for the Juvenile Justice Youth Development Policy Board. She said that there are three openings and that she believed all of them would make a good contribution to the Board. R. Sullivan announced that the applicants are Lynn Snyder of Coralville, Diane Wass of Tiffin, and Jaron Varner of Iowa City. Correia said it was good to see some variety in the locations of the applicants. Stutsman concurred. R. Sullivan asked if the Board would like to see the applications moved to the formal agenda for the following week. Stutsman and Neuzil agreed.
Correia said she would like the Board to review a draft of a new job description that she will use when hiring a replacement for the Community Program Aide. Correia reported that the person currently in the position is retiring at the end of March 2008. Correia said that the job description for the Community Program Aide is very old and outdated. She said that she has been working with Human Resources to review the job description. She said that currently the Community Program Aide acts as a receptionist for the Iowa Department of Humans Services, MH/DD, and Johnson County Social Services. Correia reported that the current Community Program Aide also performs clerical work for the Iowa Department of Human Services. Correia stated that once the Iowa Department of Human Services moves into the Health and Human Services Building, they will hire their own receptionist and clerical worker; however, because the Community Program Aide position will need to be filled before the move to the new building, the person hired for the job will temporarily act as a receptionist for the Iowa Department of Human Services until the move. In the interim the person hired as the Community Program Aide will answer the phones and process the mail.
R. Sullivan wondered if this was a position that might benefit from wearing a headset. Correia said that the new phone committee for the Health and Human Services Building had already discussed that possibility. She said that they have put in an order for cordless headsets. She said that in addition, the pay grade of this position was not in-line with Clerk 1 positions in other departments. Correia said that the current pay grade for the position in Social Services is 18, and proposed that the reworked job description be classified at pay grade 12.
Stutsman referenced a duty listed in the job description, which stated "updating and maintaining spreadsheets and tracking sheets for social services programs," and asked what that meant. Correia replied that the new clerk would assist her with maintaining tracking data for Decat Contracts, Lock Grants, etc. Stutsman asked if that involved doing the LAE Report. Correia responded no and stated that Human Services Accountant Kathy Lynch would still be responsible for that report. R. Sullivan asked if there was a timeframe to work under. He asked if Correia wanted it moved forward to next weeks' formal agenda. Correia responded that it did not need to go on the next formal agenda. She said that the current Community Program Aide's pay grade is listed at 18. Correia reported that most Clerk I and Clerk II positions in the County are at pay grade level 12. Correia stated that she looked at the job descriptions of other clerks in the County to determine which the Community Program Aide should be. Correia determined that the Community Program Aide position should be changed to a Clerk I and should receive pay grade 12. Correia reported that there is not another Clerk I in the Johnson County Social Services and MH/DD bargaining unit and because of this, the union will also need to approve the job reclassification. R. Sullivan asked if there was a consensus to move this forward to next week's formal. Stutsman and Neuzil responded that there was.
Correia said that April 6-12, 2008 is National County Government Week and that this year's theme is "Protecting Our Children." Correia noted that she sent the Board members some information for that week's proposals to highlight the activities that the County and the Board are involved with to protect children. She said that there will be a resolution put before the Board on April 3, 2008 in preparation of the upcoming week. She said that there will be banners and displays from Big Brothers and Big Sisters and from the Child Abuse Council and Empowerment Board. Correia said that she is in the process of scheduling daily visits to programs that are serving children and are either funded by the County or a County Board, for the Board. She announced the Board will be attending the Helen Lemme Elementary After-School Program, which serves students living at the Breckenridge Mobile Home Park on the afternoon on April 7, 2008. Correia reported that the Board will visit Regency, an after-school homework help program that is funded by Decat, on April 8, 2008. She said that the Board will visit Home Ties, a County-funded program which provides free childcare to families that are homeless and looking for housing and jobs, on April 9, 2008. Correia said that on April 10, 2008, the Board will be visiting Oxford, a Decat-funded project. The Board will wrap up the week by visiting Lone Tree on April 11, 2008 to visit a preschool funded by the Empowerment Board.
Stutsman asked if there was a schedule and if all the Board members could go. Correia said that the plan was to have a different Board member visit a program each day of the week. R. Sullivan said the entire Board was thrilled with all the work Correia has done. He said that it was eye opening to think about all the different things that are done in the County to protect children. Stutsman asked if Correia would be doing press releases. Correia confirmed that she would. Stutsman said that she agreed with R. Sullivan that not many people had a sense of all that is happening to assist and protect children in Johnson County. Stutsman stated that she thought Empowerment is in the process of doing a needs assessment for children aged zero to five in Johnson County
Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Coordinator Tanja Duffey said she wanted to share with the Board brochures on the Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Team Program and thanked the Board for having her. She said she had been in the coordinator position since January 2, 2008, and wanted to share the program updates with the Board. Duffey said her team works very hard every day to assist the mentally ill and remove them from jail, as well as hopefully preventing them from returning to jail. She said that the number of phone calls and referrals received have increased to over 14 per month since she has been a part of the program. She said that she was proud of the public speaking and public relations work that her team has done to let the community know they were available for assistance.
Duffey said the program has already seen 345 people in the community who are mentally ill and have had contact with the correctional system. She said she considered it astonishing that only 42 (12%) of those individuals had gone through the program or had contact with it more than once. Duffey said that most national recidivism rates are between 33-36% and that she believed their program was preventing some individuals from returning to jail. She said they have a caseload of people referred to as 'intensives' who come to the program and meet the requirements for funding assistance, and whose progress is tracked for up to one year. Duffey reported that there are 23 'intensives' currently in the program. Duffey said that they have had 74 'intensives' successfully discharged from the program, which meant that they haven't been returned to jail and are successfully connected to the services made available to them (e.g. mental health, medication, counseling, housing, etc.). She said that sometimes the 'intensives' have not been successful. Duffey reported that 16 individuals who had been discharged have returned to jail or have been subjected to a prison sentence. Duffey said that one of the pros of the program is that if these people get out of jail, her team can assist them in re-entering the community.
Duffey said something of great interest was the diagnoses of the people the program works with. Duffey said that the overwhelming majority of jail inmates suffer from mood disorders (e.g. bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, etc.) though they do have some people who have been diagnosed with Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). She noted that ADHD can be difficult to diagnose in adults because it often accompanies other problems or illnesses. Duffey said that many jail inmates who have ADHD are given stimulant medications, which are fraught with many difficulties. She noted that psychotic disorders like schizophrenia aren't as nearly as prevalent one might think in terms of working with the mentally ill in jail. She said that only 11% of individuals in the program have been diagnosed with a major psychiatric disorder, such as schizophrenia. Duffey said she sees a lot of individuals who are just very depressed and/or very anxious. She said that a lot of this is the result of environmental factors and said that much of it is treatable with medication and counseling.
Duffey said that the original coordinator of the program began to evaluate individuals one year before their introduction to the program and then one year after. She said that currently they have 71 individuals who have met the criteria for one year prior and one year after. Duffey said that they have been able to look at the number of days an individual spent in jail before entering the program and how many days they spent in jail after exiting the program. She said that the pre-diversion was over 3,500 days and the post-diversion was down to 1,348 days, so that over 2,100 'jail bed days' had been saved. Duffey said they are still using FY06 to calculate these savings; however, once she gets the FY07 numbers she will recalculate the savings. She said one of the other issues in terms of cost savings are medications. Duffey said that many of the medications that the mentally ill use are hideously expensive and that some prescriptions can cost thousands of dollars. However, she said that thanks to generic prescriptions and many pharmacies like Wal-Mart and Hy-Vee utilizing a $4 prescription program, the costs have been cut dramatically. Duffey said that one of the things they would continue to measure as the program progresses is the examination of which clients in the jail are taking advantage of the Patient Assistance Program. She said they would then measure the savings of the Patient Assistance Program alone. She said the bottom line was that medications are not nearly as expensive as they have been in the past. She also reported that they are still working with pharmaceutical companies that provide inmates with free samples and/or vouchers or coupons for medications.
Duffey said that when a person is coming out of jail and working with the Jail Alternatives Program, her team's task is to connect that person to community resources. She said that they are working hard to keep ex-convicts connected to MH/DD and the Community Mental Health Program, which provides clients with medication and counseling. Duffey said they also refer several clients to MECCA for substance abuse treatment because the vast majority of the program's clients are not only mentally ill, but substance abusers as well. She said that the Successful Living Housing Program is a residential program in the area that some of the clients go to live at and receive extra services. She said that the Successful Living Housing Program has been very helpful for some clients. Duffey reiterated that the Jail Alternatives Program works very hard to keep their clients in the community and to help them stay connected and stable. She said in a study done by the Gaines Center there were many positive outcomes as a result of Jail Diversion Programs.
Duffey said that in the past two months she has had many public speaking engagements, attended many meetings and the Corrections Academy, and graduated from the Citizens' Police Academy. She said one of the future directions for the program is to continue to move forward with the Mobile Crisis Program in collaborative efforts. Duffey said her team has been going out on mental health committals with the Iowa City Police and the Johnson County Sheriff's Department to assist escorting people from homes or hospitals. She said that she has gone out on one escort herself and stated that the program is averaging about one escort per month. Duffey said another positive aspect of the program is that Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Team Member Jessica Peckover has been assigned to attend and participate in the Johnson County Drug Treatment Court on Wednesdays so that she can add her mental health assessment assistance and expertise to the program. Duffey said that Jail Alternatives/Mobile Crisis Team Member Nicole McGlinn is working with the Community Advisory Board (CAB). Duffey reported that CAB works with those who are mentally ill and who have had an Axis 1 diagnosis, to help them remain stable in the community. She reiterated that the program members are highly active and stay highly involved in the community.
Duffey said that about 75% of the program's clients are both mentally ill and have substance abuse problems. She said one such gentleman had spent 137 days in jail during the year prior to entering the program and once admitted into the program, was granted access to the CPC application process and was assigned a case manager. Duffey said that this individual went to Community Mental Health for his psychiatric medications and counseling and also participated in some of the MECCA services. She said that in the year post-diversion, the individual accumulated only 27 days in jail, which she considered a significant drop. Duffey said another gentleman with a long history of mental illness and substance abuse had spent 109 days in jail pre-diversion, and the year after exiting the program had not spent a single day in jail. She said that this individual had been assigned a case manager and had been allowed to live in the Supportive Living Housing Program. She said that the individual had also received medications from the University of Iowa. Duffey said a third individual with a similar background of substance abuse and mental illness had spent 53 days in jail in the year prior to entering the program and zero post-diversion. She said that across the board, the program's clients are becoming more stable in the community with the hope that eventually they will be weaned off those services as they become productive citizens who hold jobs, pay taxes, etc.
Stutsman said that Duffey had given an excellent report. The other Board members agreed. Stutsman said that Duffey's report answered several of her questions regarding the effectiveness of the program, its numbers, and the impact it has had on the community. Stutsman asked Duffey who she received phone calls from. Duffey said she received one referral from a probation officer and two referrals from the STAR Program/Shelter House. She said that she often gets phone calls from case managers and counselors about 'Mr. X' going to jail and asking if she could visit them. Duffey said at that point she goes to the jail to get the releases signed to begin investigating what needs to be done. Stutsman asked if Duffey works with the case managers and the STAR Program. Duffey said her organization is the liaison between the STAR Program and the jail. She said, for example, her team would not follow a gentleman who was just transitioned out of the jail because he already has a case manager and a STAR worker. Duffey said another example is a gentleman who is currently in jail without a case manager. Duffey said that she is currently working with this man. She said that her program is very conscientious of not duplicating anything. Stutsman said that that was good.
Lyness suggested that Duffey explain where she gets referrals from. Duffey said she gets calls from everybody, including case managers, county attorneys, probation officers, defense attorneys, and jail staff. She said she often fields phone calls from probation officers from the Iowa Department of Correctional Services and that the calls keep coming in. R. Sullivan said one of the topics of discussions from the previous day's MH/DD Planning Council Meeting was that there is some legislation in front of Iowa Legislators to create Emergency Response Teams. R. Sullivan commented that there was a lot of questioning in regards to the possibility of funding the program in the entire state. He congratulated Duffey and she thanked him.
Lyness said that it is very helpful having the Jail Assistance/Mobile Crisis Program Team involved with the drug court because they are able to provide a mental health assessment of individuals while they are still in jail. Lyness also commented that Duffey and her staff have provided assistance in figuring out appropriate sentences for those who are mentally ill. Stutsman commented that it is good to hook mentally ill individuals into the system so that they can identify who is really financially responsible for the individual. Stutsman stated that sometimes it is appropriate to ask another county to help pay for services and the treatment of individuals from their county. Harney asked for an update on the drug court. Stutsman wondered if they could put that on as another agenda item.
Lyness noted that the drug court started at the end of February 2008. Already, five or six people have been accepted into the drug court, though she said did not have the results of yesterday's Drug Court Treatment Program Meeting. Lyness said that the program is for people who are on probation and are looking at having that probation revoked in favor of a prison term. She said it is also for people who are about to be sentenced to a prison term. Lyness said they are dealing with people who have committed pretty serious offenses and looking at whether the cause of those offenses is related to a substance abuse problem. Lyness said they try to get these offenders into a program where they will be closely monitored by a probation officer and a Treatment Team, with whom the offenders must meet with weekly. She said the Treatment Team is made up of a judge, Assistant Johnson County Attorney Meredith Rich-Chappell, a probation officer, the Treatment Coordinator from the Department of Correctional Services, a representative from MECCA, and a Jail Alternatives Team Member. Lyness said that the probation officer closely monitors the offender, particularly what they are doing and who they are living with. Lyness said that the offender is required to get stable housing and ensure that they have a job or are working towards getting one and that they are complying with and following the treatment. She said the program was designed to handle offenders who are substance abusers and who have additional mental health problems. Lyness said the Treatment Team makes sure that the offender is complying with the team's recommendations, whether it be taking medication or attending group meetings. She said that if the offender fails to comply with the treatment, there are sanctions (e.g. jail time), but stated that the Treatment Team really works to ensure that offenders get the intensive treatment that they need so that they can change their lives, avoid prison, and become productive citizens. Lyness said that reports from the first couple of weeks were encouraging. She said that for example, one woman in particular did not want to take jobs that were 'below' her qualifications, but did so because of the program requirements and as a result is far more productive. Lyness said that everyone involved in the program is very excited about it. R. Sullivan thanked Lyness for her report.
R. Sullivan commented that this is a Renewal of Funding Agreement between the Board and the Johnson County Agricultural Association for the period July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2009 in the amount of $93,765.00. M. Sullivan said that is an agreement that the Board considers every year. He said it was approved by the Agricultural Association in November 2007, but the Board decided to wait until they certified their budget before discussing this. M. Sullivan said the dollar amount was the same as it had been in both 2007 and 2006 and that there were no material changes other than the time period that it covered. R. Sullivan asked if the plan was to move the agreement to next week's formal agenda. M. Sullivan said that from the public standpoint the Board considered this dollar amount during their budget deliberations which began in December 2007. He said that it was presented and agreed upon though it was not the time to act on the agreement itself. The Agricultural Association waited until the Board had certified their budget to make sure that the money was there.
M. Sullivan announced that the Board has a Finance Committee Meeting at 3:00 p.m. and that they will have their regular Board meeting on March 27, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. M. Sullivan reported that he will be at the Municipal Management Institute at the Iowa Memorial Union (IMU), as he does every year, during Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday of the following week. M. Sullivan said that he will be checking into the office and Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne will have everything covered while he is at the Municipal Management Institute. He said that the Board will evaluate the performance of the Planning and Zoning Administrator and the SEATS Director on April 2, 2008. M. Sullivan added that a site visit is also planned for the Johnson County Department of Human Services that day. There will also be a Joint Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee Meeting at 4:00 p.m. on April 2, 2008 as well.
Neuzil met with SEATS Director Tom Brase. He also attended the Chamber of Commerce Monthly Meeting and an educational session on the Conservation Bond Referendum. He will have a Listening Post at the Iowa City Senior Center on March 28, 2008.
Meyers met with SEATS Director Tom Brase and attended the Chamber Local Government Affairs Meeting and an educational session on the Conservation Bond Referendum.
Harney attended ISAC meetings and the Coralville and Iowa City Chamber Roundtables.
Stutsman met with County Engineer Greg Parker. She also attended the ISAC meetings and a Farm Bureau Health and Wellness Meeting.
R. Sullivan attended ISAC meetings, the Key Issues and Department Head Meetings, and an MH/DD Planning Council Meeting. He noted that road embargoes are listed on the County's website and thanked Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak for his work for census preparation.
Adjourned at 11:12 a.m.
______________________________________________________________________
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By:
On the _______ day of _____________________, 2008
By John Deeth, Recording Secretary
Sent to the Board of Supervisors on May 6, 2008 at 9:00 a.m.