MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
APRIL 17, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Coralville City Administrator Kelly Hayworth: Letter of Support for Coralville Center for the Performing Arts Project............................................................................................................................ 1
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator Christine Taliga: Collaboration with Linn County on Local Food Promotion................................................................................... 2
SEATS Director Tom Brase: 28E Agreement Renewal Between the City of Iowa City and Johnson County 4
County Engineer Greg Parker and Assistant County Engineer Al Miller: Right-of-Way Acquisition for Calkins Avenue Bridge Replacement Project............................................................................... 5
Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan: Proposals to Provide Cost Allocation Services for Fiscal Years 2008, 2009, And 2010............................................................................................................................... 6
Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan: Request for Proposals for Financial Advisory Services for the $20,000,000 Conservation Bonds Issue.............................................................................................. 7
Board of Supervisors: Year Round County Cleanup in Johnson County for 2008............. 10
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors......................................................... 12
Chairperson Sullivan called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:25 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Coralville City Manager Kelly Hayworth introduced representatives from the City Circle Acting Company, a major partner in the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts Project. Hayworth said the Center for the Performing Arts Project has been a major goal of the Coralville City Council for over 10 years. He said Coralville purchased the corner of 12th Avenue and 5th Street to expand the library and provide parking, and also to elaborate upon the Town Center Plan. He noted that the Performing Arts Center would be the capstone of the municipal campus.
Assistant City Administrator Ellen Habel said that the proposed center would include a 518 seat full-service theater. She noted that the theater would have 330 seats on the main floor and 188 seats in the balcony. The theater would have a full support space, including a green room, cast dressing rooms for 16-20 performers, and four star dressing rooms. There will also be sound and lighting booths as well as a full fly tower and other amenities that performers need. Habel said the CAT request has gone up to $1.8 million, and the total project is $10.16 million. Plaza on Fifth Street will be a project of Southgate Development, but the City will purchase, own, and operate the auditorium. Hayworth said that there would be a shared lobby space and common restroom facilities. Hayworth said the private partners include Watts Development Group and Southgate Development.
Stutsman asked who besides City Circle Acting Company would use the facility. Hayworth said that there would be a charge for using the facility. He noted that there currently are three committees working on the project, the Utilization Committee, the Design Committee, and Fundraising Committee. Hayworth said that the goal is to have the facility open for the community and they do not anticipate bringing in professional or touring groups. There is a mission partnership with the School District to have performances in the facility. The Library is an important partner in the project and will also host activities at the Performing Arts Center. There are also local groups participating, including West Music Group, who will be hosting recitals and guest lecturers at the facility.
Stutsman asked what would happen if they do not receive the CAT grant. Hayworth said the project would have to be scaled back. R. Sullivan confirmed that at this time Coralville is not asking for a financial contribution from the County. Hayworth agreed and said that it is possible that Coralville would have to come back to the County if that was a stipulation of the grant. Stutsman said that the County supported the Coralville Aqua Center and the Public Library projects. R. Sullivan added that the County has supported projects in other communities as well.
Harney asked if the Coralville is still planning on developing a housing project next to the theater. Habel said this project includes a six-story facility, where the first three floors are designated for commercial condominiums and retail space and the upper three floors would be residential. Hayworth said that these are all one building that share lobby space and the same entrance. Habel said that the housing portion of the project would remain privately owned. R. Sullivan noted that the Englert Theatre has expressed some concern but said that there have been some meetings to work out some agreements. Hayworth said there would be ongoing dialogue to figure out how to best cooperate and facilitate synergy between this proposed center and the Englert.
Recessed to the formal meeting at 9:36 a.m.; reconvened at 9:39 a.m.
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) Coordinator Christine Taliga said RC&D recently received a $2,667 grant from Linn County designed to promote greater connections between producers and consumers for a work session to examine the local food pieces going on in Iowa, the Midwest and the Nation. She said the RC&D excels at pulling regional resources to address regional concerns. There are many parallels between the Linn County local food efforts and the Johnson County local food efforts. A lot of the producers spill over into both counties. RC&D is working with the Iowa City Community School District in promoting a “farm the school” program that is poised to be a leader in the State of Iowa, to lay the groundwork for sustainability with regard to support for producers and consumers interested in local food. The RC&D is asking the Board for support for these efforts by matching the Linn County support.
Stutsman said a target in the Strategic Planning Meeting on April 16, 2008 was Rural Economic Development and this seems like a perfect fit. She said it only makes sense to invest in raising local food. Taliga said there is a full-time staff member dedicated to the effort as well as two interns from Grinnell College working this summer to do various surveys at various farmers’ markets, including those in Johnson County. RC&D is engaging in dialogue with school food directors. There is a great deal of interest in these issues but pulling regional resources is key in achieving these goals. The Grinnell area has had a lot of success with their local food efforts and Johnson County has done a lot with local food since 1996 working with several organizations. There are a lot of opportunities to collaborate and the RC&D would like to build upon that. There is an upcoming work session in June that includes collaboration with the Linn County Planning & Development Committee, where there will be high-powered speakers who can address the issue of local food policy. These things will be beneficial to Johnson County as well and a partnership would be helpful in the rural economic planning process.
Stutsman asked if RC&D is also working with Iowa State Extension. Taliga said that 130 individuals, including Iowa State Extension are involved in the planning process along 6 counties. There is a long list of producers and the RC&D is trying to make its website more interactive so that consumers can access lists of local producers. R. Sullivan said there are a lot of local producers producing a lot of good, locally-grown food, but there are other problems in the chain in terms of getting it to the right people at the right time, processed, packaged, and marketed, and it seems like there is an economy of scale that can be gained. Roberts said staff from the Iowa State University Leopold Center for Sustainable Agriculture did a research project looking at the national food system, a local food system, and a regional food system. The efficiencies come in at the regional level because the majority of food now is being shipped in from outside of the state, so the economic development potential is huge. Food costs are skyrocketing because of shipping costs, and these are all indicators to think ahead and restructure Iowa agriculture in this shifting economy.
Harney asked for clarification about Linn County’s participation. Taliga said the total contribution from Linn County is $5,167. Stutsman asked if that was the requested match to Johnson County. Taliga concurred. Stutsman said the County put some money away in the budget for projects like this that come up during the year outside the regular budget cycle. R. Sullivan said the Board would have to discuss the matter with Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne, who was not present at the meeting. R. Sullivan noted that on April 16, 2008, the local Chamber of Commerce had a Buy Here Business Fair, where the focus was on buying locally. Roberts said he has been working with an archaeologist who has documented that a huge portion of the food distribution structure in Iowa has disappeared. This project could be a major part of rural and urban economic development because there is a lot of business infrastructure that used to exist and is needed again.
Taliga said RC&D is excited about having input in the Linn County Planning update process, mainly looking at potential policies that may be included in updating the Linn County Land Use Plan. On another note, a summary of the study commissioned from an agricultural economist, for which RC&D has individual summaries for each county, shows the specific monetary amounts on a regional level. RC&D has been very effective in documenting the producers, the partners, and the consumers which means that there will be real numbers next year, which can be used in the County’s planning process.
Harney said he supports the local food initiatives and the County can step forward with a small grant, but he cautions on not spending dollars for advertising. Taliga said RC&D is planning on bringing in speakers from California and from across the nation, for which financial support is needed. RC&D also needs staff coordination to get the website up, interactive, and current. She noted that there are a lot of different ways to use the grant money and RC&D would respect the County request to not use the money on advertisement. Roberts said there is an active regional food co-op in Des Moines at Merle Hay Mall, where producers from six-counties are bringing in products ordered by consumers on the internet. Once that model is up and going, those organizers have said they will share their model and software with Linn and Johnson Counties. Taliga said that is a project through Practical Farmers of Iowa, a partner in RC&D’s efforts. R. Sullivan noted that there was interest among the Board to put the issue on the next formal agenda.
SEATS Director Tom Brase spoke regarding a SEATS 28E Agreement Renewal between the City of Iowa City and Johnson County for the period of July 1, 2008 through June 30, 2013 for paratransit service in the amount of $978,958. Brase said that figure is for the fifth fiscal year and that he will go over all the different amounts. Johnson County currently contracts with City of Iowa City, City of Coralville, and University Heights to provide the federally-mandated Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) paratransit service. This service requires transit agencies which operate a fixed-route transit service to their residents to provide a comparable paratransit service to those with disabilities that prevent them using a fixed-route service. He said the 28E Agreement renewal has been approved by the City Council of Iowa City for the purpose of providing the paratransit service to its residents. He said that the City of Iowa City agreed to pay Johnson County $836,817 for FY09, $870,290 for FY10, $905,102 for FY11, $941,306 for FY12, and $978,958 for FY13. A provision of this service will be paid on or before the 15th of each month; this is a four-percent annual increase to cover the number of riders and operating costs. Stutsman asked if Coralville and University Heights have agreed as well. Brase said he is currently working with Coralville. He said that there has been a renewal with University Heights since 1978 and he has been working with County Attorney Janet Lyness and move forward with that. R. Sullivan said the agreement will be on the next formal agenda for approval.
County Engineer Greg Parker presented a right-of-way acquisition map for the Calkins Avenue Bridge Replacement Project, Section 4, T81N, R8W, Monroe Township, Johnson County Project BROS-C052(65)--8J-52. He said the project is part of the Five Year Road Construction Program as approved by the Board this year. The project is on the west side of the Four County Quarries, just south of the county line in the northwest part of the county. He said that the structure needed to be replaced and they would be removing any restrictions on it.
Assistant County Engineer Al Miller said it is a bridge replacement project with a twin box culvert with two small areas at the inlet and outlet of the new culvert. The area on the east side is 0.28 acres and the area on the west side is 0.17 acres. Land values are based on comparable sales in the area. He said the project is slated to be in a DOT-letting on July 17, 2008. Parker said the recommendation from the Secondary Roads Department is to proceed with the matter at a formal meeting.
Harney asked if the County is asking for additional property or for just a work area. Miller said the County is acquiring an easement to grade ditches outside of the end of the wings on a box culvert. He said the County paid full price for the land as a permanent easement and will install new field fence along the new right-of-way when the project is completed. Parker said typically there is 66 feet of right-of-way and it is difficult to build new structure replacements based on current design standards. There is a tendency to purchase, either by fee title or easement, to extend the property out beyond 66 feet but only in the area that the Department needs for maintenance to maintain the end of the box. He said this is typical for any project like this.
Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan said the current cost allocation contract with Maximus Financial Services, a three-year agreement, is due to expire July 1, 2008. Maximus Financial Services submitted another proposal similar to last year’s offering an annual renewal or three-year renewal option. He said that they've decreased the price by $600 over the last three-year contract. They are proposing an annual fee of $6,250, which would be annually or for each of the three-year terms. Stutsman asked why the cover letter said $6,825. M. Sullivan said it was a typo and to disregard that number. He said another company, Cost Advisory Services, Inc., submitted an unsolicited proposal. Their proposal is similar, either annual or three-year agreement, and their annual fee would not exceed $6,475. M. Sullivan recommends that the Board move this issue to the next formal meeting for action on awarding an agreement to one of the two companies.
Stutsman said she thought it odd that Maximus Financial Services presented a different number after the bids were submitted. She thinks the County should contact Cost Advisory Services to see if they want to submit a different number. M. Sullivan said that would be possible. R. Sullivan said the County is inconsistent with professional services. He said the County uses the same bond attorney and never seeks other bids but there are some services for which the County always bids out. He would like to see the County be more consistent and set a goal of number of bids to look at. He said it seems like the County treats those with whom the County does business differently. Harney said the County does not do requests for proposals (RFPs) on something like this and unless the Board wants to start doing RFPs for everything, he does not know how else to deal with it. R. Sullivan said there are RFPs for some things and not for others. Stutsman said the Board has been consistent in doing RFPs for big projects. She said it's a balancing thing, as so much work goes into writing an RFP. She said there are some services with which the County has been very happy, namely the insurance service it has in place. R. Sullivan said he does not disagree but asked if the Board has been happy with Maximus. Stutsman said yes but stated that an individual in the Auditors office worked with someone in Cost Advisory Services and spoke very highly of the company. R. Sullivan said that he wanted to see them in a more consistent position. Neuzil said part of this concern is the process of how to choose. With this issue, there is no department overseeing or advising the Board. The concern is process and how to have checks and balances before it gets to the Board. He suggested having the Finance Committee look at it. Process would help add consistency.
Stutsman asked Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell when the Board is legally obligated to submit RFPs. Chappell said the requirement is for public improvements over a certain dollar amount. Stutsman suggested putting this process concern as an agenda item for a Key Issues Meeting. Neuzil said he liked the suggestion of contacting Cost Advisory Services to see if they want to lower their bid. Meyers suggested coming up with a policy that once the bids are submitted, no changes will be accepted. Stutsman said Cost Advisory Services is working for 75 counties in Iowa, including Polk and Dallas Counties. R. Sullivan said the issue will be deferred until M. Sullivan can get more information from the companies.
M. Sullivan said the Conservation Board will be inviting proposals for selecting a firm to serve as an independent financial advisor for its proposed $20 million Conservation bond issue. The services will include, but will not be limited to, dead-issue development and oversight, the investment program, the arbitrage rebate management and continued disclosure. He said he knows that there are three companies interested in responding to an RFP from Johnson County including Springsted, Speer, and Piper Jaffrey. M. Sullivan said to move forward the RFP process can continue and the County Attorney’s Office will look through it and it can be sent out. R. Sullivan said this relates to the last issue and asked if there is a reason to bid this service out rather than use Springsted, which the County has used in the past. M. Sullivan said the Board is bidding this out only for this project, but this is a policy decision the Board needs to make. R. Sullivan said it comes back to the previous consistency discussion. Stutsman asked who will write the RFP. M. Sullivan said he would. R. Sullivan said the process will have to be discussed at a Key Issues Meeting, and he does not want the idea of bidding it for all the County’s projects to hold up the Conservation Board because of their time concerns in having language set to get on the ballot.
Harney said the Board is getting into a lot of details about how to go about this process, and the Board is not bound by a proposal and can select whomever it pleases. Conservation Director Harry Graves said the Conservation Board has had no input in this idea. He said the concept was brought forward by the Auditor who has had experiences with this in the past. R. Sullivan said the Auditor’s suggestion is that some financial services firm needs to be involved here and the question is how to proceed. Stutsman asked how it was dealt with when the Jail was put on a bond issue a few years ago. Neuzil said more research needs to be done.
Chappell said this is now in the Board’s purview, just like any other bond issue. They decide what financial advisors firm the County deals with and who the County’s bond counsel is. He said it was a decision for the Board to make. Stutsman said it is an issue for the Conservation Board as it needs to be on the ballot in November. She asked when the language would be ready to go. Graves said the sooner they have the language, the more understandable it is for the voting public. Stutsman said that in reviewing the calendar, the process could take a couple months. R. Sullivan said that his inclination here was to use the firm that the County has been using to respect the timing issue but with some understanding that the Board may issue an RFP to make sure the firms with whom the Board is working are the best firms for the County to be working with. Stutsman said she wants to hear why the Auditor’s Office wants a formal RFP. M. Sullivan said the ballot language needs to be settled around August 27, 2008. Stutsman suggested putting the item on next week's agenda and request someone from the Auditor’s Office be present to answer questions.
M. Sullivan said he wants to send the press release today or the next for the Year-Round County Cleanup in Johnson County. Each year, there have been four or five situations where people from unincorporated parts of the county go to the landfill with a load, do not appear in the database, are asked to pay and then wonder why. M. Sullivan inserted language that in the event the landfill asks a participant to pay, the participant should pay and then contact M. Sullivan to process that receipt for reimbursement. He said one and a half years ago, Deputy Auditor Casie Kadlec and him added addresses from the precinct finder to the database. The Board clarified the language to include those “residing” in the County when Iowa City uploaded its residents to the database. He said there were four people who had been using the landfill who were not residents of the county, nor did they own property in Johnson County. He said there is a budget for it this year. In 2007, the County spent $22,700 on the landfill but there is less budgeted in FY08 and FY09 because of the move to year-round county cleanup. R. Sullivan noted that the landfill workers appreciate the change to a year-round county cleanup as it is easy for them and for participants. M. Sullivan said he will send the press release to the media.
Harney attended a roads meeting with Senator Tom Harkin’s staff and visited damaged roads with County Engineer Greg Parker. He had liaison meetings with Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak and with M. Sullivan. He attended the strategic planning work session, a North Liberty Chamber roundtable, and the Buy Here Business Fair.
Stutsman visited Oxford Elementary School for a County Government Week program with Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia. She attended liaison meetings with Dvorak, with Correia, and with M. Sullivan. She said Claiborne would soon begin work on the County Comprehensive Financial Report.
Neuzil attended a Salvation Army fundraiser, and will have a Listening Post at Melrose Meadows at 10:30 a.m. Friday, April 18, 2008. He noted the death of former Iowa City Mayor Tim Brandt.
Meyers attended the Buy Here Business Fair, a Task Force on Aging meeting, a SEATS Labor Management Committee meeting, and the roads meeting with Senator Harkin’s staff. He said he visited several roads and gravel roads were in poor condition but chip seal roads were good.
R. Sullivan attended a Lone Tree Preschool event for County Government Week, the Buy Here business fair, and the Crime Victim Rights Week event. He said Amtrak is looking to develop a line from the Quad Cities to Iowa City, and there will be an announcement event on April 18, 2008. The River Junction Old Settlers will have their annual event on April 19, 2008
Adjourned at 10:45 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 5, 2008 at 4:00 p.m.