MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
MAY 29, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
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County Engineer Greg Parker: Bids Received for HMA – Full Depth Reclamation for Route F62 (500th Street SW) from the Johnson-Iowa Road Easterly to the Angle Road SW in Section 7-11 and 14-18, Township 78N, Range 8W, Also Known as IDOT Project # FM-CO52(79)—55-52.............................................................. 1
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley: Reach for Your Potential FY09 Rates 3
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley: Successful Living FY09 Rates.... 3
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley: Goodwill Industries of the Heartland FY09 Rates 4
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley: Systems Unlimited FY09 Rates.. 4
Board of Supervisors: Public Leadership Group Study............................................................... 6
Board of Supervisors: Appointments to Iowa Valley RC&D Local Food Group.......................... 6
Board of Supervisors: Support Services for Joint Communications Center................................... 7
Inquiries and Reports from the Public....................................................................................... 8
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors................................................................. 8
Chairperson Sullivan called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:28 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
County Engineer Greg Parker said the 500th Street SW project is for over five miles of paving. He noted they received two bids for the project from L.L. Pelling Company and Knife River Midwest LLC. Parker said the price difference was not very high for a $2 million project. The low bidder was L.L. Pelling with a bid of $2,179,926.06. He noted that Knife River Midwest bid at $2,397,698.81.
Parker said that there was only about 9% difference between the bids. He said there are large increases in construction costs. He noted that oil prices are very high. Parker said the Engineer’s estimate is about $98,000 less than the lowest bid received. Parker said Secondary Roads recommends proceeding with the low responsible bidder, L.L. Pelling, and putting the item on the formal agenda.
Harney asked how the costs of oil and concrete compare in terms of actual usage. Parker said the Department of Transportation (DOT) does not like letting comparative bids. Parker said he thinks comparative bids are good because they allow competition. He says by comparative bids he means whether using concrete or asphalt surface. Parker said the asphalt companies are out-pricing the concrete companies. Parker said the asphalt industry will have to figure out a way to reduce costs.
Neuzil asked what the width of the shoulder is. He said there are concerns about horse and buggy activity. Parker said the pavement is 22 feet wide and 6 inches thick and the road will be widened to 26 feet. He said they will be adding a paved shoulder to the edge and a rock shoulder to the outside of that. Parker said there are some concerns why Secondary Roads is looking at that particular road when there are other roads in worse shape. He explained this is a road that is six inches thick. Parker said that the surface has deformations due to the amount and type of traffic on the road. Parker said if they don’t do the project the road will fall apart. He explained that the road is asphalt on dirt with no drainable sub-base. Parker said that they will put subgrain in and a thicker mat. He said they do not anticipate having to go back and do anything to the road for many years.
Meyers asked if Parker can explain what full depth reclamation is. Parker responded it is the reuse of the existing asphalt into the new surface. Parker explained they will use foamed asphalt for the project, designed through the University of Iowa. Parker said it is similar to what was done on Highway 382. Parker said they will reuse the material and add thickness to it. Reusing the materials from the existing pavement is an environmentally cost effective activity. Parker said that even if the surface wasn’t concrete they would try to reutilize the materials to minimize the amount of material to be hauled. He said that in some cases that minimizes costs. Meyers asked if the project is more than just an overlay. Parker said they will completely mill the existing surface out, add material, relay it, and put more material on the surface. He said it is very similar to what was done on Highway 382. He said it is a very unique and effective process.
Stutsman said they had a rough winter and the budget has some strains on it. She asked if the project is for next years’ budget. Parker said it is. He noted that the process will build upon Board’s approval. He said he doesn’t anticipate the contract starting until late summer. Parker said it is the same contract that is working on Interstate 380. He said they have to work the schedule in to get their crews to do the County work as well.
Parker said they will more than likely do a transfer of local construction funds to Farm to Market funds to match the monies already in the account. He said the monies are ready to be expended for the project. Meyers asked if the extra money comes out of other projects. Parker said there are several different fund sources used for construction projects. He said there are State funds, Federal funds, and local construction budgets. For this project they are using Farm to Market funds which are State funds. He said the Farm to Market funds have been adjusted to cover overrages and underrages on construction projects.
R. Sullivan said L.L. Pelling is a local company that hires local people and pays a lot of taxes. R. Sullivan said it is good to see the Board buys locally. He noted that it is good to see other companies bidding as well. Parker said that there are very few companies that can bid on Secondary Roads projects. Parker said he is glad to see other companies bidding because it creates competitive bidding.
Parker said the project is let through the DOT and it goes statewide to whoever is on the bidder’s list that meets the DOT requirements. Parker said the further away the contractor is the more mobilization cost there is. Parker said that it is very difficult for local companies to compete in the market. He said it is good that the bids are tight. R. Sullivan said the Board is happy with L.L. Pelling. He added that he is glad that L.L. Pelling’s prices are very competitive. The Board agreed to place the item on a future formal agenda for approval.
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Kris Artley said Reach for Your Potential (RYP) has been on the County preferred provider list. She said that not all providers were aware that they need to operate on the County’s fiscal year. That created a challenge in getting all the cost reports in on time. Artley explained that some providers operate on a fiscal year and others on a calendar year. Artley said that she hopes to get that rectified over time. Artley said there is a significant lack of funding provided by the legislature for the next fiscal year. She said her best guesstimate is that the counties with less than 10% fund reserve balances in FY07 would end up with waiting lists.
Artley said that RYP has been involved with the Iowa Association of Counties County Rate Information System (CRIS) report process. Artley said the utilization rates are high and RYP strives for higher percentages. She said RYP will encounter the higher wage issue to draw from the employment pool. Artley noted that RYP is combining the higher wage issue with some staff restructuring as they move from their apartment oriented service to individual homes. She said RYP has 15 homes total. They have built three duplexes and plan to build six four bedroom homes in the future.
Artley said that the FY07 approved rate for adult daycare was less than the actual costs. For adult daycare the daily rate RYP is requesting less is than the actual CRIS report rate for 2007. She said RYP is requesting $65. Artley said RYP is requesting the FY07 rate of $26.20 per hour for supported community living. Stutsman asked what expecting to incorporate the expense into their future purchase of homes means. Artley explained that the staff ratios would change to realign the staff issues.
Artley said Successful Living is under new management. Former MH/DD Social Worker II Scott Regenwether is the new director of Successful Living. Artley said their utilization rate is on the low side. In addition, Artley said, Successful Living needs to offer a vocab and rehabilitation service as a waiver service for the Chronic Mental Illness population. She said that is encouraging because the County needs more such services.
Artley said Successful Living will get a rate set as soon as they are approved, within 30 to 180 days. With internal efficiencies that Successful Living is trying to create, they could probably live with the rate received through habilitation services which will be $58.96, which is less than the rate from the CRIS report for FY07. R. Sullivan said that all the agencies are different which explains the differences in rates. Successful Living is serving people who have been a challenge for providers to serve. He said utilization is going to undoubtedly be lower than a group home type. Artley said she should also speak to Successful Living’s willingness to handle emergency situations for the County.
Artley said Goodwill Industries is a preferred provider. Goodwill is able to supplement their rates because of their store sales. Goodwill does not expect the County to meet the full rate stated in the CRIS reports. Goodwill is also proposing to start a day rehabilitation program and become engaged in a computer training program. Artley said Goodwill is also working on a short term partnership with Wal-Greens to provide in-house retail work experience. The ultimate goal is to get retail employment for their clients. She said Goodwill is requesting a 4% increase for FY09. She said that the increase of 4% over FY08 is still less than the actual cost for FY07. She said the Goodwill proposal is very reasonable.
Systems Unlimited Executive Director William Gorman said Systems Unlimited writes six different cost reports. Artley said they have been trying to hammer the legislature to have a uniform reporting system across the State. Gorman introduced System Unlimited Finance Director Dennis Jochimsen. Artley said that Systems had some unusual circumstances for 2008. The majority of the services they provide to Johnson County clientele come under the waiver. She explained the County is obligated to cover the non Federal share of 38% of the cost. Artley said, overall, the dollar rates are mostly waiver services for the County.
Gorman said Systems has historically served the most difficult individuals with challenging behavior. He said that, particularly with employment systems, Systems could not get enough staff. After the January 2008 CRIS report Systems raised the hourly wage from $8 to $9. He noted that the increase did not get the job done. Gorman explained that Systems had to initiate some reduction of services. He added that they spent an enormous amount of time and made some minor adjustments to the schedule of about 32 people. He noted that they reduced the schedule of some people working five days to three days. Gorman said in February 2008 Systems increased the wage to $10. He said that increasing the wage worked. Gorman said that in a month and a half Systems was able to bring everyone back to the regular schedule. He said that the $2 increase in wages represents a 25% increase in expenses.
Gorman clarified that Systems is doing day rehabilitation instead of adult day care. He noted that in contrast to adult day care, day rehabilitation has many more requirements of training, goal setting, and integration. Gorman said System encounters transportation costs related to day rehabilitation. They have to worry about gas prices that have risen about 52% to 55%. Gorman said raising the second dollar an hour for wages was not budgeted. Gorman said Systems loses $22,000 to $25,000 a month for employment systems. He said that 88 cents of a dollar goes to wages. Gorman said that due to the wages the Systems rates went up higher than the COLA. He said Systems is doing a one time alignment. Gorman said the rates are cost driven. He added that it will make a big difference for Systems to be realigned.
Neuzil said that the cost of living and the ability to access the workforce is different in Johnson County from other counties. Neuzil asked Artley to explain the waiver system process. Artley said that the waiver system is a Medicaid funded service. She said that because the waiver system is under Medicaid, the County is only responsible for the non-Federal share, which is approximately 38%. Artley said the rules and regulations for the service are significantly higher and require more staff training and awareness of how to do business. If a service is 100% funded by the County, the County creates the rules for providing the service. She said Medicaid has set up definitive guidelines. Artley said that if they don’t meet the standards the accreditors will decertify the program.
Neuzil said that if the rates are increased they get reimbursed for a majority of the cost. He asked Artley if she thinks the proposed fees are in line with the FY07 CRIS report. Artley said if Systems hadn’t incurred all the incidentals they would be in line with the CRIS report. Neuzil asked if Artley recommends that the Board accept the proposal. Artley responded yes. Harney asked if Medicaid will pay more if the fees are raised. Artley said the County establishes the rates locally within a certain time frame and Medicaid honors that. She said there are some services that are capped. She noted that this service is not capped. Gorman said that the only service that has a Medicaid cap is supported employment.
R. Sullivan pointed out providers like Systems assist close to 20 counties. Gorman said Systems has staff on the ground in 11 counties and is funded by 33 counties. R. Sullivan said there was a time when Systems had to establish 11 rates. He added that with the CRIS process the County, as the host of Systems, sets the fees. R. Sullivan said that every county pays the same fee. Gorman noted that as soon as the County finalizes the fees Systems will work with CRIS to get the rates sent out to the counties. Gorman said the counties accept the rates of the host county. Artley said that, likewise, the County accepts the rates of other host counties. R. Sullivan said that all providers encountered some of the same issues that Systems did, like increasing gas prices. He asked if Systems were affected to a greater degree and that is why the Board is specifically talking with them.
Neuzil said there is a CRIS meeting in the next few weeks. He said there will be a lot of questions since a lot of communities want to know how the Board comes up with the fees, especially since the numbers are skewing a bit from the 2007 fees. R. Sullivan said that one thing that everyone is concerned about is the quality of people they are able to attract. Gorman said money is not everything, but that there is a minimum wage that attracts people. He continued that if $10 didn’t work, Systems would have raised the rate another $0.50 to a dollar. Gorman acknowledged that increasing the wage is risky because Systems does not have a rate increase to cover it. He added that the loss per month would be even larger. Gorman said Systems serves challenging people and that requires a little more incentives. He said raising the rate was a good exercise in figuring out how to attract more people and do heavy duty training for the employees. The Board agreed to move all MH/DD recommendations to a future formal agenda.
R. Sullivan said the Public Leadership Group is comprised of members of Johnson County, Linn County, and all the cities contained in the two counties. R. Sullivan said they have been meeting since 2003 to discuss matters of mutual interest. He noted that the meetings are moderated by the East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) Executive Director Doug Elliot. R. Sullivan said Elliot strongly suggested doing a joint study to determine the attitudes and opinions of people in the corridor and what the Group should be collaboratively working on. He said that ECICOG contributed $7,000 to help pay for the study. R. Sullivan said Johnson County's share is $2,000. Neuzil said the project will help the committee focus the work on some corridor issues. He asked if the money will come out of the FY09 budget. R. Sullivan confirmed. Meyers said some smaller communities in the county will provide financial support as well. The Board agreed to move the item to a future formal agenda.
R. Sullivan said that the Public Leadership Group discussed local food initiatives. R. Sullivan said Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development (RC&D) is a group of which both Linn County and Johnson County are members. He said that the Board needs to appoint a Supervisor and a Planning and Zoning staff member to serve on the group. R. Sullivan said that Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak would like to serve on the Group.
Harney said the Board already has a representative on RC&D. He asked if the Board would tie with that individual or if someone else is needed. R. Sullivan said it seems like a natural fit to have just one person. Meyers said RC&D has a local food group as well as regional food initiatives. He pointed out RC&D is getting heavily involved in food issues. Meyers said he is the current Board representative on RC&D and would be fine with being part of the group. Stutsman asked if the Board could appoint two Supervisors. She noted she is also interested in the project. She asked if the Board is limited to one Supervisor. Harney said RC&D has certain membership rules. Neuzil said that in the past RC&D has been involved in trails and now it has transitioned to food. Stutsman said she gives credit to Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator Christine Taliga. Stutsman said Taliga has done a great job organizing and bringing everything together. R. Sullivan asked if Meyers could inquire if the Board can have two supervisors on the Group.
R. Sullivan said he received another correspondence from Johnson County Council of Governments Executive Director and Transportation Planner Jeff Davidson. He said that only the City and the County expressed any interest in providing additional services to the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) such as payroll, legal services, and cutting the grass. R. Sullivan said Coralville, North Liberty and smaller towns have no interest in providing the services. He said it is up to Iowa City and Johnson County to decide if they want to do it.
R. Sullivan said the City has not come up with any proposal yet. He said the County has not provided anything formal either. R. Sullivan said that Davidson wants to get something into place. He added that the Board needs to determine if the County will put in a formal proposal. Stutsman said Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek is putting some numbers together. Neuzil said the question is who can provide a better service at a better rate. He said that if the City could be more efficient then they should do it, and if the County is more efficient than the County should do it. Neuzil said it is up to the JECC Board to determine the best alternative.
R. Sullivan said that the County is a decentralized government. He noted that County Auditor Tom Slockett mentioned that he is quite interested in providing services. Neuzil added that Slockett is requesting more staff to do so. Harney said that Slockett and Shramek could make a proposal and the JECC Board can decide which way to go.
In terms of legal services, County Attorney Janet Lyness said she thinks there will be a lot of upfront work such as contract purchasing and employment contracts. She said the project will be time consuming and she isn’t interested in taking that on. Lyness said it would be a lot easier for JECC to hire outside counsel especially on the employment issues. She said that there will be a lot of former employees applying for positions. Lyness said that after JECC is initially set up the County Attorney could provide a lot of services since the amount of work would be drastically reduced. R. Sullivan said he will contact Davidson.
Solon resident Paul Sueppell said that in April 2008 his road, Pinebrook Avenue, was in bad shape. He said he attempted to contact Parker. He said he reached Parker and explained him that there is a subdivision of approximately 10 people that want to work with the County to get the road back into shape. Sueppell said Parker told him that the Board prevents Parker from meeting with them. Sueppell said that after talking with some people he determined that Parker can discuss the issue. Sueppell said that Parker told Sueppell he would get back to him. Sueppell said that he tried numerous times to get in touch with Parker but has not received any phone calls back. Sueppell said that Parker called him back once. Sueppell said he could not answer, but called Parker right away and was told he was in a meeting. Sueppell said he just wants someone to come out and talk about what can be done with the road. He said that in the past two years some construction in the area has backed large semis on the road and did some damage to the base of the road. He said that every time it rains there are large sink holes in the road.
Sueppell said that when the neighbors complain the County sends a truck out and dumps gravel. He noted that at the next rain the gravel goes out into the ditch because nothing was done to solve the problem. He said the neighbors are interested in getting the problem fixed correctly. He said they understand that there are budget constraints, and they are not asking the Board to change their whole budget and fix a quarter of a mile road. Sueppell said that the residents can’t put dust control or do anything with the road until they figure out what will happen with the road. Sueppell said he has a problem in getting Parker to meet with him. He said he would sue if anyone went into the collapsed culvert. He said that culvert has been there five years and had three red flags put on it.
Meyers attended a meeting to discuss fringe area agreements between Tipton and the County, a SEATS Advisory Board meeting, the Johnson and Linn Public Leadership meeting, and the Iowa Valley RC&D Board meeting.
Harney attended the Veteran’s Trail Inductees, a sneak preview of the Coralville Library, Planning and Zoning site visits, an emergency management meeting, the Ecumenical Towers renovation ribbon cutting, a post legislative forum, and a meeting with DOT.
Stutsman attended the Memorial Day service at West Overlook, the May 28, 2008 Hills City Council meeting, and a Flex Benefits meeting, and an EAP session with MECCA. Stutsman mentioned that the District 6 ISAC legislative meeting will be in Iowa City.
Neuzil attended the Veteran’s Trail Inductees, and went to the Business Corridor Fastest Growing Companies breakfast in Cedar Rapids. Neuzil said he will have a listening post on May 30, 2008 at the Johnson County Senior Center.
R. Sullivan said he went to the Memorial Day events in Sutliff and North Liberty, the Solon Firefighters Annual Pancake breakfast, the Arc of Southeast IA annual meeting, a Public Leadership Group meeting, and a Joint Cities meeting.
Adjourned at 10:57 a.m.
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By John Deeth, Recording Secretary