MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
OCTOBER 1, 2008
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek: Update on the Mobile Data Terminal Project................... 1
Reports and Inquiries from Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan............................................. 8
Board of Supervisors: Short Term Lease Renewal between Johnson County and AB Investments, LLC, for Property Located at 911 North Governor Street, Iowa City........................................................... 8
Board of Supervisors: FY09 Videotaping Agreement in the Amount of $285.00 Per Meeting, Between The Video Center and the Johnson County Board of Supervisors.................................................... 9
Board of Supervisors: Appointments to the Johnson County Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Committee for Unexpired Terms Ending June 30, 2011............................................... 11
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors......................................................... 11
Chairperson Sullivan called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:08 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan; absent: Terrence Neuzil.
County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said from 2001 to 2005 the County was setting money aside for a complete software upgrade for every division at the Sheriff's Office, including Investigations, Jails, Civil, Records, and CAD (Computer Aided Dispatch System). Pulkrabek said the Sheriff's Office has been able to save significantly on the cost for the software upgrade. Pulkrabek said they could do this because the department was a Beta Test Site for the Iowa-based Smart Public Safety Software Company. He said in July 2005, the Department came before the Board and asked for a pilot project for their Mobile Data Computer Terminals (MDTs). Pulkrabek said the Sheriff's Department goal is to put MDTs in each patrol car in the County, including civil cars. The Sheriff's Office is the last large law enforcement agency to have computers. Pulkrabek said the City got their first computers over 20 years ago, and Coralville has had their computers for over 10 years. He said the Sheriff's Department wants to move into the 21st Century as well, and there will be many benefits. Pulkrabek said the Board gave the Sheriff's Office approval to begin a pilot project for six computers in the cars, which was in July 2005. He said the six months has come and gone a couple times, and he credits that to diligence in doing everything right and making good decisions. Pulkrabek said they have made a change of their thought process in which way they will go with the computers. He said they started with the idea of using tablets. Pulkrabek explained a tablet is a mini-sized full PC. He said they have gone to the tough books. Pulkrabek said the Sheriff's Department has included some statistics in the executive summary before the Board.
Deputy Sheriff Kevin Elliott explained the chat feature enables the dispatch and deputies to communicate silently. He said dispatchers can put out a chat, or message, to all deputies in an emergency situation. Elliott said it also enables deputies to communicate car-to-car and not tie up radio frequencies. Elliott referred to a PowerPoint presentation and demonstrated that everyone with a mobile computer has a squad car by it which indicates they are logged in. Elliott said the NCIC (National Crime Information Computers) enables law enforcement to run driver's license checks, vehicle registrations, wanted persons, etc. He then demonstrated how the system works. Elliott said if they were out in their car now, they would know instantly that the person is wanted and they can initiate a traffic stop based on the information. A great feature of the MDTs is they don't have to be plugged into any wireless. Deputy Sheriff Luke Hruby said he was running license plates in Iowa City and the registered owner was registered as wanted in Minnesota. He said if he had called the plate into dispatch, it would have taken 30 to 45 seconds and the person would have been gone. Hruby said he would not have been able to make the arrest otherwise. Elliott added one day he was in Lone Tree running random license checks with the MDT and he found a warrant on a woman from 1992.
Elliott said to run a license check on registrations, all they have to do is click the icon and instantly get the registered owner's information. Elliott said they don't have to type in the driver's license check. He said if there are two registered owners, both names would pop up on the computer. Elliott said if there is a warrant it will show up encircled in red. Hruby pointed out that when Pulkrabek was talking a few minutes ago, the computer beeped. He said that beeping serves to provide an audible alert to the officers in the event they are trying to keep an eye on the car. Elliott said they can run driver's licenses by name, VIN checks, out in the field and get the results back. The MDTs have resulted in numerous arrests of barred or suspended drivers, expired driver's licenses citations, and mobile traffic stops.
Elliott said the dispatching call-for-service lists all the call-for-service information that dispatch puts out. He said the complainant's address and phone number plus any information that dispatch has typed into the details appears instantly on the computer screen so officers don't have to write while driving at high speeds. Stutsman asked how the patrols pick and choose which calls to respond to. Elliott said his number is 5228 and he had staff do a test call for him. He said his number will be on as a primary unit and he can look up anything. R. Sullivan commented that Elliott will know where the other deputies are. Elliott said yes, he'll know exactly what is going on all the time. He said if a note appears on the screen such as 'needs attention' or 'use caution', it doesn't matter what date the call is put in, it is a request for extra patrol.
Hruby asked Elliott to link the 27 to the calls-for-service. Elliott said he can do that. He said they can also add dispositions to their calls-for-service. Elliott said if he is in the field and he handles the call, he can type in information about a complainant, and then save that into the call. He said that automatically goes into the dispatch center. Elliott said it shows that he put the information in. He said sometimes the dispositions can be long worded, but it will still fit in the system regardless. Stutsman asked Elliott how long it has taken him to learn everything. Elliott replied it has been an ongoing process. Hruby replied the equipment was installed in his car in January or February 2007. He said the first three or four months it was a learning process, just like with any computer. It has taken a while to get everything up and going and now they have been able to use the computers for writing tickets and getting things done a lot quicker.
Hruby said they have been able to do things they haven't been able to before. He said it has taken awhile, but the six deputies have learned how to use the systems so they can train the others when the time comes. R. Sullivan said he imagines some of the biggest beneficiaries of the system are the dispatchers. Hruby said if he does a traffic stop, he lets the dispatchers know where he is and does a code 4, meaning he doesn't need any assistance. At that point he said he can do the rest of his tasks himself, and he lets the dispatchers know when he is done. Hruby said they don't have to run the 27, the license record of the person, however the dispatchers will run the 28, or the license plate information. He said he can take the license information, run it himself, and link it himself for calls-for-service immediately. Elliott said it comes in handy in traffic accidents where there are multiple vehicles, in that they can get all the information on the vehicles and drivers, freeing dispatch to answer phones. He said the call-for-service stack is a great asset. Elliott said having all the information on the screen with the ability to type in dispositions is good.
Elliott said the search feature enables their department to search information of anyone in the network. Elliott said a great officer safety item is the system's ability to do identity checks on individuals so if anyone is lying to them about their identity, officers will find out immediately. Hruby showed a jail photo of an inmate. Stutsman asked if there will ever be the opportunity to display driver's license photos. Hruby said certain people who are authorized can access that information and asked Communications Supervisors Jim Thayer if that was correct. Thayer replied the DOT does allow limited access to the records. He said the law changed a few years ago making DOT records not public. Thayer said they have to keep a log and they can't be publicly displayed but deputies can access those records. He said recently there was a situation where a deputy was trying to serve a civil paper on someone, and someone came to the door and said that wasn't them. Thayer said that through DOT they were able to identify the individual. R. Sullivan said it sounds like everyone has liked the addition, and asked if anyone has found any problems with it. Elliott said he can't be effective on his job if he doesn't have the system. He said the computer system has definitely been a great asset for numerous reasons.
Network Administrator Bill Horning said the department went with the tablet first because of cost. The tablet cost was $2,300 versus the tough book at $5,000. He said it is a PC, exactly like those in offices, except it can be placed in a car. Horning said when he investigated the computers, he found there is a docking mount on the bottom, and Motion Computing told him they are going to build a docking station for it. He said he thought that was a great deal and the department could buy two tablets for the price of one tough book. He said that if one tablet went bad or had problems, they would be ahead of the game.
Horning said the docking station became key because the device connects a scanner, a printer, and a keyboard. He said that they were required to buy a hub to connect these three devices together. The tablet also requires a power cable which plugs into the car. Horning said that the power cable will always be hanging down and bouncing around while the car is in motion. He said they secured it and wired it up as best they could, but it will still be bouncing around inside one of the connections. Horning used the actual equipment to display this process for the Board. He said that officers wanting to use the tablet must first remove a few connections, and remove the power connection, and remove the tablet from the docking station to go out and do their job. He said it was working pretty well, but with all the vibration and using the hub, they were having connectivity issues. Horning said they would momentarily lose the keyboard connection, the scanner wouldn't work, and sometimes they would have to reboot the machine. Basically it was just causing them frustrations so they bought a different hub that did stabilize the connections pretty well, but they still had concerns about the power cable bouncing around.
Horning said they went back and looked at the tough book solution and found they had come down in price and now there is a $900 difference between the tablet and the tough book. Horning said that in the winter when temperatures get to minus 20 in the car, the unit could get damaged. Horning said the tough book can withstand minus 40 to minus 110 degrees and is something that can be taken to the desert or to Alaska. He said it is what the military uses, and has a hardened case. Horning said another benefit is the built-in keyboard provides a much more stable platform. Horning said they decided to switch to the tough book because the price had gone down and it is a much more durable unit. He said the unit can be taken out of the car and they can then use the touch screen. Horning said they can use their finger or a stylus to operate it.
Stutsman asked if there is a printer in the car, to print tickets. Horning replied there is a thermal printer that sits inside the armrest, and is about a half inch wide. Horning said it is perfectly legible and is just as quick as any desk jet printer. Stutsman asked if they recharge those at the office. Horning replied the printers have a charger in the car. Stutsman asked if it uses a regular car battery. Horning said yes, they just use an alternator that charges the battery. He said keeping that charged, they could take the computer out of the car and use it just like a laptop, going two or three hours away from a power source. Horning said that the longer they have the batteries in service and charge or recharge them, they start getting a memory or they don't charge as long.
Horning said the final straw with the tablets came when he called Motion Computing nine months ago to ask about the docking station. He said he was told Motion Computing had no intent to build a docking station anymore. Horning said they were advised by MDT Installer Graybill, to switch systems. He said that the Iowa State Patrol has the tablet in docks because it is a much more stable platform and all the wires can be attached. He said in the long run it isn't worth the time and effort to put up with the problems presented with the tablet. Horning said Elliott has used the tough book system for two months, and the unit is causing less problems in the vehicles. Elliott added the system is much more stable.
Stutsman asked how much the tough book costs. Horning replied the tough book is $3,100 which is about a $900 difference from the tablet because of the additional cost for the keyboard which is $400. The dock for the tough book is a little more expensive. Horning said the total cost difference between the tough book and the tablet is $900. It is worth it to stabilize the platform in the vehicles where the deputies work all day long.
Hruby said they will probably save that $900 difference in fuel costs since they will no longer have to go into the office to do reports and patrol logs. He said he can go on duty straight from his house. Hruby said everything he needs is accessible through the mobile computer, whether emails from Pulkrabek or call-for-service information. He explained he won't have to go to the office and review calls from the call stack like they used to do. Hruby said that all the information will be on his computer and at the end of his shift he can be in town longer because he won't have to go to the station to type his patrol log. Pulkrabek asked Elliott to show the Board his patrol log. Every patrol deputy must complete a patrol log to record their activity and that is how they report to the towns what the officers do. He explained the benefit of preparing the patrol log from the car is huge: before computers, officers would manually prepare a patrol log and record the town time on paper and then a supervisor would complete the data entry. This totally eliminates this step. Elliott said the system generates reports for the towns and the data can be broken down in any number of ways. Elliott said the program they use shows monthly activity reports per town, including how many hours they have done patrolling and how many hours they spent on criminal investigation. Elliott said the time saving is monumental. Stutsman asked how long the systems last and if they need an update. Elliott replied that the computers themselves are on a five-year replacement plan.
Elliott said the officers use a cell card to communicate back home, which gets the officers in the field onto the Internet through a virtual private network which brings them back into the County. He said the cell cards are taken just about everywhere in the County and there are very few places that drop connectivity and can maintain connection. Elliott said there is a hot spot at the Sheriff's Office in the parking lot where they can get a higher speed connection. Long term they are looking at doing hotspots at fire stations around communities like Swisher, Solon, and Lone Tree. Elliott said the officers can use any public internet available to them to connect to the office as long as the infrastructure is there. He said it will give them a faster communication speed than the wireless. Eventually cell cards will speed that up, but in the interim they will look at deploying some other solution. Elliott said Coralville is already using cell cards, and Iowa City was looking at a 900 megahertz radio system, and has decided to use cell cards. Elliott said it is cheaper in that they don't have to put the infrastructure in place to support the networks. He said there is a monthly cost, but it is reasonable for what they get.
Hruby said he wanted to point out, having access to current radar, there was a situation up in Solon for Beef Days where there was severe weather moving in. Hruby said he took the computer out of his car, and they were able to see where the storm was coming from, and where the most severe weather was coming from. He said due to the information they received on the MDT they shut down Beef Days. Hruby said there was a tornado that was coming towards Solon, but it was far enough away that they were able to look at it and get the current weather. He said, for public safety, no one else had a computer system, so he took the computer and was able to find out the weather. Hruby said that was one example.
Pulkrabek said there are a couple other situations that demonstrate the time saving value in this. He said they responded to a call about a suspicious substance. Pulkrabek said with the sensitivity of the days they are in, they have to take all kinds of precautions. He said at the location with Haz-Mat, they were able to get some information off the package. Pulkrabek said he and Hruby used the internet to track down the information. He said they ended up tracking down the package to a church out of California. Pulkrabek said before, someone would have had to go back to the office or put that task on the dispatchers. He said Hruby told him about a vehicle crash near Swisher where the driver was intoxicated and arrested. He explained Hruby was able to investigate the accident, do the accident report, and transmit the accident report down so the arresting officer could print out a copy to give to the defendant all while staying in Swisher. Before, the deputy making the arrest would have to transport to the Jail for processing, and Hruby, after doing the accident report would then have to drive down to the Sheriff's Office to give the defendant a copy of the accident report. Pulkrabek said that is a great example of time savings, fuel savings, and things like that. He said Information Services Director Jean Schultz is present and has the figures in the budget of the money that was set aside and what it will take to move forward on the project.
Schultz said initially $500,600 was allocated for the project, and there has been some additional allocations for maintenance, the cell cards, and software maintenance. It comes out of the technology budget, so she has been tracking all the expenses, and basically they will have a balance of $231,000. Schultz said the quotes and estimates provided for the expansion indicate a cost of about $212,000. She said there is enough money in the project without having to allocate additional funds. Schultz said there is actually an extra $18,000. Harney asked if those figures include the replacement of the notebooks they originally had. Schultz said they will be purchasing 23 tough books. She said they will purchase 21 for the patrol, and two spares.
R. Sullivan asked about civil vehicles. Pulkrabek said they will actually reuse three of the tablets in the civil vehicles because there is not the same need to take the systems in and out of the cars. He said they plan to add auto-vehicle locating to the civil cars. Pulkrabek said it is similar to what SEATS and Ambulance have, it's Global Positioning Systems (GPS). Pulkrabek explained that civil cars don't tell them where they are unless they are going out on a problematic paper, and in law enforcement today sometimes the unknown can be a problem. He said if something goes on, they will know where the civil cars are. Pulkrabek said the officers have to run a lot of license plates when they are looking for houses and that will be a benefit to them. Pulkrabek said the software vendor isn't quite ready to give them a full civil package where the officers can do everything from the computers in the vehicles, but that is coming. He said they are going to reuse the tablets in the civil cars because of the benefits they provide and they have the Auto Vehicle Locator so officer safety issues are addressed. R. Sullivan pointed out that in a few years when that civil package is available, they will have tough books they will use. Pulkrabek said that is the goal. Stutsman said she doesn't even know if they will need to vote on this. She said the money is budgeted and basically they just need to get the approval to reallocate. Schultz said she thinks it is all allocated. Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan said it is all allocated.
Harney said originally it was a convenience to have these systems but now it is almost an operational need because there is so much more information that is available. He said when an officer stops someone, they can run the passengers in the car as well without having to take additional time to go through dispatch. Harney said there is also confidential information that can be passed through the computer. He said this takes a load off dispatch as well. Harney said the only down side he sees is that officers get distracted using the systems while driving rather than pulling over. He said there are times when the officers have to do that when they are following or stopping someone. Pulkrabek said the department is hoping to add a voice recognition command for some very simple commands such as running license plates. R. Sullivan said Harney brings up an interesting point and asked if patrol officers will be trained in the best way to use the computers. Elliott said he thinks they have worked out all the kinks, and that the Smart Software people have been really great in working with them to address specific needs for them. Elliott said it may look like a big job but when they get out there and start working with the program they find it's pretty easy and user friendly. Stutsman asked if the system has GPS on it. Pulkrabek said yes and emphasized that the County got a very good deal on the system because they were willing to be a guinea pig for the MDT project. Pulkrabek said it has saved the Johnson County taxpayers money.
Sheriff's Captain Joe Lalla said most of the deputies are already fairly familiar with the call stack because they have a version in their Records Management System at the office. He said the officers are also familiar with the daily log because they have required them to come in and do the computerized daily log since January 1, 2008. Lalla said many of the things that the officers are going to be doing they will be able to do in their car rather than come into the office. R. Sullivan said it is the exact same process. Lalla said they haven't gotten into the NCIC stuff yet because the officers haven't been certified because there was no reason to do so yet. He said the officers are already doing some of this stuff now, they just have to come into the office to do it. Stutsman said earlier on when she was a Supervisor, she rode with one of the deputies. She asked if the offer is still available. Pulkrabek said absolutely, though the cars are a little more cramped with the systems, but he said he encourages all of the Board to take the time and ride with an officer. He said he thinks the Board will see that things are hopping out there. R. Sullivan said when he rode with an officer, the officer was telling him all the ways he could improve his job if he had an MDT. He said the officer was really doing a sales job.
Recessed to formal meeting at 9:49 a.m.; reconvened at 9:54 a.m.
M. Sullivan said he has a few meeting reminders starting next week for the Board. He said Monday, October 6, 2008 at 5:30 p.m. the Board will have a work session to discuss driveway accesses and chip seal policy. He said there will be a Key Issues meeting on Wednesday, October 8, 2008 at 9:00 a.m. and at 5:30 p.m. will be the third public meeting with the Durrant Group at the Iowa City Library in Meeting Room A. M. Sullivan said there will be a regular Board meeting Thursday, October 9, 2008, at 5:30 p.m. He said, internally, there is a Finance Committee meeting that is set for October 9, 2008, at 2:30 p.m.
Facilities Director Dave Kempf said that Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell sent the Board copies of the lease agreement with AB Investments. It is for a short-term three month lease extension that carries though the end of January, 2009. Kempf said the agreement stipulates the County will additionally pay for one-half year of taxes. He said for three months, it is half a year of taxes. The rent amount will remain the same. The agreement is to give the County some breathing room on finishing the Health and Human Services Building. He said he appreciates AB Investments coming to an agreement. Stutsman asked why the agreement goes until January, 2009. Kempf explained that AB Investments originally wanted a year extension, and appeared to be inflexible from that original idea, but given time, they agreed that it would be better to have some rather than none. Kempf said together they settled on a three-month extension. He said the County won't need the three months, but that is the shortest term AB Investments was willing to negotiate. Meyers asked Kempf if he knows how much a half a year's taxes are. Kempf said he didn't think Chappell put the information in the report. He said he will have to check with County Treasurer Tom Kriz. Meyers asked if the current rent is $7,722.50. Kempf said that is correct. Kempf said he is just presenting information, and he assumes the Board will have to take formal action to have the agreement signed. He asked to have the item put on the formal meeting agenda for October 6, 2008.
R. Sullivan said it goes without saying that Kempf tried to negotiate better terms, and this is the best he is going to get. Kempf replied he thinks the negotiation is pretty fair. He said he doesn't think AB Investments is unreasonable in requesting a three-month extension. Kempf said he thinks the County is fortunate that they are willing to go the three months because in a lot of situations people aren't willing to enter month-to-month leases. R. Sullivan asked if the actual lease will expire October 31, 2008. Kempf said that is correct. R. Sullivan asked if the three additional months will be November, December, and January. Kempf said that is correct. Stutsman asked Kempf if the County has any responsibility for the building once they leave. She wanted to know if the County has to paint the building once they leave. Meyers asked if the landlord is responsible for all the utilities. Kempf said he believes that the County is currently paying the utilities. Meyers asked if the County will be responsible to heat the building if it's out of there by Christmas. Kempf said the building will need to be at 55 degrees Fahrenheit and make sure that there isn't any negligence that could cause undue damage like frozen water pipes. Kempf said their utility costs will be greatly decreased but they will still see some utility expenses for January, 2009.
Stutsman asked if Budget Coordinator Richard Claiborne can put together a cost estimate for utilities and rent in order to have the information consolidated. She said the public constantly asks her about the new building and she tries to explain the cost savings as well as the efficiencies of having everything in the same building. Kempf said it could be a fairly easy thing to prepare. Meyers said his calculation is $92,670 per year for rent, and he wants to know if they have been paying taxes before. Kempf said yes. Meyers said that is a pretty significant savings once the County is moved to the Health and Human Services Building. Kempf said he is expecting to save around $325,000 in lease and all associated bills. R. Sullivan said 911 North Governor is only one of the buildings they are going to be moving out of. He said the County will also save rent on Eastdale and Kirkwood Avenue. Kempf said they will save on both properties on Kirkwood because they have the HIV clinic there. Harney asked if Kempf could provide the Board with the actual cost of the extension. Kempf said sure. R. Sullivan asked M. Sullivan to put the total cost of the extension on next week’s agenda, October 6, 2008.
Video Center Owner/Operator Andy Small said he has the renewal for the contract to videotape the meetings. He said he has a couple new cameras. Small said he has backed off on providing the meeting videos on demand. Currently the Government Access channel provides the City’s meetings on demand and entails a one-to-four conversion, meaning if a meeting is one hour long, it takes four hours to get it ready to send to the server for public access. He said at this juncture, there are not enough viewers to recommend that supplying the videos on demand. Small said in the future, especially later this year, there will be a major shift in broadcasting where people will have to go high definition. He added some type of transfer change is coming this year and he isn’t sure what it is, no one seems to know what is going to happen other than something is going to happen. He said there are new systems that will allow him to do some more creative things with the broadcasts. Small said unfortunately it is such a rapidly shifting and changing arena/media, that by the time he finds a new system it will either be discontinued or upgraded. He said the local Government Access channel bought one system and by the time they broke the seal on the box, it was discontinued and they had to buy another system. Small said it is a matter of catching the timing just right. The modulator for the live playback has gone out and it is a good unit that is close to 20 years old. Small added it is amazing to get 20 years’ worth out of the unit that allows broadcast live. He said they do have a loaner unit currently.
Small said he was at the Treasurer’s Office and overheard them mentioning to go ahead and get another unit. They also use the modulator in live meetings for the elections. Small said that besides really good coverage, and though audio seams a little funky for the listeners in this room, it has never been better for the video, and everything seems to be going along well. He said the live meetings now actually stream live over the internet so if billions of people wanted to watch the Board in action, they could. Small said the Government Access Channel is doing a great job trying to keep up with technology and, although sometimes the playback is a bit sketchy, they still need to thank Government Access because there is no other meeting that plays back as quickly. As soon as they get the meeting, they do the one-to-four conversion rate on two separate computers so they can cut it one-to-two. Small said it is a ton of work, and said that on Thursdays, they dread Board meetings. He said Government Access has their job cut out for them, and sometimes it doesn’t make it but that is only when a meeting is longer than three hours or so. Small said the department is doing a good job and everything seems to be going well. He said that no matter what happens it doesn’t matter, because the system they are currently using can pretty much go anywhere and do anything.
Harney asked if $285 is a flat rate per meetings. Small said yes. R. Sullivan said the future plan includes a little renovation to the Board’s conference room area. He asked if there is any way to make things easier for Small to do his job and asked if Small wanted to consult with Kempf. Small said he definitely could consult with Kempf. R. Sullivan said he knows that sometimes the camera in the back gets in the way of people, and if there is a way to rearrange the room so that is no longer an issue, it would be wonderful. Meyers said Information Services might be able to help out with that. Stutsman said she and Harney have a liaison meeting with Schultz the afternoon of October 1, 2008 and can discuss that. He said, assuming there will be a new video projection unit, it would be amazing if it has a video output on it so he can just take a direct feed into the system, and the viewers will get a good picture. R. Sullivan asked Stutsman to ask Schultz about it. Small said the price of video projection units has come down radically. He said, besides that, they are holding off on the video-on-demand which is the next big step. He said he doesn’t know what will happen in terms of playback, but eventually the public will be able to watch the meetings directly on the Board’s website. Small said, other than that, nothing has changed on his end.
Stutsman asked how many years Small has been taping the Board meetings. Small said he started The Video Center in 1994, and the Board meetings were his first big gig. That means he’s been taping the meetings for almost 15 years. Small said he has watched the meetings closely and thinks the current Board is doing a really great job. He pointed out that, considering the intensity of the times and the sheer lack of money the County is able to divvy out, he thinks the Board is fiscally responsible. Small said he likes the makeup of the Board, that it definitely is a good balance, and that the residents of the County are in good hands. Meyers asked if the meetings have been televised for 15 years. Small said yes, and that there was an individual before him who had the vision to start this and when he couldn’t do it, Small filled in. R. Sullivan said they will put the contract renewal on the October 9, 2008 formal meeting agenda.
R. Sullivan said they have a number of people and vacancies for the Johnson County Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Committee. There is a vacancy for someone representing the utility industry, and a person representing soil conservation. R. Sullivan said they have two vacancies for persons representing the private sector, and they have an applicant, Judy Nauseef, for one of those vacancies. R. Sullivan said there is a vacancy for the person representing the Conservation Board, and a vacancy for a member from the University of Iowa or State Regent’s Institution of Academy of Sciences. He said the Board has two applicants, one of which, Roger Goedken, he is not certain meets the qualifications. R. Sullivan said Joel Grier is a qualified applicant representing the utility industry.
Stutsman asked if Judy Nauseef is willing to serve again. R. Sullivan said it appears so. M. Sullivan said that is correct. R. Sullivan said the Board has at least two, possibly three people to fill the vacancies. He said they can look into the efficacy of the other person to see if they fit the criteria, and if people have any comments, concerns, questions, they need to get them to M. Sullivan and then make the appointments in a week. Meyers asked why one person doesn’t qualify. Stutsman said the individual doesn’t fit any of the categories. R. Sullivan said he isn’t sure about the private sector, if non-profit counts as the private sector. Stutsman said the Board doesn’t need anyone at the private sector and asked for confirmation for such. Meyers said they need one person there. Stutsman asked if there are two. Meyers said there will be one besides Nauseef. R. Sullivan said that is the question, as this job holder works in non-profit and if it constitutes private sector is the question. He said the Board can consult with County Attorney Janet Lyness after the meeting.
Stutsman said the County supports the position at soil conservation. She said she wants to know if that can be part of position's responsibilities, to serve on the committee. R. Sullivan said James Martin always did as part of private sector. Stutsman asked if it is because Galluzzo left, and maybe all that is needed is a phone call to see if an individual is interested in applying for the position or be a part of the group. R. Sullivan said he thinks the Board wants them to consider that and Stutsman has a good idea. He said the Board will get their votes to M. Sullivan for next week’s discussion.
Stutsman attended the Oxford Project presentation at the Englert, and a liaison meeting with Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia.
Meyers attended the MECCA Board of Directors meeting, and a Communications Committee meeting. Meyers said the Durrant Jail comparison study of locations meeting is October 8, 2008, at 5:30 p.m. at the Iowa City Public Library.
Harney attended an East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board of Directors meeting, the Communications Center Policy Board meeting, the Communications Committee meeting, and Planning and Zoning site visits.
R. Sullivan attended the Successful Aging for Local Communities group. He announced the Run for the Schools on October 5 2008, and said on October 9 2008 there will be a celebration of the 40th anniversary of the Mid-eastern Iowa Community Mental Health Center in downtown Iowa City.
Adjourned at 10:27 a.m.
______________________________________________________________________
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By:
On the _______ day of _____________________, 2008
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary
Sent to the Board of Supervisors on November 12, 2008 at 12:00 p.m.