MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
MAY 21, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Public Health Director Douglas Beardsley: H1N1 Virus Update
Facilities Manager David Kempf: Progress Report
Sheriff’s Contract for the Provision of Law Enforcement Services to the Town of Swisher
Appointments to the Compensation Board
Appointments to the Livable Community for Successful Aging Policy Board
Appointments to the Johnson County Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Committee
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors
Reports and Inquiries from Executive Assistant Andy Johnson
Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:27 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention & Visitors Bureau President Joshua Schamberger thanked the Board for their interest in a greater involvement in the Convention & Visitors Bureau. He then officially invited the Board to appoint a representative to a seat on the Convention and Visitors Bureau Board beginning in July 2009. He said the seat would be written into the organization’s bi-laws to join permanent seats currently including representatives from the City of Iowa City, the City of Coralville, and the City of North Liberty. Schamberger said the Bureau was founded about 25 years ago for the purpose of enhancing the quality of life for residents of Iowa City and Coralville, while promoting it as the premier destination for visitors in Iowa. There are millions of visitors frequenting the community each year, last year spending over $290 million in Johnson County.
Schamberger drew the Board’s attention to a number of Bureau activities listed in their annual report including: the Johnson County Cultural Alliance, Herky on Parade in 2004, a leadership team for the Summer of the Arts program, the Old Capital and Iowa River Cultural District state certifications, involvement in RAGBAI stops in Johnson County, the Iowa City/Coralville Area Sports Authority attracting amateur sporting events into the area, the Nate Kaeding Golf Tournament, Light Rail Initiative, Marriott Hotel and Conference Center, the Iowa River Landing Development, the Stories Project, securing Iowa Great Place status for the Iowa City/Coralville/North Liberty community, and UNESCO City of Literature designation with the University of Iowa. The Bureau is beginning a new festival called Fry Fest being held this Labor Day. Schamberger said that the Bureau is excited to welcome Johnson County onto their Board.
Stutsman asked if they would like an elected official to fill the seat. Schamberger said yes, and added he hopes it will be a two-year term appointment. Stutsman asked how the Bureau is funded. Schamberger replied that 56 - 58% of the funding comes from hotel/motel tax collections, while the rest comes from programming and membership fees. They currently have about 318 members. If there were an influx of hotel/motels in the unincorporated areas, the Board could move forward with hotel/motel tax legislation to generate a revenue stream from visitors for the county similar to what the incorporated areas have.
Neuzil asked what a typical meeting is like. Schamberger said that the meetings are held on the third Thursday of every month from 4:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m., except in July. This year's chair is Mark Ginsberg, an Iowa City local retailer. Next year’s chair will be Jay Leavesseur who is general manager of Comfort Suites on Highway 6, with the municipalities represented by Coralville City Council Member John Weihe, Iowa City City Council Member Matt Hayek, and North Liberty City Council Member Gerry Kuhl. Neuzil said it seems like a natural fit for the Board of Supervisors to be at the table with the Bureau, but they will need to consider it. Rural Economic Development is an area the Board has identified in their strategic development planning. Neuzil said there are opportunities in areas like Kalona and from the Oxford interchange to the Herbert Hoover Highway for the Bureau to help grow the County's rural economy. Schamberger said he has been to the Board previously on items they are considering that have great importance to the Bureau, so he believes that having a Board representative will streamline communications on such issues.
Harney said it is an exciting time for the North Corridor with growth possibilities including Amtrak returning to the community. Schamberger said he sees the light rail initiative as an incredible opportunity for economic and community development, especially for towns like Swisher. Sullivan said there are a lot of synergies with businesses and state parks in the unincorporated areas, so he hopes the Board is able to accept this invitation.
Johnson County Agricultural Association Business Manager Brenda Christner said the amount requested in the draft agreement the Ag Association submitted for consideration has not changed. Johnson County Ag Association Finance Committee Treasurer Tom Wall said the balance of the fiscal financial summary for 2007-2008 does not include $44,000 received from Federal Emergency Management Agency and the Red Cross, which was received after the close of the 2008 fiscal year. The Ag Association will also be an evacuation site and storage area for Duane Arnold Energy Nuclear Plant in the case of an emergency and will also include a back-up generator. The Ag Association expenses include $65,000 for the Johnson County Fair, $135,000 in non-fair expenditures, while receipts were $244,876. Their indebtedness is about $150,000. Wall said the 2008 Fair included 276 livestock exhibitors with 1,070 exhibits, and in Montgomery Hall there were 343 exhibitors with 1,977 exhibits. Given the upheaval over the flood, they felt good about this level of participation. The Extension Service will change from having county directors to regional directors and former county Director Gene Mohling’s region will include Washington, Iowa, and Keokuk Counties.
Harney complimented the Ag Association for taking on the evacuation site for Duane Arnold Energy Nuclear Plant and their youth activities. He asked if there has been progress made towards the Extension Service adding a facility to their Fairgrounds. Wall said they are currently in negotiations. Stutsman said she shares Harney’s concerns and hopes an agreement can be reached to keep the office at the Fairgrounds. Wall said as the Extension Service is going to a regional format, fairs may follow suit and he hopes that Johnson County will be able to host. Sullivan added that he, too, would like to see the office remain at the Fairgrounds.
Sullivan said the Board appreciates that the Fairgrounds have been made available to the County for a number of activities. He asked if the Johnson County Fair Board has worked with the Iowa City/Coralville Convention & Visitors Bureau to promote the Fairground facilities. Wall said they had spoken in the past about opportunities, which Christner will continue to pursue in the future. Christner said the Fairgrounds now even have facilities for wedding receptions. Stutsman asked Wall or Christner to comment on the effects of the change in policy allowing alcohol. Wall said that Johnson County Fairgrounds has a contract with Ruzicka's Catering in Solon, who holds the insurance. The main purpose was to accommodate wedding reception patrons wanting to serve beer or wine, and there have been no alcohol-related problems to date.
Neuzil said the Board has committed $93,765 for the upcoming fiscal year and there are no changes to the existing funding agreement. Wall said the Ag Association has tried to do the best with what they receive, rather than ask for more funding. Neuzil said the funding for this Block Grant comes from several different areas and he considers this a good investment because the Fairgrounds helps bridge the gap between the rural and urban communities.
Public Health Director Douglas Beardsley said the H1N1 virus was first detected in April 2009 in Mexico, before spreading to the United States. Viruses are generally species specific, but occasionally some cross over. This virus has pieces of the Avian and Swine virus, and then somehow combined with human viruses to create a new or novel virus. This is the same scenario predicted for the formation of a pandemic virus. The World Health Organization’s (WHO) pandemic scale details six phases of the transmission of a virus. This virus has reached level five, which means there has been sustained human to human transmission in at least two countries in one of the five WHO regions. He said that the scale is a description for planning purposes rather than an alert level.
Beardsley said the public health response by the Center for Disease Control (CDC), the State of Iowa, and here locally is consider aggressive due to the novelty of the virus. He would rather be criticized for doing too much than for not acting soon enough. The strategies were to contain the spread of the virus and identify where and how widespread it is. Beardsley said that anyone feeling ill should isolate themselves, not go out except to see their doctor. Hospitals and medical offices are taking extra precautions as well. There have been no quarantines though, asking persons without symptoms to isolate themselves following possible exposure. The biggest tool for restricting the spread is personal hygiene, like cough etiquette and hand washing. Beardsley said that the CDC commissioned a study from Harvard University that reported 53% of people are washing their hands more frequently. Johnson County Public Health did not call for widespread social distancing or school closings, but schools did close in some cities where schools reported high absentee rates.
Beardsley said locally, Public Health went into their incident command system, reviewed plans considering different strategies, and started coordinating with Emergency Management. They cooperated with all three hospitals, the University Hygienic Lab, the University of Iowa, schools, law enforcement, and pharmacies. Their main task was to forward on the recommendations of the CDC on treatment and testing to local healthcare providers. Beardsley said treatment of the ill is always the discretion of the treating clinician, but specific protocols come with state and federal assets of antivirals. The lesson learned from the flood was to get ahead of public information. When media requests came in, they were funneled through one source to ensure continuity of information dissemination. Beardsley thanked Johnson County Information Technology for its immediate responses when Public Health needed to edit and update the website and with other tasks.
Beardsley said the CDC reports 48 states have reported at least one H1N1 case, excluding Alaska and Wyoming. There are 5,710 confirmed or probable cases nationwide to date, leading to eight deaths. This flu seems to be behaving like any regular seasonal flu, so it hasn’t been the devastating pandemic anticipated. The deaths have been in persons with an underlying medical condition that made them more susceptible than the general public. To date, the Iowa Department of Public Health is reporting 71 confirmed cases with no hospitalizations. The percentage of people seeking medical attention with an influenza-like illness is below season averages.
Beardsley said Public Health is now out of incident command. For a short time the County Emergency Management Agency activated the Emergency Operation Center to ensure coordination of information. Stutsman said that Beardsley and the Department of Public Health did a great job handling the situation and it was a good trial run of how the plan works. Beardsley said after the floods there were comments that the pandemic flu planning helped in tackling management of the flood crisis, because it oriented people to incident command and taking on different roles. He said people came together with a willingness to cooperate and share information and the effort was tremendous.
Facilities Manager David Kempf thanked the Board for the opportunity to attend the Local Climate Leadership Summit in Washington, D.C. this past month. The 240-plus attendees were able to meet with 35 Senators and nearly 80 Congressmen. The small group he participated in met with Senator Harkin’s staff, Representative Todd Akin from Missouri, Iowa Congressmen Leonard Boswell, Bruce Braley, and Dave Loebsack, and Senator Charles Grassley. The groups' primary focus was to see that dollars attached to legislation pass directly to the local government. The local government best knows how to allocate those dollars to benefit the community. Kempf provided his Washington, D.C. contacts with copies of the Greenhouse Gas Reduction and Sustainability Plan the Board recently adopted, which impressed them. Kempf said the two Associate Directors for Intergovernmental Affairs attended the breakfast, and, he was able to speak with Michael Blake personally on issues where Johnson County needs assistance.
Kempf said the Physical Plant has been very busy with several project. The SEATS and Secondary Road project is nearing completion. They are currently addressing some final building issues yet to be taken care of. He thanked his staff for its exemplary performance during the harsh winter and the 2008 flood. County staff as a whole set between 12,000 and 13,000 sandbags around County buildings. Staff’s efforts were tremendous; employees worked long, hard hours, taking pride in their work. The Sheriff's staff, in particular, was most helpful in removing the sandbags after the flood.
Kempf showed a video of the building process for the Health and Human Services Building from groundbreaking to the present day. Stutsman asked that a copy of the video be given to the Johnson County Historical Society. Kempf agreed, adding he would like to post it on the website as well. Kempf once again commended his staff, saying they are dedicated and make it possible for him to do his job. He also commended the Board for their vision that has brought the County a tremendous distance forward. Harney thanked Kempf for his work, and acknowledged the long hours, nights, and weekends he put into the project withstanding occasional contention. Neuzil said that the Space Needs Committee, back in force, will continue making decisions on future projects.
Sheriff's Major Steve Dolezal said the contract is the same as the others, except the hourly rate for service has been raised to $31.00. Swisher has accepted that change and kept their requested hours the same. Neuzil asked if the Swisher City Council has approved the agreement. Dolezal said the contract before the Board is Swisher's signed contract.
Neuzil asked if law enforcement contracts with other communities will be forthcoming. Dolezal said that a contract with Tiffin is still a possibility. North Liberty had proposed adding officers to their force, so the Sheriff's Office was considering ending that contract. However, the economy has restricted North Liberty from expanding their force, so they have chosen to extend their contract through the end of Fiscal Year 2010. Lone Tree and Oxford have accepted the hourly rate of $31.00, but have decreased their hours of service. Dolezal said the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t like to see those hours go down due to the community’s demand for law enforcement. They will always respond to emergency calls, but extra patrols and speeding complaints will be prioritized as a result.
Tiffin especially, is difficult due to the increased demands accompanying its continued growth. The Sheriff's Office continually serves Tiffin above and beyond the contracted hours of service. With a reduction in hours, it will make it very tough to handle even the routine calls. The Sheriff's Office will bring this matter for Board discussion at a future date, because the contract is with the County, not the Sheriff’s Office. Dolezal said that Tiffin Mayor Royce Phillips has been asked to attend.
Neuzil said that Hyman Joseph of Iowa City, and David Steen of rural Iowa City, have shown interest in being reappointed to the Compensation Board. There are no new applications. Stutsman asked if these are the Board’s representatives on the Compensation Board. Neuzil said they are.
Neuzil said the Board must appoint two members representing residents of Johnson County to serve in an at-large capacity with at least two members residing outside the urbanized area. Larry Meister of Pleasant View Drive, Solon, Dr Kathleen Buckwalter representing the University of Iowa, Elizabeth Selk representing the Heritage Area Agency on Aging, The Reverend Bob Welsh representing the Johnson County Taskforce on Aging, and Linda Kopping from the Senior Center have agreed to serve.
Neuzil said that Mary Sue Bowers of Koser Avenue, University Heights, Bruce Ahrens of Santa Fe Drive, Iowa City, and Roger Goedken of Maple Drive, Lone Tree have agreed to serve. The Board also received a new application from Jarrett Pfrimmer of Florence Way, North Liberty to represent the University of Iowa, a position currently vacant. Sullivan asked if Pfrimmer fits that category and Stutsman said she thinks not. Neuzil replied that he will look into the matter.
Harney attended a Military Affairs meeting, a County Space Needs Committee meeting, the 6th Judicial Department of Corrections Board of Directors meeting, a liaison meeting with SEATS Director Tom Brase, the Coralville Chamber of Commerce Roundtable, and the North Liberty Chamber of Commerce Roundtable. Harney acknowledged the upcoming Memorial Day weekend and recognized the men and women who made the ultimate sacrifice for this country. He reported there are 22 American Military Cemeteries in eight different countries for troops never returned to the United States.
Stutsman attended a GIS meeting, the Space Needs Committee meeting, a Decat meeting, a Strategic Planning update meeting, a site visit at Uptown Bills, a breakfast at the Entrepreneurial Development Center, a Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) meeting, and the North Liberty Chamber of Commerce Roundtable.
Sullivan reported that he will be unable to attend the Board meeting on May 28, 2009. On May 24, 2009, the Solon Fire Department will hold their annual Pancake Breakfast, and North Liberty will host its annual Blues and Barbeque. On May 30, 2009, at 1:00 p.m., a group of Viet Nam veterans will have the formal dedication ceremony of their memorial at the Courthouse.
Meyers attended a liaison meeting with County Engineer Greg Parker, a SEATS Advisory Board meeting, a Housing Action Team meeting, two site visits − one at Uptown Bills and the other at the Free Medical Clinic, a JCCOG meeting, and meetings with the Federal Emergency Management Agency regarding the Sutliff Bridge.
Neuzil said he would like the Sutliff Bridge Subcommittee to report its progress to the Board of Supervisors in a couple of weeks. He said his next few Listening Post's are scheduled on May 22nd, 2009, at the Depot Convenience Store in Oxford at 7:30 a.m. and on May 26, 2009, at the Senior Center in Iowa City at 11:30 a.m.
Johnson said that County offices will be closed on May 25, 2009, for the Memorial Day holiday. The Board has a Key Issues meeting scheduled on May 27th, 2009, and the Formal/Informal meeting on May 28, 2009.
Adjourned at 10:55 a.m.
______________________________________________________________________
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By:
On the _______ day of _____________________, 2009
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary
Sent to the Board of Supervisors on August 13, 2009 at 4:00 pm.