MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
JUNE 29, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
APPROVAL OF MINUTES of march 24, 2009
Communications Committee: County Fair
Communications Committee: Employee ID Badges/Cards
Tornado and Fire Procedures for Administration Building and New Health and Human Services Building
Strategic Planning and Budgeting
Voting Credentials for NACo Conference
Payroll Authorization Forms for Cost of Living Adjustments
REPORTS/INQUIRIES FROM ELECTED OFFICIALS
SET NEXT MEETING DATE and TIME
County Supervisor Terrence Neuzil called the Johnson County Elected Officials Meeting to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 1:32 p.m.
Elected officials present were: County Attorney Janet Lyness; County Recorder Kim Painter; County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek; County Supervisors Pat Harney, Larry Meyers, Terrence Neuzil, and Sally Stutsman; and County Treasurer Tom Kriz; absent: County Auditor Tom Slockett and County Supervisor Rod Sullivan. Staff present were: Board of Supervisors Executive Assistant Andy Johnson, Board of Supervisors Budget Coordinator Richard Claiborne, and Auditor’s Office Recording Secretary Nancy Tomkovicz.
Motion by Stutsman, second by Meyers, to approve the March 24, 2009 minutes. The motion carried unanimously.
Stutsman said the Space Needs Committee is conducting an assessment with the Ambulance Department for the Fisher Building and the former Public Health Building to determine where Ambulance Department should relocate. Facilities Manager David Kempf said they expect to complete the assessment in September 2009. They will also evaluate SEATS/Secondary Roads as a satellite location for Ambulance. Stutsman announced the next Space Needs Committee meeting is scheduled for July 9, 2009, at which time they plan to discuss the needs of the Medical Examiner, possibly consolidating them with Ambulance, and LEED certification for any new County buildings. The Courthouse and proposed Justice Center will be an ongoing item for discussion.
Kempf said he has tested the parking gate arms and everything is operational. Employees will be asked to use their key cards for ramp access during a trial period beginning later this week. Neuzil asked when employees will be restricted from parking in the Administration Building Parking Lot. Kempf replied that will be in the near future. Neuzil clarified that the Administration Building front lot will become a public only lot. Kempf confirmed the opinion of the Parking Committee, adding that employees with a reserved space in the Administration Building lot will be transferred to the National Guard Armory parking lot immediately adjacent and to the south of the Administration Building lot. The Armory lot will eventually be gated.
Stutsman asked if a decision has been made regarding reserved spaces for elected officials and department heads. Kempf said, no adding that there are enough spaces in the east row to allocate to all the elected officials and department heads who work in the Administration Building. He has heard opinions against reserved spaces from some elected officials and department heads; however, that will be a Board decision after a recommendation from the Parking Committee. Stutsman said her opinion is that if people want a reserved spot, they should be able to have one. Kempf stated that some employees in the Administration Building deserve an exception to the parking rules. Harney asked what Kempf means by "exception to the rule". Kempf replied Deputy Treasurer Betty Sass and Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek are entitled to a reserved spot. Stutsman said she wants a reserved parking space. If others do not want one, that is fine, but she wants a reserved space. Meyers asked if there is a need for so many public parking spaces in the front lot. Kempf said more times than not, the lot is full and members of the public have difficulty finding a space. Harney said the shift with parking County vehicles inside the ramp instead of in the Armory Lot will free up many more spaces.
Neuzil asked the Space Needs Committee to hone in on future plans for the Armory site. Kempf said he and Executive Assistant Andy Johnson have discussed the possibility of an I-JOBS project there and will follow up with this discussion. Neuzil said he would like an update for the Board soon.
Kempf encouraged County staff and officials to participate in the County Fair on July 27 through 31, 2009. The theme is "Making Memories." Harney said he recalled there were problems with set-up last year and asked on what date supplies and booth equipment can be moved into the booths. Kempf said this is a recurring problem, which is always worked out in the end.
Kempf handed Board members a sample of the employee ID badge and said the only difference between this one and the last one presented to the Board is the addition of the employee's title on the badge. Harney said the type size of the first and last names are reversed, the first name is supposed to be in large type and the last name in small type. Kempf said he will make that correction. Neuzil asked if employees will have the option to include first and last name or just first name, noting the employee picture will be required. Harney suggested that those who opt to not print their last name on the badge will probably have to include their Iowa DOT number for government rates for travel discounts and Kempf agreed. Kempf said the Board will ultimately adopt a policy asking that employee badges are displayed while working in County buildings. It was also determined that the pictures should have a light background.
Kempf said the biggest challenge will be collecting employee photos. He said they will probably take a digital camera to individual departments to have someone in the department take the photos. Departments will need to submit employee names and titles along with their choice of how to display their name.
Johnson said they are working to assemble the agenda packets for Board meetings earlier in the week. The deadline for agenda items and packet materials is 2:00 p.m. on the Tuesday before the Thursday meeting. Neuzil added that executive summaries are also subject to the deadline.
Kempf stated that each department needs to establish procedures for closing the office when emergencies arise. If the office is on fire, Kempf said he expects employees to leave immediately. There is no uniform safety or evacuation procedure for fire, tornado, and bomb threats. A universal procedure should work no matter where a person is working. All new employees receive this training, but some of the long-term employees have not and should refresh themselves. Human Resources and Facilities Planning offices have copies of emergency procedures, which Kempf offered to send to others upon request.
Kriz said there is no consistency in response procedures in the Administration Building during tornado warnings. Two or three offices close and move people into a safe area while other offices remain open, ignoring the warning. To the public, it looks like the County has no clue about what it is doing. Neuzil asked Kempf to respond to Kriz's concern. Kempf replied that it is difficult for him to tell elected officials what to do. It is his belief that every department head should follow the procedures as adopted by the Board of Supervisors and move people into safe areas. Kriz said this is exactly what some departments do, but not the Auditor's Office, they stay open. Neuzil said they should make sure that the Auditor is aware of tornado and fire procedures for this building. Kempf said everyone can be a storm watcher, view the storm location on their computer, and see it is in another area of the county. This results in a lack of concern. Stutsman asked for clarification on when tornado procedures should be implemented and Kempf said when the County sounds the tornado warning sirens.
Neuzil said the tracking of tornadoes has become much more sophisticated. Pulkrabek said it is likely there will be a change in the warning signals with the new Joint Emergency Communications Center. They will be able to sound sirens in a more targeted area rather than county-wide. Neuzil said that at least for now, in the interest of safety, when the county tornado sirens sound, the offices close and everyone moves into the interior of the building until the all clear. Kempf said that Johnson County still has no all clear signal, so someone will need to monitor what is going on. Harney clarified that elected officials can make the decision for their own offices. Pulkrabek asked if the public service counters close during the tornado warnings and Kempf said they should.
Johnson said that over the next several months, the Board will begin budget planning and strategizing for the upcoming budgeting process during its Strategic Planning meetings. Budget Coordinator Richard Claiborne is scheduled to give a budget year-end report at the July 15, 2009, Strategic Planning meeting. Neuzil invited the public to attend these meetings scheduled on the third Wednesday of every month at 9:00 a.m. in the Board Room of the Johnson County Administration Building.
Neuzil said Sullivan is the only Board member planning to attend the NACo Conference. Painter said she thinks the County has to give written permission for someone to pick up Johnson County's voting credentials and sign them over to Bill Peterson. Stutsman said that's what she thought also, and if nobody else wants to vote them, then Peterson will. If Sullivan wants to vote, then he can just pick them up. Lyness asked to confirm if the County has five votes. Neuzil said he is not sure.
Neuzil said the forms are expensive and some departments and elected officials can fit all the information on one sheet of paper as the Sheriff's Office and Treasurer’s Office do. It would be helpful if everyone did the same. Lyness asked the Board to work with the Auditor's Office and Human Resources, since this has to go in everyone's personnel file. She is just concerned if this will generate more work for these two offices. She is also concerned that if there are a variety of different forms available that that will create a lot more work for somebody. Neuzil said he and Harney will consult with Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek.
Pulkrabek said they are housing a lot of inmates out-of-County. He added that there was a sink hole in the north parking lot of the Sheriff's building and after digging out, they found an old wood stove, which they sent to the Landfill.
Painter said July 1, 2009, will be a busy day for the Recorder's Office as residents will be seeking to ready their boats for the holiday. She said septic regulations change on July 1, 2009, and they are still fielding some questions about that. They ended the fiscal year about $45,000 short of her projected revenues, which given the economic downturn, she wasn't too disappointed. Neuzil asked Painter how the issuing of marriage certificates went with the recent change in Iowa law legalizing same-sex marriage. Painter said that went well and the Recorder's Office earned double what it earned last year at this time. Harney asked if Painter needed any information from the Health Department in order to address inquires about the new septic regulations. Painter replied no.
Kriz said the tax sale this June, 2009, was the largest in a number of years. It was somewhat skewed because a lot of developers had a lot of lots; one or two people can have 100 parcels. 600 parcels were sold at the tax sale for a total of about $1,400,000. There were 366 registered bidders for the sale. There were almost 500 delinquent mobile homes with no bidders. That continues to be a growing problem for the collection of taxes.
Kriz said car sales continue to be the strongest they have been in the last 10 to 15 years with many dealers selling 20 to 30 cars per day. Meyers asked if these were new or used car sales and Kriz replied both. Kriz said that for the first time in years the Treasurer's Office is struggling to keep up with title work.
Kriz said tax statements should be mailed out by the end of July 2009, if not before. They have improved the website by incorporating recommendations from the Finance Committee and the public will have access to print their statement from the County website by entering a parcel number. Stutsman asked if a press release will be issued about this and Kriz replied they will send a press release shortly before statements are ready to be mailed.
Kriz said there are a few staff members on family medical leave, which keeps the office extra busy. Stutsman asked for clarification on how many parcels were sold. Kriz said all the parcels were sold, but none of the mobile homes were sold. The investors left the auction after the real estate parcels sold. There are very few mobile home taxes being sold to investors statewide. It is not cost-effective and so the search for better mobile home taxing methods continues. Harney asked if the 500 unsold mobile homes is an unusually high number and Kriz replied yes. Kriz stated his opinion is that mobile homes should be taxed per slab at the mobile home park and the taxes would go to the mobile home park owner. This would eliminate the need for the County to track down delinquents. The mobile home industry is adamantly against this, as it would increase rental costs at mobile home parks.
Pulkrabek asked if taxes can be tied to motor vehicle registration. Kriz said that was done some time ago, but the Department of Transportation eliminated that. Right now the County Treasurer's Office is saddled with this responsibility.
Lyness said today Linn County Drug Court is celebrating its first official graduations. Johnson County will hold a formal graduation ceremony for its first Drug Court graduate in the fall of 2009. There is expected to be another one or two graduates at that time also. Lyness invited all the elected officials and said she would like to see everyone there. It is very encouraging to see people complete the program. Drug Court is receiving more and more referrals. The Linn County Drug Court program had a six-month head start over Johnson County. The Legislature has continued to fund the program and in spite of cuts in the judiciary. Drug Court shares one judge between Johnson and Linn County.
Lyness informed the Board that forfeiture numbers are up. This is a somewhat confusing area of the law and so the sentiment is against doing forfeiture. They are trying to get caught up there.
Lyness said problems continue with collecting past-due fines and court costs. The Legislature proposed the Court system contract with an out-of-state collection agency, so that either fines are paid within the first 30 days or the County can try to collect or the outside agency can collect. Lyness said the County gets 40% of any older delinquent fines. She said the County Attorney's Office is too understaffed to address all collections and she does not want to do a mediocre job. Currently negotiations are underway with the State and the State has been looking into hiring an outside company. The company is asking that 25% be added to any charges or fines, and that the 25% be paid to the company first, before victim restitution. Lyness thinks it is outrageous the State would even agree to such an increase. Through May the County Attorney’s office has brought in over $33,000 for the County’s portion of overdue fines. In the Attorney's Office, there is currently one assistant, one secretary, and one legal assistant who work on collections and at this time, Lyness just wanted to bring this to the attention of the Board. They would look at how much more they could bring in with more staff and whether it is worth it.
Harney asked if there is a conflict for the Auditor being at the meeting. Neuzil said he took a vacation. The Board discussed possible meeting dates and agreed to schedule the next Elected Officials meeting for October 26, 2009, at 1:30 p.m.
Adjourned at 2:17 p.m.
______________________________________________________________________
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By:
On the _______ day of _____________________, 2009
By: Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary
Sent to the Board of Supervisors on July 6, 2009 at 3:45 p.m.