MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
AUGUST 27, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Local Food Project Associate Jason Grimm and Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator Christine Taliga: Update on the Iowa Valley Regional Local Food Initiative.................. 1
Johnson County Historical Society Executive Director Shaner Magalhaes: Update on the Johnson County Historical Society............................................................................................................................ 3
Extension Service Director Gene Mohling: Application to Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Hazard Mitigation Grant Program for Construction of a Safe room in the New Extension Service Building....................................................................................................................................... 3
County Treasurer Tom Kriz: Request for Tax Suspension for Parcel 1011263005 Located at 1020 Rochester Avenue, Iowa City, Iowa................................................................................................ 6
Executive Assistant Andy Johnson: Reports and Inquiries................................................... 7
Board of Supervisors: Sutliff Bridge Update........................................................................ 7
Board of Supervisors: Direction to Facilities Manager David Kempf Regarding the Recommendation of the Justice Center Coordinating Committee to Study Space and Location Comparisons for Jail and Courthouse Facilities....................................................................................................................................... 8
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors......................................................... 12
Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:10 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan; absent: Larry Meyers.
Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Coordinator Christina Taliga thanked the Board for its support of the Scenic Byway Project and Old Military Road Grant. Taliga said that last year Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development staff conducted surveys at farmers markets. The Regional Food Initiative is a six county area that includes Johnson, Linn, Iowa, Benton, Tama, and Poweshiek Counties. It also includes the second largest Amish-Mennonite population west of the Mississippi River and the only Native American Tribal Lands in the State of Iowa.
Local Food Project Associate Jason Grimm said the next regional meeting is scheduled in late October, 2009. There participants are expected to focus on developing a final strategic plan. Grimm is also working on a blog website for regional partners to track progress and highlight producers and champions in the regions. The blog will also provide resources to producers and other partners in the region. Grimm said in Linn County they are working to develop a strategic food system plan with a multi-organization task force. Linn County is largely concerned with food safety among residents and they also support a year-round Farmer's Market. Grimm said the Linn County area would like to find some mentors for beginning producers.
Grimm said the next meeting in Linn County on September 8, 2009, will focus on developing action items to support strategies the group has been identifying. December 2009 is the target date to finalize the Linn County strategic plan. Survey's conducted at Farmer's Markets at the Sycamore Mall, downtown Iowa City, and Coralville, indicated that 54% of the survey population (50 people) said they attended the market at least once a week and 44% said they buy local foods at the grocery store. The public ranked the importance of locally grown food at five on a scale of zero to eight, and the importance of organic food at four, which shows the public support is more interested in supporting local foods than in buying certified organic. There was 92% support for a year round market and 76% of those surveyed said they would pay more for winter produce at a winter Farmer's Market. Respondents said their primary reasons for purchasing local food were cost, healthy food, and to support local farmers. Grimm said Research Conservation and Development has created Google Earth maps on its web site to identify producers and Farmer's Markets locations.
Grimm said they are a Farm to School Chapter created by the Iowa Department of Agriculture and Land Stewardship. The Chapter's primary goals are to build a networking infrastructure between producers and schools to foster greater access to local foods in school meals, to develop informational fact sheets for the public, and to develop a report that helps people understand procurement laws. He said a meeting with the regional school food directors is scheduled for the end of September 2009. Grimm said it is hard for schools to use local food because every school has different variables. Iowa City high schools serve 6,200 meals per day, and Williamsburg High School serves about 250 meals per day. Furthermore, the Iowa City School District has six schools but only two are able to process food. Grimm said the price per meal has to be low enough that every child can afford it.
Taliga said the Linn County planning effort is a Linn-Johnson collaboration because Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator R.J. Moore and others associated with Johnson County attend those meetings. There are a lot of shared issues between the two counties. Taliga said as they embark on utilizing the Land Use Plan as a possibility for developing a local food friendly policy, information and resources will be shared. Sullivan asked how they are addressing the issue of people whose expertise is farming but who are unable to process and market their goods. Taliga said through the collaboration of Johnson County and Linn County, and if there is enough support from constituents in these counties, they can help provide the means, such as a mobile chicken processing unit. She said they are trying to devise ways to collaborate and pool resources to achieve common goals. Stutsman said Grimm's work during the two months he has been on staff has been incredible. It emphasizes the importance of a local coordinator for local foods. Taliga thanked the Board for its support of Grimm's position and said they may seek future funding from the Board for this position.
Johnson County Historical Society Executive Director Shaner Magalhaes said the Historical Society has completed the Community Stories Project and it is now a permanent exhibit now open in the museum. It tells a basic story of the histories of those communities and of the County. Magalhaes said they have engaged many people throughout this process and were able to convey the importance of making history, historic artifacts, and documents more accessible to the public.
Magalhaes gave the Board a document containing all the exhibit panels of community histories they developed, including ghost towns. He said this project wouldn’t have happened without the support of the Board of Supervisors. They received a grant from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs to hire a staff person to lead the effort and to pay some of the expenses. He thanked the Board for the additional support they provided.
Magalhaes said they are finalizing two exhibits related to Hayden Fry for FryFest. The exhibits are titled "Me, Myself, and Hayden: The Faces and Folklore of Coach Fry." There will be an exhibit at the Johnson County Historical Society Museum and at the University of Iowa Athletics Hall of Fame. Both will open September 4, 2009.
Magalhaes said the County renewed its membership with the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association after a few years of not participating. The Johnson County Historical Society has been a member for several years. The Tourism Association conducts educational workshops and does a great job of increasing tourism in eastern Iowa, including Johnson County. During the last grant application cycle, Johnson County organizations received over $3,000 in grant money, from a dollar pool of $15,000. These funds will support advertising campaigns designed to bring more people to the area.
Magalhaes said he would like to work with someone, possibly Executive Assistant Andy Johnson, to develop a grant proposal for developing a brochure featuring Johnson County historical sites and attractions, and a web site to accompany it. There is a match involved for the grant and the maximum for this category is $1,500. The most they could ask for is $750 because it is a one-to-one match.
Extension Service Director Gene Mohling thanked the Board for its past support of the building project at the Johnson County Fair Grounds. He said he is pleased to report that they are ready to close on the property this fall and hope to break ground in the Spring of 2010. They would like to incorporate a tornado safe room in the facility; however, Johnson County Extension Agricultural District is not qualified to apply for the safe room grant from FEMA through Hazard Mitigation. The Board of Supervisors is qualified and can be the subgrantee as long as there is a document stating the relationship between the Agricultural District, the Extension Council, and the Board of Supervisors as the applicant, and with Extension Services as the director of the building and manager of the facility itself. Mohling said Extension would be the manager of the project and would interface with the architect, engineer, and contractor to build the safe room. They would prepare the application for Board review and approval. He also thinks a memorandum of understanding or contract between the Extension District and the Board of Supervisors should come from the Board since they would be the subgrantee. Mohling provided Board members with a hard copy of the PowerPoint presentation, the draft floor plan, and the benefit cost analysis. He said Neuzil has a copy of the full application and a copy of the FEMA 361 document.
Mohling said the FEMA 361 document provides construction guidance and criteria for the engineer and the architect. It also provides guidance for the technical support of the safe room, including how it will become part of the local hazard mitigation plan. The grant covers the architectural engineering costs and will pay 85% of the architectural cost associated with the safe room. The total facility is 12,000 square feet. The safe room is designed to be approximately 3,500 square feet which is about 29% of the facility. Therefore FEMA will pay for almost a quarter of the architectural cost.
Mohling said FEMA will pay for site preparation, the materials, the floor, ceiling, footings, and signage. They will also pay for equipment such as a first aid kit and emergency lighting, site clean up, and the environmental study. FEMA will only pay the percentage that relates to the safe room. If there is construction that is specific to the safe room, FEMA will pay the full 85%. For example, footings are needed around the entire building so FEMA would pay about 24% of the footing cost. The walls, ceiling, signage, and emergency lighting of the safe room are 100% safe room needs so FEMA would pay 85% of that.
Mohling said the amount Extension will have to put into the structure versus what FEMA will cover, is very close. Costs which are not eligible under the grant include tables, chairs, carpet, insulation, or drywall. He said they are covering the cost of the concrete bunker, the doors, and ventilation that is required. The requirements say the safe room must provide protection for a minimum of two hours. Windows are prohibited in the safe room so there will be a cost savings there because the original design included windows. Mohling showed a picture of the safe room at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. That safe room is 2,200 square feet of useable area and a formula determines how many people are allowed in the room. The safe room for Johnson County will be able to hold a few more than 450 people.
Mohling said qualifications for the grant is determined by how many people are present during the day. Schools have a set population throughout the day because of the student body. Mohling said in Johnson County they have the activities of the Fair Grounds and the activities of Extension. He referenced the floor plan and said the red outlined area is the safe room. The total facility is 80 by 150 square feet and the safe room is approximately 3,500 square feet. Restrooms are required in the safe room and will therefore pay for an ADA compliant stall and toilet in each of the restrooms and one of the sinks. They will route the plumbing and sewage back out to the septic field.
Mohling said FEMA said that their floor plan is sufficient for the application. The safe room project meeting area is 2,800 square feet with a gross area of 3,500 square feet. The assumed cost for the safe room is $175 per square foot with the total cost at just over $600,000, roughly the size of the grant. There will be maintenance costs because this becomes part of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan. Homeland Security is estimating the maintenance cost to be about $1,000 a year which includes battery back up systems for emergency lighting and consumable water supply. The water is a non cost because Extension buys water anyway and will keep turning it over.
Mohling said they started with an exterior measurement of 3,448 and ended up with an interior usage area of 2,300 square feet. They have to take out for the thickness of the walls because the walls are about a foot thick without the insulation and exterior cover. To determine how many people can be in the room, FEMA says that 85% of the open area can be used within the conference room area and 50% of the restroom space. Putting those two together totals 2,300 square feet. Five square feet per person is required, and if a person is wheelchair bound, there must be ten square feet for that person. The maximum capacity of this facility in the event of a tornado would be 445 people. That is very similar to the number at the Iowa State Fair Grounds. During the County Fair they wouldn’t be able to get everyone in.
Mohling said a benefit-cost analysis for this facility revealed a score of 1.6, which qualifies it for the application. If the manufactured housing to the north and some of the business are included, the rating will go over 2.0.
Mohling said the State of Iowa is the grantee from the Federal government, and the Board of Supervisors would be the subgrantee and the fiscal agent for the FEMA funds. The Board would have to agree to do that. Extension will manage the project using the FEMA 361 guidance and protocol. Mohling said they have to use that protocol for securing bids and an architect. The Board would have to agree to provide the FEMA funds to Extension as needed. The facility would become part of the Local Hazard Mitigation Plan to serve the people of Johnson County.
Mohling said the application is due November 1, 2009. East Central Iowa Council of Governments GIS Specialist/Community Development Planner Hilary Copeland told Mohling she would help with the grant writing. He has a sample grant application from another community to use as a point of reference. Mohling asked the Board if they thought they could make a decision by the first week of October, 2009. Homeland Security told him that is takes about three to four weeks after the application is submitted for FEMA to render a decision. Neuzil said at some point they can poll the Board for a decision. Stutsman said this seems like a win-win for the community and Extension. Neuzil said the Board is comfortable with Mohling moving forward.
Harney asked if the County will be responsible for reporting on this money or will they just have to flow the money to Extension as needed. Mohling said there is a considerable amount of reporting and oversight with this Federal grant. He said he will help with oversight as much as possible. Stutsman asked where people go now if severe weather occurs during an event at the Fair Grounds. Mohling said the basement of Montgomery Hall or the restrooms in building C because that is a cinder block structure but there is no concrete lid. This facility will have a concrete lid. Sullivan said the Fair Grounds have played an important part when they have had incidents in the past. During the flood it was the headquarters for a lot of the management operations.
Mohling said the safe room will have to be hooked up to the Emergency Management System so when the sirens go off, the doors automatically open. They have designed the building so the rest of the building can be shut off from the safe room. The safe room will essentially be a building within a building.
Sullivan left at 10:02 a.m. and returned at 10:04 a.m.
Stutsman said they appreciate Mohling bringing this forward because it is going to be a lot of work. Harney said they might also want to tie into the grant application that the Fair Grounds is now an evacuation site for Palo and the Cedar Rapids area. Neuzil told Mohling to talk to Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Wilson about adding that into the application. Neuzil said there is general agreement to move forward at this point.
County Treasurer Tom Kriz said the Board has received an application to suspend taxes on the property located at 1020 Rochester Avenue. The applicant is qualified through DHS for the suspension and is on SSI Supplemental. This is an applicant who now resides in a nursing home and the family is working to get the house ready to sell. Kriz said these taxes would be suspended for up to 18 months until the property is sold. The time the property is sold or changes hands, the property taxes will be paid back in full. Kriz reminded the Board that this is only a request to suspend, not abate taxes. There are no interest costs to the applicant. Kriz said this would be the tenth property in Johnson County under tax suspension. Harney asked if there were back taxes on this property. Kriz said no, and the suspension is just for the current taxes. Neuzil said there really isn’t a mechanism for the Board to say no because the applicant qualifies. Neuzil said they will officially approve the suspension at the next Formal meeting. Kriz said they will move it to the suspension rolls once it is approved.
Executive Assistant Andy Johnson said starting August 31, 2009, all Board of Supervisor meetings will be held in the Health and Human Services Building Conference Room 3, during remodeling of the current Board room. The administrative office will move to the first floor of the Administration Building during the remodeling period. Johnson said the Joint Justice Center Coordinating Committee meets on September 2, 2009 at the Health and Human Services Building. The next Board meeting is scheduled for September 3, 2009 at 9:00 a.m.
Neuzil said Board members have received a report from B.J. Engineering regarding the Sutliff Bridge. He summarized the Board's strategic planning process. The first step, already accomplished, was to acquire the bridge. The second step was for the Board to decide whether to fix or remove the bridge, and they decided to try and fix it. The third step was the bridge inspection. From that point, FEMA, the State of Iowa, and the Johnson County Historical Society became involved. Now, the fourth step, is to determine the cost and feasibility of rebuilding the bridge.
Neuzil said B.J. Engineering will submit a final report to the Board which will include a number of possibilities for Sutliff Bridge. The most important thing to determine now is the damage caused by the flood versus damage caused by time and weathering. Neuzil said they have stated the bridge is in critical condition, with the last two spans remaining. He said that B.J. Engineering would first determine the damage caused by both the flood and natural aging. Then they would create a matrix to evaluate three primary areas, one being the complete renovation of the two existing and remaining spans, and also the two approaches that were damaged by the flood. Neuzil said they would look at options for creating a newly built span to the two existing spans. From the Committee's stand point the most ideal situation would be to restore the bridge back to it's pre-flood condition and then make it so everyone could use the entire bridge.
Neuzil said if FEMA and the State of Iowa will only fund the renovation of the new span to the two existing spans, one option would be to fix an approach to the existing two spans. They would then close off the two spans to public use. Another option would be to remove the bridge entirely. Neuzil said the decision to pay for these costs rests with FEMA and the State. A press release in regards to the State and FEMA securing $1.4 million for this project was released from the Governor's Office and Johnson County's congressional delegation. Neuzil said they anticipate that B.J. Engineering will have completed a comprehensive study and matrix report by the middle of September 2009. Neuzil said if the Board decides to rebuild or fix the bridge, the next steps will be to determine a design. Then they would begin the RFP process. All this is on a fast track because FEMA wants plans in place before November 2009, to maintain eligibility for the $1.4 million.
Harney said the B.J. Engineering report is pretty dismal, and it revealed that a lot of the damage occurred during the flood of 2005. Harney asked if damage from previous floods is covered. Neuzil said they are going to be able to attribute the scouring and misalignment of the existing spans to the 2008 flood. The main question is whether FEMA would be willing to fix some of the deterioration of the existing two spans. Stutsman said the spans are in bad shape and are twisted. She asked if FEMA would fix the twisting. Neuzil said yes, if FEMA is only going to fix what was damaged by the flood, and the engineering report can prove that was damaged by the flood, then FEMA will fix the twisted spans. He said the middle span has to be resecured and that was clearly caused by the flood. Stutsman asked if it would be restored to the truss design. Neuzil said the matrix will aid in determining the kind of structure FEMA would be willing to pay for. There are currently three or four designs for a footbridge to connect the two existing spans.
Sullivan said the County doesn’t have a lot of influence on what happens. Because the Sutliff Bridge is on the National Register of Historic Places, there are historical regulations and FEMA regulations that apply to the bridge repair or reconstruction. If these two entities can't work out a solution, the Board's hands are tied. Stutsman said if that happens, one option would be to not take FEMA money and fix the bridge themselves. Sullivan said they haven’t talked about that. Stutsman said nonetheless, that is an option, but it probably is not a very favorable option. Sullivan thinks there is a misconception that the Board controls this process, design, and timing when it really doesn't. Neuzil agreed with Sullivan. Neuzil said the committee still needs to decide who will ultimately be responsible if this bridge is salvageable. The Conservation Department seems like the likely choice but that will still need to be worked out with the Conservation Board. Neuzil asked Johnson to add that to the agenda for their upcoming meeting with the Conservation Board.
Facilities Manager David Kempf said the study would compare blocks of space. Kempf clarified that the comparisons would be between remodeling the Press-Citizen building into a jail facility and an annex at the Courthouse versus one facility at the downtown location. Neuzil said the Board needs to address what to include in the study. Kempf said if that is the intent, he would like to meet with University of Iowa Facilities Manager Larry Wilson because he has a clear list of what he thinks should be evaluated. Stutsman clarified for the public that Wilson works at the University of Iowa and is serving the JCCC as a volunteer.
Neuzil said he'd also like to nail down a ballpark estimate for the study, which has been estimated to cost between $10,000 and $15,000. Kempf said Novak Design Group has reviewed a lot of the information already and much of the preliminary work is done. Kempf said he is confident the study would not exceed $10,000 to $15,000. If they do not work with Novak, then that number could double, so it makes sense to work with Novak. Neuzil said he would also like Kempf to work with Johnson and Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne to determine how to pay for the study.
Neuzil asked for more clarification on what the study will compare. Kempf said they asked Novak Design Group to evaluate if the Press-Citizen property could be converted into a jail facility, and the answer was yes. Now Novak must make certain that the study compares the exact type and amount of square footage in both locations, the Press-Citizen property and the downtown site. Then, the question of additional operating costs between the two facilities must be considered. Kempf said the cost to run the Jail is irrelevant because it will operate in both locations. However, it will be important to identify what, if any, additional expenses will occur to locate the jail at the Press-Citizen property. Also, if there is a savings, it would be useful to know how many years will it take to absorb the savings. Neuzil asked if this will be part of the study. Kempf said that County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said he has information available to him to give a rough estimate. Neuzil asked if the study will look at updating the existing Courthouse and building an annex. Kempf said irregardless of a split facility or a combined facility downtown, the Courthouse renovation will occur. Neuzil said that would change if they are going to do an annexation just for courtrooms.
Kempf said when they consider the Press-Citizen property for the jail they will specify, for example that 27,000 square feet would be remodeled space in the existing Courthouse and there would be an additional 40,000 square feet of annexed space. Kempf said they will make sure both estimates will compare the same thing. It will still be one project even if it is in two different locations. Neuzil said he has issues with this plan since they have been talking about a justice center, and now they are considering the potential of splitting the jail and courthouse. Kempf said to him it would still be one project in two locations. Neuzil said he thinks having the CJCC meeting will help further define this study.
Sullivan said he received a call from a realtor representing the sale of the Highlander, who said he thought that would be a good piece of property for a justice center. Sullivan said he referred the realtor to Pulkrabek, Harney, and Kempf. Kempf responded that the Press-Citizen structure is unique in that it lends itself to this type of renovation because the production portion of the building has the specifications necessary for a jail. He would have to look at the Highlander blue prints or plans but he does not anticipate he would learn that the Highlander was built with specifications right for a jail. He said the Press-Citizen is a unique property not because of the location but because of the structure.
Harney said the ideal study would compare the cost to renovate the Press-Citizen property into a jail and Sheriff's Office, and determine how much it would cost to add a justice center. Then they would determine the price for the jail in addition to the Courthouse, and the cost to build a justice center (a combined jail and courthouse.) That would provide project estimates in all three locations. Kempf said that is getting into more detail than they have planned at this time. Neuzil said the study should include the potential of building a jail on the Press-Citizen property, the Courthouse remaining at the Courthouse but with renovations and expansions, and the cost of a justice center at each location, downtown and the Press-Citizen property. Kempf said the recommendation at this point was open ended and it is up to the Board to decide what questions they want answered in the study. Kempf said they can garner as much more information as the Board would like.
Kempf said the impression he got was to determine if there could be significant savings for splitting the jail and courthouse. Neuzil said he is hearing that everyone wants more information. Stutsman said the Press-Citizen building site is attractive because it would address the immediate need of the overcrowding of the Jail. She envisions that if the jail is built at the Press-Citizen site, that is just the first phase. It is clear the community is not going to support the whole project right now. The alternative is to find ways to address the immediate need of jail overcrowding, and then later, address the long term needs of the Courthouse.
Neuzil said to him long term planning for the Courthouse would be to keep it downtown and add on an extensive annexation. If that is the direction they are going, the more information they have the better. Kempf said there is a solution for the Jail now, prisoners are shipped to outside locations; but, the Courthouse doesn’t have that option available to it. The courts don’t have a mechanism to ease their overcrowding. He posed the question whether the Jail or the Courthouse has the more immediate need. Neuzil said the biggest issue is whether to secure the Press-Citizen building. Kempf said he feels very strongly that changes need to be made to the Courthouse and does not want to put it on the back burner. There are major security issues at the Courthouse and he is concerned for the safety of employee and visitors to the Courthouse.
Kempf said without building an additional structure, the Courthouse doesn’t lend itself to creating a secure entrance where people can be screened before entering. He has some real concerns about the Courthouse and about splitting the projects. Sullivan said a few months ago there was a plan and now it seems they no longer have a plan. Kempf said they can go back to the plan. County Attorney Janet Lyness said what Kempf is proposing to have the architects do is exactly what the CJCC recommended - to have the architects prepare a cost analysis of the jail at the Press-Citizen site and an annex at the Courthouse, then compare that to the cost of a joint facility at the downtown location. The Durrant Study did not take into account using the existing Courthouse. Lyness said she thinks those are the two comparisons the CJCC recommended.
Neuzil said they need to have a smart way of looking at the advantages of a justice center, the operating cost of splitting the facilities, and the other things they have been considering for the past six years. All of those things need to coincide with this study. He thinks the CJCC charge should be to get the Sheriff, the County Attorney, the Public Defenders, and others to buy in. Harney said if they are going to compare apples to apples, they need to know the cost and feasibility of having a justice center at both locations.
Sullivan said there are actually three comparisons that need to be made - a joint facility downtown, a joint facility at the Press-Citizen, and a split facility. Lyness said the recommendation from the CJCC is to not put the courthouse at the Press-Citizen site. If the Board wants to consider that, they can make it part of the study. Sullivan agreed with Lyness but he thinks if it is about costs, then they need to know the costs. Kempf said they already have that component but they need to make sure the specifications match what has been proposed for downtown, the renovation of the Press-Citizen building and locating a facility there for court services. Neuzil said they would add that to this study. Stutsman said she would want to because otherwise they won't be making a fair comparison.
Kempf said they need to make sure they are comparing equally comparable blocks of space in each location. They won't necessarily identify how much space the County Attorney's Office has but they will know the square footage of the structure in order to assign a dollar per square foot amount to that. Lyness said if they are going to look at a joint justice center at the Press-Citizen site, the cost to renovate the Courthouse must be included. The Courthouse is not functional for anything else in its current condition. Stutsman said they need to look long term at the continuing cost of operating in a Courthouse that is 150 years old. Kempf said they won't learn that from this study, but they will have a renovation cost.
Sullivan asked if the Board would consider looking into the Highlander property. Harney said no because it doesn’t match up. Sullivan asked how Harney is aware of that. Harney said Kempf explained the Press-Citizen is adaptable and the footings are already built. Harney said the Highlander is not adaptable. Stutsman asked how old the Highlander building is. Harney said it is about 65 years old. Kempf said the Highlander purchase would be only for the property. Sullivan said his opinion is that the Board should look at everything or nothing at this point. Stutsman said there have been good arguments for considering the Press-Citizen building and she doesn’t see the same arguments for considering the Highlander.
Neuzil said that at this point, he, and the community would need to be convinced that after six years of considering a combined justice center, it shouldn’t be considered anymore. Neuzil said what Sullivan is pointing out is a question for the CJCC - if something else pops up should the Facilities subcommittee take a look. Personally he thinks they should. Harney said that would be taking a step backwards because with the Highlander building, they would have to tear it down and build something new, whereas at the Press-Citizen site, they would just have to renovate the building. Neuzil said that is not a certainty, so why wouldn't the Facilities subcommittee look at all options. Kempf said he never would have thought the Press-Citizen building was as adaptable as it was, and had he never evaluated it, no one would have ever known. If another option surfaces, they won't know if it is a better option unless they evaluate it.
Harney said the biggest difference between the Press-Citizen and the Highlander is that the Press-Citizen has the footings and free span whereas the Highlander doesn’t. He thinks the CJCC has said there are two locations which are the Press-Citizen site or downtown, and he thinks they need to stick with those. They have done the research and now they are at the point where they have to make a decision. Harney said security and space needs are paramount and must be addressed immediately. Neuzil thinks everything is still on the table and it is appropriate for the Facilities subcommittee to look at all options, even though they are focusing on two locations. Stutsman said she agreed, as long as it won’t take a lot of extra time.
Kempf said September 2, 2009 is the Joint meeting with the CJCC and the Board. At that meeting they are going to discuss the questions that they want answered if they are going to move forward with evaluating this further. Neuzil said that at that meeting they would determine a more defined approach of what this study would be. They would also start discussing the pros and cons of splitting the facility, including security and financial implications. Neuzil said they would ask Kempf and the Facilities Subcommittee to tell the Board exactly what they would like to see in this study.
Harney said he attended a liaison meeting with SEATS Director Tom Brase, and another liaison meeting with Kempf. He met with Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek and PJ Greufe and Associates Consultant Paul Greufe. Harney attended site visits with Planning and Zoning and a grant writing session with the Community Foundation at the University of Iowa.
Stutsman attended the naming ceremony for Iowa Special Persons at the Grant Wood House. She attended the dedication of the 4C's and Home Ties playground equipment, met with the ISAC Steering Committee for Health and Human Services, had a meeting with the Johnson County Historical Society curator, and attended a Juvenile Justice Policy Board meeting.
Sullivan attended the Convention Visitor’s Bureau meeting, and is serving on the committee for the City of Literature designation from UNSCO. He said a Board of Health presentation on air quality will be held at 4:00 p.m. on August 27, 2009 in the Health and Human Services Building. Sullivan said he had a conversation with a couple of counselors in Iowa City to get them thinking about the idea of a city curfew and the potential impacts of a curfew on County government. Sullivan said there have been some disappointing reports from the DNR about waste and waste water in the Regency Trailer Court. The people from the Washington office of the Department of Natural Resources have been very cooperative in sharing information with Johnson County. Sullivan attended a reception for Monique DiCarlo for serving 15 years at the Women’s Resource and Action Center (WRAC) at the University of Iowa and thanked her for everything WRAC has done for young women in Johnson County.
Neuzil said his next Listening Post is scheduled on August 28, 2009 at the Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center at 11:00 a.m. He reminded the public that Board meetings will temporarily be held in the second floor conference room in the Health and Human Services Building until the renovation of the existing Board room is complete.
Adjourned at 11:00 a.m.
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary