MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING OF THE CITY OF IOWA CITY, THE CITY OF CORALVILLE, THE CITY OF NORTH LIBERTY, THE IOWA CITY COMMUNITY SCHOOL BOARD, AND THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
SEPTEMBER 16, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Discussion/Update of the Following..................................................................................... 1
Trails: (Johnson County).......................................................................................... 1
Justice Center: (Johnson County and City of Iowa City).......................................... 3
Juvenile Delinquency Community Concerns and School Violence: (Johnson County and Iowa City) 4
Curfew Regulations: (City of Iowa City).................................................................. 5
Upcoming Budgets, Including Forecasts from Assessors: (Johnson County)............ 8
Waiver of FY10 Property Taxes for Flood Related Buyout Properties: (City of Iowa City) 8
Opening of 09-10 School Year: (Iowa City Community School District).................. 9
Capital Projects: (Iowa City Community School District)........................................ 10
School Boundaries and Redistricting Process: (Johnson County and Iowa City Community School District) 10
Areas of Potential Collaboration for Governmental Entities: (Johnson County and Iowa City Community School District)............................................................................................................. 12
Date and Time of Next Meeting.............................................................................. 14
Chairperson Neuzil called the joint meeting to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building at 4:02 p.m. Coralville City Council members present were: Henry Herwig and Mayor Jim Fausett. Iowa City City Council members present were: Mayor Regenia Bailey, Connie Champion, Amy Correia, Matt Hayek, Ross Wilburn, and Mike Wright. Iowa City School Board members present were: Toni Cilek, Mike Cooper, and Patti Fields. Johnson County Board of Supervisors members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan. North Liberty City Council members present were: Mayor Tom Salm, Coleen Chipman, Chris Hoffman, and Gerry Kuhl.
Other City and County officials and staff present were: County Attorney Janet Lyness, County Treasurer Tom Kriz, Coralville City Manager Kelly Hayworth, North Liberty City Administrator Ryan Heiar, Iowa City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes, Iowa City Interim City Manager Dale Helling, Iowa City City Clerk Marian Karr, Johnson County Council of Governments Executive Director John Yapp, Johnson County Council of Governments Assistant Transportation Planner Kris Ackerson, Board of Supervisors Executive Assistant Andy Johnson, and County Auditor’s Recording Secretary Nancy Tomkovicz.
Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) Assistant Transportation Planner Kris Ackerson said the most notable update is that the Conservation Board has acquired a large parcel of property and a trail easement between the City of Tiffin and Half Moon Road. He said this will be a significant linkage in the Clear Creek Trail which now runs from Iowa City to Coralville. Coralville is finishing their connection to Interstate 380. The City of Tiffin has already received funding for its connection to Interstate 380 so with the Conservation linkage, there will almost be a complete trail from Iowa City to Tiffin, and possibly to Kent Park in the future. This trail will exceed the length of the Iowa Corridor Trail once it is completed.
Ackerson provided a handout listing the grant applications that JCCOG has received to date for the month of September 2009. He said the City of Coralville applied for funding to implement Wayfinding signs on all of the trails and bike routes. This is a joint application with all of the cities and if funded, should help improve the access of the trails. Ackerson said the City of Iowa City submitted three applications. The most notable is a project to construct a trail around Sand Lake which is now Terry Trueblood Park on Sand Road and South Gilbert Street.
Ackerson said the City of North Liberty has applied for funding to construct a trail along Dubuque Street through town that would link up with the County's trail south along Dubuque Street to Iowa City. It would pass Penn Elementary School, go through Penn Meadows, and north out of town to connect with the County's either grade separated trail or paved shoulders which are proposed to extend all the way to Sugar Bottom Road. This will eventually link Iowa City to Sugar Bottom. The City of Iowa City has adopted the Metro Bicycle Master Plan and the Board of Supervisors is considering doing the same.
Iowa City Mayor Regenia Bailey asked about the timeline for the Clear Creek Trail to Tiffin. Ackerson responded that the City of Coralville has a couple of miles to complete. He said they received a Federal Recreation Trails grant in 2008 and are continuing to construct the trail to the ball fields. He said depending on funding, he imagines the project will be completed in five to eight years, and it is possible the trail will connect the ball fields to the City of Tiffin.
Stutsman said JCCOG will be making a determination in December 2009 and, there are quite a few more projects and funds available so there will be tough decisions to make. Neuzil asked Ackerson to explain the Wayfinding signs and why rural Johnson County was not eligible for that form of funding. Ackerson said Wayfinding signs are signs that tell the direction and distance to particular destinations. He said because they have developed an extraordinary number of trails in the last 15 years, the trails are becoming harder to navigate. The signs will help make it easier for people to get from one town or community to the next. Ackerson said JCCOG funds are eligible for projects within the urbanized area. The County was not eligible for JCCOG funds, but will be eligible for East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG) funds and Transportation Enhancement funds. Applications are due in December 2009.
Harney said the Justice Center is a priority for the Johnson County Board of Supervisors. He said the preferred location for the facility is the area downtown, next to the present Courthouse. When the Press-Citizen property came up for sale, Novak Design Group looked at the property and advised the Board that it could be easily retrofitted to a jail facility and that would save the County quite a bit of money. The Board has engaged Novak Design Group to do further research and compare costs between building a new facility downtown and on the Press-Citizen property.
Harney said the Press-Citizen building looked attractive because it is approximately an 11 acre site. The Press-Citizen property has recently been sold and he has been in contact with the developers. Harney said the developers are still interested in the County pursuing the facility. He said he will be meeting with them along with the Criminal Justice Facilities Subcommittee. If Novak's report shows that the cost is equitable between the Press-Citizen site and downtown, the preference is to keep the facility downtown.
Harney said security is one of the biggest issues for the Courthouse and it needs to be remodeled, as does the Jail. Neuzil said they want to encourage everyone who has not been attending the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC) meetings, to consider coming, or at least participate in the subcommittees. He said there are four subcommittees that are part of the CJCC: Facilities, Grants and Funding, Alternatives and Treatments, and Public Information and Outreach. Each subcommittee has been assigned a particular goal for the upcoming meeting in October 2009.
Neuzil said the Facilities Subcommittee will be talking to the new owners of the Press-Citizen to discuss the options available. The Grants and Funding Subcommittee recently met to look at the funding streams and mechanisms that it will take to pay for the facility. This includes having the County save some money, not only to potentially acquire property but to be sure they have a better bond rating when they have to ask voters for approval. The Alternatives and Treatments Subcommittee will be looking at space needs for providing additional alternatives and treatments. The Information and Outreach Subcommittee will be discussing the pros and cons of constructing a Justice Center versus a jail and courthouse as separate facilities. Neuzil said the CJCC meets on the first Wednesday of the month at 4:30 p.m. and will be meeting in the Health and Human Services Building until the remodeling project is completed in the Administration Building.
Neuzil said one of the weaknesses they have right now is in the area of participation from law enforcement. They would like to see law enforcement officers involved with public outreach to consider being a part of one of the subcommittees. Iowa City City Council Member Matt Hayek asked, in reference to the cost comparisons, who will decide what the measurements will be and what comparisons to make. Hayek asked if that would be the Board of Supervisors, a group of committees, consultants, or a combination. Neuzil responded that ultimately policy or decision making will come from the Board of Supervisors. He said planning is done within the CJCC and its subcommittees, who then make recommendations to the Board. This is what the Board of Supervisors did in the preliminary analysis of the Press-Citizen property. The Facilities Subcommittee met, and then a majority of the Board of Supervisors was willing to research that further. He said it is on hold right now until the Facilities Subcommittee has had an opportunity to meet with the developer.
Hayek asked if they anticipate the measurements will be purely engineering and architectural concerning bricks and mortar, or will the comparison be broader than that. Harney said they will be broader and will actually include the ongoing operational costs such as transportation for the Court system. He said he misspoke earlier when he said the Press-Citizen had been purchased. There is a contract agreement for the facility, but the purchase has not been made because they have some details to work out.
Johnson County Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia said the County has an appointed board called the County Juvenile Justice Youth Development Policy Board (Policy Board) with representatives from all of the communities including the Iowa City Community School District (ICCSD), Clear Creek Amana Community School District (CCASD), law enforcement, the County Attorney's Office, as well as social service providers, community members, and parents. Correia provided the group with the FY10 Action Plan. She said this board was initiated 12 or 13 years ago when a Federal grant was received which required a multi-disciplinary board to respond to issues of juvenile crime and delinquency, to prevent and intervene, and reduce juvenile crime and delinquency. Over the years those Federal dollars have slowly reduced down to zero.
Correia said the Board of Supervisors provides $200,000 each year to support juvenile delinquency and prevention programming, and, the Policy Board makes recommendations to the Board of Supervisors on funding and provides oversight of the money. Also in 2009 there was a competitive grant making process to respond to priority issues. The handout lists the current programs that are in place. The Big Brothers Big Sisters School Buddy program is partially funded with these grant dollars. There are School Buddies programs in elementary schools in the ICCSD as well as CCASD for kindergarten through sixth grade. There are about 200 volunteers who are going through the orientation for this school year.
Correia said a new program that began in Johnson County in 2008, mostly funded through a grant from the Iowa Department of Public Health to the Community Corrections Improvement Association, is a Children of Promise mentoring program. She said there are some County dollars in that as well as some other State funding that is coming to the County through the Decategorization program. This program is mentoring for youth ages 12 to 17 through community matches and they are looking at providing mentors for youth who have a parent involved in the penal system, either incarcerated, on probation, or parole. Correia said kids who experience troubled family life are at greater risk of becoming involved in the criminal legal system. The Children of Promise program is a way to give positive mentoring and support to families and, to the non-offending parent for their children. That program currently has approximately 20 matches with 17 youth on the waiting list.
Correia said that kids waiting for matches are involved in group programming through collaboration with the Bethel AME Church and Faith United Church of Christ. Correia said there is former leader in the ICCSD who is trying to get some positive groups started by organizing a Boys to Men group. The program also funds substance abuse counseling at City High, West High, and Solon and Tiffin high schools. MECCA provides on-site substance abuse counseling for youth who have charges of Operating While Intoxicated or possession. They may have other issues that are interrupting their academic learning or behavior in the classroom and this is a resource for them at school and a gateway to other services in the community if they need them.
Correia said the Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County are receiving funding for after school programming targeting southeast Iowa City and Pheasant Ridge neighborhood. This involves a parent/family component as well as academic support, youth leadership, and skill development. She said United Action for Youth receives funding to support efforts to provide skill building workshops, arts workshops in community locations around the County, and helps fund youth center activities in Iowa City and Solon.
Correia said the Policy Board held a brainstorming session at the August 2009 meeting to begin strategizing responses to current issues in the media in Iowa City. The small group is available as a resource to governmental bodies to look at policies and practice, to do the research on policy related to curfew, to look at what works and what does not work related to prevention or intervention programs, and bring that information forth.
North Liberty City Council Member Chris Hoffman asked for a copy of Correia's handout. Correia said it is available on-line at the Johnson County website on the Social Services Department page with a link to the Juvenile Justice Youth Development Program.
Bailey said the City of Iowa City put this item on the agenda because they are interested in hearing from other communities regarding curfews. She said the first reading of the curfew ordinance passed on September 15, 2009. It is modeled after the ordinance in Coralville and it includes exceptions for school activities and other appropriate activities as well as a tiered approach based on age. The older the youth, the later they get to stay out. Bailey said the Iowa City City Council is interested in hearing from other cities that have curfews and about their positive and negative experiences. The Council is particularly interested in how other cities address issues of juvenile delinquency and other challenges, and how the ordinance is enforced.
Coralville Mayor Jim Fausett said they have had the ordinance on the books for a long time, as long as he can remember. He said he is sure they have had some problems with it over time, but nothing that he recalls. He said he talked with Coralville Police Chief Barry Bedford who indicated that it works really well. It is very rarely that they have to enforce it by making arrests. That usually happens if kids who are asked to go home start causing a problem and do not go home. In some cases officers do have to write citations but it is very rare.
Coralville City Council Member Henry Herwig said it is a tool that provides an opportunity to intervene and find out what is going on. He said officers use the ordinance with discretion. Iowa City City Council Member Ross Wilburn asked if Fausett or Herwig know of the challenges with enforcing a tiered system. Wilburn said he saw a report on the local news with a Waterloo police captain. Wilburn said that Waterloo had a multi-tiered system and the captain said it was a nightmare to enforce and a challenge to verify ages. Officers were being held off the street, so they made a change to have a 16 and under ordinance. Fausett said Coralville has a tiered system and he asked Coralville City Manager Kelly Hayworth to respond.
Hayworth said they really have not had an issue because primarily once the contact is made with the youth, 99% of the time they do not argue about the age or where they should be, they just go home. That is the response they typically want to see. He said Coralville police have never gotten into age verification issues. Hayworth reiterated that it is a tool for the police department to stop youth, discuss why they are where they are, and it has been very successful. There have been times when the police officer will deliver the youth to their homes and, more than likely the response from the parents is very positive as well. Hayworth said they have not had complaints and it has been successful.
Wilburn asked if they have tracked information as to how many end up with some type of further investigation versus how many just go home. Hayworth said they do not typically keep records on curfew violations except if citations are issued. He said based on his discussions with the police department, there are very few times a citation is issued. The youth either go home by themselves or the police take them home. Wilburn asked when citations do occur, do they track any demographic information about the youth. Hayworth said he would have to check but he doubts it very much.
North Liberty Mayor Tom Salm said North Liberty has had a curfew since 1988. He said it is similar to Coralville's in that it is a tiered system. The curfew for youth under age 18 is midnight, and for 16 and under is 10:30 p.m. They just brought the ordinance before the North Liberty City Council to update some of the language in the ordinance. Salm said they do have issues with some of the youth in town, typically the same youth. He said while it has not been a major issue, he has received requests in the last month or two from citizens asking the City to more strictly enforce the curfew because there are a fair number of youth wandering the streets late at night. Wilburn asked if North Liberty collects any demographic information. Salm said he believes not.
Wilburn said he would be interested in gut reactions from the police chiefs or, comparable impacts on crime and behavior. An important consideration is whether the curfew is effective. Wilburn said it is one thing to say it is a tool, but asked is the tool working. Fausett said Bedford would be happy to send any information he has. Hoffman said part of the change North Liberty made to their ordinance deals with how citations are issued. The intent was not to clog up the Juvenile Court system, so that the infraction was not something that got them in court right away, but rather an intermediate step so the officer on duty had an opportunity to do some old fashioned policing. Hoffman said later on in the process, if the juvenile is so inclined to continue to be a problem, then a citation may be issued.
North Liberty City Council Member Gerry Kuhl said the change to North Liberty's ordinance will allow them to use simple misdemeanor or municipal infraction and they issue warnings first. Herwig said it is worth pointing out there have been several attempts and ongoing events where the police department has had a chance to interact with the junior high and other students that are in town for various activities. He said when an officer knows the kids, and can call them by name that can diffuse a lot of things.
Iowa City City Council Member Connie Champion said the way North Liberty and Coralville are using their curfew ordinance is exactly how she envisions Iowa City police using it. She said she likes the idea of not giving a citation with the understanding that they could eventually be given a citation or take the kid home. This is exactly how the curfew worked when she was a kid. The police did not arrest the youth but they did take them home. Champion said they also talked about not having a fine but rather community service, however, that is up to the Judge.
Sullivan said there are some places where perhaps the County has not communicated as well as they could have, such as regarding the Justice Center. He feels the curfew discussion is a place where he was frustrated with the City of Iowa City. He had questions in terms of what this means to the County because everything is interrelated. The County funds Juvenile Detention at almost $500,000 per year. Sullivan said he spoke with County Attorney Janet Lyness and she does not feel the curfew will be a big issue whether the Council goes forward or not. He was just concerned in terms of communication. He wanted to have some dialogue before a vote occurred and he is not sure why that did not happen. Sullivan said there have been breakdowns in communication periodically and the County is guilty of it too.
Champion said the letters were informative. Bailey said Lyness was involved with the City's staff as the ordinance was being drafted and they had a very good description in a work session about the difference between curfew infractions and where they go through the system, versus other kinds of juvenile infractions. Sullivan said he did not know that. Bailey said her staff does a very good job of using the resources in the County and she knows those materials were copied to Lyness. She said she spoke with Lyness and received feedback regarding her level of involvement and felt very comfortable and confident that the County had been in the loop. Bailey said whether that information made it to other places in the County, she cannot say, but she knows the City uses the resources of the County and the County Attorney's Office.
Harney asked what the process is for repeat offenders. Lyness said curfews are handled as municipal infractions or simple misdemeanors, not as juvenile delinquency. A child could not be taken to detention for a violation of curfew so this would not impact the detention center numbers. If children are on probation for other offenses, most of them have a curfew put into affect regardless of whether the municipality where they live has a curfew ordinance. A violation of curfew set by their Probation Officer could lead to detention. She said she spoke with Bedford and also based on her experience with misdemeanor court, she has not seen that charge on the docket very much.
County Treasurer Thomas Kriz said both assessors were impressed by the final figures. There was more growth in the County and City than they expected. There was sizeable growth of almost 5.5% in the rural areas, and in the Iowa City area the growth was 2.64%, and overall 4.18%. Kriz said this points out how fortunate they are to be in Johnson County with a vibrant community. Even with the down turn in many areas and the floods, things continue to happen with new construction. Kriz said things that will skew this a little bit are TIF areas. In some cases the taxable value will be greater as the roll-back changes from year to year. It is a good report and they will get it out as soon as possible to help everyone with budgeting. Neuzil said it is good news that the County and community are seeing growth compared to a number of other communities across the state and nation dealing with severe deficits.
Iowa City Attorney Eleanor Dilkes said Iowa City is in the process of purchasing approximately 40 properties under the Federal Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) buyout. The City closed on approximately seven of those prior to the end of FY09. She said part of the reason for this was because the State Code provides if a City or governmental entity buys property mid-year, the first part of that year the taxes are prorated to the homeowner. For the rest of the year the City is responsible for the payment of those taxes. Dilkes said Iowa City has what the State Code calls a token tax liability. There is no tax sale when it comes to City property. Unlike for private owners, when the City owns the property and the taxes are not paid the taxes are abated. Dilkes said she has talked with Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell about this and thinks the abatement could be handled administratively in the event the Iowa City City Council decided not to pay those taxes. As staff, they have decided the City Council will have to have a discussion on this issue.
Neuzil asked if it is an eligible abatement. Dilkes said yes. Neuzil said the Board has respected the wishes of the City of Iowa City, City of Coralville, City of North Liberty, and ICCSD that they will not be abating any flood related taxes. The Johnson County Board of Supervisors just recently denied an abatement request. Neuzil asked if Dilkes remembers whether they did this in 1993. Dilkes said it would only apply in a buyout situation where the City acquires property mid-year that is not in the right-of-way. They have time to deal with the issue because they are talking about this year's taxes that are not due until September 2010 and March 2011, and they are only talking about approximately $36,000 in tax liability.
Stutsman asked if the City would be the biggest benefactor of the tax liability revenue, with the ICCSD to follow. Dilkes said yes. Champion asked if they have dealt with this in Coralville. Hayworth said their intent was to pay the taxes because they would get back their percentage, which is a pretty small amount, and the rest would go to the ICCSD, the County, and other entities. Harney asked if taxes are due at the time they take title to the property. Dilkes said no, if the City closes on a piece of property on September 1, 2009, those taxes are not due yet so they pro-rate the first half based on the previous year's taxes to the property owner. The new property owner, the City in this case, becomes responsible for them when the taxes come due the following year.
Stutsman left at 4:56 p.m.
Sullivan said he likes the fact that they have not granted abatements. If there is an administrative option that allows them to continue to tell people that they do not do this that would be nice. Dilkes said the way she reads the Statute, and the County Attorney agreed, is that it is the City's option whether to pay them. If the City chooses not to pay them, they are abated. Sullivan said that might be better than asking for permission. Dilkes said that is what will happen which is why they think the City Council needs to have a discussion about this and decide whether they are going to pay them.
Iowa City Community School Board Member Toni Cilek said they have had growth of 169 students this year as of September 8, 2009. This represents 103 elementary students, 66 secondary students, and a total enrollment of 11,530 students. The official count will be conducted October 1, 2009. She said one of their biggest issues so far was the School In Need of Assistance (SINA) transfers. There are five schools on that list where students in those middle schools were eligible to transfer to another school with transportation provided. They had a fairly significant shift and were not able to know very far ahead of time, so it has had a significant impact, particularly on Hoover and Horn.
Iowa City Community School Board Member Patti Fields said they had 177 transfer requests that needed to happen before the beginning of the school year. Cilek asked if 77 transferred to Hoover. Fields said yes but 28 of those were voluntary. They had to figure out bussing routes and it has been a challenge to reroute that many children on a bus. Cilek said it has also created significant staffing issues. She said Iowa City Community School Board Member Mike Cooper was re-elected to the ICCSD Board and two new members, Sarah Swisher and Tuyet Dorau, were elected as well.
Champion asked what criterion is used to classify a school as SINA. Fields said a school can only be named a SINA if they receive Title I funding. This did create some challenges but she thinks Hoover and Horn are trying to react and are making the transition as smooth as possible. Fields said in spring 2009, the ICCSD changed secondary bell schedules to help with bussing and they learned that did make a difference. They are using 16 less busses than last year and they are hoping that will help with the budget concerns. She said unfortunately, with the SINA transfers 20% of their Title I funding must be spent on bussing students from the SINA schools, which would otherwise go to the classroom. Cilek said the solution to the problem is academic improvement of all students in the schools so they are not on the list. This will be increasingly harder because they are raising the requirements on the number of students who have to be proficient. Ultimately 100% of the students have to be proficient in every area in every subcategory, math, science, reading, and social studies. Fields said the target date of No Child Left Behind is not changed, it is 2014. Champion said that is impossible. Cilek said the link is to the Federal funding and she thinks eventually school districts will be looking at getting Federal funding versus the cost of the program.
Cilek said they want to make the communities aware of their major building projects. Fields said they have just completed the City High parking lot and sidewalk project and City High will be hosting a 70th year celebration on Sunday, September 27, 2009 from 2:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m. Garner Elementary School in North Liberty is coming along and they will begin planning for staffing and the opening soon. They have two projects to be designed. One is a significant addition to Horn Elementary and the second is the elementary school at The Crossings which is projected to open in the fall of 2011. Hayek asked the status of the Facilities Plan. Cilek said in terms of the whole plan, they have not done much with it since they acted on the Roosevelt situation.
Cilek said as they talk about redistricting, the Facilities Plan will be a significant factor because part of the redistricting will involve the buildings and facilities. In terms of the drafted plan, they have not addressed it. Bailey said Iowa City put off a parks project in anticipation that the ICCSD may have a project at a particular school. They should probably discuss this before the budgeting process. Cilek said with the Roosevelt discussion and as they talked about the third high school, they are planning to review the boundaries across the district. The most immediate issue is how to handle the crowding at the high schools and the optional third high school, both financially and boundary/growth wise. Cilek said another part of that is looking at the elementary schools, particularly the free and reduced, and those percentages across the district.
Cilek said SINA is going to significantly influence that because if they change boundaries to move kids into a school that is on the watch list, and the parents can proceed to withdraw from that school, it will be even more difficult to change boundaries. She said they will be working with a consultant and recruiting people for committees. They need to have a lot of dialogue as they go through this because it will impact every family in every district. Cilek said a lot of times, when they reflect on it, it seems quite overwhelming, but there is a lot of push in the community to look at this and to work their way through it. They are anticipating a recommendation in March 2010.
Neuzil said he assumes the ICCSD Board would want to hear from planning departments from all of the entities, including the County, as far as where they anticipate growth over the next ten or 15 years. Also they will need to consider the impact on the Scanlon Gym issue. He said in County government they have identified particular areas of the North Corridor that would have an impact on northern schools, and the City of Hills, which has a brand new development they are putting together. Neuzil asked Cilek to let the Board know if some type of County government representation needed. Cilek said they are meeting with a consultant in the next few weeks to begin laying out the process.
Fields said the consultant the ICCSD is going to hire will gather all of that data. They will consider the socioeconomic conditions of the area. They have worked with many districts in Iowa. Neuzil said the County knows they will be coming before voters again for the Justice Center issue. He was interested in a school board candidate's expressed desire to get the high school funded out of the existing sales tax increase, rather than having that need in two or three years, or approximately the same time the County might be putting forth the Justice Center issue. Neuzil said the Board does not want that to happen. The County knows that will be an extremely high dollar item for the community and it would be helpful to know if the ICCSD is anticipating any additional tax increase beyond what the County's limit is. He said in other words, if they are considering another bond issue or another sales tax, the County would like it not to compete against the Justice Center issue.
Cilek said they have a budget line setting aside sales tax revenue for a third high school without even having made the decision. She said she understands what Neuzil is concerned with. The concern the ICCSD has regarding a third high school is the operating costs. Cilek said they should be able to manage the majority of it with the sales tax revenue. Neuzil said as they look at ways to collaborate with governmental entities, if they anticipate some far reaching item as a goal, it would be nice if they could talk about it collectively and attempt to prioritize issues for the entire community. Fields said the ICCSD Board's plan is to save $32 million over 10 years for that structure, or whatever the high school plan is going to be. They can also borrow against the sales tax money if they cannot afford the building structure. She said the ICCSD cannot use those funds, however, for operating costs, so that still has to come from the General Fund. Fields said when the sunset comes for the SILO tax, voters will have to determine if they will continue to participate. The tax will still be collected but whether the money comes back to Iowa City will depend on the voters.
Neuzil said Johnson County has identified the Metro Transportation Plan as a priority. He said JCCOG has been helping with that effort. Another issue is Green Initiatives. Again, JCCOG has started that dialogue and at one point assigned at least one person from the community along with staff to participate in Green Initiatives. He said now that they are getting past the flood issues in some respects, he asked if there is interest in bringing Green Initiatives back on track. Obviously that is something that JCCOG can help address for those who do not serve on that particular committee. This is something of interest, particularly the water quality issues and the carbon footprint that everyone signed on to.
Executive Assistant Andy Johnson said representatives from Iowa City, Coralville, and Johnson County had brief conversations about collaborating on the US Census. Iowa City City Clerk Marian Karr said they are all aware of the importance of the upcoming Census on April 1, 2010. This will be the third opportunity she has had to work with the Census, and she would like a collaborative effort to save time, resources, and money. Karr said she is interested in taking the lead on this if there is interest, and if not, they will continue as individual entities. Neuzil asked if all the communities have assigned staff and an elected official. He said the County has assigned the Chairperson of the Board along with their Planning and Zoning Administrator as the key contacts for US Census information. He said Johnson will also help in those efforts. Karr said the City has included their planning staff as well as their Information Technology staff because this will be the first year the Census will use GIS. She said this is a great opportunity to take a look at their systems, but also they will avoid some of the problems they have had in an under-count before.
Kuhl said North Liberty Assistant City Administrator/City Clerk Tracey Mulcahey is working on the US Census. Hayworth said the City of Coralville is officially working on it. Karr said she talked to ICCSD Superintendent Lane Plugge briefly about possible special projects in the classroom to get the word out through the kids and through the newsletters. She said she is also working with United Way agencies.
Neuzil said he has been told that from the election he and Harney were in in 2000, only one third of the people that voted in that 2000 election are still in Johnson County, based on the 2008 election. This shows how transient this community really is. He asked if the University of Iowa participates in the Census. Karr said she talked with the University of Iowa Student Government and Administration. She said that is a very important feature because, again, there is confusion over the students who may be here nine months out of the year, but think it is like taxes and think their parents count them. Because the students are here for the majority of the year, they are counted as residents in the Iowa City Census. Sullivan asked if Oakdale is included. Karr said Oakdale would be part of the Coralville component and there is a special institution process that applies.
Fields asked what the normal voter turnout for Supervisor elections has been. Neuzil said between 70,000 and 80,000 residents. He said it is amazing that out of 75,000 residents, 50,000 people who voted have left in eight years. Cilek said at some point they will be addressing the repurposing of Roosevelt Elementary and they will be looking for support and input at that time.
Hoffman asked if there is a formal committee of representatives from each community in Johnson County so they are not overlapping in resources or spending. Karr suggested a joint committee address the public relations component in particular. She said they have been receiving forms and information for the past several months and what she is looking at right now is coordinating the efforts of public relations. Hoffman asked what she needs from the communities. Karr said she would like the individual contacts to contact her to figure out how to facilitate the process. She said they need to begin talking about what it is they want to spot light, where to focus the publicity, order supplies, prepare a master calendar, utilize resources, and be sure they have the same message.
Kuhl asked if Hayworth and North Liberty City Administrator Ryan Heiar would describe the Transportation Investment Generating Economic Recovery (TIGER) grant for Highway 965, a joint application that was submitted on September 15, 2009. Heiar said the Cities of North Liberty and Coralville have applied for $37.7 million to complete Highway 965 from Holiday Road to 238th Street in North Liberty. They understand it is a long shot but are hopeful and have received a lot of support. Heiar said they requested $37.7 million and would come up with approximately $4 million on their own. He said it would be five lanes with intersection improvements, landscaping enhancements, bike trails, sidewalks, pedestrian crossings, and underpasses which are all part of the Master Plan they approved in 2008. Salm said the Master Plan was a 44 page document with written comments. He said a lot of work went into this joint effort with Coralville, and they received support from the Governor's Office.
Neuzil said the Chamber of Commerce trip is scheduled for February 2010 and if there are particular projects that will potentially benefit one community, it would be nice to have a unified presentation to the legislators. If individual cities can include the County in a lot of their requests, that would be nice because the County would like to be a team player. He said Board members are willing to sign any letters of support
Harney thanked everyone for their support and announced that the Emergency Communications Center building is completed. He said it is a beautiful building and encouraged everyone to visit the new building. It is not completely furnished yet, but they are working on the communications equipment and anticipate it will be completed by July 2010. The tower is up, and three other towers are under construction in the County. Harney said everything is on target, thanks to the cooperation of everyone here.
The next meeting of the Joint Cities will be hosted by the City of North Liberty and is scheduled for January 20, 2010, at 4:00 p.m.
Adjourned at 5:30 p.m.
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary