MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
SEPTEMBER 23, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
Key Issues Work Session...................................................................................................... 1
Recap and Progress Report of Items Discussed at the August Key Issues Meeting... 1
Project Updates......................................................................................................... 1
Technology Needs in Health and Human Services Conference Room and New Board Room 4
Plan for Use of Health and Human Services Third Floor.......................................... 6
Cosgrove Village Plan............................................................................................... 7
Process for Public Input on Sutliff Bridge Project..................................................... 8
Joint Emergency Communications Center Update.................................................. 12
Employee Recognition Date – (December 17th)..................................................... 14
Update on Legislative Priorities.............................................................................. 15
Local Federal Legislative Staff............................................................................... 16
Federal Corridor Key Issues Trip............................................................................ 17
Economic Development Committee....................................................................... 18
Funding for Brochure of Historic Sites in Johnson County..................................... 22
Internal Processes, Expectations, and Other Operational Issues of the Board of Supervisors Office 24
Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building at 9:02 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Executive Assistant Andy Johnson said he completed the clarification and formalization of the membership of the Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee (CJCC). He has yet to meet with Facilities Director David Kempf to write a draft policy for the use of conference rooms. The planning and logistics of the office move are done. The Lion’s Club candy dispenser is gone. The Board continues to discuss legislative priorities and the oversight of block grants. The National Association of Counties (NACo) Health Reform Resolution was passed. The logistics of several meetings were also discussed at the previous Key Issues Meeting. Sullivan asked if anyone mentioned to Supervisor Langston that the NACo Health Reform Resolution passed. She was trying to keep a tally. Johnson said he would check on that, but it was posted on the website. He said the Board could ask Kempf about the status of hiring temporary help for the Physical Plant.
Kempf said he would do a quick recap of project updates. The SEATS and Secondary Roads project is getting very close to being closed out. A couple of decisions were made regarding cabinet issues. Kempf said he told the company that he is no longer going to have them build the cabinets, and they will deduct the amount from the contract. He will hire someone else to build them the way they were supposed to be built. He is doing a final punch list on the mechanical items this Friday, and he is hoping it will pass. If A&J Associates signs off on it, the official training and transfer of operations will occur.
Kempf said a brick issue outside of the Health and Human Services Building (HHS) has been resolved. A lingering issue involves some duct work on the third floor. A meeting is being facilitated today to get the subcontractors together to determine if they are willing to split the cost of the repairs amongst themselves or if it will become the responsibility of one party. The general understanding is that the County will not be paying for it. Stutsman asked for the cost of the repairs. Kempf said he doesn’t know, but it is probably around $5,000 to $8,000. He said it is not a County issue because the County did not cause the problem. It is the responsibility of the subcontractors to determine what caused the problem and to fix it. The parts are all there waiting to be fixed. Kempf said it is known that the manufacturer of the duct work is not responsible for what happened. It had to do with one of the roof top units not being wired correctly. It is hard to get people to confess they made a mistake, but that is what is going to have to happen.
Kempf said the damage to the door frames in the HHS Building is being repaired after hours and on weekends.. He said he previously mentioned that he was not going to let that damage go. He thinks there has been pretty good progress on the remodel of the Administration Building, but some issues have come up and are being dealt with. One of the biggest issues is that cables have been run through the ceiling tiles in numerous areas. The Iowa City Building Inspectors are requiring that all old cables be removed, and any data cables need to be suspended and bundled. Sullivan asked if it is viewed as a fire hazard. Kempf said he doesn’t know for sure. Stutsman said she thinks it is a good idea to remove them. Kempf agreed and said he didn’t realize it was as bad as what was found when they opened up the ceilings. He said it will be taken care of, and they are writing a change order for it now and will receive a cost estimate. It is not going to be a huge amount of money, but it will take some time. Kempf said the changes are more than the Information Technology staff want to complete themselves, so the electrical subcontractor will do it. The subcontractor will then be available if some of the data cables need to be rerouted or replaced by longer cables. It needs to happen to move forward on the project.
Kempf said punch lists were done on the offices in the Treasurer’s Office yesterday, and a few issues were identified. The carpet is being reused in that area, and it needs to be cleaned. Some light switches need to be repositioned because they were installed in places where they should not be located. Overall, the offices look nice, and he is happy with the quality of work. He said Knutson Construction Services has been great to work with, and they have been very proactive regarding problems and issues. Kempf said the old boiler is out, and preparations are being made for the new boiler to be installed. The project is moving along well.
Kempf asked how the Board would like to address the assignment of their new offices. He asked if they want to keep the current order, have Kempf randomly draw names for offices, or draw for offices themselves. He thinks all of the offices are within 2 to 3 square feet of each other in size. Harney said the office on the end looks a lot smaller than the others due to having angled walls. Neuzil asked if the offices are all about the same in terms of square feet. Kempf said yes. Sullivan said his biggest concern is for Johnson and Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne to be in ideal locations. Kempf said they will be. Neuzil said it seems like the fairest method would be to draw from a hat. Stutsman said it sounds like no one wants the last office, and it seems logical that it be given to the next incoming Supervisor. Kempf said they can decide the office assignment amongst themselves and then notify him. Neuzil said this is the time to talk about it. Sullivan said he does not care. Stutsman and Neuzil said they would like to see the map again. Kempf said he would give them a floor plan of the offices. Neuzil said they could eliminate one office if no one wants it and then pick from the remaining four offices.
Harney questioned why two of the doors are set side by side because it reduces privacy, and asked if one of the doors could be on the other side of the column. Kempf said no because there is a reason why it could not be set that way. He cannot remember what the reason is without looking at the plans, but he knows there was a reason it was done that way. Neuzil said there is not a lot of space between the entrance to the Board room and the entrance to Harney’s previous office. Kempf agreed and said ADA and fire code requirements have to be met. That is why the doors are angled the way they are. Neuzil said there will be a slight incline inside one entrance. Kempf agreed and said it is for wheelchair access. Harney asked what will be done between the windows and the walls. Kempf said there will be two steel plates with solid insulation between the two. It will run right into the window jams, so the windows can still be opened. He said they can see examples in the old Information Technology space. Neuzil asked if those will be removed and reinstalled when the new windows are installed. Kempf said yes, although they may be modified for the new windows. Harney asked what the final ceiling clearance will be because some heating units could not be installed due to the height of the ceiling in the Board room. Kempf said the ceiling height will stay the same, and he thinks the height is 8 feet 9 inches. Kempf said there was no actual problem with the ceiling height; the wrong dimensions on the drawing were being considered. Harney asked if the phone lines will be reinstalled in the offices. Kempf said there will be all new phone and data lines in the Board of Supervisor’s Office. Kempf said the project is moving along quickly, and he is fairly optimistic that it will be finished ahead of time.
Johnson said he wanted the Board members to know for their own security that the panic button works. He got a call from the Sheriff’s Office yesterday to ask if everything was okay and to state that a Deputy was on his way over. The alarm in the Board room was tripped at the same time an air nailer was being used in a nearby area, and it sounded like gun shots. Neuzil asked if they will have a panic button. Kempf said yes.
Neuzil said he continues to get inquiries regarding when the skywalk will open. He asked if there is a timeline. Kempf said it all hinges on moving Planning and Zoning out of their current office space. Preparing the current Planning and Zoning Office space for use by the City Assessor’s Office will take a very short period of time because there are not many things being changed. Neuzil said other than the break room. Kempf agreed but said the break room area will not take long to complete. He said someone from Knutson Construction Services told him they are planning to make money on the project by finishing it early. They are very motivated to get it done as soon as possible.
Harney asked why there are wires sticking out of the wall in a stairwell of the HHS Building. Kempf explained that an extra air conditioning unit was located there, and he needed to use it in another location. He reused that one to avoid having to purchase a new one. Harney asked if the brackets and wires will be removed. Kempf said yes, it just has not been done yet.
Harney said he still has concerns about closing off the SEATS project due to the problems with heating last spring. He would hate to have heating issues this winter without having a guarantee for service on it. Kempf said the clock has not even started ticking on the warranty. Harney said he just wants to make sure it works right. Kempf said a lot of people will make sure everything is working properly before it becomes their responsibility.
Sullivan said he is frequently asked about getting signs for the HHS Building. Kempf said signs should be arriving anytime. They are in production, and he is expecting to get a call very soon that they are ready to be installed. Stutsman said it would be a big help. Neuzil mentioned that he knows Kempf is working on getting bike racks. Kempf said he ordered the bike racks for the Administration Building and is just waiting for them to arrive. They will be installed as soon as they arrive. Harney said SEATs Director Tom Brase also wants a bike rack for the SEATS Building. Kempf said he talked to Brase about it recently, and Brase was going to order one.
Kempf said he plans to start the process for hiring a temporary employee this week. He said he told Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek that the Board prefers a temporary employment agency is utilized, and she was okay with that. A part-time Human Resources employee is more than willing to work extra hours, but Shramek is fine with hiring someone through a temporary employment agency. Neuzil said Kempf will probably have more information regarding the project in the Administration Building next month. Kempf agreed and said he will be looking at moving dates.
Neuzil said he thinks a lot of the technology equipment being used in the conference room that is currently serving as the temporary Board room in the HHS Building is on loan. He thinks it is likely that the room will continue to be used for large meetings due to the size of the new Board room, and it should have a microphone and speaker system. He asked Kempf if the money for it could be taken out of this year’s budget or if an amendment would be needed. Kempf replied that he thinks there is money available in archival projects for the HHS Building that will cover it. Harney said he would also like to see an overhead system in the room. Kempf said there are connections in the ceiling for data projectors. Neuzil said he hasn’t heard anyone complain about the current equipment being kept in the room. Kempf said he does not think it has affected the use of the room very much. Neuzil said it would be nice to reuse it. Kempf and Neuzil discussed how the room would be arranged. Harney asked if it is something that could be done relatively soon. Kempf replied that he thinks so.
Neuzil said The Video Center Videographer Andy Small was concerned about the security of some of the equipment, and they discussed the possibility of adding a cabinet that could be locked. Johnson said the sound equipment currently in use in the room is being loaned from Small. Kempf said there is a nearby room with cabinets that can be locked. Neuzil said he was thinking of having something where the equipment could just be turned on and off. Harney asked if there could be a small cabinet kept in a specific room that could be locked. Kempf said yes, but indicated that there is another nearby room that can be used now. Stutsman asked why they would not just use the room Kempf suggested. Harney said he just doesn’t know what the room is currently being used for. Neuzil asked if wires would need to be put up. Kempf said it doesn’t matter if the equipment is being installed permanently.
Sullivan asked if the County is purchasing sound equipment for the new Board room similar to the equipment that is currently being used. Kempf said it won’t be the same, but it will be audio equipment. Sullivan asked if the sound equipment would only be necessary in the HHS Building conference room if they were using it for a large meeting. Kempf said yes. Neuzil said the Public Health Department may want to use it. Sullivan said he wonders if Small will want to take back the equipment. Neuzil said yes, Small is just allowing them to borrow the equipment. Sullivan said his point is that the equipment would not be available for other people to use following their return to the Administration Building. Kempf clarified that they are discussing having audio equipment in the room long-term so it will be in place in the event of a large meeting that requires use of the room. Neuzil said they would be purchasing new equipment. The question is whether or not they want to spend the money to do it, although he is surprised they didn’t do it already.
Sullivan said he had a discussion with Claiborne and Auditor’s Office staff about the replacement of the tape recorders. Neuzil asked if he means using CDs instead. Sullivan said yes, but the Auditor’s Office staff doesn’t seem to remember the discussion regarding the issue the way Sullivan does. He said Claiborne was going to go through the decision packages. Johnson said Claiborne did so, and software is specifically stated. Sullivan asked if there was anything stated about hardware. Johnson said no. Kempf said he can look at that because it is relatively inexpensive. Sullivan said it has to work. Neuzil said he is surprised that cassette tapes are still being used when technology is available that allows recording into a computer at the touch of a button. Radio stations have been using that technology since the 1990s.
Johnson asked Kempf if there is a company that is going to install the new sound equipment. Kempf said he wants to have someone who specializes in audio visual equipment do the work, and there are a couple of audio visual engineering firms. Neuzil asked if they will also being doing it in the new Board room. Kempf said yes. They will be addressing both the new Board room and the conference room in the HHS Building. Neuzil said okay.
Harney said the frame for a specific closet door moves when the door is closed. Kempf asked if it is the closet where the chairs are stored. Harney said yes. Kempf said he will take a look at it.
Kempf said he is just waiting for the key card swipe to be installed on the elevator. That is the only thing that is preventing the equipment from being moved to the third floor of the HHS Building. Neuzil asked if County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek and Ambulance Director Steve Spenler are aware that equipment will be moved. Kempf said yes. He has the cameras, and he is awaiting their installation. As soon as the control component is installed, they will start moving the equipment up there.
Neuzil said someone had expressed concern regarding the potential for smelliness in the area due to use as an exercise space. Kempf said they will clean the space, and there is more air circulation than is needed. Stutsman said the space is also quite open. Neuzil clarified that windows will not need to be opened. Kempf said no, the whole building has constant air exchange.
Sullivan asked if a County-wide email will be sent out to notify people when the space is available for use. Neuzil said the Wellness Committee should be involved in that. Kempf agreed and said guidelines for the space will need to be developed. Stutsman agreed and said they had previously discussed a few guidelines. An example is the use of the lockers being limited to the time the individual is there working out. Kempf said agreed and said the lock will need to be taken with them when they leave. Neuzil mentioned the guideline of limiting use to County employees only. Kempf said yes and no family or friends. They will keep the rules basic and not impose any more than they have to unless someone forces them to. There will be two cameras in use to monitor the area. If people know the cameras are there, they will be less likely to bring in friends. The purpose is also to provide protection to the County in the event of an incident. The cameras may show if someone was horsing around or using equipment improperly.
Harney said they need to decide who will be in charge of the area because repairs and equipment upgrades will be needed at some point. He thinks it should fall under the Wellness Committee. Neuzil agreed and said they previously discussed whether or not a portion of parking fees would be used towards those things. He agrees with Harney that someone needs to have oversight and said he assumes Kempf does not want to have it. Kempf said no. He assumed the Physical Plant would be responsible for the cleaning and maintenance of the area, but he thinks the programs and policies fall under the wellness component. He thinks there should be someone who performs routine inspections of the equipment and ensures they are in good working order.
Sullivan asked if two pieces of the equipment are owned by Ambulance and if the rest are owned by the Sheriff’s Office. Harney said they obtained the equipment through funding and grants, but their staff will not be the only people using them so they will probably not want to be responsible for the repairs. Sullivan said he thinks they should have a discussion with Spenler and Pulkrabek to see if they agree. Stutsman said the equipment was purchased with money from the General Fund, and she considers them County machines. Every County employee should have access to them. Sullivan said he just wants to ensure that everyone involved has the same understanding.
Kempf said he thinks it’s only fair that there be a line item under either Wellness or the Physical Plant for maintenance of those things. Neuzil said that is something that could be brought up during the budget cycle. He said they probably need to involve the Public Health Department in this discussion. Kempf said Health Promotion Coordinator Katie Miller has talked about looking for some grants to purchase additional equipment such as treadmills. Stutsman asked if Johnson is a member of the Wellness Committee. Johnson said yes. Stutsman said he can just discuss these issues with the other members of the Committee and share information regarding the policies that have been discussed by the Board. Harney asked Johnson to determine the Committee’s willingness to assume the responsibilities previously mentioned. Johnson said he doesn’t know if there are any members of the Wellness Committee who are qualified to inspect the machines. Kempf said it would just involve making sure they are not falling apart. People need to know to whom to report a problem involving a piece of equipment. Stutsman agreed and said it should be listed on a sign on the wall. Otherwise, they will call Kempf. Neuzil asked that the Board be updated next month and said the members of Wellness Committee could attend a Board meeting. Johnson said okay. He was thinking the Wellness Committee should possibly host an open house to help inform people of the policies and give them an opportunity to see the completed area. Stutsman and Sullivan said that is a good idea.
Assistant Planner Josh Busard said he is providing Board members with an outline of the Cosgrove Village planning process. He hopes the process will involve only 3 meetings and to have it finished before December 25, 2009. The first meeting will start with a general explanation regarding the planning process. They will break down into small groups to have a visioning process. They will then come together and outline it. The second meeting will involve formulating their vision and putting it down on paper. The third meeting will involve presenting the plan and making any necessary changes. It will then be presented to the Board. Their first meeting is scheduled to take place in the library at The Cosgrove Institute on October 13, 2009 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:30 p.m.
Neuzil asked if there are any members of the Board who would like to attend the meeting. Stutsman said she cannot attend the first meeting, but she would like to attend one of the meetings. Sullivan and Harney said they will attend the first meeting on October 13, 2009. Stutsman said she can probably attend the meeting in November. Harney said he would also attend the November meeting. Stutsman is not sure if she can attend the third meeting in December, but asked Neuzil to put her name down to attend. Sullivan said he would attend the meeting in December. Busard said a van will be available if they would like a ride to the meetings.
Johnson said he put this item on the agenda to get direction regarding the next steps to be taken for obtaining public input on the Sutliff Bridge Project. He said he met with FEMA Public Assistance Coordinator Steve Hopkins and Iowa Homeland Security and Emergency Management Project Specialist Cheri Huber and discussed planning for debris removal. There is a fact sheet prepared by FEMA that they thought would clarify things, but Johnson does not think it provides much clarification. It has some basic facts, but does not say what FEMA will pay. He told them there was confusion regarding whether FEMA will tell the County what to do or if FEMA wants to know what the County wants to do. He said Hopkins told him FEMA’s general procedure is to find out what the applicant would like to happen and then determine whether or not it will work. Johnson said having a public input event was previously discussed, and he would like some direction on that from the Board.
Johnson said Hopkins and Huber also mentioned that there is an opportunity to use the funding for other purposes. Stutsman asked for an example. Johnson said Hopkins mentioned fire trucks. Apparently, there is a lot of discretion. It does not include the entire amount, only 81% of it. Neuzil said because there has been an earmark of $1.4 million, it means the money is allocated for use in Johnson County. If they go that route, they would have to use a portion of the money to remove the Sutliff Bridge, but they would then have additional money to potentially use for other purposes. Neuzil said they were cautioned that there are questions that need to be answered, including whether or not the Sutliff Bridge can be removed.
Neuzil said because the Sutliff Bridge is on the National Historic Registry, it must be proven that the Bridge cannot be replaced. Neuzil said in seeking money to replace the Bridge, you have to first justify that it can be removed. There are some really interesting questions that have to be answered even if the majority of Board members decide to remove the Bridge. Sullivan asked why that is not determined before they approach the County. Neuzil said it is because more than one agency is involved. Stutsman asked about a specific house that was destroyed by a tornado and was on the National Historic Registry. Sullivan said the owner may have had to prove that the house could not be restored. Stutsman said anything can be restored for a price. Sullivan and Neuzil agreed. Neuzil said those are questions that must be answered, but he thinks the Board wants to know what all the options are. He referred to a meeting that took place a couple of weeks ago with all involved entities and asked if the Board of Supervisors can meet with those entities for further discussion. Stutsman said it is frustrating that there have been many meetings, and no one seems to have any answers. Neuzil said they have answers, but the answers seem to change every time they get together.
Sullivan said he thinks it is bizarre that the money can be used for another purpose and asked who the earmark came from. Stutsman asked if U.S. Representative Dave Loebsack sent out the press release. Neuzil said the press release came from the Governor’s Office. Harney agreed. Sullivan said he does not want to ruin relationships with people in the State and Federal Government so he would like to know what they want done. If it doesn’t matter, he would like to know that. Stutsman agreed and said they were responding to constituents who said they want Sutliff Bridge. She said there is clearly an option to use it for other things. Neuzil said those are some questions that need to be answered, and they need to have everyone hear the answers. At the same time, they need to have the group come in with their options for the Bridge.
Sullivan said it has never been clear to him whether or not doing nothing with the Bridge is an option. When he says nothing, it does not really mean nothing because it would have to be secured on the west to prevent people from climbing on it. Neuzil said it sounded like some people were not interested in having part of a bridge sitting there. County Engineer Greg Parker said one of the problems explained by VJ Engineering is that the pier is designed to handle a concentric load. Sullivan asked if the Bridge will fall down. Parker said the engineers have stated that it shouldn’t be left like it is, and they should either brace the pier or design it so it can handle that type of load. What is happening now is that all of the weight is on one side of the pier, and it is on wood piles. It needs to be concentrically loaded. Parker said it was a discussion item at the last meeting, and it was a concern of the structural engineers.
Sullivan asked if the options are to either fix or remove the Bridge. Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak said he thinks they also said that the scouring could be improved and paid for with FEMA money. He asked whether or not the scouring is the issue. Parker said the pier is currently sitting on exposed timber piles. Another load has been put on the timber piles, which were not designed to handle that type of a load. They are designed to handle a down pressure load, not a tilting load. The exposed piles need to be protected; however, there will still be a twisting moment, which is not good for them. Harney said VJ Engineering told them at the meeting that they need support to hold them straight up and down, despite sitting on rock. Parker said the piles can be protected, but there would still be a one-sided load. That is something VJ Engineering would have to take a closer look at it. Sullivan said everything would probably need to be taken completely down out of the water.
Dvorak mentioned the possibility of using the money to build some type of new bridge to the existing bridge and not allowing people to walk across the old portion of the bridge. Neuzil said they tried to do that. Dvorak said they would probably not get support for the money to build the first part of the bridge. Sullivan it sounds like it is all or nothing. Johnson said he was told by the FEMA representatives yesterday that talking about alternate plans is a possibility, although SHIPO does not like it. The information is in the fact sheet, which Johnson will distribute to the Board Members. He said it is not specific to this issue, but includes possibilities. One of the things mentioned was using a portion of the funds for an overlook and using the other portion for something else. Harney asked what is meant by something else. Stutsman said a fire truck or something. Harney said so it’s nothing to do with the Bridge. Johnson agreed. Sullivan said there would still be a portion of the bridge out there that would collapse at some point. Johnson said a portion of the money might have to be used for stabilization or demolition. Sullivan said it doesn’t do much good to have an overlook if it is not overlooking anything. Neuzil said they have a deck out there already.
Neuzil said there are a lot of questions, and he would ideally like FEMA to publicly come before the Board of Supervisors so they can ask these questions and get the answers on record. Neuzil said he was told that this needs to be resolved in the next couple of weeks because they will need to continue to move forward with the process and apply for an extension before the November deadline. However, he said Johnson heard differently. Johnson said he was told by Huber that as long as they are working on making progress, the timeline is okay. Neuzil said VJ Engineering wants some answers, and they said they need just a couple of weeks to put some pictures together to show different options. Neuzil asked if they can get a couple of potential dates written down to hold a 6:00 p.m. meeting. Sullivan said they would probably need to schedule around them. Neuzil said it didn’t sound like that was much of an issue beyond two weeks. Johnson said his experience from several previous meetings it that a date is set and 15 people from 5 different agencies are there.
Harney asked about the length of one section of the Bridge. Parker replied that each span is just over 200 feet. They just don’t have those around anymore. Neuzil said there are a lot of things to think about if they do move forward, including where to come up with the extra dollars. He said they have to ensure they will be given time to raise money if they do decide to move forward. Parker said the $1.5 million was not a cap; it was just a dollar amount that was established. If the project they decide to go forward with is more than the allotted dollar amount, it could be expanded to cover those expenses.
Sullivan asked if Neuzil wants them to set a date now for the meeting. Neuzil said yes. Stutsman asked if the meeting is to meet with FEMA Officials to answer all of these questions. Neuzil said he assumes it would be a public hearing and work session with FEMA. Stutsman asked if they will have all the plans laid around the room to be reviewed. Johnson said that would be a possibility for part of the meeting, but VJ Engineering was talking about having an informal meeting to speak to them one on one. He said he thinks the Board is talking about having a question and answer session with FEMA. It sounds like two different events.
Sullivan said he agrees with Stutsman that he would like them to be present at the meeting while they discuss questions that may not have anything to do with design. They don’t even know if they are talking about a design. Harney said he agrees there should be a meeting similar to those held regarding road construction, during which people can walk around the room and speak one on one with representatives from VJ Engineering. Stutsman said she thinks there needs to be two meetings, and they have to get their act together before having that type of meeting. Sullivan agreed. Johnson said they could have an hour to view designs and then go directly into the work session. Stutsman said they may find something out in the work session, and people will argue that they thought they were all going to agree on a particular design. Neuzil said they would not be agreeing on any design but just looking at what the design options are. Sullivan said he thinks they need to have some of these questions answered before that. For example, the question of who gave them the earmark and what that person’s intentions are. He wants to know that. Harney mentioned finding out what strings are attached to the money. Sullivan agreed. He said another question is whether or not the bridge can just be left alone, although it sounds like the answer is a definitive no.
Parker said that question should be posed to the constructional engineer that has been hired. Stutsman said she thought Parker said the Bridge could be left alone, and they could possible use some FEMA dollars to shore it up. Parker said that is something they would have to take a look at it because the current concern is that there is stress on one side of the bridge that was not designed to handle it. Neuzil said they won’t allow there to be just two pieces up there because it takes away from the functionality of the Bridge. Sullivan said it would make sense to have those questions answered before they have a lot of plans. Otherwise, people will say they like a specific plan, and a meeting will subsequently be held during which they are told they cannot do that plan. The Board would then look stupid.
Neuzil said they could have a work session with the five, different federal state agencies, and it could be held during the day. Then they can hold a public hearing on what options VJ Engineering has laid out. Parker said some questions answered during the FEMA Meeting may resolve some of the issues, and some options may then need to be thrown out. The Board decided to plan to have the work session regarding Sutliff Bridge on October 8, 2009 at 9:00 a.m. They plan to have the Public Information Meeting on October 19, 2009 at 6:00 p.m. Parker said they will want to check to see if V.J. Engineering will be able to attend both of the meetings. Harney asked if there is a deadline. Stutsman said they will ask. Neuzil said they have been getting a mixed message regarding whether or not there is a deadline. He said the October 19, 2009 meeting would involve having drawings laid out, followed by a formal public hearing to hear comments from the public regarding their preferences. Parker told Johnson that VJ Engineering would assist in setting up and will take care of all of the aerials, photos, and designs. Johnson asked if they want to have someone from Loebsack’s Office at the meeting on October 8, 2009. Stutsman said that would be good. Neuzil agreed and said the Governor’s Office could also be invited. Harney said to be sure they have an idea what the Board’s questions are.
County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said it sounds like things are moving along with the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC), and they have a Policy Board Meeting on September 25, 2009. However, he said he was informed by Emergency Management Coordinator Dave Wilson that it sounds like the timeline for the opening of the JECC may be moved back significantly. Pulkrabek said he only heard the information second-hand, but it sounds like there may not be a move to the JECC until January 2011. The move had previously been pushed back to August 2010.
Pulkrabek said he cannot tell the Board the reason for certain; however, it is being blamed on an increased number of green field sites from the initial proposal. When they put the bid together, they said they thought they could co-locate on several towers that are already up. However, additional green field sites were developed due to the opinion that it is better to own than rent. Pulkrabek said he is literally in the middle of budgeting, and he thought he should get some feedback from the Board regarding how to budget for dispatchers. They had previously discussed budgeting for dispatchers for two to three months, but now it sounds like it will need to be for at least 6 to 7 months. Pulkrabek said he thinks it may be best to budget for the full year as a precautionary measure due to the way things have been going. There would be an understanding that any additional money would be vacated from the Sheriff’s budget and returned to the General Fund when the dispatchers move over to the JECC. Pulkrabek said the JECC Building is done, and it is just the radio infrastructure that is causing the delay.
Harney said he is surprised because JECC Executive Director Mike Sullivan told him this morning that the opening is still on target for July 2010. However, M. Sullivan was hospitalized for a period of time so he may have missed something. Harney said they will be discussing the contracts with Qwest and Raycom September 25, 2009, and he knows there are some issues there. Stutsman said she thinks Pulkrabek should budget for the full year due to having no definitive date for the move. The unused money can always be used to pay down bonds. She told Pulkrabek to assume the money will not be part of his budget if it is not needed. Pulkrabek agreed that it is easier to budget for the whole year than to budget for five to six months and then have the dispatchers remain there for nine months. He said he would not even know the process for dealing with that situation. Stutsman said it would involve a huge budget amendment.
Neuzil said the disadvantage of the situation concerns the amount JECC is going to budget for. Harney said JECC will budget for the same amount they did last year. Neuzil said JECC will have $900,000 extra dollars sitting in the bank. He would like to see them use that money to pay down the debt rather than leave it sitting in the bank. Pulkrabek said he was not present at the meeting yesterday, but he understands that there are two options based on what he has been told. One option is for the dispatchers to move out to JECC sooner but operate on the old, existing, separate radio systems. The other option is to hold off on dispatchers moving out there until they are on the new system. Sullivan asked what the point of moving them early would be. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said he is uncomfortable with the question of when the dispatchers become employees of JECC versus being employees of their current employers. There is now a lot of money sitting in a pot with JECC, and he would like to know what the City of Iowa City is doing. There would be an incentive for the City to get rid of their own employees as soon as possible so they do not have to fund them within their own budget. Stutsman said they have taxed for the money to pay for them. Neuzil said they are already spending it on something else.
Neuzil said it would be nice to have an actual timeline from JECC. Harney asked in which committee meeting these statements regarding the JECC were made. Pulkrabek said the Users Advisory Committee Meeting. Neuzil said it makes sense to him to have everything begin at once, rather than have employees working in the new center under the old system. A question is who would have authority over them. Pulkrabek said there are some things he would have to do to allow them the authority to operate under the County’s FCC licenses. They are minor things, but it involves jumping through more hoops. Neuzil said he is very concerned about taxing for JECC in the General Supplemental Fund for employees, while the money is not being used and is sitting in the bank. Neuzil asked why they would tax for that if it is not going to be used. Harney said they need to find out more information about the situation before they get too deep into discussions. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said he would like the JECC group to be asked when they start funding for JECC employees and when they start funding for employees from the County and the City. There is no reason why they should be funding for both and taxing for both.
Sullivan said it is important to understand what the City of Iowa City’s plans are because he thinks it will impact what the County does. Pulkrabek said he had an understanding last year that the City was budgeting for the full year, and he later had to come back to the Board and tell them that he wasn’t sure that they are. Harney said he has some concerns about these issues being discussed at the Users Advisory Committee Meeting without them having been brought to the JECC Policy Board. They are advising on the use of the equipment and what they need, not on the operation and setup of the system. Pulkrabek said the reason it came up is that the Committee is talking about the operation of the system, and the system providers are saying that the system is not going to be ready. Neuzil said it’s fine if it takes longer, but he does not want to fund employees out of JECC if it is not going to be used. He wants them to ask for less money then. He asked why JECC would need another year of funding when the County has taxed for employees for an entire year already. Pulkrabek said he would suggest using the extra money that was taxed for to fund employee salaries to pay down debt. Stutsman and Neuzil agreed. Neuzil said he just doesn’t want it sitting around.
Sullivan asked if there is a possibility of getting something that states how much was taxed for, what it was intended to be used for, how much was spent, how much is left, how much was taxed for the next year, what it was intended to be used for, how much was spent, and how much is left. Neuzil said what Sullivan wants is a JECC budget. Stutsman said Sullivan wants a cash flow sheet. Neuzil and Sullivan agreed. Neuzil said it seems fair and if the data has changed from what was intended, their budget should be adjusted. He does not think it is an unreasonable thing to ask for. Stutsman agreed and said she thinks 3 or 4 Board members want that information. Harney said it is basically their budget, and it is public information. Stutsman said she wants their actual budget rather than their proposed budget. Harney said it should be public information, and should not be any less accessible to the Board than to a citizen who requests it. Neuzil said Pulkrabek now has direction that the whole amount will be taxed for dispatchers in FY11.
Johnson said Secretary II Jo Hogarty put this on the agenda to set the date for Employee Recognition. Neuzil said it would be nice if department heads and elected officials recognized that employees should attend for an hour to receive the plaque in person. It is a really nice event. Stutsman said a lot of people come to the event. Neuzil said they had a stack of no-shows last year, and it is frustrating. Pulkrabek said he does not know how to make the event seem more attractive. Neuzil said they provided a free lunch, and asked if they are going to do that again this year. Stutsman said she thinks they should. Neuzil said the free lunch was just for those they were honoring. Johnson said he doesn’t know anything about it and would like to be told what to do. Stutsman said it included sub sandwiches, chips, and cookies. Johnson asked if lunch was just for the honorees. Neuzil said it was basically for the honorees, although they had other people eating as well. Pulkrabek asked how they would make it clear that the lunch is just for the honorees. Sullivan said he doesn’t think it was. People who came to support the honorees also ate, and it wasn’t a big deal. Pulkrabek asked if it would be better to word the announcement for the event in a way that encourages County employees to come down and enjoy lunch. Neuzil said whatever they have done in the past seemed to work. Stutsman said she thinks the wording should state that these people are being honored for special recognition and to come and have lunch.
Neuzil said they have the date set, and Johnson can work with Hogarty on it. It seems like the protocol is the same, although he wasn’t sure whether or not they took the funding out last year. Sullivan told Johnson that a good piece of advice is to ask department heads and elected officials how to pronounce any tricky names. The last thing he would want to do is mispronounce the name of someone who has worked for the County for 25 years. Neuzil agreed. Pulkrabek mentioned making sure names are spelled correctly too. Sullivan said he assumes that Human Resources will take care of that. He told Johnson to let Small know about the event. Stutsman said a press release will go out with the names included. Johnson said okay.
Johnson said he provided Board members with a list of legislative priorities that people have contacted him with. He has not heard any more from Linn County regarding a Joint Meeting. He sent an email yesterday asking if they had made any progress on that. Neuzil said there is an additional priority that Wilson covered in one of the newspapers recently. It is regarding the E911 funding source with cell phones, and it sounds like a significant short fall of dollars due to the decline in use of land line telephones. The State pretty much has control of cell phones, and there is some discussion that there is a chance to get in on cell phones due to the revenue source on land lines decreasing. Harney said the State gives some, but they keep a majority of it. Neuzil agreed, and said 911 services are being used more and more by cell phones than by land line phones. He told Johnson to talk to Wilson about it.
Neuzil referred to the priority listed by Harney. He said there is a push regarding the idea that courthouse renovations fall as an essential County purpose. It is a piece of legislation that didn’t quite get passed last time. It involves a small amount of money, but it is in the $5,000 to $10,000 range for improvements. Due to the aging of courthouses across the state and security issues, there is some question from the court system as to whether or not it should be an essential County purpose, which would involve General Supplemental Fund use. It may be something for everyone to keep in mind. Neuzil said the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) is working right now to discuss the records retention policy of ISAC, which hasn’t been updated since 1987. County Recorder Kim Painter and Neuzil will be involved in that. They will see if they can update some of the Iowa codes to allow more flexibility for the scanning of documents rather than having to hold onto them.
Johnson asked if the Board would like to have a work session or use part of a Key Issues Meeting in October or November to set priorities. Neuzil said it seems like they should put the word out to department heads and elected officials one more time, and then prioritize the list at the next Key Issues Meeting. Sullivan said he thinks they almost have to be prioritized by the next Key Issues Meeting. Neuzil said in the past they identified four or five major issues of the Board, and then each Board member basically put together a position paper.
Stutsman said she would be interested in really focusing on those that have an impact on Johnson County. She referred to #5 and #7 on the list. Sullivan asked if she is referring to items where Johnson County is unique. Stutsman agreed and said that needs to be a focus. She said #3 is too big and doesn’t think they could have any impact on it at all. Sullivan agreed and said it involves ISAC. Neuzil said he thinks they are right, and #5 probably needs to state that they continue to fund the unfunded mandate.
Neuzil said there is an upcoming Elected Officials Meeting. Johnson said it will be in October. Neuzil asked if there is an upcoming Department Heads Meeting. He said they can at least solicit suggestions from department heads. Sullivan said they have put it out to department heads a couple of times already. Neuzil said they are due October 20, 2009. Sullivan said he thinks it makes sense to go through them at the next Key Issues Meeting because it will take about a month to flesh them out, word them properly, and put them into a nice format. It will then be the end of November, and they will have to have them in hand for the legislators. Neuzil said he thinks the issues from Wilson and County Assessor Bill Greazel are ones they can handle themselves. He thinks the Board should collectively identify four top issues, and each Board member should be responsible to make a presentation for one of them. He said they may not even have four.
Johnson asked if he should send a list of identified items out to department heads and elected officials and ask them if there is anything they would like to add before the next Key Issues Meeting. Stutsman and Neuzil said yes. Neuzil said to make sure they are on the agenda. Harney asked what they are looking at on this. Neuzil said they are still compiling the list. The question they also have to ask is if there is a time set for when they are going to meet with the legislators. He knows Johnson has been working on that with Linn County. Johnson said he has not heard back on that, but he sent Linn County an email about it yesterday.
Sullivan said he would like to take a minute to talk about specificity regarding some of the listed items. He said #1 on the list is incredibly frustrating to individuals on the Trails Committee. Polk County’s legislators are taking about half of the money that is out there for Trails each year. Sullivan said Iowa State Senator Joe Bolkcom talked to Iowa State Senator Matt McCoy and asked if it was going to be done again this year. Senator McCoy said yes, and he is going to do it every year. Sullivan said it is clearly a broken system. Stutsman asked if it is a legislative or administrative issue. Harney asked if the State makes that appropriation, although it comes from the Federal Government. Sullivan said no. It is the State money, but the senators overseeing the Department of Transportation are the ones who say how the money will be spent. The Department Director does what they are told to do. Harney agreed. Neuzil said they made it an eye opener with the legislators a couple of years ago, but yet nothing has been done. Sullivan said he understands if they think that is the wrong way to do it, and they don’t want to do it that way. However, they should confront their colleagues about it. Neuzil said they have too many powerful Iowa legislators from this community to allow this to happen.
Johnson said he will revise the list, send it out, and have a final list for the next Key Issues Meeting. They should know the date of the meeting with the legislators by that time. He will speak to someone from Linn County, see what dates they are looking at, and then clear those dates with the Board. Neuzil said okay.
Neuzil said there was a previous discussion about trying to set up a separate meeting with local federal legislative staff, including the staffs of Loebsack, U.S. Senator Tom Harkin, and U.S. Senator Charles Grassley. Sullivan said they had a meeting with them last year, and asked if Neuzil remembers when it was held. Neuzil said no. Sullivan said the meeting may have been early this year. Neuzil said he is thinking it was during the winter of last year. Sullivan said the idea is that significant time and money is spent to go to Washington D.C. when there are people here they can communicate with more frequently. It seemed like a pretty positive meeting and was a good reminder for both sides that they should be talking. Sullivan said he would not mind repeating the meeting. Neuzil said he is okay with that and thinks they spent an hour with them last time.
Johnson asked what date they would like to consider having the meeting. Sullivan said maybe after they have completed the budget. Neuzil asked if they would want to meet with them before or after they go to Washington D.C., and he suggested meeting before then. Stutsman agreed and said maybe they should meet in January. Sullivan agreed. He said another thing to consider is whether or not they should do something similar relating to Federal issues. Neuzil said they will at least have a preview of the Chamber agenda. Johnson asked if it makes sense to have Linn County attend the meeting. Sullivan said he doesn’t think so because he thought it was nice to have the focus on Johnson County. Johnson asked if he should set a date with the Board or obtain a couple of potential dates for the Board to choose from. Stutsman said she thinks the Board members’ dates maybe the ones to work around because it seems like the other individuals’ schedules are pretty flexible. Neuzil said Johnson can find a date in January and just go with it. Sullivan said he thinks they previously met with them during the afternoon or early evening, but it could potentially be in the middle of the day. Harney said it depends whether or not they are on break. Neuzil said the actual legislators could also be invited. Loebsack might be around town. Harney said some of them may show up if they try to schedule it during a time that they have a break. Sullivan said they are sometimes more busy when they have a break. Neuzil said they might want to take advantage of it though. Sullivan said he is thinking there may be a better chance of getting Loebsack to attend. The Senators may have their staffs pulled away, and they may not be able to make it. The Board may have to weigh that.
Neuzil said he received an email indicating that the Board should submit issues by December 1, 2009. He thinks it would be nice to have Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce Vice President and Director of Public Policy Rebecca Neades either attend a general or Key Issues Meeting to inform the Board of the expectations from their end and to educate them about the process. The Board could also let her know their expectations. He is just throwing it out there as an idea. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said it could be either a Key Issues Meeting or an Informal Meeting. The Board also has to sort out whether they want to send one or two people on the trip. They budgeted for about three quarters of the cost of two people to attend. Stutsman suggested Neades attend a Key Issues Meeting because it is a little more informal. Neuzil agreed and asked if she should attend the October meeting. He said they should start thinking about whether or not there are other issues the Board has, such as the train. Sullivan said it would not hurt to have Neades hear their discussion regarding the State issues because she is there a lot. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil told Johnson to see if Neades will come in around the end of October. Johnson said okay.
Neuzil said this involves the issue of having about 10 different line items out there between block grants or other accounts that do not have oversight. The question is whether or not they want the Economic Development Committee to become that agent. Reviewing the list, there are about 9 in block grants. He had a chance to meet with Social Services Coordinator Amy Correia to see if a couple of these are ones she would want her department to have oversight on. Otherwise, they could be handled by the Economic Development Committee, which could also be called Quality of Life. He thinks the Economic Development Committee is going to get even busier if they start adding some of their strategic planning strategies, such as the Local Foods Initiative.
Neuzil said Correia has gotten a mixed message regarding whether or not she is supposed to have the Senior Center. She currently does not have that authority in her funding mechanism. He thinks it is partly because she has felt a little uncomfortable due to her other role as an Iowa City City Council Member. However, she is interested in having it under Social Services. Sullivan suggested postponing the discussion until January when she will no longer be a City Council Member. Stutsman asked whether or not they take office right away. Neuzil said the new Council Member would take office as of January 1, 2010. Stutsman said she was thinking the School Board starts later. Neuzil said Correia justifiably went through a list of reasons why she thinks the Senior Center programming would fall more under Social Services than under Economic Development/Quality of Life, and he tends to agree. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said that is one that could potentially be assigned over to Social Services.
The next one on the list is the block grant for Workforce Development. That is the Kirkwood program. Correia feels that is not a program that would be appropriate to be under Social Services. Stutsman said it seems like that would fall under Economic Development. Neuzil said it would go under the Economic Development/Quality of Life block grant. The Tourism Association seems like it would be under Economic Development. Block grants for the Johnson County Housing Trust are something that Correia currently has oversight for, and it will likely stay there. There are two Iowa City Area Development Group (ICAD) funds. There is a $20,000 commitment, and he believes that one is done after next year. It would be funded one more time in FY11, and it would be under Economic Development. Then, there would be extra money for FY12 that the Economic Development Committee could use to start working with for some of the County’s strategic planning projects. The Rural Enterprise Fund Grant is the fund that the Board of Supervisors created and put into a special rural economic development fund rather than giving money to Sand Lake. They will be talking about that on the agenda later today. That is $5,000 that is kind of sitting out there for the Economic Development Committee. Stutsman asked if that is for all CAT funds. Neuzil said they pretty much said it is their slush fund in case one of those comes up. They seem to consistently get one of those each year, but he hasn’t heard of anything new. Now it sounds like the Sand Lake Project, which has been renamed the Terry Trueblood Project, is not going to happen for a couple more years. Harney asked if they are still committed to those dollars for a couple of years. Neuzil said yes, and he said there is still an issue involving the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts that they need to ask Claiborne about. The Board does not have them funded, but there is any issue regarding whether or not they were funded at all last year. However, the Economic Development Committee could be doing that. Stutsman asked if it was CAT funding. Neuzil said yes, but it is not funded according to this list. It needs to be clarified, although he and Sullivan attended a ceremony the other day, and they didn’t even recognize that they were there. Stutsman said not funding something is the way to get people’s attention. Sullivan said it seemed to him that part of the reason for doing this was to put all of the CAT Grants under Economic Development/Quality of Life. Stutsman agreed.
Neuzil said he wants to make everyone aware that there is only one out there right now; the others have been paid off. Stutsman asked which one remains. Neuzil said it is the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts. Sullivan said there had been two in North Liberty. Neuzil said those are paid off. Stutsman mentioned the Coralville Pool. Neuzil said it was the library, and it is paid off. Neuzil said there were two in North Liberty, two in Coralville, and the Englert, and all are paid off except for the one in Coralville. Neuzil restated that they need to clarify the status of the Coralville Center for the Performing Arts CAT grant with Claiborne. He received a mixed message because he heard one time that it was completely paid off, and that may be why it is showing as zero. They need to get that figured out because it could otherwise become part of the Enterprise Grant commitment.
Neuzil said the Historical Society was another questionable item. It seems to him it would fall under Economic Development. It is hard to put it under the programming of Social Services. Stutsman asked how much it is for. Neuzil said there are two commitments. One is their regular funding of $48,300, and the other is part of their Historical Society Capital Campaign that goes through 2013, which is $20,000. Stutsman asked if he means $20,000 per year. Neuzil said yes. It is a $100,000 commitment over five years.
Sullivan asked for the length of the commitment on ICAD. Neuzil responded that it ends at FY11. Harney said he thinks they will come back to ask for more money. Stutsman said she thinks that was also $100,000. Sullivan agreed. Neuzil said they are coming up on $80,000 of the $100,000 commitment.
Neuzil said there are also some new ones coming for the Economic Development Group that they have been lobbied on. They are the Entrepreneurial Development Center (EDC) and the Iowa City/Coralville Area Convention and Visitors Bureau (ICCCVB). Sullivan said the ICCCVB isn’t so much looking for a yearly commitment of money, although he is sure they would take one. What they are really saying is that Board Members should pay the membership fee to be members of that group. Johnson said the membership fee is $250/year. Stutsman asked if it is also just a membership fee for the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association. Neuzil agreed and said their membership fee is $500.
Neuzil said he wants to make the Board aware that Correia was funded with a $12,000 flex account, which involves additional dollars that are sitting out there for things that come up. Stutsman asked if Correia takes care of that. Neuzil said yes. There is also a Aging Specialist for the Johnson County Liveable Community for Successful Aging, which is now down to $6,500. Stutsman asked if that falls under Correia. Neuzil said yes.
Neuzil said additional questions include whether or not the Economic Development Committee would handle the Iowa City Area Chamber of Commerce dues and the funding allocated for the Community Leadership Program (CLP). He asked if employees would apply to that Committee, and the Committee would then recommend a process. Sullivan said he thinks it makes sense for the Chamber Membership. Stutsman agreed, but she does not think the CLP falls under Economic Development. Harney agreed. Neuzil asked if it that would continue to fall under the Board of Supervisors. He said it has worked okay so far, but the process is for departments to send their employees to have them fill it out. Stutsman said she thinks maybe it should be under Human Resources. Neuzil said it could also be under the Communications Committee. Sullivan said he is thinking about it in a different way. If they spent a $100,000 on eight things last year, the Committee could meet and decide if they want to spend $5,000 more or $5,000 less, for example. The budget is there, but they could weigh that class against some of these other things. Stutsman said she does not see that class as involving economic development at all. Sullivan said she could be right, and it may not belong there. Stutsman said it seems like it is more focused on staff development.
Neuzil said they have been lucky so far because they fund two individuals out of Central Services for the Chamber of Commerce Leadership Program. Fortunately, the Chamber has only been picking one or two. Stutsman said she thinks only one person has applied. Neuzil said there are two County people pretty much every time, and there are two people this time. Johnson asked if the issue is that there is not much of a process for it. Neuzil agreed and said he is afraid the Chamber will choose three people some time when there is only funding for two people. Stutsman said she thinks the Chamber does it on their own. Neuzil said he hopes so. Sullivan asked if $1,500 is funded per person. Neuzil said he thinks $800 is funded per person. He doesn’t know if a department has it or not, but someone has to have oversight. It would be fine if it is the Board of Supervisor’s Office. Sullivan agreed with Stutsman that it might make sense to have Human Resources make a recommendation based on the individual’s job duties and their amount of interaction with the public. Stutsman said Human Resources would know who is interested in participating in those kinds of things, and she thinks the individual’s commitment is the important thing.
Neuzil said there has been some talk about having the entire Board take the class, but they would each have to commit one Friday per month for six months. Sullivan said he does not think he can commit to it right now. Johnson said there are entities that nominate individuals each year. Neuzil said it seems like there should be a process for Johnson County too. It’s fine if it’s Human Resources rather than the Economic Development Committee. Sullivan asked if the Board should decide to ask Shramek to do it. Neuzil and Stutsman said yes.
Neuzil said if some of the other items are moved under Economic Development/Quality of Life, the Committee will need to meet and basically submit their budget. Johnson asked if they know who members of that Committee are. Neuzil said that is the next question. Sullivan asked if Neuzil had covered all of the items on the list. Neuzil said yes. Neuzil said there is also a question regarding the County Fair. He said Correia did not have an interest in overseeing it. She said it would involve some programming that involves children, but there is a general sense that a lot of the money is used to have a free fair. Neuzil said Correia said that if the money goes to kids, it should really go to kids. She would need to know what the dollars are being used towards. He said he thinks Correia’s approach is to determine how many dollars should go to senior services, how many dollars should go to children, etc. The Economic Development Committee probably needs to take the same type of approach and determine how many dollars should be put towards quality of life versus economic development. Neuzil said the fair seems like a quality of life issue. Harney said he thinks it should be under the Fair Board. Neuzil said the idea is for organizations to go through a process rather than coming directly before the Board to ask for money because the Board has difficulty saying no. Sullivan said there is also no consistency in terms of reporting. He said the Board should at least receive a biannual report. Stutsman said they could also receive minutes. Sullivan agreed.
Stutsman asked if the Solon Water Conservation District is considered in this list. Neuzil said that item currently falls under Planning and Zoning. Sullivan said the question may be whether or not it should just be part of the Planning and Zoning budget. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said another item on the list is rural libraries. Neuzil said there is no reason right now to have oversight for rural libraries because the County is currently in a contract. However, he does think there is some interest in reexamining that. Sullivan said it might make sense for the Quality of Life Committee to do the reexamining if it is going to be done. Neuzil said Correia did have one funding mechanism under the Rural Fund, and he thinks it had to do with some after school programming at Breckenridge. He thinks it makes sense for the Economic Development/Quality of Life Committee to have oversight over both the fair and the libraries. Stutsman and Sullivan agreed that it would involve quality of life.
Johnson asked who the members of the Economic Development Committee are. Neuzil said the Committee previously included himself, Harney, Dvorak, former Assistant Planner Dan Swartzendruber, ICAD President Joe Raso, ICCCVB President Josh Schamberger, former Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan, and former Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne. Then, Stutsman replaced him this last year. Stutsman said she thinks the focus of the Committee has changed slightly. She does not think there would be a role for Raso on the Committee any longer. In the past, they were trying to develop some guidelines for economic development tax suspensions, and he played a role in that. Neuzil said Raso could be a resource. Stutsman agreed and said Committee membership would not be a good use of his time.
Neuzil said the idea for the Committee is to add up the amounts for all of the items. It may equal $400,000, for example. He would want the Economic Development Committee to make recommendations regarding how the $400,000 should be spent. That is what Correia is asked to do. Johnson said it sounds like it is more of an internal committee. Stutsman agreed but said there may be a point where they ask for ideas on upcoming projects. Neuzil agreed and said they have identified rural economic development as one of their top four priorities through their strategic planning. At this point they are still on hold in terms of funding, but it would be nice for the Economic Development Committee to identify potential projects after some current commitments end. He said he could see arts funding and CAT funding falling under the Committee too.
Johnson said it sounds like it should be an internal committee and asked the Board members to think about who they would like to have on the Committee. Neuzil restated the previous members of the Committee. Johnson asked if it would now include himself, Claiborne, Stutsman, and Harney. Sullivan said it would also include Busard or whoever Dvorak thinks is appropriate. Neuzil said it would be nice if the Committee would meet.
Stutsman said she thinks Local Foods is going to be a big thing, and the County will be asked for money. Neuzil said he thinks there will be a lot more of these kinds of things happening. Stutsman said it brings up the question of the role of government. It seems like government is the logical choice for a large part of the funding for many of these initiatives, and that is different from how it used to be. She said on the one hand, they want to be involved, but on the other hand, it is a lot of money going to groups that are basically private.
Johnson said he would talk to Busard regarding the Economic Development Committee. Sullivan said Johnson may want to talk to Dvorak instead because the person in a specific position served on the Committee in the past, doesn’t mean that Dvorak would not want to assign himself or someone else this time. Neuzil said they do want to have someone with some expertise on industrial revenue bonding mechanisms, however. Stutsman agreed. Neuzil said he does not know who that currently is within Planning and Zoning. Johnson said okay.
Johnson said funding for a brochure of historic sites in Johnson County is also on the agenda for the Informal Board Meeting scheduled for September 24, 2009. He said Johnson County Historical Society President Shaner Magalhaes gave him a tri-fold, glossy brochure of the historic sites in Linn County. Magalhaes is interested in applying for a grant from the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association for funds to create a brochure that would include all of the historic sites in Johnson County. Johnson County is a member of the Eastern Iowa Tourism Association and can apply for the grant. It would involve a 1:1 match, and Shaner thought a total of $2,000 would be needed. Johnson said after discussing funding possibilities with people, it seemed like the money for Rural Economic Development would be a possibility.
Neuzil asked how much money is being requested. Johnson replied $1,000. It would be a joint brochure for the County and the Historical Society. The County could put it on their website. Magalhaes is interested in the project and willing to create the brochure if the County will provide the matching funds. Since the Economic Development Committee has not met to talk about it, Johnson thought he would bring it up at this meeting. He thinks the application is due October 2, 2009. Neuzil asked if any other entity would be contributing and if they are basically just applying for a grant to match the funding. Stutsman asked why the money cannot be taken out of the $48,000 or more dollars they are already giving to the Historical Society. Johnson said Magalhaes told him they do not have the money for it.
Neuzil said this is just an extra project if the County wants to have the brochure available. Johnson agreed and said the brochures would be available at the Convention and Visitors Bureau. Neuzil said it makes sense to him to promote rural economic development in accordance with their strategic plan by providing a brochure regarding things people can do outside of Iowa City. Sullivan agreed but said Stutsman also has a good point. He said the County is contributing $20,000 annually to the campaign in addition to the $48,000 mentioned by Stutsman. He is concerned that the Historical Society will always come to the County when they need money. Stutsman said she thinks it has become a pattern. Sullivan asked if the University is going to contribute any money since the Old Capital will be in the brochure. Sullivan said maybe there should be three Iowa City sites, three Coralville sites, and three rural sites, and each entity pay a third of the cost. Neuzil said it is specifically a Johnson County brochure in this case. Sullivan said it is a small amount of money and he is supportive of the project, but he thinks it is important for the Historical Society to understand why the Board is concerned.
Neuzil said it comes back to the fact that the Historical Society always gets about $50,000 because they come before the Board and say they need what was given the previous year. It is also because they do great things. However, it would be great if the Historical Society had to provide a report to a Committee or group identifying how the money is being used. Neuzil said he wants Correia to do the same thing for every one of the items she oversees. Stutsman said she already does. Neuzil said not quite, but it is getting closer to that. He is hopeful that eventually the process will involve the Board identifying goals to be accomplished and the entities accomplishing them competitively with the dollars allocated. He said that the Board hands out dollars right now. Sullivan said the Historical Society has talked about having interpretive signage at the Poor Farm for several years now, and he thinks it would be beneficial. Although they have said that they plan on doing that, he would like to know when they plan on doing it and if they will expect the County to provide money again for it.
Neuzil said he is hopeful that the block grant process will change to earmarking specific priorities of the Board rather than specific organizations. Sullivan said so instead of having 20 categories on the block grant list, it would simply state Economic Development/Quality of Life. Neuzil said it would either state that or it would have a specific title, such as Rural Economic Development Initiative. He wants the same thing for items that fall under Social Services. He is just saying that is a goal for the future, and it is off the topic.
Neuzil said at least for now, there is $48,300 that goes to something nice. Stutsman said there is another $20,000. She asked if the Historical Society cannot come up with a $1,000 themselves when the County is already providing almost $70,000. She said she doesn’t want to belabor the issue, but she would like to send a message to the Historical Society that the County is not always going to be the source of funding for all of their projects. Neuzil said the alternative may be that the projects are not done, and he thinks that’s what would happen with this particular project. Stutsman asked if the City of Iowa City, the City of Coralville, or the City of Lone Tree have been asked for funding. Neuzil said he doesn’t know. Stutsman said she doesn’t know either, but she is disappointed that the Historical Society even asked them for the money when she sees what has already been given. She did state that it is not a large amount of money, however. Neuzil said it is a fair question to ask, and it is a fair question to ask for any one of the items on the block grant list. Sullivan said it would be nice to have Magalhaes lay out what funding is being used for. Neuzil said the Economic Development Committee should be the catalyst for oversight.
Johnson restated that this item is on the Informal Meeting agenda for September 24, 2009, but he doesn’t know that Magalhaes will necessarily be present. Johnson said he will have the sample brochure available. Neuzil told Johnson said that he would like him to ensure that the Rural Enterprise Fund Grant is not being used for either the Coralville Performing Arts Center CAT grant or for the food initiative advertisements. If not, there is money there. He just wants to make sure the money is not already spent on other things. Johnson asked if Claiborne would be the person who would know the answer to that question. Neuzil said yes and that it is a lot easier to come up with $1,000 if there is $5,000 available rather than if it would involve a new allocation.
Neuzil said the Board will have to lay out the process for appointing a Vice-Chairperson for the Board of Supervisors due to the passing of Supervisor Meyers. There will also be some committee work that Board members assist with until an appointment is made. Neuzil said they will probably need to have some discussion next week regarding the process. Johnson asked if the Board would like to have that discussion following the Board meeting scheduled for October 1, 2009. Neuzil said to check with County Attorney Janet Lyness, but he is okay with having the discussion during an Informal Board Meeting if other people are comfortable with that.
Neuzil said they will ideally assign someone to be Vice-Chairperson. Harney asked if it needs to be a formal appointment. Neuzil said they need to check with Lyness because he is not sure if the appointed Supervisor would become the Vice-Chairperson or if the Board can appoint a Vice-Chairperson. Sullivan said he thinks they need to consider having a work session on either September 28 or 29, 2009 with Lyness and possibly County Auditor Tom Slockett in attendance. Stutsman suggested that County Treasurer Tom Kriz also be involved because he is part of the Appointment Committee.
Sullivan said there is a question of what the Code actually says regarding appointments. Neuzil said there is also the question of whether or not the Board can internally appoint someone in replacement of the Vice-Chairperson. Stutsman said the Vice-Chairperson does not go with the election. Harney said he thinks the Board can appoint someone to be Vice-Chairperson. They appointed Meyers, and he is no longer here. Sullivan said he thinks a work session would be very helpful in answering any questions they have. The Board agreed to schedule a work session for September 29, 2009, although the time will be determined after Johnson speaks to Lyness regarding her availability. Sullivan said he thinks they should also check with Slockett. Harney asked why. Sullivan replied there is Code concerning how to replace or not replace someone. Harney said it should include the three elected officials then. Sullivan said his point is that he wants to know what the code states. Neuzil said he wants Slockett present because he is the only elected official of which he is aware that was here when a previous Supervisor passed away. He would have some historical background regarding the process. Harney said he thinks it should come from the Attorney's Office if there is an issue on that. Neuzil asked who would like Slockett to be invited. Sullivan said he does. Stutsman said she would also like Kriz to be invited. Sullivan said he doesn’t mind if Kriz is invited, but he thinks Slockett can add to the discussion regarding the process of what has to occur after someone in office passes away. Sullivan said it seems like it falls under his area of expertise.
Johnson said the three elected officials are planning to meet on September 24, 2009. Neuzil said they can give the Board a report following that meeting. It will be nice to have an update from them, and it would be nice if it was all written out for the Board. Sullivan said only the issue regarding appointment of a Vice-Chairperson would need to be written out. Stutsman said she thinks the issue should be put on the agenda for the Board Meeting scheduled for October 1, 2009. Neuzil said the Board is obviously available if the three elected officials would like to meet with them. It would be nice to find out whether or not the Board has the authority to appoint a Vice-Chairperson by October 1, 2009. There is a School Board Meeting scheduled for the canvass of votes for the School Board Election that he cannot attend. Johnson said there are three Supervisors who are able to attend. Neuzil agreed but said they probably need the entire Board. Johnson said he will let the three elected officials know about the meeting scheduled for September 29, 2009. Neuzil said he thinks Johnson should ask all of them to attend the meeting. Stutsman said that would be if they need to have the meeting at all. Sullivan agreed and said he just wants to know what the Code says. Stutsman agreed. Sullivan said he also wants to know if there are time frames involved. He said that people are going to be asking the Supervisors questions, and he wants to be able to answer the questions. Neuzil said he did read in the Code that there is a 40-day window for the elected officials to either appointment someone or call for a special election. Johnson said he spoke to Lyness on September 22, 2009 and thinks she may be preparing something in writing. It may help them determine whether or not they need the meeting scheduled for September 29, 2009.
Neuzil said he would like to have a moment of silence at the Board Meeting scheduled for September 24, 2004 if it is okay with everyone. It will not be something that is put on the agenda, but he would like to start the meeting with it. Johnson asked if he should send an email to department heads and elected officials to let them know that they will be doing that. Neuzil said he is wondering if the Board should do something to commemorate Meyers. Stutsman said they should check to see what was done after a previous County Supervisor passed away. Johnson said he wondered about putting something on the County website. Neuzil, Sullivan, and Stutsman agreed that is a good idea. Harney said NACo sends out information regarding funeral services when there is a death of a supervisor or elected official. Although there are not going to be any services, it would not be a bad idea to contact them. Sullivan said ISAC did that already. Neuzil suggested inviting Meyers’ son to attend the upcoming Employee Recognition Ceremony. The Board discussed other ways to honor Meyers while respecting his family’s wishes. Neuzil mentioned that there would not be a public funeral service, although there will be visitation at the funeral home. Sullivan mentioned that some of family members may be stopping by on the morning of September 24, 2009 to meet some of his coworkers and see where he worked.
Johnson said the October Conservation Department site visit is scheduled to be held from 11:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m. He said Conservation Department Director Harry Graves is wondering what the Board Members would like to do for lunch. Johnson asked if they want to bring their own lunch or order boxed lunches and whether they would like to eat outside or inside. Neuzil said it seems like they should eat lunch while on the move so the site visit does not run past 2:00 p.m. He would rather it is a working lunch. Stutsman asked if they should order sub sandwiches from Jimmy John’s or a similar business. Neuzil said yes. Johnson said he would obtain a menu for them to order from.
Harney asked if they will be starting at 9:00 a.m. that morning. Stutsman said 11:00 a.m. Neuzil said there will be pre-evaluations for Medical Examiner Administrator Mike Hensch and for Johnson at 9:00 a.m. Neuzil asked if they will be meeting at the Conservation Department at 11:00 a.m. Johnson said SEATS will be providing transportation for them. Neuzil said they could eat on the bus, but he would rather not. Stutsman said they can certainly find a picnic table to eat at when they get there. Johnson said he will get a menu and put it in the office. He asked the Board Members to let them know what they would like to order. Sullivan said Johnson may also want to check with the Auditor’s Office staff person who will be present during the site visit. Neuzil said they will plan to be back from the site visit at 2:00 p.m. There is a CJCC Meeting scheduled for 4:30 p.m. that day. Johnson said he will let Graves know that they want to be done with the site visit and on their way back by 2:00 p.m.
Adjourned at 11:25 a.m.
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary