MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
NOVEMBER 16, 2009
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Page
FY11 Department Budgets...................................................................................................... 1
Secondary Roads (49)................................................................................................. 1
Sheriff (08)................................................................................................................ 9
Court Services (47)................................................................................................... 19
Law Enforcement Proceeds (68)............................................................................... 21
Discussion: FY 2011 County Budget...................................................................................... 21
Chairperson Neuzil called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Health and Human Services Building at 9:04 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Janelle Rettig, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
County Engineer Greg Parker informed the Board that there was an accident involving a fatality. Maintenance Superintendent Kevin Hackathorn said the accident occurred at 340th Street and Utah Avenue. He said that there is a stop sign at the intersection. Hackathorn said he is unsure how many vehicles were involved, one or two. He added that according to Stutsman the passenger was the fatality and the driver was taken to the hospital. Stutsman added that it sounded like it was a single vehicle.
County Engineer Greg Parker said most of the changes to the budget reflect an attempt to be more realistic with the line items. The initial budget, prepared 12 to 18 months ago, are estimates so it is hard to determine what the future costs will be. Parker said on line 358, the $2,000 increase is based on the previous year's actual expenditures. The same goes for line 359. Parker said he anticipates an increase in training activities due to two new staff members. He expects this will be a one time hit over the next budget cycle and things should return to normal after that. Staff meals and lodging is a reflection of previous year expenditures, so he entered a $1,000 increase there. Parker said that expenses for equipment purchases and engineering purchases will include a request for replacing the current GPS unit. The unit is almost 10 years old and malfunctioned last summer. He said that GPS is needed for upcoming activities. He added that the replacement would include the replacement of the instrument along with the GPS. He said because of technology developing statewide the purchase is being put off until the following year. Rettig asked when the statewide system would be available. Parker responded that it is currently available but is still in its initial stages so Secondary Roads intends to wait to purchase the equipment so all existing issues can be addressed prior to purchase.
Parker said that bridge inspection fees are incurred biannually and there are over 250 bridges in the County. This expenditure fluctuates every other year. Line 387, equipment rental for pipe culverts maintenance, reflects the previous year's actual expenditures. Parker said line 391 shows equipment rental for box culvert maintenance. He said there haven't been many expenditures in this area over the past couple of years so $1,000 was placed in that line incase there is the need to rent equipment for box culvert maintenance. Parker said that a lot of these items can be shifted without doing a budget amendment.
Parker said costs for rock contracts are going up anywhere from 5% to 10% annually. This line item needs to be brought more in line with what actual expenditures are so it must be increased in order to maintain the County's gravel roads. Sullivan asked if Parker thinks this allotment will be enough to maintain the gravel roads. Parker replied they have done a good job staying within the budgeted amount over the past couple of years and there is rock that could be put out to maintain the roads in the condition the department would like to see. He said more rock would make the system better and minimize the number of dirt complaints from residents. Secondary Roads has been skimping on the rock roads for quite a few years. Sullivan asked if the budgeted amount Parker has entered in this budget is enough to allow Secondary Roads to do an adequate job on the gravel roads. Parker said the amount he budgeted would cause them to continue skimping because the increase in cost for rock will result in them purchasing less. Stutsman asked Parker why he is skimping on rock. Parker said there are many other expenditures, and the past couple of years have been extreme. Over the years they have kept the budgeted amount the same and if they increase that line item in any huge way, it would require them to cut back somewhere else. It’s a balancing act and the past couple of years have not been favorable.
Sullivan said the Board asked for a zero budget, but the Board may make a decision to allocate more money for rock and he is trying to get enough feedback from Parker before making a decision. Parker asked Hackathorn how much rock they spread last year. Hackathorn said around 145 tons per mile which is down from the past. Areas where there is a lot of steel wheel traffic receive about 155 tons per mile. Some other roads require 300 tons per mile. Hackathorn said eight years ago, there was enough rock available to go out and rock everything but they are in a different situation now. Stutsman asked if that started when the Board took the rock money out of the Reservoir Roads budget. Hackathorn said that may be some of it, but he isn't sure.
Rettig said that the $800,000 budgeted amount is virtually the same amount that was spent in FY09. She asked what percentage rock prices rose. Parker said it averages 9 to 11% and he has seen it as low as 5 to 7%. Rettig asked if the price increase of 9-11% per year combined with no spending increase from the previous two years means that the department has 20% less rock to put down. Parker agreed and added that they have been doing the same with the seal coat program; the dollar amount has not grown so only the areas that absolutely need seal coating will get the treatment. Hackathorn said the calcium chloride they use for dust control requires more rock also because the ground is always damp and the rock goes right into the sub base. Sullivan said that if because of the budget Secondary Roads is gong to be putting down 10% less rock again, the Board needs to think hard about what they want to do. Stutsman added that the roads should not be allowed to disintegrate to a point where it is going to cost more to get them back up to speed.
Rettig said that even though department heads were asked for a zero budget, it is incumbent upon them to tell the Board when the level of service is below par and recommend more money towards the service. It would then be up to the Board to decide if they can make it fit.
Parker said the projected revenue is $60,000 more in Road Use Tax than the year before that. The year before that, there was a couple hundred thousand dollars. The increase in Road Use Taxes comes from the Department of Transportation (DOT). Stutsman asked what the increase looked like in a good year, when people were traveling a lot. Parker responded the increase would be anywhere from $200,000 to $400,000 annually. Stutsman reminded the Board that they do have the ability to increase taxes on the revenue side of the budget if gravel is determined to be important in maintaining the roads. Sullivan said that there needs to be a balance between the expense of adding rock and increasing taxes.
Claiborne said that when transferring money from the Rural Basic and General Basic Funds to the Secondary Roads Department budget, they have always transferred the minimum amount. But if the maximum for FY10 was transferred, Secondary Roads would have had about $1.1 million more in the budget for expenditures. Claiborne said that $900,000 of that $1.1 million is Rural Basic so there would be a levy increase. Stutsman said that it would be easy to tell people that more rock was put down on gravel roads and that is why there is a levy increase. Hackathorn said that would be great. He says that now, he personally goes out to look at any gravel road areas in need of rock and will often not put down rock because Secondary Roads is not in the same shape it used to be in. Parker said that since he was hired, they have made significant changes to maintenance practices. Stutsman said that is due to bad weather and less money.
Parker said that for FY09, the expense in the category of equipment rental for asphalt service maintenance was related to shoulder work. They needed to rent a roller or a milling machine, and now that line item can be zeroed out because the work is completed. Hackathorn added that they just rent the roller as needed because the one Secondary Roads has is much larger than needed for certain areas. Bituminous seal shoulder maintenance activity will be reduced because of the 18-inch asphalt extensions added to the edge of the pavement. The asphalt extensions reduce the need to rock the area because on a standard width pavement, people will drive on the inside of the curve and knock all the rock out creating a void next to the pavement. The extensions minimize repair needs. This expenditure has been reduced to $10,000.
Parker said line 417, contract shoulder maintenance, will probably not be utilized next year in an effort to hold the line item budget. Nursery products erosion control, line 418, has been reduced to reflect previous year's actual expenditures. He said line item 422 covered aggregate entrances maintenance. Stutsman asked if erosion control is included in the contract price when the County contracts a road, as with Highway 965 or Oakcrest Hill Road. Parker said it depends. Parker works with Hackathorn and Roadside Vegetation Manager Chris Henze to determine whether the contractor should do only temporary seeding or permanent seeding. The decision is made based on personnel availability and funds.
Parker said he is going to recommend that Secondary Roads eliminates driveway maintenance activities and tile crossings from their budget and pass that responsibility onto the property owners. Neuzil asked if this will require an internal policy change by the Board. Parker responded that it is an internal department policy that has not been brought forward to the Board. Neuzil and Stutsman asked for the written policies so that when phone calls are received regarding the policies the Board can say that they have agreed to them. Sullivan said that Linn County wanted to pass this to the property owners however they found that, in the end, it was worth it for the County to take care of them. Parker agreed that if the job is to be done correctly, their staff needs to take on that responsibility. He added that they do have situations where residents do not maintain areas they are supposed to. The pipe really is a function of the ditch and the water must flow through the ditch and if residents don't maintain them, the County will do the work and bill the residents..
Sullivan asked if the County still reserves the right to do the work and Parker replied he thinks they are obligated to maintain drainage in the ditch. Stutsman said she would like to see this policy in writing so everyone understands their responsibilities. Sullivan said he agreed, especially if it is a policy change. Parker said that the change is a safety issue because access points to a County road are minimized and the less the access points are minimized the greater the safety is going to be. Sullivan asked if there would need to be language that says the County reserves the right to come in and maintain the area if the resident does not. Hackathorn said there are 3,000 driveways in the County and that adds up to a lot of maintenance.
Parker said line 426, miscellaneous charges, is a direct reflection of the actual contract price for deer removal. Stutsman asked if the cost will go up. Parker said this is a two year contract and the provider is doing a great job. Stutsman and Sullivan agreed.
Parker said the sand, chemical and abrasive line has been reduced by $5,000 in anticipation of a mild winter. Parker said that the costs may change because there is no way to predict what the weather will do in the coming year. He said the motor vehicle parts/snow equipment line is being zeroed out because items that were previously included have been moved to where they should actually be charged to.
Stutsman asked Parker to reference line 434, and asked if the County charges individuals who run into a sign and damage it. Parker said during an accident, if someone damages County property, and there is a documented police report, the County will send an invoice for damages to the property. The line item includes various replacement costs and was kept the same from the previous year. Parker said the number is probably higher due to the 2008 flood when many temporary and some permanent signs were damaged and unrecoverable.
Parker said that electricity, lighting, and maintenance budget is just a reflection of actual expenditures and has been reduced by $500. Miscellaneous supplies and brush cutting has been cut back, the previous actual expenditure was high and it is anticipated that this number will decrease. The snow storms, ice storms, and floods have obliterated all the trees in Johnson County. Rettig said the weather conditions mainly eliminated all the dead brush. Harney asked for clarification of the electricity/lighting maintenance. Secondary Roads Department Administrative Assistant Amanda Jacobsen said that line item is for flashing lights and security lights at intersections.
Parker addressed the budget for motor vehicle parts and mowing. He said mowing was limited in the previous year and therefore expenditures in this line item have been reduced. Stutsman said she has received a lot of complaints about the lack of mowing services. Parker replied that without budget increases, level of service may be decreased in some of these areas. Mowing still occurs, but on a limited schedule. Harney said this can present a safety issue at some intersections. Sullivan said that for this reason, the Board may not be able to reduce spending in this area. Hackathorn said that the decreased mowing may also be a reflection of lowered budget for replacement and repair of machines. He said that without the budget for maintenance if machines go down, mowing gets delayed. Hackathorn added that they used to hire summer help exclusively to mow in each maintenance district but with cut backs, this is no longer possible. Sullivan asked how old the oldest mower is and Hackathorn estimated it to be eight years old and he would have replaced it but due to the need to replace the truck, the mower became a lower priority. Stutsman asked if temporary employees are hard on the equipment. Hackathorn said that depends on the person.
Parker said he works to balance the service needed with the costs of the service without getting additional funds each year. He said the cost to do business now is going up and maintaining a flat budget requires maintaining a level of service, not the best level of service, but a level of service that may not be what residents are accustomed to. Stutsman said Johnson County traditionally has spoiled its residents by providing a very high level of service. Parker added that County taxes are high and with that, residents expect a high level of service, but the budget may not allow for that.
Parker said construction and new equipment maintenance is a line item that Secondary Roads felt should return to the budget because one of the trucks is in bad shape. This increase has been covered through eliminating other line items expenditures throughout the budget. The request is for two P’ups, a pickup truck unit tailgated behind the tandem axel dumps, so it can be disconnected to run on its own if needed. One truck is being used for parts and the other is inoperable. Secondary Roads is trying to make the rock hauling as efficient as possible therefore they didn't zero out their line item for the contract haulers during the rock contract, that will remain at $85,000. Adding the P’ups more rock can be transported more quickly. Parker said that equipment numbers have been scaled back but doing so is putting the Department behind on replacing equipment. Equipment repair costs will rise because worn down equipment is not being replaced. It is difficult to project repair costs because they never know what will give out or when.
Rettig asked if there has previously been consideration of a vehicle equipment replacement fund. Money is deposited annually into the fund so it is available when equipment fails. Hackathorn said they used to operate with an equipment replacement schedule but that is no longer in use. Parker said a downside to a zero budget is that when a disaster occurs, funds must be diverted. Sullivan said that setting line 444 to zero does not make sense. He said that he imagines there will be something they will have to budget for. Hackathorn said Secondary Roads has typically spent $450,000 to $500,000 annually on new equipment.
Harney asked if it would be better to set some money aside each year. Parker responded that costs will fluctuate each year while maintaining a replacement schedule. Sullivan pointed out that a replacement schedule works if there is some money in reserve and currently Secondary Roads has very little in reserve. He said that several factors have contributed to the decrease in reserve which includes bad weather and skimping on the budget. Parker added that bad winters are really hard on the equipment and significantly reduce the life span of the trucks. Even with a replacement schedule, if there is a bad winter, it can significantly alter the replacement schedule. Hackathorn said that 10 years ago he hired 35 part-time employees during the summer and now he is down to 12. Stutsman said the Board needs to decide if they are going to restore some of the Secondary Roads funding. Sullivan said they must consider the impact on the rural taxpayer and exactly what it buys for the department. He said the equipment costs can’t be ignored forever.
Rettig said she is going to rely on the department heads to let the Supervisors know when they have reached the lowest acceptable level of funding necessary for them to provide services. Parker said that is not an easy call to make. He said that ever since he has been with the County, they have been decreasing the level of service provided. When he is asked to cut 2% out of the budget, some services will be cut. He said it is a matter of priorities. Sullivan said he would like some idea from Parker about how he would spend the money if the budget were increased. Parker said that rock would be a priority; it would be ideal to have an average of 200 tons per mile. He added that the local construction fund source has held at $1.5 million for 10 years. It has never been increased. That is a line item that could better reflect what could be done with construction. Seal coat services are another area that would benefit from increased funds. Hackathorn said that in prior years, they did about 40 miles of seal coat maintenance per year and this year they did 14 miles at the same cost of 10 years ago.
Neuzil asked about creating a system of when seal coat roads should be maintained or replaced. Stutsman responded that there had been a system but it has been thrown out. Neuzil said the big point is what kind of road should be used to replace the seal coat roads. Parker responded that putting new surfaces on existing roads is dictated by design standards.
Harney said that the crack sealing should last longer than one year. Parker responded that the County is working with the University of Iowa to find and use new cost effective technologies. Neuzil said that Capital Improvements Program (CIP) funding was moved to the Secondary Roads budget for some catch up items. Parker responded that it paid for rock. Neuzil continued that no additional CIP was added in an effort to keep the Rural Fund level. He said Secondary Roads can’t add a project if the department is behind on so many things. Parker said they are still taking care of the roads that need it. Stutsman said that the County can’t fund everything, that some help needs to come from the State.
Rettig asked about the utilities for the new SEATS/Secondary Roads office building. She wondered whether the budget included electricity and sundry. She asked if the budget should have increased to reflect the new building since the budget was based on the previous year when only one building existed. She believes that the line should have increased to reflect the additional building. Parker responded that it should have been reflected in the FY09 budget. He added that SEATS also picks up a portion of the overhead cost. Parker said the department is trying to minimize the costs in the old buildings by turning the heat down as well.
Parker said line 453 was increased last year in anticipation of high fuel prices. The actual expenditure was around $460,000. He said that fuel prices are unknown, but they are reducing cost down to $400,000. If they don’t have an extreme year they will probably spend less than that dollar amount in fuel. Sullivan added that it should include not only the lower cost of fuel but the volume of fuel used because of the number of trips. Parker said that if the coming year is another extreme year then adjustments will need to be made to cover actual expenditures and expenditures in another area will need to be reduced to cover the increased fuel expenses. Parker said they are trying to reflect what they think the actual expenditures will be based on an average year.
Sullivan left at 10:28 a.m. and returned at 10:29 a.m.
Parker said that grease equipment and supplies was kept at around $500 reflecting the expenditures from the previous year of $321. Line item 462, clothing and dry goods sundry is the actual expenditures for uniforms and expenditures that come out of the department for that function. Line item 467 was zeroed out because it was not used. The reinforcing steel materials budget was kept at $400 to cover unknown expenditures in that area. Parker said that Secondary Roads held the budget to a zero increase as the Board requested.
Budget Coordinator Rich Claiborne said one thing Parker and he discussed the other day was the Shueyville Road issue. Parker's budget is tight and the level of service has gone down so maybe this should go on the tally sheet where they will share the costs with Shueyville. Claiborne said that $2.3 million will hammer the Secondary Road's budget. Stutsman agreed to put it on the tally sheet and she reminded everyone that Parker has repeatedly said that they have been spending a lot to maintain that road. Stutsman suggested using FEMA money on that project as well. Hackathorn reminded the Board that the traffic on that road has significantly increased to about 800 trucks per day.
Neuzil asked Parker to forward to the Board his estimate of maintenance costs for the Shueyville Road for at least the next year or two. Parker said he will email that information to the Board but he thinks it is over a quarter million dollars over a couple of years.
Parker said that Road Use Tax is down because people are buying more fuel efficient vehicles due to high gas prices. This was a revenue generator for Secondary Roads, tax dollars from gas sales. He said that the Transfer of Jurisdiction (TJ) roads is also down due to the decrease in Road Use Tax dollars. That fund source, which began five years ago at $250,000, will be gone in three years. The State decided to pay the County $2 million over eight years, and that didn't even cover the Highway 965 project this year. In three years, there will be a $250,000 void in the budget. Rettig clarified if three years refers to FY11, FY12, and FY13. Parker said he isn't sure but would get that information to her.
On the TJ road from Shueyville, the County is down $265,000 on that and historically that has gone up. The $13,000 includes various maintenance activities and it doesn’t cover what is being spent on the activities. He said Linn County recently took over the City of Prairieburg when the State Legislature changed the rule about taking over the Farm-to-Market routes in areas with a population under 500. They entered into a 28E Agreement which let the town take back the road. Johnson County could do something similar with Shueyville, but Parker doesn't think Shueyville will go for it.
Parker said that I-JOBS is a new source of income for Secondary Roads. He said they kept expenditures flat, though expenditure requests have always been more than actual revenues. This is a revenue increase of $158,000. They did reduce line item 17, $100,000 for reimbursement road work/private source. Stutsman asked about the Cheese Factory and Parker said those monies have already been escrowed and in a cash reserve account. The rest of the revenues are standard numbers based upon previous years. Revenues last year were $4.6 million and the increase of $132,000 is due to I-JOBS.
Neuzil asked Parker about the 2% budget cuts. Parker said that since fuel prices are somewhat stable he would probably reduce the fuel budget and equipment replacement to realize a 2% cut. Sullivan said Parker would only have to cut $100,000. Stutsman asked if Parker is applying for grants for any of the roads. Parker said yes. He has submitted a grant request to JCCOG but does not believe that the County will receive it. They have already received $1.5 million for the Oakdale Project and $254,000 for the Dubuque Street Trail. Sullivan said that if JCCOG decides to play games with the funding then the County needs to go to court and enforce an annex. Stutsman said that she is about ready to pull out of JCCOG because she does not know what the County gets out of them. Parker said that the staff of JCCOG has done good work and has been very supportive. The issue appears to be with the voting committee. Neuzil asked if funding for trails comes from a separate fund and Claiborne said yes, from block grants.
Parker said Secondary Roads needs more money and services will suffer if the budget is cut further. Sullivan reiterated that he would like Parker to prepare a list of specific things he would do if the Board gave Secondary Roads $100,000 more, $200,000 more, $300,000 more, and so on.
Recessed at 10:46 a.m.; reconvened at 10:51 a.m.
Claiborne said he will project just the list of expenses on the screen. County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek said the bulk gasoline increase is tied to patrol deputies in case personnel are added. The vehicle maintenance is absolutely necessary as they are currently struggling to maintain the fleet. He said that though fuel prices have come down some, vendors continue to raise prices for tires, oil, and other parts. Pulkrabek said the other major increase is the Jail inmate housing budget. These expenses remain a significant tracking challenge, but he said that for the first three months of the current Fiscal Year, the Board budgeted $1.2 million and they have spent an average of $88,000 monthly. The Jail did hit a new high on the number of inmates, 199, and this is his best estimate at this time.
Rettig said that $88,000 times 12 equals $1,056,000, and she asked Pulkrabek if he expects $88,000 will not hold. Pulkrabek said no. He said that historically the number of inmates increases at the rate of three to four per day per year. The cost to house one inmate is approximately $25,000. These are the numbers he said he used. Pulkrabek said the problem with relying on these numbers of three or four inmates is that in some years there has been an average increase of eight to ten inmates and there is no rhyme or reason to it. Pulkrabek said that for years they have tried to come up with a way to more accurately estimate the needs. Sheriff's Major Steve Dolezal said there have also been months where they have paid $100,000 to house inmates out of the county. These items are out of their control. Rettig asked if the $88,000 reflects the recent deals with Marshalltown and Washington. Pulkrabek responded that the main deal is with Marshalltown and that the $88,000 does reflect that. He said that the numbers would be significantly higher if the deal was not in place. Neuzil said it is difficult to project this out 18 months to accommodate the budgeting process. Rettig asked if the fuel cost reflects driving inmates back and forth between counties. Pulkrabek said that is part of it, transportation costs last year were approximately $70,000 overall. He said that clearly the mileage has increased. He said they had hoped to make only one trip per day to Marshalltown where they are housing inmates, but the van they are using has forced multiple trips which is sort of why they are transporting inmates to Washington County, especially during this time of year. On Fridays of home football weekends, the Sheriff’s Office empties out a couple of cell blocks in the Johnson County Jail, transports those inmates and then brings them back on Sundays.
Dolezal said the Sheriff's Office has been approved for a $56,000 grant and hopes to receive the money soon. They plan to purchase a large bus that could transport between 14 and 22 inmates. Pulkrabek said the bus they are considering is approximately $90,000 and right now the van they use has over 100,000 miles. Dolezal said they also received an additional $39,000 in State Criminal Alien Assistance Program (SCAAP) grant money, which in the past has been amended back into the budget for inmate housing. However, it can be put towards inmate transportation and therefore, Dolezal said they will ask the Board to put that money back into the transportation line item. Therefore, the new bus will not directly cost the taxpayers any money.
Stutsman asked if the arrestees from the football weekends could be housed differently, or do they have to be held in a jail cell. Pulkrabek said they must follow the State jail standards. Pulkrabek added that even if they were to find an alternate location to house the weekend arrestees, the County would need to provide staff, and there are other issues to consider as well. Stutsman said that the University of Iowa should have to house the individuals arrested on their property. Dolezal responded that Iowa Code does not allow that. He said the Sheriff is responsible for housing inmates when they are brought or the County has to pay for it. So if the University was told to handle the arrestees on their own they could then house them wherever they want and then bill the County for the housing. He said that any further discussion on this subject should occur at a more appropriate time when the County Attorney could be present.
Stutsman said there was a big increase in the minor equipment line item last year. Rettig said it went from $585 to $1,700. Stutsman asked for an explanation of this increase. She said that in this year’s budgets she is analyzing carryover funds and asking more questions about whether the money is needed.
Neuzil asked if this budget reflects potential transfers out of the Sheriff's budget to the Joint Emergency Communication Center budget (JECC). For example, he said there might be a particular piece of equipment that now could be covered under the JECC budget. Dolezal said in some aspects yes and others no. For example, he said there are still some portable radios that the Sheriff's Office will need to keep. Neuzil said that he wants to avoid double taxing.
Neuzil said he has another concern regarding what other law enforcement entities are doing. For example, if a piece of equipment is sitting in the Iowa City Police Department Headquarters, is that something they may now expect to be funded by the County. He said that it seems like the Sheriff’s Office discusses that funding will potentially come from both entities. He wonders if the other entities are under the same impression. Pulkrabek and Dolezal responded that they do not know the answer. Pulkrabek said that ultimately everything that is communications equipment will transfer to the JECC. He said that once the transition is complete the expenses will not come out of the Sheriff’s budget.
Neuzil wondered if the City of Iowa City and the other communities involved in the JECC are budgeting the same was as the County. Neuzil said that currently equipment is being purchased out of the Sheriff’s budget but JECC is also budgeting for the same equipment. Dolezal said he doesn’t believe that some of the issues have been discussed. Pulkrabek said that there will be a certain amount budgeted to replace existing equipment and after that it will once again become the responsibility of the Sheriff’s Office and not the JECC. For example, he said that the JECC said that they will replace the existing number of radios and once the initial set of radios has been replaced it will be the Sheriff’s Office to maintain those radios or grow the number for additional personnel in the future. Neuzil asked if that was the original intent and whether that intent has been spelled out anywhere. Pulkrabek and Dolezal responded that it is not spelled out. It is an ongoing discussion and it is not clear yet. Pulkrabek said that they are still funding equipment that they use today and at some point in the future it will transition over. At this time they do not know when the transition date will be. Once the transition takes place the radios used by the Sheriff’s Office currently will no longer be used and the new radios will be provided by JECC but the Sheriff’s Office will have to maintain them.
Neuzil asked if dispatch equipment and items of that nature are included in the budget. Dolezal responded that the only item included is contractual maintenance expenses. Nothing new has been purchased in that area in a long time. Neuzil asked if the dispatch unit has other additional expenses that can be taken out of this budget and put into the JECC budget. Dolezal responded that salaries have been moved out but some maintenance items remain and probably won’t be moved out until the next fiscal year. Those items that are going to be dropped off have not yet because they are still needed. He said they are not substantial items. One of the biggest expenses will be paper, but until the Dispatch Unit drops off it is unknown how much of an expense that will be able to be cut off.
Pulkrabek said they will have to buy a system to convert the phone system to the auto attendant answering system. Currently the dispatchers answer phones. Dolezal said after 5:00 p.m., calls will transfer to auto attendant. Stutsman asked if that is funded from Information Technology's phone budget. Dolezal said the Sheriff's Office has always paid for their phones. Stutsman asked if the auto attendant is included in this year's budget and Pulkrabek said no. Neuzil asked if phone bills are included in the Sheriff's Office budget and Pulkrabek said yes, they pay for all charges related to the phone service, including repair work. Dolezal suggested that if the County is going to seek a collaborative effort someone should analyze all the contracts and their terms of service.
Neuzil asked if the total request from the Sheriff's Office is an additional $115,500. Pulkrabek said yes, and that does not include personnel. He added that $100,000 of that is inmate housing.
Rettig asked for confirmation that the budget is working out based on the moves they made between FY09 and FY10. Some line items reflect dramatic increases such as telephone investigation which went from $65 to $2,500. She said it is clear why the budget increased, however, when they analyze the data from FY09 and FY10, it is not apparent if they are working out. Dolezal said he does not know the answer to that. Pulkrabek said this is a long process to get the lines adjusted to accurately reflect spending, which continues to be a challenge. Rettig asked if Pulkrabek feels like he is getting a better handle on what certain line expenditures went to and what they should have been in the first place. Pulkrabek responded that it is better. The challenge is that certain expenses may fit under two different line items and staff may choose one over the other when it could easily be put under the alternate. Dolezal said that for example, he wishes there were just one uniform line item instead of four or more.
Pulkrabek said to further reply to Neuzil's question, the $115,000 does not increase. The other stipulation is that if personnel is added, that would trigger the need for another vehicle, so $42,600 was added for an additional two cars in case two patrol deputies were added and that amount is not included in the $115,000. That is under the capital expenditure worksheet request because it is more of a contingency.
Pulkrabek said that since Claiborne put the County comparison together, this is a huge feather in the cap for the Johnson County Sheriff's Office when comparing the efficiencies of other county Sheriff's Offices. Pulkrabek said Rettig wouldn't have a copy of the comparison and asked Claiborne to get one to her. He said the comparison shows all the departments and compares each with similar departments in other counties. Dolezal said it was a benchmarking study.
Pulkrabek said Dolezal did revenues and the big thing to consider is that there will be some decreases because of JECC and radio contracts ending. The Sheriff’s Office is continuing to look at ways to increase revenues. He said when he came into office they adjusted a lot of the fees charged to more accurately reflect the actual costs for services. He said one service they are going to look at is fingerprint fees. They have a number of people who come to get fingerprinted for job reasons and it is a burden to the jail. The office is going to look at raising those fees the first of the year. Stutsman asked what the fees will be raised to. Pulkrabek said the Sheriff’s Office charges $4-$5 a card and they are going to double it. Rettig asked if they do the immigration fingerprinting too. Pulkrabek said the Sheriff’s Office does some if the individuals come to the Jail. He said if they are University of Iowa employees or students they can go to University of Iowa Department of Public Safety (DPS) which will do fingerprints for free. Stutsman said with everything the Board is faced with in budgets they might not be able to do everything they want. They might need to look at cutting services unless it is going to generate a sizable amount of revenue. Rettig asked if the Sheriff’s Office didn’t do fingerprinting, who would. Dolezal said there are very few who provide fingerprinting services. He said the Sheriff Office’s thought is that fingerprinting does take some of their resources but if they are already paying someone to be there to watch inmates that individual can be used to generate extra revenue by doing fingerprints. Rettig asked if there would be a savings if they stopped doing fingerprinting or if there would just be a loss of revenue. Stutsman said if they were having someone in dispatch do this they might have to hire another person. Pulkrabek said this is strictly done by jail staff. Dolezal said they addressed this issue in their jail reduction. If they had to do a 2% reduction they can't reduce any staff out of the area by cutting some of these services out, but they would lose revenue.
Dolezal said the contract law enforcement increased. The cities contract services for the Sheriff's Office patrols are $28,300. The radio service contract increased this fiscal year because of the services that were still there. He said the services did decrease but he was instructed to budget for two more months so July and August were included in the budget. Harney asked if their costs are equal with the revenues. Pulkrabek said that the cost is still subsidizing the towns. Stutsman said they should look at if the Board wants to continue to provide services to North Liberty and Tiffin. She said the communities have reached the point of being large enough to have their own police departments. She said she needs to know that the subsidizing is cost effective. Stutsman asked if the deputies servicing North Liberty and Tiffin could be better used in unincorporated areas. She suggested telling the two towns that they are growing and need to provide their own police department. Pulkrabek said the Sheriff’s Office has worked on that and they are doing it in incremental steps. They raised the towns' rates and they have been doing it every other year. He said the towns now pay $31 and the towns were upset about it. Stutsman said the towns will say they aren’t going to increase it but they will still call for help every time there is an incident. Pulkrabek said when the towns call, the Sheriff’s Office still has to respond.
Pulkrabek said in his term they have gone from charging $19-$21 an hour up to the $31 which has been under direction from the Board. For a topped out deputy wages and benefits is just under $36 an hour and they have to add fuel and car on top of that. He said if the Board wants to cancel the contract they have with the City of Tiffin or the City of North Liberty it is the Board’s call. Sullivan said his impression is that North Liberty has been more than willing to work with the Board. They understand that the costs are going up and they expect in a couple years to be paying the exact cost for however much they are going to use. He said Tiffin hasn't seen it the same way. Dolezal said Tiffin pays the cost but reduces the hours. Harney said that is true with any incorporated community. Pulkrabek said Solon has been very good to work with. Solon increased the number of hours per month and to cover the extra hours because of Beef Days they have a clause in their contract where they pay an extra 40 hours of service in the month of July. He said they have been very good about trying to cover the additional cost.
Stutsman said she thinks how Solon handles the situation is great and how it should be handled. She said she doesn't have a problem providing the service but she does have a problem when a community grows and doesn’t think they need to provide public service. Then the community expects the County to subsidize it, not just the Sheriff but also roads. Stutsman said communities have to realize that they can give lower taxes to their individuals because everyone else is picking it up. She said that there are expenses that go along with being part of a city and running a city. The city can’t expect other people to subsidize city services. Pulkrabek said the cities have liaisons with the Board so the liaisons can share this message with the communities.
Rettig asked if the Sheriff’s Office is charging $31 an hour in FY10 or if $31 an hour is what they are proposing in FY11. Pulkrabek said both. Rettig said the Sheriff’s Office is budgeting an extra $28,000 so they are expecting some kind of increase. Dolezal said that is the increased hours and is the increased dollar amount. It went from $29 an hour to $31 so there is a $2 extra an hour per contract. Rettig said in FY09 to FY10 it went from $29 to $31 and they are proposing at leaving it at $31 in FY11. Pulkrabek said they have increased the hourly rate every other year. Rettig asked if 2011 is a year in which there will be an increase. Pulkrabek said no but North Liberty is on an odd year. Rettig said the $28,000 is because some of the cities are going up to $31. Dolezal said some of those are radio contracts which the Sheriff’s Office has with the City of Coralville and the City of North Liberty. Pulkrabek corrected Dolezal and said that the $28,000 is just contracts for city law enforcement because the radio contracts have been moved to a separate line. Rettig asked if in FY11 everyone will be at $31. Pulkrabek said except for North Liberty because they will either be higher than or reaching $31 per hour.
Rettig said the true cost of service is $36 with salary and benefits with the car and fuel being extra. She asked what the true cost of service is. Dolezal said he thinks it is $45-$50. Pulkrabek said no one believed early on that the County could have the cities go from paying $21 an hour to $50 an hour. Rettig said she wanted to know how far it was off. Dolezal said neighboring counties do different things. Sullivan said there have been lawsuits in the State. In Story County the Sheriff said they weren’t going to provide services because a little town wouldn’t pay for services. Then the Story County Attorney said Story County wanted the little community to disincorporate because the town wasn’t providing the services a town should provide. Dolezal said he thinks small towns are required to have a contract with law enforcement for basic services. Pulkrabek said an incorporated town is required to have their own law enforcement or a contract with the sheriff. Sullivan added the town had to have a contract with somebody, not necessarily the County. Pulkrabek said he doesn’t think that is allowed anymore. Dolezal said one of the City Council Members in Tiffin inquired about other services from other agencies and found it wasn’t cost effective to have their own or contract the services from someone else.
Stutsman said she doesn’t know why the Board is subsidizing a city when it reaches a certain point and the city should be looking at their own police protection. Dolezal said the contract is with the Board. Rettig said she isn’t disagreeing but there is a big difference with Tiffin being at a population of 1,800 and North Liberty is at 4 million and growing so they are two different cases. Sullivan said Solon is the same size as Tiffin but they have been very willing to cooperate with Johnson County. Stutsman said Tiffin with the Fringe Area Agreement wants all the benefits but they don’t want to contribute to the cost.
Neuzil said there is a slight increase for revenues. Dolezal said he thinks that is a positive since the Sheriff’s Office is removing all of the radio services. Harney asked if the Sheriff charges a fee for staying in the Jail. Pulkrabek said they do charge a fee for the sentenced inmates and the office is looking at that. Charging an inmate who is there on bond is done by Linn County but they also have a division that works on collecting that. He said this has been discussed many times and this would be to assess a fee to the people who are most likely in jail because they don’t have the ability to come up with a bond or anything else. The Board could look at that on a global scale looking at the people who are wealthier who commit crimes usually have the ability to come up with a bond. Neuzil said the last time they talked about charging a fee it was a 3-2 decision before Sullivan was on the Board. Pulkrabek said booking fees are separate and Harney is referring to a boarding fee. Pulkrabek said there is some case law that would not be friendly to the County regarding charging a booking fee.
Sullivan said historically the Linn County Attorney has disagreed with the Linn County Sheriff because the Sheriff has this policy that the County Attorney says costs Linn County money. Stutsman said she thinks it also gets down to the political thing. Rettig asked if it is worth revisiting this since it has been several years to see if any case law has changed. Pulkrabek asked if she was talking about the boarding fees. Rettig said either one. Pulkrabek said he is current on the rules and problems with the booking fees. He isn’t sure if the Board wants to have the discussion during a budget presentation. Rettig said the discussion can occur another day. Neuzil said that would be a question for when they start to tabulate additional projects and things they would like to have accomplished before the next budget cycle. Pulkrabek said he got a lot of information about the booking fee situation from Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) Legal Representative Dave Vestal.
Pulkrabek said there aren’t any significant changes to technology and asked the Board if they had any specific questions. Stutsman asked Pulkrabek if he included the technology cost if the Sheriff’s Office added two more deputies. Dolezal said there shouldn’t be any direct cost to them via technology. Stutsman asked if they would add to two more vehicles. Pulkrabek said part of adding the computers and equipment is covered by the $42,000 part of the decision package. Harney asked if this covered any communication stuff. Pulkrabek said not that he knows of. He doesn’t think JECC is going to cover the connection for the computers to be connected and they aren’t going to cover maintenance on the video system on the cars. Neuzil said they need to make sure JECC is not covering for Iowa City, Coralville, or University Heights. He doesn’t want the other communities to access the JECC funding and Johnson County to not have access.
Sullivan asked if the SMART contract actually run out. Pulkrabek said it is a renewable contract each year. That software covers all five divisions and it is a maintenance contract that has to be paid each year which is standard for software service providers. Sullivan said $26,000 is the total amount for the car video, yet there is a $2,000 expenditure budgeted. Pulkrabek said the system cost $26,000. Stutsman said the $2,000 must be for maintenance. Dolezal those numbers somewhat confuse them too. They struggle with those numbers because the Sheriff’s Office is responsible for it but Information Technology Director Jean Schultz has the information so they sit down often with her. He said he thinks the total project number is different from what they are actually going to expend. Schultz informed the Sheriff’s Office what the project cost is. Sullivan said that is what confuses him on fiscal year final expenditures. Pulkrabek said that $2,000 is what they expect for maintenance on that system and isn’t a maintenance contract. Sullivan said they may need to ask Schultz about those costs.
Pulkrabek said the savings on for the Forensic Recovery of Evidence Device (FRED) Forensic System Upgrade is saving toward replacement. A FRED system is a forensic computer system that one investigator uses when taking computers apart looking for things like child pornography. He said they are saving for replacement of that because it has a life of about five years. Stutsman said that project should amount to more than $1,200. Sullivan said their final expenditure money might be different too. Neuzil said that is what they are saving each year. Pulkrabek said he thinks that is the amount they are saving each year. Stutsman said that the budget calls for total project amount. Dolezal said $1,200 is inaccurate. Stutsman said they need to check with Schultz on the final amount.
Rettig said the numbers under requested expenditures don’t add up. The sheet says the total should be $81,486 but the total actually is $63,136. Stutsman said those numbers need to be checked out. Rettig said they don’t add up under project total amount either. Dolezal said there is something wrong with the Excel sheet. Claiborne said they are plug numbers so there should be a summation formal inserted in the worksheet.
Pulkrabek said they gave the Board a summary of what the Sheriff’s Office would do to get to the 2% reduction. He said he feels strongly that the largest need they have is in the patrol division. If he had his preference he would rather have the two deputies from the Courthouse out on patrol. Pulkrabek said there was some controversy with this issue when he first took office and he specifically remembers Stutsman made him promise that if he was given these two deputies that he would put them in the Courthouse, so they did. A lot of their Jail staff spends a lot of time in the Courthouse transferring papers and documents. There is also almost always a police officer from some agency as well so if there is an incident there are people there to react. Pulkrabek said he knows that would be hugely unpopular with the Courthouse staff, County Attorney, judges, and Bar Association. If they were forced to cut 2% that is where he would go.
Pulkrabek asked if the Board has the letter he sent updating the budget. The initial personnel issue was asking for two patrol deputies. He said they are behind at least a year because by FY10 he had hoped to have added at least two additional patrol deputies. They had a plan of adding two deputies every other year until they reached a level of thirty. The level of thirty comes from trying to get to a ratio of have one officer per 1,000 population that they serve. Pulkrabek said by the time they get to that the population will be higher than 30,000. He asked for two but in the letter he drafted he thinks this is the opportunity for the Board of Supervisors to make that jump. Using the money from the dispatch center they could add four patrol deputies and still have money left over to fill the other budget requests including the housing of jail inmates. Pulkrabek said that with the State cuts he was told he may have two or three State Troopers assigned to Johnson County total which is a serious decline but now they may only lose one leaving five State Troopers in Johnson County.
Pulkrabek said with this division they have situations come up where during certain hours they only have two patrol deputies covering the whole County. He said he views that as a problem especially if the State Troopers aren’t out there to help them. Pulkrabek said he would encourage the Board to take the advance step and add four patrol deputies this year. When they talked about the budget they talked about cars and fuel for two. He said if the Board did add four there are different options they can choose as far as cars. They could do the cost of additional cars over two fiscal years. Another option is to hire two deputies at the beginning of the fiscal year and then two more in January for the second half of the fiscal year. Pulkrabek said they are open to other options and opportunities. If they add four they would be at 28 and would be back on track to the initial goals for public safety.
Stutsman asked how many that would be total. Pulkrabek said the ultimate goal is 30 and hiring four would put the office at 28. They would come back in two years and ask for two more. Sullivan said by the time they get to thirty it may be that they need 32 but they are on their way. Dolezal said this is like the town contracts. It is a big jump to take at once but if they level it in, the bite might not be as hard. Pulkrabek said the revenue from the town contracts for FY06 was $208,764 which was just for law enforcement. By making the changes the Sheriff’s Office has made they have an almost $80,000 increase in revenue. He said they have shown that they continue to increase the revenue and they will continue to do so. Pulkrabek said he thinks they have a plan to get the towns caught up so they are paying the actual cost. He said Rettig sat down with Sheriff’s Captain Joseph Lalla to see all the different training and things the deputies have to do besides working the patrol shift. The Sheriff’s Office is going to have to add significant personnel to get to a point where they have no less than three cars on at any given time.
Rettig said when she went to visit she was curious about the amount of hours that there are only two patrol deputies patrolling the county. It usually happens more in the day time but also happens at night. She said she was told that if two new deputies were added they would alleviate the night hours with only having two patrol deputies on duty but they would not alleviate the day time hours. If only two patrol deputies are added there will be significant chunks during the week where there are two deputies on duty. Sullivan asked if this included that Lalla can go out during the day. Pulkrabek said if things go bad anyone can go out even though they wear nice clothes. For example the day they had the bank robbery they had everyone tied up on that but later on there was a fight at a nearby trailer court and everyone that responded was in suits because that was all they could draw from. Pulkrabek said that they all have the ability to respond. He said getting to the level of thirty will help them alleviate having any less than three at any given time.
Dolezal said the reason they would fill the nights is because there is nobody to draw from. If things go bad at night they are calling someone at home asking them to come in. Rettig said she needs to know what the total cost would be if they add one patrol deputy. It is going to cost $65,000 plus vehicle, fuel, and training and for two. Year one is going to cost more than year two. Stutsman said she needs to know what it will cost for one deputy for everything including car and uniforms. Sullivan said it is important to distinguish that in year one, they have to buy the new deputy a gun that they don’t have to buy in year two. He would like to know only year one but also year two. Harney said one patrol deputy might cost different than two because not everyone needs a car. Dolezal said not everyone needs to be trained if they hire someone who is academy certified.
Pulkrabek said it makes sense for everyone to have a car because then they can trade every four years instead of every two years which made a huge difference for them. Pulkrabek added that another issue is that different deputies cost differently. He said a couple of their most recent hires were academy certified so they don’t have that expense. In year one for a deputy that has never been trained it will be more expensive than year two because of the academy expense of $8,000-$10,000. Stutsman said she would want to know what year one would be because she doesn’t want surprises. Rettig said they sent her some of the information but it isn’t in a table that is easy to understand and she thinks it would be better if it was. Dolezal said they can get that together.
Sullivan said it will be an average because everybody is going to be a little different. Dolezal will give them worst case scenario for someone fresh off the street from top to bottom. Neuzil said that is what they would want to tax for. Stutsman said that’s what they need to know to be able to tax for. Dolezal said he thinks the numbers are included in their worksheet but they are added together and he thinks it is possible to break those out. Some of that is already in their budget for certain training things and there won’t be a large jump. Rettig said it would also be helpful to know if the Sheriff’s Office adds those two deputies how much they will reduce the time there are only two deputies on patrol. Pulkrabek said they will work on getting that together but trying to determine the time reduction is a lot of work to get that calculated.
Stutsman said to help her make this decision in a tight budget year she needs to know all the options. She asked what the feedback is from the Courthouse deputies, whether they have a lot of downtime. She wondered if that function could be better served by Per Mar Security. Pulkrabek said Lieutenant Jim Waldschmidt has announced his retirement and they are looking at efficiencies and if they can transfer some additional work to those Courthouse Security Deputies that is being done by the Jail. He said they are looking for efficiencies and flexibilities that won’t be popular with some of the deputies. Dolezal said it might not be popular with Courthouse personnel. They already have some upset because they don’t secure the building. The Sheriff’s Office has a presence there but the Courthouse is not a secure building. Dolezal said the Board might have received the email he received from District Associate Judge Stephen Gerard because he is upset that the Sheriff’s Office doesn’t take Courthouse security seriously.
Stutsman said the message the Board needs to get across is that business will not be able to continue like it had before. Before there was always money to be able to do things to the highest level possible. There will have to be some compromises that are not ideal but in the present economic situation that is the best the Board can do. Dolezal said that what they are showing the Board that this money is coming back in and now is the time it is not going to be an additional burden but a reallocation of funding. Stutsman said people are still going to pay taxes on that because the taxpayer is shifting those tax dollars. Neuzil asked if there has to be a certain presence when there are days furloughed or closed. He said the County Attorney is still in the office. Dolezal said this issue was discussed in the Finance Committee. The Sheriff’s Office is going to reallocate some of the resources. He said County Attorney Janet Lyness was pretty adamant that her office is still open and there will be judges, so there is a need to have some kind of personnel there. The Sheriff’s Office won’t have both people there and one person will be reallocated.
Dolezal said they discussed that they will burn some of their time off which helps in the long run. Some of the furlough days line up with County holidays. Neuzil said it will be a policy discussion in regards to County in service days because he thinks all offices would like some police presence. He said his understanding was the Courthouse Security was primarily for cases taking place. Pulkrabek said the judges will say that even though they are furloughed many of them will be in working and they will have their back to the hallway so someone could sneak up on them. Neuzil said it would be a policy decision. Dolezal said they are reallocating those resources.
Harney asked if for revenues whether there is an amount that the University pays for services of deputies during football games. Pulkrabek said that is in the revenue under contract law enforcement services. For example if they pay out $10,000 to allow deputies to work overtime for the University of Iowa football games they get back an amount greater than that. They bill for more than it costs them so it creates some revenue for the County. Dolezal said it was $37,000 last year. They get revenue for things other than football games including house moves when it comes through the County, bicycle races, and Running for the Schools, so they bill those individuals. He said the billing is a small amount of revenue for the County, but it covers the cost plus revenue. Pulkrabek said they are manning the events on overtime because the personnel are all off duty. Dolezal said they had this discussion with the Board and they created the line item. They had to hypothetically come up with a number that they would spend. He said that number continues to rise along with revenue so they might have to increase it at some point.
Claiborne said Court Services always repeats itself. There is no change and no revenue. Stutsman asked if this is for taking kids to the Detention Center. Dolezal said it is also for extricating people back from anywhere in the nation that is more than an eight hour drive away. Pulkrabek said they don’t have a lot of say in that and they just get the bill. If someone is found that has a warrant out for their arrest and they want that person brought back, the Sheriff’s Office does it. Dolezal said sometimes they drive and sometimes they fly depending where they are logistically at. Stutsman asked if they went after the person that had the rental fee that hadn’t paid the County. Dolezal said he thinks that was a warrant that came out of Iowa City. He said the warrant can come out of any jurisdiction and it is that jurisdiction’s responsibility. Stutsman asked what they are bringing people back for. Dolezal said warrants have different levels which are local pick up only, 100 mile radius, county wide only, state wide only, and there is nationwide. It has to fit a certain level of crime before it gets there.
Pulkrabek said there is a lot of give and take on this between the Sheriff’s Office and the County Attorney. The office sets up the guidelines because they thought there needed to be some. He said there is often times someone who works on old warrants in the County Attorney’s Office that may do an investigation and contact law enforcement agencies to see if they know where that person is. If they find where that person is they might have the Sheriff pick the individual up but the Sheriff might not be able to because they are outside their guidelines. Pulkrabek said they use them as much as they can but sometimes directions come from Lyness’s office and the Sheriff has to go. Sullivan said he just had this conversation with a deputy that went to Phoenix to get someone who he thought was not worth getting.
Pulkrabek said during his first year in office Harney told the Sheriff’s Office they needed to get people back and the County would pay it out of the Court Services Budget. He said if the County Attorney wants someone brought back then they get them. Sullivan said this argument is a good that if the County Attorney is saying the County has to spend the money then the cost should come out of the County Attorney’s budget. Stutsman said the County wants to send a message of being tough which means picking up individuals wherever they happen to be. Claiborne said expenses are General Supplemental and don’t affect General Basic. Stutsman said if the cost is coming out of the Sheriff’s budget then maybe the Sheriff could have a different view. Dolezal said the guidelines were set up to alleviate some of that problem. He said he went to pick up a guy who was in a Federal facility to be deported and brought the man back to plead to felony charges for bad checks. Dolezal then took the man back to the Federal facility so he could be deported.
Pulkrabek said it is very common for there to be disagreement on these, especially with people with severe medical issues. It costs much more money to get these individuals and to hold them. He said the Sheriff’s Office will have victims of a crime saying the Sheriff doesn’t care that the individual is a victim if the County doesn’t pursue the perpetrator. For example, a business has money stolen from them and the County has to decide if the business can absorb the loss because it costs so much to bring the person back to be prosecuted. Pulkrabek said it is a fine line. Sullivan said the County won’t get that money back in restitution unless the person has the ability to pay. Dolezal said the expense sometimes exceeds the restitution. Pulkrabek said that is why the Sheriff’s Office put these guidelines in but they are not guidelines that another elected official has to follow. Neuzil said that might be another policy discussion.
Pulkrabek said there are four different law enforcement grants they used to get and now they are all under a JAG or Byrne JAG Grant. The Sheriff has used a block grant to buy a speed trailer. The money for the trailer was given to the County and is divided with Iowa City. He said the Sheriff’s Office used to get a grant for Meth Hot Spots which is now under Byrne JAG. Pulkrabek said they apply for that with the Iowa City Police Department and that money comes back to the Board as revenue. The revenue pays for having a detective on the Drug Task Force. The Board authorized paying for the deputy two years ago not knowing if the grant would be renewed so anytime that money comes back it is a repayment to the Board. Rettig asked if grants are going to JAG then why are they in FY08. Stutsman said they probably didn’t change the letters. Rettig asked if the dollar amount was the same but needed to be coded right. Pulkrabek said probably. Stutsman said this is basically a pass through. Rettig said she wanted to know why they were making so much money.
Pulkrabek said they have gotten a lot of equipment with Federal Tax dollars. Rettig said this is a positive. Stutsman said this isn’t costing the County any extra. Pulkrabek said they are ultimately paying for it through Federal Tax dollars. He added that the Sheriff has been able to get some very expensive equipment. Neuzil asked if the $25,000 was for the shooting range. Pulkrabek said that it was for the vests. Neuzil asked where the shooting range is in the budget. Claiborne said the shooting range is in 44 Capital Expenditures. Stutsman asked if the Sheriff’s Office was getting close to doing the range. Pulkrabek said no specific site has been identified. Neuzil said there is a request for the Sheriff to keep saving for that. Harney asked if they were adding to the savings for the range each year. Pulkrabek said they are adding $25,000 every year for four years. There has been some grant money secured for equipment for the range. Neuzil asked if the expense they pay to go to the range comes out of the Sheriff’s expenses. Dolezal said they do but they aren’t big dollars. Right now accessibility is a big issue with the current range.
Neuzil said they can keep the tabulation sheet and charts for requests. He said the Board probably needs to start charting the employee requests. Stutsman asked if Claiborne has the Auditor’s budget yet. Claiborne said no. Stutsman said they will review that December 7, 2009. Sullivan said they won’t need it until November 30, 2009. Harney said he knows why the Sheriff is saying going to get people across the Country is an unnecessary expense. Neuzil said that will be a part of a later discussion. They have requested the Sheriff break down the cost for the deputy positions as much as possible. Stutsman said she needs to know those numbers.
Adjourned at 12:33 p.m.
By Meaghan Mercer, Recording Secretary