MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
FEBRUARY 11, 2010
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Reports and Inquiries from Executive Assistant Andy Johnson
Reports and Inquiries from the Board of Supervisors
Chairperson Stutsman called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 6:57 p.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Terrence Neuzil, Janelle Rettig, Sally Stutsman, and Rod Sullivan.
Executive Assistant Andy Johnson stated that the Board has an executive summary in their packet from Information Technology Director Jean Schultz, regarding this item. The Department of Transportation (DOT) is installing fiber optic cable out in the area of US-218 and I-80 and I-380. He said this is an agreement to allow the County to use certain strands of that fiber optic cable, specifically to service the Secondary Roads Department, and some of the backup information, as he understands it, that the Sheriff’s Department has out at the JECC. He said this will allow the County to use those strands and then, Johnson said he’s on shaky ground as far as his own understanding of it, create a ring, so that if a cable was cut, there will be another way for the information to get to its destination and it wouldn’t be disrupted in that way. He said it’s a cooperative agreement. There is no cost to it. He said that from what he can tell, it looks like it’s all benefit to the County. He said it sets out the uses that the County can use that cable for.
Sullivan asked Johnson if this does include the JECC, since they’re a separate entity, because if it doesn’t, Sullivan said it would be nice if they could get in on this. Johnson said he doesn’t know. Harney said his understanding is that it is supposed to be out there for potential emergencies on the interstate, so the DOT can initiate signs along the interstate. He said that’s what a lot of the fiber optic cable is for. Sullivan asked if they would have the connection as well. Stutsman said she thinks this is just a terrific example of government entities working together, because this has saved the County so much money by being able to piggy-back on this. She said she thinks it’s great that the DOT is allowing them to do this and the Board should sign that agreement and get it in place. She asked if the Board was OK with it. She asked Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell if he had looked over the agreement and saw if everything was OK. Chappell nodded that he did. Stutsman said that is very good and the Board will put that on the agenda for formal action for February 18, 2010. Johnson said he would.
Johnson said he was going to let the Board know that he met with this week with Johnson County Council of Governments (JCCOG) Human Services Coordinator Linda Severson and Executive Director of the Housing Trust Fund Tracey Achenbach to talk about the Rural Advisory Committee, the former Housing Task Force. He said they discussed a plan where the Housing Trust Fund might take a little more active role in that committee and kind of change the structure. He said there are a few people who are particularly interested in rural housing issues and can help the Housing Trust Fund be more involved in rural communities. He said that in the coming months he thinks that Achenbach will be coming to the Board with a plan in that regard. He said that one of the things that committee does is oversee the Federal Home Loan Bank Grant that provides a $5,000 grant for home repair and home modifications. He said there are still slots available with that grant, so he just wanted to give a plug for that. The application is available on the Supervisor's webpage. Also, the Housing Trust Fund is administrating the December Iowa Council of Governments Grant, that provides 30% mortgage assistance for the purchase of new homes, and that’s for some of the rural communities as well. He said they can find out more about that by calling the Housing Trust Fund at (319) 358-0212. He stated that the County offices are closed February 15, 2010, for President’s Day. He said the Board has a Department Head Meeting on February 16, 2010 at 1:30, p.m., a Key Issues Meeting on February 17, 2010, at 9:00 a.m. and a Board Meeting on February 18, 2010, at 9:00 a.m.
Neuzil said he and Stutsman had the opportunity to visit with some of the key leadership of the Iowa Legislature in Des Moines on February 11, 2010. He said he also met with Iowa Supreme Court Chief Justice Marsha Ternus. Neuzil reported that he met with County Engineer Greg Parker and Shueyville Mayor Bryan Bredman regarding the the 120th Street Road Project. Neuzil said he held his first Senior Center program this past week at the Iowa City Johnson County Senior Center. He said he’s holding a course for the month of February 2010 on county government. He said that on February 12, 2010, he’ll be giving a presentation on how tax dollars are being spent. Neuzil said his next listening post will be at Mekong Restaurant in Iowa City on February 12, 2010, at 11:30 a.m.
Sullivan thanked all of the County’s emergency personnel and road crews for all of their work during the bad weather the County has experienced recently. Sullivan reviewed the 5 Year Road Plan. He worked at the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) Souper Bowl Supper. Sullivan attended the Communications Committee Meeting. He attended the Grand Opening of the Swisher Public Library. He reminded the Board that he's been serving on the Job Evaluation Team and there are several positions that they have to look at.
Rettig told the Board that she was in Des Moines today for her Natural Resources Commission Meeting, which is part of the Board of Directors for the Department of Natural Resources (DNR). She said she had an opportunity to be at the Iowa State Capitol Building and learned about many cuts in funding that will occur. Rettig said she also wanted to say that there is a Trail Working Group between Linn, Black Hawk, and Johnson Counties that she was assigned to. That group is scheduled to meet on February 12, 2010. Rettig added that the new working committee about the wetlands mitigation bank will be meeting on February 19, 2010, at 1:00 p.m. at Secondary Roads.
Harney said he also attended the DVIP Souper Bowl Supper. He said that on February 5, 2010, Stutsman and he went with Planning and Zoning to their site visit. He added that he had a liaison with Facilities Director David Kempf. He said they certainly appreciate what Kempf has done. Harney said he and Neuzil were scheduled to go to Washington D.C. with the annual Chamber trip there, but the trip was canceled. He said that this morning he attended the Chamber Local Government Affairs Meeting and there was an update from the Iowa City and Coralville Fire Departments. He said that on March 9, 2010, there will be an Iowa City area Homebuilders National Association of Homebuilders sponsored speaker, Senior Economist Elliot Eisenberg. He said that he's had several other meetings this week with residents on various issues with roads and so forth. He noted word they received this afternoon about a County Secondary Roads vehicle having a train accident.
Stutsman said she also attended the Iowa State Association of Counties (ISAC) Meeting in Des Moines. She said that she had a County Case Management Board Meeting. Stutsman said that the other thing that she wanted to mention is FNET spending and that the Board needs to contact Senator Chuck Grassley's Office and Senator Tom Harkin's Office and say how important it is that this extension needs to be put in and what the impact is it will have on the County at a local level.
Adjourned at 7:22 p.m.
By Nancy Tomkovicz, Recording Secretary