Stutsman: Business from the Board of Supervisors. Item A. Discussion Action Needed Regarding Grant Application for Substance Abuse Funding from the Department of Public Health in the Amount of $10,000. Carol do you want to discuss…briefly talk about this?

Peters: This is the basically the same grant that the County has been applying for, I’m going to say at least 10 years. And the County contracts it to MECCA, which they use $30,000 match, in order to get, for us to get the $10,000. And that $30,000 again comes from the County and this is for substance abuse education.

Stutsman: And this comes from through Health Department subcontracted to MECCA?

Peters: Yes.

Stutsman: For the services. And it’s from the…

Peters: Well, well actually it comes from the Health Department to the Board of Supervisors and then it’s subcontracted to MECCA.

Stutsman: OK. And this is from the Iowa Department of Public Health. OK. Are there any other questions?

Peters: I’d like to get that on next week for approval if that’s OK?

Stutsman: All right.

Thompson: I have no questions.

Stutsman: All right.

Stutsman: Item B. Discussion Action Needed Regarding Appointing the Following to the Juvenile Crime Prevention Policy Board for a Term Ending September 30, 2002. This would be Lone Tree School’s representative, Mike Rouse, Iowa City Police Department representative, Tom Widmer, Coralville Police Department representative, Bill Sears, Juvenile Member, Jeffrey Barthol, and a youth member, David Lane. Carol, do you have any comments about these appointments or?

Thompson: Yes. It was our original intent to expand the Juvenile Crime Prevention Policy Board to 50 members and so we’re lucky to have these applicants to expand the group. But, we still need more applications and so if people want to make an application to the Board, they can get that off of our website or pick up an application here at the office.

Stutsman: So, if there’s no comments, should we put that on then for a formal action for next Thursday? All right. Thank you and thanks to, well, you’ve done some recruiting and I think Marlene Perrin, who is the Coordinator of the Juvenile Justice Policy Grant has done some coordinating and continues to do a good job in getting some good people to serve on that important board. Item C. Discussion Action Needed Regarding Appointments to the Iowa Valley Resource Conservation and Development Board of Directors. Carol?

Peters: Thank you. I just wanted to get this before you. Subsequent to your appointment of the various members of your Board, to various boards and commissions, it was brought to my attention that you will need to readdress this particular appointment. Cathy Wilson has forwarded information to me. Right now you have 2 Board Members on this committee. Actually, it’s suppose to be one Board Member and then the Board of Supervisors collectively is to appoint one person from the Soil and Water Conservation District. I do have their names and addresses. I have not had an opportunity however, to contact them and see which one would be willing to serve and share appointees. So, hopefully by next Thursday I’ll have that ready to go.

Stutsman: All right. Very good. Any questions for Carol concerning these appointments? So, we’ll put that on for formal action then next Thursday. Discussion Action Needed Regarding Appointment to the Iowa City Riverfront and National Areas Commission.

Peters: This is another update. We have advertised several times for this particular recommendation for appointment to no avail. And I guess I’m back to the Board trying to suggest perhaps that you make personal recruitments. Our advertising is just falling on deaf ears. I know you don’t like to do this.

Stutsman: Can you explain just a little bit about the term length and what this appointment is for?

Peters: OK. This is, this is for a term ending… It’s a several year appointment. And what this is, this is actually a city commission and they request that the Board of Supervisors appoint one person from the unincorporated area to represent Johnson County’s thoughts and concerns. And then when you make the appointment you make a recommendation to the city that you recommend that this person be appointed.

Stutsman: So, probably somebody that…

Peters: I will get this back out on the web again.

Stutsman: All right. If any of us know anybody that might have a particular interest in Iowa City Waterfront, and what happens with that, maybe Jonathan, you might know some people who have interest in the trails project or, or something.

Jordahl: You say there’s no specific category that this person has to belong to, owner of County property, City resident.

Peters: Not for this one. That comes in the next one, the appointments of the Compensation Commission.

Jordahl: Oh. Thank you.

Thompson: So, what will we do? Readvertise and then if we happen to know someone we can suggest that they apply?

Peters: Well, what I was going to suggest is we just put an advertisement out there with no ending date, so that if an appropriate applicant comes forward that shows an interest, like I say, we’ve advertised twice without deadlines for applications. We just haven’t gotten anything.

Stutsman: OK. Thank you Carol. Discussion Action Needed Regarding Appointments to the Compensation Commission for a Term Ending December 31, 2000. And recruitment here has paid off because we do have 3 people, 4 people who have applied. One under License Real Estate Brokers or sales persons, Ernie Galer, Deanna Miller and Bill Wittig. And for owners of city or town property, we have a new application, and that’s from Jim Schintler.

Peters: Actually, this is a new old application. What, what we did here was, I contacted Bill, who was already on the commission, under the category of city and town property, and asked if he would be willing to move over to the Licensed Real Estate Broker and Sales Person.

Stutsman: OK.

Peters: And Jim Schintler, who had been in that position earlier, but can no longer serve under that category, because he no longer actually holds a realtors license; he is semi-retired. But he is an owner of city or town property. So, we talked those 2 into just kind of switching places. However, Ernest Galer and Deanna Miller, they are new.

Stutsman: All right.

Peters: And if that’s OK, I have that on next Thursday.

Stutsman: Are there any thoughts from the Board? Nope. OK. Then why don’t we just put appointments to the Compensation Commission on for next Thursday. Item…

Peters: Thank you.

Stutsman: Thanks Carol.

Stutsman: Minutes Received from the Heritage Area Agency on Aging Advisory Council for October 28th, 1999, from the Johnson County Council of Governments Urbanized Area Policy Board for November 17, 1999, from the East Central Iowa Council of Governments Board of Directors for November 29, 1999, and for the Senior Center Commission for December 21, 1999. We have next on the agenda, reports and inquiries. Let’s see. Charlie, do you have any reports this morning?

Duffy: Oh, I got quite a few. But, I know it’s going to be busy here. You and Mike are going to be up in Cedar Rapids at 1:00.

Stutsman: Right.

Duffy: And I have to be up there at 3:00, so…

Stutsman: Well, would it be OK with the Board if we kind of not have reports this morning and keep the agenda moving along.

Duffy: I got some but…

Stutsman: And I do, too, Charlie.

Duffy: You know I wouldn’t give you and Mike too much time.

Jordahl: This is the one matter that we might want to discuss and that’s the question of the tax limitation stuff that is about to committee and legislature that hits the floor, we’re going to have a problem. And we might want to talk with our neighboring city representatives, schedule some kind of a sit down right quick so that we can get back with our legislative on some kind of unified voice about this.

Stutsman: That came from our attendance at the ISAC, Iowa City Association of Counties Meeting on Wednesday. There was some concerns that this might be brought forward out of the Republican Caucus, and if it does, it probably will be on the fast track.

Jordahl: And our representative Dick Myers has been involved a committee looking at this and so he has a big voice in the situation. So, they recommended that we speak with our local cities, and have a kind of a joint city county sit down with our legislators. And indicate that we thought it would be appropriate if we exercise our jurisdiction in our area of jurisdiction, and they exercise jurisdiction in theirs and not bother with telling us what to do. We’re, we’re elected to make decisions about the taxes here.

Stutsman: One other thing that I would just like to bring forward. I think we need to have on next Thursday, a continuation of the report from the Space Needs Committee. Maybe invite Pete Hayek to come back and so that we can give them some direction about where we want to go. Between now and then, if Board Members could review that report and then we can discuss it again and give some direction about where we go from here. We have some kind of plan in place.

Lehman: Might just remind the Board Members and any of the public that tomorrow morning the AG Committee of the Chamber of Commerce is holding a breakfast at Montgomery Hall. If anyone might want to call the Chamber to reserve, it’s $5, but they’re going to have a speaker and Soil and Water Conservation should be interesting. That’s at 7:00 tomorrow morning at Montgomery Hall.

Stutsman: Thank you. Anything else? OK. Thank you. Inquiries and reports from the public? Holly? You need to identify yourself for the Auditor’s Office.

Holly Berkowitz: I’m Holly Berkowitz. I live in Iowa City and I’ve lived in Johnson County for 10 years. I’ve seen directions that the County has been going and I wonder which direction we’re heading. Has anyone been to Los Angeles or you heard anything about Los Angeles and the problems with transportation Los Angeles has?

Jordahl: Yes.

Duffy: I’ve heard a lot about that.

Berkowitz: I’m afraid we’re heading in that direction. And when you talk about direction of transportation or… You also talk about direction of development and you also talk about what the County is going to be like in more than cash. We need to think about the County and more than cash, bottom line sheets at this time. We need to look ahead 70 years from now and say, what kind of world are we making? What kind of world are we planting right now or are we ignoring certain things that are going to erode through time and cause a lot of costs down the road, that we don’t really anticipate now, but the seeds are there for our destruction. That’s too harsh of a term. I’m going to focus my comments…

Stutsman: Holly, you’re going to have 5 minutes, so I think you need to limit your comments.

Berkowitz: OK. I’m going to focus my comments on Peter Hayek’s presentation for the prison. I talked with him out in the hall and asked him why the cash calculations were not in this report. He said he didn’t feel it was relevant, but I asked him. You know, when you’re talking about space for a public facility where you’re talking about costs both of construction and, and people’s lives, which are impossible to count in cash. Then, you have to present your findings of cash and it seems inconceivable to me that you, the County or the committee would’ve come this far without even talking about the costs on the table right now. I’m just talking about plain old cash reports from every year. That seems impossible to be talking about building more out in the boonies out on a nice field without talking about the costs to human lives that are impossible to count. The costs 70 years down the road from now that are going to grow through time, whether we want them to or not. If we hide them now, they are still going to grow. One of those costs is the frustration of kids, who see a negative world of negative force, as their only option, of walls and barriers. Concrete walls and barriers. And what I’m asking is, do we want a negative world down the road, of walls and barriers, pushing everybody away and trampling everybody and crushing seeds and seedlings that want to grow, or are we willing to plant a more positive world. Farming is hard. I know it’s hard. I grew up on a farm. I worked on a farm in Germany. I was in Israel this month. The Israelis want to be like Americans. They just want the glamour of the cash and so they’re trying, they’re killing themselves trying to be like Americans. Let’s have the vision to show the world that we can do more than count cash. The reason we’re a great nation is that we have the ready resources to use either wisely or foolishly. One of our greatest resources is almost the most hidden. And that greatest resource is the seed within each person that wants to grow up and be a very positive person in a positive world. But, that’s very difficult to do. If you look at the quadrant in mathematics, it’s win-win, lose-lose, lose-win or win-lose. All 3 of the negatives are negatives. A negative times a negative does not equal a positive. That sucks you down into hell. But, it’s much more difficult.

Stutsman: Holly, a couple more comments and then we need to move on.

Berkowitz: It’s much more difficult to grow a seedling through time. It’s not obvious, it’s not quick, it’s not cheap as a cash flow in the pocket. So, as public representatives, you need to represent the public and the people, the kids who have not been born yet, who need a positive world. In other words, before investing taxpayer dollars in a negative world, with negative force that says, we know you’re a bad person, so that person’s going to become a bad person, build a more positive world. Invest in a more positive world and wait for it to grow. And so, I suggest that you wait to, before you put any more funds into a prison, you explore all the avenues of prevention available to you. And to my knowledge, that has not been done. The library bonds failed. How do you expect a more expensive bonds for a prison that say, we don’t trust you to fail if we know that library…

Stutsman: Holly, Holly. Your 5 minutes are up. Thank you.

Berkowitz: OK. If a library offers hope to those who are struggling with their own self-esteem, self-expectations and self-motivation. Thank you.

Stutsman: Thank you. Anymore inquiries or reports from the public? Bob?

Welsh: Bob Welsh. Let me express appreciation on this first combination meeting. As you know, it’s one that I’ve advocated before. There is one procedural question I was hoping to discuss at some time. It seems to me that it would be well for the public discussion that the part of your informal meeting to be an opportunity for the public, who wants to address the Board on issues not on your agenda. And that it would be well if public has some comments to make on your items on your informal agenda, to have that opportunity to do so, while the staff persons who are here, making that presentation, so there could be some opportunity for dialog. I think your informal meeting needs to have some aspects of dialog in all and so I’m just expressing the hope that you do that as you proceed. Thank you.

Stutsman: All right. Thank you for your comment.

Stutsman: Moving back to Item 2. Business from Lora Shramek, Human Resources Administrator Regarding Johnson County Respectful Work Environment Policies. Good morning Lora.

Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek: Hi. I’m here to discuss the draft publication that includes the employment policies under the umbrella that leave entitled, respectful work environment policies. Included in the draft are equal employment opportunities, sexual harassment, which would include general harassment and bullying, workplace violence and alcohol and substance use. They represent both new and existing policies already in place here in Johnson County. The draft policies were introduced to the department heads at the November 23rd meeting. And comments and suggestions were collected. And last week I met with the County Attorney. Pat also made recommendations and those are currently being incorporated. At the January 18th department head meeting I announced that I would present them to the Board and we would be looking at a March, or recommending a March 1, 2000 implementation date or effective date. This would allow adequate notice to employees and provide Human Resources time for training. We currently will be meeting, we have an appointment with Paula Kelley from Synchrony, to finalize the training development. And that will occur in the 1st week in February. We are separating the policies so that they can be easily added to the employee handbook, which is currently in existence. And the copies of those separated policies will be available at the next formal meeting for actions.

Stutsman: Explain that last statement.

Shramek: The separated policies. What you have right now is the one publication that includes all of the policies kind of on, on one piece of paper. They’ll be separated out.

Stutsman: All right. Are there any questions? If the Board Members have had a chance to review the policies, they’ve gone through a number of steps of review. I don’t think there is anything that isn’t probably pretty standard for most workplaces I think.

Duffy: Did a lot of work on it and we appreciate that.

Shramek: Thank you.

Stutsman: OK. If there’s no questions or comments we’ll put this on for next Thursday then for formal approval.

Shramek: Yes.

Stutsman: Thank you Lora.

Shramek: Thank you.

Stutsman: I think that concludes everything that we had on the agenda for the formal, aside from the executive session. I…

White: And aside from County Attorney report.

Stutsman: Sorry Pat.

White: I, I, I do need to.

Stutsman: Oh. OK. I’m sorry we passed over that.

White: Well, we didn’t get to it yet.

Stutsman: Oh. OK.

Stutsman: Business from the County Attorney.

County Attorney J. Patrick White: I want to just give you a bit of information about a couple of Space Needs things to illustrate some of the difficulties we run into, just in terms of the way we’re organized. We have a little difficulty in Space Needs, identifying authority and contact, simply because of our decentralized organization. And also, the reality of some of these Space Needs analysis is things change, just when you think you’ve got a handle on something, a particular space question changes fairly quickly and you’ve got to regroup in short order. Sycamore Mall is an example. We tried the Space Needs Committee. Tried a year, year and a half ago to get some contact from them. They wouldn’t even return our phone calls and low and behold, here it is now being auctioned. Space Needs Committee talked about taking a look at it, but that’s a very difficult thing for us to do because of the time constraints. The auction is scheduled for February 24th. For a decentralized entity like us even to determine our level of interest in that short of time is very, very difficult. And on this particular point I just wanted to let the full Board know the Space Needs Committee asked Dwight Dobberstein to try to do a walk through, try to take any County people that could match schedules and I don’t know if any were able to go yesterday. Almost everybody had a conflict. There is another walk through scheduled for February 9th.

Jordahl: Also in the afternoon?

White: Yes. I believe the same time frame. And I’ll pass the word or Dwight will, to other department heads. My reason for raising that with the space committee and mentioning it to you is, I think, whenever we reach the point, and we’re going to, of needing to spend several million dollars on space needs, I think the public will ask what alternatives have you explored. I just think it is very important to our ongoing process that we do our best to take a serious look at the mall’s availability. And I just wanted to alert you to the problem with the time constraint. Two or 3 times I’ve had inquiries from one developer who is trying to make a judgement about whether to put in a bid. Whether the County would have an interest in some portion of the mall. And there are all sorts of options out there for public, private partnerships or multiple uses. 2 Board Members on the Space Needs Committee, the other day I would say one was luke warm, in not downright cool. Another, slightly more interested but not brimming with enthusiasm. I still think we need to take a look.

Stutsman: A follow up on that. February 9th, I think we need to communicate with Carol if it’s going to be more than 3 Board Members that are interested in going on that walk through.

White: Right. If the Board was going to show up in a majority, then we’d need to do it as an agenda. If one or 2 of you are available, we could set up. Then we don’t need a meeting if just one or 2 of you and we could either in a meeting or another format we could set up something other than the February 9th. I don’t have much doubt that we can, now that these people are trying to market it, they’ll be happy to schedule special…

Stutsman: Little different climate now than when we originally started.

White: Yes. It’s quite different climate.

Duffy: I think the whole Board should look at considering the mall. We’re talking about a lot of dollars here, like you said. Millions of dollars. Well, what is the procedure there? We have to have input from the public on bonds. Or just what is the procedure?

White: Well, it would depend how you financed it and what amounts.

Thompson: I don’t see how it would.

Duffy: Well, I think this is for public comment and get the public involved.

Stutsman: Charlie, can we hold off on discussion on these details because we still have an executive session. I noticed that there is still a, there’s a lot of people here for that executive session.

White: And one more space needs to illustrate the dynamics of these things. We’ve got a notice now this week from Security Abstract and the Willis Law Firm, who now can publicly be identified as the purchasers of the building that our juvenile court office is in. They’re being required to move out of this. Still I’m having trouble grasping this. A very functional, fully occupied, relatively new building at the intersection of Court and Dubuque, because the City of Iowa City has plans to acquire it and bulldoze it down and so they’re going to have to relocate and they like the location. And when the building we’re in came on the market, they quickly offered to buy it and were successful in acquiring it. They will need it for their business when the City makes them move out of the building they’re now in and so that means we’re going to have to start a more serious, earlier look at trying to find another site for our juvenile court office. And this, too, is an illustration of how, again, I think County government works very well. But, for an occasional project, we have trouble identifying who’s in charge or who’s going to lead the effort to do it. My recommendation is that as you get inquiries from people who think they have property available, that those be referred to Brandon Beaudry, who’s the Supervising Juvenile Court Officer for Johnson County, so that he can coordinate efforts to locate a new facility. And I had some comments about Jail Study Committee, but I’m going to hold those till next, I’ll try to come next week.

Stutsman: I didn’t want to cut you off Pat.

White: No. I would, we need to. I think I can do these executive sessions in 15 or 20 minutes, depending on how many questions you have.

Jordahl: As we think about scheduling a walk through at Sycamore, I have a doctor’s appointment that I cannot move at 3:00 that afternoon.

White: You’d be done.

Jordahl: Would I be done?

White: I’m sorry. I see the material. You should have material that Dwight brought today that says it’s at 1:00. You could walk quickly.

Jordahl: Well, I’ve been there before.

White: Yes. You’re not going to see a lot that we don’t already know.

Stutsman: All right. That takes care of everything as far as reports and inquiries from the County Attorney.

Motion by Duffy, second by Lehman, to enter Executive Session at 11:29 a.m. to discuss collective bargaining strategy for the Sheriff’s and Ambulance Units under section 20.17(3), Code of Iowa: "negotiating sessions, strategy meetings of public employees… shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter 21 (Official Meetings Open to the Public)," and "Tesdell vs. Johnson County" under section 21.5(1.c), Code of Iowa, "to discuss strategy with counsel in matters that are presently in litigation or where litigation is imminent where its disclosure would be likely to prejudice or disadvantage the position of the governmental body in that litigation." Roll call: aye: Lehman, Jordahl, Stutsman, Thompson, Duffy.

Recessed at 11:29 a.m.; reconvened at 11:40 a.m. Duffy left at 12:40 p.m.

Motion by Thompson, second by Lehman, to leave executive session at 12:43 p.m.

Adjourned at 12:43 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary