Transcript Style

• Report (Thompson): Calendar for Jail Decision-making Process

• Report (White): Civil Attorney Hiring Process; New Planning And Zoning Assistant Planner; And Good Work Of Facilities Manager

• Report (Kriz): Held Annual Treasurer’s Tax Sale; And Change In DOT Office Hours

• Report (Carpenter): Upcoming Fingerprinting Computer System; Attended Meeting With U.S. West; And Open House For Retiring Emergency Management Director Jim McGinley

• Report (Slockett): Election Filing Deadlines

• Report (Lehman): Proposal for Truck Ordinance Near Dingleberry Quarry

• Report (Jordahl): Visited California Financial Software Company; And Attended AR Zoning Work Session

• Report (Painter): Document Management Subcommittee Update

• Discussion: Upcoming Leadership Training Sessions

• Discussion: GIS Coordinator

• Discussion: Human Resources Services For Elected Officials

• Report (Jordahl): Upcoming Microsoft Computer Training

• Discussion: Setting Date And Time Of Next Meeting

Chairperson Painter called the Johnson County Elected Officials Meeting to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 1:33 p.m.

Elected officials present were: County Attorney J. Patrick White; County Auditor Tom Slockett; County Recorder Kim Painter; County Sheriff Bob Carpenter; County Supervisors Charles Duffy, Jonathan Jordahl, Mike Lehman, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson; and County Treasurer Tom Kriz. Staff present was Auditor’s Office Recording Secretary Casie Parkins.

The elected officials thanked White for serving as Chair at past elected officials meetings.

Thompson passed out a calendar of meetings and deadlines for the Board to make a decision by August 30, 2000, regarding whether to place a jail bond issue on the November ballot. County Auditor Tom Slockett expressed concern that not enough time is being allotted for the decision regarding a new jail. Jordahl, Thompson, and Carpenter felt the process is adequate. Slockett said, if they are going to build a new jail, it should be in the vicinity of the Courthouse. Carpenter disagreed, seeing no prospects for acquiring land from the University. Thompson said, first they have to decide whether to ask the voters for a bond issue, then they will determine an appropriate site. Slockett expressed his concern about having the Jail bond issue on the same ballot as the 1st Avenue extension and the Iowa City Library. Carpenter underscored his concerns, if a bond issue is not approved, about costs of possibly a million dollars a year for housing prisoners out-of-county. Slockett said short-term costs could be offset be long-term savings, if the Jail is in proximity to the Courthouse. Painter suggested placing this issue on a future elected officials meeting agenda, so they might deliberate the issues being raised. Jordahl brought up the efficiency of staffing in a new building. Thompson suggested discussing these issues at the July 6th joint informational meeting. Carpenter encouraged further research by the other elected officials, including setting up a tour of the Jail. White asked for confirmation of the deadline for ballot language for a bond issue.

White said that they are nearing the end of the hiring process for their new Civil Attorney position, and will be using unused money in the budget to create office space for the new employee. He also mentioned that Planning and Zoning has hired their new Assistant Planner. White said the new Facilities Manager, Mike Scheer, is doing a terrific job and he thanked the Board for hiring him.

County Treasurer Tom Kriz said the annual Tax Sale went very well this year, collecting $650,000 worth of tax dollars. He also thanked all of the County employees who helped with that. Kriz informed the other elected officials that the DOT has extended their office hours to include Saturdays.

Because of a $180,000 grant received from the State, Carpenter said they will be installing a computer system for fingerprinting and mug shots. He said it will save on paperwork and errors. Carpenter said he, 3 judges, and White attended a meeting with U.S. West regarding the possibility conducting initial court appearances by television to save on transportation costs. He mentioned there is an open house at the Sheriff’s Department for retiring Emergency Management Director Jim McGinley.

Slockett said August 30th is the deadline to have ballot language submitted to the Auditor’s Office and September 28th is the first day of early voting.

Lehman said that Dingleberry Quarry has been renamed Ernst Quarry, and he discussed how Johnson County and Cedar County Secondary Roads departments’ gravel needs may effect the routes the trucks will be using.

Jordahl said he visited a software company in California with Slockett and Information Services Director Jean Schultz to look at financial software for the County, which included a human resource management component. Jordahl said the Board is looking at a proposal to make changes to the farmstead split provision that allows farmers to split off a parcel of land to build a second house without rezoning and make it less restrictive.

Painter said the Document Management Subcommittee will soon be creating a retention and disposition schedule for the Secondary Roads storage facility.

Because there is training money budgeted, the elected officials discussed having County staff attend leadership training sessions hosted by the Extension Service. Other training was discussed. A decision about the Extension Service training was postponed until someone from the County attends a session at another location and reports back.

White questioned whether it would be better to place the GIS (Geographic Information System) Coordinator in another department and not under the direct supervision of the Board of Supervisors. Jordahl said this decision was discussed considerably by the GIS Committee and the Computer Committee. Slockett said White’s idea had been rejected by the committees, himself excepted. Slockett added he would like to have the GIS Coordinator in the Auditor’s Office, but if not, then in Information Services. Jordahl noted the position would still be administratively under the Board, if placed under a department head appointed by the Board. Slockett gave the example of a City department reporting to the City Manager and not directly to the City Council. White pointed to the difficulty in reporting to 5 supervisors.

Discussion on Human Resources Services for elected officials was postponed until a later date.

Jordahl informed the elected officials of an upcoming Microsoft Office training workshop for $59.

The elected officials discussed whether or not to have a meeting for the specific purpose of discussing the Jail. After considerable discussion, they decided not to have an elected officials meeting to discuss the Jail and hold their regular elected officials meeting on August 22, 2000 at 1:30 p.m.

Adjourned at 3:12 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By: Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary

(to meeting transcript)