MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
DEPARTMENT HEAD MEETING
NOVEMBER 21, 2000
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chairperson Stutsman called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building as a Department Head Meeting at 1:35 p.m. Members present were: Charles Duffy, Jonathan Jordahl, Mike Lehman, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.
Department heads present were: Ambulance Director Mike Sullivan, County Assessor Jerry Musser, County Recorder Kim Painter, County Treasurer Tom Kriz, Department of Human Services Area Administrator Cheryl Whitney, Disaster Services Director Tom Hansen, Facilities Manager Mike Scheer, General Relief Director Mary Kay Hull, Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek, Information Services Director Jean Schultz, Chief Juvenile Detention Officer Brandon Beaudry, Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet, Senior Dining Director Mike Foster, Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak, and Public Health Director Graham Dameron. Staff present were: Sheriff’s Major Duane Lewis, Board of Supervisors Administrative Assistant Carol Peters, Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne and Auditor’s Office Recording Secretary Casie Parkins.
Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet introduced Clinical Supervisor Bruce Juetten and Financial and Statistical Supervisor David Herting. Juetten said he has been working in Human Services since 1978 in various locations across the country. He said he has worked in a variety of different areas including residential services, opening and operating group homes, and apartment living type programs. Juetten said he has worked with the mentally retarded, developmentally disabled and mentally ill patients. Juetten said he views his purpose at Johnson County as a Clinical Supervisor so he is not involved with issues of funding. He said he works directly with caseworkers and consults on difficult cases to identify plans of action and to assure that there is follow through on the plans of action. Herting said this is his first venture into governmental accounting and it has been interesting. Herting said some of his major responsibilities are keeping abreast of legislation to ensure that financial and statistical statements he has prepared are in accordance with federal and state mandates. He said he assists in preparation of MH/DD’s annual budget, ensures timely and accurate preparation of MH/DD financial statements, reviews the general ledger as well as supervising the financial and statistical daily gathering and information. Herting said he sees a lot of good coming to the department in the near future.
Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek said if department heads have an employee that needs to get off work due to an illness, the adoption of a child, or an illness of a family member they need to contact the Human Resources Department to see if the leave would fall under the Family Medical Leave Act. Shramek said the County policy states that Family Medical Leave paperwork needs to be filled out if the employee is going to be gone 2 weeks or more. Shramek said in the case of intermittent leave where someone, for example, would be taking every Friday afternoon off, if that total period would equal 2 weeks or more then they also need to fill out the paperwork. Shramek said it would be better for someone to fill out the paperwork and then not need it. For an employee to qualify for Family Medical Leave the person has to first be employed with the County for 12 months. They don’t have to be full time but they do have to have worked at least 1,250 hours in the last 12 months. Shramek said if it is a planned leave they are supposed to ask in advance, 30 days for foreseeable circumstances and no longer than one or 2 business days after they would find out that they first need leave, for unforeseen circumstances. Shramek said the law covers any absences that are 3 days or more, while the county policy takes a wider approach of 2 weeks or more. Shramek said sometimes an employee will be eligible under the law but doesn’t need to fill out County paperwork unless they have exhausted all of their paid leave. Shramek said they went with the 2 week guideline so they didn’t have to fill out paperwork on a regular basis. Shramek said in 1999 they had 35 requests for Family Medical Leave. Shramek said Family Medical Leave runs concurrently with paid sick leave and they require employees to use half of their accrued vacation.
Shramek said recently they have had questions regarding jury duty. Shramek said if there is an employee called to serve on jury duty they receive a stipend from the court of $5 or $10 a day. Shramek said it is the employee’s choice whether they want to keep that stipend or receive their regular pay from Johnson County. Shramek said it is important to follow up with them and have them turn in their stipend check signed into Johnson County. Shramek said employees can keep any money they are reimbursed for parking or mileage.
Stutsman asked what the policy is if a department head is asked to do a speaking engagement regarding their work at Johnson County. Shramek said that if they are paid they should turn those monies over to the County.
REPORTS/UPDATES FROM DEPARTMENT HEADS
Stutsman introduced Supervisor Elect Terrence Neuzil who will be taking office January 1, 2001.
Ambulance Director Mike Sullivan said he has had enough response from people to do a defibrillator training, which will probably be done in spring, and it is probably feasible to put one in the Administration Building. Planning and Zoning Administrator Rick Dvorak asked when the Ambulance Department would be offering CPR training. Sullivan said he doesn’t do CPR training anymore because the Heart Association does it now through the community colleges.
Public Health Department Director Graham Dameron said the Public Health Department is offering flu and tetanus shots in December at several locations for $5.
Shramek offered her services to anybody that is adding a non-bargaining position and would like help with job descriptions.
Facilities Manager Mike Scheer said they had pipes break in the jail and would like to talk to Supervisors about what they are going to do about the problem.
Dvorak said Johnson County has adopted a building code that will be effective December 1, 2000, and will be adopting the amendments to it soon. They will soon be starting the interviewing process for the building inspectors.
County Assessor Jerry Musser said Monday they are sending out 9,000 postcards asking people what they might have changed on their properties, and notified department heads that they may be receiving phone calls accidentally.
Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne said budget hearings are starting on December 8 and will run through December 20.
County Recorder Kim Painter said she attended Iowa State Association of Counties and agreed to become a legislative alternate and one reason she did it was because the E-Commerce Bill passed last year will continue to move forward. She said relating to this, there has been pressure to adopt one standard real estate software for the state of Iowa. A lot of counties are concerned about this because they try really hard to use software that is the least proprietary and allows them to provide the most portable data to customers. Painter said this is a management issue and she thinks they will be able to maintain their autonomy in terms of software. Painter said part of it will be an educational effort. The Document Management Committee met and had reviewed good project proposals from the Ambulance Service and Health Departments. She said the Committee agreed to recommend budget allocations for them. Musser said they have been copying their Homestead and Military Credit paper records into the paperclip system which will help with their document storage.
Department of Human Services Area Administrator Cheryl Whitney said the American Humane Association was invited to visit Johnson County and view their child protection system. The Department of Human Services is also in the process of filling 3 positions. Whitney reported that the Cluster Board/Board of Social Welfare is hosting a meeting on Childcare at the Public Library.
Emergency Management Director Tom Hansen said they are going to get an assistant, which will help a lot and they have been working on terrorism and bio-terrorism.
Sheriff’s Major Duane Lewis said they received a State grant for an automated fingerprinting system that is working well, and they are trying to get a video arraignment system set up at the Courthouse.
Senior Dining Director Mike Foster said they have had a successful initiative starting Senior Dining at the Coralville Rec. Center on Tuesdays with 30 to 60 participants.
Dameron said they are working on the bio-terrorism along with Emergency Management to receive funding. Dameron said this will be helpful in the future for planning whether they have received money or not. Dameron said there was a major bio-terrorism bill passed unanimously by the House and Senate that will have major implications for Public Health departments. Dameron said the County Attorney’s Office in cooperation with the City Councils’ is now proceeding to fine stores for selling tobacco to minors.
Chief Juvenile Detention Officer Brandon Beaudry said the new Juvenile Court Office is located on Kirkwood Avenue and have tossed around the idea of having an open house. Beaudry said Johnson County was allocated less money for residential treatment next year which will be difficult.
Sweet said this is the first time in 2 years that MH/DD is fully staffed.
Thompson gave an update on Space Needs. The Health Department is working on their project this month. She said the Building Code Department is finished and the Courthouse is having its bathrooms remodeled. Thompson said any departments with space needs should let the Board know.
SCHEDULING DATE AND TIME OF NEXT MEETING
The Board and department heads scheduled their next meeting for January 16, 2000 at 1:30 p.m.
Adjourned at 2:30 p.m.
Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor
By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary