• Discussion: Report from Communications Committee

• Report (Thompson): Anticipated Fincore Proposals; Upcoming Senior Center 28E Agreement Meeting; Upcoming Elected Officials Meeting; Upcoming Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Planning Council Meeting; and Upcoming Conference Board Meeting

Chairperson Thompson called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 8:55 p.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.

Thompson: Business from the County Attorney?

Assistant County Attorney Andy Chappell: No business.

Thompson: Business from the Board of Supervisors, discussion action regarding a report from the Communications Committee.

Stutsman: Do you want to go ahead Terrence?

Neuzil: It was a great meeting. We had a really nice meeting. The budget, I mean the budget thing is really how we’re looking at this whole thing. There’s some really neat ideas happening with communications, Sally. Tell us about those.

Stutsman: Well what we wanted to bring to the Board, is recommendations from the Communications Committee to no longer do the external newsletter through The Advertiser. That costs probably a little over $700 to do and we do that 4 times a year. Because of the budget cuts we just felt we needed to eliminate that and came up with the idea that we will still put together an external newsletter and write articles that are relevant to what’s happening to County government. But we will just have that available through the web and not through the external…

Neuzil: So we’re going to continue to do it, it’s just going to be on the web. I think they’re also looking at maybe some in house printing for some things too. It will help save some money.

Stutsman: But we thought since there was a formal Board approval to enter into the agreement doing the external newsletter, we felt that it should come for the Board to put it on the agenda for next week for the Chairperson to write a letter to the Gazette saying we’re no longer going to continue that external newsletter. If that’s what the Board wants to do. We have some other ideas and so we just thought the money would be better spent doing some other things through the Communications Committee.

Neuzil: Things are going to get tighter. We’re looking at doing a nice volunteer appreciation for all the persons that sit on the Board and Commissions. I know we’re working on that right now. That would be in April. We’re working on coming up with a plan for a nice display case where we can also promote what’s happening in County government through, not only just maps and all those information pieces. But potentially things that people, department heads can put in front of people to say, see what their County governments doing. I think we’re real interested in continuing to do something in regards to the County Fair. We want to continue to do that. We’re looking at ideas in regards to a County brochure that again explains what your County government’s doing. We’re not stopping, we’re just trying to find efficiencies in, because that’s County budget now.

Stutsman: So if we could, if the Board’s in agreement with the recommendations from the Communications Committee, we’ll just put this on for formal action for next week.

Thompson: It’s kind of sad, it’s been a nice thing that we did.

Neuzil: Yes. We’re going to try to continue to promote press releases, we’re going to try to promote the kind of things that are happening in County government and hopefully get the press to pick up those kinds of things too. There’s some neat things that we do every single day, we’ve got to get the word out.

Stutsman: The Communications Committee is really committed to our goal, or our strategic plan. That’s to communicate what County government does to the tax payers of the County, but we’re just looking at the most efficient way to do that.

Neuzil: Today the Department of Public Health contacted me, because we put together a list of how to get a hold of your media and write media press releases. Today they want an electronic form of that so they can let other members of the Department of Public Health. Those are the kinds of things we’re going to continue to do to help promote County government.

Thompson: Well it’s commendable that your able to be flexible and figure out other ways to accomplish your mission. Do we have agreement to put this on for next week? We’re up to reports and inquiries from the Board. Should we dispense with reports and inquiries, because it’s already 9:00?

Stutsman: That’s fine with me. Anything I had… Pat, he worked really hard on his report.

Harney: No, that’s fine.

Lehman: If he gives his we won’t have time for ours anyway.

Neuzil: We can compromise and let Pat do his.

Thompson: Shall we.

Neuzil: Pat tell us what we did this week. Lots of budgeting and we’re getting close. Very close. Yes.

Thompson: Let’s see. I would just remind the Board FINCORE proposals come in tomorrow. We’re opening them on Tuesday and Mike’s going to be reviewing them for the Board.

Stutsman: Thank you, Mike.

Thompson: Yes, thank you. 9:00 a.m. next Tuesday the 28E Senior Center group is meeting. 1:30 on Tuesday is Elected Officials meeting. 4:30 on Tuesday is MH/DD Planning Council. 6:30 on Tuesday is the Conference Board, so we’re stacked up on Tuesday next week.

Stutsman: Offices aren’t open on Monday.

Thompson: Yes, our offices are closed on Monday for the holiday. Anything else? Any inquiries and reports from the public.

Neuzil: Yes, again happy Valentine’s day to all of you.

Stutsman: Thank you Terrence.

Thompson: Thank you.

Neuzil: Who brought the cookies anyway?

Stutsman: I did.

Neuzil: Did you bring the cookies? Thank you.

Thompson: Oh that was nice.

Stutsman: It was a joy spending my Valentine’s day with my coworkers. Not my first choice you understand.

Thompson: We’re adjourned.

Adjourned at 9:05 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary

Sent to the Board of Supervisors on February 19, 2002 at 5:30 p.m.