• GIS Coordinator Rick Havel: GIS Demonstration

• Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek: County Pay Period Schedule; and Employee Handbook

• Discussion: FY 2004 Budget Update

• Reports/Updates from Department Heads

• Scheduling Date and Time of Next Meeting

Chairperson Harney 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: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, and Carol Thompson; absent: Terrence Neuzil and Sally Stutsman.

Department heads present were: Ambulance Director Steve Spenler, City Assessor Dennis Baldridge, Conservation Department Director Harry Graves, County Engineer Mike Gardner, County Recorder Kim Painter, County Treasurer Tom Kriz, Emergency Management Director Tom Hansen, Facilities Manager David Kempf, General Assistance Director Kay Hull, Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek, Information Services Director Jean Schultz, Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Coordinator Elaine Sweet, Public Health Director Ralph Wilmoth, SEATS Director Tom Brase, and Veteran Affairs Administrator Leo Baier. Staff present were: Board of Supervisors Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan, Board of Supervisors Budget Coordinator Jeff Horne, Human Services Accountant Kathy Lynch, Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator R.J. Moore, GIS Coordinator Rick Havel, and Auditor’s Office Recording Secretary Casie Parkins.

GIS Coordinator Rick Havel gave a Geographical Information Systems demonstration. He showed different types of maps such as flood plain maps, National Fish and Wildlife Service maps, and cell tower location maps. Havel said other types of layers in the GIS system are different scales and he showed the difference between 400 scale delineation and 100 scale delineation. Havel said they use these maps as an automated mapping system to produce maps for every location in the County. He said each map is created and updated instantaneously. Havel said that over time the hanging map files will go away.

Havel showed subdivision maps. He said each layer has different elements that help create it, and come together to make up the whole. He said the shaded areas are polygons to show features and points and lines are used to create polygons. Havel said you first create the points then draw the lines to connect the points, then attach the aerial attributes. Havel said the parcel lines will show line work, nodes connecting the lines, and inside each aerial unit is a label point to show the attribute information. Havel said another layer is annotation. It shows legal property dimensions. Over time, Havel explained, the parcel element will go away because it is repetitive. He said they won't have to map it out because it is created dynamically. Havel showed information that is available to download from locations such as the DNR that will add to our GIS system.

SEATS Director Tom Brase asked if addresses are geo-coded. Havel said geo-coding takes a bit of work, that the parcel base has all of the house numbers in it. He said it can get tricky when they get into apartment buildings.

Ambulance Director Steve Spenler asked if the centerlines will be done next year. Havel said hopefully because the cities are strongly building up their GIS capabilities. He said they have a plan and will hit it hard after February and March. He said it is a 12-month plan but it could be accomplished in 6 months or 24 months because he needs to get the aerial photography project done

Havel reminded the department heads of the internal online mapping capability and showed everyone how to use it. He said they hope to have a public website available sometime this year. Information Services Director Jean Schultz said the online web is available to anyone on the County web. Harney thanked Havel and Schultz for their presentation.

Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek said the County has 2 pay period schedules, one where people are paid in arrears, and the other where they are paid through the date they received their check (in advance). In the second case, adjustments are made later for sick or vacation time. Shramek said eventually they want everyone on one pay schedule. After talking to the elected officials and department heads, Shramek said, they are in better shape than she thought they were; only 171 County employees are paid in advance. Shramek said there are 5 departments who pay their employees in advance and some departments have both pay scales. Shramek said out of the 171 employees she estimates there would be 50% of those who are willing to sell back the County a week. She said this is the best case scenario of getting people converted. Shramek said the worst case scenario is people who are living pay check to paycheck. Shramek said they could also deduct one week of pay over 26 pay periods. Shramek said this goal may not be reached in a year and those covered by a union contract would have to be bargained. She said they may consider negotiating a voluntary plan.

Veteran Affairs Administrator Leo Baier asked if they could get everyone converted by the end of the fiscal year. Shramek said that was the initial goal. Thompson asked about new employees. Shramek said that new employees should be started on the new pay period but the Board of Supervisors should do a motion to that effect. County Treasurer Tom Kriz said they will get very few people who will voluntarily convert to being paid in arrears. He said his employees will wait for the unions to get them something better than volunteering. Shramek said a decision has to be made about offering a voluntary program. She said they have had several voluntary conversions. Lehman asked how much trouble it will be to convert an employee. Shramek said they will coordinate it with the department head and the person who does the payroll. Human Services Accountant Kathy Lynch said it is easy. Kriz said they've done it.

Harney said one reason to get this accomplished is that the State Auditor's have said that you can't pay ahead for services you haven't received. Shramek said the County has had 2 situations where it has lost money. Kriz said it is a nightmare to keep track of. Shramek said she doesn't want to alarm employees but she wants to communicate that the County is getting serious about this goal. County Recorder Kim Painter said there are few times that the County has gone back and altered a situation where people have worked here a long time. Harney said the audit said they can't pay ahead for things they haven't received. Thompson said the principle is that you should treat all employees alike and having everybody on the pay in advance scale isn't very business like.

Shramek reported that she has recently provided all department heads and elected officials an employee handbook. She said they've recently added new policies and she is in the process of revising the handbook. Shramek said it would be beneficial to her for the County to form an employee handbook committee that would meet every other week as soon as contract negotiations are over. Shramek said she has 12 drafts to be reviewed and a list of over 12 new policies. She asked that anyone who would like to be on this committee see her to volunteer.

Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan said everything is going as scheduled with Fiscal Year 2004 budget process.

Public Health Department Director Ralph Wilmoth said he sent out an email to all department heads about the Lighten up Iowa contest. He said this contest is a way for citizens of Iowa to team up and compete in losing weight. Wilmoth reported that he has been spending a lot of time on disaster preparedness and it takes a lot of resources, some of which are coming from the Federal Government.

City Assessor Dennis Baldridge said they have had their budget meeting and are working on new construction. He also reported that employee Todd Kruse who was also in the Iowa National Guard has been called up for duty today.

Conservation Director Harry Graves said they have gotten a lot of work done due to the nice weather. Graves said they have done work on timber stand improvement and are putting in a water treatment system in the shower house. He said they hope to get a consultant to help them draft a long range comprehensive plan Graves reported that the renovations of the Conservation Education Center are well under way and their goal will be to complete 12 displays and dioramas by next year.

County Engineer Mike Gardner said they have had a couple 5 Year Road Plan meetings and the next one will be March 4, 2003 at 1:30. With the nice weather, he said, they are getting a lot of brush cut.

Ambulance Director Steve Spenler said they are moving their Coralville operation to the Coralville Fire Department in February.

Kriz said their first internet tax payments came in, which is exciting for their department.

Painter said they are intensifying their plans to go online. She said the hope is that over many years they will get all of their plats on line. Painter also reported that real estate processing is high for this time of year.

Assistant Planning and Zoning Administrator R.J. Moore said they are working with the Board of Supervisors and Zoning Commission and are ready to present their annual report. He also reported that he has 15 alternative high school members coming to their office to talk to them about Planning and Zoning.

Baier reported that the Iowa Veterans Home has a new commandant.

Schultz said they are trying to put more information on the web. She reminded people to give Information Services a copy of all press releases and departments with digital cameras can have pictures posted on the web.

Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet said many of the MH/DD activities have been on hold several months and a new exciting development is their Management Information System. She said this is a product that they will market to other MH/DD units in other counties.

SEATS Director Tom Brase said they promoted Kathy Davis to Operations Supervisor. He said Davis has been with SEATS for 10 years. Brase reported that contracts with University Heights and Coralville are moving forward.

Emergency Management Director Tom Hansen said homeland security has gone hogwild. He said he has got some Federal money coming in for a civilian rescue corps.

Facilities Director David Kempf said the nice weather has let the Physical Plant do some painting. He said they also have a Public Health project coming up.

Shramek reported that February first is an important day for safety because the OSHA log has to be presented. Shramek said that they have to figure out how many hours were worked per building.

The Board of Supervisors and department heads scheduled their next department head meeting for March 18, 2003.

Adjourned at 2:45 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary