Chairperson Harney called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:00 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.

Unless otherwise noted, all actions were taken unanimously.

Motion by Lehman, second by Thompson, to approve the claims on the Auditor’s Claim Register, as approved by a majority of the Supervisors.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Neuzil, to approve the minutes of the formal meetings of February 20 and 21, 2003.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Lehman, to approve the payroll authorizations submitted by department heads, as approved by a majority of the Supervisors.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Thompson, to approve and authorize the Chairperson to sign a Renewal Application for Class C Liquor License, Application For Outdoor Service Area, and Application For Sunday Sales Privilege for Pleasant Valley Golf Course, Iowa City, as submitted by Arie Kroeze.

Motion by Lehman, second by Stutsman, to accept the Recorder’s Report of Fees Collected for the month of January, 2002, in the amount of $166,768.66, as submitted by County Recorder Kimberly Painter.

Convened Public Hearing on Johnson County Services Management Plan Strategic Plan for Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Services FY 2004 – FY 2006 at 9:07 a.m.

Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet presented the Johnson County Services Management Plan for Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Services for FY 2004-2006.

Stutsman asked if this plan goes to DHS for approval. Sweet said DHS doesn’t approve the Strategic Goals section of the Services Management Plan but it does have to be on file with them by April 1, 2003. Harney asked if costs associated with the Strategic Goals have been budgeted. Sweet said funds will be expended out of MH/DD and projects anticipated to spend in FY 04 were included in the FY 04 MH/DD budget. Lehman asked if Sweet feels comfortable she’ll have the funds to accomplish the goals. Sweet said she feels comfortable they will be able to accomplish the goals at some level, but maybe not the level they would like to. She said a big challenge will be staff time.

Stutsman asked Assistant County Attorney Janet Lyness if they need to be more specific about costs in the Strategic Goals, citing concerns that she doesn’t want a State audit to come back saying something was done wrong. Lyness said the State Auditor didn’t like that the County had listed a specific amount for projects, so the way the Strategic Goals are written is a better way. Stutsman asked if it will be acceptable. Lyness said that is what she was told. Sweet said she was told this in a meeting with 20 people. Stutsman asked why the State won’t put it in writing. Sweet said she emailed them questions and didn’t get a response. Stutsman said she needs things in writing because they’re going down the same path they did before, which is unacceptable. She said she’ll have to rely on the County Attorney and the minutes. Sweet said this is repetitive of last spring when they posed questions in writing that weren’t responded to in writing but verbally, and sometimes not at all. Sweet said she has made her question by email so there is documentation of the request and posed the question in a meeting where several people were present. Sweet said they were surprised that no one had responded to her email and did say that it was OK to use terms such as "negligible, moderate and significant." Harney asked if they are better off stating an approximate amount of dollars because using terms like that doesn’t explain an amount of dollars. Sweet said they are talking hundreds of thousands of dollars in total for some of the goals. Lyness said if the Board wishes to be more specific they may do so. Lyness said they need to decide how accurate they can be in these estimates, because the State Auditor did point out as a concern an area where the County had underestimated the costs of a project. Harney said he would like to have a general idea of a cost but would rely on recommendations of the County Attorney’s Office. Lyness said they could put phrasing in such as "likely to exceed this amount" if the Board wanted to have numbers in the Goals. Stutsman liked that suggestion. Lehman said it is a tough call because if they put down a number and exceed it, they will be criticized, but they also will be criticized if they don’t put down a number at all. Stutsman said the Plan can be amended. The problem they got into before, she explained, was that amendments weren’t made. Thompson said there often isn’t time to make amendments before making the expenditures. This is difficult, she explained, because they don’t go out for bids or proposals before drafting the plan. Sweet said one concern with the State Audit report and this discussion is that never has the Services Management Plan been used to identify costs. She said Senate File 69 came into being in July of 1996 and since the beginning the Services Management Plan talked about policies and procedures for providing services and the budget is what drives the administrative component and expenditures. Sweet said for the first time last spring every county in the state heard from Johnson County’s audit about things that should be in the Services Management Plan, but at the same time the Services Management Plan doesn’t approve expenditures. Sweet said Chapter 25, which governs the CPC function and the Services Management Plan, does not state the cost is needed in the Services Management Plan. Lyness said there are public hearings on the budget, so nothing is being hidden if it isn’t included in the Plan. Thompson said they didn’t get criticized where the plan was silent, only where the plan outlined a cost and that cost was then exceeded. She said it seems better to be vague. Harney agreed. Stutsman said her concern is that they will say a cost needs to be identified. Sweet said in the area that Thompson references, they had amended the budget.

No one from the public spoke.

Stutsman asked if goal 9 should mention budget resources. Sweet suggested the wording of "within budgetary limitations and parameters of the Services Management Plan". Stutsman said she would feel more comfortable making sure people understand that needs can be identified but that doesn’t mean they automatically will be addressed.

Public Hearing closed at 9:25 a.m.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Lehman, to approve the Johnson County Services Management Plan Strategic Plan for Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Services FY 2004 – FY 2006.

Whereas, Resolution 02-20-03-B1 "AMENDING THE FISCAL YEAR 2003 JOHNSON COUNTY BUDGET" was passed to make adjustments to the current fiscal year budget; and

Whereas, it was determined on February 24, 2003 that the February 20, 2003 budget amendment was invalid because publishing requirements were not met

Therefore be it resolved that Resolution 02-20-03-B1 is hereby rescinded.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Neuzil, to approve Resolution 02-27-03-B1.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Thompson, to set a Public Hearing on FY 2003 Budget amendments on March 27, 2002 at 9:00 a.m.

Whereas, the recent weather conditions have caused soft subgrade and surface conditions to develop on some Secondary Roads; and

Whereas, it is deemed to be in the best public interest and welfare to preserve the road system in the best possible condition; and

Whereas, Sections 321.471, 321.472, and 321.473 of the Code of Iowa provide local authorities the right to restrict the weight of vehicles;

Therefore, be it resolved that an embargo be authorized where necessary on the Secondary Roads System for Johnson County. The County Engineer is authorized beginning on February 27, 2003, to restrict gross loads on certain sections of the road system showing extreme distress at this time. He shall be authorized to restrict all traffic to an 8-ton gross load if necessary and to place temporary signs to comply with Section 321.472.

Motion by Lehman, second by Thompson, to approve Resolution 02-27-03-01.

Motion by Thompson, second by Neuzil, to approve and authorize the Chairperson to sign the 28E agreement between the City of Coralville and Johnson County Ambulance Service to station an ambulance in the Coralville Fire Station.

Motion by Neuzil, second by Stutsman, to assign Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan as the contact person to receive and review (CAFO) Confinement Animal Feeding Operations applications.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Thompson, to cancel the Board of Supervisors’ formal and informal meetings for the week of March 16th due to the Iowa State Association of Counties Spring School of Instruction and Spring Break.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Lehman, to appoint Dennis Byrnes and Ron Mavrias to the Johnson County Housing Task Force for a term ending June 30, 2004.

Motion by Lehman, second by Thompson, to approve and authorize the Chairperson to sign an Application For Fireworks Permit for William John Rockafellow, 4755 Vincent Avenue SE, Iowa City, on May 25, 2003.

Adjourned to informal meeting at 9:50 a.m.

/s/Pat Harney, Chair, Board of Supervisors

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary

These minutes were sent for publication and formal approval on March 6, 2003.