• Executive Session: Pre-Evaluations and Goal Setting of Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek and Information Services Director Jean Schultz

• County Engineer Mike Gardner: Progress Report of Secondary Roads

• Site Visit: Public Health Department with Director Ralph Wilmoth

Chairperson Harney called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:05 a.m. Members present were: Pat Harney, Mike Lehman, Terrence Neuzil, Sally Stutsman, and Carol Thompson.

Motion by Thompson, second by Lehman, to enter Executive Session at 9:05 a.m. to discuss collective bargaining strategy for Human Resources Administrator Lora Shramek and Information Services Director Jean Schultz under section 20.17(3), Code of Iowa: "negotiating sessions, strategy meetings of public employees… shall be exempt from the provisions of chapter 21 (Official Meetings Open to the Public)." Roll call: aye: Neuzil, Stutsman, Harney, Lehman, Thompson.

Motion by Neuzil, second by Thompson, to leave Executive Session at 10:15 a.m. Roll call: aye: Neuzil, Stutsman, Harney, Lehman, Thompson.

Recessed at 10:15 a.m.; reconvened at 10:25 a.m.

County Engineer Mike Gardner updated the Board on the 5-Year Construction Program projects that are scheduled this year.

BRS-C052(62)--60-52=Bridge Replacement on IWV Road

Gardner said this is scheduled be in the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) December 16, 2003 bid letting. He said work is scheduled to start on the project April 1, 2004.

FM-C052(M-27-5)--55-52=Bridge Rehabilitation on Black Diamond Road

Gardner said they originally thought this project was going to be a rehab. He said the project is on hold because they are going to have to replace the structure.

FM-C052(M-30-2)--55-52=Bridge Rehabilitation on Black Diamond Road

FM-C052(S-2-1)--55-52=Bridge Rehabilitation on Sand Road

Gardner said that these 2 projects are tied together and are going to be let at the DOT on November 18, 2003. He said they also have an April start date.

LFM-S-2-2--7X-52=Bridge Rehabilitation on Sand Road

Gardner said that this project is going to need more than just a bridge deck. He said they are going to build a culvert at this location and it will be let sometime after the first of the year and have a spring start date.

BROS-C052(53)--8J-52=Bridge on Half Moon Avenue

Gardner said this project was completed this summer.

BRS-C052(61)--60-52=Bridge Replacement on IWV Road

Gardner said this project will be in the December 16, 2003 DOT bid letting with an April 1, 2004 start date.

LFM-M-28-2--7X-52=Bridge Replacement on Rohret Road

Gardner said that they had 8 bidders on this project and it came in under the estimate.

LFM-O-1-2--7X-52=Bridge Replacement on 340th Street

Gardner said this project has been completed.

LFM-U-26-2--7X-52=Culvert on 660th Street

L-J-36-1--73-52=Culvert on Osage Street

L-M-18-1--73-52=Culvert on Greencastle Avenue

L-O-19-4--73-52=Culvert on 400th Street

L-P-4-3--73-52=Culvert on 470th Street

L-T-36-1--73-52=Culvert on Wapello Avenue

L-X-13-1--73-52=Culvert on River Junction Road

Gardner said that all of the above projects were formally lumped into one project but the DOT asked that they be listed as separate projects. L-J-36-1--73-52 is completed. He said that they will work on these projects as time and money permits. Gardner said that they won’t be able to complete all of the projects this year. Thompson asked if there is plan for when the projects will be finished. Gardner said the issue is when they get the design finished if it is something that they can get done for the $65,000 that is allowed to be done in-house. He said that another issue is with maintenance and which ones are creating the most problems. Gardner said another issue is whether or not property owners are willing to work with Secondary Roads on the right-of-way. Gardner said they try to do 3 to 5 of these projects a year depending on the cost.

FM-C052(59)--55-52=Mehaffey/180th Phase 2 Resurfacing

Gardner said that this was completed this summer.

STP-S-C052(52)--5E-52=Wapsi Avenue Shoulder Widening and Resurfacing

Gardner said they will have a spring letting with a July 1, 2004 late start date. He said they are in the process of getting the plats and appraisals done so they can acquire right-of-way.

STP-S-C052(67)--5E-52=Sand Road Grading and Paving

Gardner explained that they are hoping to work on this by next summer. He said they have had to go into a Phase II and possibly a Phase III archaeological study because of some of the archaeological finds. Gardner said that this project is also impacting some wetlands so they are working with the Conservation Department for mitigation sites. Lehman asked if there is a cost to Secondary Roads to do the archaeological study. Gardner said yes but they budget for them every year knowing that they will have those costs involved. Lehman asked what the timetable is for meeting with the residents. Gardner said they will be doing that shortly. He said they are working on the preliminary establishment of the existing right-of-way lines so that when they meet with residents again they have things for them to look at. Gardner said that part of the centerline has been staked already. He said that if they have something for the residents to look at it makes it easier to discuss. Neuzil asked if there will be any houses that have to be removed for this project. Gardner said no. Harney asked if the right-of-way acquisition has been done for this project. Gardner said they haven’t started buying anything yet but they know what they need.

Lehman said that a concern of the Board was that with less funding and the hiring of another engineer, Secondary Roads wouldn’t be able to keep busy. Lehman said it looks like there are plenty of projects to go around. Gardner said that each of the engineers has a focused area of expertise. He said they all share the duties and then when it is time to construct one of the engineers will be assigned as the project manager. He said that Assistant County Engineer Rob Winstead is the GPS survey person so he deals with drawing the right-of-way plats. He said that Assistant County Engineer Jinyeene Neumann is the computer expert so she helps with problem solving. Gardner said that Winstead is doing a lot more in-house work than they anticipated when he was hired. He is doing the surveys, right-of-way acquisition plats, ground control for aerial surveys, and design work and project management. Gardner said that it has worked out better than they anticipated. Thompson asked how much the County saved hiring Winstead. Gardner said he doesn’t have a dollar amount but he knows that the outside engineering line item has decreased as has the right-of-way acquisition line item. He said it does translate into more hours for staff.

Gardner said that they have been trying to get the right-of-way and design done for next summer’s work. He said they’ve been working on the North Corridor Roads Study and the 5 Year Construction Program, the FY 05 Budget, and preparing for the winter. Gardner said the plan was to start installing snow fence this week but the rain has stopped that. Because of the rain, they are able to blade the roads and spot check for areas that need additional gravel. Gardner said they will be scheduling 5 Year Road Plan Work Sessions at the North Corridor Roads study work session which is on November 26, 2003 at 9:00 a.m.

Gardner said that with the transferred jurisdiction roads they have had to reevaluate their maintenance operations and revamp their plow routes. Thompson asked if this is hard for people to accept. Gardner said he hasn’t heard any complaints. Lehman said that most people take pride in the roads that they work on. Thompson asked which projects they will be working on next summer. Gardner said that Sand Road is going to be the big project and a lot of the FY 04 projects will be carried over into FY 05.

Neuzil asked if there is room for a new SEATS building at the Secondary Roads site. Gardner said possibly. He said they could look at it. He said there isn’t a lot of spare room and they’ve given some of it up for the National Guard Armory. Neuzil said they discussed it at the last Space Needs Committee meeting. Lehman said they are working on a joint plan with the City of Iowa City but this would be a plan B. Thompson said the City isn’t sure now that they have space to do a joint project with SEATS. Stutsman said she would prefer that they work with the City. Executive Assistant Mike Sullivan said that SEATS Director Tom Brase suggested it only as a plan B if working with the City doesn’t work out. Stutsman said the Board should direct Brase to work with the City of Iowa City.

Neuzil asked about the status of the Secondary Roads shed in Tiffin. Gardner said his understanding is that Tiffin would like the Secondary Roads facility. Gardner said they would like to get out of there if they could because the shed is located in a residential neighborhood, which isn’t very compatible. He said at one time Tiffin was trying to trade property with Secondary Roads but the building they were trying to trade wouldn’t work. Harney said that Tiffin would like to expand their fire department. Gardner said a higher priority for Secondary Roads is the Swisher shed. He said they have tried working with the Corps of Engineers on a piece of their property but that has fallen through too.

Gardner said the Roadside Vegetation Management Advisory Committee has been working on a Native Plant Community Policy which will try to protect native prairie remnants and prairie reconstructions in right-of-way areas. Gardner said that Soil and Water Conservation Representative Chris Taliga’s inventory has been used to identify areas. He said the policy says that the areas need to be protected as much as they can. He said they’ve settled on 10 remnant spots. He said the remnants have a higher value because they are irreplaceable. He said they’ve come up with a plan for how situations will be handled when remnants will be impacted. Gardner said the policy also lays out how the areas will be managed. Gardner said they would like to have a work session with the Board regarding the policy.

Neuzil asked how the recycled asphalt dust control pilot project is working. Gardner said that it is working well in the residential neighborhood that it is in but he would not recommend it in a high traffic region. Gardner suggested the Board look at Quincy Avenue where the residents used soy bean oil for dust control. Harney said the odor of soy bean oil is an issue. Gardner said that St. Peter and Paul Church tried it but only did one application because they got so many complaints about the odor. Stutsman suggested that Gardner write a policy for use of the recycled asphalt when he evaluates the pilot project. Gardner said that the residents will want the Board to pay for using the recycled asphalt if the pilot project works well. Gardner said he has asked for the total cost of the project and is having a hard time getting the true cost.

Thompson asked Gardner to discuss the Secondary Roads dress policy. Gardner said that this year employees can still get uniforms if they wish. Starting July 1, 2004, uniforms will no longer be offered and everyone will receive a clothing allowance. Gardner said the problem was that when uniforms were damaged they were replaced, but they weren't for those who weren't receiving uniforms. He said that they also received a lot of complaints about the uniform service and complaints about the uniform company. Gardner said that it got to be an administrative headache. Thompson said that in the future Secondary Roads employees will be given an allowance. She asked what this will do to the appearance of the group. She asked if they will be proud of them when they are working. Gardner said that right now half of them weren’t getting uniforms anyway. He said that the people that were wearing ratty clothes will continue to wear ratty clothes. Lehman asked if there is a policy or way to say if an outfit is suitable. Gardner said that the person who comes in and looks nice in the morning may go home that evening with holes in his clothes. Thompson said that having the same policy for all workers gives Secondary Roads a way to control costs and treat everybody the same. Harney said he is in favor of having all Secondary Roads employees wear uniforms. The Board asked Gardner to look into the costs of outfitting all Secondary Roads employees with uniforms. Gardner said he has never had a complaint about how his employees are dressed.

Recessed at 11:45 a.m.; reconvened at the Public Health Department at 12:00 p.m. with Stutsman absent.

Public Health Department Director Ralph Wilmoth said he will be discussing 3 issues with the Board: space needs, budget, and fees. Wilmoth said they are still in need of more space and the Space Needs Committee is still supportive of a new health services building. Wilmoth said that even though their staff isn’t growing, their space needs continue to grow. The Public Health Department currently rents storage space because of the purchase of disaster preparedness materials. Wilmoth said they are also in year 3 of a 5-year lease with ICARE. He said that ICARE houses 4 County employees and one State employee for the Health Department. Wilmoth said a new Public Health Department building has to have the structure to provide confidentiality for patient services. Thompson asked if sharing a receptionist would work for a new building. Wilmoth said he would like that and it may or may not gain efficiency. Thompson asked if Wilmoth has met with Mental Health/Developmental Disabilities Director Elaine Sweet and Department of Human Services Area Administrator Cheryl Whitney. Wilmoth said he hasn’t yet and Neumann Monson PC Architect Dwight Dobberstein pointed out that studies for a new building are old and not meaningful. Wilmoth said they will all feel very good if they can get a new building started in the next 2 years. Wilmoth said the roof of the Public Health Department building was recently repaired. He reported that they are also close to having the air handing system replaced, which was dysfunctional.

Wilmoth said that State budget cuts are going to affect Public Health Nursing and Home Care money that the County contracts with VNA (Visiting Nurses Association) to provide. He said that the direct result is that VNA charges a set fee per visit so there will be less service provided paid for by the State. He said that the County could put more money towards VNA. He said the Board of Health will make a recommendation. Thompson asked for an assessment of what will be lost. Wilmoth said that VNA is the payer of last resort. He said that if the County can’t support them then people will either have to go someplace else for care or not get care. Wilmoth said he hopes to see taxes increase because he feels there is a responsibility to provide services. Neuzil said that the County can’t raise taxes because the General fund is at the max. Lehman asked how effective lobbying is. Wilmoth suggested that the County start lobbying the legislative leadership, not just local legislators. He said that Johnson County’s legislators already understand needs and fight for them.

Wilmoth said that last year the Board approved a vehicle, which they are thankful for. He said that they are going to be requesting a vehicle again this year. He said they have several employees that are required to drive rural roads often, so he would be hard pressed not to provide them cars. He said that there are 4 employees who drive primarily on paved roads. Wilmoth said that he wouldn’t feel bad about not providing them a car, but asked about those who have a personal car that embarrasses him. Thompson said that it would be a mild embarrassment but they might not be able to afford to not be embarrassed. Neuzil asked if Wilmoth has a vehicle replacement plan. Wilmoth said he does. He said that realistically they need to replace a car a year.

Wilmoth asked the Board what they would like fee adjustments to look like. Wilmoth said he would like fees to pay for programs. Thompson said the Board would like fees to cover the cost of service, unless there is a reason for the County to pay a portion of the cost. Wilmoth said that it is a fair notion that beneficiaries of services pay for the service unless it is a service that is provided to the whole population. Wilmoth said they charge for new wells but don’t charge consulting fees for existing wells because consulting on existing wells protects the groundwater over time. He said that the fees for onsite wastewater systems are going to have large increases. Thompson suggested that they phase in the increases over a couple of years. Thompson said that in the future they would like departments to review their fees every couple of years so that there won’t be dramatic increases.

Wilmoth said that they provide a lot of services that they don’t charge a fee for that aren’t mandated services. He said that they provide food safety training that isn’t required by law. He said they train the Iowa City Community School District dietary staff in food safety at no charge. He said the law doesn’t require it but the Health Department likes to because it is a community service and it protects the health and safety of the children. Thompson asked if they would still use the service if charged. Wilmoth said he doesn’t know. He said that he is concerned about the relationship if Johnson County were to start charging. He said that the Iowa City Community School District is willing to do things for Johnson County when asked. He said that when Johnson County needed to do skin testing on a large portion of students and staff because of the tuberculosis case there was no hesitancy in them letting Johnson County use their facilities. Thompson said that with GIS they share Johnson County information freely with people who also share their information, but there is a charge for those who just want to receive but not share GIS information. Wilmoth said they need to maintain community relationships and not charge people for their time when it is for the public good.

Thompson asked if the Public Health Department is finding any services that they don’t charge a fee for, but could. Wilmoth said that their return check policy formerly charged $10, but now charges $25. He said that they have also raised their copier fees to $.25 for those copies that they charge for. Wilmoth said they haven’t found anything that they aren’t required to do that they aren’t charging for. The Board thanked Wilmoth for the site visit.

Adjourned at 12:55 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Kadlec, Recording Secretary