MINUTES OF THE INFORMAL MEETING OF THE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
SEPTEMBER 15 AND 17, 1998
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Chairperson Bolkcom called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County Administration Building at 9:01 a.m. Members present were: Joseph Bolkcom, Charles Duffy, Jonathan Jordahl, Stephen Lacina, and Sally Stutsman
Bolkcom: Number 2, review of the formal meeting minutes of September 10th, formal minutes for the canvas of the votes for the school election of September 11th.
Lacina: Look's good. Let's go to 3.
Bolkcom: Thank you. County Engineer, item a, discussion regarding bids received for Johnson County Project Guardrail Replacement on 200th Street. Good morning, Mike.
County Engineer Mike Gardner: We had a bid opening yesterday morning on the guardrail project up on 200th Street on Lake MacBride. We had 2 bidders. The total low bid was $19,959.50, bid by Dave Gryp Construction of Victor, it came in under our estimate. We would be happy to answer any questions you have otherwise we would recommend that you make a motion for Thursday in your formal session to have the Chairperson to sign the contract.
Lacina: Do you have experience with them before, Mike? Do you feel comfortable?
Gardner: Yes, yes. They're very good.
Bolkcom: All right. Any questions?
Duffy: We've talked about this in the past and never got it done so we might as well get it done.
Lacina: Good work.
Bolkcom: All right. Anything else?
Gardner: No. I would just let you know I had a follow-up on the rumble strip issue that was here last week. I got a fax yesterday from the DOT and they've been unable to find any information in their research in Ames. So they have advised me to try going through the Center for Transportation Research up in Ames. I got on their web site yesterday and ordered a report on rumble strips, but I haven't made contact with anybody up there yet to see if there is anything else.
Bolkcom: OK.
Lacina: Dr. Forkenbrock at the University does a lot of work for the Minnesota DOT, Iowa DOT, and Illinois. You might just call over to the... what is it, Public Policy Center, but just look up Dave Forkenbrock in the phone book for the University and he may be able to give you a number for Illinois because I think that's where this guy referred to.
Gardner: OK. I'll check it.
Lacina: All right.
Gardner: Thank you.
Bolkcom: Mike, I just signed the paint contract for center and inch line. I don't know if Carol needs a copy of these are not, but it's just submit it to me to sign.
Gardner: Thank you.
Bolkcom: You're welcome. You have a good day.
Bolkcom: Item number 4, business from Bill Zenishek of the Saint Peter and Paul Historical Foundation, regarding the seal coating of...
Stutsman: Maybe Mike should stay for this.
Bolkcom: Mike?
Jordahl: Mike, we've got a seal coat question on next here.
Stutsman: If you've got a couple of minutes.
Duffy: We're not going to let you out that easy.
Bolkcom: Seal coating of 1165 Taft Avenue for 1.3 miles past the church. Good morning.
Saint Peter and Paul Historical Foundation Member Bill Zenishek: Correct. I'd like to address this question of I may and consequently, for those of you that probably don't know all of the fundamentals that are involved here. St. Peter's and Paul's is on the National Register of Historic Places this was accomplished as of July 9th, 1997. It took us a whole year in order to accomplish this, but there was a lot of paperwork involved and a lot of other (inaudible) that took place over the period of the year. So we're very proud to have this on the National Register. As you look around the county I don't think you can find too many places in rural areas such as we have this that are on the National Register. You've got some on Iowa City, you've got some in various cities around the state. But this being out in the middle of the Bohemian Alps, as we call it, very peaceful and tranquil area. We have restored this church from the bottom on up. As you know too, probably that this church was destined to be destroyed because of the fact that when it was closed the diocese, it wants no responsibilities of any kind of upkeep and things like this. It was the parishioners that got behind this to take it over and accomplish what we have today. We've stuck a lot of money in this project, we spent over $230,000 put into it. One of our main problems is our road. Now we have weddings there quite frequently, in fact this Saturday we have 2 weddings coming up. One in the morning and one in the afternoon. The following week we have another wedding coming up. For any of you that drove down this road which probably some of you haven't yet, I think Charlie has, this is really an extremely hazardous situation from the standpoint of the fact that when you've got people going to a wedding you've got car after car after car going. There's no way that they can travel one behind one another because of the dust situation. I've got a fellow from the Des Moines by the name of Tom Dunbar who's in the landscaping business, but is also hired by the DOT on the Road Enhancement Programs. He is looking into this, he thinks that there's a possibility that we could get some funding on this. I haven't heard from him because he was in Japan and then England since I last talked to him because he travels quite frequently. But he is looking into this and he does think there's a good possibility that we could get some funding which I'm sure that you people would be appreciative of.
Duffy: Is that the one I suggested through Mary Rump? There might be some...
Zenishek: Mary Rump is the one that gave me Tom's name. I talked with Mary Rump first and then she suggested I get a hold of Tom Dunbar which Tom drove out here and he thinks that we have one of the most beautiful situations there is. He's says it's really something to be admired and he says, that I can see why you are concerned about your road. We've also checked with the Visitor's Bureau and Convention Center in Cedar Rapids which have access to 99 bus companies. They too are very enthused about our project out there because they think that this could be a very good plus in regards to tours and things of this type. But she says you got one problem, she says buses don't like to go down a gravel road that's dusty like this. So that would probably hinder our getting additional tours and things like this to this place. But it would be worth your while, each and every one of you, to go out and see what we've got. Because of the fact, that without knowing, without seeing it, it's hard to describe because it is truly beautiful. There's no question about it. Consequently, we had a potluck there last Sunday night, just the day before yesterday, and we had our drawing for a raffle and the people were just amazed at what we've accomplished with this church. It'd be a shame to have something like a road hinder the possibilities that we've got out there. If we could get funding which I'm hoping we can, then I'm hoping that the Board of Supervisors can see their way clear to do something with this road such as seal coat it. We don't want it graded, we don't want anything, we just want to leave it like it is and just have it to where it's dustproof.
Bolkcom: OK.
Duffy: What we talking about, a mile and a half?
Zenishek: Mile and a third. See we would come down 140th Street which is already blacktop and then you come to Taft Avenue and go north, which is one mile and 3/10. All we want is right up to the church driveway. That's all the further we would want it.
Duffy: And you wouldn't want it farther north where he's talking about...
Zenishek: No. Absolutely not, just right to the church's driveway is all that we would be concerned about.
Stutsman: This funding from Tom Dunbar, what were you asking for funding from him to...
Zenishek: See they've got a program Sally, through the DOT I guess for this Road Enhancement Program.
Stutsman: OK.
Zenishek: It takes into consideration things of this type. Something that's prominent or it's just not going to be a County road where people would like to have it pass their house. There's got to be something of value or interest down that road. Of course Tom truly believes that we've got something there that would be worthy of this. So he is working towards getting this grant. I should be hearing, in the not too distant future I would think, in regards to whether he accomplishes this grant which would help you folks out too in funding (inaudible)
Bolkcom: So is that ISTEA funding, Charlie? Or is that State ISTEA or...
Duffy: When I first talked to Bill I said, we're looking into this and I'd almost say it probably is.
Zenishek: I think he called it... My memory is not that good, but I think he called it something like T21?
Bolkcom: Yes. That's the new...
Duffy: That's it, yes that's the new one.
Zenishek: I think he classified it as T21.
Bolkcom: Yes, sure.
Duffy: That's about a 6 year program I think maybe.
Zenishek: I have no idea, but anyhow like I said I'm hoping to hear back from him. The last time I checked in he was in Japan, then I called his office the other day and he was in England. So the guy is...
Bolkcom: He's traveling.
Zenishek: Traveling. There's no question about that.
Bolkcom: All right.
Zenishek: But he is working on it. So I would truly and sincerely appreciate it if you could give this some of your interest because we feel as though this is going to be something that you're going to here a lot of in the future.
Bolkcom: Sure.
Zenishek: I would invite every one of you to come out. I would personally give you a tour of the premises because you are going to be amazed at what you see out there.
Bolkcom: Great.
Duffy: When are you going to have the next potluck, Bill?
Zenishek: You missed a good one because there were over 200 people there.
Duffy: Yes. There's just too many things going on (inaudible).
Zenishek: Yes. But I'll tell you it was nice, everyone enjoyed it. We've got a handicapped elevator in there. This church never used to have water in it, never had air conditioning or anything like that. We've got handicap restrooms, we've got a modern kitchen, we've got a handicap elevator. Our windows cost us $35,000 to restore; they're
beautiful and at night when you're outside and looking at these windows... You could never see them before because they had frosted glass over them for protection. Now we've removed that and put clear Plexiglas so those windows just stand right out at night and I tell you they are beautiful.
Duffy: You did something with the parking too.
Zenishek: The parking. This is another thing that Tom Dunbar, he took one look at it and he said, your parking is a detriment to your establishment. Because of the fact that when you go up the hill from the south you see that parking lot right there. He said it just takes away from the beauty of what you've got. I agree with him wholeheartedly because we want to have gardens coming down the south you know, with a little gazebo and an archway where we can have outdoor weddings and things like this. We want to put our parking to the north. Of course we're having some problems with some of the neighbors around there that seem to have some reason why it shouldn't go there. But we're not letting up, we're going to keep trying because I know once we can clear that parking lot from the south which deters from the beauty of the church, and get it into the gardens and gazebo and everything like that. I tell you it's going to take your breath away when you come from the south up to that establishment. But it's one of our problems, Charlie.
Duffy: That is what you see first the way it is now, is the parking lot.
Zenishek: He thinks we could get some funding on the parking too, Tom does.
Duffy: Well it might be a good place for (inaudible).
Zenishek: But I think with the help of Tom, with the help of you people, we can get the job done; I really truly believe it. I think it's a worthy cause, I really do. To have something like that and to have it killed because of a problem, like we've got with the dust, would be a shame. Because this thing goes back to 1861, I mean it's 130 years old. Not the church that we've got now, but the parish goes back to 1861 when they built the first stone church. A lot of history behind that.
Bolkcom: I guess we'll wait to hear from Tom and yourself and if things get moving...
Zenishek: Yes. I'm hoping to hear from Tom, then as soon as I do I'll give one of you...
Bolkcom: Then if you need some more information we can continue to talk about that.
Zenishek: ... some information. I'm hoping that you will keep this in your consideration too because... I invite every one of you to come out and take a look at it.
Bolkcom: That'd be fine.
Zenishek: I really would because I'd give you a personal tour. (Inaudible) cost you a dime.
Bolkcom: All right. Thank you.
Duffy: We'll take you up on that.
Stutsman: Mike, can I ask you, about how much would it cost to calcium chloride that 1.3 acres off of the top of your head?
Zenishek: 1.2 miles (inaudible). Calcium chloride, I have no idea...
Stutsman: No. I was asking Mike, the County Engineer.
Gardner: Are you talking about the 2 surface type thing?
Duffy: Yes.
Gardner: Is that what you're talking?
Lacina: Taft Avenue was what, 6,500 when we did that a mile although the numbers have gone up a little bit. But that was reshaping...
Gardner: That was base stabilization and everything. If we're just talking surface treatment, I'm thinking around 1500 a mile.
Lacina: 15?
Gardner: I...
Duffy: Yes. It used to be...
Gardner: That's just off the top of my head.
Duffy: ... over 2000 a mile...
Lacina: That would hold the dust down.
Duffy: ... maybe it dropped. I think it did, didn't? Dropped a little bit.
Gardner: It went down just a little bit.
Lacina: Your surface would be better if we can go this other way, but work with Mike too on this because in the event that we have to do some reshaping. Then we'll take a look at options because like Sally says...
Zenishek: (Inaudible) might be a problem with that calcium chloride and with weather like we had yesterday, that creates a sloppy situation too even with your calcium chloride. I thought that if we could get the proper funding and everything like this that it would go to a seal coat. Where they just put the oil and the chips down and cover it over.
Lacina: That would be much better if we could do it.
Zenishek: Much better, right, it would be. Like I say if we get the funding that would be something easier on your budget too.
Duffy: Mike, can you do that without grading, just oil and chips.
Bolkcom: All right.
Lacina: You and Tony and the guys are to be commended for your work on that. You've done a lot of work on it.
Jordahl: It sure sounds like it.
Zenishek: I really and truly...
Lacina: I've been out there.
Zenishek: ... would like to see you come out.
Bolkcom: I'd love to have a tour.
Zenishek: You're going to have a better understanding of where I'm coming from.
Bolkcom: Yes.
Zenishek: Any one of you just give me a call and I will personally meet you there and give you the tour that they...
Bolkcom: What's your number, Bill?
Stutsman: I've got... Oh.
Zenishek: 644-2396.
Bolkcom: Thanks a lot.
Stutsman: Mike you had a comment, what were you going to say?
Gardner: I would just say that I think that I've made it clear that I don't really want to increase the amount of oil mileage in the County. It's expensive. The other problem you're going to have is while it's embargoed none of the buses are going to be able to get out there on it, for 2 months out to of the year.
Stutsman: Oh, interesting.
Gardner: But without upgrading the road and just putting the oil on it, you're are increasing the speeds and so forth. It's not a good situation to just put oil on it.
Jordahl: Having heard his concerns for dust control and traffic and the tourist value of this place. What would be your recommendation for him to... how would he proceed to try and rectify his situation? Do you have a suggestion for that?
Gardner: The calcium chloride is about the best I could do without an upgrade of the road.
Jordahl: Uh-huh. Now we had the discussion here a minute ago about whether there would or would not be base stabilization and it kind of got short circuited. What would it cost to do that right?
Lacina: Why don't we wait and see what we...
Gardner: Base stabilization is going to be the same situation. You've created a dust free service without improving the geometrics.
Jordahl: Uh-huh.
Lacina: Let's see if we can get some funding first then we can take a look at the road and see what we have to do. We're really premature to go into numbers yet, until we know what the funding is going to be.
Jordahl: Well, to apply for the funding you have to know what the numbers are it seems to me.
Zenishek: I have a question. What would be the difference in cost of your calcium chloride versus the seal coat? I mean not grading the road or anything, just leaving everything like it is, not even grade it.
Gardner: A lot. We're talking probably in the neighborhood of $50,000 a mile to seal coat a road versus...
Zenishek: That'd be about $50,000 that we're talking about a mile?
Gardner: Uh-huh.
Zenishek: If we could get funding on that that would be sufficient enough to warrant that, I'd say that that was the way we'd like to go from the standpoint of the fact your calcium chloride is a good dust controller, but if we get weather like this... I'm sure you've been on roads that have calcium chloride after a big, heavy rain. They're sloppy, you know they aren't the most pleasant to drive over either.
Gardner: Right.
Zenishek: When it's dry, fine there's no problem there. I would say that we would like to see the seal coat if we can get the proper funding.
Bolkcom: The other concern that Mike has raised Bill, is that if we do just a seal coat that the road would be embargoed.
Zenishek: Well...
Bolkcom: If there are school buses that run on that road for those 60 or so days where we embargo, they'd have to find a different way. So that would be one issue, the other is when we put down a smoother surface, people have the tendency to think it's a safer road. Unless you fix some of the, Mike calls it geometry, knock out a hill or a curve depending on what's going on there. You have people thinking that they have a safe road and it's been designed to drive faster on and that concerns him and concerns the Board about public safety on roads.
Zenishek: But you take that Sutliff Road now, Joe there's a road that's seal coated.
Bolkcom: Right.
Zenishek: I never see any school buses embargoed on that. I mean they're driving down it (inaudible)
Duffy: They won't (inaudible) on that road. That's asphalt and concrete.
Zenishek: I don't think that we would have a problem with that.
Gardner: No, that's pavement. The new...
Zenishek: No it's not.
Gardner: The new Sutliff Road.
Duffy: Yes it is.
Gardner: What we re-graded...
Zenishek: Well that's (inaudible) there. I'm talking about the old Sutliff Road.
Bolkcom: The old...
Gardner: Yes. That's embargoed every spring.
Zenishek: School buses go down it though. They don't stop them from going down it.
Gardner: School buses...
Lacina: It doesn't school buses.
Gardner: No, but you were talking about tour buses coming into your church...
Zenishek: Not that time of the year, you're not going to see much tourism. Your tourism season is more or less in your summer months and stuff like this. We don't find much of it in the spring and winter and stuff like that. So I don't think that would create a problem because of the fact that you don't see much tourism at that time of the year.
Duffy: It wouldn't be a problem with me about the speed because the speed limits on gravel roads are 55 miles an hour plus the hard surface is 55 miles an hour. I just don't, we brought this up before, maybe agree 100% that when you seal coat a road people are going to drive faster especially a mile and a third. They couldn't even get the speed up to...
Zenishek: I've heard one other objection, I don't know if this is one or not, but that they'd like to refrain from oil because of environmental purposes and things like that. Is there anything to that or not?
Duffy: I don't think so.
Gardner: That's not a...
Zenishek: That's not a factor?
Gardner: No.
Zenishek: Because I got to thinking that if it was, then stop and think of all of the chemicals that farmers put on their ground. I farmed for 47 years and every can you look at has got a skull and crossbones on it and everything like that. So I don't see that that is going to create any environmental hazard because of the fact that... Charlie's farmed for years of course, he is one that doesn't use them. He's to be commended because I think... But anyhow, I'm going to get out of your hair, but I would like to give you folks a tour. I truly would because you are going to know where we are coming from more. If you're sitting in here and not realizing what we've got; it's hard to visualize, you know what I mean. I'm going to personally invite you to come out. Let me know Joe, when you can come. Call me and I'll make an appointment to be there to give you the tour of the facilities. Once you see it I think you can in your own mind say, hey maybe we should take a further look at this thing.
Bolkcom: Great.
Duffy: You might have to give us 3 tours...
Stutsman: Two at a time.
Duffy: Unless we don't say a word.
Zenishek: (Inaudible) project I thought I (inaudible) this project out there. I'd say that I'm proud, and proud of the people that have been involved in it, of what we've accomplished. It's beautiful and it's worth while taking time out to come down and see it.
Bolkcom: Good work.
Zenishek: Thanks for your time.
Bolkcom: Thank you.
Duffy: Good luck with the grant.
Zenishek: You bet. I'll be on that too. Don't think I won't be on you guys as well.