Reconvened on December 31, 1998 at 12:25 p.m. with Bolkcom present.

Bolkcom: Inquiries from the County Attorney.

Assistant County Attorney Janet Lyness: Nothing. You've heard enough from me today.

Bolkcom: You've done very well Janet.

Stutsman: No we haven't Janet.

Bolkcom: Janet you've answered all of those hard questions. (B), Inquiries and reports from members of the public. Anybody want to talk to us. Bob?

Welsh: 2 things. One I know that under number (e) here, your discussion, purchase of real estate. Let me reaffirm my feelings in relation to your whole space needs. I am concerned that you look at County conflicts and that you also look at Human Service complex and take those into account. There's a real weighing in my perspective in terms of centralized locations and diversified locations. Unfortunately I don't really have a clear view which of those alternatives (inaudible). That's a discussion that needs serious consideration and some history. But the real reason why I came today although (inaudible) from Texas who wanted snow by the way. But I really wanted to express my appreciation to Steve and Joe just as a citizen you all have as Supervisors a very large plate. As one citizen I am continually appreciative of what you all do. I just wish you both the very best. Joe as Chair you know I expressed to you my feeling that you shouldn't run for the position at which you are elected. My hope would be that you would do half as much for the State of Iowa that you have done for Johnson County. I think you've made a significant contribution there. Steve I hope he's not too successful. (Inaudible). I do wish you both the very best. I wanted you to know at least. I sort of think, I'm not the only citizen that comes to these meetings but I do want to express on behalf of the citizens our appreciation for...

Bolkcom: Thanks Bob. I appreciate your involvement in coming regularly to keep us on track. Anybody else wish to address the Board? All right. Board lets go to executive session. Is that OK?

Jordahl: Reports and inquiries from members of the Board?

Lacina: That we could suspend unless you have something important.

County Attorney Pat White: Why don't we do public discussion before we go into executive session. The agenda item is actually created because I think we should discuss in public what we're talking about and go into executive session just to talk about price.

Bolkcom: Very good. All right Pat. Do you want to give us a brief summary of why we're going into executive session?

White: I do. This is a report form the Space Needs Committee which has been talking for quite some time about comprehensive County space needs and had presented to you a report 2 months ago roughly about Human Services space needs. At that time we identified at least one possibility as a site for Human Services in the future which is a vacant parcel of land on Mall Drive in east Iowa City. At that time you authorized me to begin to negotiate on that property and I've been doing that over the past several weeks. I'm now at the point where when we finish this discussion I want an executive session to talk about specifics of that offer or price and eventually get confirmation of your continued interest. What we're talking about is the land that runs along the east side of mall drive from just north of the day care center that's there over to another day care center on the real estate records. It's actually a total of 8 lots. Each of which has a frontage of roughly 69 feet and a depth of 284, or 285 feet. The total land package would be close to 160,000 square feet which is more land than the Department of Human Services would need and would give the County the flexibility to look at siting other long term needs such as the Department of Health or some of the non-profit human service or health service agencies that the County funds. We certainly are nowhere near even a concept plan for how the site would be laid out. But this particular location would allow, if it was just to be one building for example, to use hypothetical would allow us to put in a basement, a first or a main floor, and a second floor all connected by an elevator. What we're now working on has nothing to do with construction. It would be land acquisition only. There have been some other people who have been interested in this particular property. It still is available. I've indicated to the real estate agent for the owner that I was going to try to get to closure and a decision on whether we'd be making an offer by the end of hte year or very early in 1999. I think we're at that point now. The Space Needs Committee continues to view this as a viable option. Cheryl is here and she can certainly speak to her continued view that this is a viable location. Primarily because of it's proximity to other Human Services Agencies and she'll think of some that I'll forget. But Goodwill, Systems, Kirkwood, DOT...

Department of Human Services Area Administrator Cheryl Whitney: Workforce Development.

White: Workforce Development. That's probably the most important one. So it continues to be the view of the Space Needs Committee and Cheryl as the department head that this is a viable location. We've done the background negotiations with the real estate agent representing the owner. Dwight Dobberstein has done some very preliminary work to make sure that we would have a site that would work. I've done some conversation with the City to verify zoning and parking. Zoning would be changed to pubic and there is no formal requirement for us but they always would request as they did with this building that we try to follow their regular developmental rules. In this case that would include for example a height limitation of 35 feet which would still be consistent with a basement and 2 floors. As you well know we have pretty limited resources to go out and buy real estate. Your current budget year includes, $300 and some thousand dollars earmarked for long term space. You heard from the Committee that we recommend you keep adding to that. If we acquire the site we're probably still multiple years away from being fiscally able to do any construction. But one of the goals of the Space Needs Committee is actually to begin to position the County to take action when it can afford and when it's timely. So even though we're not equipped to start construction this year or next, this would be a good time if we maintain interest in this site to take action to make an offer and to try actually to negotiate the site. Once we get into executive session I'll talk some about market and what I think we would best be advised to make an offer at if we were going to do it so you would know the terms of that. I probably should invite Cheryl to add anything that she has.

Whitney: My most important thing to say is just that our space is a very big issue for us. We simply do not have enough space. So in the unit it creates difficulties for our staff and clients that we serve. We really have to continue to work towards some type of real solution. This space I really do think that this part of town is ideal because of the location of other agencies. Also (inaudible) with the schedules and those types of things.

Bolkcom: All right. Thanks for that summary. Are we ready to have our executive session now?

Welsh: Just for the record, the Cluster Board in the last 3 or 4 years indicated to you all that we felt the present space for the department of Human Services would be inadequate and additional space was needed. Be reminded of that.

Motion by Jordahl, second by Bolkcom, to enter into Executive Session at 12:38 p.m. to discuss "Purchase of real estate on Mall Drive" under section 21.5(1.j), Code of Iowa, "To discuss the purchase of particular real estate only where premature disclosure could be reasonably expected to increase the price the governmental body would have to pay for that property." Roll call: aye: Bolkcom, Jordahl, Stutsman, Lacina, Duffy.

Recessed at 12:38 p.m.; reconvened at 12:43 p.m.

Motion by Stutsman, second by Duffy, to leave Executive Session at 1:42 p.m. Roll call: aye: Bolkcom, Jordahl, Stutsman, Lacina, Duffy.

Adjourned at 1:42 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins and Josh Sciberras, Recording Secretaries