Jordahl: Quickly, discussion appointing Mike Gardner to the East Central Iowa Council of Governments Technical Advisory Committee. That's something we've done before.

Stutsman: We already did it.

Jordahl: Discussion appointments to various boards and commissions. Can we postpone that? Not really. We could do it on Thursday night. Maybe you want to take a break.

Stutsman: We're supposed to meet again at 1:30. Carol was there any that needed to be appointed immediately.

Jordahl: Can we defer this?

Stutsman: The new Board person is going to be on Board by next week.

Lehman: See what their talents bring.

Peters: To my knowledge and you folks are the ones that sit on these boards and commissions. I do not know what meetings are coming up. That would have to come from you folks.

Jordahl: Regional Trails and Bicycling and meeting tonight at 4:00 and since I'm going to continue there I'm going to go to that.

Peters: The only item on here that I would really like to make a point on and that' son the first page. ECICOG Board of Directors. Earlier on you folks had talked about Sally as being the person from the Board and Mike. I just want to recap for historical purposes, how people on the ECICOG Board of Directors is appointed. AT this point what your doing there is saying Sally and Mike we want them to be our representatives. So I'll take that information then and give it to Jeff Davidson. Then that will be put on the JCCOG Board of directors agenda. Then you'll actually be appointed from there. Right now your recommending to JCCOG that these 2 will be your representatives. Just a point of clarification. The interesting things about these Boards and commissions. They all have their own little...

Lehman: Idiosyncrasies.

Peters: Yes. They're just kind of all over the map. I did just want to... The other thing that I had Joe do on this new list that you have there is for some of the appointments that have been made in times past, your expiration date. Of course when you look at ECICOG and the ISTEA Policy Committee, talked about appointing Jonathan to that, that would expire in 2001. It's actually a 2 year term and Jonathan will be filling the unexpired term of Joe Bolkcom.

Jordahl: I see.

Peters: As we go along I'll try to give you a little bit more information for the ones that are more complicated and the JCCOG and the ECICOG appointments do tend to get interesting. I don't know if that helps or if that muddies.

Stutsman: I guess I would almost, looking over this list I think we're OK where we're at right now and just take it up again when the 5th Board member is in place.

Jordahl: I'd be happy to do that.

Peters: JCCOG is meeting on the 20th.

Stutsman: I said I would go ahead and do that.

Peters: I do need to forward that information to Jeff Davidson.

Stutsman: Yes. We've already kind of decided on that one.

Jordahl: What time is that meeting?

Stutsman: 4:00.

Jordahl: OK. All right then.

Peters: Thank you for letting me do that.

Jordahl: That's what you wanted to jump in about. All right good.

Peters: So we'll put this back on then when the 5th Supervisor gets here.

Jordahl: Yes.

Jordahl: Minutes received noted, Johnson County Paratransit Advisory Committee, Board Of Social Welfare/Cluster Board, Hawkeye Area Community Action Program, and Johnson County Decat. Those are on file if members of the public like to inspect those. Reports from members of the Board. Anything need to be said?

Stutsman: Well I just wanted to report that Johnson County did receive full funding for the Empowerment Grant and that will amount to $296,718 and the school ready child funding and $47,750 in the early childhood program funding. For a total grant of 344,468. That contract will be signed in January so those funds will be available to the community for one year. So I'm just real pleased that we were successful for getting funding for that grant.

Jordahl: OK. Mike?

Lehman: Nothing.

Jordahl: Our budget work as I said will recommence at 1:30 in this room today. We have a joint meeting tomorrow with Coralville, Iowa City, the School District, and North Liberty at the North Liberty City Hall at 4:00.

Peters: Community Center. We just got the agenda and it said community center.

Jordahl: It does say community center there. All right. I asked for clarification on that like yesterday. And they were going to be discussing the nature and purpose of those joint meetings and to some extent their authority. We will have a report on the GIS and possibilities for collaboration. There has been a fringe area agreement drafted between Johnson County and North Liberty and also one with Coralville so we're going to be discussing the status of those. There is discussion regarding the annexation agreement between Iowa City and Coralville and Extraterritorial review of subdivision plats. And update of our newly adopted Johnson County Land Use Plan. Discussion of Local Option Sales Tax. That should be a relatively brief meeting then. Lets see here. Is there anything else I had to report on? No I guess not. Oh, yes. Evening meeting this Thursday at 5:30. Formal meeting and public hearing on Zonings and Plattings at 6:00 here in this room, broadcast live.

Stutsman: Can we adjourn?

Jordahl: Recess.

Recessed at 12:05 p.m.; reconvened on January 14, 1999 at 9:17 p.m.

County Attorney Pat White: We probably ought to mention our meeting this morning. A delegation from the Space Needs Committee, Sally, myself, Dwight Dobberstein, and Cheryl Whitney looked at some space in Eastdale Plaza this morning, which Cheryl the Director of DHS has a strong interest in as a viable mid-term solution for a pretty serious over crowding that exists up there. The space in Eastdale that we looked at is just a little less than 3,100 square feet. She remained strongly interested after we looked at it this morning. The potential plan would be for her to relocate the Income Maintenance Unit which would be 15 or 16 people, and we will try to get on your agenda. We actually talked about doing it on the 21st, not realizing that you weren't going to meet then.

Stutsman: We are going to meet, Pat. It's just that we're short on Supervisors. I won't be here on the 21st.

White: And so the sort of time line that we're on is, the same group of folks is going to get back together tomorrow morning to try to assess what we saw today. To try to give some direction to Dwight Dobberstein and then our goal would be to get on your agenda within the next week or 2, to give you a more thorough report than I am able to give you tonight, about what this option looks like, what it would cost, how it would work, and see to what extent the Board would have any interest in taking a serious look at it.

Jordahl: Sally, you said you were going to be gone on the 21st, did you mean the 19th?

Stutsman: Oh, I'm sorry I meant the 19th. We will be meeting on the 19th and the 21st. I will be gone the 19th because I will attending the ISAC school in Des Moines. Iowa State Association of Counties.

Lehman: I will be gone on the 21st.

Stutsman: You will be gone Wednesday and Thursday, attending the new Supervisors school in Des Moines.

Jordahl: And Charlie and I are just going to be here.

White: The sort of report that we want to make to you, I'm sure we're going to want all 5 Board members, ideally including the new Board Member. So we'll just pick a Tuesday or Thursday when that's achievable rather than the 21st.

Jordahl: Anything else Pat?

Stutsman: Thanks Pat.

Jordahl: Inquiries or reports from the Public? And inquiries and reports from the Members of the Board of Supervisors. Mike let's start with you.

Lehman: Let's see if I can remember back where I've been.

Jordahl: And where you're going?

Integrated Roadside Vegetation Management Chair Jim Dane: I'll just make a real quick statement. I'm the chair-elect, or maybe the new chair of the IRVM. Integrated Roadside Vegetative Management Committee, and I just wanted to say hello. I haven't presided over my first meeting yet as chair. I work with the Department of Secondary Roads, and we're going to have some changes and we're just learning about all this but I just wanted to say here I am and hello and that about it.

Stutsman: I'm glad you mentioned that Jim. I think it would be really good if sometime you came and reported to the Board about what the Committee's doing.

Dane: I would be very glad to do that and we want to facilitate discussion, communication, anything we can do to keep you guys informed, to keep us informed.

Jordahl: I think maybe some questions of clarification of the role of the IRVM Committee might be in order too. So I think it should be a more significant agenda item than simply reporting. Great. Thank you. Thanks for your work.

Duffy: Thank you for coming.

Lehman: Wednesday late afternoon I attended as well as you, the North Liberty along with the government bodies of the area as well as the School Board and had a good open discussion on a lot of topics that are common to all of us and it got discussed where it wants to go from there. We want to keep meeting and keep everyone informed of some of the problems and solutions that we have been looking at and the Local Options Tax was discussed, it was very interesting to see where some of people and the bodies were at, and they already completed theirs. This morning we attended the Chambers Local Government Affairs and the Local Option Tax was again the object of discussion there, and I think that me and Jonathan took a little bit of the guidance from them. It was interesting to see some of the things that they did, some of the things they decided not to include, and I think we kind of went to school from there. Everyone else kind of elaborated I some of those topics.

Jordahl: Sally.

Stutsman: The Board has started working on the budget, so we've been busy trying to get those things to pull those things together. It's really been a big help this year Pillard work on that and two people from the Auditors' office, Chris and Kit Wong. I think its going well. We've had a lot of information I was just sorting through that information and deciding g what we will be doing for the budget for the year 2000. I also went to the joint meeting in North Liberty. It was a good opportunity to see the North Liberty Community Center. They have a beautiful facility. That's what nice about having this in different locations, it gets us all out to other locations in the county. I attended the RC&D Meeting, and that's going to be a good group. I would like to have the recently hired coordinator come and visit the Board visit with the Board and explain what RC&D means and what it means for Johnson County.

Jordahl: What does RC&D mean?

Stutsman: It's Resource, Conservation and Development, that's what it is. What it is that it's head up to the Department of Agriculture. It's a program that has been around for along time and we just started it in 4 counties in this area. It's Johnson County, and Benton, and Powasheik and Iowa County. What it is the coordinator is hired and she works with these counties to develop what we already have in place, what out resources are. She talked at the meeting the other night. Kathy Wilson is the coordinator the potential is to access a quarter of a million dollars worth of grants to bring into this area to work on any kind of project we want. It's really up to the communities to decide what they want to do. Anywhere from basket weaving in the Amana Colonies to develop that kind of economic developments to doing things with prairie restoration and thing. One of the programs she talk about getting some interest in developing is training or getting someone to be an expert in prairie burns. There are lots of people who develop prairies , but no one who has expertise in handling prairie burns, and what you do is train someone, they would become a specialist in the area. They would then be available to assist private land owners as well a corporations to assist in these burns. Its really innovative and fun and so I think its a lot of potential for this area. So I'm glad that the Soil Conservation District took the lead in developing that program in this area, and I'll see if I can't get Kathy to come and speak to the Board, and talk more about it. Charlie attended that meeting with me too that other night. Next time we'll drive to Vinton County, that's the only bad thing is that you get around but there a lot of some long drives too.

Duffy: I was going to bring that up, that a lot of members drove a long way on a bad night, with ice on the road, so it was serious.

Stutsman: I felt guilty it only took me 5 minutes to get home. It was Johnson County Fair Grounds so piece of cake.

Duffy: It was a little slick when I took off. Is it my turn.

Jordahl: Your turn Charlie.

Duffy: Well what I really want to report on is when I took off the other day at quarter to 12. Because I am on the Nutrition Committee the invite me down to Pot Luck in Hills. A great group of people. You would be surprised they really know county government. So that is what it went to the Agricultural Committee Meeting in the Chamber of Commerce last Tuesday and there some dates coming up. Some of these breakfasts, and they would appreciate a call. I think the first one is at the Montgomery Hall on the 29th, the breakfast, is about $5, and its a buffet thing. You can eat a lot of food. And there is some other dates coming up. The Ag Awards is coming up at the Best Western Inn on Tuesday. That might be tough for us to make from 8:00-9:30. Because Jim is on this Board too. Did we have any dates other than... How many of these breakfasts are we going to have.

Dane: There's 3 of them the first 2 have dates the last Friday of the month January 29th, and then February 19th.

Duffy: February 19th?

Dane: Yes

Jordahl: Is that 7 a.m. in the morning, when is that breakfast?

Dane: It's 7:00 or at 7:30, I don't recall.

Stutsman: I have it down at 7:00

Duffy: We've been doing this for a number of years, do you know how many years?

Dane: A number of years. The Ag Committee at the Chamber hold 3 breakfasts at the beginning of the year, usually at the last Friday of the month, and the first program is Hold Seeds Company from Iowa County, over there. Big big company just bought out by Monsanto for billion I think. It was a big deal. On the 19th of February might be an interesting one. A representative from the US Army Corp of Engineers will come and talk about their lock and dam, and their flood control, and I'm not sure if that has a direct impact on this County, but certainly after 93 we've had several close calls where Iowa River flooded in numerous area of the County. They are going to talk about what they are going now.

Duffy: That's March 19th?

Dane: That's February 19th, the March program has been decided yet, so we don't know the date yet.

Duffy: I think there is a couple of other one, but I don't need to report on them.

Jordahl: I enjoy these joint meeting, and I think that the first agenda item that we had on there, was really about the kind of things that we have these meetings about I think Sally raised the question and I think it was much discussed is it a question of what are these meetings for. Are we suppose to taking action, do we have separate governmental bodies, there is a Johnson County Council of governments, what is this joint meeting really about, and should we have some formal action taken out of that, some structure. I think the consensus of people at the end of the discussion was that we like to sit down at the same table and get to know each other more as people, and discuss issues that are of mutual interest, and come up with a sense that there are possibilities or questions that relate between jurisdictions. Then take that knowledge back to our own bodies and do what's appropriate for our own jurisdictions, without the sense of the group imposing something. So it's really a chance to get to know people in other governmental bodies and open the lines of communication in a more informal way. They found this valuable and I certainly do We've been working on the budget and I want to give a little forecast on that. You now we had a budget freeze on the County for a number of years, imposed by state government and we are just kind of seeing departments coming up for air and saying ‘hey, we're behind.' That's what the Space Needs Committee is about, we got Building Needs that have gone unmet for all those years, and we haven't been saving money for them because of the tight budgets, and similarly we have departments that have been facing the growing County and the population increase but haven't had an increase in staff or funding, at a very large level, or a very little increases in staff. We have all of this pent up demand, and it's all sitting there for budget increases and we haven't got enough money, buy any stretch of the imagination, to meet any of these needs. So it's going to be a very, very interesting process, to see how we creatively meet what are very real needs with out seeing a bulge in property taxes, which the State again wouldn't like to see, because they would probably re-impose the freeze on us if we do. We've got a balancing act here. It's great to have Deanna Pillard helping us out, who's our new Deputy Administrative Assistant for budget, who's been putting some of this information together, and a new Deputy Auditor working for budgets, so we're trying to make some changes in the way we do this. With new Supervisors, and one short, boy, we got our hands full here. Not that Mike isn't a great help, I mean, Mike has great expertise, and he brings thoughtful and important comments. I'm glad too that we got our new Supervisor appointed tonight. I don't know if you were here to catch that. Carol Thompson was selected by the Committee of the Reporter, Auditor, and Treasurer, and she'll be checking in about 2 weeks I guess, so we'll be able to get up to full strength and again Carol has a lot of experience in County government and should be able to hit the ground running, and that was a lot on the minds of the Appointment Committee. Let's see, the next budget meeting, for those interested, will be on Friday the 22nd, from 9 in the morning until 5 in the afternoon, and we're going to be going through the departments one by one, trying to get a sense of their needs as a whole, and get an overview of the whole thing in place and then from there try to boil down which requests have priority, however, the first item on that agenda that morning will be the discussion of our priorities in general. So, before we look at the Departments one by one, we're going to look at our overall question of what are our priorities. It's a kind of way of starting to call us down and see what we are going to commit to, and the public is welcome to attend, right here in this room.

Stutsman: Jonathan I want to go home.

Lehman: I just want to mention the North Liberty meeting, I want to compliment Jonathan. I think the others will back me up. I think you did a great job presenting yourself and representing the Board as far as the agenda with Johnson County. You gave a very good image that we have our act together and kept things moving.

Stutsman: We're the only ones who put anything on the agenda it seems.

Lehman: Well I thought Jonathan did a good job of getting any discussion from the other groups.

Jordahl: Thanks, I like those talks. In the future, on that same general topic, we have pending a meeting with the City of Cedar Rapids, so when we get done with budget we need to get back to that, because they agreed that they wanted to do that.

Duffy: We canceled that once, when are they planning...

Jordahl: We kind of postponed it. The balls in our court. We have to find a date and get Carol on board here, and then we're set. When we get Carol on, we'll put on the agenda to re-schedule a meeting in Cedar Rapids. I'm ready to go.

Duffy: I don't know what we'd do without Carol either, we got a lot of good people.

Jordahl: We have other on here, any other? Let's adjourn.

Adjourned at 9:38 p.m.

Attest: Tom Slockett, Auditor

By Casie Parkins, Recording Secretary

Sent to the Board of Supervisors on March 4, 1999 at 5:00 p.m.