Jordahl: What's next?

Stutsman: Senior Dining space needs?

Jordahl: Senior Dining space needs. I guess this is a continuation of the discussion from last week wanting an update. My notes from last week indicate that I think Pat was going to make a contact with Steve Atkins. I tried calling Pat this morning and didn't get through to him. There was a request that I write to or speak with Linda Kopping and our representative on the Senior Center Commission about the issue of centrality of the Senior Dining program to the Senior Center and our philosophy concerning it. We need to I guess ask what kind of a delegation do we want to do here. Do we want to have a subcommittee designated to monitor the activities of the Senior Center Commission on a regular basis? Do we want to argue for a representation of a member of the Board of Supervisors on that commission now? We've got the ongoing planning for the ramp that perhaps a couple members of the Board could be delegated to attend meetings for. There's a lot of different irons in the fire right now and I guess my own feeling is that the way to do this is would be as we have done with other strategic goals with the County to designate 2 Supervisors to do it. To attend the meetings and continue to make contacts and speak with people as the situation develops. I have not spoken with Linda Kopping about this myself yet we've been kind of busy with budget operations the last week. But (inaudible) off on that basis. But it needs to happen quickly. Are there any other thoughts and comments about this?

Welsh: Let me tell you what I saw (inaudible) is that one (inaudible) Pat Langenberg to attend the meeting we did held on January 28th.

Jordahl: We did ask him to attend it. But then it wasn't held.

Welsh: It's going to be held on the 4th of February.

Stutsman: Which is a Thursday morning, right?

Welsh: Yes. 10 o'clock on next Thursday. I gathered you had liked the idea of having the chair and the vice-chair of the Supervisors and the County Attorney, Mike Foster or one of 2 representatives of the Nutrition Board meet with your County representative to the Senior Center Commission to discuss philosophy, parking, space needs, parking, etc. And that had agreed, and Pat had offered to contact Steve Atkins to set up an opportunity to discuss the issues with the Mayor, the Chair of the Supervisors, Linda Kopping from the Senior Center and some representative from Senior Dining. I gathered you discussed just briefly designating someone who understands your philosophy to (inaudible) the Senior Center Commission and keep you informed of policy discussions and my recollection is at that point Pat White said he was thinking of offering volunteering for that, but he didn't make that as a firm kind of a commitment at that point. One other thing that we had suggested as a transaction which to rephrase it would be for you all to request that members of the Nutrition Board meet with new members of the Senior Center Commission on your behalf to cover some of the items to cover some of the items like philosophy, space needs, and that would come after you've meet with your representatives. I think a real key from my perspective is 2 things: I think Pat was sure right in saying, and Charlie mentioned this, of in a sense what I would call high-level discussion between the City and the County involving Steve Atkins and the Mayor and your Chair, Linda Kopping from the Senior Center and someone representing Senior Dining, while at the same time you all having some contact with your representatives on the Senior Center Commission. Our suggestion was that that might be (inaudible) chair and vice-chair, the County Attorney, Mike Foster, and one or 2 representatives of the Nutrition Advisory Board. I think those kind of things would be positive steps for that (inaudible) results. I think those would be positive actions you all could take. I know at one point Sally said to Bev, boy my plate's full I can't do any more. Then there was the statement Carol, well we're going to have a new Supervisor.

Jordahl: Yes, we were thinking of things for you to do.

Stutsman: We want to include you in everything.

Welsh: Let me say. One thing I thought about in preparation for this meeting. One of the things that Carol said during her interview, I had the privilege with the one exception of the Saturday morning one, of sitting in on all of the interviews. One of the things that Carol talked about was asset building. Was asked how do you take a problem and put it into asset building. So Carol might have some skills I thought point to, because it has seemed to some of us almost like movable, Pat has, we both have basic 28E agreement. As explained several times that basic 28E agreement that you have talks about co-location. And the philosophy that has developed over the years and I have said I'll accept my part of the responsibility for not pushing at some points more is that that philosophy is not in effect. The 28E agreement is not being carried out as it was originally written. I think that's why Pat becomes a very key player in all of this and I appreciate his willingness to contact Steve and set up that meeting at that level. At that point I also appreciate the fact at least last week he talked about that it would be a good idea for you to meet with the people that you have appointed to represent you on the Senior Center Commission. I guess with that I can shut up.

Thompson: So there's not a Board member on the Commission?

Jordahl: No. We have discussed in a very positive tone, however, the usefulness of having that because there seems to, as Bob has indicated, there's a tone in the 28E agreement that talks very positively about how we will cooperate with the City in doing this. There is some frustration on the part of people involved with the Nutrition program at how the Nutrition program is fitting into the Senior Center. We need to get somehow from, what year was this founded, Bob, the 28E agreement, do you recall?

Welsh: 1981.

Jordahl: 81. Thank you. So its been nearly 20 years this has been going on and I think it's like going back to the Constitution and asking what are we all about, what are we doing, what sense does this make?

Welsh: ‘81 was when the Senior Center opened so that's why I think that date, whether or not the actual date was earlier, whether or not it was entered into around 80 I can't...

Jordahl: We're trying to reach back and touch this original spirit of cooperation and say that's what we'd still like to be about. Maybe one way of doing that is to have a member of the Board of Supervisors sit on the Senior Center Commission to hold that place at the table.

Welsh: In fairness, Jonathan, let me say, although I favor that and Pat White told you that he favored that, you all decided in your last appointment not to do that. Right now, appointing someone to the Senior Center Commission unfortunately is not an option that you now have.

Lehman: We have 3 individual representatives that we appoint.

Welsh: You do have the opportunity to meet with those 3 people and in dialogue, our suggestion was all 5 of you didn't have to meet with them. But a couple of you meet with along with Pat White and I think Mike Foster would be a person maybe someone else from the advisory committee to just discuss with them your philosophy at that point and have more dialogue you can a large phone meeting of all of you and all of the commission.

Stutsman: Who are those people?

Lehman: JoAnne Hora.

Stutsman: JoAnne Hora.

Thompson: Mary Catherine Wallace.

Lehman: Kelly?

Peters: I'm going to have to check on the third name.

Welsh: (Inaudible).

Peters: Pardon me?

Welsh: (Inaudible).

Peters: Just give me a second.

Lehman: I've got it on my desk here.

Jordahl: The question that I want to ask is... Bob has said that it is not an option to appoint a Board Member at this point. But there was some discussion last time about at what point we could. How far in the future is our next opportunity to make an appointment to the Senior Center Commission? Do you have that (inaudible)?

Peters: You have an appointment at the end of each year.

Jordahl: So it'd be a year from now.

Peters: Yes.

Jordahl: OK.

Stutsman: Well that was difficult that last time because we have an excellent person whose very interested and serves on that. I think we need to look at working with these people. We've had them come and report to us on a monthly basis but actually to sit down with them and share what direction the Board wants to go, we've not done a good job about.

Welsh: This is why, Sally... I don't think the (inaudible) Committee is trying to be critical at that point. It's trying to say here we are and where do we go? And another thing, Carol, to bring you somewhat up to speed, as Pat pointed out to the Supervisors last Tuesday, there is again a critical window of opportunity right now because decisions are being made in relation to that parking ramp, in terms of possible spaces, space needs, there's the whole question as to during the 18 months of construction, how people are get to the Senior Dining Program...

Lehman: And parking.

Welsh: The whole parking...

Lehman: Interim parking.

Welsh: Everything and so there are some time factors involved. We're saying and I think Bev explained this on behalf of the Committee very well that this is a real period of frustration on the part of the Nutrition Advisory Committee at this point. It was in that spirit that we suggested these.

Jordahl: I hear recommendations from that meeting brought forward to this discussion. Clearly sitting down with our representatives to the Senior Center Commission is our avenue right now to directly (inaudible) those conversations to make sure our own representatives know what we're thinking. I assume that means scheduling a work session with them so we have to have all 5 Members of the Board present. We're going to need an agenda Do we know... Charlie, you've mentioned meetings of the Nutrition Committee being at the wrong time of day, I wonder if we know what times of day might be convenient for our Senior Center Commission members to meet with us.

Welsh: The Senior Center Commission, I believe, meets at 3 o'clock.

Stutsman: Well we don't want to meet with the whole Commission, just those 3 representatives.

Welsh: No, no.

Stutsman: So we're a little bit more flexible.

Welsh: I guess our suggestion was, and you can sure expand it if you want all 5 of you to do that, the suggestion was that a couple of you...

Stutsman: Yes, do we need all 5 of us to do that?

Welsh:...along with Pat White.

Thompson: I would volunteer to do the meetings in 2 and 3 here on Bob's list and report back.

Stutsman: Yes, I think this is a good list and I certainly have no problem with going ahead with it. But what I think it needs is somebody that agrees to do it and follows through on all these. I think we've always... we all think this is a good idea and then we just fall down in implementing. So I'd love for Carol to...

Thompson: Then we could look at the need for other meetings...

Stutsman: Yes.

Thompson: ...after that.

Stutsman: But I think...

Thompson: I'm not committing to being on the Committee. I'm only committing to doing the 2 meetings. It's premature to...

Welsh: Can you tell me what 2 meetings your committing?

Thompson: The one with... the meeting with the County Representatives on the Senior Center Commission, the County Attorney, Mike Foster and Pat Langenberg, would you think, and one or 2 representatives of the Nutrition Advisory Board.

Stutsman: OK, so that will be the...

Welsh: I think the second meeting, if I understand, Carol, is the same one with the representatives and the others at top level. I think, again, I don't want to be too (inaudible) but I think that kind of discussion needs to involve Pat White, Steve Atkins, the Mayor, the Chair of the Board of Supervisors, Carol and Linda Kopping, and someone representing Senior Dining, Mike.

Stutsman: So are those the 2 meetings that you're talking about?

Thompson: Well no, on this document that says suggested plan of action that you gave me recently...

Welsh: Yes.

Thompson: There was a number 2 and a number 3 for meetings with agendas for both of those.

Stutsman: I guess I would say number 2 and then this other meeting with Pat and Steve Atkins.

Welsh: That's the number 5 that Pat suggested.

Stutsman: I think that would be the best way to approach things, initially, anyway.

Jordahl: Now, Sally, Bob had suggested that it would be the Chair and Vice-Chair. Would you defer to Carol for that?

Stutsman: I guess I can have my arm twisted. Yes, that would be fine. I think that'd be very appropriate.

Jordahl: I know you've been looking for something else to do.

Stutsman: Yes, and part of what I say, why I would defer to Carol, is I think it really needs careful follow up and sticking to it and I don't have the time to do that. I am certainly interested and support what's going on but I think we just need to continue to follow up. And I'm not committing you to a bunch of meetings, Carol, it's just that...

Jordahl: It looks like one meeting so far. Designating a person to attend the Senior Center Commission meetings and follow up and report on those remains to be done. Whether Pat would be able to do that or not or another of us would volunteer to do that can be established as a follow up to these initial meetings, on the one hand with the decision makers and on the other with our representatives to the Senior Center Commission. So I guess that is pretty much the shape of things right now. I'm assuming that I'll hear back from Pat White shortly about his contact with Steve Atkins. Carol, do we have an idea when we might meet with...

Peters: The Senior Center meets every third Tuesday a 3 so if you want to try to schedule one perhaps at 3 on a different Tuesday, maybe that would be convenient for your representatives. We'd have to give them a call and check out their schedules.

Jordahl: Well if it's just going to be a subset, perhaps, Carol and myself...

Stutsman: Could you pass that note to Carol? That's about another meeting with Brandon. I don't want her to get...

Jordahl: Let's see, we're going to be done with the budget, right? Tuesday's... boy, we' need to do this sooner rather than later. I would think maybe Thursday of this week would be better than waiting for too very darn long. If we could contact those folks... are you free Thursday afternoon?

Thompson: Uh-uh. Not the next one either.

Jordahl: Friday afternoon?

Thompson: The 18th is there's.

Jordahl: I would like to get this... we need to get this off the dime because of the construction and space commitments and so forth. Those decisions are being made for this parking ramp on an ongoing basis. I don't know when the next meeting to make those decisions is but I think it's in the single digits in February.

Thompson: What about asking for like 2 o'clock on the day they have their meeting?

Stutsman: Yes. They could meet...

Thompson: Which would be the 18th.

Jordahl: It would certainly be fresh in their minds. Is that coming up on the 9th?

Welsh: May I make a suggestion?

Stutsman: The third Tuesday.

Thompson: The 18th.

Welsh: If you could meet on the 9th, I think a critical person on your schedule would be Pat White.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Welsh: I would suggest that you first of all (inaudible) your time with Pat.

Jordahl: Yes, true.

Stutsman: Carol, does Pat have staff meetings on Thursday? There's some day of the week where he absolutely will not compromise and I'm thinking it's Thursday afternoon.

Thompson: (Inaudible) Wednesday.

Peters: I think it's Thursday.

Thompson: Is it?

Peters: I'll double check.

Stutsman: Oh.

Lehman: Are we looking at sending Pat Langenberg to the February 4th?

Stutsman: I thought... yes, did we agree to that?

Lehman: Yes.

Thompson: I'd like a little chance to do some (inaudible) work (inaudible).

Duffy: Bob, being as we're doing this, don't you think we ought to invite at least one member of the Iowa City City Council? If we're going to invite us, Pat White...

Welsh: I think that's (inaudible). It seems to me that that's the other level of conversation. Pat is your employee.

Peters: Thursday.

Stutsman: Thursday.

Welsh: It seems to me...

Stutsman: We did confirm that Pat has his staff meetings on Thursday afternoons. My past experience is that he doesn't negotiate on that so you might have to pick another day.

Jordahl: Pat White is really not our employee. He's a public employee.

Welsh: Would the Tuesday at 3 o'clock, subject to Pat, on February the 9th... That would give them a week between the Commission meeting and (inaudible). I think having some time would have some value if Pat could do that on the 9th, depending on his schedule (inaudible)...

Jordahl: For the 9th, I would have to be in the morning or someone else would have to go or Carol would go.

Stutsman: We have a Board meeting in the morning.

Jordahl: Yes.

Stutsman: Are you talking about at 8 or something?

Jordahl: Well 8 or 11, something like that.

Welsh: 11. If Pat can...

Jordahl: 8, 11 or 12 even, I could meet.

Stutsman: Lunch. It's not my meeting, I guess I'll be quiet.

Jordahl: Well let's just see when Pat can meet. Should we try Tuesday morning, the 9th.

Duffy: The 9th?

Stutsman: Can I suggest that maybe...

Duffy: No.

Stutsman:...you guys work out a time...

Thompson: Yes, why don't we?

Duffy: I can't be there.

Stutsman: ...because we've got some other items on the agenda that we need to probably get to before...

Thompson: I'll talk with Bob and work something out.

Duffy: I've got a meeting in Des Moines, Economic Development.

Thompson: You're on the Nutrition Committee?

Duffy: Yes, I've been on it for 10 years.

Thompson: But not the Senior Center Commission?

Duffy: We don't have a member of the Senior Center Commission. (Inaudible).

Jordahl: OK.

Stutsman: So we pretty well came up with a plan how we're going to approach it. People just need to come up with a time.

Welsh: I'll keep bugging Jonathan and Carol until they...

Jordahl: Yes, please do.

Welsh: OK, thank you very much.

Jordahl: Thank you.

Jordahl: Local Option Sales Tax information.

Stutsman: Were we going to talk about how we were going to educate the community, the rural voters, not to promote or be against the sales tax but exactly...

Lehman: Information, a newsletter...

Stutsman: ...what it means.

Lehman: Jonathan was going to do some work on that.

Jordahl: Jonathan has not drafted something on that. Mike has done some work on that. I've got some information he's passed along to me but I'm thinking that I need to talk to the newsletter committee like yesterday to get this in. I better make that contact today to see if we can still get something in. I hope that's possible.

Stutsman: Are you talking about the Gazette, the Advertiser?

Jordahl: The Advertiser.

Stutsman: Not the internal newsletter. OK.

Jordahl: The Community News Advertiser, the county-wide...

Duffy: I wonder if we shouldn't get a list of the rural people using the libraries and explain to them what's it's costing. We appreciate their vote. I don't know how long we can keep up paying something like $356,000...

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Jordahl: We'd appreciate their vote. That's pretty... that's not neutral.

Duffy: Well they should vote for it because, if not, what I see down the line... they might have to pay for all of it or some of it themselves and they're going to lose.

Jordahl: We can encourage them to vote but not to necessarily to vote for or against it.

Stutsman: Yes. I think we have to be careful that we aren't promoting one way or the other.

Duffy: Oh I see.

Stutsman: Just lay out the information.

Lehman: We just want to inform people that that's already a cost we're incurring. It'd be another way to come up with the revenue to cover that.

Duffy: Right now I think people are (inaudible). They think that we're contributing to the library problem. They're just mixed up.

Lehman: Uh-huh.

Stutsman: I agree, Charlie. I think it's just education.

Duffy: We need money and we need it bad.

Lehman: I think if we get some information out, we've got a lot of people I've talked to in the rural area that have seen the Iowa City ballot. They think they're voting on the Iowa City ballot.

Duffy: That's right.

Lehman: Hopefully things will become clear here as we...

Stutsman: Well do we want to set up a speakers bureau to offer to go to Farm Bureau or something like that and educate people just about...

Duffy: Farm Bureau put in a spokesman but they used... they're kind of fussy when it comes to taxes. Maybe they'll put it in there and not give any opinion.

Jordahl: We could... what Sally's saying is volunteer to go talk to them or be queried. That can be fun.

Duffy: I could do that.

Lehman: I think if we come up our...

Duffy: Thursday.

Lehman: ...information we want to send to the Advertiser, maybe a copy of that...

Jordahl: Yes.

Stutsman: Are you going to address something, Jonathan?

Jordahl: Yes.

Stutsman: OK. I was wondering if we could review that and then decide how we're, or if we're going to, disseminate it.

Thompson: Can we get it in the County Roads Paper? Won't that be coming out in the middle of March?

Lehman: That'd be another good follow up. We're looking at doing the Advertiser here. That's going to all the rural residents too.

Thompson: Some of the money would go for roads.

Stutsman: We should check and see when that...

Thompson: They do like a little story about...

Stutsman: Yes.

Duffy: When do they start voting on this? I think (inaudible).

Stutsman: Oh, that's a good point.

Duffy: If there's going to be early voters...

Lehman: Early voters.

Duffy: ...we'd better hurry.

Thompson: Yes. I thought the Roads paper usually came out the first part of March because they'd tell you about the embargoes.

Stutsman: Carol, do you know when the County Roadways comes out?

Peters: It comes... they try to get it out about 4 times a year, according to the seasons or anything really important.

Stutsman: We were talking about something with the Local Option Sales Tax to put in the Roadways. I wonder if it's too late to do that.

Peters: I'll call and ask them when the next one's coming out. For your prior conversation, there is a possibility that Pat would have an hour on February 5th, 10 to 11 and another possibility on February the 19th after 2. I did call (inaudible).

Thompson: The 19th would be better for me because it would give us a chance to do the other work ahead of time.

Jordahl: However, with Pat, he's a source of information about the history of the thing.

Thompson: I can talk with him about it.

Jordahl: So you're thinking in terms of the larger group meeting with Pat and the representatives from the Senior Center Commission?

Thompson: And Steve Atkins...

Jordahl: Those are configured as 2 meetings, I think. Start with policy level discussion with policy makers and then a discussion between the Board and its representatives is 2 different groups.

Thompson: Which one is Pat going to?

Jordahl: Well it was suggested both...

Thompson: Oh, OK.

Jordahl: ...but I think the more important earlier one would be if we could talk to Steve Atkins, Ernie and so forth, to apprise them of things.

Thompson: I was thinking of that being later. I haven't had real good luck at meetings with Steve Atkins. I think I'll (inaudible) with the others.

Jordahl: Well the Senior Center Commission folks aren't going to have their meeting though until later in the month, in February, like the 19th or something you said.

Thompson: Uh-huh.

Peters: 16th.

Thompson: The 16th.

Jordahl: The 16th and so if we could get into talk with Steve and Ernie and Linda on the 5th with Pat, that would create...

Stutsman: Jonathan, can I suggest that you guys move this out after we get done with our informal meeting?

Jordahl: ...an atmosphere where we would have people who are going to be present at a lot of these decision making sessions present. I'd like to take it up on the 5th. But we can discuss that further afterwards because it's not going to be a full meeting of the Board. Local Option Sales Tax... we need to get the deadlines on that and meet them.

Welsh: Jonathan, can I suggest 2 things on the sales tax? Don't lose sight of what Mike said. I think a lot of people would not understand what they're voting on because they see the Iowa City one and that's been the real problem one.

Duffy: That's right.

Welsh: You need to make it clear, I'm not a rural resident, but you need to make it clear to the rural residents that they are only voting for what will come to the county if the sales tax passes. I think that's a real key thing and they need to know this would probably mean that they would be providing x number of dollars and the County in return would be giving x number of dollars. I think that would be factual information.

Jordahl: Yes.

Welsh: One other thing that I would suggest you do, and you have not discussed this, is I would have you set as a policy so you could say to the persons if the county passes this and the cities do not...

Duffy: They're in trouble.

Welsh: ...you will immediately, the next day, cancel it.

Lehman: We could say in all likelihood this would be the scenario.

Welsh: I think you would need to assure them that if it is something that does not go in Iowa City, that it's not going to be enacted in the county.

Duffy: Wait a minute, Bob. I'm not so sure.

Stutsman: Yes, I'm not ready to make that statement yet.

Duffy: I'm not ready to..

Stutsman: I guess I don't want to...

Duffy: What if it's the other way around? Iowa City passes it, the rural area doesn't.

Welsh: At that point, you would lose a lot of money.

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Welsh: You would come in (inaudible).

Duffy: I'm not ready to...

Welsh: But if on the other...

Stutsman: I'm not sure I'm ready to do that either. I look at that scenario in Bertram in Linn County who were the only entity in that county that passed it and really end up with a real windfall every year. I don't...

Lehman: I think we have a lot of scenarios like you mentioned to explain to people and it might be a pretty lengthy article. I hope people read through it and don't lose interest. I had a family member ask me. He has received information from Iowa City but he's a rural resident. I'm aware of it but he wasn't. He thought he was going to be voting on the Iowa City ballot. You will have your own ballot, which you'll become aware to you.

Welsh: Sally, if I were a local business person in the unincorporated area of the county and I was faced with the possibility of having a sales tax in the county and right across the street in the city they were not having the sales tax, I would not be overly happy.

Stutsman: No and that's why I'm not ready to make a statement like that because I don't know how many businesses we really have in the unincorporated area. I think that there...

Welsh: I guess I think that that is one of the things that you all need to decide as an issue. How you decide it is up to you but I do think that would be important to businesses in the county.

Stutsman: Well I guess then, if I were a rural voter, I'd almost be willing to say...

Lehman: You have to weigh. You have to weigh. If you have a business in the rural area and you live in the rural, you have to decide am I going to benefit more as a group and lose as an individual. If I'm trying to sell a lawnmower, is one percent going to make a difference to somebody to come back in town and buy a lawn mower.

Stutsman: Right, right.

Lehman: That's something I have to decide.

Stutsman: It is a policy decision. I just am not ready to make that decision quite yet for one Board Member anyway. I don't know how everybody else feels about it. I think we need to focus on educating the voters first of all about what this...

Welsh: All I'm suggesting, Sally, is that's a part of an education.

Lehman: But there are a lot of different scenarios, wrinkles.

Welsh: You have to give them the scenarios and what's going to happen. I think Mike's right. That is one of the things people are concerned about.

Stutsman: But would it confuse people if we said we're going to rescind it. Would people say why do we vote for it if they're rescind it the next day. Why even bother to vote for it. That to me would almost confuse the issue too. If we said... but I'm just trying to be the devil's advocate. You can tell I'm not ready to make a decision on this (inaudible) critical.

Lehman: I think things will...

Welsh: You have the authority on sales tax.

Lehman: I was going to say that's one thing... Cole's talked about collaboration. Everybody has to realize we're all pieces of a puzzle here and if you're missing a piece, someone's going to suffer. The whole could suffer or just that piece could suffer. I think as more information gets out there too, they're going to have to make their own decision but they're going to ask questions. What if this, what if they don't, what if we do... There will be a lot of questions asked even if we try to supply all the information. We didn't learn everything in the first meeting. Cole supplied... we quizzed him. We quizzed a lot of people. Pat White. There are still questions we haven't heard yet and we probably don't know the answers to. I think information is the key.

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Lehman: The sooner we can get things out to the public there and to our voters, which are rural in this case...

Stutsman: I think we have to decide what we are going to put together as an information piece and then who we're going to disseminate that to. Are we going to send it to all the rural voters? Are we going to use Roadways? Are we going to use the Advertiser? There will be a cost if we're going to send it to all the rural...

Lehman: I think if we can get it done through the Advertiser that will cover all rural ones. If we can follow up in the Roadways and hopefully the media's going to be available to present our side again, hopefully before ballots are issued.

Jordahl: The Advertiser is going to have to be just a little bit different because the majority of the people it goes to are going to be urban people. It's going to go to all the rural people but it's... you're going to have a lot of people reading that who are not rural so it's going to have to say something some thing different from what the Roadways piece says.

Stutsman: I think we need to focus though on what it means for rural voters. That we put together our ballot proposal for the rural voters so I don't feel a commitment to educate the urban people.. They can do that some place else in the Advertiser. I'm interested in just educating the rural part of that ballot.

Jordahl: That's why I'm saying if we put it in the Advertiser, we're going to be... whatever is in there is going to be read by city people. Focused though it may be on rural residents, if it doesn't say there's a difference. You who are city people who are reading this need to understand that this is (inaudible). We've some how got to deal with that. It doesn't have to be...

Peters: The next Roadways will probably be May 1st.

Stutsman: Oh.

Thompson: Too late.

Stutsman: So we missed it. OK.

Peters: I don't know how many of you did see, speaking of the Advertiser, the information that, I think it was the City of Iowa City had in there. It was a very informational piece. This was 3, 4 weeks ago.

Stutsman: I know we have limited space in the Advertiser for the County news page and I guess I don't want to use that space educating the urban voter on what this means. They're getting that information from a variety of sources. I would rather focus on what this ballot means for the rural voter because that's who we're targeting. That's who will be voting on it. We haven't talked about putting this on the web page either. We probably need to do that.

Duffy: We should say that some things aren't taxed. Make sure we have those down.

Jordahl: Uh-huh.

Stutsman: Well, Jonathan, you're drafting something so if we could see that...

Jordahl: I'll distribute it by email to you all.

Stutsman: All right and then we could review that and see what else we need to add on that.

Peters: I have contacted the Department of Finance and they are forwarding the latest question and answer booklet, which really does help set out just exactly what is taxed, what isn't taxed and other information that would be helpful for educational purposes.

Stutsman: I wonder if we could ask Cole to help draft something or review it or whatever.

Chase: We're currently creating our informational packets as well. The Chamber is also going to play an educational role in the local option. We're more than happy to cooperate. You're also cooperating with the League of Women Voters. Iowa City has already prepared some information. (Inaudible). There a lot of sources out there. It's just a matter of getting information you want in one document.

Lehman: We'd like to see it concise but I know it'd be impossible in our 2 pages we're allowed in the Advertiser to... what we want is information pro and con.

Stutsman: Uh-huh.

Lehman: I'm sure we'd touch on the major points and there's always going to be somebody... what about this situation followed by this and that.

Chase: Yes, and it's the odd examples that are the most difficult to deal with. They don't apply to everyone but the people whom they do apply are very interested in how it affects them. Just the example of capital... If I come in and buy a lawnmower, even if it's a big lawnmower that I could use to harvest hay, it's taxed. But if I use it for ag uses, it's not taxed. That's delineation is confusing. Another example is, this one's kind of odd, boats are taxed under sales tax, on boats, yes. Snowmobiles, but not cars or motorcycles, airplanes, not a sales tax. There's a state, yes, actually it's a state (inaudible) of some sort. Not that I know anyone selling airplanes in Iowa City but in terms of creating an exhaustive list of what's taxed and not taxed, I've been working on that for a good month and a half now and I add something at least every week. It's more than 2 pages.

Lehman: We sold a helicopter once.

Jordahl: Yes, put Cole's phone number in there. If you want know (inaudible) in tax, call Cole at...

Chase: I didn't check helicopters. I don't know if helicopters are...

Thompson: We can put that on the web page.

Chase: In terms of a policy statement to rescind if it fails in the cities, I would like to point out that one of the Chamber's recommendations was that there be a long term commitment to the tax.

Stutsman: That there be a long term...

Chase: A long term commitment to the tax. You need to decide first if these projects are something that will benefit the county as a whole, if so, then you have to have a commitment to those projects. Obviously, the jail and the roads are important so this is another revenue stream that allows us to capitalize on assets outside the county. I'd like you to consider that when you make your next decision.

Jordahl: Right.

Stutsman: Well, Jonathan, can you coordinate that...

Jordahl: Yes.

Stutsman: ...information and. let us know.

Jordahl: We'll have to get this thing on the web. Cole and I can communicate. We do need to (inaudible), I think, if we can, to the issue of these deposits that was on the agenda earlier.

Stutsman: Tom, I had a question about (inaudible) and what that is.

County Treasurer Tom Kriz: They're actually now... what you're going to see is lots of changes in this. These are banking changes. They're actually an investment bank out of Minneapolis. What you're finding now is you're seeing things with bank names that are no longer banks. They can use a name of a bank but they're not a bank. They may be a thrift, savings and loan and things like that so they all have to meet certain requirements. Code 12C is pretty specific as to what you can invest in and what you can't. This is a division of a larger actually stock brokering company that has an investment bank as part of their entity. So what we're doing is looking at a depository from that investment site in their banking and money market entity along that line.

Stutsman: OK.

Lehman: This is somebody...

Kriz: They're local here.

Lehman: This is somebody that's not been on your pre-approved list.

Kriz: This has not been on the list.

Lehman: You're asking for...

Kriz: What we've done is tried to add those to the list looking mostly at short term places to park funds as the money comes in. Right now... and the reason that was added was I looked back at how it'd been done in the past and we had for instance the Exchange Bank of Swisher, who is not on the approved list that comes from the Treasurer's Office because of the lag time it takes to get them on that list but is in the process of doing that. Likewise, (inaudible) is in their application stage with that trying to be added to that list. What the resolution states is as long as they're in conformance with the regulations of Code 12C, the Treasurer's Departments throughout the county can invest in those depositories.

Stutsman: OK.

Kriz: For instance we don't have any money yet in the Exchange Bank in Swisher only because I don't have that documentation bank back to where they're approved back beyond the $100,000 FDIC limit. It would be the same way with Union Planters until we receive that back and it'd be the same way with (inaudible) until we receive that confirmation back because often, as you can see, the requests go beyond that $100,000 FDIC limit. We can look at that in anyway.

Kriz: Although if your question is (inaudible) is an investment bank out of Minneapolis, housed with an office here. But right now we would not be investing any money within the exchange bank or Union Planters beyond $100,000 until that's approved by the state.

Stutsman: OK.

Jordahl: OK.

Kriz: You can look at it 2 ways. You can add them after they're approved. I followed the format that had been done before, is to get them on and then scrutinize that. Once again they're all going to change. And you'll see this resolution come more often because names will continue to change. Right now we're compiling information and getting statements and condition from all the ones. We can analyze that and have some good documentation as to why we have certain limits at certain places based on profits and things like that. So there's 2 ways to look at it. We can do it the way we have been where we added them and then start to use them beyond the limits once we had the approval or we could just add them once they're approved. And this was following just what we've done before.

Jordahl: I appreciate the explanation.

Stutsman: Yes.

Jordahl: (inaudible) ...

Kriz: It's confusing for those of us that work with it everyday because you'll see a name like Jones Bank and it's not really a bank. It uses the name of a bank but it's a thrift or a Savings and Loan. And the big difference will be, all institutions have to pledge their own money to back up beyond what is insured by the FDIC. But if you're not a true bank, then you have to pledge 110%. So for instance, the exchange state bank, until they're approved, if we want to deposit $5 million, they would have to pledge $5.5 million of their own funds to accept county funds beyond that thing. Where if they were a bank, they would only have to pledge 10% beyond that. So there's lots of really good regulations. There's a reason for that thing. There's a reason why for places like that you have the federal home land bank in Des Moines who is the insurer beyond that, and who they have to go through, so there's more to it than just reading down a list and saying, OK, this is how we do that. But right now we're only interested in banks who are insured by the FDIC and then beyond $100,000 we're only interested in organizations who've pledged the proper amount of pledging through the state of Iowa to cover that.

Jordahl: What does pledge mean?

Kriz: Pledge means like if I'd have to put, in a separate fund through the state treasurer's office, X amount of dollars and you'd be paid interest through the state of Iowa to do that. So I actually pledge, it's like collateral, pledge additional collateral to the state to protect the counties.

Jordahl: But if they go out of business they're bankrupt, they've lost all their money, yet somehow... What does a pledge mean?

Kriz: The pledge means it's dollars held by the state treasurer's office.

Jordahl: OK. So it's not a pledge, this is more of a ...

Kriz: It's money. It's money held by Michael Fitzgerald's office in that. And you can see why it's not bad for a bank to pledge 10%, but if you were a thrift or somebody that didn't have the banking, a 110% makes kind of a big bite to have to pledge through that. And that's why you'll see very few on that line. But that's also why you're seeing investment companies developing their own banks and things like that, to be part of something they couldn't be part of before, from a reasonable standpoint.

Lehman: I can understand all these bigger points and stuff. How about the one at the very bottom there with SEATS.

Kriz: Well they decide that. You have county departments that decide how much they would like to have approved by that.

Lehman: OK. I was just kind of curious about it. For this (inaudible)...

Kriz: The bigger numbers are in the Treasurer's Office so we can move funds into the local depositories as best rates of there.

Lehman: I just didn't think a $400 limit would be even worth...

Kriz: It's not hardly there. Once again that's history and somebody from SEATS would want to tell me why they would like to have that changed, but that appears all that they want to keep in that account at any one time.

Stutsman: Good checks and balance.

Jordahl: OK.

Kriz: It is. It is. It really is and it helps us monitor what we really should be doing as the Treasurer's Office through out the county.

Jordahl: Pat?

League of Women Voters Representative Pat Jensen: I have a question for Tom. Do these various departments clear with your office before they put money into an individual place or do they all do this independently?

Kriz: I can tell from January 1st on I'd like to have them do it (inaudible). I can't answer that question prior to that. To be honest, I think it was probably done wherever it was convenient and comfortable to do. The problem we have is banks change. I have to continuously change this resolution because of the name changes and the corporate changes beyond that. So this is once again a culture thing of learning how to change with...

Jensen: Well I think we would support going through your office so that there's some oversight.

Kriz: I think it helps only that we make sure it's right, and then the buck would stop with me, beyond that yes.

Lehman: Like you said to solve her question, do you make the decision where it goes?

Kriz: Only for the Treasurer's Office.

Lehman: OK.

Kriz: Although we're implementing right now, I'm starting to ask departments if they'd like any help with what they have to be reinvested. I know Kim Painter and I have worked together now to change he investment on her checking accounts and well pick up a nice amount...

Lehman: What you told us, just the Treasurer's doing I'd think it would behoove the rest of the departments to basically put their trust in you and let you do it for them.

Kriz: Well all we offer is to be an arm to help the other departments. They have to decide where they're comfortable. But that part of it Mike comes down to just negotiation. Because there's a printed rate of 3.5% doesn't mean we can't get 4.8% if we ask.

Lehman: Yes. I was thinking with your background and what you've shown you've been able to do (inaudible)...

Kriz: And so that's what we're doing. But everybody has to be receptive. We're not going to push that down anybody, but we're going to offer the expertise that we do have in that area and that's dollars for the county.

Jordahl: And that's good. Thank-you Tom.

Kriz: OK. Any other questions?

Stutsman: Yes, thank-you.

Kriz: Unfortunately this is probably form you didn't see very often before over the years. And Charlie you've been on as long as anybody, but you will see it more often because we're going to have to change this every time we get a bank change or somebody else new takes over or splits the division off of a bank. Right now banks are growing to be sold. And we have to be very aware of that here in Iowa City. You have to get big enough to be attractive to be bought, and just because you've changed one bank this year doesn't mean you may not change that same bank's name again at the end of the year. I would encourage you, especially it's the county's money so ask those questions. We learn to try to stay on top of that. But people will ask you the same questions. Why this, or why that, or why would this be that way. And then we'll try to give you the information to answer that. But unfortunately this will be something that will come more often than I would guess once every 3 years or so in the past.

Jordahl: OK.

Duffy: I remember a few years back about when we were discussing how many banks there were in Iowa. And boy there's a lot of banks. Is that why some of them are being sold to larger banks?

Kriz: Well, they're being sold because of dollars. And there's a profitable time in any business possibly to sell that business. And they're being sold because of competition. New services offered. They'll be very few local banks that can withstand the pressure. But that changed when interstate banking changed. So when that changed that changed the whole formality. Ask those questions though. I invite you all down to visit with me about anything when it comes down to the investments or banking. Because it will never be the same 3 months later. It just really won't. These things change.

Jordahl: OK.

Kriz: OK?

Jordahl: Thanks Tom.

Kriz: Thanks, yes.

(Continued in Part 4)