IOWA CITY

Nearly one month after a building proposal by Kalona Post & Frame was slowed down by the Johnson Board of Supervisors because supervisors said the company isn’t Johnson County local, it is back on the front burner.

Following a renewed official bid process to construct a proposed storage building at the Johnson County Historic Poor Farm, Kalona Post & Frame emerged as one of two bidders, and the favored bidder, for the project.

Kalona Post & Frame had an initial bid of $91,680 for the 25-by-100 foot pole building that would be used by farmers enrolled in the Land Access Program at the Poor Farm.

Johnson County’s “Buy Local” policy allows a Johnson County-based company to win a bid over an outside-of-county company, even if its bid is up to 10% higher. Peak Construction Group of North Liberty had an initial bid of $104,000, which was 13.4% higher.

The project was budgeted for $100,000.

Managers at the Poor Farm again settled on Kalona Post & Frame for an adjusted bid of $94,480, including a required payment and performance bond, and presented the recommendation to the Board at its Jan. 10 work session.

The Board is scheduled to vote on the project this week.

Rezoning Approvals

A request by Susan and Rich Young to rezone their farm located off Highway 1 in southwest Johnson County to AG-Tourism from AG was approved by the Board at its Jan. 11 formal session.

The rezoning was requested so that the Youngs can pursue using a portion of the 20.9-acre farm for camping and other seasonal recreational uses. Farming will remain the primary use of the land, according to documents filed with the county.

The two-parcel property is located on the south side of Highway 1, north of 570th Street SW and a few miles northeast of Frytown.

A rezoning request by Hertz Farm Management, from agricultural to residential, was approved for 1.17 acres of a property located northeast of Lone Tree on Wapello Avenue SE.

The rezoning was requested to split a house from an existing farm.

A preliminary and final plat, creating a one-lot Seebeck Subdivision, then was also approved by the Board.

Call for Ceasefire

A number of Johnson County residents, many of them with personal ties to the State of Palestine, called for the Board of Supervisors to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

Public comment on the situation went on for 45 minutes as 14 spoke to the Board in support of a ceasefire and against the U.S. sending more military aid to Israel using public tax dollars.

The U.S. voted against a ceasefire during a December meeting of the United Nations. Another protest took place Saturday in Washington D.C., with protestors claiming genocide in Gaza. Washington and Israel officials have expressed a need to eliminate Hamas from the region.

Board Action

The Board approved a Policy Department Policy, which governs county policies and procedures.

The Board adopted a letter of support regarding matching funds for the Rural Autonomous Vehicle Program, which is being coordinated with the University of Iowa’s Driving Safety Research Institute. Board Vice Chair Jon Green noted that the money is a part of existing funds.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., Day, Jan. 15.

The Board set a public hearing for 9 a.m. Jan. 25 regarding a pending fringe-area agreement with Swisher and Cedar Rapids.

Next meeting: The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. Jan. 18.