IOWA CITY

Improvements at Kent Park will include infrastructure for a planned shower house facility, but construction of the actual shower house is on hold due to higher-than-expected numbers in the bidding process.

“Every bid has come in well over a million dollars more than what we anticipated,” Brad Freidhof, Johnson County Conservation Manager, told the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at its August 16 work session.

Friedhof said the plan was to move ahead with the installation of septic and utility systems that will serve the shower house, along with construction of a realigned road system. The cost of those projects would run about $1.8 million, using American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds.

The shower house project is one of the approved projects in Johnson County’s ARPA plan of $29 million.

A dump station project, costing about $700,000, is already in the preconstruction process, Friedhof said.

Friedhof said another financial request for construction of the shower house would be made at a later date, perhaps when additional ARPA funding is available.

Kent Park is located north of Highway 6 near Oxford and includes campgrounds, an education center, a fishing dock and multiple picnic shelters.

UDO Amendments

At its August 17 formal session, the Board approved a number of amendments to the Johnson County Unified Development Ordinance.

The ordinance includes a lengthy list of requirements that developers and land owners must adhere to when a housing subdivision is planned or built out.

A public hearing was held August 10, followed by final approval at the August 17 session. Changes to the UDO this time include specifications on cul-de-sac designs, final plat specifications and road traffic parameters.

The amended UDO can be viewed at: johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

Board Action

The Board approved several job descriptions, including Assistant Finance Coordinator for Mental Health Disability Services of the East Central Region.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of Honey Bee Day, August 19.

Next board meeting: The board will hold its next formal meeting at 9 a.m. August 24.