IOWA CITY

The Johnson County Board of Supervisors intends on addressing issues at mobile home parks in the unincorporated areas of the county as soon as this week.

A number of residents addressed the Board at its Feb. 5 work session, complaining of rent increases that have hit $400 and a water problem in January at the Modern Manor mobile home park located southeast of Iowa City that left home owners without water for days.

Supervisor Mandi Remington had co-authored a proposed resolution with Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz that included a number of suggestions and strategies, but board members ultimately chose not to issue a resolution and instead begin a path of action.

“I like the ends. I don’t really like the means,” Supervisor Rod Sullivan said. “I don’t think a resolution is the way to handle this.”

“I would like to just turn this into a bullet-point work list of things we ought to work on and come back here and go through and discuss each one and assign people to do certain tasks and work on it,” he said.

Remington, the Board’s newest supervisor and an advocate for those living in mobile home parks, just wanted to see action taken.

“I don’t want it to be something  that we talk about and say, ‘We all agree on these ideas,’ and then it ends up on a back burner and we don’t actually take action.”

Board members agreed to put the issue back on its work session agenda this week or next week, and at that point, plan out a way to address issues brought up by residents.

Supervisor Lisa Green-Douglass was not in favor of the county purchasing property and operating mobile home parks, which was one of the recommendations in the proposed resolution.

“That seems we would be getting into the business of basically landlording,” she said.

Jailhouse Studies

At its Feb. 6 formal meeting, the Board approved an agreement amendment of $63,800 with Shive-Hattery Architecture & Engineering for a joint feasibility study being conducted with the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa City Police Department.

At this week’s formal meeting, the Board will also consider an agreement amendment of $283,695 with Axiom Consultants of Iowa City for a stabilization project that would result in a number of repairs to the current county jail and offices.

A fast-moving schedule would have $3.6 million in repairs completed within one year.

Rob Decker, an engineering consultant and co-founder of Axiom Consultants, previously told the Board the jailhouse needs a new roof and new HVAC units, along with new doors and repairs to the building’s walls, structure and insulation.

The jail was built more than 40 years ago, in 1981, and three bond referendums have failed, the last one in 2013 with reduced bed space. The price tag was more than $40 million more than 10 years ago; it is now approaching $80 million, not including the $3.6 million repair estimate for the current building.

Courthouse Renovation

Swanson Construction of Bettendorf was the low bidder for a planned renovation project of offices on the third level of the Johnson County Courthouse.

Swanson’s bid of $423,000 for the project will be voted on this week by the Board in its Thursday formal session. Dave Curtis, Facilities Manager, recommended Swanson to the Board.

Swanson was among six companies bidding for the project.

Board Action

The Board approved a resolution that approves an application by Brandon Berg for an Urban Revitalization Tax Exemption for a property located within the Naples Avenue Urban Revitalization District.

The Board appointed Lance Bohlen of North Liberty to the Building Code Board of Appeals.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of Black History Month.

Next meeting:

The Board’s next formal session is at 5:30 p.m. February 13. This is the monthly evening session that includes a number of public hearings, and zoning and platting applications.