IOWA CITY

Johnson County’s hot topic in recent weeks has been potentially sharing a new jail and police facility with the City of Iowa City.

And it’s been really hot.

Last week, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors scheduled a special work session to take on the issue.

It lasted just 15 minutes.

And it didn’t even take that long for the board to finally divorce itself from Iowa City, at least in terms of a new shared police facility that may have been located near Iowa City Municipal Airport at the junction of Riverside Drive and Highway 6.

The trouble began with an Iowa City Council meeting, which split on a marginal 4-3 vote to enter discussions with the county on a shared facility. That was just the beginning of a fast-moving target.

Iowa City Mayor Bruce Teague rejected a potential facility on city-owned property near the airport.

County Sheriff Brad Kunkel told the Board of Supervisors he could no longer support a shared facility.

Then, last Wednesday, in an informal vote with little comment, the five board members voted to end any discussions with the city.

The county is now back to an initial estimate of $80 million for a new building without a designated property to build it on, and no consensus among board members on how many beds a new jail should consist of.

Kunkel wants 140 beds, a number that was proposed in a study prepared by Shive-Hattery Architecture & Engineering of Iowa City.

Supervisor Mandi Remington said she would not vote for anything over 92 beds.

Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz said 100.

A bond referendum would still have to pass voters with a 60% approval rate in the November 2026 election.

One compromise achieved limited support on the board and acceptance by Kunkel: Building a facility with 120 beds that can be expanded to 140.

Roundabout Plan

Construction is expected to begin in March 2026 on a traffic roundabout that will be on a property in a growing area of Johnson County that includes Tiffin, North Liberty and Coralville. The intersection is on the west end of Forevergreen Road, just west of Interstate 380, and connects with Jasper Road.

“It’s a very dangerous intersection the way it sat,” Supervisor Rod Sullivan said.

The Board approved right-of-way and drainage easements for the planned roundabout during its Sept. 25 formal session. The project’s cost will be split between North Liberty and Tiffin, and is not expected to cost the county anything.

Legislative Priorities

The Board will vote Thursday on a number of legislative priorities for upcoming state legislature sessions.

Among the board’s top priorities are absentee ballot voting, and supporting increased state funding for juvenile detention, juvenile delinquency prevention services, beds in state-funded institutions, and reimbursement for Medicaid-covered services.

Board Action

The Board amended an agreement with Axiom Consultants of Iowa City for $8,580 in order to continue structural monitoring of the Johnson County Jail and Sheriff’s Office.

The Board approved more than $55,000 in Quality of Life grant agreements, including $4,250 to the Lone Tree Chamber of Commerce.

The Board approved more than $100,000 in Economic Development grant agreements, including $25,000 to the International Rescue Committee.

The Board voted, by 4-1, to join the City of Iowa City in an application for technical assistance to support development of a field mediation program.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of 4-H Week (Oct. 5-11).

Next meeting:

The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. October 2.