JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Proposed pipelines concern Johnson County supervisors

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 9/13/22

IOWA CITY

A carbon-capture pipeline project has grabbed the attention of Johnson County Supervisors.

Thursday, Aug. 25, the board will consider approving a letter-of-intent that would be …

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JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Proposed pipelines concern Johnson County supervisors

Posted

IOWA CITY

A carbon-capture pipeline project has grabbed the attention of Johnson County Supervisors.

Thursday, Aug. 25, the board will consider approving a letter-of-intent that would be sent to Wolf Carbon Solutions, a Denver-based energy company, indicating its intent to hire a pipeline inspector should any part of a proposed pipeline go through Johnson County.

Three pipeline projects are proposed in Iowa, but the Wolf Carbon Solutions pipeline is the only one that may go through Johnson County. None of the pipelines are proposed to go through Kalona or any part of Washington County. A portion of the Wolf pipeline would go through southeast Linn County and possibly into the northeast tip of Johnson County.

Josh Busard, Director of Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainabiity, provided a lengthy presentation on the carbon capture projects for the board at its August 17 work session. Busard recommended hiring a pipeline inspector, per state code.

Landowners located along the proposed pipeline will likely receive offers from a pipeline company, Busard said, but some property may be taken by eminent domain.

CO2 gas is captured from ethanol plants, then is cooled and compressed and transported to a storage facility via the pipeline in a “supercritical” phase, a state that is between a gas and a liquid. Pipeline accidents are rare, Busard said, but they can produce dangerous situations.

The Wolf pipeline would begin at the ADM Corn Processing plant in Cedar Rapids and go to eastern Iowa.

Supervisors Jon Green and Lisa Green-Douglass, along with Busard, are planning to attend an informational meeting on the project Aug. 29 in North Liberty.

Courthouse project

Work on an estimated $900,000 construction project at the Johnson County Courthouse is being delayed because the contractor bids were rejected.

Ray Forsythe, Special Projects Manager, recommended that the project go back out for bid again on a different timeline. Only two bids, both in excess of 10% over the estimated $900,000, were received by the previous deadline of Aug. 4. The work involves a floor replacement on the second floor of the courthouse and renovations on the third floor.

The board is scheduled to vote Thursday on setting a public hearing of Sept. 8 on the proposed plan and estimated costs. The release for bids would go out the next day and the deadline for bids would be Sept. 23.

Direct Assistance

Supervisor Jon Green of Lone Tree thanked members of Iowa City’s City Council for approving a revised agreement with the county Aug. 16 that will allow all eligible applicants for the Direct Assistance Program to receive $1,400 one-time payments.

The program was put into place by the county in order to assist low-income residents affected by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“I’m grateful to them (City Council members) and I’m grateful to all of you,” Green told the other supervisors in his closing comments at the Aug. 18 formal session. “I’m very excited that we managed to execute this program.”

Johnson County contributed $2 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for the program. Iowa City added more than $1.3 million and Coralville contributed $27,000. The program benefited more than 2,200 applicants.

The board also approved a partnership with the University of Iowa that will result in a study of the benefits of the Direct Assistance Program. The study is being led by David Frisvold, an economic professor.

Windham Village

A meeting to create a village plan for the Windham Village area, north of Frytown, has been set for 6 p.m. Aug. 29 at Renee’s Roadhouse, 1747 Black Diamond Road SW.

The meeting, coordinated by the Johnson County Planning, Development and Sustainability Dept., is open to area residents, property owners and other interested persons. The meeting is intended for idea sharing and a question-and-answer session, as well as reviewing goals and a vision statement that were drafted out of a previous planning session in July.

Johnson County, carbon capture, pipeline, ARPA