JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Starting Strong program to expand into rural Johnson County

By Paul D. Bowker
Posted 5/9/23

IOWA CITY

A number of child-care initiatives in Johnson County will include $75,000 for an expansion of the Starting Strong program in rural areas of the county.

Lynette Jacoby, Social …

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JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Starting Strong program to expand into rural Johnson County

Posted

IOWA CITY

A number of child-care initiatives in Johnson County will include $75,000 for an expansion of the Starting Strong program in rural areas of the county.

Lynette Jacoby, Social Services Director, said the expansion would cover the entire county. Child-care needs were identified as a priority by Johnson County residents in a number of public input sessions.

“This is not going to solve our issues,” Jacoby told the Johnson County Board of Supervisors at its May 3 work session, “but we hope that it puts a dent in it. We think it will help increase the number of slots available in the community.”

The money, which comes from American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds, would be stretched over three years.

Other ARPA-funded programs proposed by Jacoby include $1.75 million for scholarships for working families with infants and toddlers, $100 monthly incentives to child-care providers accepting children 24 months and younger, and $750,000 for a wage-incentive program.

In all, $4.65 million in ARPA funds are scheduled to be used on child-care initiatives.

The cities of Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty are served by 4Cs of Johnson County, but the expansion will open up the county’s program to other areas.

“We’re going to be a model, I think,” said Lisa Green-Douglass, Board of Supervisors Chair.

The Board is scheduled to vote Thursday (May 11) on administrative services and fiscal agent agreements with the Johnson County Empowerment/Early Childhood Iowa Area Board.

Salary Decoupling

Should performance in a job determine pay increases?

As of now, annual performance evaluations do determine merit pay increases for county employees. That could be changing to more of an across-the-board increase to all employees, regardless of performance. But not so fast.

After another lengthy discussion on the issue and a potential July 1 start, which was causing a bit of a stir among some staffers, Board Supervisors were in favor of a committee being formed to study the matter and seek feedback from county employees.

“Let’s listen to our people, let’s listen to our employees,” Supervisor Royceann Porter said. “I can’t go forth with this. We need for it to slow down.”

A number of department heads and staffers spoke to the Board during the May 3 meeting.

“I am a goal-driven employee,” said Fiona Johnson, Ambulance Director. “I love having that carrot.”

Lake Levels

The Board heard an update from Carl Gonder of Friends of Coralville Lake at its work session. The organization plans to launch a fundraising campaign to attract attention to the lake’s dropping water levels.

According to an Army Corps of Engineers report cited by Friends of Coralville Lake, the lake may be unusable in 20 years because of a large amount of sediment being deposited into the lake. The lake’s depth has dropped to three feet in some areas.

A feasibility study is expected to be completed by the end of May. Johnson County has partnered with Friends of Coralville Lake.

“We believe that we can help solve this very complex issue over time,” Gonder said. “We do believe time is now to take the steps necessary to save the lake.”

Board Action

The Board agreed to a Memorandum of Understanding with the Firehouse Subs Public Safety Foundation. The foundation is approving a grant of more than $33,000 that will be used by the Johnson County Ambulance Service to purchase an ATV that would be used for emergencies in high-traffic pedestrian or event situations.

The Board set a public hearing on the fleet facility’s concrete work project for May 18 at 9 a.m.

The Board issued a proclamation in honor of National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Mental Health Awareness Day, May 6.

Next board meeting: The board will hold its next formal meeting at 5:30 p.m. May 11.

Johnson County, Board of Supervisors, Starting Strong Program, child care