IOWA CITY
While Johnson County and the City of Iowa City decide whether they will join together to build a new police facility and jail, the county is facing a repair bill of more than $3 …
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IOWA CITY
While Johnson County and the City of Iowa City decide whether they will join together to build a new police facility and jail, the county is facing a repair bill of more than $3 million for its current aging facility.
The bad news arrived in a work session Jan. 22, following an extensive study of the building that is falling apart outside, inside and on top.
These were the four words from Rob Decker, an engineering consultant and co-founder of Iowa City-based Axiom Consultants: “Very, very bad condition.”
Decker said the county jail and sheriff’s offices need a new roof and new HVAC units, along with new doors and repairs to the building’s walls, structure and insulation.
Including design work, the project would cost about $3.6 million at a time when both Johnson County and Iowa City are considering building new facilities. Thursday, Johnson County Supervisors approved a resolution to investigate the feasibility of building a facility that would be shared with Iowa City.
The county is also considering closing the jail and shipping prisoners to other county jails during the interim.
“Need to weigh repairs versus closing it,” said longtime Supervisor Rod Sullivan.
Brad Kunkel, Johnson County Sheriff, reminded the Board that the jail is half the operation. The other half of the building is used by deputies and office staff who would also need a place to work if the building is shut down.
“This is,” Sullivan said, “the classic throwing good money after bad. I’ve had many a car in my day where you get to a point where I’m just not putting any more (money) into this car, right? We’re getting a different car.
“I think we passed that point with this jail quite some time ago.”
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.
An estimated timeline would put repairs being completed in about a year. A more detailed proposal and timeline, along with estimated costs, will come back in front of the Board at its Feb. 5 or 12 work session.
“We need to move as quickly as possible,” Supervisor V Fixmer-Oraiz said.
Pipeline headed for Hills?
A proposed natural gas pipeline by MidAmerican Energy would begin southwest of Hills, at a valve station on 560th Street SW, and go up to Highway 1 in Iowa City.
The Board, during its Jan. 23 formal session, approved Snyder and Associates to conduct on-site inspections of the pipeline project as it is worked on.
The 7.1-mile pipeline would go north from 560th Street SW, west of Hills and west of Highway 218.
An informational meeting on the proposal will be held at the Hills Community Center on Feb. 25 at 5:30 p.m.
The final decision on the pipeline will be made by the Iowa Utilities Commission.
Board Pay Increase
Johnson County’s Compensation Board recommended a salary increase of 4.85% for Supervisors, beginning with the start of the new fiscal year in July. The increase would push biweekly payments to $3,935.94, or about $102,330 annually.
Compensation Board recommendations also push county attorney Rachel Zimmermann Smith’s biweekly salary to $8,255.33 and Sheriff Brad Kunkel’s salary to $8,001.11. All salaries for elected officials were bumped up 4.85% in cost-of-living and merit pay increases.
The final decisions will come during the county’s budgeting process, which will wind up in March and April.
“I will be honest. I find myself struggling,” first-year Supervisor Mandi Remington said about the pay increase “when our residents continue to struggle in food security and housing security.”
Board Action
The Board approved a 28E agreement with the cities of North Liberty, Tiffin and Coralville, so that a roundabout can be built at the intersections of Forevergreen Road and Jasper Avenue.
The Board approved a change order of $62,670 from McComas-Lucina Construction for work being done on the Administration and Health and Human Services buildings.
The Board set its monthly evening meeting for zoning and platting applications, and public hearings, for 5:30 p.m. Feb. 13.
Next meeting:
The Board’s next formal session is at 9 a.m. January 30.