HomeMy WebLinkAbout2025-09-10 Joint Meeting minutesTHE JOHNSON COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS
MINUTES OF THE JOINT MEETING WITH IOW A CITY COUNCIL
SEPTEMBER 10, 2025
Chairperson Green called the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to order in the Johnson County
Health and Human Services Building Conference Room at 5:02 p.m. Members present: V Fixmer-Oraiz,
Jon Green, Lisa Green -Douglass, Mandi Rernington*, and Rod Sullivan. City of Iowa City Council
members present: Bruce Teague, Mazahir Salih, Megan Alter, Laura Bergus, Shawn Harmsen, Josh
Moe, and Oliver Weilein.
Unanimous consent was granted for approval of the agenda.
Public Comment - Clara Reynen, Iowa City, encouraged City Council to reject the joint entity proposal.
She said the County should seek to pass the bond measure on its own and that more suitable locations
exist for the City Police Department. She also expressed frustration that County Sheriff Brand Kunkel
does not support a recently presented field mediation program intended to divert people from jail. She
added the cultures of the County Sheriffs Office and City Police Department should remain separate.
Leslie Carpenter, Iowa Mental Health Advocacy, said Kunkel supports diversion initiatives for those
with mental health issues and the assisted outpatient treatment program located in the County. Carpenter
expressed support for the joint facility and stated the City Police Department administration will operate
separately from the County Sheriff's Office. Nix, Iowa City, wanted to be on record opposing the joint
facility.
City and County Space Needs Background and Introduction
Kunkel reviewed the background of the need to address the jail facility and other events leading to the
joint session. Geoff Frain, City Manager of Iowa City, reviewed the background of the City's Police
Department space needs.
Presentation of Joint Law Enforcement Facility Feasibility Study by Shive-Hattery and OPN
Michael Lewis, Shive-Hattery, Inc. (Shive-Hattery), explained OP` N Architects, Inc. (OP'N) could not
send a representative to this meeting, but they said Lewis may speak for the team. Lewis reviewed
options both the City and County explored independently. He said the team identified 16,000 square
feet of joint space that could be saved and detailed into those areas. He added that sharing space could
save the entities a combined $10.25 million, with final arrangements determining the exact savings for
each entity.
Presentation Outlining Formation and Operations of a Joint Law Enforcement Authority
Deputy Civil Assistant County Attorney Ryan Maas outlined how an authority would be formed in
accordance with the Code of Iowa including the makeup of the authority governing council. Maas said
the City Council and County Board of Supervisors would each have votes on the articles of incorporation
and site selection.
As the meeting reached the agreed upon termination time of 6:30 p.m., Green said the County will make
more time for further discussions with the City as needed.
Adjourned at 6:35 p.m.
Attest: Julie Persons, Auditor
Recorded by Auditors Office: Eric Van Lancker, Deputy Auditor (Minutes)