SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 7, 2012
Sullivan’s Salvos 9/11/12 In this edition: *The Race Is On! *Ciha Fen Dedication *Congratulations, Larry! *Field to Family *Did You Know? *The Race Is On! The race for County Supervisor just got a lot more interesting, with two additional candidates filing just before the August 29 deadline. John Etheridge and Dave Fesler are both conservatives, but are choosing to run nominated by petition in this race. I look forward to some spirited discussions in the fall! Meanwhile, I want to ask each of you for your vote. I have tried to serve you well during my two terms as Supervisor. Some of the accomplishments I want to highlight: • Successfully dealt with flood response and recovery; • Passed a Human Rights Ordinance, the first County in Iowa to do so; • Passed a Sensitive Areas Ordinance, the first County in Iowa to do so; • Signed on to the Cool Counties initiative, the first County in Iowa to do so; • Created a Livable Community for Seniors, the first County in Iowa to do so; • Named Heritage Area on Aging Outstanding Elected Official, 2010; • Supported the 2008 Conservation Bond Initiative; • Created a Trails Committee and for the first time put trails in the budget; • Instituted a highly successful Earned Income Tax Credit program; • Established a Buy Local policy; • Passed a Wind Energy Ordinance; • Added rural tornado sirens; • Argued for sensible use of TIFs; • Fought waste at the Joint Emergency Communication Center. Johnson County is in excellent shape financially, and most of our building needs have been met. We serve the 135,000-plus residents of the County with approximately the same number of employees as in 1990, when Johnson County had only 96,000 residents. I am proud of these accomplishments. I hope you are, too. Many of these topics had been languishing for years. Some faced a lot of opposition, and took a lot of effort to pass. I promised to champion these issues, and I have delivered. Supporting Sullivan for Supervisor means more accomplishments like these! I have demonstrated a willingness to ask tough questions and challenge the status quo. I listen, get people involved, work hard, and get things done. Perhaps most importantly, I have stood for things while a member of the Board. I have said “no” to friends, and I have said “no” to full rooms. My votes are based upon what I feel is best, not what is politically expedient. To properly serve as Supervisor, you must be willing to do what is right, not just what is popular. There is still work to do. Moving forward, my goals are: • Work with cities and the Legislature for sensible TIF usage; • Improve rural housing conditions; • Chip seal more gravel roads; • Increased support for Human Services; • Improve Affirmative Action results. Thank you for hearing me out. Those are my thoughts, but I need to know yours! Please feel free to call or e-mail me with any questions, comments, or concerns. *Ciha Fen Dedication Johnson County is dedicating the Ciha Fen property, 145th Street NE near Sutliff, on Saturday, September 22. For those of you who need a reminder: The Ciha Fen Preserve is a sand prairie/savanna complex on a wind-deposited sand ridge. It contains the Ciha Fen, which is one of the only two documented remaining nutrient-poor fens known in the state of Iowa. It has numerous rare plant and animals species. Cornell College Professor Paul Christiansen identified the Ciha Fen decades ago, but kept it somewhat quiet, since no funds existed to purchase and preserve the property. Last year the Ciha Fen was purchased using proceeds from the 2008 voter supported Conservation Bond initiative. Dress casually for a day of hiking around a wooded timber and dry prairie. Long pants and closed-toed shoes are recommended. You may want to consider bringing a water bottle, a lawn chair, sunscreen, and insect repellent. 145th Street NE will be closed to through traffic on the day of the event. Please park on the shoulder of 145th Street NE. The agenda for the morning is as follows: 9:00 Welcome and Dedication: JCCB President Amy Bouska and Iowa Natural Heritage Foundation President Mark Ackelson. 9:15-10:00 Geological History of the Ciha Fen: Retired State Geologist and Author Dr. Jean C. Prior and UI Geosciences Associate Professor Dr. E.A. Bettis III. 10:00 -10:45 Botanical Tour: JCCB Vegetation Specialist David Wehde and JCCB Vegetation Technician Jeremy Rieck. 10:45-11:30 Birds, Bugs and Beasts: Rick Hollis, Frank Olson and Chris Edwards. 11:30 - 12:00 Multispecies Inventory and Monitoring Project: JCCB Naturalist Brad Freidhof. For more information or to register for this event contact Brad Freidhof at (319) 645-1011 or email Brad at bfreidhof@co.johnson.ia.us. *Congratulations, Larry! All of County Government, particularly the Conservation Department, celebrates the Ciha Fen. Similarly, all of County Government, particularly the Conservation Department, is mourning the retirement of Larry Lovetinsky, Conservation Superintendent. Larry has spent over 30 years with Johnson County Conservation. He is a straight shooter, a hard worker, an excellent supervisor, a true conservationist, and a good and decent man. You simply do not replace people like Larry Lovetinsky. Someone else will do the job. But no one will replace Larry. Congratulations on your retirement, Larry! *Field to Family Field to Family is a cool local organization that is holding lots of events in the month of September. For a complete list, see: http://www.fieldtofamily.org/ Field to Family’s mission is to grow healthy communities by connecting local food and families. We envision a region where people eat with the seasons, where farmers make a living, and our rural landscapes are diverse, abundant, and healthy. *DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County once elected a Supervisor who was nominated by petition – Don Sehr in 1994. But that was a low-turnout April Special Election, and Sehr had already served a couple terms as a Supervisor as a member of the Democratic Party. He had finished 4th in a 6 way Democratic Primary just two years earlier. Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website- www.johnson-county.com. "Sullivan’s Salvos" is sent once per week to any interested party. It will give a brief update on issues of interest to Johnson County residents. These messages come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise mentioned. If you do NOT want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line. If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan@mchsi.com with "subscribe" in the subject line. As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan@mchsi.com. I look forward to serving you! ---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:00 PM
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