SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
September 26, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 9/30/14
In this edition:
*Book Festival
*Democratic Party Fall BBQ
*Courthouse Annex
*Did You Know?
*Book Festival
The
Iowa City Book Festival runs Thursday, October 2nd through Sunday, October 5th.
This edition of the Book Festival has what I believe is the best lineup yet!
The
Iowa City Book Festival, now in its sixth year, will be organized by the Iowa City UNESCO City of Literature.
Iowa City is one of just seven Cities of Literature in the world, and the Iowa
City Book Festival will celebrate books and writing by leveraging the unique
mix of local resources that helped to earn that designation.
Partners
like the University
of Iowa’s Writers’ Workshop and International Writing Program, FilmScene, and the Mission Creek
Festival will offer programming. This,
along with a selection of nationally prominent authors, will provide an
exciting and enlightening weekend of events and programs that put literature of
all kinds in the spotlight.
Past
participants include Ridley Pearson, Jane Smiley, Curtis Sittenfeld, Anthony
Marra, Donald Ray Pollock, Elizabeth Berg, Robert Goolrick, Jane Hamilton,
Audrey Niffenegger, Gregg Hurwitz, Karen Thompson Walker, Bennett Sims, and
Bonnie Jo Campbell, as well as local and area writers like James Galvin, Marvin
Bell, Mary Swander, Max Allan Collins Sam Kean, Carl Zimmer, and Zach Wahls.
This
year’s headliners include Marilyn Robinson, Jane Smiley, Reyna Grande, Luis
Urrea and many more! For more information, including the full schedule of
events, see: http://www.iowacitybookfestival.org
*Democratic Party Fall BBQ
Save
the date! The Johnson County Democratic Party is holding its annual Fall BBQ on
Sunday, October 5th from 3-7pm at the Johnson County Fairgrounds.
Special
guest speakers include Senator Debbie Stabenow of Michigan and Senator Bernie
Sanders of Vermont. Tickets and more info are available at: http://jcdems.org.
*Courthouse Annex
Johnson County is asking voters to approve a
courthouse annex. Following is a list of frequently asked questions:
Why do we need a Courthouse annex?
The historic Johnson
County Courthouse was constructed in 1901 when the population of the County was
approximately 25,000 residents. The Courthouse is listed on the National
Register of Historic Places and is a historic gem. However, the building is
entirely inadequate to serve the modern court needs of a growing county with a
population of nearly 140,000 residents. The Courthouse Annex project is
proposed to address the critical safety, security and space deficiencies in the
current courthouse.
Offices and chambers for
the County Attorney, Clerk of Court, judges and juries lack sufficient space.
Civil trials are routinely postponed due to lack of available courtrooms. There
is virtually no space for attorneys to meet with clients or conduct
negotiations or mediations. Employees work in cramped quarters and records are
stored in various off-site locations.
Due to age and design
standards of the 113-year-old facility, the present Courthouse presents a
potential threat to the personal safety and security of employees, judges,
jurors, witnesses, victims and other visitors. There is no entrance
system/checkpoint protecting against weapons and no separation of
criminals/suspects from the general public, including victims, witnesses and
jurors.
What features will be included in the Courthouse
annex?
The Courthouse annex
project proposal includes 69,167 square feet of space that will be used for:
• Six new courtrooms
designed with updated technology
• Expanded space for the
Clerk of Court
• Expanded space for court
administration and court-related services
• New jury deliberation
rooms
• Interview rooms for
confidential communication between lawyers and their clients
• New multi-purpose
meeting areas for current and future judicial-related community-based
programming (Drug Court, Family Treatment Court, and other mental health and
substance abuse programs)
• Secure, ADA-compliant
entrance on south end of the Courthouse, as well as access to the new annex
building on the west
Where will the annex be located?
The three-level building
will be located west of the existing Courthouse. Built into a hill, the new
building will be energy-efficient, use land already owned by Johnson County,
and not detract from the historic Courthouse.
Will the Courthouse annex be ADA-compliant?
Yes. The Courthouse annex
will be designed to meet all federal and state Americans with Disabilities Act
(ADA) requirements for accessibility to those with special needs. As the
numbers of people using the Courthouse continues to increase, the annex will
also accommodate that growth now and into the future. Elevators, restrooms,
courtrooms, jury boxes, witness boxes, entrances and exits will all be
constructed to ADA requirements.
How will a Courthouse annex protect the public?
The annex will include
metal detection equipment at a single secure entrance to detect and prevent
individuals from bringing a dangerous weapon into the facility. Offices for
judges, jury deliberation rooms, and entrances in and out of new courtrooms will
all be secured. Separate, secure hallways and elevators will allow movement of
inmates away from the general public. Although inmates are accompanied by
deputies while in the Courthouse, currently the inmates use the same elevators,
walkways and restrooms as the general public. That means victims, victims’
families and jurors may be forced to be in close proximity to the accused.
Additionally, the annex will include a fire suppression system, and hallways,
stairs and exits will all be designed to meet ADA standards.
Where will employees and visitors park?
In cooperation with the
City of Iowa City, Johnson County plans to close off Harrison Street for
parking. A public city ramp at Court Street will also be available for parking.
Will the historic Courthouse be utilized?
Yes. The historic
Courthouse will continue to be used for offices and courtrooms. The Courthouse
has approximately 25,000 square feet that will be used as follows:
• The secure public
entrance to the Courthouse and annex will be on the lower level of the current
courthouse.
• The County Attorney’s
Office will be moved to the second floor
• Three or four
courtrooms, along with judges’ chambers and jury deliberation rooms, will
continue to be used for civil trials and other court business.
How much will the Courthouse annex cost and how
will it be paid for?
A bond referendum will be
placed on the November 4, 2014, general election ballot. To pass, the proposal
requires a 60% supermajority vote.
The approved bond language
reads:
“Shall the County of
Johnson, State of Iowa, issue its general obligation bonds in an amount not
exceeding the amount of $ 33,400,000 for the purpose of erecting and equipping
a County Courthouse Annex, to solve current safety, security and space needs of
the court operations, in a structure to be located adjacent to, incorporating,
and connected to, the existing historic courthouse?”
It is estimated that a
$33.4 million bond would have an annual tax impact of $17.38 per $100,000 of
assessed value on residential property if the bond is financed for 20 years.
Are there jail cells in the proposed annex?
No. There are no jail
cells in the current or future plans or design of the Johnson County Courthouse
annex. There are two inmate holding cells planned for the first floor of the
facility, for the purpose of securing inmates between their delivery from the
Jail to the Courthouse and prior to their appearance in court. There are also
inmate holding areas outside four of the courtrooms. The language used in the bond
referendum restricts the usage of the bond funds for court purposes.
Will the building incorporate sustainability
features?
Yes. The Board of
Supervisors has set a minimum goal of achieving Silver LEED certification by
addressing sustainability through water efficiency, energy and atmosphere
features, materials and resources used, indoor environmental quality,
innovation, and design process. LEED, Leadership in Energy and Environmental
Design, is a green building certification program that recognizes best-in-class
building strategies and practices.
*DID YOU KNOW?
Two of the authors appearing at the Book Festival have been nominated
for the National Book Award!
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
"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.
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come solely from Rod Sullivan, and neither represents the viewpoints of the
whole Board of Supervisors nor those of groups or individuals otherwise
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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 @ 11:27 AM
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