SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 24, 2014
Sullivan’s
Salvos 10/28/14
In this edition:
*Happy Halloween!
*Vote!
*Editorial Board Outrage
*Solar
*Calling All Environmentalists!
*Did You Know?
*Happy Halloween!
Halloween
is Sunday the 31st. I have been amazed in recent years by the amount
of effort (and money) that goes into decorating homes for the season. When I
was young, few homes displayed anything other than carved pumpkins. Now, there
are huge blow up characters, lights, and much more.
Regardless of how you view Halloween, we need to remember a few
key things: First, be careful! One thing that has not changed is an abundance
of young children in dark costumes excitedly crossing streets. Secondly, you
may want to temporarily take down your campaign yard signs. Despite annual
accusations to the contrary, I think most signs that disappear are teen pranks.
Finally, have fun! Halloween offers all of us an opportunity to be young again.
*Vote!
If you have not voted yet, now is the time! Remember, Iowa law
allows for Election Day registration! Plus, there are plenty of opportunities
to vote between now and next Tuesday!
And
it is not enough that you vote yourself! You simply must convince someone else
to get out and vote with you! Time to get to work!
*Editorial Board Outrage
US
Senate candidate Joni Ernst has raised the hackles of the Des Moines Register,
Cedar Rapids Gazette, and Iowa City Press Citizen for refusing to meet with
their Editorial Boards.
First,
let me be clear: I think Ernst should have met with all the Editorial Boards
she chose to ignore. Further, I think it is entirely appropriate for the papers
she ignored to factor that into their editorial decisions.
But
methinks the papers doth protest too much. The Register has done a pretty
admirable job of trying to be Iowa’s statewide newspaper. I’m going to cut them
some slack here.
Gazette?
You want to speak with Joni Ernst? Why don’t you first speak to the Linn County
Board of Supervisors? Why don’t you first speak to the Cedar Rapids, Marion,
Hiawatha, Center Point, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Springville, Central City, and
other City Councils? Why don’t you first speak to the CR, Linn Mar, Prairie,
CPU, North Linn, Mount Vernon, Lisbon, Springville, Central City, and other
school boards?
And
that is just Linn County. If you are going to pretend to cover Johnson County,
I can double the list.
Joni Ernst ignored you. But I’ll bet any member of the Cedar
Rapids City Council would be willing to share her/his thoughts on dozens of
topics that REALLY MATTER to your readers. So quit pining for Joni Ernst, do
the right thing, and cover something local. Put those Editorial Board energies
into actual conversations with actual elected officials who actually impact the
lives of your readers.
Press
Citizen? At least the Gazette is putting a half-hearted effort into covering a
region. What is your excuse?
Take
my own example. I have been elected three times. I have spoken to the Press
Citizen Editorial Board twice – once, for 30 minutes, with two fellow
Supervisors; once, for twenty minutes, alone.
The
Press Citizen has published about 3700 issues during this time. I would have
gladly accommodated them a few more times over the past decade. I’m sure all
the various City Councilors, School Board Members, Iowa Legislators, etc. would
have been happy to do the same.
Yes,
Joni Ernst should have met with you. And you are right to endorse Braley
because of it. Now you should try talking to local elected officials. You might
actually uncover something of interest to your readers.
*Solar
Johnson
County recently did a Request for Proposals (RFP) to investigate the use of
solar energy at our SEATS/Secondary Roads campus on Melrose Avenue just west of
Highway 218.
As
you may recall, the Secondary Roads garage was badly damaged by fire last
spring. In designing the new building, we made certain to include the ability
to use alternative energy sources.
It
soon became clear that wind was not a viable option for that location, but that
solar would be. Hence the RFP. We received 3 good proposals, from Anderson
Electric of Sigourney, IA; Eagle Point Solar of Dubuque, IA; and Moxie Solar of
North Liberty. Each company suggested doing things slightly differently, but
came up with similar solutions.
One
thing that was clear from all the RFPs was that Johnson County would need to
enter into a power purchase agreement (PPA). Under this arrangement, the vendor
actually produces the electricity, not the county. The power is then sold to
the county under this PPA. The rates are set, and the agreement is in effect
for ten years.
There
are several reasons for this odd arrangement, but the biggest is taxes. A
private company can receive a hefty tax credit for using solar energy. Since
Johnson County pays no taxes, there is no credit available. Still, we want to
bring this savings to our taxpayers. So we will pursue the PPA. Aside benefit
is that we know exactly how much our power will cost for the next ten years. And
our rates are locked in, no matter what energy prices do.
Again,
any of the RFPs would have served us well. But after some discussion, Johnson
County has chosen to enter into negotiations with Moxie Solar. The bottom line
for me was pretty simple: 1.) Moxie provided the best return on investment, and
2.) Moxie is a local company.
As
for the numbers: a ten-year PPA with Moxie will save us about $309,000 over 25
years. (We would just be using our own energy the last 15 years, not buying
through the PPA.) And that is just the cost savings! We also reduce our
greenhouse gas emissions and do not contribute to global warming. The impact is
roughly the same as taking 275 cars off the road, or eliminating 16 single
family homes.
Solar
energy is a very good thing. I’m very proud of Johnson County for pursuing it.
*Calling All Environmentalists!
Note: This piece ran in Salvos on 9-16-14.
To my knowledge, NO ONE has contacted the Board on this matter. No one!
Environmentalists – this is important. Let me tell you – the fact that three
Supervisors are not held to account here is EXTREMELY frustrating! I NEED YOUR
HELP!
One of my proudest accomplishments as a Supervisor is the passage
of a Sensitive Areas Ordinance. Under our existing ordinance, whenever streams,
wetlands, slopes, woodlands, prairies, and other environmentally sensitive
areas are identified, they have to be protected. It has worked very well, and
we have protected several areas because of it.
Unfortunately,
the ordinance has a loophole. It only applies to subdivisions of more than
three lots. So we are seeing an inordinate number of applications for 3 lot
subdivisions. When asked, Glen Meisner from MMS Consultants simply stated that
they were doing 3 lot subdivisions because they were cheaper for their clients.
Needless
to say, I’d like to close this loophole. I’d like to see every application go
through the process. (I might consider an exception for two lot farmstead
splits.)
The
problem is, we have voted on this and I lost. Supervisor Rettig joined me in
trying to close the loophole; Supervisors Neuzil, Harney, and Etheredge voted
to keep the loophole in place.
We
just had another three-lot subdivision in a critical piece of habitat off Sugar
Bottom Road. We really need to fix this. And time is of the essence. But I need
your help.
Please
contact the three Supervisors who refuse to amend our Sensitive Areas
Ordinance. Show up at a Board Meeting. Write a letter to the Editor. Let them
know you support a change! This is important!
OK. You heard it twice now. Time to act!
*DID YOU KNOW?
Using current technologies, and by just putting arrays on roofs where
they make sense, solar has the capability of providing 25% of the energy needs
for the State of Iowa.
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.
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
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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 @ 2:27 PM
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