SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
August 3, 2017
Sullivan’s
Salvos 8/8/17
In this edition:
*Rumors and Fake News
*Urban and Rural Divide
*Energy Rebate
*Liberty High School
*Did You Know?
*Rumors and Fake News
We have all heard
about the trend of fake news. This is something that concerns me tremendously.
We simply must be able to agree upon a set of facts. We can disagree after
that, but we have to have a common set of facts.
The
fake news trend understands that without agreed-upon facts, we have chaos. And
that is the plan. It is a craven attempt to continue to erode public confidence
in public institutions, and unfortunately, it works!
I
regret to inform you that the trend toward “fake news” seems to be alive and
well at the local government level. I have seen it several times with our cities
and school districts, and yes – we have it happening at the County, too. Here
is a recent example:
A farmer came up to
me at the County Fair, and said, “The farmers I have spoken with are really
upset about your decision to regulate fences.” I explained that I had no idea
what he was talking about; we have had no discussions whatsoever on the matter.
Thankfully, this guy
does not want to be lied to. He said he was going back to the source, which was
apparently a group of folks who had been talking at the Kalona Sale Barn.
Meanwhile, I double-checked with our Planning, Development, and Sustainability
Director.
Here is what had
happened: a rural Johnson County resident put in a pool. Our building code
requires a fence surround every pool; it is a basic life safety measure.
Apparently, the person who put in the pool didn’t like that A) the fence must
meet several standards, and B) that the fence must be inspected and permitted.
So he complained to neighbors.
Somehow, this
complaint got embellished – Johnson County is going to regulate all fences.
That is simply not true. We only regulate fences in Residential zoning
districts, and even then, only in certain circumstances. Ag zoning districts
are exempt from most zoning; agricultural fences are not regulated this way.
Basically, this
whole thing was bull crap. But a bunch of farmers heard it, and now they hate
the Board even more. So – the person who started the rumor had the desired
effect. More farmers angry with Supervisors. But in reality, it was just fake
news.
While this is
frustrating on a personal level, I am deeply concerned about the long-term
effects on county government. Please – if you have a concern over something you
hear – contact an elected official and ask. It may be legit – or it may be fake
news.
*Urban and Rural Divide
There is a lot of
talk about the “urban-rural divide.” While there is certainly something to
this, I think it is largely a political construct. There are people who benefit
from making things “us versus them” rather than bringing everyone together.
I guess what really
chaps me is people who grew up in Chicago, Des Moines, and Bettendorf trying to
tell me I do not understand farm life. I take that really personally.
I
grew up a few miles from the nearest paved road, with a party line phone. I
spent my early years baling hay, walking beans, detassling corn, picking sweet
corn, and all the rest. I rode the school bus 40 minutes each way. Want to talk
rural? I am happy to talk rural!
And
guess what? We aren’t all that different.
*Energy
Rebate
Energy efficiency
improvements to the heating, ventilation and air conditioning system at the
Johnson County Health and Human Services Building have resulted in the largest
rebate Johnson County local government has ever received from MidAmerican
Energy.
Brian Gibbs, key
account manager with MidAmerican Energy, presented a check for $201,088 to the
Board of Supervisors during the formal board meeting held today at the Johnson
County Fairgrounds. The County has garnered a total of $402,433 in rebates and
incentives through its participation in MidAmerican programs since 2013.
The recent project
involved adding three rooftop units to the building to improve energy
efficiency and indoor air comfort. In addition to the rebate check, the project
should result in annual energy savings.
MidAmerican Energy
estimates the County will save about $20,000 each year on energy bills for the
Health and Human Services Building. In addition, about 12% of the building’s
energy needs are being met by the solar energy generated by the rooftop arrays.
The County deposits
rebate checks into the internal Sustainability and Energy Reinvestment Fund to
help complete other energy efficiency or green projects. In addition to major
heating and air conditioning improvements, upgrades include LED lighting,
lighting controls, water bottle filler stations, soil quality restoration (to
improve storm water) and partial cost support for hybrid and electric vehicles
in the County’s shared fleet.
To learn more about the
County’s sustainability efforts, visit www.johnson-county.com/gogreen, or download the latest sustainability update
brochure: https://tinyurl.com/sustainupdate2017
*Liberty High School
The
ribbon cutting for Liberty High School is Saturday, August 12 from 2-4 PM at
Liberty High, 2738 Dubuque Street NE, North Liberty, Iowa 52317. Tours will be
available.
The building of a brand new comprehensive high school is a BIG
deal! As a matter of fact, this is something that has only happened 3 times in
Iowa since 1973!
I found this at Iowahighwayends.net: After a flurry of Baby
Boom-related expansion in 1967-73 (Des Moines Hoover, Iowa City West, Dubuque
Hempstead) in the 50 years since, only four NEW high schools have been/will be
created in the state: Davenport North (1985), Ankeny Centennial (2013), Iowa
City Liberty (2017), and a second Waukee high school (2021). (Districts have
built new facilities, and suburban ones exploded in enrollment, but school
identities moved as well and the number of high schools did not change.)
So
yes, Liberty High School is a big deal! Please join the ICCSD in celebrating
this great achievement!
*DID YOU KNOW?
The population of Johnson County in 1970 was 73,000. West High opened
two years earlier, in 1968. The population of Johnson County in 2017 when
Liberty High opens is 150,000.
Anyone
interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the
County website-
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---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 9:38 PM
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