SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
March 8, 2018
Sullivan’s
Salvos 3/13/18
In this edition:
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
*Bob Sullivan
*Road Embargoes
*Closed Sessions
*Did You Know?
*Saint Patrick’s Day!
Happy St. Patrick’s Day on March 17! St. Patrick’s Day is one of
my favorite days of the year. While not an “official” holiday, this day has
long been celebrated heartily by my Irish family.
March
17 is a Saturday this year, so I have plenty of time to celebrate
correctly! J
As a matter of fact, we are hosting a Saint Patrick’s Day celebration
beginning at 5pm on the 17th. Stop by! Meanwhile, I hope each and
every one of you is touched by a little luck o’ the Irish!
*Bob Sullivan
March
17 holds a special place in my heart that goes beyond St. Patrick’s Day. That
was also the birthday of my late father, Bob Sullivan.
Dad
was a proud union man, Hawkeye fan, and Irishman. We were father and son, but
also best friends. I can honestly say he was probably the most fun person I
have ever known.
Unfortunately,
he left this world much too soon, and never got the chance to meet any of his
grandchildren. I miss him every single day, but especially on St. Paddy’s Day.
So,
if you are looking for an extra toast on St. Patrick’s Day, allow me to suggest
that you raise a glass to Bob Sullivan.
Happy
birthday, Dad.
*Road Embargoes
One of the sure “signs of spring” in Iowa is the list of embargoed
roads! Winter weather – primarily cycles of freezing and thawing – can do
tremendous damage to roads. In order to allow counties to protect the taxpayer
investment in these roads, State law allows County Boards of Supervisors to
impose weight restrictions.
The chip seal/oil road systems are most susceptible to damage and
are most likely to be subjected to embargoes. Late February through early May
is a very common time for the county to post weight restrictions on county
roadways. Once posted, the restrictions may be in effect for a period of ninety
days. In the past, posted roadways have been limited to any vehicle less than 8
gross tons. Please check the county website for additional information
regarding Board approval and weight restrictions for the 2018 embargo season.
The County Engineer may issue a special permit to individuals who
demonstrate a need to move market farm produce of the type subject to rapid
spoilage or loss of value, or the need to move farm feeds or fuel for home
heating purposes. The issuance of a permit may allow certain vehicles exceeding
the weight limit to operate on embargoed roadways.
We get asked for exceptions all the
time, but please note - permits will not be issued for any other reason -
including transporting construction materials or equipment that exceeds the
posted weight limit. Operation of over-weight vehicles on restricted roads
without a permit will be at the risk of prosecution. Using alternate routes
where possible and breaking down loads into smaller units are methods
encouraged to minimize damage to these roads.
Permits for qualified participants will be issued at
the Johnson County Secondary Road Department at 4810 Melrose Avenue in Iowa
City. The following information will be needed to complete the permit: vehicle
license plate number(s), driver’s name(s), type of material being transported,
and planned route or roads you plan to travel.
Again,
for a list of embargoed roads, see the Secondary Roads page on the Johnson
County website: www.johnson-county.com.
*Closed Sessions
Governmental
business is done almost exclusively in public. There are a few exceptions; we
refer to these meetings as “closed sessions” or “executive sessions”. These
exceptions are only granted for a few very specific reasons. The acceptable
reasons are laid out in Chapter 21.5 of the Iowa Code, and listed below. (I did
some editing for length, but you can view exact wording by looking at Chapter
21.5 yourself.)
A governmental body may hold a closed session only to the
extent a closed session is necessary for any of the following reasons:
To review
or discuss confidential records.
To
discuss application for letters patent.
To
discuss strategy with legal counsel.
To
discuss the contents of a licensing examination.
To
discuss whether to suspend or expel a student.
To
discuss a case conducted according to chapter 17A.
To avoid
disclosure of specific law enforcement matters.
To
evaluate the professional competency of an employee.
To
discuss the purchase or sale of real estate.
To
discuss patient care quality in a public hospital.
As you can see from the list, a couple of those do not apply to
County government. Of those that remain, they do not get used very often. The
most common use by far is in employee matters; we go into closed sessions to
evaluate our direct reports. Since we have about 12 direct reports, this
happens pretty regularly. There are also occasionally grievances or other
employment matters that are handled in closed session by the Board, but those
are extremely rare.
In my time on the Board, we have had a few instances where we have
needed to discuss strategy with legal counsel, and a few instances where we
were discussing the purchase of property. That pretty much does it.
While
there are recordings made of every closed session, what is said in closed session
MUST remain confidential! If you violate this law, the penalties can be severe
– up to a $500 fine, plus responsibility for all court costs. In addition, if
the person violating confidentiality is an Elected Official, she or he can be
removed from office.
So
why do I bring this up? Someone in Johnson County broke the law! We had a
closed session regarding the purchase of some property. There were
approximately 5 staff people in the room along with 5 Supervisors. A couple
days later, the results of our discussion ended up in a local person’s mailbox.
Someone
flagrantly broke the law. She or he ought to face consequences. This was not an
accidental slip. This was a purposeful, devious violation of the law.
If,
for some reason, you believe this is a bad law? If you believe it was
misapplied? In either case, as a matter of principle, you could refuse to sit
in on the closed session. That makes more sense than breaking the law and
hurting the county.
I am so very disappointed to know that someone in this group acted
in such a way. This person violated the trust of everyone in that room. More
importantly, you – the public – deserve better.
*DID YOU KNOW?
There are 33.7 million U.S. residents who are of
Irish ancestry. That number is almost nine times the population of Ireland
itself.
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
mentioned.
If you do NOT
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anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail
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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 @ 9:32 PM
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