SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
December 6, 2018
Sullivan’s Salvos 12/11/18
In this edition:
*Special Election
*Houses Into Homes
*Development in Southern Johnson County
*Did You Know?
*Special Election
If you are a Democrat and/or a progressive, I need your help. We have a Special Election on Tuesday, December 18 to fill the office of Supervisor. The Democratic candidate is Royceann Porter, and she needs your support. This election is no gimme!
Early voting began December 5th, and will be available from 7:45 am -5:30 pm from December 10th -14th and December 17th at the Auditor’s Office. There will be a satellite December 14 at UIHC, and December 15 at the IC Public Library.
We need people who are willing to knock doors and make phone calls. Please email me if you are able to help.
*Houses Into Homes
I am excited about the work of a newer group called Houses Into Homes! A bit of background: Many years ago, the Domestic Violence Intervention Program (DVIP) would find a woman and her family an apartment, but the place was completely empty. So DVIP began taking donations of furniture.
The results were great! So great, in fact, that DVIP formed “The Furniture Project”, an effort to get furniture to those who needed it. People could donate their used furniture and get a tax deduction; those receiving furniture simply needed a referral from a reputable social services agency.
I am very familiar with the work of the Furniture Project, because I volunteered there for almost a decade. I was a very good fit; I taught Batterer’s Education, so I was familiar with the dynamics. In addition, I had a strong back and an old beater pickup. I was exactly what they needed!
So I would go about once a week, for an hour or two, with staff from DVIP (typically Chris). We would get the furniture to those in need, and it felt great!
Unfortunately, as DVIP experienced greater demand coupled with less funding, they needed to give up some things. The City of Iowa City kindly volunteered to take over the Furniture Project. Regrettably, 5 years later, the Furniture Project was no more.
Fast forward to today. Another group of volunteers has decided to step in and fill this need. Houses Into Homes is the brainchild of Lucy Barker and Salina McCarty. And they need your help!
There is a big need for volunteer trucks and/or trailers for Houses into Homes delivery days. They have a waiting list of 22 referrals right now, and are really only able to get to about 8 in one day with one truck. The more vehicles they have, the more people they can help!
They have deliveries this month on December 16. They start loading around 9:30 and do a morning round of deliveries. They pause for lunch and then load up for afternoon deliveries. They have a sign up: Sign Up to Volunteer that people can use. They also have deliveries scheduled for January 6 and 20 and plan to do deliveries every first and third Sunday of the month after that.
Another way that someone with a truck could help would be to make pick-ups, and that can be arranged at times other than delivery days.
To reach Houses Into Homes, call 319-435-1075; email housesintohomes319@gmail.com; or visit the website at https://www.housesintohomes.org.
*Development in Southern Johnson County
Facebook can be a messy place. But sometimes it results in some interesting discussions. That was the case recently, when I jumped into a thread started by Lone Tree Mayor Jonathon Green.
Let me begin by saying that I really like and respect Jonathon Green. He is a good guy, an excellent Mayor, and I consider him a friend. I am also a big fan of the current Lone Tree Council. It is full of good people who just want to make their town a better place to live, and are willing to take a few slings and arrows in the process. I really do like and respect these folks.
Where the Mayor and I seem to disagree is on the matter of development in the rural areas outside of Lone Tree. A bit of history: southern Johnson County is generally home to better farmland than northern Johnson County. Boards of Supervisors dating all the way back to 1960 have acknowledged this fact, and thus directed development to the lower-quality land in the north.
Our most recent discussion of this took place as a part of the 2018 Comprehensive Plan. While the general idea of continuing to maintain our best farmland as farmland remains, there were a couple of allowances made.
Previous plans were very map-based. Under the current plan, we can make an exception for a given parcel. If you have a piece of land that is not good for Ag and meets a couple additional criteria, it can be rezoned to residential. You just need to identify the spot and begin working with the Planning Department. I don't think this has been publicized very well yet.
Meanwhile, Jon and others feel the Comp Plan is inherently unfair. They feel unnecessary regulations are hindering the growth of the Lone Tree Community School District, and they are wondering why the southern portion of the county is treated differently than the northern portion, crop suitability numbers aside.
I understand this argument, but I must say, I disagree on several counts. First, as stated above, hopefully land owners will find a bit more flexibility in the new plan.
Secondly, people can already move to the Lone Tree School District. And I hope they do! There is a great deal to offer! There are existing homes, and existing lots for the construction of new homes. If you want to do some smaller scale agriculture, the County can accommodate that outside of town.
Thirdly, I think the focus on County land use policy is a bit of a red herring. Focus on the great k-12 school all in one spot - no bussing! Focus on the fantastic new fitness center. Focus on the proximity to large employment centers in Iowa City and Muscatine. Focus on the quaint downtown. There is just SO much to like about Lone Tree... the focus on this very minor issue detracts from the real issues. Lone Tree is a great town with a great school. Let's sell it! Just not in 10-acre pieces!
Fourth, I worry about CAFOs on small lots. Under current County rules, 40 acres would be required to operate a CAFO. Take away the 40 acre rule, and I am not certain of the impact. Why risk it?
Fifth, a vast majority of voters have asked the Board - over and over - to preserve farm land. So long ago, the Board made that the law of the land. How does anyone benefit by trading productive farmland for a bunch of ten-acre yards? We must weigh the desire of these families to live on an acreage versus the desire of farmers, environmentalists, and others to keep farmland as farmland.
I have stated my case. I am open to listening to new information. I think the challenge is articulating what would be a better policy, and why. If someone can make the case to me, I'll reconsider my position. I simply haven't been convinced yet.
Meanwhile, I am committed to helping the City of Lone Tree and the Lone Tree Community School District to grow and to thrive. I hope they will contact me if they need anything. And if you are looking for a new place to roost, consider Lone Tree! You’ll like it!
*DID YOU KNOW? Like most of Johnson County, Lone Tree has enjoyed substantial growth. The population in 1990 was 979, and it sits at over 1400 today. That amounts to 43% growth over 28 years.
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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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 @ 12:27 PM
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