SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
January 6, 2022
Sullivan’s Salvos 1/11/22
In this edition:
*RIP Christine Grant
*Congratulations Johnson County Public Health!
*Speaking of Public Health…COVID Hits Home
*January 6th Anniversary
*ICAP and IMWCA
*Industrial Zoning Classification
*Did You Know?
*RIP Christine Grant
I was saddened to see the passing of Dr. Christine Grant. A native of Scotland, Grant coached field hockey there before coming to the University of Iowa. At Iowa she earned a BA and MA in Physical Education and Ph.D. in Sports Administration. In 1973, Grant became Iowa’s first Director of Women’s Athletics, and held that position until retiring in 2000. (Iowa’s men’s and women’s athletic departments merged into one after she stepped down.)
Grant was a national voice on issues related to gender equity, including implementation of Title IX, the federal legislation that required equal opportunities for all in the fields of athletics and academics. She also served as a consultant for the Civil Rights Title IX Task Force. It is not a stretch at all to say that every woman who has competed in athletics at any level owes her a debt of gratitude. (For that matter, we ALL do!) In addition to her advocacy, under Grant’s watch, 12 Hawkeye programs combined to win 27 Big Ten championships.
I was very lucky, in that I had the opportunity to learn from Dr. Grant in the classroom setting. She was a guest lecturer on three occasions in a class I took on women in sports. The first time she talked about the history; the second time was the current status; and the third was a look into the future. Dr. Grant was a great teacher, and I still remember how she held my attention almost 40 years ago! RIP, Dr. Grant!
*Congratulations Johnson County Public Health!
The Johnson County Department of Public Health was recently recognized by the Iowa City Press Citizen as the 2021 “Person(s) of the Year”. I wholeheartedly agree!
It has been a tough couple years for everybody. It has been even tougher for those in public health. But they have sucked it up and put in the work to keep us all healthy. This award is very well-deserved! Congratulations!
*Speaking of Public Health…COVID Hits Home
Despite my best efforts to avoid it, I was diagnosed with COVID on Monday, January 3. Knock on wood, but I have fairly minor symptoms. Let’s hope it stays that way!
Fortunately, I have my three vaccinations. I am isolating, and hopefully, I can be back out in the world soon. Meanwhile, I will try to do my job the best I can through phone, email, Zoom, etc.
*January 6th Anniversary
January 6th marked the first anniversary of the terrorist attack on the US Capitol. Here is what I wrote last year in the aftermath:
“January 6, 2021 is a day that will live in infamy. My granddaughter will undoubtedly learn that date as she studies history. Donald Trump is the worst President in American history. I am so saddened by the horror this horrible man has wrought upon our country. I hope people have learned from this experience, but I’m not sure they have.”
People clearly did NOT learn. The Trump apologists have spent the past year attempting to rewrite history. I am glad the January 6 Commission is moving forward, but like everything in this Congress, it is moving far too slowly. I am also disappointed by the light sentences these seditionists have received. It will be up to all of us to remind the public what happened that day, in the hope that nothing like it ever happens again.
Now Congress needs to get busy and pass some laws that protect voting rights and the sanctity of elections!
*ICAP and IMWCA
Johnson County participates in two separate insurance pools. The Iowa Communities Assurance Pool (ICAP) partners exclusively with local insurance agents to provide property and casualty coverage to nearly 800 Iowa public entities, including 74 of Iowa's 99 counties. The diverse membership of the Pool includes Iowa cities, counties, townships, 28E organizations, emergency management agencies, empowerment boards, county fairs, transit authorities and more. Because Johnson County is self-insured, we benefit tremendously from joining an employer pool. ICAP is headquartered in Iowa and has representatives located throughout the state.
Kudos to former Johnson County Attorney J. Patrick White, who helped to create this arrangement in the 1980s. It has saved Johnson County taxpayers hundreds of thousands of dollars over the years.
The Iowa Municipal Workers Comp Association (IMWCA) insures over 500 Iowa municipalities for worker’s compensation insurance. Again, because Johnson County is self-insured, we benefit tremendously from joining an employer pool. Because of our own outstanding safety efforts and our relationship with IMWCA, Johnson County saves taxpayers over $500,000 per year! That is correct! We save over half a million dollars per year, every year!
Insurance is not sexy, but it is extremely important. Making mistakes in terms of insurance coverage can be catastrophic. This is true in your personal life, and it is true in the operations of local government. I am happy to report that Johnson County is doing very well in terms of our insurance coverages and expenses!
*Industrial Zoning Classification
There are certain industries that you might not want to live next to, but are critical for our functioning as a society. Industries such as recycling centers, manufacturing plants, food processing, salvage yards, electrical substations, and warehouses are critical. We have to have them, and we have to locate them somewhere.
You can easily see what problems can arise. These uses may create an abundance of noise, odors, environmental concerns, and truck traffic. Nobody wants it in their back yard. How can local governments mitigate these issues? The best way is through zoning.
When you have zoning, policy makers can set rules as to what uses can occur in specific areas. That gives policy makers an opportunity to do their best to separate housing (usually referred to as “Residential” in zoning-speak) from these types of industrial uses.
Some counties don’t have zoning at all. And while this does make locating certain industries easier, it offers zero protection to farmers, homeowners, and small businesses. One poorly sited industrial use can ruin a family’s life’s work. And they have no recourse.
I am a big proponent of using zoning. But policy makers have to be careful with this tool. There is a tendency for policy makers to err on the side of complaining neighbors and “down zone” areas designated as Industrial. This is almost always a mistake. As I noted earlier, the things that occur in Industrial zoned areas have to happen somewhere. It is important that policy makers identify appropriate areas for Industrial zoning, and then protect them. Because these locations WILL be needed.
There are a couple additional important public services that are not typically zoned Industrial. Water and sewage treatment plants are probably zoned “Public”, but the bottom line is the same - no one wants to live near them. Landfills and quarries are yet a different matter – they are big enough that they are usually located in Ag zoned areas, and surrounded by farmland.
You often hear the phrase Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY). The best way to deal with these types of conflicts is through zoning.
*DID YOU KNOW? Johnson County has a great deal of information regarding COVID on our website at: https://coronavirus-johnsoncounty.hub.arcgis.com.
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 rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!
---Rod
posted by Rod Sullivan @ 8:21 AM
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