SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
July 5, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 7/9/26
In this edition:
*Land for the Jail and Sheriff’s Office
*Consider for a Moment
*Consequential
*Consequential - EMA Accomplishments
*Salvos Salutes
*Salvos Salutes – 2009
*Did You Know?
*Land for the Jail and Sheriff’s Office
On Thursday, July 2, 2026, the Board of Supervisors voted 5-0 to purchase property.
The Board of Supervisors signed a purchase agreement for approximately 35 acres of land located at the southwest corner of IWV Road SW and Slothower Road in Iowa City. Funding for the land purchase will come from County reserves.
The property was selected for its location and is intended to serve as the location for a new Sheriff’s Office and jail. The land is currently vacant and classified for commercial use.
A copy of the purchase agreement can be viewed in the agenda packet of the July 2, 2026, Board of Supervisors Formal meeting at: https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/meetings.
*Consider for a Moment
A US Olympian is being charged with a felony for reaching into the Reflecting Pool at the National Mall and taking out a piece of the ooze floating there.
Meanwhile, a violent mob planned and orchestrated an attack on the US Capital. 6 people died, including cops. Hundreds were injured. The mob threatened to kill the Vice President and Members of Congress. They did millions of dollars in damage, even smearing feces on the walls. Every one of them walks free today.
*Consequential
I spoke with a friend following the June 2 primary, and he said, “Dude your tenure is going to be remembered for decades. It was consequential!”
It was kind of him to say that. Then I started thinking about it. I do think we accomplished some very consequential things during my time as a Supervisor. Looking forward, assuming I keep doing Salvos, there are 26 editions until I leave office. So I am going to begin revisiting one thing (or group of things) each week that I championed and I feel is consequential.
I don’t want to be seen as a braggart. But I do think there is some value in people knowing our history. So I am going to give this a try. If you read these and feel I sound like a self-important ass, just say so and I will stop.
I am going to being this week with my contributions to the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency (EMA).
*Consequential - EMA Accomplishments
We need to begin here: I helped to hire Johnson County EMA Director Dave Wilson. It sounds like no big deal, but it was HUGE! Dave got hired in 2007. One of the first things he ever said to me was, “Do you know that we do not have any FEMA-approved plans?” I responded that no, I had no idea. Dave jumped in and began getting plans approved. What happened 8 months later? The flood of 2008, the biggest disaster in Johnson County (and Iowa) history! Who knows how many millions we might have missed out on! Thank goodness for Dave!
Another thing we did early in my tenure was the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC). Credit for this is primarily due to the Johnson County League of Women Voters. In the wake of the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, it was pointed out that many of the public safety agencies in NYC could not easily communicate with each other. The League began asking about our local situation. As it turned out, our local situation was a cluster. I was the Chair of the local Democratic Party back then, and got invited to join in the conversations. After I got elected, I pushed hard for a joint system.
It helped that Dave Wilson and newly elected Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek also saw the need for a new and improved system. The challenge was how to do it. I believed then (and still believe today) that the best way to do it was a single, county-run system with a robust user advisory group. Politically, we could get the single system. We could get the advisory group. What we could not get was the “county-run” piece.
I still think the idea of the whole thing being run by the Sheriff – who is directly accountable to the voters – makes the most sense. And the writing on the wall was clear; if JECC was going to happen, Johnson County was going to have to pay for it. Obviously, we had to make compromises. It was a hard sell. “We are going to pay for everything – millions of dollars – but we do not run it. And we only get two of the seven votes.” It was (and frankly is still) unfair to the county. To top it off, the original JECC Board spent like drunken sailors, over the objections of both Wilson and Pulkrabek. Over the years (at my urging) some functions (like payroll) have moved to one of the governmental bodies, and always saves money.
But what price public safety? We had an opportunity to create the best public safety response in Iowa. So we swallowed hard, and sold it. And you know what? Johnson County *DOES* have the best emergency response in Iowa! I am very proud of the efforts that led to the creation of the JECC. It was not easy.
A while after JECC was up and running, then-Ambulance Director Steve Spenler came to me with the idea of an upgrade to our 911 dispatch. Some locations around the country had taught 911 dispatchers to stay on the line and coach folks through CPR until first responders arrived. Our system could handle it. We did not need to reinvent the wheel; we simply needed to buy the training materials. The dispatchers were excited. But it was going to mean an increase in staff.
Again, what price public safety? I fought hard for this enhanced dispatch program. It passed 3-2. Years, later, upon his retirement, Steve Spenler said, “Did you ever stop and think how many lives were saved because of that vote?” “How many?” I asked anxiously. Steve replied, “Oh, I don’t know the number. But I’m sure it was a lot.” We had a good laugh. But it is true. The enhanced dispatch saves lives to this day.
Another EMA accomplishment is the addition of rural warning sirens. This came about after a storm killed a camper out at Lake MacBride. Wilson told me that Solon’s sirens had been activated, but you simply could not hear them at MacBride. I said, “Well how much are the sirens? We should have them at MacBride, Sutliff, Stringtown, Iowa Mennonite School, and all sorts of rural places where people congregate.” Dave agreed, and got to work on it.
Once again, what price public safety? We had lots of fights about these rural warning sirens. But I prevailed. Now there are eleven sirens (if memory serves me correctly) out in some of our busier rural locations.
As you can see, there are some common themes here. There was always a “strange bedfellows” alliance between people who want the lowest possible tax rate and people who hate public safety. They were and are both wrong; just wrong in different ways. I am really glad they never carried the day. Elected officials are charge with looking out for the “health, safety, and welfare” of the people they represent. I think we are all safer because of these advances.
I am sure I am forgetting some things. But those are a few of the EMA-type accomplishments of which I am proud. I hope you found it interesting. I’ll jump into another topic next week.
*Salvos Salutes
Another thing I am very glad I have done these many years is Salvos Salutes. Every year, right around the New Year holiday, I pick 15 or so people that I believe do a lot of work to make Johnson County a better place. A handful (maybe 6 or 7) people have been honored twice, and one person was honored 3 times. There have been 278 folks honored so far. I am going to begin highlighting a few people each week who have received the honor in the past. I hope you will enjoy that.
*Salvos Salutes – 2029
What I wrote about some of the honorees from 2009:
Jen and Dawn Barborouske: This Iowa City couple challenged Iowa’s marriage laws, and the Iowa Supreme Court agreed. Let us be clear – Civil Rights should NEVER be subject to the whims of the majority! These two plaintiffs and their children will forever be heroes to me!
Laura Hoover, Friends of Jefferson-Monroe Public Library: The people of Swisher and Shueyville deserve a public library. After 10 years of hard work by local volunteers, the library is a reality! There are plenty of kudos to go around, but no volunteer deserves more credit than Laura Hoover.
Larry Meyers, late of the Board of Supervisors: What a brave man! I wish I were half the person my late colleague was. Larry was a great guy, and I miss him. Rest in Peace, Larry.
Joan Vandenberg, Iowa City Community School District: The ICCSD serves many kids who face tremendous challenges. It is Joan’s job to marshal whatever resources are available, and help these kids to succeed. It is NOT easy, and Joan is a true champion for kids who often have no one else in their corner.
Steve Semken, Ice Cube Press in North Liberty: There isn’t much left that is truly “local”. But we are blessed with a fantastic local book publisher in Steve Semken. Ice Cube Press in North Liberty publishes many books about Iowa and/or by Iowa authors; everything they do is first class.
As you can see, 2009 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!
*DID YOU KNOW? Most deaths are reported on Mondays. This is likely due to people failing to show up at work or school, and family/friends/coworkers checking up on them.
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 @ 8:22 AM
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