SULLIVAN'S SALVOS

July 19, 2026

Sullivan’s Salvos 7/23/26

In this edition:

*Amateur Historians?

*November 1, 1991 Remembrance

*Goodbye, Community ID!

*Consequential: Planning and Zoning

*Salvos Salutes – 2011

*Did You Know?

*Amateur Historians?

I still have yet to find out if I am, in fact, the longest-serving Supervisor in Johnson County history. I believe I am, but I have been unable to verify that.

I need someone to look at the period from 1866-1932 in order to confirm or dispute that claim. If you know someone who enjoys this type of research, please send them my way. Thanks!

*November 1, 1991 Remembrance

The local Johnson County Moms Demand Action group is beginning to plan a Nov. 1st event honoring those impacted by the UI mass shooting in 1991, holding space for those recently impacted by the Ped Mall shooting, and inspiring all who are deeply interested in gun violence prevention efforts to action. We'd like to gather personal stories via Google Form at https://forms.gle/43kWUabqt3EC7x1Z8. If you were personally impacted by either event, we would appreciate you sending in a response. Feel free to share the form link with others, who were impacted by these events.

*Goodbye, Community ID!

(Thanks to the Iowa Legislature, Johnson County’s Community ID program ended on July 1. I am proud of what we did to get Community ID off the ground. Below is what I wrote when we adopted the program in 2015. This is from Salvos on 4-14-15.)

Johnson County is preparing to roll out a Community ID program. I am excited about this, and I want to take a little time to explain why I believe this is a good thing for our community.

First, a bit of history – the impetus for this came from the Center for Worker Justice (CWJ), a remarkable local organization dedicated to securing fair treatment for immigrant workers.

Like every other organization that has ever existed in Johnson County, the CWJ thought they should start with Iowa City and Coralville. Soon they realized that working with Johnson County might be a better avenue for getting this done.

A committee was formed, consisting of CWJ members, local labor leaders, and three Johnson County officials: Recorder Kim Painter, Auditor Travis Weipert, and County Attorney Janet Lyness. These folks have moved the process forward to where we are today.

We also have an ace in the hole when it comes to going through this process. UI Law Professor Stella Burch Elias specializes in Immigration Law. More importantly, she was centrally involved in the successful effort to create a Community ID in New Haven, Connecticut. Having her involved ensures that Johnson County follows applicable federal laws, and prevents us from reinventing the wheel.

The ID itself will be a laminated card with a holographic image applied, the same size as a driver’s license. The cost to get an ID will be $5 or $10.

Because there are already 700 people who have signed forms requesting IDs, we will need to determine a process for getting the first wave their IDs. This will likely be a weekend effort, utilize existing County staff. After the initial group of 700, we expect the ongoing numbers to be more like 5-10 IDs per month. Given that, we expect people to simply be able to call the Board of Supervisors Office to schedule an appointment to get their IDs. We may work with local libraries to arrange some weekend hours.

Why do we need a Community ID? I have a very personal story. After years of doing nothing, a few years ago, the Board of Supervisors finally began taking action against the criminals that own Regency Mobile Home Park. State law severely limits the ability of the Board to intervene, but there were dozens of credible reports of fraud coming from Regency.

Johnson County detectives swooped in, gathered all the info they could, and began following up on leads. Then they ran into a stone wall. Most of the people they needed to speak with refused to talk to them. These folks saw law enforcement coming, and they went the other way – even when they were innocent victims!

I spoke at length with the lead detective on the case, and he said that this avoidance of law enforcement was common. When I asked why, he said it all came back to a lack of ID.

This illustrates the number one reason for instituting a Community ID – public safety. We need victims and witnesses to come forward in order to solve crimes and see to it that justice is served. The Community ID will help with this.

There are many additional benefits: immigrants can open bank accounts and cash checks; cardholders can access municipal services such as the library, rec centers, etc.; it can serve as a second ID for employment purposes; it can serve as an ID for local schools; the list goes on and on.

The Community ID will be available to anyone who can provide the proper documentation. The bar will not be as high as an Iowa Driver ID, but there will be protections to ensure that the person is who they claim to be.

Johnson County is home to thousands of immigrants. China, India, Korea, Mexico, Sudan, Senegal, Honduras… the people of Johnson County are increasingly diverse. We need to do a better job welcoming these folks to our community. They are our future!

*Consequential: Planning and Zoning

It does not get a lot of publicity, but one of the areas in which elected officials can impact health, safety, and the environment is through Planning and Zoning ordinances. I am very proud of the ordinances we adopted during my time as a Supervisor.

The first was a Sensitive Areas Ordinance. This is designed to protect steep slopes, woodlands, wetlands, prairies, historic sites, and other unique features. It does not stop development, but ensures that development avoid and protect these areas. It might sound like a no-brainer, but it took a lot of work to get this done in 2006.

Johnson County adopted a Greenhouse Gas Reduction Plan in about 2010. This led to a lot of positive changes in the way Johnson County does business, including solar power, programmable thermostats, electric vehicles, greater recycling, less car miles traveled, and much more.

Another ordinance of which I am proud is our Stormwater Management Ordinance. Cities have storm sewers; counties do not. So we need another way to ensure that storm water does not damage neighboring properties, pollutants do not rush into our streams, etc. I am very proud of this ordinance, which came along around 2012.

Johnson County added Wind and Solar Ordinances around 2022. These are aimed at larger scale producers, and encourage this type of energy generation while protecting neighbors.

Finally, we adopted policies to balance small scale agriculture with urban sprawl. This is the longest, deepest, most drawn out struggle I ever dealt with in 22 years on the Board. How do we allow small farmers to do their thing without creating loopholes that allow unrestricted rural development? It took a long time and a lot of work, but we have struck a pretty darn good balance. I hope future Boards will not upset this hard-won victory! I am pretty certain they do not fully grasp the decades of struggle to get where we are. I hope they rely on the memories of folks who went through it.

I am proud of all the positive Planning and Zoning advancements we made during my tenure!

*Salvos Salutes – 2011

What I wrote about some of the honorees from Salvos’s Salutes in 2011:

Dorothy Whiston: The newly installed Pastor at First Baptist Church, Dorothy has led the Soul Friends Ministry for several years. That organization does a great job of ministering to families affected by the criminal justice system. Lately, Dorothy has done fantastic work addressing the systemic racism that exists here in Johnson County. This is an important but difficult topic, and Dorothy has tackled it courageously.

Roger Lusala: The Mayor’s Youth Empowerment Program (MYEP) is booming! Some have pointedly asked – “Can MYEP really do all this and do it well?” If the Executive Director of the agency is any indication, then the answer is yes, they can! What’s more, the guy is a father to 5 daughters under 12! Go, Roger!

Gerald & Joan Morgan: From serving as Santa and Mrs. Claus, to organizing antique tractor rides, to running the Old Settlers events, to volunteering on the Conservation Board, to being President of the Farm Bureau, to serving as the “Mayor” of River Junction – Gerald and Joan Morgan donate more of their time and talents than almost anyone I know. They epitomize the volunteerism that runs so deep here in Johnson County.

Bill Greazel: The job of assessing property demands accuracy. Nobody does that better than Johnson County Assessor Bill Greazel, who is the best in Iowa, period! We should all learn to appreciate the excellent job done by Bill and his employees.

Zach Wahls: I do not know Zach Wahls, nor do I know his mothers. I just know that no one has made me prouder to say I am from Johnson County! Thanks, Zach, for putting us on the map in such a positive light! We are proud of you!

Occupy Iowa City: The political, financial, legal, and other systems are rigged to favor the wealthiest 1% of Americans. To varying degrees, we all knew this. Yet the Occupy Movement has called attention to the needs of the 99% like no previous effort. What’s more, the local Occupiers have been polite, respectful, thoughtful, and smart. I have spent several hours talking to Occupy folks, and they fill me with hope for our future.

As you can see, 2011 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!

*DID YOU KNOW? 94% of Johnson County residents 21 and older have a high school diploma. (Source: US Census Bureau.)

Anyone interested in learning more about County government should take a look at the County website-

www.johnsoncountyiowa.gov.

"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 want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

---Rod

July 12, 2026

I noted the passing of Dick Myers in the 3/26/26 edition of Salvos. Well, Dick’s services were on Monday, July 6, and I attended the event.

I walked in, and as soon as I arrived, Doris Myers came from across the room. She took my hand in both of hers, and honestly gave me some of the best political advice I have ever received.

This woman was at the celebration of life for her husband of 64 years, and she took the time to seek me out. This is a woman who has know several US Presidents, and she bothered to give me some of her time, on that of all days.

During its formal meeting on Thursday, July 9, 2026, the Board of Supervisors signed a purchase agreement for three parcels located on the NE corner of Capitol Street and Benton Street in Iowa City, for a total purchase price of $5.5 million.

The property was selected for its location and is intended to serve as a long-term county asset for future development needs. Johnson County also owns property on the same block at 821 S. Clinton St.

“This purchase agreement marks the culmination of three decades of negotiation and represents a generational investment for the residents of Johnson County,” Board of Supervisors Chairperson Jon Green said. “While we do not have immediate plans for the property, I recognize needs evolve and grow over the decades. When such a need arises in the future, the County will be well positioned to respond.”

Future discussions regarding the site will take place during public meetings of the Board of Supervisors. A copy of the purchase agreement can be viewed in the agenda packet of the July 9, 2026, Board of Supervisors formal meeting at https://johnsoncountyiowa.gov/meetings.

Above is the press release on the recent County purchase of land on Capital Street. It is factual, but I wanted to add my thoughts.

Johnson County has literally been looking to buy this property since the mid-90s. If you are familiar with the county campus, the area to the south and east is flood plain. The UI is to the north, and the UI does not sell land. That leaves one direction – west. Johnson County just did a renovation of the Admin Building, which moved the Supervisors over to the HHS Building. It also effectively used up most of the existing space owned by the County. There is nowhere left to go.

I am a big believer in planning buildings for 100 years. You will continue to hear me make that very argument when we discuss building a jail. I do not believe we should only look at current needs. We need to look 100 years out. That does not necessarily mean you build a building sized for 100 years from now. I believe you build the building sized for 25 years from now, while leaving expansion options for future Boards to take it from there. That is good planning.

Obviously, we cannot predict the future. I was on the Board when we bought land and built the HHS Building. We had a vision as to what would take place in the building. It opened in January of 2011. 15 years later, about 65% of our vision was realized. And about 35% was completely wrong. But the point is, we *still* needed the space.

Needless to say, the haters are out in force. They even bullied Supervisor Remington into abstaining from the vote. Unfortunately, Mandi chose the advice of people online over the advice of our attorneys. There is a definite irony here – the law that allows this type of thing to be discussed in closed session is primarily about protecting public tax dollars. But in some states it also exists in response to those who would bully sellers into never selling land to a government entity.

I do not know what will take place on this property. I will not be a part of the Board that votes on it. But I am proud to do my part to secure it for future residents of Johnson County.

I had people ask me, “You lost your primary election. Why did you still attend all those parades on July 4^th?” The answer is easy.

I love the people of Johnson County. I want them to have the best governance they can get. In my mind, that means electing Democrats. So I am going to continue to try to make that happen.

I did it before I was elected. I did it while I was elected. And I am going to do it after I am out of office.

Johnson County did a lot of building during my 21.5 years as a Supervisor! I am proud of that fact. The 2000 Census showed 111,006 people in the county; fast forward to today, and that number is about 165,000. That is an increase of 49% in just 25 years. In order to meet the needs of all those folks, Johnson County needed to update several buildings.

If memory serves me correct, the first new buildings we did were the Conservation Main Office and Shop at Kent Park. These buildings still serve us well today. About 16-17 years later Conservation added a second shop near Sutliff.

The next building was the Joint Emergency Communications Center (JECC) which also houses our Emergency Management Agency. I wrote about this last week. Prior to building JECC, dispatch and EMA was in the jail! You can imagine how crowded that was!

Next up was our Health and Human Services Building (HHS). This was supposed to open in late 2009, but did not open until January 2011 because of the great flood of 2008. The County purchased land just north of the Admin Building which included a lumberyard, a hair salon, a used car dealer, and a bar. HHS brought together County Social Services and the Iowa Department of Human Services, which were both in a building on Governor Street, and merged them with Public Health and Juvenile Court. Most people do not realize this, but the County never owned the building at 911 N. Governor. We paid way too much rent over the years for that dump. The County was also renting space for Juvenile Court on Kirkwood Avenue. The County did own a Public Health Building on Gilbert Court, but it was extremely undersized. We sold the old Public Health Building to CommUnity (then the Crisis Center) for one dollar, and it is now the 1105 Project.

That was followed by a new building for SEATS and Secondary Roads. The County was renting space for SEATS in Coralville, and there were many problems. We could only house about half our busses inside, and almost all our maintenance was being farmed out. By building a new SEATS facility, we got every bus inside, gained office and dispatch space, and were able to begin doing our own maintenance. It saved a tremendous amount of money. Secondary Roads was in a similar situation. Another neat thing there was we got to do a large solar project as part of that “west campus.”

Then there was the Ambulance and Medical Examiner (AME) Building. Same story; both departments were woefully short on space. The AME is the building the staff and public deserve for these fine services!

There were other renovations and the like, but those are our building projects over my tenure. Pretty consequential!

Tom Kriz: The Johnson County Treasurer’s Office is a model for the rest of the state. They accomplish more work today with fewer staff and a smaller budget than when Treasurer Kriz started in 2002. The office is efficient, accurate, and employees take pride in their work. When people claim that government is ineffective, I point to the Treasurer’s Office and prove them wrong.

June Judge: People with mental illnesses face many challenges. No one has done more to tackle these problems than June. Her tireless advocacy efforts have made a big difference, though June will be the first to tell you that there is much work left to do!

Sue Freeman: While many folks were busy badmouthing the SE side of Iowa City, Sue was rolling up her sleeves and getting to work. Sue’s job with Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County has always been part administrative, part direct service, and part advocacy. She has always been a rock for people in need. It just never made the news before.

John Stimmel: If you have ever visited the Hy-Vee on First Avenue in Iowa City, you probably know John as one of the most smiling of the “helpful smiles in every aisle”. John is celebrating 30 years of living on his own after 30 years spent in Woodward State Hospital School. Unfortunately, Woodward was not a nice place when John was there. By living and working on his own, he did what everyone said he could not do. John’s story is truly inspirational.

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 want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

July 5, 2026

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.

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.

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).

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.

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.

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.

*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-

"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 want the weekly E-mail, simply reply to this message, and type "unsubscribe" in the subject line.

If you know anyone else who might be interested, just forward this message. They can E-mail me at rodsullivan29@gmail.com with "subscribe" in the subject line.

As always, feel free to contact me at 354-7199 or rodsullivan29@gmail.com. I look forward to serving you!

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