SULLIVAN'S SALVOS
October 4, 2026
Sullivan’s Salvos 10/8/26
In this edition:
*Flooding
*Door Knocking
*Steel Plant
*I Thought We Needed More Input?
*Consequential – 1105 Project
*Salvos Salutes – 2022
*Did You Know?
*Flooding
As of this writing, parts of Johnson County are experiencing minor flooding. I pray that by the time you read this, it is not worse. This is global climate change at work, folks. This is why we need more electric vehicles, more wind power, more solar power, and more conservation efforts. We have tremendous work to do.
*Door Knocking
I have been knocking on doors for over a month now, and the vibes are good! But please do not assume anything! I hope you will consider joining us on the doors. It is not difficult, and it really does make a difference!
*Steel Plant
(This is stolen in full from the Facebook post of a friend.)
Behind the recent announcement of the supposed largest steel mill ever to be built in Iowa--some notes from Minnesotans in response:
*Essar Steel from India is the majority owner of Mesabi Metallics in northern Minnesota, which is to mine the ore for the Iowa mill.
*Essar previously said they were building this steel plant in northern Minnesota where the iron ore is mined. It never happened.
*Essar filed bankruptcy on $1.1 billion.
*Essar didn’t pay the State of Minnesota millions of dollars and skipped out on 74 million dollars that was owed to local contractors.
Art of the deal.
*I Thought We Needed More Input?
The Board recently discussed some construction projects. The Board voted to put a little over a million dollars toward improvements at the Courthouse; that discussion lasted about 15 minutes. There was also a discussion on the future of the Poor Farm; that discussion took 90 minutes.
I find this interesting. The same Supervisors who find the amount of public input on the Jail and Sheriff’s Office lacking asked almost no questions about these plans. They did not argue that we needed 75 more meetings, and that those meetings needed to be in the evening, with free food and childcare provided. They did not ask to see “other options.” They did not question the professional credentials of the people who presented. Why the difference?
Johnson County has put over $7 million into the Courthouse over the past 10 years. In addition, we have spent $3 million on the County Attorney’s Office - $1 million building out the space, and $2 million on rent.
I understand that $10 million is less than $94 million. So what if we simply gave it proportional consideration? Shouldn’t we spend at least 7 meetings discussing the “other options”?
Similarly, Johnson County has put over $8 million into the Poor Farm over the past 10 years. What if we simply gave it proportional consideration? Shouldn’t we spend at least 6 meetings discussing the “other options”? (This doesn’t even consider the fact that jails and courthouses are things county government is required to do; the Poor Farm is not.)
The message is clear. The Sheriff’s Office and only the Sheriff’s Office is treated this way. These people are not looking out for your pocketbook. They have a grudge against the Sheriff. That is not good government, it is playing favorites.
*Consequential – 1105 Project
Perhaps some of you are familiar with the 1105 Project. This was a joint venture of the Crisis Center (now CommUnity), the Domestic Violence Intervention Project (DVIP), and National Alliance on Mentally Illness of Johnson County (NAMI-JC). But the major beneficiary was Free Lunch. It continues to serve the community. But do you know the origins?
It was late 2011, and the former Johnson County Public Health building sat empty at 1105 Gilbert Court, next door to the Crisis Center. (Johnson County opened the Health and Human Services building a year earlier.) The County has discussed selling the property, and got an appraisal. The property was deemed to be worth about $550,000.
The Director of the Crisis Center approached me about a completely different matter. She asked is their organization could get an easement from Johnson County. I said, “I am not interested in granting an easement. But what if we just gave you the building? Free Lunch needs a new home.” (Free Lunch used to be in the basement of the Wesley House on North Dubuque Street. It had outgrown that space.) She was shocked, but intrigued. We met a couple of times, and soon the Board got a proposal.
Here is what I wrote at the time. It is even more true now:
I have long argued that local nonprofits need to collaborate in a number of areas. Think about board meeting rooms. Most boards meet ten or so times per year. Do they each need their own boardroom? How about payroll? What if all our local nonprofits used one local company for taxes, accounting, and payroll? Surely we would trade some minor inconveniences for significant savings. What about a single, negotiated printing contract? Shared insurance? Financial audits? Copiers? Computers? Janitorial? Could some co-locate, and even share receptionists, restrooms, and storage space? The list goes on and on.
By doing these things collaboratively, we should be able to reduce overhead. That means a greater percentage of donor dollars go toward actual services. Every agency loses a tiny bit of control, but gets more directed resources in exchange.
The former Public Health building presents a couple interesting scenarios. One argument is the taxpayers bought the building over a number of years. If it is now unused, it should be sold, and the County should use the revenues to offset taxes. Then the new entity would (presumably) pay new real estate taxes on the property.
On the other hand, the building has been paid off for decades. If we poured the proceeds from a sale into property tax relief next year, it would save the average homeowner roughly 8 cents per $1,000. So for a single year, the owner of a $100,000 home would see taxes reduced $8. That is 67 cents per month. That is something, but not much. It is fair to argue that the property has much greater public value by being repurposed that by simply being sold.
I also want to make sure that we could incorporate our local foods initiatives into the building. I see some potential synergies there, but I would want to make sure this can all fit together.”
I got what I had hoped for! And I think it was definitely worth the $550,000 in lost revenue. The kitchen space has been used in multiple ways. Free Lunch has enough space to seat everyone, plus refrigerator, freezer, and pantry space they lacked before. DVIP has a place separate from the shelter location where they can get deliveries, accept donations, etc. The space was critical for them. NAMI needed an office. And all 4 organizations use the Boardroom space.
I am proud of the part I played in getting the 1105 Project off the ground.
*Salvos Salutes – 2022
What I wrote about some of the honorees from Salvos’s Salutes in 2022:
Ron Scheiffer: My friend Ron founded Reach For Your Potential (RFYP), an agency dedicated to serving people with disabilities, way back in 1990. Ron wanted to create an environment of the sort to which he could send his own children and be proud to do so. He accomplished all that and more. Now he has retired, and left a lasting legacy of compassion, kindness, and care. Thanks, Ron!
The Mill: There was no place quite like the Mill. Unfortunately, 2022 saw the final demise as the wrecking ball took down this Iowa City icon. Many fantastic musical acts played the Mill stage. Many people filled up on all-you-can-eat spaghetti. Lots of people stopped in for a drink, and that moment in some way changed their lives. Poetry, politics, pizza… the Mill was legendary. RIP.
Brian Loring (second honor): A tip of the cap to Brian Loring, who retired after a long career as the Executive Director of Neighborhood Centers of Johnson County (NCJC). Brian led NCJC through lots of growth, innovation, and some turbulent times. Bottom line? His work has improved the lives of thousands of Johnson County residents – including my own children. Brian is truly one of the good people in Johnson County. I am proud to call him a friend. Congratulations, Brian – you deserve it!
David Osterberg: Thinking back upon my years as a Supervisor, I feel as though we have won some important victories that have greatly improved the quality of life in Johnson County. These include our Sensitive Areas Ordinance, Conservation Bond, fighting for better TIFs, and raising the minimum wage, just to name a few. And in pretty much every case, the Iowa Policy Project was an important ally in these victories. David founded the Iowa Policy Project in 2001 precisely because well-intentioned elected officials needed help. His background in all things environmental plus his service in the Iowa Legislature gave the organization instant credibility. Congratulations, David! Enjoy your retirement!
Peter Fisher: Peter also retired from the Iowa Policy Project (now Common Good Iowa). I cannot count the number of times I called him, flustered by a talking point from the other side, only to have Peter calmly talk me down. I truly spent hundreds of hours in my career going through materials Peter provided. Peter helped teach me how to think about the policy issues that affect Johnson County. He made me, and many others, better public servants. If you like the policy direction of your local elected officials, you can probably thank Peter Fisher.Congratulations, Peter! Enjoy your retirement!
Jill Foens: Imagine spending all day, every day, working with the neediest families and children in our community. Could you do it really, really well for 35 years? Could you do it in such a way that everyone you have ever met has deep respect for you? Jill Foens has done exactly that. Jill is retiring after a long career with the Iowa Department of Human Services. Kids always connected with her and always respected her – including kids who really didn’t respect anyone. The woman was just damn good at a very difficult job, and I respect the hell out of her. Congratulations, Jill, on your retirement! You earned it! Thank you for your many years of service to our most vulnerable families and children. You made a difference!
Todd Dorman: Gazette columnist Dorman hits all the right notes. He calls out lies, he points out hypocrisies, and he calls it as he sees it. Meanwhile, he punches up, not down, and defends those with little voice in our decision making. Things are bleak, but there is still some excellent journalism out there. If you are not reading Todd Dorman’s columns in the Cedar Rapids Gazette, you are missing out!
As you can see, 2022 was a year full of people worthy of our admiration!
*DID YOU KNOW? Around 1860, it appeared that the village of Copi would become the largest city in the area. But a new bridge across Clear Creek that was finished in 1861 started a growth spurt for Tiffin, which ended up becoming a city.
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 @ 1:12 PM
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