The Iowa County 1 December 2011 ENVIRONMENTAL COMPLIANCE OPERATIONS REVIEW/IMPROVEMENT NEW TECHNOLOGY APPLICATIONS ENGINEERING DESIGN We’re here to help you meet your solid waste and recycling needs! CHRISTINE C. RICHTER, P.E. | [email protected] | 1801 INDUSTRIAL CIRCLE | WEST DES MOINES, IOWA | 50265 515.256.8814 | 800.707.4248 | www.barkerlemar.com 2 The Iowa County December 2011 ISAC OFFICERS PRESIDENT The Iowa County Marjorie Pitts - Clay County Auditor December 2011 * Volume 40, Number 12 1ST VICE PRESIDENT Wayne Walter - Winneshiek County Treasurer 2ND VICE PRESIDENT The Iowa County: The official magazine of the Iowa State Association of Counties Darin Raymond - Plymouth County Attorney 5500 Westown Parkway, Suite 190 3RD VICE PRESIDENT West Des Moines, IA 50266 Harlan Hansen - Humboldt County Supervisor 515.244.7181 FAX 515.244.6397 www.iowacounties.org ISAC DIRECTORS Rachel E. Bicego, EDITOR Deb McWhirter - Butler County Assessor Lori Elam - Scott County Community Services Feature: Dan Cohen - Buchanan County Conservation Director President Pitts’ Reflections 4 David Morlan - Boone County Emergency Mgmt. Marge Pitts Mike McClain - Jones County Engineer Jon McNamee - Black Hawk County Environmental Health Needs of Iowa County Roads 5 Wayne Chizek - Marshall County IT/GIS Steve DeVries Terri Henkels - Polk County Public Health Joan McCalmant - Linn County Recorder Precinct Atlas 6-7 Mike Balmer - Jasper County Sheriff Hanna De Groot Sally Stutsman - Johnson County Supervisor Melvyn Houser - Pottawattamie County Supervisor Legal Briefs 8 Anna O’Shea - Dubuque County Zoning Kristi Harshbarger Chuck Rieken - Cass County Supervisor (Past Pres.) Grant Veeder - Black Hawk County Auditor (NACo Rep.) Capitol Comments 9 Judy Miller - Pottawattamie County Treasurer (NACo Board) Linda Hinton Lu Barron - Linn County Supervisor (NACo Board) Linda Langston - Linn County Supervisor (NACo Board) ISAC Brief 10-11 ISAC STAFF Employment 11 William R. Peterson - Executive Director Rachel E. Bicego - Marketing/Comm. Coordinator ISAC Scholarship Application 12-14 Cindy Chappelle - Case Management Specialist Hanna De Groot - Public Policy Specialist Counties in the Spotlight 15 Josh DeGroote - Program Support Analyst Deb Eckerman Slack - Case Management Services Mgr. Case Management 16 Gina Fontanini - Program Support Analyst Kristi Harshbarger - Legal Counsel Deb Eckerman Slack Robin Harlow - Technology Project Manager Linda Hinton - Government Relations Manager Miscellaneous 18 Brad Holtan - Accounting Manager Stacy Horner - Meeting/Event Administrator Preferred Vendor Highlights 19 Linda Kemp - Case Management Specialist Jenna Kunstle - Financial/Member Services Administrator Calendar of events 21 Mary Beth Mellick - Fiscal/Public Policy Specialist Ashley Moore - Program Support Analyst Tammy Norman - Office Manager Jackie Olson Leech - Case Management Specialist Mindi Patterson - Receptionist/Administrative Assistant Sam Watson - Information Technology Specialist ISAC’s Mission: ISAC members are elected and appointed county officials To promote effective and responsible county from all 99 counties. The Iowa County (ISSN 0892-3795, USPS government for the people of Iowa. 0002-150) is published monthly by the Iowa State Associa- tion of Counties, 5500 Westown Parkway, Suite 190, West ISAC’s Vision: Des Moines, IA 50266. Periodicals postage paid at Des Moines, IA 50318. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to To be the principal, authoritative source of [email protected]. Subscriptions: $25 per year. representation, information and services for and about county government in Iowa. The Iowa County 3 December 2011 feature President Pitts’ Reflections By: Marjorie Pitts 2011 ISAC Board President Clay County Auditor As this year draws to a close it provides me with an opportu- has always given 100% of their attention to nity to express what an honor it has been to be the 2011 Presi- all of the issues brought before them. Nearly dent of the Iowa State Association of Counties. My presi- three years ago the Board of Directors be- dency this year was made possible through the support of my gan the evaluation and planning for a new staff at home, who willingly and very capably filled in during location of the ISAC office. ISAC and the League of Cities ex- my many absences from the office, my fellow County Audi- plored the possibilities of a joint building project, but after many tors, who elected me to the ISAC Board of Directors and, per- ISAC staff hours and considerable discussion by the Board it sonally, the total support and encouragement of my husband was decided to lease and renovate a facility in West Des Moines Chuck. What a remarkable experience to travel across our for ISAC only. The new location is designed to offer varying nation and meet so many other county officials striving to be sizes of conference rooms that are available to any ISAC mem- the best form of local government through their commitment bers for meetings or training sessions. The official move to the and hard work to provide necessary services to constituents. new facility was accomplished the last week of August. Be sure to stop for a visit whenever you are in the area of 5500 Westown Our electorate in 2010 provided us with a new state adminis- Parkway in West Des Moines. tration and new opportunities to educate legislators on the ob- jectives and priorities that are important to county govern- Annually the Board of Directors meets in September for a ment. I was able to be a participant, along with ISAC staff, in two-day retreat to conduct a regular board agenda and discuss meetings with legislative leadership in both the House and future goals. The retreat is customarily held in the home county Senate and the Governor’s office in mid December. The next of the president, so this year, Board members and ISAC staff three months flew by so rapidly. I enjoyed the introductions traveled to the great Northwest. Since the “World’s Greatest and conversations with many other state association presidents County Fair” was in full swing in Clay County, Board mem- and their executive directors during the National Council of bers experienced nearly four hours of the fair before the re- County Association Executives (NCCAE) conference in Wash- treat began. I was tickled that so many were able to attend. ington DC, then the ISAC New Officers School offered in January, the ISAC County Day at the Capitol in early March This year the ISAC Scholarship Golf Fundraiser was held in followed by the NACo Legislative Conference in Washington Ankeny at the Otter Creek Golf Course. The weather was DC where over 20 officials and staff comprised our Iowa del- brisk and blustery, but the over 150 golfers finished a full day egation supporting the kick off and eventual election of our of golf and enjoyed a great steak dinner and prizes donated by first ever Iowa candidate, Linda Langston, Linn County Su- sponsors of the event. I want to thank everyone for the tre- pervisor, for the NACo 2nd Vice President position. mendous effort that is required to raise money for the ISAC Education Foundation, which enables scholarships to be As summer approached, all county officials had an opportu- awarded to so many great students of county employees. nity to attend their ISAC Legislative District meetings to hear updates from our ISAC government relations team and to con- I close as I began, with expressing what a great honor it has duct individual district and affiliate business. It was difficult, been to be your president this year. I cannot thank Bill Peterson at best, for our ISAC team to report anything definite since enough for his leadership and dedication throughout yet an- our state legislators were still in session. Nonetheless, those other year and a huge thank you to the entire ISAC staff that in attendance were able to exchange their views and concerns are all hard working professionals that show daily how com- with the potential outcome of pending legislation. The ISAC mitted they are to serving our needs on any level within our Legislative Policy Committee began their discussion and county. I wish my very best to our incoming President Wayne prioritization of the issues and solutions presented by each Walters and his Board of Directors in 2012. As officials of affiliate in August under the Chairmanship of your ISAC 2nd local government we need to continually meet the shift in Vice President Darin Raymond, Plymouth County Attorney. trends, challenges, and change that surrounds us with a spirit Each affiliate is well represented by individuals that take the of cooperation and persistence in finding innovative ways to time and make the effort to learn and exchange good ideas to make a positive impact on the quality of life for all the people further successful legislation. that we serve. I know we are up for the task! It has been a great pleasure working with the Board of Directors and getting to know each affiliate’s representatives. The Board 4 The Iowa County December 2011 feature Needs of Iowa County Roads By: Steve DeVries Executive Director ICEA Service Bureau Streets, roads and highways are essential to our economy. In mid-2011, with road funding still fall- They carry us to and from our daily destinations, enable effi- ing too far short, Governor Branstad char- cient movement of goods and expand opportunities. Recog- tered a Citizen Advisory Commission to nizing this, early Iowans established over one-hundred thou- work with the DOT, to reassess the state’s sand miles of roads by 1900. Subsequently, we paved key options, study city, county and primary road needs, meet with routes to ‘get out of the mud’, eventually creating an inte- citizens and return recommendations that could be presented grated network ranging from dirt roads to multi-lane freeways. to the legislature for consideration in 2012. His charge, is- County roads comprise about eighty percent of the overall total. sued on March 18, 2011, told them to: “assess the condition These facilities have served well but reached their prime some of Iowa’s roadway system while evaluating current and future years ago and then began to decline.