Iowa City doesn't share concerns over joint communications center

IOWA CITY – The city of Iowa City does not share the Johnson County supervisors' concerns over how the  joint emergency communications center is run.

The Board of Supervisors has been critical of the center's budget, saying it's too high, and the makeup of the seven-member board that oversees the center. That board includes representative appointed by the county, Iowa City, Coralville, North Liberty and the Johnson County Emergency Management Agency.

In December, the supervisors sent a letter to the other entities expressing their concerns and seeking changes. Chief among them was a desire to have the communications center board made up entirely of elected officials.

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The City Council in Iowa City discussed the matter recently and Mayor Matt Hayek sent the county a letter this month saying making changes would be premature. He noted that a new executive director was recently hired and the center has been operational for only a few months.

He wrote that the council is “more comfortable with a wait-and-see approach” and said the supervisors' proposals should be taken up with the center's board.

Coralville and North Liberty also have indicated they want to give the center more time before considering any changes.

The joint emergency communications center, which opened last summer, combines dispatchers and radio systems for public safety and emergency medical personnel in the county.