The Johnson County Board of Supervisors says it will no longer pursue a joint law enforcement facility with the City of Iowa City. The move follows a split decision by the Iowa City Council last week to move forward with the project.
Johnson County Sheriff Brad Kunkel said comments made by Iowa City Council members this week prompted his decision to rescind his support for a law enforcement facility that would be shared by his department and Iowa City Police.
The future of a proposed joint law enforcement facility and jail to be shared by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Iowa City Police Department remains up in the air, even after a majority of the Iowa City Council expressed support Tuesday for moving forward with the next step of the process.
The Iowa City Council is contemplating whether to take the Johnson County Board of Supervisors up on its formal invitation to establish a joint law enforcement authority to explore the possibility of a new law enforcement facility shared by both entities.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is considering adoption of a resolution that condemns more than two dozen executive order signed by President Donald Trump.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors is reiterating its request that the owner of three mobile home parks in the county implement a two-year moratorium on lot rent increases.
More than 74 percent of Johnson County residents would support a bond measure to build a new county sheriff’s office and jail, according to draft results from a community survey commissioned by the Board of Supervisors.
According to a report presented to the Johnson County Criminal Justice Coordinating Committee this week, a joint law enforcement facility shared by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa City Police Department could cost around $106 million.
Johnson County’s Temporary Redistricting Committee is preparing to submit its precinct plan, the first step in the process of changing how county supervisors are elected after a new state law requiring the change was passed by Republicans earlier this year.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors earlier this week voted down a proposed budget amendment that would have increased the number of beds guaranteed to the county at the Linn County Juvenile Detention Center.
Johnson County Residents United, a group that advocates for safe conditions in mobile home parks in the county, in partnership with local elected officials, is advocating for a two-year moratorium on rent increases to allow time for improved park conditions at properties owned by Havenpark Communities.
The county purchased the 15 unit property at 1102 Hollywood Blvd. in Iowa City, in 2024 for $1.7 million, marking the first time the county has directly owned housing stock. Under a plan proposed by Iowa City, federally funded rental assistance vouchers, combined with VA support services, would be offered to veterans living in the units.
Also in Government Notes, the Hawkeye Area Labor Council announced it is endorsing the Cedar Rapids school bond that will go to voters in November.
Also in this week’s government notes, the Cedar Rapids school board has approved a 3 percent wage increase for district teachers.
The Johnson County Board of Supervisors took the first steps Wednesday in a process that will create districts for their representation of the county, as is now required by a bill signed into law last week by Gov. Kim Reynolds.
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