Johnson County looks to establish joint law enforcement authority with Iowa City

IOWA CITY — The Johnson County Board of Supervisors will formally ask the Iowa City Council to form a joint law enforcement authority for the purpose of exploring the possibility of a new law enforcement facility that would be shared by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and Jail and the Iowa City Police Department.

The joint law enforcement authority, governed by a board of commissioners, would oversee the construction and maintenance of the shared building. Iowa Code allows for the establishment of a joint law enforcement authority for the purpose of constructing a public building for use by both the county and the city.

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“We want to be very clear that it is a shared facility, but where both entities retain their authority,” Jon Green, chair of the Board of Supervisors, said at a work session Wednesday.

A joint law enforcement authority would be made up of three members; one appointed by the Board of Supervisors, one by the City Council, and the last through consensus from both bodies.

If the third member cannot be agreed upon within 60 days of the first commissioner being appointed, then Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds has the authority to appoint someone.

Should Iowa City agree, the joint law enforcement authority would be established by October. That deadline is intended to allow enough time for a bond measure for the new facility to be put on the November 2026 general election ballot.

A bond measure to build a joint county/city project would require 50 percent approval from voters, as opposed to the 60 percent required if the county alone were to introduce a bond.

The board plans to adopt a resolution at its formal meeting next week to officially ask the city to move forward with the facility.

Joint facility could cost an estimated $106 million

A joint law enforcement facility shared by the Johnson County Sheriff’s Office and the Iowa City Police Department could cost around $106 million, according to a feasibility study conducted by OPN Architects and Shive Hattery.

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Conversations about a joint facility began as both entities started to contemplate the future of their respective facilities. Both Johnson County and Iowa City have completed independent space needs assessments of their facilities over the last two years.

A potential location for a new facility has been identified, where the Iowa City Transit Headquarters sit today, near the intersection of Riverside Drive and Highway 6. The city already owns that land and is in the process of developing a new transit facility, with the hopes of it being constructed in a new location.

The Iowa City Council has not voted on this proposal or committed to putting the land toward a future law enforcement facility.

The feasibility study was conducted to explore the possibility for shared spaces and determine an estimated footprint of the building. It is not a final building plan.

The county has previously tried to finance jail improvements through bond referendums in 2012 and 2013. Both proposals received more than 50 percent approval from voters, but failed because they needed 60 percent to pass.

Comments: megan.woolard@thegazette.com

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