Treasurer, Recorder now support AOB makeover

CEDAR RAPIDS - Two elected officials who opposed supervisor plans to renovate the Administrative Office Building have now thrown their support behind Linn County's I-JOBS application for the project.

Treasurer Mike Stevenson and Recorder Joan McCalmant signed an Aug. 26 letter to the I-JOBS board, saying they “definitely support the Board of Supervisors in their application for funding” to renovate and expand the building.

I-JOBS deferred Linn County's application for $8.8 million to fund the project, despite its getting the second-highest score of any project in the state. The reason was a lack of demonstrated public support for the project, particularly editorials in The Gazette, including a column signed by the county auditor, treasurer and recorder.

Pat Baird, CEO of AEGON USA and vice-chairman of the I-JOBS board, said the supervisors admitted they needed to gather more public input on the project, and promised to bring it back for reconsideration.

“It was never the intent of the I-JOBS board to award money for projects where there wasn't a lot of public support,” he said.

Stevenson and Recorder McCalmant signed the Gazette column, which was penned largely by Auditor Joel Miller. It was a rare note of dissent from the two elected officials, and it argued the Administrative Office Building, 930 First St. SW, is in a bad location, doesn't have adequate parking, and shouldn't get a $12 million makeover.

But after the I-JOBS board deferred the project, Stevenson and McCalmant signed their names on the letter to the I-JOBS board.

“While we had concerns about the location close to Penford, we also now know that there would be changes to the building and the surrounding area that would address most of our concerns,” the letter says.

McCalmant said she signed the Gazette column because she wanted the supervisors to pay attention to public sentiment, not because she was convinced county offices should stay at Westdale.

“I just wanted them to listen to the public, and I think we forced their hand on that,” she said.

She supports the application for funding now.

“Why wouldn't I support it if they can get money?” she said. “If we have to go back, then we need the money.”

Stevenson's position is more difficult to parse out. He said he still thinks sinking millions into the administrative building is “ridiculous,” yet he signed the letter supporting the application for the project's funding because the supervisors are doing a better job of letting other elected officials in on their plans.

“They're actually trying to communicate better with us now,” he said.

Miller refused to sign the letter to I-JOBS.

“I don't think they've addressed anything that I mentioned as an issue in the guest column,” Miller said. “The only action that's been taken is the acknowledgment that they're going to do a feasibility study.”

Baird, the I-JOBS panelist, said I-JOBS money may become available within the next two months, because several projects that received awards also applied for funding from other sources and may not end up needing the I-JOBS grant.

“In the next 30 to 60 days we expect some of these requests to come in,” he said. “We do expect there to be a second round.”

Here's the new letter:

AOBLetter