BOARD OF SUPERVISORS

Sally Stutsman, Chairperson

Pat Harney
Terrence Neuzil
Janelle Rettig
Rod Sullivan

City of Coralville City Council,

City of Iowa City City Council, Mayor and City Administrator
Mayor and City Manager c/o City Clerk
c/o City Clerk 1505 5th Street
410 East Washington Street Coralville, IA 52241
Iowa City, IA 52240
City of North Liberty City Council,
Johnson County Emergency Management Commission Mayor and City Manager
c/o Emergency Management Coordinator c/o City Clerk
P.O. Box 2540 5 E. Cherry Street
Iowa City, IA 52244 North Liberty, IA 52317

December 16, 2010

To the City Councils of Iowa City, Coralville and North Liberty, the Johnson County Emergency
Management Commission,

As signatories to the 28E agreement that created the Joint Emergency Communication Services
Association (JECSA) and governs the operations of the Joint Emergency Communications
Center (JECC), we have a responsibility to ensure that the JECC operates in the most efficient
and cost-effective manner possible.

Each member entity has appointed one or more individuals to represent its interests on the
JECSA Policy Board. We appreciate the time and effort that these representatives contribute to
the JECSA on behalf of the residents of Johnson County. We believe that it is important that
signatory members give direction to their representatives and ensure that issues of mutual
concern are addressed.

In preparation for the joint meeting that was held on May 28th, 2010 between the JECSA Policy
Board and the JECSA member entities, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors sent a letter
outlining issues that it felt should be addressed either at that meeting or by the JECSA Policy
Board. That meeting served as a good first step in opening communication between all the

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member entities. We have seen some improvement in communication. However, the Board of
Supervisors is not satisfied with what has been done to address the concerns.

Therefore, the Board of Supervisors shares the following list of issues with you and formally
asks that your Council/Board to address these issues and give direction to your representative(s)
on the Policy Board.

We remain concerned that the number of management and administrative staff is in excess of
what is necessary to effectively operate the JECC. For instance, it seems that the IT positions
duplicate the work covered by maintenance and service contracts. We ask you to request
information from your JECSA representatives or JECC staff and direct your representatives and
make a formal recommendation to the JECSA Policy Board to control these costs.

As we stated in our letter of May 20, 2010, the Board of Supervisors would like to see JECSA
gradually build up modest reserves but rely on bonding for major purchases. This allows the
properties located in TIF districts to participate in sharing the costs of these expenses and
reduces the burden on other taxpayers. We request that you direct your representatives and make
a formal recommendation to the JECSA Policy Board to follow this strategy.

The Policy Board relies heavily on the expertise of the members of the User Advisory Group in
setting policy and addressing issues and concerns at the JECC. Therefore, it is the Board of
Supervisor’s position that agendas for the meetings of the User Advisory Group must be posted,
the meetings open to the public and the minutes produced and posted for the public to read. We
ask that your Council discuss this issue and make a formal recommendation to the JECSA Policy
Board.

The JECC is funded by taxpayers across Johnson County and all of the member entities have an
interest in being well informed about JECSA funding and ensuring that taxpayer funding is
managed responsibly. The Board of Supervisors recommends implementing a more formalized
budget process that would include each member entity taking a formal but non-binding vote on
the proposed JECC budget before January 15th of each year. The Board requests that your
council discuss this process and work with the Policy Board and all of the member entities for
implementation.

Finally, the Board of Supervisors supports amending the 28E agreement to provide that an
elected official from one of the communities not otherwise represented on the Policy Board who
also serves on the Emergency Management Commission serve as a JECSA Policy Board
member instead of the Emergency Management Coordinator. The proximity of the offices and
the day to day presence of the Coordinator at the JECC has the potential to lead to confusion
regarding the Coordinator’s role as Policy Board member. The authority of the Commission in
the management and policy of the JECC should be limited to its representation on the Policy
Board.

Any amendment of the 28E agreement requires a written agreement executed by four of the five
signatory members. The Board of Supervisors requests that your Council consider this
amendment and formally respond to this request.
Thank you for your consideration of these recommendations. We would respectfully request that
you notify the Board of Supervisors when your Council will be deliberating these items.
Representatives of County Government will make every attempt to attend and offer input.

Yours truly,

Sally Stutsman
Chair, Board of Supervisors

Cc: Joint Emergency Communications Services Association Policy Board

c/o Interim Director
4529 Melrose Avenue
Iowa City, Iowa 52246