Could an Iowa City-Johnson County law enforcement center make sense?

IOWA CITY - The Johnson County Jail is overcrowded and in need of repairs, while the 113-year-old courthouse has numerous safety and security issues. The Iowa City Police Department's headquarters was never designed to house a police department.

Could the solution to these issues be a joint, county-municipal building that houses the Johnson County Sheriff's Office, court services and Iowa City police?

In the wake of a third failed attempt to get public support of a referendum to address the courthouse issues, county and city leaders are at least receptive to the idea.

As county leaders plan their next steps with respect to addressing safety and security concerns, Board of Supervisors member Terrence Neuzil said Johnson County-Iowa City law enforcement facility has 'always been on the back of some folks' minds.”

'If you look at the future needs of Iowa City police and fire and the needs of the Johnson County Sheriff and, of course, the jail, there could be some opportunity,” Neuzil said Wednesday.

Iowa City Police Chief Sam Hargadine said he has discussed such a facility with Johnson County Sheriff Lonny Pulkrabek 'three or four times” over the years.

On paper, at least, there's a lot about the idea that makes sense, Hargadine said. He said there is no need for a city and a county holding area or separate city and county report writing rooms.

Furthermore, the existence of the county's joint communication center means that the county and city already share some infrastructure, such as radios.

'There are so many things we've built to be interoperable,” Hargadine said.

And there are some gaps that could be addressed. Hargadine staffs his front desk after regular business hours, something the sheriff's office does not currently do.

Hargadine said his department could use covered parking for vehicles and maintenance, a secured entryway for transporting people who have been arrested and for additional storage, particularly for evidence.

Pulkrabek said he's not opposed to the idea, but does have some concerns. After failing twice to garner enough support for a justice center that would house a jail and court space, Pulkrabek said he doesn't know how he could convince a voter in rural Johnson County, say, to support a project that contains a municipal component.

'Give me a way to articulate to the voter in Lone Tree or Swisher or pick your rural community, if they vote for whatever proposal, that they would not be paying for building for something that's for Iowa City,” Pulkrabek said.

'That's one thing I could never come up with - how to explain to them cleanly so they could understand their portion of the taxes ...

is going toward the part that's going toward the county.”

Plus, there's the cost. Pulkrabek loosely estimated the cost of a sheriff's office, police station, jail and courthouse annex at anywhere between $70 million and $100 million.

'That's an eye-popping figure,” he said, adding there's also the issue of where such a facility would be built.

And Pulkrabek said he wants the Board of Supervisors - not him or Hargadine - to take the lead on such a project.

'We don't make those taxing decisions, the budget decisions,” he said.

One more facet of a city-county building could make it more appealing. Neuzil said the Iowa Code would allow Iowa City and Johnson County to create a separate governing entity. If that entity went to the public with a board referendum, it would only require 50 percent - not the standard 60 percent supermajority - support to pass.

That lower threshold leads Iowa City Manager Tom Markus to believe the idea is at least worth considering. Earlier this year, he proposed looking into shared facilities with the county, Markus said.

'They're getting the majority, they're just not getting the supermajority requirements,” he said.