IOWA CITY

Ed Bartels, Assistant Johnson County Engineer, was appointed by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors to at least temporarily take over as the county’s lead engineer at the end of January.

Greg Parker, Johnson County Engineer and a 20-year staffer, announced his upcoming retirement to the Board on January 6.

“I’ve been working with Greg in Johnson County for about 18 years, basically preparing to do this exact job,” Bartels told the Board during its January 8 work session.

“Almost as tenured as Greg,” Supervisor Lisa Green-Douglass said. “Lots of experience, so we will be in good hands.”

The Board will go through a formal search process to fill the position permanently.

Bartels also owns Cedar Valley Land Services in Lisbon.

Parker, who runs a department that takes care of nearly 1,000 miles of county roads, was recognized in 2024 by the National Association of County Engineers with an Urban County Engineer of the Year award.

Plats & Rezonings

A two-lot subdivision request located west of Hills was among several plat applications and rezonings that came in front of the Board at its formal session January 9.

The preliminary and final plats were approved for Truman Second Subdivision, which is located on the north side of 520th Street SW and west of James Avenue, west of Hills. The request was made by Dale and Edith Marlene Schrock. The plans are for a 1.75-acre buildable lot and a 2.11-acre outlot.

The Board also approved preliminary and final plats for Schrock Estate, a homestead split involving 1.65 acres on 520th Street SW between Frytown and Joetown. The request was made by Austn and Elizabeth Miller.

The Board approved a rezoning request from Herbet Farms for a property of 1.6 acres located on Black Diamond Road SW. The rezoning changes the land from agricultural to residential.

The Board reversed a denial recommendation by the county’s Planning and Zoning Commission in regards to a rezoning request by Fiddlehead Gardens, a landscaping business which is currently on a small piece of property along Waterfront Drive in Iowa City.

The Board approved Fiddlehead’s rezoning request, by 3-0 vote, for 9.23 acres on IWV Road SW to be reclassified to Agricultural Business instead of Agricultural. The rezoning allows Fiddlehead to move on with a plan to expand its business to the larger property, which is located just west of Iowa City, and in a more rural setting at the intersection of IWV Road SW and Hurt Road SW.

Board Action

The Board voted to amend the floating holiday designation for 2025, approving December 24 as a floating holiday for county employees.