Background Information
The city of Johnston is located in Central Iowa ans is one of the nine cities in the Iowa CIPA project. For more detailed information about the city, please go to: www.ci.johnston.ia.us.
In fall 2000, the city administration expressed interest in the concept of citizen-initiated performance assessment. Later, the mayor, city council, and a group of citizen representatives also gave support to the concept and decided to participate in the project.
Beginning in July 2001, the city of Johnston will implement citizen-initiated performance assessment in selected public services, and evaluate whether it may expand the mechanism to other services in the future. This information brochure is intended to give citizen representatives who participate in the project some background information about the operation and major responsibilities of the Johnston city government.
Governing Structure
As of 2001, the following are members of the city council:
Mayor Bob O'Hallearn, Randy Lehman, Paula Dierenfeld, Brian Laurenzo, Gordon Allen and John Temple.
The city council appoints the city manager, Jim Sanders, who provides managerial
assistance to the council in the daily operation of the city government. The
city council also appoints various boards and committees, such as the planning
and zoning commission and the Mayor's Youth Advisory Council, to help the policymaking
of the city.
Major Responsibilities of the City Government
The city government is responsible for four major areas of public services:
1. Community Protection (per-capita spending in FY2001: $316)
Police, fire, street lighting, traffic control and safety, and other protective
services
2. Home and Community Development (per-capita spending in FY2001: $1,075)
Building inspection, public works and road use, solid waste, and storm water
management
3. Human Development (per-capita spending in FY2001: $249)
Library, park and recreation activities, community center, and swimming pool
4. Policy and Administration (per-capita spending in FY2001: $51)
City manager's office, finance, and other administrative functions
Citizen Performance Team
The following citizens are the members of the citizen performance team:
Kevin Moran, Judy Tomonga, Andy Christenson, Jorg Westermann, Marty Ryan,
Deb Henry, Paula Dierenfeld, Jeff Kane
They are responsible for developing performance measures for the Iowa CIPA project.