History

Johnson County Livable Community for Successful Aging (JCLC) grew out of the Consortium for Successful Aging, a grassroots effort spearheaded by the Johnson County Task Force on Aging. In 2005, the Consortium collaborated with the University of Iowa Center on Aging to produce a Successful Aging Market Analysis of Johnson County and subsequent reports on housing, health and supportive services, transportation and successful aging.  The Board of Supervisors officially created JCLC by Resolution in 2007.  A Replicable Community Model report was produced in 2009. In 2011, the JCLC Policy Board developed its first Strategic Plan, an Annual Report and Operating Rules for the initiative.

What is a livable community?

In a livable community everyone can age successfully and live a vital life with the opportunity to flourish in the community.

Successful aging is characterized by:

  • supportive relationships with family and friends
  • optimal mental and physical health
  • community involvement
  • new learning experiences
  • a sense of purpose and meaning of life

Johnson County is a livable community that offers:

  • health and supportive services
  • transportation and mobility options
  • affordable and appropriate housing
  • community and economic development
  • cultural, volunteer, life-long learning and employment opportunities
  • public safety

Together these attributes facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in civic and social life.

Mission/Vision

Mission: To serve as a unifying structure that fosters effective collaboration, communication, and education that will build and sustain a livable community for successful aging.

Vision: To help Johnson County become a more livable community where everyone can age successfully.

Johnson County will be a livable community which has:

  • Health and support services
  • Transportation and mobility options
  • Affordable, accessible, and appropriate housing
  • Community and economic development
  • Cultural, volunteer, life-long learning and employment opportunities
  • Public safety

Which together facilitate personal independence and the engagement of residents in civic and social life.

Policy Board

The JCLC Policy Board’s efforts occur through a network of volunteers working in Action Teams and Board Committees, and assisted by Johnson County Aging Services. Budgetary support is provided by the Board of Supervisors, and fiscal agent tasks are administered by Johnson County Social Services.

Key Purposes of the JCLC Policy Board:

Prepare Johnson County to address the needs of an aging population. Serve as a unifying structure that brings together common interests and collective resources to foster effective collaboration, cooperation, communication, education and direction of efforts that will build and sustain a livable community for successful aging.

Agendas and Minutes

Click here to see the Policy Board agenda and minutes

Meetings
Policy Board meetings are open to the public and are held bimonthly, on the second Tuesday from 1:00PM to 2:30pm (February, April, June, August, October, December) online via Microsoft Teams. To learn more or to confirm meetings, please contact [email protected]. Find minutes and agendas online, or sign up to receive emails as documents are posted.
Members
Policy Board members are appointed for three-year terms by the Johnson County Board of Supervisors through the County’s application process. The Policy Board consists of no less than 10 and no more than 16 members: at least 2 and up to 3 representatives of Johnson County government, including one member of the Board of Supervisors; at least 4 and up to 7 individuals who are affiliated with organizations or other governmental bodies working on issues of aging or livable communities in Johnson County; at least 3 and up to 6 members who are residents of Johnson County and serve in an at-large capacity, with at least 2 members residing outside of the urbanized area.

Current Policy Board Members

Apply to be on JCLC's Policy Board. Every spring, the Johnson County Board of Supervisors announces several vacancies for the Livable Community for Successful Aging Policy Board. Most vacancies are for three-year terms beginning July 1 and expiring June 30, with applications due by 4:30pm on the first Tuesday in June. Applications are also accepted year-round for consideration in the event any seats become available. Application forms and announcements are found on the Committee/Board Openings webpage of the Johnson County website and in the office of the Johnson County Board of Supervisors, second floor of the Johnson County Administration Building, 913 S. Dubuque Street, Iowa City.
Policy Board Documents

Responsibilities

  • Attendance at Policy Board meetings
  • Adherence to Iowa Open Meeting Laws
  • Provide financial oversight in support of the mission “to help Johnson County become a more livable community where everyone can age successfully”
  • Encourage and support collaborative efforts of governmental units, businesses, non-profit groups, and individuals who align with the JCLC mission
  • Support the work of the Action Teams and Policy Board Committees
  • Oversee and report implementation of the strategic plan
  • Duties of the Policy Board

Related Items

  • Operating Rules for the JCLC Policy Board
  • Organizational Structure - JCLC Organizational Chart of Relationships
  • Resolution Resolution of Board of Supervisors establishing JCLC
  • Duties of JCLC Policy-Board
Action Teams and Committees

Action Teams support the Policy Board's purpose of serving as a unifying structure that brings together common interests and collective resources to foster effective collaboration, communication, education, and direction of efforts that help build and sustain a livable community for successful aging. Action Teams spearhead new initiatives in support of JCLC’s mission, and address a specific area of need related to successful aging. Action teams can be ongoing initiatives or they may form to address a short-term issue and then disband. Committees are created by the Policy Board with the primary purpose of promoting and supporting the organizational structure and initiatives of the Policy Board. 

  • Executive Committee  
  • AARP Age Friendly Action Team
  • Communications Committee  
  • Dementia Friendly Johnson County Action Team
  • Falls Prevention Action Team   
  • Housing Action Team   

Click here to see information about the committees

Current JCLC Projects
AARP Age Friendly Action Team- Survey Ahead!

The Johnson County Livable Community (JCLC) Policy Board will be launching a survey of Johnson County residents in September 2024. The survey is designed to ask residents questions related to the eight AARP Domains of Livability. These domains include communication and information, health services and community support sand, transportation, civic participation and employment, social participation, housing, and respect and social inclusion, outdoor spaces and buildings. Additionally, the survey also asks about disaster planning. The 8 Domains of Livability framework is used by many of the towns, cities, counties and states enrolled in the AARP Network of Age-Friendly States and Communities to organize and prioritize their work to become more livable for both older residents and people of all ages. Johnson County was recognized by the AARP as an age-friendly community in August 2021. The JCLC will use the survey results to assist in its strategic planning efforts in making recommendations on how Johnson County can improve the livability for all ages.

More information about the survey and how to participate will be updated here and on our home page. Stay tuned!

Strategic Plan

Click here to download a pdf of the current Livable Community Strategic Plan