26FC:0089 Gabe Schaapveld vs. Johnson County Board of Supervisors - Investigative Report & Probable Cause Order

The Iowa Public Information Board

COMES NOW, Charissa Flege, Deputy Director for the Iowa Public Information Board (IPIB), and enters this Investigative Report:

On March 24, 2026, Gabe Schaapveld (“Complainant”) filed formal complaint 26FC:0089, alleging that the Johnson County Board of Supervisors (“Respondent”) violated Iowa Code Chapter 21.

The IPIB accepted this Complaint on May 21, 2026.

Facts

The complaint arises from a policy decision on whether to approve an SRO contract for the Clear Creek-Amana School Board. On March 11, 2026, the Respondent met in a properly noticed public meeting. In that meeting, all five county supervisors discussed the proposal to establish a school resource officer program at length. A copy of those meeting minutes and a video were provided to IPIB. During the discussion, several supervisors provided feedback that was unfavorable to approving such a program.  The final decision on the SRO program was then tabled for the following supervisor meeting.

On March 18, 2026, one of the supervisors emailed the school district regarding the proposed program. The relevant content stated, “Hello everyone, First of all, I want to thank you for the service you provide your community. Secondly, while our recent Board of Supervisors meeting resulted in us not moving forward with the SRO contract, I do want to make myself available to you all for further conversations…” In response to this email, a concern was raised that an improperly noticed meeting had occurred in violation of Chapter 21. Complainant alleged that the content made it sound as though a decision had been reached by the supervisors outside of the public’s view after the March 11th meeting.

On March 19, 2026, Respondent held another properly noticed public meeting. During the meeting, the supervisors voted to table the SRO contract indefinitely.

In response to this investigation, Respondent provided affidavits from the five county supervisors, including the supervisor that emailed the school district. In the affidavits, three supervisors detailed individual (2-person) conversations they had during the interim between March 11 and the March 19th meeting. However, all supervisors stated that no quorum meeting occurred electronically or in person. The supervisor that sent the email explained that the email referenced their belief about the likely outcome of the vote based upon the sentiments expressed on March 11th, not based upon external conversations had outside of the March 11th meeting.

No counter evidence was provided that the supervisors met in violation of Chapter 21.

Applicable Law

“Except as provided in subsection 3, a governmental body shall give notice of the time, date, and place of each meeting including a reconvened meeting of the governmental body, and the tentative agenda of the meeting, in a manner reasonably calculated to apprise the public of that information. Reasonable notice shall include advising the news media who have filed a request for notice with the governmental body and posting the notice on a bulletin board or other prominent place which is easily accessible to the public and clearly designated for that purpose at the principal office of the body holding the meeting, or if no such office exists, at the building in which the meeting is to be held.” Iowa Code § 21.4(1)(a).

“Except as otherwise provided in paragraph “c”, notice conforming with all of the requirements of subsection 1 shall be given at least twenty-four hours prior to the commencement of any meeting of a governmental body unless for good cause such notice is impossible or impractical, in which case as much notice as is reasonably possible shall be given.” Iowa Code § 21.4(2)(a).

Analysis

Based upon the information provided to IPIB, it appears the only conversations that occurred outside of the properly noticed March 11th and March 19th meetings were individual conversations that did not create the quorum required to form a meeting under Chapter 21. The Respondent’s explanation as to the March 18th email referencing the publicly made sentiments on March 11th is reasonable based upon the content recorded in the minutes and the meeting recording provided to IPIB.

Therefore, there is insufficient evidence to find probable cause that a meeting of the supervisors occurred outside of the March 11th and 19th properly noticed meetings in violation of Chapter 21.

IPIB Action

The Board may take the following actions upon receipt of a probable cause report:

a. Redirect the matter for further investigation;

b. Dismiss the matter for lack of probable cause to believe a violation has occurred;

c. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, but, as an exercise of administrative discretion, dismiss the matter; or

d. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, designate a prosecutor and direct the issuance of a statement of charges to initiate a contested case proceeding.

Iowa Admin. Code r. 497-2.2(4).

Recommendation

Because there is insufficient evidence to find probable cause that a meeting of the supervisors occurred outside of the March 11th and 19th properly noticed public meetings in violation of Chapter 21, it is recommended that the Board dismiss the matter for lack of probable cause to find a violation occurred.

By the IPIB Deputy Director,

_________________________

Charissa Flege, J.D.

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

This document was sent on March 14, 2026, to:

Gabe Schaapveld, Complainant

Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Respondent

The Iowa Public Information Board

Under Iowa Admin. Code r. 497-2.2(4) the Board takes the following action:

☐a. Redirect the matter for further investigation;

☒b. Dismiss the matter for lack of probable cause to believe a violation has occurred;

☐c. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, but, as an exercise of administrative discretion, dismiss the matter; or

☐d. Make a determination that probable cause exists to believe a violation has occurred, designate a prosecutor and direct the issuance of a statement of charges to initiate a contested case proceeding.

By the Board Chair

___________________________________

Catherine Lucas

CERTIFICATE OF MAILING

This document was sent on May 22, 2026, to:

Gabe Schaapveld, Complainant

Johnson County Board of Supervisors, Respondent