County pledges $30,000 toward Main Street Iowa

     Several members of the Monticello Main Street Iowa committee were present at the May 3 Jones County Supervisor meeting to not only seek a signed resolution of support from the county, but also support in the form of a financial pledge.

   Brian Wolken, Dr. Quinn Behrends, Deb Bowman, and Jacob Oswald were all there to answer any questions the supervisors might have and to offer an update on where things are at before an official application can be submitted.

   In mid-April, Behrends came before the board to seek a letter of support. Now, MSI needs a more concrete message from the county.

   Behrends said they’d like to see Monticello become the first MSI community in Jones County.

   Behrends also spoke of the four pillars associated with MSI and how those will impact downtown Monticello:

   • Economic Vitality

   • Organization

   • Promotion

   • Design

   “We want to meet the needs of the downtown district, help utilize the spaces better for the community, offer training (to business owners), leadership, and workshops for the community,” offered Behrends.

   “MSI uses a lot of data to decide who’s accepted into the program and drive their decision-making,” added Behrends of the Main Street committee in Des Moines.

   Since 2019 when the Monticello group was not chosen as a MSI community, Behrends said they’ve grown their committee and doubled, almost tripled, their fundraising efforts.

   “MSI gives you a vision for what could and should be done,” said Behrends.

   After Monticello was not chosen last time, they were selected to take part in a downtown assessment program. This led to several projects, including demolishing the former Energy building and bringing a new grocery store (Dollar Fresh) to town; and renovating the former Dollar General, which houses the Creative Adventure and Innovation Lab.

   “There is a voice for change within the (downtown) district and we’re bringing people together,” Behrends said.

   The application process is 50-60 pages.

   “It’s in-depth and involved,” noted Behrends.

   The MSI committee proposed a pledge from the county of $10,000 a year for three years, for a total of $30,000.

   While the county has wrapped up its Fiscal Year 2023 budget process, Behrends gave examples of where the county could pull the money from. (Pledges only turn into actual financial contributions if Monticello is successful in becoming a MSI Community.)

   Behrends pointed to the use of the county’s ARPA funds. He pulled information from the National Association of Counties (NACO) to make his point. He said ARPA funds could go toward small businesses that have been negatively impacted by COVID. By giving money toward MSI, their mission is to help those small businesses. That money could be used for technical assistance to support business planning. MSI will hire a director to assist those businesses within the designated district. He said MSI will also increase tourism locally, bringing more people to the community.

   Wolken said MSI communities gain access to resources other towns cannot.

   “We could see upper-story housing filled with younger families and grow our school district,” he said. “It’s easier to renovate versus build new right now.”

   Wolken said the director and MSI board are also held accountable for getting projects done.

   “MSI gives us assistance and really works with you once you,” he said. “We’ve had a lot of ideas for the downtown and it’s been nobody’s job. This holds us accountable.”

   Supervisor Jeff Swisher asked if contributions toward MSI stay with the community or with the program as a whole.

   “Your money stays within our community, our district,” said Wolken.

   Swisher also asked how many counties financially contribute to other MSI communities in Iowa.

   Of the 50 MSI communities, 15 receive support from their county. Behrends shared that Linn County contributes $50,000 a year toward four MSI communities.

   Supervisor John Schlarmann remarked that while driving through Monticello recently, he saw lots of people out and about along First Street.

   “I haven’t seen that in a while,” he said.

   Bowman offered that she got involved in the efforts to see the historical aspect of downtown Monticello remain.

   “I’m trying to keep the flavor of what the downtown looks and feels like,” she said.

   “I’m excited about this,” said Jacob Oswald, Monticello Parks and Rec director and city representative on the MSI committee. “I came on board just recently. We do a lot within our department alone in the downtown. This fits what we’re trying to do and the city’s goals.”

   The board voted unanimously to pledge the full $30,000. This approval does not specify that the money will come out of the county’s ARPA funds.

   “Anything we can do to keep Jones County moving forward, I’m on board,” voiced Swisher.

   “There’s no better way to spend money like this,” added Schlarmann.