Main Street Monticello is working to benefit Monticello

To the Editor,

   In the Oct. 5, 2022 edition of the Express, Steve Hanken wrote what could have been mistaken as a letter in support of the Community Building fundraiser. This event was a wonderful grassroots fundraiser put together by citizens, and it gave a much-needed boost to something that the city had been trying to get done for a while. Kudos to Pam Foley and friends for rolling up their sleeves and putting their time and talents into a great project!

   While Mr. Hanken seems to support the Community Building project, which is great, it seems to me that his real motivation for writing the letter was to take the opportunity to throw stones and question the work of the Monticello Main Street committee and board. Full disclosure: I served on that committee. The goal of which was to bring people to the table to assess the interest and need in applying for the Main Street program. Yes, we reached out to business owners, former business owners, building owners, etc. in the downtown area to ask if they knew of the Main Street Iowa program? Did they think it would be a beneficial program to try to bring to Monticello? I would say yes. As the weeks went by, more people started attending the meetings. Excitement grew. Ideas were born. The ball kept rolling. A job change limited my availability to stay 100 percent involved, but I pledged my financial support and will continue to do so for the life of the project. 

   The Main Street Committee kept working away. Spreading the word of the benefits of Main Street. A proven model used across the country that benefits towns and cities just like Monticello through economic development with an eye towards history and local priorities. They put hundreds of volunteer hours into the hefty written application, as well as the in-person presentation and question-answer session in Des Moines. The Committee continually reached out to businesses and the community throughout the process. They utilized Letters to the Editor here in the Express, social media, presentations at city council meetings, and more. I dare say it was a highly transparent process. After acceptance as a Main Street Community, the Monticello Main Street Board, continues using those same methods of communication to keep us all apprised of the happenings. While visible change won’t happen overnight, I believe the majority of Monticello will see the positive changes that this program will bring to not only our downtown district, but to the community as a whole. 

   Both the Community Building project and Monticello Main Street serve to benefit the whole of Monticello. Good things are happening here. We should all be proud of the efforts going on to grow our town, when so many towns our size are struggling. Let’s work together to make Monticello a strong, attractive place to live, work and play. 

Respectfully, 

Shannon Poe, Monticello