JEDCO director optimistic for future of Jasper County
Craig Hamilton, executive director of the Jasper County Economic Development Corp., presented his annual report to the county Board of Supervisors on Tuesday morning, and while he acknowledged some lean years recently, Hamilton said he saw signs of optimism.
“Fiscal year 2011-12 should maintain the slow yet steady recovery that began in the previous year,” Hamilton wrote in his report. “Project leads from the Greater Des Moines Partnership and from the Iowa Partnership for Economic Progress (the replacement for the Iowa Department of Economic Development) will continue to be received at a pace that should exceed that of 2010-11.”
The downturns of 2009-10 included the reductions of workforce at TPI, and the sale of Iowa Telecom to Windstream, which resulted in elimination of almost all of the Newton-based corporate functions and the loss of several hundred jobs. From an unemployment rate of 7.5 percent in Oct. 2010, the rate jumped to a high of 9.3 percent in Jan. of this year. Now, it has slowly been dropping to 7.6 percent in May, 2011.
The economic recovery in Jasper County, Hamilton noted, has been spurred mainly by the growth in the wind industry. Employment at TPI is now near 700, and Trinity Towers is over 200. Also, Caleris and Marsh are in the process of adding employment to their Newton locations, and Walter G. Anderson Co., has purchased a former Maytag warehouse and will begin operations this fall with 35 employees, with growth anticipated to 65.
Hamilton points to JEDCO’s assistance with the sale of the former county care facility with bringing I-Green, the consortium of electrical workers, contractors and utility companies to Jasper County. I-Green has begun training sessions at the former Quakerdale facility, and has been working to renovate the care facility for further training.
Through JEDCO’s participation in the Greater Des Moines Partnership, Hamilton said, more than 20 prospective business leads have been received, and there were 14 requests for proposals from the Iowa Department of Economic Development. Several leads are still ongoing.
JEDCO has been active in communities throughout the county as well. Hamilton said he helped secure a $99,000 grant from USDA to fund a local revolving loan fund for Colfax, and worked with Monroe’s local economic development committee to identify tracts of land for potential future development. In Prairie City, JEDCO was working with the city to assess the feasibility of senior housing in the area.
Hamilton said Jasper County has a unique set of factors that make it an ideal location for economic development. The county is transected by Interstate 80, it has a first class regional airport, large available buildings and fully-developed, “shovel-ready” tracts of land, a quality workforce and a premiere community college, all located in a vibrant and growing Greater Des Moines metropolitan area.
“Economic development is everyone’s responsibility and all groups, private enterprise, local governments, and private citizens, can play a role in its successful implementation,” Hamilton said.
In other action Tuesday, the supervisors:
• Approved funding for JEDCO for fiscal year 2011-12 in the amount of $72,000.
• Tabled a contract revision with AJ Associates for the heating and cooling system replacement for the Jasper County Courthouse. Although the supervisors had been considering a geothermal system for the courthouse, apparently the project would require an environmental impact study, and supervisor Denny Carpenter said that no grant funding is available for such a study. Supervisor Joe Brock said a new heating/cooling system for the courthouse was nearly in “emergency status,” the supervisors now need design plans and bids for the HVAC system. The issue will be on the agenda for next week’s supervisors’ meeting.
• Approved a memorandum of understanding between the county and the City of Newton, and between the county and the City of Colfax, in order to have a joint city/township precinct. Due to the redistricting of congressional and legislative districts, boundaries have been altered to Colfax Ward 2, and Newton City Precinct 2 of Ward 3, both of which are now partially within city limits and partially outside city limits.
• Approved a request from the Greater Newton Area Chamber of Commerce for use of the courthouse lawn on Thursday, July 14, for the Hauler’s Parade, in conjunction with the NASCAR Camping World Truck Series races at the Iowa Speedway this weekend. The parade will bring the fully-lighted haulers down First Avenue and back to the Iowa Speedway. Food and drink will be available beginning at 6 p.m., and the parade is scheduled for 9 p.m.
