Iowa community leaders look for all possible grant and incentive programs in efforts to draw in more skilled workers.
One of those programs is Home Base Iowa, which is designed to help attract veterans who have recently completed their active duty and are transitioning into civilian life. Housing, employment and other types of support incentives are put together by communities around the state to earn a Home Base Iowa designation. West Des Moines was recently announced as the 21st community to earn the designation.
Jasper County Veterans Affairs Director Chris Chartier said he’s looking forward to hopefully putting together a unique package in the near future that will not only earn an HBI designation, but also set the county apart from other Iowa locations.
Chartier didn’t want to mention any specific elements of the Jasper County plan or any names or businesses, as the county’s incentive package is still in the works. However, he did say it’s important to maximize resources and economic elements that are unique to Jasper County, so the package has attributes that make it stand out on a list of communities.
“Those involved with the Home base Iowa initiative locally are looking into the most efficient incentives that can be offered to match our communities’ intent,” Chartier said.
One aspect that might be affecting the speed of each community earning an HBI designation is a change in leadership. Kathy Anderson, the program manager for Home Base Iowa, recently left to take over as vice president of the Member Development and Programs at Iowa Association of Business and Industry.
In April, about 10 Jasper County leaders and representatives of various agencies discussed with Anderson — in a public meeting — the benefits of the program and how to get qualified.
The private-public partnership, led by Gov. Terry Branstad, to help communities attract and retain women and men who have recently ended their active duty in an effort to help Iowa fill in the skill gaps in various trades. Funded partly by the 2014 Home Base Iowa Act (SF 2352), the partnership offers home-purchasing, employment placement and educational opportunities and aid that is designed to get former military to move to certain communities.
Here are the basic built-in, state-implemented benefits of Home Base Iowa:
• A military pension tax exemption for veterans who relocate to HBI communities.
• A hiring preference program that includes transferring a professional license into Iowa.
• Automatic in-state tuition rates at all Iowa colleges and universities for relocating veterans, spouses and dependents.
• Participation in a statewide online jobs database specifically aimed at skill sets attained in the military.
A community’s incentive package is expected to go above and beyond the basic requirements of earning a Home Base Iowa designation, which are:
• Getting area businesses to commit to hire a specified number of veterans by 2018, whether it is one or 100 or any number. Home Base Iowa won’t publish that total, but 10 percent of all private area businesses must sign on as part of the program.
• Submitting an incentive plan that goes above and beyond the statewide program and any regular government veterans benefits.
• Communities must agree to prominently display the Home Base Iowa Community designation. One $60 roadside metal sign must be displayed on a prominently entry point to the community.
• The community obtains written backing in seeking the designation from the appropriate local governing body — in the case of counties, the board of supervisors.
There have been designations awarded to nine new communities since the April meeting in Newton. The list includes the city of Marion, along with Carroll, Clarke, Clay, Dubuque, Floyd, Greene, Hancock, Howard, Humboldt, Mitchell, Union and Webster counties. Communities are not required to apply as either a city or a county, as it might be tough to get agreement across a vast urban county, but a specified area is important because business licenses and real estate are typically grouped by counties.
Chartier said there are no public meetings currently scheduled regarding the Jasper County effort to earn an HBI designation. However, once some people and plans are in place, he will get the word out as soon as possible.
“Once something is formalized, (the media) will certainly be involved,” Chartier said.
Contact Jason W. Brooks at 641-792-3121 ext. 6532 or jbrooks@newtondailynews.com