Council postpones approval of contracts with NHDC and NDC

Updated contracts for Newton Housing Development Corporation and Newton Development Corporation — the nonprofit organizations dedicated to promoting and expanding housing and economic development in town — were put on hold until staff could add provisions and other details discussed at a past workshop.

Stacy Simbro is the council member who proposed action be postponed. Newton City Council voted 6-0 to postpone the contract for professional community and economic development services with NHDC and 6-0 for the contract for commercial and industrial economic development services with NDC.

“I’d like to see some of the workshop items actually put in the contract and provisions to look at how do we get reporting back from the partnership on how the progress is on those items,” Simbro said. “We did the workshop. We put the time in to say here’s some things we wanted directionally, short-term.”

Simbro added he would like to see staff put those provisions in an updated contract. Although he liked the current contract for covering the “high level things,” he would like to see details that set council expectations and priorities. Simbro said it would give both NHDC and NDC better direction from council

“One of the things that came out of the workshop is, as I said, is everybody’s got limited resources, limited money,” Simbro said. “Priority helps to make sure we’re all aligned at the same thing at the right thing and getting our resources used wisely. So I think it would be an opportunity to add that to the contract.”

The workshops Simbro referenced occurred on June 23. The brainstorming sessions resulted in a number of ideas, which the contracts for services cover.

According to city documents, the current contract for NHDC tries to focus on:

• Increasing quality and quantity of all housing types.

• Providing city with housing advice and assistance.

• Leading and participating in special projects, with an emphasis on modestly priced homes and apartments.

• Helping develop other organizations working in housing, like Habitat for Humanity.

• Maintaining and updating NHDC’s portion of shared community internet presence.

Additionally, the NDC contract tried to focus on:

• Collaborating and partnering with Iowa Economic Development Authority, the Greater Des Moines Partnership and JEDCO.

• Working towards economic development goals articulated in the comprehensive plan.

• Preparing an annual report.

• Measuring success by population growth, growth in Newton’s tax base, housing, retail sales, healthcare accessibility and school enrollment.