River Bend Times

The Boone City Council was presented with two different proposals to extend business partnerships in the community.

The first was a three-year contract extension with the Boone County Convention and Visitors Bureau (CVB) for a piece of greenspace in the city that they have been using for several years. The second was a service agreement with the Ames Economic Development Commission (AECD).

“The entire schedule is filled this year with sponsors, music entertainment, food trucks, and we’re starting to fill next year already,” Trustee Terry Moorman said in summing up the greenspace program. “They heard about it. They want to be part of it.”

Last year, more than 3,000 people attended events at the pseudo city park near downtown. That success prompted the summer programs to be extended into October this year. One of the draws brings carnival rides to the greenspace, giving an opportunity for children to get out and experience something different.

The greenspace is being used as a park, however, it does not fall under the authority of the Park District. Boone leaders had asked the local chamber of commerce to manage its use, but the chamber turned down the request, opening the door for the CVB to do the job.

The deal with the CVB “hasn’t cost the city a dime up until this point,” Moorman said. The first cost the council would incur would be for a $1,251.50 invoice that he presented at the March 20 council meeting.

“That was for a cart that we built to store the fencing on and to help distribute it during the events,” Moorman said in asking the council to pay for that. “It will become city property. It'll be used when that space is rented by the people that rent it. It's just a really nice thing. It’ll save wear and tear on that fencing that we purchased. So I would encourage you to at least consider paying for that.”

The council unanimously agreed to extend the contract for another three years, but it tabled the matter of paying for the cart until next month.

The second major economic development plan involved extending a deal with the Ames Economic Development Commission (EDC). The city has had a plan with the Ames EDC in place for 2.5 years, at a cost of approximately $100,000 per year. In those 2.5 years, the Ames EDC has secured $400,000 worth of grants for the town. The contract calls for a three-year extension, at a cost of $105,000 each of the first two years and $110,000 the third.

“It just doesn’t make any sense not to do this, based on their past performance and what they can provide us,” Moorman said. 

If Boone were to hire one full-time economic development director, it would cost the town more than the yearly prices of the service agreement with Ames EDC and the partnership allows Boone to draw on the expertise of 14 staffers at the Ames EDC.

The extension is needed, Moorman said, because “this way, they can look forward to long-term plans and projects and not worry about their contract being yanked out from under them.”

The council unanimously agreed to the partnership as well.