A representative from the Carroll County Growth Partnership (CCGP) addressed the Carroll County Board of Supervisors yesterday (Monday) in response to a list of concerns county officials had voiced in previous meetings. Several supervisors suggested the county has not seen an adequate return for taxpayers. CCGP Executive Committee Rural Representative Katie Mason of Coon Rapids, who has served with the organization since 2018, says much of their work is difficult to quantify.
Another criticism from the board of supervisors is the perception that CCGP focuses almost all of its attention on the City of Carroll. That may have been a more accurate statement in the past, but the organization has adopted a more countywide approach in recent years.
Kimberly Tiefenthaler took over at the helm of CCGP near the end of 2021, and the economic group has already seen the launch of HUB 712, the Downtown Resource Center’s assessment of Carroll’s central business district, and the introduction of business development grants for companies in the county. CCGP Vice President Adam Schweers cited Western Iowa Networks’ (WIN) rural broadband growth and Manning Utilities’ gas expansion to Arcadia as just a few recent successes CCGP has played a role in accomplishing. Transparency is the third issue mentioned by supervisors. That can be challenging in economic development due to confidentiality agreements, but she says the board is already looking at ways to better communicate with government partners and stakeholders.
Supervisors Stephanie Hausman, Mike Andersen, Scott Johnson, and Cindy Scaturico agreed communication is the source of much of the discourse over CCGP. The board stressed they all support economic development, but Andersen says Monday’s meeting was the most he’s heard from CCGP in two years.
The supervisors and CCGP board members also discussed the public’s perception of CCGP and their challenges in combating negative commentary. District 3 Supervisor Gene Meiners says CCGP’s naysayers don’t represent the majority.
Video of Monday’s Carroll County Board of Supervisors meeting is included below.
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