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Created in 2005, Iowa Great Places is a program designed to promote bold thought, innovation, and entrepreneurship at the local and regional level in Iowa. Places – neighborhoods, cities, counties, or regions – engage in an inclusive strategic planning process to assess their strengths and areas of opportunity, create a vision for augmenting their unique attributes and quality of life, and design a roadmap to turn that vision into realty. State agency coaches are available to assist Places in their planning process and conferences are held throughout the year on topics such as grant writing and community development. Once a Place has engaged in this process and has created a feasible and sustainable plan, the Place can invite the State to formally designate it a “Great Place” through a proposal submission process. The proposal must address the 7 dimensions of a Great Place, prove that there is a broad base of support for the plan, and demonstrate that the Place is ready to move forward with implementation. Based on these submissions, a coalition of State agency partners and the Great Places Citizens Advisory Board chooses Finalists. The Board then embarks on a bus tour of each Finalist, after which the designees are chosen. The Great Places designation creates a partnership between the State of Iowa and the Place, with the following benefits: - Technical assistance from all relevant State agencies for project implementation
- Additional consideration for grant applications from all State agencies for projects specifically included in a Place’s Great Place proposal
- Dedicated State historic tax credits
- Greater publicity
- Iowa Great Places grant funds (pending legislative approval for each fiscal year)
The greatest benefit is that diverse interests come together to create a unified vision for their Place. Even if they are not formally designated a Great Place, the Place, and the State as a result, is stronger as a result of the planning process. State government also benefits from increased cooperation and collaboration between departments, other levels of government, and community organizations; heightened profile for individual agencies as they partner with local communities; and increased knowledge of what Places need, which assists in program development. Brief Overview of Program Evolution: 2005 - Governor Vilsack signs Executive Order 39 in January, creating Iowa Great Places
- Places submit invitations to partner with the State and 77 State agencymcoaches provide assistance during the summer
- 74 Places submit a proposal in September
- Governor Vilsack announces three pilot Great Places – Clinton, Coon Rapids, and Sioux City – in October
- Legislature earmarks $3 million to be split evenly between the 3 pilot Places
2006 - Pilot Places enter a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding with the State and begin implementing their plans with technical assistance from State agencies
- Legislature expands the Great Places program, allowing 6 more designees
- Legislature allocates an additional $3 million to be allocated to the designees based on a competitive grant process
- Approximately 75 Places invite the State to partner with them and coaches are assigned to assist them throughout the summer
- Approximately 35 Places submit proposals in September
- In October, Governor Culver announces 6 new Great Places: Adams County, Dubuque, Fairfield, Guttenberg, Jackson County, Mason City
2007 - 6 new Great Places enter a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with theState
- 3 pilot and new 6 Great Places continue/begin implementation process
- Legislature changes the Great Places program to allow the Citizens Advisory Board to choose the number of Great Places designated in a particular year based on readiness
- Legislature requires all State agencies to provide additional consideration to all grants submitted by Great Places for projects included in their MOU
- Legislature earmarks 40% of historic tax credits to Great Places and Cultural and Entertainment Districts
- 6 newest Great Places participate in competitive grant process for the $3 million; each Place is granted between $400,000 and $600,000
- 25 Places invite the State to partner with them and coaches are assigned to assist them through the proposal submission process
- 17 Places submit proposals in September
- In October, Governor Culver announces 7 new Great Places: Appanoose County, Charles City, Council Bluffs, Davenport, Decorah, Perry, and Valley Junction
2008 - 7 new Great Places enter a 3-year Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the State
- 16 Great Places continue/begin implementation process
- Legislature allocates an $2 million to be allocated to the designees based on a competitive grant process
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