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Tama back with County Economic Development

3-1 Vote Reverses Earlier Decision

By John Speer, Editor

POSTED: November 19, 2009

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TAMA NEWS-HERALD - Tama City Council members reversed an earlier decision voting 3-1 Monday night to continue membership in the Tama County Economic Development Commission for another year. Voting to rescind the Sept. 8 vote were council members Dan Zimmerman, Robert Tyynismaa and Josh Youngbear. Member Jeff Brezina voted ‘no.” Tama pays $4,097 annually for membership based upon a per capita population formula.

At the September meeting, Brezina was joined by Zimmerman and Youngbear in voting to opt out of the commission on July 1, 2010. Council member Steve Baier was absent from both votes and Tyynismaa was not at the Sept. 8 meeting.

Since that time, Tama County has been designated a ‘Great Places in Iowa,’ one of six areas chosen state-wide this year. With the honor comes qualification to apply for a number of avenues for funding of community projects. And with that, it has been stressed the county must be united in efforts.

Zimmerman said Monday night, “I don’t want to ruin the Great Places grant chances and am willing to give it one more year.” However, he said, “But I want to see what happens...if we don’t see any results, we’ll have to reevaluate.”

Brezina said, “I want to see proof of performance before we get (back) on board.” He said “Complaints I hear from business owners is they never have seen her (Lindi Roelofse, Tama County Economic Development executive director.) He said existing businesses and empty storefronts and other properties deserve attention.

“ I don’t think she has a clue. It should be top priority for exisiting businesses and what (to) try to being in.”

Council members again referred to what they beleive is “too much focus on tourism” from the development office.

Tama Mayor Chirs Bearden and Zimmerman agreed to act as representatives to the Economic Development Commission with one or the other to attend the monthly meeting. Efforts will be made to recruit a Tama buisness person to also serve, Bearden said. Each city in the county is entitled to two seats on the commission.

Bearden said hec was scheduled to make a presentation on Tuesday night to the commission about the proposed Tama casino for which a state gaming license is being sought.

A delegation of Economic Development Commission members led by Dysart Mayor Don Lyons, the commission president, appeared at the Oct. 19 Tama Council meeting to urge reconsideration of the decision to drop out.

“We need Tama’s support and Tama needs our support.” Lyons told the Tama Council. “We very much need Tama in Tama County Economic Development to make this go,” he added.

Over the past few years, Tama has seen its major employer, Tama Meat Packing, re-open twice after a 1999 closing and now remain closed for some five years, the shuttering of a downtown supermarket and a number of downtown retail busineses close their doors.

The council has a Downtown Revitalization Program in place to assist new and exisiting businesses which provides both loans and outright assistance.

In other business the conucil approved on 4-0 votes:

•a Bureau of Indian Affairs-Tama Fire Department 5-year contract for fighting wild fires on the Meskwaki Settlement. Tama will receive $2,000 annually and payment for firefighters and trucks used to battle blazes based upon a set fee schedule. The Tama Fire Department provides fire protection for Settlement structures under a seperate contract with the BIA.

•payment totaling $80,835 for a generator and instaalation for the water plant to Scharnweber Water Conditioning, Toledo. The generator was required by the Department of Natural Resources which oversees municipal water supplies.

•purchase of three sets of firefighter gear and updates of raqdios in fire trucks.

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