Tim, Squared
The work day begins and ends with Tim. Tim Whipple, General Counsel for the Iowa Economic Development Authority, is sitting in for Authority Director Debi Durham, who is out of the state on a mission to bring more jobs to Iowa. Tim’s a smart, thoughtful guy, and he does a great job discussing current events in economic development with the crowd representing the Quad Cities at the QC Chamber’s 9:00 a.m. meeting in Des Moines.
There are thirty or so people in the room and only a few have taken a pass on wearing our “24,500 New Iowa Jobs – Ask How” button. Maybe the blue and green button clashes with their outfit? It neither clashes with mine nor clashes with my simple question – can someone explain why Iowa’s largest border city has been left out of the border city tax credit program since 2006?
Tim knows the question is coming and he ably replies. He advises the program was created, expanded and sustained through political muscle. The program allows Sioux City, Council Bluffs, Burlington, Keokuk and Fort Madison to capture a percentage of taxes from businesses that would otherwise flow to the state, and use this revenue to create and retain jobs in these five cities. A December 2012 Department of Revenue report concludes (page 26, available here) that the program has created or retained 2,429 jobs and provided a net fiscal benefit to the state of $5.8 million.
We have a humble request – that the state’s largest border city, bordering the state’s largest bordering economy, be added to the program. Tim observes other cities, like Dubuque, would want in too and I say we’d be happy to have Dubuque join us. He also shares concerns with the program’s effectiveness, advising it is mixed from IEDA’s perspective. He goes on to advise that IEDA is thinking through some conceptual improvements to the program, that could potentially garner majority legislative support but, for now, his perspective is the program will neither be expanded, nor contracted. I thank him for his forthright answers and insight, and let someone else ask a question that has a happier ending.
The middle part of the day is spent at speed. Hustling back from Des Moines for a meeting, the Jeep is a constant fixture in the left lane as 33 of the potential 34 Interstate 80 exits between Des Moines and Highway 61 disappear in the right rearview. As I arrive in the back lot of City Hall, a River Bend bus is waiting to transport eight Metronet officials on a tour of Davenport. Metronet is thinking about tens of millions of dollars of private investment to improve Internet connectivity in Davenport as they sort through a potential battle plan to establish an Iowa beachhead for their growing business. CIO Rob Henry, along with Susan and Sarah from CPED, will provide detail through the afternoon. I provide general welcoming and color commentary standing at the front of the bus, riding backwards, describing all the opportunity that is Davenport. After a ninety minute lap of the city, they drop me off at City Hall so I can make the last meeting of the day.
The first meeting of the Figge Task Force assembles in the Figge lobby at 4:00. It’s an open meeting so Times reporter Brian Wellner and WQAD are there. We are all treated to a behind the scenes tour of the impressive structure and operation by Figge Director Tim Schiffer. We are two for two on smart and thoughtful “Tims” today. He surprises Aldermen Edmond with his Wyoming roots. Setting aside the controversy about calling them Wyomans or Wyomingites, it’s usually fun to watch natives from the union’s least populous state find each other on the lamb in one of the other forty-nine. It’s a small brotherhood.
The tour concludes and we adjourn to the Figge Boardroom for introductory discussions and an overview of open meetings and records requirements for this official, public task force. If you are looking for a space to rent for a small meeting, the cool and clean Figge Boardroom is among the best in the region, with a gorgeous view of the riverfront. When the casino boat moves, they should be able to double their rental rate. Seriously, book the room. It’ll help with revenue.
Tim runs through the finances and provides some handouts. The Times summarizes today the Figge has performed as expected. That’s one perspective. Attendance is running 35% - 42% of the ambitious 182,000 annual projection in the August 2000 report by Thomas Martin, and the expected reductions in the City’s annual $753,000 contribution to the Figge outlined in Section 8 of the 2003 Governance Resolution have not yet occurred. The good news is the building and operation are inspiring and transforming lives with each entry through the door. The City continues to be the Figge’s largest single contributor, in finance and spirit. The best news is it’s our cultural anchor, in our community, and its aspirational performance requires nothing but collaboration to be achieved
