This placemaking action plan is rooted in the desires of Hardin County residents representing a variety of perspectives and communities. Three visioning sessions uncovered both the existing amenities that residents value as well as the areas they see as opportunities.

Residents overwhelmingly noted the significant conservation efforts and abundant natural resources in Hardin County as a point of pride. They also shared their appreciation for the prevailing Midwest values and the neighborly feel that permeates throughout the county.

While this community pride frequently translates to volunteerism throughout the county, many current volunteers shared feeling burnt out. They noted that, generally, the same ten people are on multiple committees bringing events to life and fundraising throughout the community.

To help overcome this volunteer fatigue, a number of residents noted the need to build the bench of future community leaders and to enhance communication between organizations. Further, the four percent unemployment rate coupled with retirements and the lack of in-migration to the county has created tremendous challenges in filling open jobs, especially when considering skilled trades.

Housing issues compound the workforce challenge in Hardin County. The overwhelming majority of residents feel the county needs to collectively address these challenges, in terms of both quality and quantity. In every visioning session, residents noted the lack of mid-range opportunities for both rentals and for sale units along with the general lack of affordable units.

In terms of amenities, residents contemplated a number of missing features in their community. A business class restaurant is at the top of the list for almost all residents. Many residents shared the need for more activities of all ages. Nightlife in Hardin County revolves around bars, while another resident observed, “There’s no day life either.”

A complete summary of the visioning sessions is available in Appendix A.

Attracting and retaining talent is the single most challenging issue facing nearly every community. More and more people are choosing where to live based on amenities rather than on a job, and the people moving to areas like Hardin County generally have a connection to the area (e.g., family or in-laws live there).

Keeping people in these communities is even more challenging; if a community does not offer key amenities, what entices them to stay there? Of course, the inability to attract and retain talent limits economic growth, which drives the demand for additional community amenities.

One way to overcome this attraction and retention challenge is to develop an incentive program for a specific industry. For Hardin County, that industry should be skilled trades. In initial visioning sessions, the current and growing need for skilled trades repeatedly surfaced.

Residents recognized the presence of thirty-six businesses in Hardin County (see Appendix B) that rely on the skilled trades, driving a significant share of the county economy. However, many people employed at these businesses are retiring or nearing retirement, and there are not enough people to fill these jobs. This in turn drives the need to leave Hardin County for essential services, to rely on providers from surrounding areas, or, even worse, to relocate outside of the county.

Hardin County is part of or associated with a number of regional economic development organizations: The Region 6 Planning Commission, the Mid Iowa Growth Partnership, the Small Business Development Center, IowaWorks, Iowa Valley Community College/Ellsworth Community College, CIRAS, the Highway 20 Association, the Greater Des Moines Partnership, International Traders of Iowa, the Mid-America Economic Development Council, and the International Economic Development Council. The lists are just as long for other focus areas.

While these partnerships are essential to continued success in the area, they also present some challenges in differentiating Hardin County from its neighbors. Namely, how can Hardin County successfully separate itself to achieve population and economic growth if it is routinely seen merely as one of a group of north central Iowa counties?

Developing a regional brand and marketing strategy will enable Hardin County to achieve that separation. While collaborations with other counties, businesses, and nonprofit entities must continue to support growth, launching a shared county-wide brand will position Hardin County entities to better tell their story, which, in the information age, is imperative to continued success. After all, if the communities, for-profit and nonprofit entities, and residents aren’t telling their story, who will?

A recurring concern throughout the three visioning sessions was the presence of dilapidated housing stock throughout Hardin County. According to the Census Bureau, 47 percent of occupied housing units were built in 1959 or earlier. The challenge of this older housing stock is compounded by, according to visioning participants, “a lack of pride in upkeep” from some property owners. Visioning participants believe the communities need to raise the bar to attract population and economic growth.

To most effectively do this, the cities and county must work in lockstep with one another. The jurisdictions need to collaboratively adopt minimum property maintenance standards for all structures and premises. Such a code would shift maintenance from an option to a legal requirement, protecting and growing property values throughout the county. It also would protect the health, safety, and welfare of residents.

A minimum property maintenance code, though, is not enough. The county and cities must commit to enforcing the policy; it does no good to create a policy if there is no action behind it.

Iowa Falls and Eldora already have staffed code enforcement programs in place, and the county should mirror these programs. It will be important for all of the other cities in Hardin County to buy into the program philosophically and financially. The county will then need to determine if there is staff capacity for this work within the county’s Environmental Health Department. If there is not, additional part-time staff should be added. Regardless, it will be imperative to ensure the staff member receives proper training and earns their certification.

Hardin County should develop a 28E agreement with the cities that outlines the specific scope – including the enforcement officer’s duties as well as those of the county and cities – and fees, including the structure for the payment of funds. Given their existing programs, Iowa Falls and Eldora do not need to be part of this primary 28E agreement; however, they may consider entering into a secondary agreement to work collaboratively with the county program.

To ensure program success, the agreement(s) and funding commitments should initially cover a three-year period. As the three year window comes to a close, the county and cities will need to assess early successes and outcomes and modify the program as needed to ensure long-term success.

Funding for the position should be shared amongst the county and cities, excluding Iowa Falls and Eldora. It should be calculated based on population and the number of housing units. Since the code enforcement officer’s work will be based largely on the number of units, this element should be weighted more than population; of course, the two typically go hand in hand.
An example agreement for an employee supported by a county and multiple cities can be found in Appendix D.

In 2014, the Ackley-Geneva-Wellsburg-Steamboat Rock (AGWSR) Community School District moved its elementary students into a new $7.2 million modern building a few blocks from the old school in Ackley. While the new building enhances positive student outcomes, it also left the former elementary school – built in 1929 – as a vacant space in the midst of town.
Ackley certainly is not alone in facing this phenomenon. According to the Des Moines Register, there were 13,433 school houses in Iowa in 1894; most of these were considered their own public school district. Today, there are 338 districts across the state.

According to AGWSR officials, the school district has “exhausted all possibilities for that building,” with a number of groups touring the building with no further action. The district has maintained the outside of the building and has kept electricity running to the building as well. A comprehensive assessment of the building can be found in Appendix E. The adjacent parking lot is used for daycare and preschool parking, too, but the site obviously is underused, especially considering its prime location and strong architecture.

Study after study has demonstrated the importance of having a creative outlet. Blue Cross Blue Shield of Michigan’s A Healthier Michigan program notes benefits such as a break from anxiety and stress, a healthier body and mind, scheduled time for oneself, a chance to meet new people, and a healthy outlet as just some of the benefits of exploring one’s creative interests.

Despite these proven benefits, Hardin County residents can’t easily access places to let their creative juices flow. They must travel to a larger community or, worse yet, completely miss out on the opportunity to connect with their neighbors and explore their creative side.

Establishing a creative center in downtown Alden will draw more people to the community and also will continue activating the community’s main street.

Hardin County should develop a 28E agreement with the cities that outlines the specific scope – including the enforcement officer’s duties as well as those of the county and cities – and fees, including the structure for the payment of funds. Given their existing programs, Iowa Falls and Eldora do not need to be part of this primary 28E agreement; however, they may consider entering into a secondary agreement to work collaboratively with the county program.

To ensure program success, the agreement(s) and funding commitments should initially cover a three-year period. As the three year window comes to a close, the county and cities will need to assess early successes and outcomes and modify the program as needed to ensure long-term success.

Funding for the position should be shared amongst the county and cities, excluding Iowa Falls and Eldora. It should be calculated based on population and the number of housing units. Since the code enforcement officer’s work will be based largely on the number of units, this element should be weighted more than population; of course, the two typically go hand in hand.
An example agreement for an employee supported by a county and multiple cities can be found in Appendix D.

The County Health Rankings & Roadmaps program is a partnership between the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation and the University of Wisconsin Population Health Institute. In short, the program aims to build a culture of health, recognizing this looks different in rural areas than in urban areas.
County Health Rankings & Roadmaps research found higher obesity rates in rural areas than in urban and suburban areas; it oftentimes is easier to find opportunities to exercise in these areas than in vast rural areas. While there are a number of factors that can help decrease obesity rates, a key strategy is to provide a convenient place for physical activity.

Developing a sports academy would do just that. The academy should offer camps and clinics for youth along with regular classes for all ages. To support additional revenue generation, the academy should offer the space for rent for various community gatherings.

Contrary to most rural communities, the City of Hubbard’s population grew approximately 5.4 percent from 2010 to 2016. While this bodes well for the community in general, it exacerbates the community’s housing shortage.

Rental units are extremely limited in Hubbard, and it is rare for existing single family homes to come up for sale. Further, the opportunity to develop new housing is fairly limited due to flooding concerns and by the fact that few area farmers are willing to sell their land.

City leaders have long recognized the housing challenge in Hubbard but have been unable to attract any development. In fact, no units have been constructed since 2010, and just 14 units have been built since 1990.

Still, with the right development concept, both greenfield and infill opportunities are available to address the housing shortage and to create a range of housing choices for both existing and potential Hubbard residents.

Hardin County should develop a 28E agreement with the cities that outlines the specific scope – including the enforcement officer’s duties as well as those of the county and cities – and fees, including the structure for the payment of funds. Given their existing programs, Iowa Falls and Eldora do not need to be part of this primary 28E agreement; however, they may consider entering into a secondary agreement to work collaboratively with the county program.

To ensure program success, the agreement(s) and funding commitments should initially cover a three-year period. As the three year window comes to a close, the county and cities will need to assess early successes and outcomes and modify the program as needed to ensure long-term success.

Funding for the position should be shared amongst the county and cities, excluding Iowa Falls and Eldora. It should be calculated based on population and the number of housing units. Since the code enforcement officer’s work will be based largely on the number of units, this element should be weighted more than population; of course, the two typically go hand in hand.
An example agreement for an employee supported by a county and multiple cities can be found in Appendix D.

In most small towns, the bowling alley is a central gathering place. It’s the hangout spot for teenagers on weekend evenings, the place families go to recreate together, and, in Iowa Falls, a top pick for older adults to gather.

Despite the cross-generational appeal, Iowa Falls’ Pla-Mor Bowl closed its doors in December after serving as a recreational destination for over sixty years. Business at Pla-Mor slowed with the Great Recession and never bounced back; once vibrant bowling leagues drew less than 100 bowlers following the downturn.

Community members and leaders alike are concerned about the newly created recreation void and its impact on talent retention and attraction. Fortunately, it’s not too late to re-open the bowling alley and expand its offerings to make it a true community gathering space.

owa has 70 craft breweries and ranks 14th for number of breweries per capita at 3.2. However, Iowa ranks 41st for production per capita at 0.9 gallons per year. While Hardin County’s population is relatively small, Iowa Falls and the surrounding communities in Hardin County are well positioned to welcome visitors not only to a brewery but also to the beautiful water trails and natural amenities. Being only one hour from Waterloo, Ames, and Mason City provides the area a viable evening and weekend visitor population. Additionally, with future housing development, the area is poised for growth.

Though grocery store shelves are becoming more crowded, there is still room in Iowa to produce more beer, and the trend is toward hyper-local. Currently, there are no breweries within 10 miles of Iowa Falls; however, there are breweries within 50 miles, including Old Main and Alluvial in Ames, Mason City Brewing and Fat Hills in Mason City, and Single Speed, Lark, and Second State in Cedar Falls/Waterloo. Taprooms are popular gathering spots, and, as the industry grows, so do to the potential beer-knowledgeable customers.

In its prime, Iowa Falls’ Camp David was a successful destination restaurant, featuring a smokehouse menu and wilderness lodge ambiance. The location was, and remains, a prime spot for a hospitality venue. The building has a number of unique natural and décor features that could be retooled relatively easily to fully use the spaciousness of the building and its proximity to the river as well as to better leverage the beauty of the view overlooking the Iowa River bluffs.

The current Iowa Falls property is too large to successfully house a single restaurant concept regardless of menu type or price point. However, this nearly 10,000 square foot property does have strong potential to be refurbished as an incredibly interesting multi-concept development, blending retail, restaurant, and recreational opportunities. This one-of-a-kind location could be used as a river recreation hub for Hardin County and draw people from across Central Iowa.

The former Camp David site should be transformed into a multi-use development with two distinct food and beverage concepts, linked to a retail and river recreational rental network. Research from the National Restaurant Association’s Household survey shows that 61 percent of adults would rather spend money on an experience, such as a restaurant or other activity, compared to purchasing an item from a store. This proposed multi-use riverside hospitality venue fully invests in this notion by combining a current food and beverage strategy with a unique regional recreational activity.

New Providence, like Hubbard, has steadily grown over the last seven years. Since 2010, the community has increased its population by nearly 20 percent – approximately ten times the state’s population growth rate during the same period.

Community leadership has taken an active role in supporting this growth. The community recently made enhancements to Heritage Park and has long worked proactively to ensure the community is well-kept. About fifteen years ago, the community revamped its downtown, which is home to a hardware store, a flower shop, a soda shop, and a woodworking shop, among others.

In conversations with community members, the pride in the county’s natural resources quickly became apparent. Residents and visitors alike embrace the outdoors year round. However, the county has yet to maximize the impact their natural resources can have on the local economy.

While Rock-n-Row Adventures offers tubing, camping, and other summer activities, no entity in Hardin County offers bike, canoe, and fishing equipment rental. The lack of an outdoors outfitter hinders quick, easy access to the full array of the county’s natural resources and inhibits growth in the local economy. If an outdoors outfitter located in Hardin County, it would not only fill a gap but also support other components of the local economy; a study from the Institute for Local Self-Reliance found that every $100 spent at local independent stores generated $45 of secondary local spending compared to $14 for chain stores.

Seven Hardin County communities have collectively shown visionary leadership and taken the first step toward creating a thriving future with this placemaking action plan. While each community has its own unique opportunities, true, sustained success in the county will only be achieved by working together towards implementing the projects outlined here.

While they will stand on their own, the catalytic impact of each of these placemaking projects will be maximized when they all are realized. A synergistic effect has been embedded in the various projects, underscoring the necessity of maintaining the county-wide approach. While some projects will come to fruition more quickly than others, it will be essential to not leave any projects – or communities – behind. After all, a rising tide should lift all boats.