• Home
  • News
    • Politics & Government
    • Business & Economy
    • Crime / Courts
    • Health / Medicine
  • Sports
    • High School Sports
    • Radio Iowa Poll
  • Affiliates
    • Affiliate Support Page
  • Contact Us
    • Reporters

Radio Iowa

Iowa's Radio News Network

You are here: Home / Human Interest / Clinton County cities now part of Hometown Pride Communities program

Clinton County cities now part of Hometown Pride Communities program

August 18, 2017 By Dar Danielson

The Keep Iowa Beautiful program has added nine cities in Clinton County to its Hometown Pride Communities program.

Keep Iowa Beautiful Executive Director Gerry Schnepf explains how the hometown program works.

“It’s about providing professional people to assist communities that don’t have access to good professional help. And they’re called community coaches,” Schnepf explains. The communities of Camanche, Clinton, Delmar, DeWitt, Grand Mound, Lost Nation, Low Moor, Welton and Wheatland will be active participants in the program. He says it’s a long-term commitment.

“We end up with a contract for five years with the county economic development person and the communities,” Schnepf explains. “Because sometimes changing behavior and doing things takes that long. You’d like it to be faster — but sometimes we just don’t move that way.” Schnepf says the hardest part of improving a community can be getting started, and that’s what the program helps them do.

“It gives the communities through this process an empowerment to do things that they maybe didn’t have the chance to do before,” he explains. “And one of them is to make sure that there is always a vision in front of their community.” Schnepf says there is a wide variety of projects in each community.

“It’s everything form working on derelict buildings in their communities, to streetscaping, to enhancing their downtowns, to improving their entryways. Painting up their facilities, fixing up their facilities, looking at how they can landscape certain areas,” Schnepf says. “Just all the kinds of improvements that can make a difference when you first drive into a town.” The program gives the communities $60,000 and they chip in $20,000 to pay for the Hometown Pride Coach and the planning.

KIB’s other Hometown Pride programs are in Dubuque, Fremont, Jackson, Jasper, Jones, Louisa, Pocahontas and Sac Counties and three Des Moines Capitol neighborhoods.

Hometown Pride is funded by Keep Iowa Beautiful, through support from private donors, a grant from the Iowa Economic Development Authority and the counties and communities.

Share this:

  • Facebook
  • Twitter

Filed Under: Human Interest, News, Recreation / Entertainment

Featured Stories

Bill would limit placement of solar arrays on farm ground

Marquette casino moving to land, leaving only 2 casino boats in Iowa

Reynolds signs her ‘school choice’ bill into law

Governor Reynolds touts 2024 Iowa Caucuses in Inaugural Address

University of Iowa grad presiding over U.S. House Speaker vote

TwitterFacebook
Tweets by RadioIowa

No coaching changes coming for Iowa football

Iowa State names new receivers coach

No. 2 Iowa visits No. 1 Penn State in wrestling dual Friday night

Iowa’s Clark brings increased exposure to women’s basketball

No. 18 Iowa State women visit TCU

More Sports

Archives

Copyright © 2023 ยท Learfield News & Ag, LLC