Dan Towers and Michelle Fields, representing the Raccoon River Valley Trail Association, spoke with the county board of supervisors Monday to garner support for the association’s effort to earn Iowa Great Place designation from the Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs.
There is no county money involved, neither in gaining the designation nor by having it. The Department of Cultural Affairs does not distribute grant funds based on the designation. Towers, explained, though, that the Iowa Great Place designation can bolster grant applications to other agencies.
The RRVT Association is looking for support from the four counties and 14 towns through which the trail passes. The catalyst for getting the designation is a public art initiative with a theme “In the Shadow of the Rails.” The city of Waukee has already placed art with that theme at the trailhead there. Association members hope that making an investment in public art on the trail will lead to increased investment, economic growth and cultural enrichment in the trail communities and in the region.
Towers said the Iowa Great Place designation would help in securing funding for other trail head improvement, not only the installation of art. “I really don’t see any down side to it,” Towers told the supervisors.
The item was for discussion only on Monday. The board’s Oct. 6 agenda will include consideration of a resolution of support for Iowa Great Place designation and public art on the RRVT.
