The Hamilton County Board of Supervisors on Tuesday announced it hopes to contract with the Ames Economic Development Alliance to create a stronger route to future growth.

Supervisor Rick Young began the announcement this way: “So you’ve heard me tell the story before. In the last 40 years, ever since the farm crisis, beginning in the early 80s we have been in a survival mode in rural Hamilton County and also in Webster City; rural communities in the state are all in a survival mode.

“That’s just what we’ve done. And we go to the metro areas. They’re far out of that and they’re progressing and doing great.”

Hamilton County, in tandem with Webster City, wants to be a part of that progress.

The supervisors said they plan to commit to a three-year contract with the Alliance. Hamilton County’s portion of that membership will be $240,000 over the three years.

Webster City will pay the same amount to cover the same period of time.

With Webster City Mayor John Hawkins seated in the audience, Young continued, “We have such a great new alliance here amongst us with Webster City. Thanks John Hawkins for being here. It’s unbelievable the conversations that we’re having with them, and together we’re going to work forward to work for something different.”

The City Council of Webster City is expected to discuss the Alliance contract at its next meeting.

The supervisors said they won’t leave Hamilton County’s smaller communities out of the progress discussion, but moving forward at first with the county seat is logical.

“Over the last 40 years, we’ve spent millions of dollars on many projects throughout this county,” Young said during the meeting Tuesday. “For example, the city of Jewel has spent $1 million in the last 30 years on their Main Street and very well done. Looks good.

“At the same time the county has spent dollars mostly in the rural cities throughout Hamilton County. So the fact remains that what we’re doing is not working.”

He said the Ames Economic Development Alliance is working regionally with Boone and Story counties as well.

“They’re doing some amazing things and they’re having some great progress and being successful.”

He added, “We’re very, very serious about joining in that alliance. We have things to offer here that Ames does not have to have to offer, as well as other counties. We’re all a little bit different. I’ve been having conversations with them down there, … but we’re excited about moving forward.

“We’re not going to make a decision today, but in the near future.”

During the meeting, discussion turned to the issues facing Webster City and the county in general. Topping that list are jobs and housing.

Jerry Kloberdanz echoed Young’s energy.

“We’ve been struggling in this county trying to draw in the new business industry and commercial. Get more families to move into the communities. We have housing issues. I’ve talked to the other Story County supervisors and Boone County supervisors that are already in this alliance. They say that they are doing some very good work with them.

“We’re looking at every city in the county; we want all the cities to participate in the thing that we’re looking at. We’re starting with Webster City right now, got some very good cooperation, very good things going on with the city.”

He again repeated Young’s content: “It’s as many people know, that sometimes the counties with the city don’t play well together. Now we’re playing well together. We’re starting to get along. We’re starting to see that if one of us succeeds, we all do.”

Kloberdanz said that if the contract with the Ames Economic Development Alliance is completed as expected, the implementation process would begin later this spring.

“The county is going to do everything to help out,” he said. “We’ve got to look at how we can help the communities in the county. That’s why we’ve been investing in some of the projects in the county. We’re in the different cities, you know, trying to support them with some local option tax dollars to help them with some of the stuff that they want to.

“We may not agree with what they want to do, but we want to make sure that they’re successful and we’re going to be very optimistic that this is going to help us do that.”