Board approves IEDA reimbursement agreement to finish industrial site certification

The Webster County Board of Supervisors voted Aug. 26 to accept and authorize a reimbursement agreement with the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) to support site certification efforts for a county industrial park.

Jefferson Fassbender of the Greater Fort Dodge Growth Alliance told the board the agreement is a short, one- to two-page document that would finalize site certification work the alliance has led. “So in short, site certification is it's about preparedness and being ready for that next industrial presence,” Fassbender said, explaining that certification inventories utilities, transportation, geotechnical and environmental information so a community can present a fully vetted site to prospective companies.

Fassbender said the program requires that certified land be kept available for industrial use under the program terms and that the initial term is essentially five years; he said sites can be recertified every three years to redraw boundaries or add land. The alliance said it is working with about 720 acres now and expects to wrap up the certification in the coming weeks.

Board members praised the work and noted the potential for industrial recruitment. The item passed by voice vote.

Why it matters: Site certification is intended to make a community more competitive for large industrial projects by assembling technical information in advance; county and city leaders described the certification as positioning Webster County and Fort Dodge to attract industry and jobs.

What’s next: Fassbender said the alliance expects to complete the certification soon and noted the county can recertify or adjust the certified acreage in the future if landowners wish to join.