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Officials report rebuilding progress, new grants and TIF planning for Minden after tornado
Summary
County staff reported continuing reconstruction in Minden following last year’s tornado, outlined several private and public grants awarded to businesses and parks, and said engineering work on a new well and water distribution project is awaiting U.S. Economic Development Administration committee scheduling.
Bethany Wilcoxen, senior adviser for Pottawattamie County, told the Board of Supervisors that reconstruction in Minden is advancing and that county staff are pursuing multiple grant-funded projects to support businesses, parks and utilities.
Wilcoxen said that engineering documents for a water-distribution and new-well project were completed in December and that the U.S. Economic Development Administration (EDA) has scheduled committee meetings “in the coming weeks,” which she said should allow the work to go to bid this fall with construction next spring. She said the county is coordinating with the EDA on the project schedule.
The update matters because Minden suffered tornado damage last year and the county and city are coordinating recovery investments and planning for future growth, Wilcoxen said.
Wilcoxen listed recent grant and in-kind support the county helped secure: $30,000 from the Iowa Rural Development Council’s Rural Business Initiative, allocated as $5,000 awards to six local businesses; $3,750 from a bridal business initiative to assist with financial modeling for tax-increment financing planning; a water-bottle filler for Kayler Park donated via Delta Dental of Iowa’s program; $10,000 in trees through MidAmerican Energy’s Trees Please program; paint for city hall from Diamond Vogel’s Paint Iowa Beautiful partnership with Keep Iowa Beautiful; and $5,000 from Remington Seeds of Harlan accompanied by volunteer support.
Wilcoxen also said two pending grants for the Countryside Market and for an inclusive playground at the Community Recreation Hub total “just over $200,000 altogether,” and that the city identified two potential Emergency Catalyst grants of $100,000 each for buildings or businesses in Minden. She said the county is pursuing federal, state, local and private funding and has been “successful on about 85% of the grant applications” submitted.
When asked to quantify that success rate, Wilcoxen replied, “When I look yesterday, we’re 3 and a half. Just under 4.0, and we’ve got about 4 more we’re monitoring or have submitted.” She did not specify a dollar unit in the meeting transcript.
Wilcoxen described visible rebuilding in town — homes and businesses under repair or replaced — and said outreach during an anniversary event drew coverage from Omaha and Des Moines television stations, which county staff said helps with recovery storytelling and fundraising. She also said the county is beginning planning around the North 40 development, a parcel the city purchased in 2022, and that Spear Financial and legal counsel at Dorsey & Whitney are advising city officials on a TIF district. Wilcoxen said preliminary valuation changes after the tornado are favorable for future financing, noting the 2025 valuation in Minden rose compared with a 2024 baseline.
The update concluded with county supervisors asking clarifying questions about hookups to rural water, the status of particular businesses and whether letters of support were needed; Wilcoxen said none were needed at this time and that staff will continue to monitor and apply for grants.
County staff said they will continue to update the recovery web page so residents can track progress and planned projects.
