Advanced Southwest Iowa reports robust project pipeline; board approves amended articles and bylaws

Paula Hazelwood, director of Advanced Southwest Iowa Corporation, told the Pottawattamie County Board of Supervisors that the organization fielded or worked with more than 50 clients in 2018 and is carrying nearly 50 active projects across the county.

The update, given at a regular supervisors meeting, emphasized business retention and rural economic development work that Advanced Southwest Iowa began supervising after a recent organizational change. Hazelwood said the projects Advanced Southwest Iowa landed in 2018 represent about $55,000,000 in capital investment and close to 200 full‑time jobs either created or retained.

“It was a very, very busy year for us,” Hazelwood said, summarizing project and outreach counts. She told supervisors the office closed four land sales last year or is under contract, helped obtain an urban revitalization designation for the Southpointe Business Park, and negotiated an increase in the city’s annual investment to the organization from $100,000 to $125,000.

Hazelwood said the two‑person team conducted roughly 50 one‑on‑one visits with existing businesses in 2018, attended multiple conferences and trainings, launched a new website, and increased social media and business‑spotlight coverage. She also said Advanced Southwest Iowa has hired a manager for rural development and praised the hire.

Shalyn Ramirez, manager of rural development for Advanced Southwest Iowa, described her outreach work since joining in October. Ramirez said she has attended 29 city council meetings across the county, compiled a spreadsheet of available sites and municipal sewer/water capacities, and is managing 15 active projects. She said the office has two projects already landed since October and is working on infrastructure needs ranging from power upgrades to water availability.

“We are compiling a list of all of our cities with where their sewer and water capacities are as far as growth goes,” Ramirez said. She also said Advanced Southwest Iowa located an office at 120 North Main in Oakland and plans a grand opening in spring.

After the update, the board considered a separate agenda item to amend and restate the organization’s articles of incorporation and bylaws. Hazelwood said the changes were primarily language clean‑up, removal of references to former partner counties, and striking an old clause that required supervisors’ approval for every future amendment. She said the organization’s legal counsel and a county reviewer had examined the documents.

A supervisor moved to approve the amended articles of incorporation and the amended bylaws and to authorize the chairman to sign. The motion passed by voice vote; board members indicated approval and staff agreed to provide a clean, signed copy for the county record.

Ending: Hazelwood and Ramirez said they will return for quarterly updates and remain available to meet individually with supervisors about specific projects and sites. Ramirez invited supervisors and local officials to visit the Oakland office once the grand opening date is set.