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Downtown Clinton Alliance briefs council on SMID, 10th‑year events and July IEDA visit
Summary
Downtown Clinton Alliance Director Megan Nolf updated the council on the district's SMID renewal (through June 2032), staffing and programming, and announced an IEDA downtown assessment set for July 7–9; she also cited recent grants and partnerships supporting beautification and events.
Megan Nolf, director of the Downtown Clinton Alliance, told the committee the district's self‑supported municipal improvement district (SMID) is governed under a city ordinance and Iowa Code chapter 386 and that the current renewal runs through June 2032. She described the district boundaries as running from 2nd Avenue South to 8th Avenue South and from South 1st Street to 4th Street (including the stretch along 4th Street/Liberty Avenue) and said the downtown SMID does not include Hy‑Vee.
Nolf said the SMID is funded by an additional commercial levy and is governed by a volunteer board made up of property owners or their representatives. ‘‘I am a half of an employee, part‑time,’’ she said, noting the Alliance also now employs two seasonal summer workers and partners with schools and volunteers for beautification and programming. The Alliance has secured recent support from CCDA and received a supplies grant offer from Home Depot for pocket‑park work.
The director outlined the Alliance's four focus areas—beautification, events and promotion, economic development and organizational capacity—and listed major events and programs that draw visitors and customers downtown, including Music on the Avenue (expanded to 11 weeks this year), spring and fall wine walks, the Great Pumpkin Fest with the county sheriff's office, downtown trick‑or‑treat and the annual tree lighting. She said the organization is celebrating the 10th anniversary of Music on the Avenue this year.
Nolf also described ongoing economic‑development work: collaborating with Girl Clinton on retailer outreach, planning a building inventory to market downtown assets to potential investors, and hosting a state‑led downtown assessment. ‘‘IEDA's coming for a downtown assessment July 7th through 9th,’’ she said; she asked council members to help facilitate walk‑throughs and interviews during that visit.
Why it matters: the SMID funds and volunteer efforts underpin downtown maintenance and events that local business owners rely on for foot traffic and tourism. The Alliance's work and the upcoming state assessment could shape short‑term grant seeking, capital projects and promotional strategies going into the summer season.
Looking ahead: staff and the Alliance did not propose new city expenditures in this presentation. Council members asked no substantive follow‑up questions at the committee meeting; Nolf said she would return with project updates and follow the IEDA assessment outcomes.
