College of Liberal Arts and Sciences at Iowa State University

Olive Tree

Grant helps counties, Iowa State facilitate shared service talks.
No idea.

There was no way Rick Morse and his graduate assistants could anticipate what to expect when they traveled to Boone and Poweskiek counties for a series of open forums designed to stimulate intercommunity collaborations about shared local services.

Morse wondered if people would show up.

Or if they would resent Iowa State University coming to their small communities to try to get them to talk about working more closely with other towns and the county?

After a series of meetings in the two Iowa counties, Morse says the "Olive Tree Project: Helping Citizens Redefine Their Communities" is well on its way to becoming a success.

"We've had a good response from the communities," said the assistant professor of political science. "Some meetings we've had greater numbers than others, but that's the nature of the beast. Overall, we've been very well received.

"I've heard on several occasions people (in the two counties) are happy Iowa State is offering assistance on this issue."

Morse admits it would have been different if he had gone into the communities with recommendations before listening to the citizens.

"When they find out we're there to facilitate a process to help them, they are glad we're there," Morse said.

The Iowa State team has worked with county and city officials in Boone and Poweskiek counties to identify core community values and services essential to preserving community identity. In addition to a series of community forums, the project team has conducted surveys and analysis, and will soon hold countywide meetings of service providers and stakeholder representatives to explore opportunities for collaboration based on what was learned in the community forums.

An initial report on the preliminary findings will be given by Morse and co-project leader Kurt Thurmaier, professor of political science and director of the public policy and administration program, during a workshop on government service sharing in Des Moines on Friday, March 18. The meeting will coincide with the annual meeting of the Iowa State Association of Counties.

Morse says ideally other counties or regions can implement a similar process based upon the findings and procedures implemented in the Olive Tree Project.

"This is something that other governmental organizations can possibly pull off the shelf and use to bring towns and counties together," he said. "Or it's something that ISU Extension can assist with as well to help facilitate these types of discussions."

ISU Extension has been heavily involved in the trial programs in Boone and Poweskiek counties. Morse says without the help of the local Extension directors Rich Wrage (Boone County) and Debbie Van Arkel (Poweshiek County), the program wouldn't have been nearly the success it has been.

"Extension has been instrumental in getting doors open for us in the two counties and getting people to meetings," Morse said. "Extension has a legitimacy that I don't have with the local communities."

He also cited the efforts of key governmental leaders in both counties.

"We've had certain community leaders champion our project," Morse said. "They have been very supportive and active participants in our meetings."

What have Morse, Thurmaier and graduate students Laura Barclay, Kimberly Maddox, Lisa Underhill and Heather Stephenson found out so far?

"My first impression is there is that a lot of community pride in both counties," he said. "People feel passionate about where they live regardless if it's tiny Malcolm, Iowa (population 350) or Grinnell with more than 9,000 people.

"There are people in all the communities we've visited working hard to make their towns better."

The community forums facilitated by the Iowa State project team allow the communities to look at elements of community identity - items Morse says many have never discussed with each other before. A brainstorming session on the issue of public services follows.

Consistent themes have evolved from the discussions. In Boone County, economic development and planning and zoning issues have come to the forefront.

"They want to work collaboratively on economic development," Morse said, "and while the county has a comprehensive plan and zoning, the smaller communities don't have the resources to do that. There is no long-term planning in the small cities."

Recreation services are one of the commonly identified areas needing more collaboration in Poweshiek County as the communities try to find a way to offer those services more effectively.

"There is a cultural difference between the two counties," Morse said. "It has been a learning experience for me. I thought, here are two rural counties in Iowa with a similar population and distribution of that population.

"But they have very different cultures."

In Boone County, the county seat and population center is one and the same. Not so in Poweskiek County.

"That adds a dynamic we need to work through," Morse said. "Boone County has a history of a real collegial relationship between the counties and cities. That isn't as much the case in Poweskiek County and we're trying to help build those relationships somewhat.

"That's the whole point of this pilot project. We're there to help open lines of communication and ultimately develop a model which can be applied in other counties."

A sidebar benefit to the project has been the offshoot research components for both Morse and his graduate students.

"They (the graduate students) are getting good professional experience, and three excellent creative component projects are being completed as well."

"The Olive Tree Project" was awarded a $63,850 grant from the Iowa Local Government Innovation Fund. Other organizations involved in the project include the Iowa State Association of Counties, Iowa League of Cities and the Iowa State University Community Vitality Center.