T-R PHOTO BY LANA BRADSTREAM Iowa Economic Development Authority Director Debi Durham, right, gives some advice on creating and maintaining a healthy economy in Marshalltown and the surrounding areas. She was the guest speaker at the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Breakfast on Wednesday morning at Midnight Garden and is pictured conversing with Chamber President/CEO John Hall, left.

There are many pieces in the healthy economy puzzle. Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) Director Debi Durham spoke at the Marshalltown Area Chamber of Commerce Economic Outlook Breakfast on Wednesday morning and shared what should be done to help foster growth in local economies.

Chamber President/CEO John Hall sat on the stage with Durham at the Midnight Garden and asked her if she identified any trends from communities or organizations which have achieved economic success.

Durham told him the first thing to take into consideration is leadership at every level – in the community, Chamber, businesses and elected officials.

“The communities, and I will include you all in that, the communities that are doing really well and are able to navigate whatever crisis is in front of them, whether state or federal, are the ones that have a plan for growth,” she said. “It is about growth, and they have a plan and everyone understands the plan and everyone is working together. . . It’s about collaboration. It’s about partnership and it’s about approaching growth in a holistic way.”

Creating a plan that allows businesses to prosper involves factors such as land development and planning and zoning, and it is necessary for a community to be ready to move things at the speed of business. Durham added that it’s also about taxation and workforce development.

“But it’s equally as important, and this is where budgets get tight, that everyone wants to cut, including the legislature and that’s unfortunate,” she said. “Because it is about creating communities in which people want to live.”

Durham’s last statement drew applause from more than 100 people who gathered for the event. She said there is plenty of research to prove the importance of creating desirable communities. Due to the declining birth rate in Iowa, and across the nation, Durham said it is necessary for towns to attract people from other places.

“That is parks and trails and arts and culture and rec centers that set communities apart,” she said. “Then it’s about making sure that we have the employers who are investing in our community who are taking care of their employees. It’s about paying people living wages, and we’re all about raising the standard of living for Iowans.”

Durham added that when tough budget cycles occur, such as what is currently happening in the state, cuts are necessary and need to be made. However, growth requires investment, and it must be done intelligently when money is tight. She said Marshalltown is doing a good job at investing in the downtown area.

Stances on economic development might have changed after the COVID-19 pandemic. Durham said they conducted a study to determine that. She said seven out of 10 respondents answered “yes” to possible relocation to another town due to cost of living. The demographics that answered such were people in their 30s, then 40s and finally 20s.

They were asked what would cause them to take that relocation step. The top answer was affordability and the second was public safety which Durham found surprising. She recalled visiting Minneapolis and being told not to go to a certain neighborhood because it was not safe, and she saw three police vehicles with officers parked in that area.

“People don’t want that,” Durham said. “You look at this in cities across the country. It’s actually, to me, unfortunate and sad, because these are iconic American cities.”

The third reason people gave for relocation is arts and culture, she said.

“It is absolutely as vital as having land for industrial development,” Durham said. “. . . The two go together. You cannot do it with just one.”

Before the event ended, Hall asked Durham what message she wanted to give community and business leaders. She responded by saying the IEDA’s job is to bring economic projects to the state.

“Your job is to make sure you’re ready for growth when those opportunities come,” Durham said. “That’s why you need elected leadership in your communities who are willing to invest in growth.”

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Contact Lana Bradstream

at 641-753-6611 ext. 210 or

lbradstream@timesrepublican.com.