(Radio Iowa) – The Iowa Transportation Commission today (Tuesday) discussed an expansion of a long-time economic development program to help communities hit by disasters. The D-O-T’s Deb Arp says the RISE program was created during the economic downturn in the 1980’s. “Iowa’s economy needed revitalization at that time, and through more diversification and more support for development in non metropolitan areas, and that became a driving force through some of the legislative achievements through that period. And in 1985 rise was one of those,” Arp says. RISE stands for Rebuild Iowa’s Sound Economy, and provides funding to extend roadways for potential new businesses or to help businesses which promise to create new jobs.

Arp says the Business Relocation and Job Retention program would meet the guidelines of RISE. “We feel that the impacts of this program and on revitalizing a community could be similar, and looked at similar as the University Research Park category,” she says, “where we may not have specific job commitments, we don’t have a specific company we are assisting, but we are approaching that level of impact, economic development wise, in a depressed area, that it’s worthy of a higher level of support.”
Arp says it would not be used to rebuild flooded roads — but would help businesses relocate to stay viable.

“A community should be in a county covered by a proclamation of disaster emergency by the governor and also a presidential disaster declaration,” Arp says. “There must be flooded businesses. In this case, we’re talking about a flood. Flooded businesses requesting permanent relocation outside of the Flood Hazard Area.” Arp says the applications would have to go through a scoring process to determine they met the guidelines.

“Documentation of business interest in relocation and the economic distress of the community would be required to be submitted with the application. Roadways are located outside of the flood hazard area, and rise participation would be held to 70 percent of eligible project costs,” she says. The D-O-T staff will now put together the language to create the program and bring it back to the Transportation Commission for a vote to approve it. Arp says Rock Valley is one community that could use the program if it is approved.