MASON CITY – Fourth Ward City Council candidate and NorthIowaToday.com Publisher Matt Marquardt this week sought answers from the North Iowa Corridor on why there was little or no progress on bringing good-paying jobs to Mason City.
Marquardt reached out to Corridor Director Brent Willett, as well as a long list of elected officials via email. He also included Globe Gazette reporter John Skipper in the contact attempt.
“You lead Mason City’s most visible agency,” Marquardt told Mr. Willett, “tasked with hunting down new industry, economic development and theoretically, good-paying jobs. Your agency serves an important purpose and its success is vital to our community.
“All due respect,” Marquardt told Willett, “you are now hanging your hat on jobs paying $9.50 per hour. What can you report at this time as progress toward recruitment of jobs offering wages of $20 per hour or higher (with benefits) to Mason City? I would like to report something positive from you today.”
Marquardt sent the email on Thursday morning, August 8th.
Mr. Willett did not respond, nor did any elected Mason City official from City Hall.
“That’s been their unwritten policy,” Marquardt said. “You ask a tough question and they run and hide. They ignore you. They hide behind each other and tell themselves ‘everything will be OK.'”
Mason City taxpayers gave the North Iowa Corridor $105,000 in its last budget. Mr. Willett recently spent thousands of those dollars to hire Iowa State Coach Paul Rhoads to speak at the Corridor’s annual luncheon.
“I’m seeking answers,” Marquardt said Friday morning. “Where are the jobs that pay good wages with benefits? Just what, exactly, is the North Iowa Corridor doing with a budget that is hundreds of thousands of dollars? Why are the people of Mason City and North Iowa, for that matter, continuing to throw money at an agency that obviously is bringing few or no results? The North Iowa Corridor needs to be laid bare and sunshine brought upon it so truthful answers can be obtained and results can then, hopefully, follow from informed decisions.”
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See email:
from: Matt Marquardt <northiowatoday@gmail.com>
to: bwillett@northiowacorridor.com,
Brent Trout <btrout@masoncity.net>,
mayor@masoncity.net,
Council Member John Lee <WardOne@masoncity.net>,
wardtwo@masoncity.net,
wardthree@masoncity.net,
wardfour@masoncity.net,
kuhnatlarge@masoncity.net,
tornquistatlarge@masoncity.net,
Scott Flory <slawrenceflory@netins.net>,
JUrdahl@co.cerro-gordo.ia.us,
“Drzycimski, Tom” <TDrzyci@co.cerro-gordo.ia.us>,
John Skipper <John.Skipper@globegazette.com>
date: Thu, Aug 8, 2013 at 7:34 AM
subject: JOBS: North Iowa Corridor / Economic Development
Good morning Mr. Willett,
BOTTOM PHOTO: Table outside the luncheon, stating no video recording permitted. Does Mr. Willett answer to anyone in North Iowa?
You lead Mason City’s most visible agency tasked with hunting down new industry, economic development and theoretically, good-paying jobs. Your agency serves an important purpose and its success is vital to our community. The people of Mason City have invested hundreds of thousands of dollars into your outfit over the last 5 years and beyond, and – all due respect – you are now hanging your hat on jobs paying $9.50 per hour, jobs our own At-Large City Council member described Tuesday night as “only slightly above minimum wage” (Quote from Scott Tornquist, see video here: http://youtu.be/22-nJ-bYjsQ).
I have questions for you this morning that I feel deserve answers.
How many employees are currently working for you?
Your website shows three (http://www.northiowacorridor.
You recently had your website redesigned. Why is (it) not updated properly with accurate information? Is your staff trained to update your website?
What are the functions and job descriptions of all your (3-5) employees? Do they have their own separate offices or do they share office space? What are their salaries? What can you report at this time as progress toward recruitment of jobs offering wages of $20 per hour or higher (with benefits) to Mason City? I would like to report something positive from you today.
I have asked previously for a tour of your office space at the North Iowa Commerce Center and was turned down. I would respectfully make that request again. I will come in at anytime and change my schedule accordingly to accommodate yours. I want to see what $26,000 per year in rent pays for.
Lastly. What is the status of the Small Business Revolving Loan Fund? (http://www.northiowacorridor.
I anticipate your prompt response to these questions, have a nice day.
Matt Marquardt, NIT Publisher and Candidate for Fourth Ward City Council
26 thoughts on “Marquardt questions Corridor Director Willett on methods of securing good paying jobs”
@Watchdog good call on sheffield union man…Whats his union? Burger king minnimum wage or union of freeloaders….Oh and Sheffield man thank us taxpayers for you internet connection and your opinion being heard
I think I know who this Sheffield union man is. He always wears Iowa Hawkeye gear. Problem is they would never accept him at that school. They don’t have classes there for shovlin pig crap. I think those jobs pay over $9.50 anyway.
I forgot, what about Turncoat and Hickey, these questions poised by Marquardt would be a foreign language to either of them. The sheer odiousness of Marquardt to even brooch the subject is unthinkable.
Can you see Janis Solberg asking these questions?
What the difference what she thinks? She won’t be on the ballot in November.
The editing on this article is fantastic!
First of all government can’t create jobs. What it can do is create an environment friendly to job creation and that is all. It can do this best by keeping taxes low and staying out of the way.
But I’m afraid we are going the way of Rome. We’ve peaked and will now be primarily a service economy with most of the good paying jobs being in government. Then, we are all going to suck the government teat until it’s all gone.
America is in it’s second act and has peaked. This is what we do now. We build military weapons, we work for the government or flip burgers or are involved in fighting the “War on Drugs”. (Cops, Prison guards, drug testers, The Prairie Ridges of the country IE drug treatment centers have done VERY well) and retired folks from days when people made real money.
From Scott Flory, Clear Lake City Administrator:
“I can tell you that the employees of the agency are: Rachael Bailey; Ken Bales; Brent Willett; and Shaun Arneson. I know the EDC went through a very substantial web site overhaul and it sounds like there may be a few bugs to work out with it.”
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Thank you Mr. Flory for taking a few moments from your busy schedule to answer what you could. Your dedication to open government is appreciated.
– Matt Marquardt
$9.50 an hour aint that bad we can live on that just fine here in sheffield. WE aint all gotta be rich some of us like small town living.
WOW I hopeyou want more for your kids than a $9.00 an hour job when they get out of school or your grandkids which ever. It would be pretty sad to go to collage get a degree and want to live in a small town and have to support a family on 9 bucks . I am all for small town living. So are you single or do you have a wife or husband? Do they
work because if you have two incomes that is 18.00 an hour big difference when two is in the mix. A single person would have a hard time with the way rent is now days to live. Not meaning to be disrespectful just wondering.
This is a bogus response.
The only way you could live in Sheffield on $9.50 per hour is with PUBLIC ASSISTANCE!
You know, like food stamps, rent subsidy, medicaid, title 19, ect.
@peter l…….it seems this whole post is a veiled editorial on your two favorite subjects…NIT’s handling of the Barlas case, and loud motorcycles. Have you been checked for ocd?
Matt why did you take your pictures from behind the door did they block you out of the luncheon?
Most people learn that trust is not just given it is earned. When people lose your trust you get no respect back in return.
How can one serve three masters?
Matt, you need to realize that EDCs all swim in the same ocean of governmental freebies they can offer to competing companies looking for a new location to expand, etc. Astute business people are very aware of the range of goodies out there and for you to attempt to make our local EDC the whipping boy to enhance your campaign is disingenuous.
My personal opinion is that it is folly for any unit of government to engage in spending tax dollars in pursuit of businesses. However, it is fodder for a discussion on another day.
Government officials are not clairvoyant on these deals, nor should we expect them to be. Private investors tend to be even more cautious as they are playing with their own money, not OPM (other people’s money), in this case the taxpayers.
If you want to be a stand out candidate you need to think outside the existing EDC scenario for solutions.
@4ever49….if as you state all edc’s swim in the same ocean of government freebies how come our edc never catches anything besides a scrawny bullhead IE the call center? Why do other edc’s Charles city, and other towns our size and smaller, get employers to relocate or build there with jobs that offer a livable wage IE the dot transport.
You state Matt is making the local edc the whipping boy…why should they not be responsible for a clear lack of success…when we the taxpayer funds them?
As far as the city councils fawning over the call center whats next….the manager of Hy-Vee getting a standing ovation for hiring 10 new stock boys or girls!
Whipping boy… that’s entertaining. As poorly as the Corridor has performed in recent years, it shouldn’t be whipped. It should be laid bare to the public and scrutinized and funding pulled until answers are given. The board should be scrapped, too. Start over fresh, make it leaner and meaner with no cronies attached. Make it work for the people. By the way, please keep your campaign advice to yourself, it is unwanted.
Matt why do you think they formed the North Iowa corridor. Mason City, Clear Lake and the County are all trying to leverage Cerro Gordo county. By working together instead of competing independently against each other hopefully more businesses can be obtained regionally here in Cerro Gordo county. In the end it is a win for all three entities. The existence of the new board has only been in effect for a little over a year. For the first time in history we have all three government agencies working together as well as business people who are smarter and more successful than you from the county trying to move Nort Iowa Forward. All in the name of jobs and growth. If you want to be part of the solution I am sure your ideas especially in your quest to represent Mason City are welcome and please do tell. But if all you are trying to do is mudslinging. You are then becoming part of the problem and not part of the solution.
@Anonymous-why is it so difficult for people like you to understand that WE “most of the people” think people like you are the problem. We are tired of being manipulated and used for our tax money all the time with nothing to show for it. All Matt did was ask some questions that are reasonable questions. It sure seems like “YOU” are getting defensive and trying to discredit his efforts instead of taking them for what they are and getting truthful answers. You ARE the problem.
You confuse asking hard questions and straight, blunt talk with mudslinging. I never once questioned Mr. Willett’s integrity nor personally attacked him. I want Brent and the Corridor to be a success, and at this time it is not. Do not skew this debate by deviating from the topic of waste, secrecy and failure at the Corridor. Leave the personalities out of it.
But Matt as a person who wants to be the voice of the people as a candidate. You are already getting good at avoiding the questions. What are your solutions? Please give us your ideas to bring industry and growth to north Iowa. Give a reason please? So you may convince me and the citizens of mason city to vote for you.
I’m avoiding nothing. I’m here using my real name writing stories and comments, so let’s get real, first of all. Try it sometime.
Start by fixing what is wrong at the Corridor. The City Council can not by itself “bring industry and jobs” to Mason City. The council must work to create an attractive community for businesses that leads to economic development. The council’s first priorities are police, fire, infrastructure, water, sewer, sanitation, fair taxes, etc. City Hall has a Development Services Department. http://masoncity.municipalcms.com/pview.aspx?id=17959&catID=481 Are they doing their job? I believe the council should see to it that it is. Is it the duty of City Council members to be on the phone recruiting and cold-calling CEO’s and asking them to locate their businesses here? Probably not but it might not hurt. Should the council step to the forefront when their role in the economic development process is at hand? Of course. The council can waive permit fees, chip in an alley or a tax break and other fair incentives when it can. We have seen the debacles such as Northbridge when the council and City Hall go too far. Most City Council members are not economic development experts; if they were, they would have different careers. This is why the council relies on people like Brent Willett for results. He should deliver economic development options to Mason City, Clear Lake and the county and allow the elected officials and their respective staffs to decide on incentives, if any. I cannot solve all of Mason City’s problems from the Fourth Ward, but I can bring my ideas and perspectives.
Matt you are right about the services that the city should provide, but didn’t this council do that this year without a tax increase to the citizens of Mason City. If I remember right the only increase was a ten cent increase on garbage rates and that was due to landfill increased costs. Also you are right with regard of north bridge, but if I remember right that was a different council not the current one and I won’t bring up names but go back and see who was on the council at that time you may be surprised.
Very good questions Matt, and they certainly deserve a good answer not only from Willet but from our elected officials and Trout as well.That is what they were elected to do, watch out for the taxpayers interest. It is a shame that you have to ask the questions because they are the ones who should be coming to the public with this information. If you don’t get a response it will just show that they have something to hide. I for one will not be surprised if they do not respond to your questions. Keep up the pressure.
Common sense would say if Willet does not answer these questions he has something to hide plain and simple. Matt these are excellent questions that deserve a answer. I don’t know why the EDC feels a need to hide their operating procedures and expenses from the general public who helps pay for their operation.
My feeling is the EDC and especially Willet needs a home run very soon, in order to keep his job. The EDC in its position can and should be very important to our community…as of right now it seems to be nothing more than a scam being played on the taxpayers of the corridor.