Alta, IA

In the February meeting of the steering committee, an exciting proposal was received for  a new community resource center in Alta. This proposal comes as a result of the visioning and action teams that have taken place in Alta since 2006 with the Horizons program. A building in downtown Alta has been made available for use with adequate office space to provide for the needs of the resource center.

The proposal presently before the committee is to have full techonology capabilities with office machines and volunteer staffing at least one day per week at the onset.

The comprehensive benefit of the Community Resource Center is to give visibility to Alta Horizons in the community, provide information and resources for needs within the Alta community. Each work group on the steering committee can be based in and/or work from this center. The Alta Chamber of Commerce has also been approached about jointly using the facility with Alta Horizons.

It is the feeling of the members of the committee that having a highly visible location in downtown Alta will prove beneficial to meet with business  leaders or prospective builders as Alta continues to make progress. It will also provide an ongoing reminder in the community that Alta is taking seriously the plan to address the needs within the community and provide a valuable resource to see that the needs are met.

It is anticipated that having this resource center will also make it possible for us to obtain future grants and funding opportunities that will help address the needs and heighten awareness of community concerns relating to poverty and other issues.

No final decision has been reached on this proposal, but good progress is being made as the excitement continues to grow in Alta for the “grand opening” of the new Community Resource Center.

In the December meeting, Alta Horizons steering committee members unanimously approved a set of guidelines that will serve as a parameter for participation in leadership for the ongoing work within the community. Adopted were guidelines for committee membership, voting criteria, leadership structure, and fiscal responsibility.

Leadership elected for the 2008 year were: Terry Pollard, chairperson, Kris Shannon, vice-chairperson, Bonnie Hach, secretary, and Jim Black, treasurer.

The members were glad to express this as another important step in community involvement to prepare us for developing plans to see change within our community.

Alta city officials are lending not only verbal approval but active participation in the ongoing Alta Horizons program, sending a strong message that the city wants to see the mission of Horizons carried on within the community. Two current city council members serve as active members of the Alta Horizons Steering Committee. Along with this involvement, the Alta city manager/clerk has provided ongoing, regular and invaluable information and support to Alta Horizons by providing information and attending the meetings when needed as well as helping get questions answered that have arisen by the committee members. In recent weeks, the city has agreed to serve as the fiscal agent for funds that Alta Horizons will use to continue to address poverty issues within the community, with the city clerk serving as the primary contact person for fiscal needs.

It’s another sign that the city of Alta continues to give its fantastic support to what is being worked on through Horizons within the community.

As the result of leaders in the Alta community and Alta citizens coming together through the encouragement of the Horizons program, people within the community are thinking about ways to promote the community and address the needs within the community.

One of the work teams that has arisen from the dialogue is a committee formed to promote the local school district. Members of this committee have met regularly to find ways of new and innovative promotion of the district’s strengths.

A new community logo and theme is being developed and the District Promotional Committee is finalizing the plans to unveil a new full-color, commercial brochure that will highlight the strengths of the district and the city of Alta.

The City Council of Alta has worked in tandem with the school district to facilitate this process and has helped provide funding for the expenses.

The unveiling of this new Alta theme is expected after the first of the year. Alta is on the move!