During the 2015-2016 school year the students and faculty of the college will work with the city on a variety of projects and ideas. ‘Read more’ for details with the audio of the news conference included.
At a news conference Monday afternoon announcing the agreement, Clinton City Administrator Jessica Kinser said when she learned about the program she was excited to submit a proposal. Kinser said a list of projects with developed with the city council and mayor and they connect with the city’s strategic plan and comprehensive plan. She said ‘this means these plans will not longer have to sit on the shelf.”
Kinser added that the projects with the college will help the city move forward as an organization and community with operations and quality of life. She added that to manage city well you have to recognize that people have options for living or opening a business and “if we as a city are actively looking forward to improving the services and quality of life, we fail to recognize the ability to choose the positive or negative impacts of being the place every one want to leave or everyone wants to live” adding the work with Augustana will help make Clinton the best choice to live, work and play.
Some of the projects include a study of a regional transit plan and routes including Fulton and Camanche, a study of recreational trails, amenities offered in the community, a citizen survey, a study of downtown including a design standard and the feasibility of upper floor downtown housing, using a tree inventory, promoting a rain barrel program and a senior citizens fire prevention effort.
Head of the Upper Mississippi Center at Augustana, Michael Reisner says this is unique in that the city identifies the problems they want to address. Reisner says it is a “paradigm shift” as the students and faculty will address the Clinton identified issues and not a college generated project.
He said 250 to 300 students across ten to fifteen courses will be working on the Clinton projects.
Augustana Provost Pareena Lawrence said the college is excited about the project as we can learn from each other..
While there will be some background work over the next few months, the work will start with the next school year.
Listen to the news conference here>
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