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The Marketing of Small Town America
Last fall the City of Fairfield developed a timeline for improvement projects. These projects not only include physical improvements like roadways and buildings, but organizational and informational improvements as well. Physical improvements such as the pathways, streetlights, and trees along the east and west side of Soldier Road between Spruce and Garnet avenues (the old railroad rightof-way) make the entrance to the town more aesthetically pleasing. But, even relatively small projects require a great deal of co-operation between the city, the county, property owners, and other community organizations. The various groups within any city need to work together, not only to strive for harmonious relationships, but to make sure we are not duplicating or hindering our efforts. All of this is especially important when a project requires grant
money. Granting agencies often look at overall community support for a project as a requirement for funding. To help achieve various goals, a volunteer group has been set up that includes a City Council member, a Camas County Commissioner, chamber and non-chamber members, and a representative of Southern Idaho Tourism. This group is currently in the process of creating a list of all businesses within the county and city. The list will be used to coordinate events, identify recreational activities, and to develop promotional tools for the community. The main goal of this group is to find ways to market the Fairfield community. Brochures and web site improvements help tell the world about our area. The roadway improvements along Soldier Road and a proposed “Welcome” sign at the intersection of Highway 20 and Soldier
Road are designed to attract highway travelers into the downtown area of the city. Business education seminars will help local businesses focus on customer service and other ways of keeping customers coming back. In February, to help develop an effective plan, the Fairfield Marketing Group will be applying for the Idaho Community Review. The Idaho Community Review is a collaborative project of federal, state, local, and private organizations, to “efficiently and effectively provide the host community with objective information from external community development professionals, create a forum to express internal leadership viewpoints and citizen feedback, recommend resources, and provide follow-up as needed.” This project aspires to help communities bolster their action plans to locally execute and complete community development strategies. Ultimately, the successful marketing of any community results in making that community more economically strong and makes it a better place to live.
January 15
,2014
Volume 38 ~ Number 3 News from the Heart of Idaho Camas • Lincoln • Gooding
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Forest Service Seeks Public Comment On Grant Proposals TWIN FALLS, IDAHO... The Sawtooth National Forest is seeking public comment on proposed projects for which the Forest is seeking grants from the State of Idaho Department of Parks and Recreation (IDPR). Each year the State of Idaho provides funding for public land agencies through a grant application process. These State funds are raised through the sale of a variety of boating, recreation, and off-road vehicle stickers. Agencies applying for IDPR grants are required to provide matching funds or in-kind contributions. The Forest Service would appreciate your comments or feedback on the grant proposal listed below. To be most helpful, comments should be submitted by January 23, 2010. Fairfield Ranger District PROJECT: Motorized Trail Grant—ORMV or RTP funds-Grants will be utilized to complete up to two miles of trail re-routes; allow us to conduct early season maintenance and tree removal on over 300 miles of trails to ensure they are readily available for public use; facilitate trail continued on page 8.....