15.272 - STATEWIDE WELCOME CENTER PROGRAM -- OBJECTIVES AND AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES -- PILOT PROJECTS.
15.272 STATEWIDE WELCOME CENTER PROGRAM -- OBJECTIVES
AND AGENCY RESPONSIBILITIES -- PILOT PROJECTS.
The state agencies, as indicated in this section, shall undertake
certain specific functions to implement the goals of a statewide
program, including the pilot projects, for welcome centers.
1. a. The department and the state department of
transportation shall jointly establish a statewide long-range plan
for developing and operating welcome centers throughout the state.
The plan shall be submitted to the general assembly by January 15,
1988. The plan shall address, but not be limited to, the following:
(1) Integrating state, regional, and local tourism and recreation
marketing and promotion plans.
(2) Recommending a wide range of centers, including
state-developed and state-operated to privately managed facilities.
(3) Establishing design, service, and maintenance quality
standards which all welcome centers will maintain. Included in the
standards shall be a provision requiring that space or facilities be
available for purposes of displaying and offering for sale Iowa-made
products, crafts, and arts. The space or facilities may be operated
by the department or leased to and operated by other persons.
(4) Making projections of increased tourist spending, indirect
economic benefits, and direct revenue production which are estimated
to occur as a result of implementing a statewide welcome center
program.
(5) Projecting estimated acquisition, construction, exhibit,
staffing, and maintenance costs.
(6) Integrating electronic data telecommunications systems.
(7) Identifying sites for maintaining existing centers as well as
locations for new centers.
b. The departments may enter into contracts for the
preparation of the long-range plan. The departments shall involve
the department of natural resources and the department of cultural
affairs in the preparation of the plan. The recommendations and
comments of organizations representing hospitality and tourism
services, including but not limited to, the regional tourism
councils, convention and visitors bureaus, and the Iowa travel
council, and others with interests in this program will be considered
for incorporation in the plan. Prior to submission of the plan to
the general assembly, the plan shall be submitted to the regional
tourism councils, the convention and visitors bureaus, and the Iowa
travel council for their comments and criticisms which shall be
submitted by the department along with the plan to the general
assembly.
2. The responsibilities of the department include the following:
a. Seeing to the acquisition of property and the construction
of all new welcome centers including the pilot projects selected by
the department pursuant to paragraph "e". In carrying out this
responsibility the department may, but is not limited to, the
following:
(1) Arrange for the state department of transportation to acquire
title to land and buildings for use as and undertake construction of
state-owned welcome centers. In acquiring property and constructing
the welcome centers, including any pilot projects, the state
department of transportation may use any funds available to it,
including but not limited to, the RISE fund,{ matching funds from
local units of government or organizations, the primary road fund,
federal grants, and moneys specifically appropriated for these
purposes.
(2) Contract with other state agencies, local units of
government, or private groups, organizations, or entities for the use
of land, buildings, or facilities as state welcome centers or in
connection with state welcome centers, whether or not the property is
actually owned by the state. If the local match required for pilot
projects or which may be required for other welcome centers is met by
providing land, buildings, or facilities, the entity providing the
local match shall enter into an agreement with the department to
either transfer title of the property to the state or to dedicate the
use of the property under the conditions and period of time set by
the department.
b. Providing for the operations, management, and maintenance
of the state-owned and state-operated welcome centers, including the
collection and distribution of tourism literature, telecommunication
services, and other travel-related services, and the display and
offering for sale of Iowa-made products, crafts, and arts.
c. Providing, at the discretion of the department, financial
assistance in the form of loans and grants to privately operated
information centers to the extent the centers are consistent with the
long-range plan.
d. Developing a common theme or graphic logo which will be
identified with all welcome centers which meet the standards of
operations established for those centers.
e. Selecting the sites for the pilot projects. In selecting
the pilot project sites, the following apply:
(1) Up to three sites may be located in proximity to the
interstates and up to three sites may be located in proximity to the
other primary roads. The department shall select at least one site
which is in proximity to a primary road which is not an interstate.
(2) Proposals for the sites must be submitted prior to September
1, 1987 and shall contain a commitment of at least a
one-dollar-per-dollar match of state financial assistance. The local
match may be in terms of land, buildings, or other noncash items
which are acceptable by the department.
(3) Priority shall be given to proposals that have the best local
match, that are to be located where there is a very high number of
travelers passing, and for which the department, after consultation
with the departments of transportation, natural resources, and
cultural affairs, considers the chances of success to be nearly
perfect.
(4) The department shall select the sites by September 15, 1987.
Section History: Recent Form
87 Acts, ch 178, § 2; 2008 Acts, ch 1032, § 201
{RISE fund, see chapter 315