At the most recent Kalona City Council meeting, they approved a resolution for a grant request to the Washington County Riverboat Foundation on behalf of the English River Watershed. City Administrator Ryan Schlabaugh, who also serves as chairman of the watershed board, says the grant request will be for $16,050, and would go toward upgrades to the watershed’s technology, trade show presentation, and marketing materials.
If the WCRF approves the grant, it wouldn’t be the first time they’ve aided the English River Watershed project. Schlabaugh explains, “The foundation was instrumental in helping get the watershed off the ground four years ago, and some of that technology has improved. As our footprint gets bigger within both our watershed and the state, we have some opportunities and we’d like to better get our message out as we interact with stakeholders, farmers, landowners, and so forth. So this will allow us to upgrade our technology again, to get a little more current.” Upgrades would include software improvements that will allow them to do more projects in house, as opposed to outsourcing them. Additionally, the grant would go towards upgrading their trade show presentation, which Schlabaugh believes will make them look more professional at the six or seven conferences they attend every year.