Feenstra joins state commission to streamline government

(Sentinel photo by Amy Erickson) Sen. Randy Feenstra, Hull, front, was recently appointed to the Local Government Innovation Commission. He and six other members from across the state will work on ways to help state, county and local governments work together. In this photo Feenstra and Rep. Chuck Soderberg were in Le Mars speaking at a legislative forum. [Click to enlarge]

Sen. Randy Feenstra spent seven years as Hull city administrator.

That background will be beneficial in his recent appointment to the Local Government Innovation Commission, he said.

"This new commission looks at communities and tries to figure how to create better relationships with the state, county and local governments," Feenstra said. "It's streamlining government."

Feenstra said he knows from experience what kinds of actions will work at the local level.

"Things get mandated down to the local level without any idea what's going to happen," Feenstra said. "For me it's understanding what happens at the city level and the county level and what we can do to all work together."

Some questions they could ask, for example, are: could bid letting be done more efficiently, could purchasing cement or pipes more collaboratively to save money, could engineers use state mapping on a local level.

"Right now the state's doing it, the county's doing it and the local is doing it," Feenstra said. "Could we do it together a little more effectively."

The commission will represent the executive branch, county and city governments, school districts, community colleges, councils of governments, the homeland security and emergency management division of the Iowa Department of Public Defense, the Iowa Department of Economic Development, and the private and business sector.

"We will be working with local governments, getting feedback," Feenstra said.

The commission reports to the governor and will meet quarterly. There are seven members with different backgrounds from around the state.

The commission will oversee the Tim Shields Center for Governing Excellence, which Feenstra said is the model from which to try to create more efficient government.

According to a press release, the commission will also administer an established fund, granting money to community areas for the purpose of streamlining government financial processes.

"We will also create new bills for the next legislative cycle as to what we believe could be changed," Feenstra said.

The commission will work with local governments by getting officials' feedback through surveying and the like to determine what works and what doesn't, Feenstra said.

"I think it's good to have all parties having some decision making process on what can and cannot be changed in local government," Feenstra said. "How we can serve citizens more efficiently and effectively."