A budget and possible grant information are needed before the Northcentral Iowa Ag-Industrial Park project can move forward.

The project was introduced at a Webster County Board of Supervisors meeting in January 2008 and has the potential to create 3,400 jobs.

The board held a workshop Tuesday at 11 a.m. with consulting engineers Van Sickle, Allen and Associates via teleconference with county engineers and members of the Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County.

The groups mainly discussed the general layout of the site's proposed roads, plots, ponds and berms with engineer Jeffrey Schrock of Van Sickle, Allen and Associates. No action was taken.

"This is just a draft format and suggestions are more than welcome," Schrock said.

County Engineer Randy Will suggested adjusting lot layouts north of the Tate & Lyle plant. The changes would eliminate construction of a new road and keep costs down, Will said.

He also proposed any roads constructed be two lanes, or 24 feet wide, with 6-foot shoulders, rather than four lanes. It was also proposed that Parker Drive be restricted to cars only, and semi-trailer traffic be directed to Johnson Avenue, which meets Iowa Highway 7.

This was the first map the groups had seen and is subject to change.

The main concern right now is money.

"We need funding from the rail(roads)," said John Kramer, president of the Development Corporation of Fort Dodge and Webster County. "If we don't get money to open the rail, we'll have to go to Plan B, which will cause delays."

Kramer said the corporation won't hear from those organizations until mid-November.

"That will be the point we'll know our funding levels," Kramer said.

Schrock told the group he would plan to have the conceptual budget estimates completed for review by Oct. 28.

Contact Lindsey Mutchler at (515) 573-2141 or lindsey@messengernews.net