NIACOG will help make unique trolley more visible, profitable
    Clear Lake Chamber of Commerce leaders have reached what they are calling a “win-win” solution to its Main Street Trolley woes.
    The Chamber’s Board of Directors has signed a two-year agreement with North Iowa Area Council on Governments to house and maintain the rubber-wheel trolley.
     October, the Chamber Board sent a letter to its members asking for input concerning the trolley which it has operated for 10 years. The trolley had been operating at an annual net loss of $5,300 per year. A committee studying ways to make the trolley more visible and profitable eventually concluded sale of the vehicle must be considered.
    Thankfully, the letter to members generated a telephone call suggesting the Chamber contact NIACOG. With ample building to store the trolley and two full time mechanics on staff, the agency was a good fit.
    “We had the ability to help out,” said NIACOG Executive Director Joe Myhre. “And we will be able to make the trolley more visible in Clear Lake, as well as North Iowa.”
    Under the terms of the agreement, the Clear Lake Chamber will continue to use the trolley as it has in the past. The Chamber charters special occasions aboard the trolley, as well as uses it for community events.
    When not in use by the Chamber and its charters, NIACOG will be allowed to use the trolley to serve its eight-county area. Myhre envisions sending the vehicle out for additional special events, such as the North Iowa Band Festival, as well as conventions and gatherings which could benefit from a shuttle. He also hopes to have the trolley make more frequent trips in and around Clear Lake, accepting free will donations for rides.
    Myhre noted state and federal funding for public transit is based upon the number of rides it provides. Interest in riding aboard the trolley will hopefully boost ridership numbers in the area, he said.
Chamber of Commerce Executive Director Gary Bright explained the agreement allows for NIACOG’s insurance to cover the vehicle, saving the Chamber $7,000 each year.
    When major repairs are needed, the Chamber and NIACOG will negotiate costs.
    “It will be the same, only better,” said Bright. “The trolley will continue to serve our needs as well or better, and it can also serve NIACOG’s desires.
    “With no inspections fees, licensing and insurance costs, the trolley becomes profitable for the Chamber,” said Chamebr President Mike Finnegan, who also serves on the trolley study committee. “We have always wanted the trolley to remain a part of the community, but had a fiscal responsibility to make smart business decisions on the organization’s behalf. The agreement is definitely a win-win for all of us.”
    Finnegan encouraged the public to watch for a schedule in the newspaper in the coming weeks announcing dates and times the trolley will be making stops in Clear Lake. Possible routes between parks and other attractions are being studied.