Pocatello, ISU sign formal agreement to build stronger college-town connection
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POCATELLO – A storied local university and the Gate City have officially formalized their long-running partnership.
On Thursday evening, Idaho State University officials, the cheerleading squad and the school’s mascot, Benny the Bengal, filed into the Pocatello City Council Chambers to witness and celebrate the signing of an agreement between the two institutions. The arrangement, called the Bengal Community Partnership Agreement, creates a cabinet composed of both city and university officials that will meet regularly to identify ways to accomplish shared goals.
“It creates a framework for us to be intentional to get the right people around the same table, identify opportunities and then actually go do something,” said ISU President Robert Wagner when he addressed the council.
The way Mayor Mark Dahlquist sees it, the agreement formalizes the roles the city and the university fill, and provides a roadmap for how they can continue to fill those roles in the future.
“Informal partnerships and initiatives – they’ve taken place in the past – but I really like how this formal agreement defines each other’s roles, and it provides us with a roadmap going forward,” Dahlquist said.
And because of that roadmap, Council member Dakota Bates said he feels confident that the city and the university will be able to keep communicating in the future, no matter who’s in office.
“I am excited and proud to support this agreement as it moves Pocatello beyond simply cheering for Idaho State University and moves us into being a functional and reliable partner … regardless of who serves as mayor or university president,” Bates said.
During the meeting, Dahlquist thanked Bates for pushing for this agreement early on.
“I want to really thank Councilman Bates for his leadership and his being part of the committee and really helping be the glue to drive this forward and keep it in place,” Dahlquist said.
The agreement establishes the cabinet’s structure, stating that it will be co-chaired by the president and the mayor.
“In addition, each organization shall appoint four additional representatives to serve on the
Cabinet,” the document reads. “Members may be selected from elected leadership, senior administration, staff, students, community partners or other stakeholders whose participation supports the purposes of the Cabinet.”
The document also authorizes the cabinet to establish “standing or project-specific working groups to address areas of mutual interest.”
Potential areas of collaboration may include:
- Public Safety and Emergency Coordination
- Transportation and Infrastructure
- Housing and Neighborhood Development
- Economic and Workforce Development
- Community Identity and Events
- Arts, Culture and Tourism
- Strategic Growth and Long-Term Planning
- Other priorities identified by the Cabinet
This agreement directs the cabinet to set annual priorities, establish measurable goals, and track progress during quarterly meetings. Dahlquist said that in the process of forming this agreement, he and Wagner had already started meeting on a “regular basis.”
“And it’s just a pleasure,” Dahlquist said. “The relationship we have and how we work together with economic development and synergy between the city and ISU. We want Pocatello to be a place where … students choose to stay and build their future,” Dahlquist said.
After the mayor and the president delivered their remarks, they both sat at a signing table and signed the document officially adopting the agreement. Following this signing, the Bengal Cheer team led the crowd in a chant saying, “Go, Idaho State!”
But before the two leaders had officially formalized the agreement, Wagner shared the moment when he knew they had a “good partner” with Dahlquist.
At the football game between the Utah State Aggies and ISU on Sept. 5, Wagner said that “several of us were storming the field after the game with an exciting Bengal win,” when out of the corner of his eye, he saw someone running across the field towards the end zone with a ball in their hands. Wagner said he then turned and looked to see who it was.
“And it was our fine mayor storming the field with Bengal fans in Logan, Utah, cheering on and supporting Idaho State University, and that’s when I knew we’ve got a good partner with you, mayor,” Wagner said.