Amana Colonies hires new administrator

AMANA — The Amana Colonies Land Use District Board hired a new administer during its May meeting.

Scott Geiger, who grew up in Amana and is an active volunteer with the Amana Heritage Society and the Amana Historic Sites Foundation, will serve the Land District as administrator and clerk, the Amana Society Bulletin reported this week.

Richard Budde, who has served in this position for the past three years, is retiring but will work closely with Geiger and the board during the transition period, the Bulletin said.

The Amana Colonies Land Use District was established by Iowa law in 1985 to protect the historic character of the community while protecting property owners’ investment in their own properties, the Bulletin said.

Chapter 303, Code of Iowa, establishes the authority and governance power of the Land use District Board of Trustees to formulate and administer zoning ordinances and resolutions, rules and regulations necessary to maintain and enhance the distinctive historical and cultural character of the District.

In 1965 the Amana Colonies were granted National Historic Landmark status by the Department of the Interior.

This status has been key to promoting the villages as a visitor destination, the Bulletin said. It has helped the Amana Colonies and its civic and cultural groups raise money for community improvements.

Federal and state grants, private foundation and other types of grants and gifts have been predicated on Amana’s National Historic Landmark standing and have led to the creation of the Amana Heritage Society, the Amana Historic Sites Foundation and the Amana Arts Guild, according to The Bulletin.

Community benefits resulting from the designation include the Festhalle barn reclamation, the construction of the Amana Kolonieweg, the creation of the Main Street street widening and sidewalk project, the restoration of the Millrace Canal, the creation of the new Amana Elementary School playground, the construction of the Amana Performing Arts Center, the Amana Woolen Mill/ Hotel Millwright restoration and the Amana Church Sacred Spaces National Trust grant.