A task force formed by the Ames Chamber of Commerce, the City of Ames, and Iowa State University, is being created to find ways to make Ames more inviting to minorities.

Linda Dasher, chairwoman of the task force, said this effort called “Breaking Down the Barriers” will meet next week to discuss various means for bringing services that minorities in Ames might use, such as Black Entertainment Television and a barber shop for black men.

“The task force will study, plan and make recommendations concerning consumer and law enforcement issues minorities have in Ames,” Dasher said. “We want to look at what we can do as a community to make all people feel more at home in Ames.”

Ames community members of the task force include Mayor Larry Curtis; City Manager Steve Schainker; Police Chief Dennis Ballantine; Terri Morrison, the consumer banking manager for Ames Norwest Banks; Felicia Anthony, executive administrator of Green Hills Retirement Community; and Nick Johns, the superintendent of Ames Community Schools.

Iowa State community members include Loras Jaeger, director of the Department of Public Safety; Rafael Rodriguez, the director of Minority Student Affairs; Murray Blackwelder, the vice president for external affairs; and Dan Robinson, interim vice president for student affairs.

The majority of the task force members do not have any initial ideas as how to improve Ames, but they all have open minds to new ideas, Dasher said.

“I guess for me, I am curious about what it is we want to discuss. The focus is on diversity. When I mean the community, I mean Ames and ISU. I am going in with an open mind. I have a lot of great expectations,” Rodriguez said.

Johns also has an open mind about the first meeting, but he plans to get some initial ideas from other Ames Community Schools minority employees.

“I sent out an invitation to all minority employees. We are going to talk about the community. We are going to talk about how the Ames community can be improved. [I’ll] ask them what issues they are confronting,” Johns said.

Ballantine hopes to increase dialogue with various groups using the task force.

“Frankly, I have been trying for several years to open dialog with the police department. I hope to set up and develop relationships with several groups. We can then sit down and talk about problems before they come,” Ballantine said.

Curtis also does not have initial problems or ideas to bring to the first meeting, but he hopes the collaboration between the various groups will come up with adjustable concepts.

Their first meeting will be held Wednesday from 4-5:30 p.m. in Room 233 at Ames City Hall.