DAVENPORT , Iowa -- Mayor Frank Klipsch hopes to make his best pitch for river towns at the White House next week. He's part of a coalition that will have a face-to-face meeting with President Donald Trump and White House staffers on Wednesday, Jan. 24, 2018.
Mayor Klipsch is co-chair of the Mississippi River Cities and Towns Initiative, which represents towns from Minnesota to Louisiana.
Since President Trump is promising to beef up the nation's infrastructure, the visit could be timely. When it comes to the Mississippi River, there's a lot on the to-do list.
The wish list includes aging bridges, flood control and protection, even insurance.
"We'll look at riverfront projects and riverfront development projects that are green initiatives," Klipsch said. "That will help sustainability, but it also improves the riverfronts. That's coupled with a collaboration with the Corps of Engineers and the Lock and Dam system."
Mayor Klipsch has become a key spokesman for the group. He made recent trips to Europe and Canada to promote the Mississippi River.
"When you think that the Mississippi River carries 70% of all the corn, soybeans and wheat in the United States, it's an important link," Klipsch continued. "20 million people a day drink water from the river."
