COMMUNITY
DEVELOPMENT
We recognize that governments of smaller communities often lack the resources to have in-house technical experts. ECICOG staff can assist with land use planning, zoning and subdivision regulation, identifying grant opportunities, grant writing and administration, council goal setting, capital improvement plans, disaster recovery and more. Consider ECICOG an extension of your city staff!
We can help your community with annual city council goal setting sessions, strategic planning or consensus building workshops. If your group is struggling to come together around a common goal or having difficulty breaking a goal into actionable steps, we're here to help!
Land Use, Zoning & City Code Updates
ECICOG staff routinely assist communities with land use issues, including subdivision regulations and zoning updates. Using a model code developed by the Iowa Association of Councils of Governments, ECICOG can also do more thorough code update updates to ensure the code is organized in a consistent, logical manner and reflects best practices and recent case law.
Grant Writing & Administration
ECICOG can help with a variety of community development and disaster recovery grants including CDBG, USDA and FEMA, as well as grants offered through the Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), Iowa Department of Cultural Affairs and related organizations.
Comprehensive Planning
Comprehensive planning is one our team’s favorite activities…because the more we know about your community, the more helpful we can be! A comprehensive plan is an expression of the community’s long-term vision for the future and a strategic map to reach that vision. Since comprehensive plans represent the aspirations of a community, ECICOG works with your community to gather extensive public input through a wide variety of tools, including ECICOG’s online engagement site, talkto.ecicog.org
Community Coaching
ECICOG partners with Hometown Pride, an initiative of the statewide nonprofit Keep Iowa Beautiful, to help participating towns to create a more vibrant, stable future. Hometown Pride assists and improves communities through a five-year comprehensive coaching commitment. The program adapts to the unique circumstances of each community, so local leaders are integral in planning and decision making.
Strategic Services
ECICOG can assist with a variety of planning and facilitation activities, including council goal-setting and capital improvement planning. Don’t spin your wheels, let our staff work with your community to brainstorm ideas and identify top priorities.
Disaster Recovery
ECICOG is your partner when disaster strikes. While we don't drive fire trucks, ECICOG is often involved in the second phase of disaster response. ECICOG staff can help your community identify funding sources for recovery projects, write recovery grants and ensure you are tracking expenses correctly for FEMA reimbursement.
