STORIES

A new state law adopted in 2025 requires all newly elected officials and those appointed to governmental bodies to complete a training on the responsibilities and requirements for open meetings and open records laws. This includes county supervisors, city council members, library boards, planning and zoning commissions, boards of adjustments, landfill commissions, entities created through 28E agreements and more. The training must be completed within 90 days of an official ta

The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) released their 2026 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) opportunities in December. Continuing programs include downtown revitalization (now called commercial façades grant), water/sewer(including stormwater), upper story housing and community facilities. New programs include: Pocket Parks – rehabilitation or construction of a small park/recreation area. Maximum award of $150,000 with 25% match required. Streetscapes – Eligib

Congratulations to the City of Central City on their recent statewide Transportation Alternatives Set-Aside Program (TAP) award. The city received a grant of $1.4 million for their $1.75 million project to replace the unrepairable pedestrian portion of their Main Street Bridge with a separated 320-foot pedestrian bridge providing a safe route for students accessing Central City Community Schools. ECICOG assisted the city by writing the TAP application. The TAP program is a fe

The City of Norway was recently awarded a $500,000 grant to install a booster pump station to increase pressure in its water distribution system. The project also involves replacing the city's remaining 4-inch water mains with larger 6-inch pipes and installing additional fire hydrants. Increased water pressure will ensure safe and reliable delivery of drinking water to all customers and improve overall fire protection for the city. ECICOG assisted the city in applying for th

In December, the East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund (ECIHTF), which serves Benton, Iowa, Jones, and Washington counties, was awarded $440,168 in state funding through the Iowa Finance Authority. Awarded each year, these funds supported critical housing initiatives in 2025, including: • Down Payment Assistance for Kalona Student Build Project • Roof Replacement for a 24-unit senior housing complex in Monticello • Down Payment Assistance for 5 households through the HOME pro

Join us at an upcoming Turbo Talk to learn more about services available to your community. Turbo Talks are always informative and always 30 minutes or less! February 24th , 1pm CDBG Downtown Revitalization (Commercial Façade) Grant Community Development Specialist Tom Gruis will give an overview of the CDBG Downtown Revitalization (DTR) and the tremendous impact the program can have on main street buildings and storefronts. Key program details as well as recent projects in A

The Iowa League of Cities will conduct a State and Local Fiscal Recovery Funds (SLFRF) / ARPA Compliance Reporting Webinar on March 11th from 1:30-3:00 p.m. The webinar is geared towards communities less than 50,000 residents, and is designed to be a refresher for those seeking guidance on accessing the Department of Treasury portal, and the process to submit the annual compliance report. For additional information and how to register, visit the program website here.

Part of ECICOG’s core mission is to leverage state and federal grants on behalf of our cities, counties, and region. These grants close funding gaps, enabling our communities to address critical needs such as water/sewer facilities upgrades, downtown revitalization, and housing development/rehabilitation. Fees related to grant administration play a large role in the funding of our organization, as only 12-14% of ECICOG’s budget comes from direct contributions from our member

Join us for one of our upcoming Turbo Talks to learn more about available funding opportunities and services offered by ECICOG. Turbo Talks are designed to deliver key information in 30 minutes or less. December 16, 1:00 pm: Nuisance Enforcement Program Don’t have time to chase down overgrown vegetation, inoperable cars and dilapidated buildings? Housing Specialist Mark Culver will review ECICOG’s affordable nuisance enforcement program. Register HERE January 13, 1:00 pm: CDB

Codification, the process of organizing adopted laws into a code of ordinances, is required by cities in Iowa at least every five years. The Iowa Association of Councils of Government (ICOG) and law firm Dorsey and Whitney, LLP work together to develop and maintain a model code that is available to ECICOG. Communities using the model code can more easily amend their city code to reflect changes in Iowa statutes or common law. ECICOG is assisting several communities in the reg

The North Liberty Community Pantry opened a new facility in June of this year. ECICOG partnered with the pantry in two distinct ways to support their mission. First, Iowa Waste Exchange Specialist Lindsey Given-Egli found new homes for the usable equipment from the old facility, including freezers, refrigerators, office furniture, televisions, projectors, and a range of office supplies. Eight nonprofits benefited from the redistribution effort and 3,728 pounds of potential w

Are you interested in learning more about the CorridorRides vanpool program? Do you like coffee? If so, consider joining us on December 3rd for a "Caffeine and Conversations" hosted by ECICOG and Commute with Enterprise. Representatives will discuss the publicly available vanpool program, including a new flexible vanpool option that is now available to commuters with flexible or inconsistent work schedules. The meeting will be held at 3:00 on Wednesday, December 3rd in the EC

Many communities pursue small grants without the help of a professional grant writer. Remember that ECICOG staff are always available – with sufficient lead time – to offer guidance at no cost. Our staff often have insight into funder priorities. They also can review your application with a fresh eye to ensure that your proposed project is conveyed clearly, meets the grant objectives and matches the funding parameters. Visit the Contact Us page on our website to see staff av

Congratulations to the Homes for Iowa Team on winning a HousingIowa Award! The Iowa Association of Councils of Government played a key role in establishing this successful program. Beyond providing affordable housing options, the program also helps prison inmates learn valuable construction skills while building the homes in a controlled environment. ECICOG has assisted with numerous Homes for Iowa projects throughout the region. For more information on Homes for Iowa, visit

Does your community or non-profit organization have a challenge or goal that requires cross-organization collaboration? Thanks to a grant from the Economic Development Administration, ECICOG has trained Strategic Doing facilitators who can help get your group started! Strategic Doing is a collaborative approach to strategy that emphasizes rapid action, flexible planning, and network-based problem solving. Unlike traditional strategic planning, which often relies on rigid, lon

ECICOG was awarded $144,000 from the U.S Department of Transportation to develop the Eastern Iowa Tri-Region Safety Action Plan for ECICOG, Region 6 Resource Partners and Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission. Work is now beginning to hire a consultant to develop the plan that will improve roadway safety for all users. Communities and projects identified in the plan will automatically qualify for Safe Streets and Roads for All (SS4A) construction funding in future y

In July, Iowa lawmakers enacted significant updates to the state’s open meetings law through House File 706, with a strong emphasis on training and accountability. Newly elected or appointed public officials after July are now required to complete training on open meetings and open records laws, with the Iowa Public Information Board responsible for offering or approving training. Incumbent officials are exempt from the mandate but may still benefit from the training. The leg

ECICOG recently partnered with three housing trust fund agencies to secure HOME grants, assisting up to 15 first-time homebuyers in our region. All three grants were awarded funds by the Iowa Finance Authority in August. Housing Fund for Linn County, East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund, and Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County each received awards of $206,250 to assist up to five income-eligible homebuyers with down payment assistance and minor repairs over the next two year

Since launching in 2016, ECICOG has provided over $238,000 in microloans to local businesses to help with growth and expansion. The micro...

The 380Express bus service between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City has seen record ridership recently, and with major road construction in the...

The State of Iowa's IT procurement group is working to understand how local governments and political subdivisions can possibly save time...