STORIES

Dear Friends and Partners, I am honored to step into the role of Executive Director at ECICOG. While I bring 35 years of local government experience to this position, my connection to this organization actually began as a planning intern while I was a senior in college. Returning now to lead such a vital and talented team truly feels like coming home. Throughout my career, I’ve had the privilege of serving our local communities through roles with the City of Coralville, Linn

Starting June 1, riders will see several updates to the 380Express bus service between Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. The current route will be renamed the “Corridor Loop” and will continue serving the same stops riders use today. To improve on-time performance, minor schedule adjustments will be made during early morning and afternoon service, along with updates to several lower-ridership trips. There will also be a fare adjustment beginning June 1. The one-way fare will increa

Homeowners, businesses, and farmers in Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, Linn, and Washington counties can pool their buying power to secure significant discounts that make installing solar more affordable. Attend an in-person or virtual education session to learn about the financial and environmental benefits of solar energy and how to participate in the group buy program. The solar group buy program is offered through the Midwest Renewable Energy Association in partnership with

In June, ECICOG will begin a lead hazard reduction program available to communities in the region. In preparation, ECICOG staff recently attended training in Washington, DC, with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Be sure to follow ECICOG on Facebook and LinkedIn to learn more. Those interested in applying should contact Housing Grant Specialist Nicole Beuc.

ECICOG has been working on evaluating vehicle and pedestrian crash data as part of a Safe Streets for All grant awarded to the region in 2025. As part of this effort, the study team is now collecting feedback from local communities and the public. A survey is available that will help evaluate crash data and road safety conditions, which will ultimately help guide future transportation planning and funding. To learn more about the project and provide feedback via a mapping act

Three cities in the ECICOG region were awarded grant funding through the Iowa Derelict Building Program. Robins has been awarded $10,000 to complete asbestos abatement in a former church building that is owned by the city. Lone Tree was awarded $17,500 to repair and preserve its Frontier Pavilion located in North Park. Urbana has been awarded $30,500 to stabilize a deteriorated downtown building that was originally constructed in 1917 and operated as a grocery store. Cities w

ECICOG is hiring! Join our team as a Housing Rehabilitation Coordinator, managing housing rehabilitation projects for qualifying homeowners. This part-time position requires broad construction or building inspection experience and a customer service orientation. Learn more about the position and how to apply at our website.

Check out these upcoming Turbo Talks! Turbo Talks are brief, free, informative sessions to review important services available to communities in the ECICOG Region. June 9th, 1:00: I-380 Construction Updates and 380Express Bus Service Changes. Register here. July 14th, 1:00: Lead Hazard Reduction Grant. Register here. August 20th, 1:00: Derelict Building Grant. Register here.

ECICOG’s annual Local Government Recharge Day will be held on May 14 from 8:30am-4pm at Fireside Winery in Marengo. Sessions include: Legislative Updates with the Iowa League of Cities, ISU’s First impressions Program, Think Before You Act: IT Security and Fraud, Community Building in an Era of Disengagement and Distrust, and Creating Your Own Calm with Transformational Coach Kate Moreland and more! The $75 registration fee includes a continental breakfast and lunch. Don’t mi

ECICOG welcomed the following new board members in January: Doug Boddicker; City of Newhall Aaron Sandersfeld; City of Williamsburg Steve Dodson; City of Hiawatha Nicholas Gluba; City of Lone Tree Melanie Bimson; Washington Economic Development Group Megan Alter; City of Iowa City ECICOG would like to thank the following board members whose appointments ended in 2025: Mary Audia; Washington Economic Development Bruce Visser; City of Atkins Chris Hoffman; City of North Liberty

In December, ECICOG received notice from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development that a Lead Hazard Reduction Grant in the amount of $2,964,980 was awarded to ECICOG address lead-based paint hazards in pre-1978 housing throughout our region. A grant contract was executed in February. ECICOG is grateful to its partners, including the Housing Fund for Linn County, Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund, the City of Cedar Rapids, an

Starting in June 2026, the 380Express service will include a new route that connects Cedar Rapids to the new University of Iowa Health Care Medical Center North Liberty and the Kirkwood Regional Center at the University of Iowa. This new route will operate with four round trips on weekdays and using the same coach buses that offer wi-fi, commuter seating, charging ports and a wheelchair lift. The new route will not affect the current high ridership routes that have proved pop

ECICOG was recently awarded a grant on behalf of the Indian Creek Watershed Management Authority (WMA) to update their watershed management plan. The plan is used to educate and guide WMA decision making for projects and practices that reduce flood risk and improve water quality within the Indian Creek watershed. ECICOG will receive $39,520 to support an estimated $91,055 project. The funding will support ECICOG staff time to update the plan and complete bacteria source track

Open Meeting and Records Training : March 24 from 12:00-1:30 PM ECICOG will host a virtual Open Meeting and Records Training on March 24. This webinar will meet the training requirement enacted by the Iowa legislature last July. Register here . Attracting Developers to Small Towns Seminar: March 25 from 12:00-1:00 PM Iowa State University Extension is offering this session which will explore what developers look for when evaluating projects in smaller communities. Using Iowa

ECICOG will be hosting its annual Local Government Recharge Day on Thursday, May 14 from 8:30am - 4:00pm at Fireside Winery in Marengo. Recharge Day is geared toward city administrators, city clerks, and elected officials in the ECICOG region looking to learn from their peers and other local government experts. We will take advantage of Fireside’s beautiful facilities with small group discussions. Click HERE for more information and registration details

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