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STORIES
ECICOG Welcomes New Staff
Lindsey Given-Egli joined the ECICOG Housing Department in November and will be focused on administration work related to CDBG...
Jan 25, 20241 min read
Register for Upcoming Webinar About EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program
ECICOG is leading two EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG) awards to develop the regional East Central Iowa Climate...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Iowa Finance Authority to Offer Homeowners up to $35,000 in Rehabilitation Assistance
The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) plans to announce a state-wide housing rehabilitation program this December. Homeowners with...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Transportation Alternative Set-Aside Program (TAP) Application Cycle Opens
The Region 10 Regional Planning Affiliation (RPA 10), which is staffed by ECICOG, will be announcing the opportunity for local...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Hiawatha Receives CDBG Funding for Neighborhood Water Main Project
The City of Hiawatha was awarded $500,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds to replace aging drinking water mains...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
ECICOG Wins National NADO Award!
ECICOG won a 2024 Impact Award from the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) for its rural nuisance enforcement...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Will Your Community Have New City Officials or Staff Next Year?
November often sets the stage for new elected leaders. Get off to strong start by attending one of the League of Iowa Cities Municipal...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Remembering Board Member Dave Fish
Longtime ECICOG Board Member Dave Fish recently passed away on November 7th. Dave had been a member of the ECICOG board since 2014 and...
Dec 21, 20231 min read
Beware of SAM.gov Registration Scams!
Many cities registered with SAM.gov to receive their American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) awards. Cities should maintain their registration...
Sep 21, 20231 min read
New Toolkit Available for Pop-Up Events
A new guide, titled Pop-up! A Toolkit for (fun, invigorating, life-affirming) Temporary Experiences, is available as a free download on the ISU Extension and Outreach online store. Pop-up events are temporary, unexpected public events that bring people together for a variety of purposes, such as highlighting a local asset, addressing or bringing attention to an issue, testing a new project, or simply celebrating. Pop-ups provide opportunities to build connections and enhance
Sep 21, 20231 min read
Trees Forever to Host Webinar on Roadside Planting
Learn how to create a roadside plan for your Iowa community! Iowa's roadsides are the perfect place to plant trees and native plants for living snow fences, water control, pollinator habitat and more. Join Trees Forever to learn more about roadside plans and why they are important, steps to completing a plan, grants your community may be eligible for and the next steps once your plan is approved. Join the virtual session that works best for you by visiting the Tree
Sep 21, 20231 min read
ECICOG Office Expansion Begins October 1st
Because of the growing number of staff at ECICOG, our office space will soon be completely remodeled and expanded. ECICOG has recently...
Sep 21, 20231 min read
Welcome New ECICOG Staff
Meagan Prestegard recently began as an Environmental Specialist and will work on a variety of tasks in the Environmental Services...
Sep 21, 20231 min read
$2 Million Awarded for Climate Action Planning
ECICOG was officially awarded $2 million from the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG). The four-year grant award will...
Sep 21, 20231 min read
$3.3 Million Awarded for Trees and Generators as Part of Derecho Recovery
All of ECICOG’s CDBG-Disaster Recovery (DR) grant applications for trees and generators were awarded as part of the special funds...
Sep 21, 20231 min read
Cedar Rapids and Marion to LaunchNew Housing Rehabilitation Programs
ECICOG’s housing department is preparing to roll out two owner-occupied rehabilitation programs in the metro area of Linn County: The...
Jul 28, 20231 min read
Coalition Establishes Middle Iowa Watershed Authority
In June, stakeholders from the middle section of the Iowa River Watershed formed the Middle Iowa Watershed Management Authority (MIWMA),...
Jul 28, 20231 min read
380Express Soon Will Sport a New Look
The 380Express, a popular bus service between Cedar Rapids and Iowa City, is getting a new wardrobe. The “wraps” that cover the exterior...
Jul 28, 20231 min read
Olin Digs in to Build Community Garden With 5-2-1-0 Grant
The town of Olin has a brand-new community garden, thanks to the collaboration of individuals and several organizations who convened in...
Jul 28, 20231 min read
Hometown Pride Project Aims to Save Shellsburg Icon
The Shellsburg Hometown Pride Committee recently identified the restoration of the iconic Gold Medal Flour Mural as a top priority and...
Jul 28, 20231 min read
Area Communities Receive CDBG Water and Sewer Funding
The cities of Coralville, Olin, and Onslow were recently awarded Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Water/Sewer/Stormwater funds. The City of Coralville has been awarded $356,974 to replace undersized water mains and aging, deteriorated sanitary sewer lines along 4th Avenue Place. The project will support the installation of additional fire hydrants and will replace deteriorating sewer infrastructure to prevent leaks and groundwater infiltration. The City of Olin was
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First Time Homebuyer Programs Helping Local Families
The East Central Iowa Housing Trust Fund recently received funding to offer up to $35,000 in down payment and/or closing costs assistance for low-to-moderate income (LMI) first time homebuyers, with the ability to use some of that assistance for minor repairs. This program is unique, offering a higher amount of assistance across a wider service area than any other program in the region. ECICOG also assisted the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County and the Housing Fund for Lin
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Summer Turbo Talks
Check out ECICOG's upcoming Turbo Talks. Turbo Talks are brief, free, informative sessions for communities in East Central Iowa. August 20th, 1:30: Derelict Building Grant Program. Register here. September 15th, 1:00: Faster Answers in Ely with AI. Register here. October 15th, 1:30: Regional Transportation Funding - Pre Application Workshop. Register here. Check out previous sessions here.
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