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STORIES
Consider Applying to the Community Mural Contest
Is your community looking to highlight its hometown spirit and people that make it a great place to live? Do you want to showcase your...
Sep 16, 20241 min read
Vinton Site of Newest "Homes for Iowa" Project
Homes for Iowa is a program that helps communities with affordable housing by providing quality-built houses that have been assembled by...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Hazard Mitigation Plan Update Underway in Linn County
ECICOG was recently engaged by Linn County to coordinate the Linn County Multi-Jurisdictional Hazard Mitigation Plan update. The purpose...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Brownfields Survey for ECICOG Region to Begin Soon
Do you know of any ‘problem’ properties in your area? These could include abandoned downtown buildings, former industrial or commercial...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Oxford Comprehensive Plan Updated
On July 9, the City of Oxford held a public hearing for the adoption of their updated comprehensive plan. The City and ECICOG worked...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Council Goal Setting Makes Governance Easier - Just Ask North Liberty!
How aligned is your City Council? Reaching an agreement on common goals helps city government run smoothly and provides clear direction...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Linn County Housing Needs Assessment
ECICOG recently completed a Housing Needs Assessment for the 14 cities within Linn County outside of the metro area. The data revealed...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Hometown Pride Projects Showcased in ECICOG Communities
In 2022, five communities in the ECICOG region joined the Hometown Pride Program, a statewide initiative through Keep Iowa Beautiful in...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
CorridorRides Deploys New Software to Improve Public Transit and Customer Experience
Through funding made available by ECICOG, the six county transit providers have recently implemented new scheduling and dispatching...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Welcome J'nae Peterman to ECICOG
ECICOG is pleased to welcome J'nae Peterman to the team in the newly created position of Homeless Systems Manager. J’nae previously...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Iowa Downtown Conference to be Held in Cedar Rapids
Join city officials from across the state to learn about the latest trends, acquire practical information and ideas, and learn strategies...
Jul 17, 20241 min read
Broadband Map Challenge Process
The U.S. Department of Commerce announced that Iowa will receive $415 million to deploy affordable, reliable, high-speed Internet service...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
State Rail Plan Survey
The Iowa DOT is seeking feedback via a survey from Iowa cities and counties to gather input on points of conflict between local...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
ECICOG to Host HUE Conversation Training on July 9th
An innovative training opportunity is coming to Cedar Rapids on July 9th that will focus on public sector professionals who want to...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
Local Government Recharge Day a Success
ECICOG recently hosted the first local government recharge event at Fireside Winery near Marengo. The event was focused on the power of...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
New Vanpool Serving Frontier Foods
Frontier Foods is the latest employer in the ECICOG region to partner with the CorridorRides vanpool program. Recently, Frontier Foods...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
Micro Loan Program Now Available Through ECICOG
ECICOG is pleased to announce a new revolving loan program for micro entrepreneurs or small businesses. Loans can be used for working...
Jun 3, 20241 min read
Congratulations to Marengo on CDBG Grant!
ECICOG wrote a CDBG Water/Sewer grant application for the City of Marengo to fund improvements to their wastewater treatment facility....
Jun 3, 20241 min read
ECICOG is seeking proposals from qualified professionals
ECICOG is seeking proposals from qualified professionals to support implementation of the region’s comprehensive economic development...
May 9, 20241 min read
ECICOG Local Government Recharge Event Set for May 16
ECICOG will be hosting a local government gathering on Thursday, May 16 from 9am-3:45pm at Fireside Winery Marengo. The recharge event is...
Apr 4, 20241 min read
ECICOG Celebrates 50th Anniversary with Office Expansion
ECICOG recently celebrated its 50th anniversary with the completion of an office expansion/remodel project. After eight new staff members...
Mar 19, 20241 min read
ECICOG to Offer In-Person Open Meeting Training
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
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IEDA Releases 2026 CDBG Programs
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
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Central City Awarded $1.4 Million to Replace Pedestrian Bridge
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
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