Do you want to see more sidewalks and trails for walking and biking in and around your community? ECICOG is working on a new Active Transportation Plan (ATP) for RPA 10. Residents are invited to take the survey in the Active Transportation Plan section of the Talk to ECICOG platform. The site also contains a mapping tool, which enables a user to identify routes where they would like to walk, bike, run, or ride a wheelchair. 

ECICOG serves as the regional planning affiliation (RPA 10) for Benton, Cedar, Iowa, Jones, and Washington counties, as well as the non-metropolitan areas of Johnson and Linn counties. Your recommendations will help to guide planning for new trails, sidewalks, bike lanes, curb cuts, and other active transportation features. The ATP will identify both short- and long-term strategies for advancing active transportation in RPA 10.

Johnson County recently contracted with ECICOG to administer a new Home Rehabilitation and Emergency Repair Program using funds appropriated through the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA). The program is intended to benefit low-income households with older adults, residents with chronic health problems, and young children. Households must be in Johnson County outside Iowa City limits. Some examples of the targeted improvements include roofing and gutter repairs, replacement of doors and windows, and home modifications such as grab bars or walk-in showers.

For a full description of eligible repairs, income limits, qualifying criteria, and application information for the Johnson County program, contact ECICOG Housing Specialist Deanna Robinson. To learn more about how ECICOG can support local housing programs, contact Housing Director Tracey Achenbach.

The Iowa Downtown Resource Center, a program of Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA), will offer four interactive downtown forums in June for Iowa communities interested in learning more about funding and developing streetscape improvements, creating good pedestrian experiences, and wayfinding signage. The keynote speaker and facilitator will be Dennis Reynolds of Reynolds Urban Design & Urban Planning.

The Mount Vernon forum will be held Tuesday, June 27, at United Methodist Church, 304 1st Street SW. Forums will also be hosted June 26 in Forest City, June 28 in Greenfield, and June 29 in Storm Lake. Admission is free, but attendees must register. Registration and more information can be found at the Iowa Downtown Forums page on the IEDA website. (Google Maps photo)

Iowa’s landfills already contain far too much waste that could have been reused, but thanks to the Iowa Waste Exchange (IWE), about 4 million tons of it have gone to productive uses since 1990. Planner Alicia Presto leads the IWE program for Benton, Iowa, Johnson, Jones, and Linn counties. In that role, she matches waste sources with organizations that can use or recycle them.

One of Presto’s projects is sourcing used mattresses that can be broken down into recyclable materials, such as steel and foam, at Willis Dady Mattress Recycling. This successful program began with a partnership between Willis Dady Homeless Services, Iowa City Landfill & Recycling, and the Cedar Rapids Linn County Solid Waste Agency. Willis Dady clients do the work of dismantling mattresses and salvaging the components that still have value. Mattresses that can be resold are sent to Houses into Homes or Central Furniture Rescue to find a new owner.

To learn more about IWE or business waste audits, contact Environmental Specialist Alicia Presto.

ECICOG, along with Benson & Hepker Design of Iowa City, The University of Iowa, The City of Cedar Rapids, and Tru Art Color Graphics, recently won a 2023 Award of Excellence from The Communicator Awards. The Middle Cedar Watershed Conservation Impacts brochure won in the category of Print Content - Government.

The brochure was developed through a grant from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to implement the Iowa Watershed Approach for Urban and Rural Resilience. The brochure highlights projects that protect the Middle Cedar Watershed. Congratulations to all involved in this amazing collaboration!

If you ride the 380 Express or wish it were available to you, ECICOG wants to hear from you! You can provide your opinions and tell us about your experiences using transportation in the Corridor by taking the 380 Express Rider Survey. Funding for the 380 Express service will be available through the end of June 2024, and public input will help to develop a strategy for continuing and improving transportation options between Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, and other cities in the Corridor. To take the 380 Express Rider Survey, visit the 380 Express Rider Survey section of the Talk to Iowa site, or contact ECICOG Transit Administrator/Planner Brock Grenis.

ECICOG is applying to the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program (CPRG) for funds to develop a climate action plan for the Cedar Rapids and Iowa City Metropolitan Statistical Areas (MSAs). Once the climate action plan is completed, counties and cities within our region will be eligible to apply for over $4.6 billion in CPRG implementation funding available for projects identified in the plan. Projects could encompass a wide range of activities, including energy efficient retrofits, electric vehicle charging stations, and methane gas capture at landfills.  

General information about the Climate Pollution Reduction Grant Program can be found on the EPA Climate Pollution Reduction Grants web page. City or county representatives interested in joining the planning coordination team should contact Environmental Services Director Jennifer Fencl for additional information.

In April, ECICOG added two members to the Housing team to keep up with new housing grants and growing interest in the nuisance enforcement program.

Julie Herny joins the Housing team as a Housing Fellow. Julie is a recent graduate of Mount Mercy University with a degree in Social Work. She has previous work experience with the Catherine McAuley Center, a social services organization in Cedar Rapids. Julie will assist with the administration of Community Development Block Grants related to recovery from the 2020 derecho storm.

Steve Van Abbema is our new Housing Rehabilitation Coordinator. Steve has extensive experience leading construction crews, and most recently he was a Project Manager for Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity. Most of his time will be spent inspecting structures, writing project specifications, coordinating the bidding process, and verifying completion of rehabilitation projects. Steve will also help manage ECICOG's nuisance enforcement program.