|  | |  | The Southern Iowa Council of Governments will be holding the Annual SICOG meeting on Tuesday, March 27, 2024, at approximately 1:00 p.m. at the SICOG office in Creston, Iowa. The Southern Iowa Development Group will host the Annual SIDG meeting immediately following the SICOG meeting. The Southern Iowa COG Housing Trust Fund will host the Annual SICOGHTF meeting immediately following the SIDG meeting. | |  | As always, SICOG provides an un-exhaustive list of grants to generate ideas about possible projects and provide funding guidance. Grant funding sources are increasingly interested in creative solutions to problems and many are willing to support not just construction but also operations. If your community has a problem that outside funding might address, then please contact your SICOG office. We would be glad to help and can attend a local meeting at no cost to discuss the project or idea. There are many other sources, so if you have project, please contact us. | | | Everyone at the Southern Iowa Council of Governments would like to thank Tom Leners for his four and a half years of service on the SICOG Executive Board. Tom was recently elected as the Mayor of Winterset, IA. We wish you the best of luck in your future endeavors, Tom! |  | Pictured above: previous SICOG Board member & Mayor of Winterset Tom Leners and SICOG Board Vice Chairperson, Diane Fitch. |
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| |  | |  | The City of Leon was awarded $650,000.00 through the CDBG Downtown Revitalization (DTR) Grant! This funding will help rehab an estimated eight buildings in Leon. Congratulations! Below shows the proposed scope of work for one of the buildings included in this project. |
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| | Iowa Finance Authority and Iowa Economic Development Authority Launch New Iowa Profile Data Tool, Empowering Communities with Robust Insights | The Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) and Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) today announced the launch of the Iowa Profile in partnership with mySidewalk. The new tool offers a comprehensive data resource, offering policymakers and community leaders to view data and valuable insights on housing, public health, safety, transportation, education, quality of life and the economy in their county, city, zip code or census tract. "The Iowa Profile is essential for making data-driven decisions and taking a holistic approach to community development,” said IFA and IEDA Director Debi Durham." The tool is available for public use and provides essential information for designing strategic solutions to foster opportunities for Iowans, communities and businesses to thrive.” The state’s first of its kind tool provides customized reports and enables comparisons with other like regions, empowering community and state leaders to make informed decisions based on regularly updated data from diverse sources. "At mySidewalk, we work every day with leaders across the country who are committed to creating housing and economic opportunities for all," said Stephen Hardy, CEO of mySidewalk. "We are honored to be part of this project and commend IFA and IEDA for their forward thinking that will provide Iowans access to this actionable data.” |
| The Iowa Profile features five dashboard topics, customizable to county, city, zip code, census tract and state dashboards. The Iowa Profile is available at: iowafinance.com/iowaprofile. Demographics: Uncover key insights into the people that call our communities home. Quality of Life: Delve into the crucial elements shaping the well-being of Iowans and our communities. Housing: Explore regional housing landscapes and identify unmet housing needs and priorities. Economy: Explore data on the amount and types of jobs as well as details on the local labor force, average commute times and more. Housing Forecast (State and county only): Explore the projected demand for homes based on housing type and income by 2030.
About mySidewalk mySidewalk is a community data platform fueled by the idea that data is for everyone, not just the experts. Our comprehensive data library and storytelling solutions increase efficiency, simplify data visualization and unlock insights so change-makers can build stronger communities. Learn more at mysidewalk.com. |
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| | | Planner’s Desk – 10 Iowa Smart Planning Principles | In the coming issues of The Windmill, I’ll cover the 10 Iowa Smart Planning Principles, now codified in Iowa Code Chapter 18B. This month, we’ll cover the eighth one: natural resources and agricultural protection. The Code reads as follows:
“Natural Resources and Agricultural Protection – Planning, zoning, development and resource management should emphasize protection, preservation and restoration of natural resources, agricultural land and cultural and historic landscapes, and should increase the availability of open spaces and recreational facilities.”
Iowa’s key role in feeding the world is only possible if our farmland remains productive and farmable. Protecting farmland is essential to our way of life and rural economy. A key element of this is Iowa’s strong support for property rights and freedom to farm. This means that farmers have protections from land grabs, such as eminent domain. It also means that farmers sometimes make decisions that are inconsistent with the goals of a community or desires of neighbors. |
| A planning goal for any community should be to properly weigh property rights with local needs. A good comprehensive plan goal may be to engage farmers and rural property owners in discussions about their future to ensure either that land is protected from development or that land is eventually available for development. Measures such Corn Suitability Rating (CSR) tell the average person how productive certain soils tend to be. Aplan policy could be that the local jurisdiction should non-agricultural limit development to areas with a CSR below a certain amount. Buffers are also important elements when considering agricultural versus other uses.
Connected to this principle is protection of non-agricultural area that are environmentally sensitive or are otherwise not suitable for more intense development. These may be areas with large slopes, unique soils (such as Iowa’s Loess Hills), areas with unique wildlife and native vegetation, wetlands, and floodplains. These can and should be protected from development and invested in to ensure they retain their environmental value and benefits.
The legislation encourages some of these places to retain open space value through designation as parks or natural/wildlife areas, whatever is appropriate. Telling developers to build wherever they want with no consideration of the land needs makes no sense in the long run. Planning and zoning can help. |
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| | Supplemental CDBG funds for public Wi-Fi and Food Bank Projects | IEDA has announced the availability of approximately $1million in CARES money from projects that did not use all their allocation. This means that local governments can apply for up to $100,000 to purchase equipment and minor infrastructure to improve public Wi-Fi and food bank/pantry services. Organizations that operate foodbanks/pantries or outdoor locations open to the public apply through their local city. Applications are due April 1.
The Wi-Fi component will fund the expansion of Wi-Fi in outdoor public meeting and gathering areas, such as a downtown area, public park, or outdoor eating and gathering place. The entity applying (local government or a non-profit acting as a subrecipient) must have site control where the Wi-Fi technology will be placed at time of application.
The food bank/pantry assistance is limited to purchase of appliances and equipment to accommodate an increase in service, such as to store and maintain more fresh foods. Matching funds must be demonstrated in the application.
Contact SICOG by March 1 if a project is desired and we will explain the program in more detail and asses if your project qualifies for the program, including the low- and moderate-income benefit. A city that received a CV grant for Wi-Fi or a specific pantry that received a CV for food bank improvements in the original CV round in 2021 cannot apply again.
These are not competitive, but timeliness is vital. The State will review applications in the order received until the deadline. | | Federal Home Loan Bank Affordable Housing Program | Make a greater impact in your community with larger grant awards available this year. Sponsor housing organizations can apply for a grant award up to $3 million per project or $150,000 per unit. This is more than in past years.
The Competitive Affordable Housing Program (AHP) is one of the largest sources of private sector grants for affordable housing in the nation. Funds can be used for the purchase, construction or rehabilitation of affordable owner-occupied or rental housing units.
Applications open April 1 and are due May 1. A webinar is scheduled for February 28 to answer questions and share more information. FHLB staff is willing and offers special office hours to help people with their applications. SICOG is also able to help. Contact Jeremy as soon as you identify a potential housing project. SICOG has great experience with this program for single-family home repairs, rental renovations, new rental projects, and new single-family for sale projects. | | Power of Connections Grant | The Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC), a non-profit advocacy and technical assistance partnership, offers grant funding up to$5,000 for technical assistance and planning progress. The program can do two things from rural Iowa communities. One is their Power of Connection SWOT Team, which brings in a team of professionals throughout the state to help address a community problem. The other is a grant up to $5,000 to hire an architect the IRDC partnership has retained to assist with design work at a local level, such as for a Community Catalyst Grant or some kind of public improvement, such as housing development or library expansion. Contact Jeremy at SICOG for more details. | | | This grant is for small to medium sized projects that make communities more livable for people of all ages with tangible improvements that jump-start long-term change.
The main program is the Flagship Grant. This is a grant up to $50,000 but averaging around $10,000 for projects that enhance quality of life for seniors and the public. Examples include:
We are accepting applications for projects that benefit residents — especially those age 50 and older — in the following categories:
Creating vibrant public places that improve open spaces, parks and access to other amenities.
Delivering a range of Transportation and mobility options that increase connectivity, walkability, bike ability and access to public and private transit.
Supporting a range of housing options that increases the availability of accessible and affordable choices.
Increasing digital connections by expanding high-speed internet and enhancing digital literacy skills of residents
Supporting community resilience through investments that improve disaster management, preparedness and mitigation for residents.
Improving community health and economic empowerment to support residents’ financial well-being and improve health outcomes.
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| The second category is Capacity-building Microgrants. This funds $2,500 in the areas of walk audits, bike audits, and home modifications for independent living. This grant also involves a team of AARP-sponsored technical assistance providers who will visit the community to help carry out the project.
The other is a Demonstration Grant, which is designed to encourage replication of promising local efforts drawn from the flagship grants in the areas of transportation and housing. Grants up to $50,000 can be won in the following categories:
Applications will be accepted in the following categories:
Enhancing digital connectivity to prepare and respond to disasters for residents(especially those age 50-plus), the importance of which is discussed in the AARP Disaster Resilience Tool Kit.
Facilitating equitable engagement to reconnect communities that have been divided by infrastructure (with a focus on people age 50-plus), as highlighted in AARP's award-winning "Before the Highway," article series.
Implementing housing choice design competitions that increase community understanding of the benefits of a variety of housing options including accessory dwelling units, Missing Middle Housing, tiny homes and other housing solutions (especially for people age 50-plus), and encourage implementation of policies that enable greater choice in housing.
AARP loves creativity and addressing these kinds of issues. Contact Jeremy for assistance. |
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| | Neighborhood Planning Grant Awards | In the past month, Iowa Economic Development Authority(IEDA) has awarded the city of Murray a $25,000 grant for its 2024 Neighborhood Planning Grant. This grant allows the city to hire a consultant to develop a plan for the use of Community Development Block Funds (CDBG) funds in a neighborhood of the city. Much of the town of Murray is included in the plan. Murray will prepare an RFP and send to possible consultants this winter/spring and will select a firm to engage the town and complete a study/plan addressing topics specified in the program. The final plan will be submitted this fall to IEDA for consideration of invitation for a revitalization grant.
The cities of Corning and Creston completed one of these plans last year. SICOG led the process in Corning and Creston engaged RDG Planning and Design. Both towns were invited as one of five towns in Iowa to submit revitalization grants this spring. This means that Creston and Corning are in the running for grants up to $1.75 million to carry out some of the ideas in the local plans. Work is likely to include housing rehabilitation, new housing, street and infrastructure improvements, and beautification projects. SICOG intends to assist in the application process for these communities.
Congratulations to Murray, Corning, and Creston. | | Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Incentives and Thriving Communities | The Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) has opened the Iowa Workforce Housing Tax Incentive Program for 2024. Tax credit applications are due June 10 on the www.iowagrants.gov website.
There are two types of tax incentives: income tax credits and sales tax rebates. Combined, these can have significant impact on housing projects.
Projects must meet one of four criteria: Housing development located on a gray field or brownfield site
Repair or rehabilitation of dilapidated housing stock
Upper story housing development
New construction on a greenfield site.
Developers must build or rehabilitate at least four single-family homes or at least one multi-family building containing three or more units or at least two upper story units. |
| This program has a per unit cost cap to ensure units created under the program are workforce housing. For FY 2024, project costs may not exceed the following per unit cost caps:
single family unit in a small city $298,021
multi-family unit in a small city $241,643
Historic preservation projects may not exceed 125% of the maximum per unit cost.
The housing project must be completed within three years from the date of the award. The housing units must be for owner or renter occupied permanent residence, and not offered for rent on a daily or weekly basis.
There is a way for any city or town in Iowa to get extra bonus points for this tax incentive. In 2023, IEDA created a new program called Thriving Communities. This is an application process to nominate your city to receive five bonus points, which may be significant toward any projects receiving the tax incentive being funded in 2025. In 2023, Creston applied and was given the Thriving Communities distinction, along with about ten other cities. That means any applications from Creston this funding round earn these points automatically. One of the other benefits of this program is the local team is invited to pitch your city and its Thriving Community attributes to panels of developers, which may help spur projects in your city. |
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| | SICOG Partnerships 2023 | Platinum ($2,500) *Creston City Water Works *Clarke County Development Corporation *City of Osceola *John Wayne Birthplace Society, LTD of Winterset
Diamond ($1,500) *First National Bank of Creston & Afton *Iowa State Savings Bank of Creston & Lenox *Lenox Municipal Utilities
Gold ($1,000) *Corning Municipal Utilities *Garden & Associates, LTD of Creston & Oskaloosa *Greater Regional Health *PCSB of Clarinda, Corning, Creston, Lenox and Mount Ayr
Silver ($500) *American State Bank of Lamoni, Osceola & Winterset *JEO Consulting Group of Ankeny *North Stone Apartments & Corkrean Construction of Winterset *Snyder & Associates, Inc of Ankeny & Atlantic *Southwest Iowa Rural Electric Cooperative of Corning, Mount Ayr & Stanton *Tyler Insurance Services of Creston & Mount Ayr *Veenstra & Kimm, INC of West Des Moines |
| Bronze ($250) *Adams Community Economic Development Corporation *Afton Development Corporation *Akin Building Center of Corning & Creston *City State Bank of Mount Ayr *Clarke County Hospital *Clarke Electrical Cooperative of Osceola *Community Development Corp of Greenfield *Farmers & Merchants State Bank of Orient, St. Charles & Winterset *First National Bank of Osceola *FNB of Fontanelle & Greenfield *Grundman Insurance Agency of Corning *Lenox Chamber of Commerce *Lenox Development Corporation *R Realty of Creston *Rainbow International of Winterset *Ringgold County Development Corporation *Saylor Realty, LLC of Osceola *Southwestern Community College *State Bank of Brooks of Corning *Subway of Corning *TS Bank of Treynor in Corning *Union County Development Association *Union State Bank of Greenfield *Union State Bank of Winterset |
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| Interested in becoming a partner?! Call us today at (641) 782-8491 or go to the Partnership page on the SICOG website and fill out the form at the bottom of the page! | | | SICOG Executive Board Minutes- January 3, 2024 | Chairman Jerry Walker called the meeting to order at 1:04 p.m. at the SICOG office. The following members were present: Akin, Dunbar, Fitch, Friday, Geist, Holmes, Pantini, Risser, Walker and Wengryn.
Staff present: Waddle and Brimm.
Akin made a motion to approve the agenda. Risser seconded the motion, all ayes. Motion carried.
Fitch made a motion to approve the minutes of the December 5, 2023, meeting. Akin seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Pantini made a motion to approve the financial reports as presented for the month of December. Wengryn seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried. |
| Other items discussed included: grant report, confidentiality & conflict of interest, HRPP disclosure resolution, finance assistant job description, county project board meetings, and annual meeting date.
Risser made a motion to approve the IFA- HRPP Contract Resolution as presented. Wengryn seconded the motion. Roll call votes: Akin- Aye, Davidson- Absent, Dunbar- Aye, Fitch- Aye, Friday- Aye, Geist- Aye, Holmes- Aye, Pantini- Aye, Risser- Aye, Walker- Aye, Wengryn- Aye, and Zabel- Absent. Motion Carried.
Fitch made a motion to approve the mold proposal for remediation. Akin seconded the motion. All ayes. Motion carried.
Risser made a motion to adjourn the meeting at 2:03 p.m. Dunbar seconded the motion, all ayes. Motion carried.
Minutes Submitted by Brimm |
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| | SICOG Office Closed for Observance of Presidents Day- Monday, February 19 SICOG Executive Board Meeting- Tuesday, March 5 ATURA Board Meeting- Tuesday, March 12
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| | SICOG Executive Board Jerry Walker, Chairperson, Adair County Diane Fitch, Vice Chairperson, Madison County Karen Zabel, Secretary, Taylor County Scott Akin, Treasurer, Adams County Randy Dunbar, Clarke County Sam Wengryn, Decatur County Colby Holmes, Ringgold County Rick Friday, Union County Doug Davidson, Private Sector VACANT, Private Sector Raelynne Risser, Private Sector Jodie Geist, Private Sector Wayne Pantini, Member-At-Large |
| SICOG Staff Beth Waddle, Executive Director Judy Brimm, Finance Director Jeremy Rounds, Regional Planner Jessica Hagen, Transportation Planner Terry Niestadt, Regional Planner Kendra Comstock, Planning Tech |
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