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The
Iowa Northland Regional Council of Governments is a voluntary
association of local governments established by state law
serving the member jurisdictions in Black Hawk, Bremer, Buchanan,
Butler, Chickasaw and Grundy counties. As a service and planning
organization, it is responsible for coordinating, assisting
and facilitating programs in Community and Economic Development
that will benefit all governmental bodies in the INRCOG region.
Emphasis is placed on intergovernmental communication and
cooperation, accessing of funds, and the need for continuing,
comprehensive planning.
***NEWS
AND UPDATES***
Single
Family New Construction (SFNC 4) Program
The State of Iowa recently announced a 4th round of the
Single Family New Construction Program (SFNC 4). The objective
of this program is to stimulate affordable new housing construction
in communities by offering 25 percent down-payment assistance
to income and credit qualified families who purchase a new
home that is built as a direct result of this program. All
homes to be built under this program must be under construction
by March 15, 2013. All homebuyers must be at or below 80
percent of the County Median Income and all homes must have
an all-inclusive purchase price of below $150,000.
The
Iowa Economic Development Authority (IEDA) is requiring
that INRCOG submit an individual development plan for each
community that is interested in participating in the Single
Family New Construction activity. INRCOG will put together
the development plans from information provided by each
participating community and collectively forward them to
the State under one cover application. The Development Plan
is due to the State by February 29, 2012. Consequently,
we are requesting that communities who want to participate
submit the necessary information to the INRCOG Housing Department
no later than February 13, 2012, so we have time to format
all of the material by the February 29th deadline. For more
information, contact Jim
Rodemeyer.
Safe
Routes to School Grants Awarded
1/26/12
The Iowa DOT Commision recently awarded two Safe Routes to
School grants to the City of Waterloo. The first award for
$92,000 is for the construction of a traffic signal at the
intersection of Baltimore and W. 5th Streets in Waterloo to
improve walking and bicycling conditions for students attending
Irving Elementary School. The second award for $64,860, will
construct sidewalk infill on Mobile and Quincy Streets and
add school crossings on Newell Street at Mobile Street and
at Mobile and Cottage Streets to benefit children attending
the Dr. Walter Cunningham School for Excellence.
The
Introduction to Planning and Zoning for Local Officials
Workshop
The Introduction to Planning
and Zoning Workshop is a three-hour workshop designed to
introduce the basic principles of land use planning and
development management to elected officials, planning and
zoning officials, and board of adjustment members without
formal training in the subjects. Using case scenarios in
a highly-interactive format, the workshop highlights issues
frequently faced in the land use process. View workshop
brochure
or visit http://blogs.extension.iastate.edu/planningBLUZ/workshops/
for more information.
INRCOG
Awarded FHLB Affordable Housing Program Funds 11/29/11
INRCOG was recently awarded $150,900 from the Federal Home
Loan Banks Affordable Housing Program to assist very
low- or low-income homeowners with up to $12,000 five-year
forgivable loans. The funds will enable homeowners to make
repairs necessary to improve the safety, decency, sanitation,
and/or energy efficiency of their residences. Examples of
approved repairs include leaking roofs, general weatherization,
plumbing or electrical deficiencies, and water heater installation.
Eligible homes must be insured and located outside the 100-year
floodplain. Residents
in the Waterloo/Cedar Falls Metropolitan Statistical Area
and communities with a population greater than 10,000 are
not eligible. Contact
Cindy Knox for more
information.
Partnership
for Sustainable Communities Report Includes Case
Study of the City of Waverly
11/29/11
Rural communities across America are working to strengthen
their economies, provide better quality of life to residents,
and build on assets such as traditional main streets, agricultural
and working lands, and natural resources. The Partnership
for Sustainable Communities, in collaboration with the U.S.
Department of Agriculture (USDA), established a Rural Work
Group to reinforce these initiatives and ensure that the four
agencies spending, policies, and programs support rural
communities efforts to be economically vibrant and environmentally
sustainable. This report summarizes the Rural Work Groups
findings and creates a framework for the Partnerships
future work with rural communities. This report includes a
case study of the City of Waverly's disaster resiliency through
smart planning.
View
the full report...
Notice
of Funds Availability-Hazard Mitigation Grant Program
5/6/11
The State of Iowa will receive FEMA disaster
funding under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program (HMGP) as
part of Presidential disaster declarations DR-1977-IA (May
5, 2011) as a result of severe storms, tornadoes and straight-line
winds that occurred in our State this spring. For more information
click
here.
University
Avenue Corridor Study
10/6/10
The University Avenue Corridor Study
final report has been issued
can be viewed here.
Questions or comments about the report should be directed to
Andrea White.
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