East Central Intergovernmental Agency (ECIA) Fiscal Year 2017 Annual Report Copyrighted
December4, 2017
City of Dubuque Consent Items # 9.
ITEM TITLE: East Central Intergovernmental Agency (ECIA) Fiscal Year
2017 Annual Report
SUMMARY: City Manager transmitting the Fiscal Year 2017 Annual
Report from the East Central Intergovernmental Agency
(ECIA).
SUGGESTED DISPOSITION: Suggested Disposition: Receive and File
ATTACHMENTS:
Description Type
ECIA FY17 Annual Report Supporting Documentation
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Kelley Deutmeyer
As I reflect back on the last fiscal year, it is � ' � �
clearouraccomplishmentsaretheresults ���„�,
of hard work and great collaboration with � 4 , ;. �
partnersandmembergovernments.The �
mostimportantthingweforgetasweget ' ' �
caught up in bottom lines and budgets, is �`/
that our daily work has a direct impact on
ourmostvaluableasset: thecitizensthat
live and work in the region.
During this past fiscal year,we have worked to advance our
mission to make Eastern lowa a better place to live and work
through empowering our communities and working to provide
a better quality of life for their citizens.This years annual report
focuses on stories from around our region illustrating how our
work touches the lives of people who reside in the communities
we serve. This years' projects included: an eight-countyfreight
study which includes the creation of a commodityflow database
and prioritization of future improvements;working closely
with Jackson County Economic Alliance staff on raising funds to
implementthe Keep lowa Beautiful Hometown Pride Program
in FY18;working with Clinton County on securing funding to
implementtheir Keep lowa Beautiful Hometown Pride program;
working with communities to assess brownfields sites through
our regional Brownfields grant program; our Housing Trust Fund
was awarded $281,187 in funding for housing imprwements in
the region; 12 new loans were funded through ECIA Business
Growth, Inc.totaling morethan $3,442,900; and weworked
closely with the University of lowa Sustainable Communities
program on ten community related projects in the region. The
RTA provided transportation to over 1,300 people,connecting
them to life s destinations;the Community Development
department conducted 1,262 inspections ensuring homes and
commercial buildings are safe and readyforoccupancy; and the
employment and training staff worked with 6,300 clients in their
quest to upgrade their skills to find new employment.
1
ECIA's funding sources are depicted below,with the largest
funding source being the Department of Housing and Urban
Development. Through the Eastern lowa Regional Housing
Authority, over$6,220,043 a year in rental assistance is
provided in theirseven-county region helping morethan 1,400
households. ECIA has seen an increase in our special contracts
and service billings with special projects such as the eight-
countyfreight study;grantwriting and fundraising services for
municipalities and non-profits; and working with the City of
Dubuque on the HUD Resiliency program.
As an organization,we are always evolving and searching for that
next opportunity for our membergovernments and their citizens.
We will continue to adapt and change to our communities'
needs. I always enjoy hearingfrom our membergovernments,
so please do not hesitate to contact me with your questions or
ideasl Thank you for your continued support of ECIAI
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FY 17 Funding Sources
US Uepartment of US Uepartment of
Commerce Pgriculture �ngTermBormwing
1.2% 0.6% 0.8% �rpoationhr
SGte Funds Membership National and
OS%
kg Community
ServiceFees& 1.4% xmce
Aszessmenh 0.1%
73% PrivateGrarRs
03%
EnvimnmenGl
Pmtec[ion Agenry
Pgenry Service 09%
Billings
30.3%
US Uepartment of
Fbusirg&Urban
Oevelopment
US Uepartment of 45'6%
Transportation
55% US Uepartment of Ubor
5.5%
2
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Approximately 39 years ago, ECIA identified a need in the region
—to provide low and moderate-incomefamilies and elderly,
access to safe, clean, and affordable housing.Working through
the US Department of Housing and Urban Development,the US
Department of Agriculture, and lowa Finance Authority, staff are
able to annually help over 1,500 families to meet a basic human
need through the following resources: Eastern lowa Regional
Housing Authority, Eastern lowa Regional Housing Corporation,
and the EIRHC HousingTrust Fund.
Along with housing assistance,tenants are able to
worktoward finding employment, obtaining a GED, enrolling
in college, increasing self-esteem, analyzing and organizing
finances, rebuilding credit, developing a resume, and connecting
with social service agencies through the Family Self-Sufficiency
program.The following story comes from an individual who
successfully completed the program in FY 17:
"The Family5elf-Sufficiency/Housing Program has helped
me a great deal werthe past seven years. I lived in this unit
while getting my LPN from NICC and continued to live here after
I acquired myfirst nursingjob.Attending and graduating with
my nursing degree is the most difficult but most rewarding goal
I have achieved.This program played a major role in my success.
My daughter has been able to attend the local catholic school
and be a part of community events.We have loved living here
and made long lasting memories. Myfuture plans are to continue
to live in the Holy Cross area and to purchase my first home
within the neM two years."^' F55 Participant.
"I am so passionate about this part of myjob because I
get to work closely with F55 participants through assessing and
identifying their goals and then get to witness their successes
as they meet those goals. It is a constant reminder of why this
program is important and how itcan positively impact lives;'
said the ECIA staff person who worked closely with the abwe
participant.
Everyone has a fundamental human right to have a
place to call "home', and ECIA has been a steadfast resource in
connecting all who need it to housing.
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Over the years, ECIA community development staff have
provided assistance to communities for services they do not
have the capacity to do such as grant writing and administration,
preparation of city codes, ordinances and resolutions, planning
projects, housing rehabilitation, building inspections, and other
city services.While ECIA has assisted many of our cities with
accessing funding for water and sewer utilities,the smaller cities
and unincorporated communities were struggling to access
funding.As a result, ECIA created and staffs the Eastern lowa
Regional Utility Services System (EIRU55)to address the need
for systems that would provide a quality water source or proper
disposal and treatment of wastewater. EI RU55 currently owns
and operates two water systems and three wastewater systems
and has five additional projects in various stages of development.
ECIA staff also work closely with other cities in the
region to secure USDA Rural Developmentgrants and loans
and Community Development Blockgrantsto construct new
water and wastewater systems. For example, during FY 17, ECIA
assisted the city of Spragueville with the administration of their
CDBG gra nt for their wastewater treatment facil ity.The total
project cost was$291,873 and the grant was for$81,000.
"When it became clear that our community needed to
address ourwastewatertreatmentfacility, I didn't knowwhere
to begin. Naturally, one of my first calls was to ECIA, as they have
many years of experience with these types of projects.After
talking with staff,they reassured me they would handle all the
administrative tasks for the grant program so I would not be
overwhelmed;' said Betty Portz,Spragueville City Clerk.
ECIA community development staff also conduct building
inspections for the cities of Asbury and Peosta and completed the
first year of rental property inspections in the city of Maquoketa.
Another major activity in fiscal year 2017 was assisting the City
of Dubuquewith the administration of its$31.5 million HUD
Resiliency Grant for the rehabilitation of housing and storm
sewer imprwements in the Bee Branch Watershed.
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Timber Laneswas established in 1990, in Maquoketa, lowa.
The other bowling alley in town closed, so Louie Clasen saw
an opportunity to better his family's life and to better the
community. Louie boughtfarmland east oftown and started
construction in April, and bythefirst bowling season in August,
1990TimberLaneswasopenforbusiness. Throughouttheyears,
Timber Lanes has adapted to the changing times. New synthetic
lanes were added and parts on the back machines were updated.
Softball and sand volleyball courtswere built in the backforthe
slower summer months.
After 27 years,it was time for Timber Lanes to once again
grow.The Timber Centerwas completed and opened in August
of 2017.The Timber Center is a large banquet hall that can host
events of 304500 people for weddings, anniversaries, benefits,
business meetings/conventions, and so much more.This is the
perfect complement to the recreational complex.
E.C.I.A. Business Growth, Inc. assisted the Clasens
with obtaining an SBA 504 loan to provide the financing for
the addition of the new banquet hall.The$ 1,050,000 project
included the building addition,fiMures,furniture, and refinancing
the existing debt on the property. E.C.I.A. Business Growth,
Inc. provided a loan of$367,500 for 3596 of the project costs.
Maquoketa State Bank prwided $525,000.00 of first mortgage
financing for 5096 of project costs.The business provided a 1596
down payment.
"This projectfills a need of having more event space
in Maquoketa and the surrounding area to havewedding
receptions, anniversary parties, and otherevents,while helping
a family-owned business expand. It grows the local economy and
also enhancesthe qualityof life;' commented ECIA Economic
Development staff.
From inception in 1983 through June 30, 2017,the Board
of Directors has approved 338loans.This includes 183 SBA
503/504 loans totaling $79,514,200 and 154 RLF loans totaling
$22,846,358 for a grand total of$102,360,558.With 4,036
jobs created and 1,251 retained,these loan projects have also
produced a significant amount of new propertytax revenue for
our local governments and school districts.
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ECIA's Employment and Training Department in partnership with
Northeast lowa Community College and Upper Explorerland
Regional Planning Commission administered the Department
of W bor Youth Ca reer Con nect Gra nt du ri ng FY17 to develop
new and expand existing concurrent enrollments to regional
high schools, in high demand H-1B industries.The education
and experiential learning components of the grant enable youth
participants to graduate high school and enter the workforce
with industry credentials or begin their college education with
credits already completed.5tatistics on the career pathways
forthe1,124studentsenrolledareasfollows: Advanced
Manufacturing=95; Business & Finance= 113; Health =498;
InformationTechnology= l4; Science/Technology/Engineering/
Math = 139; Other/Undecided =265.
ECIA's Employment and Training Department also assists
low-income adults, dislocated workers, and disadvantaged
youth in providingjob search assistance, connectingto training
opportunities, and securing employment.This regional
collaboration served 6,300 job seeking customers in FY17 under
Title I and Title III of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity
Act(WIOA).The following is one of the many IowaWORKS Region
1 success stories in 2017:
Tonya Millard was recognized as a 2017 lowa Job Honor
Award recipient,an initiativethat recognizes lowanswho have
overcome employment barriers. Millard was rejected after
many face-to-face interviews for reasons that were never made
clear."Therewas an elephant in the room;' said Millard,"and
that elephant was my age." ECIA Employment and Training staff,
encouraged herto tackle the issue of age head-on. "When she
embraced it and called it out,that was key,' says ECIA Staff.
Millard's neM interview was for Executive Director of Social
Services at the Dubuque YMCA/'lWCA.She was quickly hired.
Her duties include managing a victim services shelter for women.
"If businesses want the hard worker,the dedicated worker,'
says Millard, "they need to open their eyes to the experienced
worker."
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Tonya Millard,aaepting her 20171owa Job Honor Award.
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The Region 8 Regional Transit Authority(RTA)was formed in
1978 as a SOl(c)(3) non-profit organization for the purpose of
connecting the elderly, disabled,youth and low income citizens
in Delaware, Dubuque and Jackson counties to critical services
like healthcare, counseling, nutrition, childcare, education,
employment, and social venues.The RTA provides accessible,
safe, convenient, and efficient transportation for all citizens in the
cities, communities and rural areas of the RTA region to enhance
their quality of life.
The RTA received a Federal Rides to Wellness Grant in FY
17. TheRTAwastheonlygrantrecipientinthe5tateoflowato
receive a Rides to Wellness grant. Between this grant and many
community partners,the RTA has expanded their services to
address the challenges for transportation relating to healthcare
and wellness, in Delaware County.
"Myfamily is busyworking,and my social service worker
said they(the RTA)will pick you up at the farm. I said OK, I'll do
thatl They've been greatto mel" proclaimed Vernon Becker.
The RTA has prwided over 145,000 rides in the past
year,covering just shy of 420,000 miles in Delaware, Dubuque,
and Jackson Counties.The RTA provides services to over 25
communities in these three counties. Riders can access services
for medical appointments,work, school, shopping, social
activities and so much more.
"The RTA is essential to provide these services in our
community, especially to the people who do not have family
around or other arrangements for transportation;' added an ARC
staff person.
"If we didn't have public transportation,we wouldn't be
able to get places, especially things like doctors' appointments;'
concluded an ARC consumer.
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The ECIA Transportation Department worla with communities to
provide safe and efficienttransportation in the ECIA area. ECIA
staff coordinatetransportation projectswith cities and counties
through two regional committees:the Dubuque Metropolitan
Area Transportation Study(DMATS) serves communities in the
metropolitan area surroundingthe City of Dubuque, and Regional
Planning Affiliation 8(RPA 8) serves the communities in Clinton,
Delaware, Dubuque, and Jackson Counties.Through DMATS
and RPA 8, ECIA staff prepare plans and identify transportation
improvements for the development of the transportation system
in both urban and rural areas.
In rural communities, ECIAtransportation staff have been
working to help cities with populations under 5,000 complete
needed transportation projects. In FY2017, ECIAtransportation
planning staff helped facilitatethe Dubuque County Board of
Supervisors' Rural County Transportation Program (RCTP).The
RCTP helps small cites implement non-federal aid transportation
projects.The Dubuque County Board of Supervisors approved
$75,000 in local funds to distribute to small cities through a
competitive application process.The maximum annual award
amount provided by the RCTP to a city was$25,000.All municipal
governmental agencies established through State of lowa
statutes in Dubuque County were eligible to apply to the RCTP.
The City of Cascade's lst Avenue School Crossi ng Safety
Project was a successful RCTP application.The City of Cascade
will place two sets of flashing beacons at crossings near Cascade
Elementary5chool and Aquin Elementary School.The RCTP fully
funded the City's request of$7,316.The total project cost was
$14,632.
"The grant application was easyto understand and
the requirements were reasonable for a local grant program;'
explained Deanna McCusker, Cascade CityAdministrator. "ECIA
staff was great to work with when I had questions and I think it's
wonderful that there is a grant program forthe smaller cities to
applyforand notcompetewith biggercitiesthatwould have
more resources;' added McCusker.
Transportation staff are currently working to expand the
program to Clinton, Delaware, and Jackson Counties.
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In FY 17 the East Central Development Corporation, ECIA's
SOlc3 entity, began administering the Continuum of Care(CoC)
and Special Needs Assistance Program (SNAP)forthe City of
Dubuque.The CoC promotes community-wide commitment to
end homelessnesswhiletheSNAP program provides permanent
supportive housing to reduce the number of persons/households
experiencing homelessness.The focus is on safe and affordable
housing first and then provides supports to maintain housing
followed by increased opportunities for better health, integration
into the community, access to benefits and services, and
economic stability.
During the 2017 January5tate Point-In-Time count, staff
found six individuals sleeping outside. One of these people had
been outside for almost a year and was aware of shelter services,
but chose to stay outside for mental health reasons.Staff
established a trusting relationship with this person and soon was
enrolled in the SNAP program which led to permanent supportive
housing.Working closely with staff this person has reconnected
with an income source and has been able to reestablish family
relationships. Mentallllnessisaconstantstrugglethatcan
create many barriers in an individual's life. In this case, it led to
homelessness and a loss of a support system.The SNAP program
is there to support these individuals so they are able to maintain
permanent housing and connect to supportive services.
ECIA also continues its partnership with the University
of lowa's Initiative for5ustainable Communities(IISC), and
managingthe East Central Brownfields Coalition.Through the
IISC partnership, nine projects have been completed.One of
those projects was the brownfields inventory and prioritization
project in FY 17.Second year students working toward a master's
degree in Urban and Regional Planning from the University of
lowa created an Excel-based program to help inventory and
prioritize brownfields sites in communities applying to the East
Central Brownfields Coalition.The inventory tool is so useful that
ECIA staff is modifying itfor downtown revitalization inventorying
that has been identified as need by several of our communities.
15
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University of lowa Urban and Regional Planning graduate students
tour abandoned and underutilized sites in the�IA region.
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In 2013, ECIA launched its Fundraising Consulting services in
response to a need for affordable fundraising,grant writing, and
strategic planning assistance. Many small non-profit organizations
cannot afford private fundraising consultants who charge a
higher, base monthlyfee.
The Miracle League of Dubuque is a small nonprofit
organization with a vision to build a Miracle League baseball
field and all-inclusive playground for Dubuque area people
with special needs.The group contracted with ECIA in FY 17 for
fundraising and grantwriting assistance to bring this asset to area
families, like the Seays.
As a parent,all you want to do is to make wonderful
memories with your children. However,when you have a
disabled child,sometimes that can be challenging. Our younger
son is in a wheelchair and finding locations where we can
participate in typical childhood activities is difficult.What's even
more complicated is finding a play area for both our children.
From the moment we learned that people were working to bring
The M iracle League to Dubuque,we became excited."^'Steve
and Brandie5eay.
Thetotal project cost is $3.5 million, and lastfiscal year
ECIA staff interviewed 3540 community leaders fortheir input
during a feasibility study and determined thatthe campaign goal
was viable. In FY 17, nearly$850,000 was committed for this
community project.
ECIA staff also facilitated the following in FY 17: an
outside needs assessment and strategic plan forthe Clinton
County Library Association; focus groups and community
engagement sessions for the Dubuque YM/YWCA as they enter a
capital campaign to fund a new facility;grantwriting training for
the City of Clinton and forthe Community Foundation of Greater
Dubuque; and a Strategic Plan for the Clinton Fire Department.
17
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Prosperity Eastern lowa (PEI) is a four-countyeconomic
development partnership of Delaware, Dubuque,Jaclaon, and
Jones Counties and the city of DeWitt and Clinton,working
in cooperation to promote the region and expand economic
segments,to retain and createjobs. ECIA staff has managed this
initiative since its inception in 2005.A big focus that remains
for the PEI group is workforce recruitment and retention.
Workshops and trainings have been held overthe lasttwoyears
with economic development and business officials in regard to
workplace culture, multi-generation workforce, retaining and
attracting olderworkers, and succession planning.Through the
Home-Based lowa initiative and in partnership with the lowa
Economic Development Authority,the PEI group is focusing on
workforce recruitment efforts of military personnel to the region
through attending career events, specifically ones at military
bases.
Also in FY 17, because economic development and
community development go hand-in-hand, ECIA staff concluded
its third year of administering the USDA-funded ECIA Government
Training Institute(GTI).The GTI focused on increasing the capacity
of low-income communities in the ECIA region to implement
projects in the areas of housing, communityfacilities,and
community and economic development,through group training
and onron-one technical assistance.Staff facilitated 20 group
trainings with nearly 200 people attending where they learned
about: grantwriting,fundraising, economicdevelopment101,
downtown revitalization,capital improvement planning, pocket
neighborhood development, and much morel The GTI was a very
popular program, and manyof our members benefited, IikeAnita
Dalton, Finance Directorfrom the City of Clinton.
"ECIA staff came directly to us and taught a two-hourgrant
writing/learningsession-tailoredtoourspecificneeds. Wedon't
havethe budgetfora grantwriterand so each department head
is responsible forthat endeavor. Otherthan local foundations,we
didn't really know how to reach out for other grant opportunities.
ECIA staff was very thorough I We appreciated the time and
attention devoted to our specific needs."
19
Where
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■ ECIA Fund Alert (free)
■ ECIA Community Funding Guide (free)
■ (free)
■ (free)
■ (not free)
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� City of Clinton Grant Writing haining.
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Manytimes,we administer municipal projects or ECIA gets
grant funding for a project that would ultimately benefit our
communities, and we assemble staff with different areas of
expertise who work together to im plement the projects.The
SmarterTravel Study was one of those projects and FY 17 was
the final year of this threryear study,which gathered staff
from Transportation and Planning, Economic Development, and
Administration.This study involved recruiting area volunteers
to download a cell phone app in an effort to gather important
travel data within the city of Dubuque. Over 900 volunteers
participated and over S00 completed all the Study requirements
over the course of the three-year study.
SmarterTravel data helped with the next phase of
the project;STREETS,which focuses on congestion. ECIA
transportation staff are currentlyworking with the City of
Dubuque,the lowa DOT,and the Federal Highway Administration
on the initial stages of the STREETS project.The Smart Traffic
Routing with Efficient and Effective Traffic Signals(STREETS)
project will develop a smart, neM-generation,traffic management
and control system. Currently, drivers may not be aware of
alternate routes that could reduce their travel time.The STREETS
system will automatically monitortraffic. If the system detects
congestion it will reroute traffic on to less congested routes by
adjusting traffic signal timing and by providing route information
to drivers using digital message signs and mobile apps.
Another project involving department crossover in FY
17 was the Bi-State Economic Development Freight Study in
partnership with Blackhawk Hills Council of Governments and
the lowa and Illinois Departments of Transportation. ECIA staff
continued to be the lead partner on this studywhich includes
eighttotal counties in lowa and Illinois: Dubuque, Delaware,
Jaclaon and Clinton Counties in lowa; and Carroll,Jo Daviess,
Stephenson and Whiteside Counties in Illinois.A comprehensive
report will be the result of the study and will include(but not be
limitedto)thefollowing: currentandfuturefreightbottlenecla
and safety hot spots; costs/benefits of proposed solutions;
prioritization of long, medium, and short-term improvements;
and an inventory of regional freightfacilities and characteristics.
21
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View of blu8 along Mississippi River in Dubuque,lowa. �'2a,
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ECIA .
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Beth Bonz, ECIAChair, City Manager, City of Asbury
Jack Willey, ECIAViceChair, Supervisor,
Jackson County Board of Supervisors
Roy Buol, Mayor, City of Dubuque
Milt Kramer, Mayor, City of Manchester
Bill Rediger, EIRHA Chair, Commissioner, EIRHA/EIRHC
Ray Stephan, Council Member, City of Peosta
Donald Thiltgen, Mayor, City of DeWitt
Jim Vermazen, RWIB Member, Vermazen Tax Service
Brian Wagner, City Manager, City of Tipton
East Central Intergovernmental Association
7600 Commerce Park - Dubuque, IA - 52002 - www.ecia.org