Elgin Iowa Comprehensive Plan 2010 2030

CITY OF ELGIN, IOWA COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2010

Prepared by: MSA PROFESSIONAL SERVICES, INC. Project 498004

City of Elgin Mayor & Council Bill Pfister, Mayor Mike Baker, Council Member Jim Knoblach, Council Member Bob Frieden, Council Member Sarah Schori, Council Member Sara Strong, Council Member Comprehensive Planning Committee Donna Meinhard, Chair Diane Boleyn Janell Bradley Arleon Kelley Cathy Molumby John Molumby Al Seabrook Jan Seabrook Sara Strong Ivan Torkelson Bob Zurbriggen City Staff Rhonda Dales, City Clerk Tom Martin, Public Works Director Consultant Team MSA Professional Services, Inc. James M. Holz, AICP Christopher Janson Steven R. Thompson, PE R. Todd Ashby, AICP David S. Boyd, FAICP Janet Urbain

MSA Professional Services, Inc., 2010

TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ............................................................................................... 1 Introduction.......................................................................................................................... 1 Summary of the Plan ........................................................................................................... 2 Public Process ...................................................................................................................... 4 ELEMENT 1 - DEMOGRAPHICS ................................................................................. 5 1.1 Population Trends .......................................................................................................... 5 1.2 Education ....................................................................................................................... 6 1.3 Employment and Income ............................................................................................... 7 ELEMENT 2 - HOUSING ................................................................................................ 9 2.1 Existing Housing Conditions ......................................................................................... 9 2.2 Housing Constraints..................................................................................................... 12 2.3 Housing Forecasts ........................................................................................................ 13 2.4 Housing Vision Statement ........................................................................................... 14 2.5 Housing Goals and Objectives..................................................................................... 15 2.6 Housing Policies .......................................................................................................... 15 2.7 Funding Programs ........................................................................................................ 15 ELEMENT 3 - TRANSPORTATION ........................................................................... 18 3.1 Existing Transportation Facilities ................................................................................ 18 3.2 State and Regional Transportation Plans ..................................................................... 20 3.3 Transportation Issues Raised During Planning Process .............................................. 21 3.4 Future Transportation Facilities ................................................................................... 21 3.5 Transportation Vision Statement ................................................................................. 21 3.6 Transportation Goals and Objectives........................................................................... 22 3.7 Transportation Policies ................................................................................................ 22 ELEMENT 4 - UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES ............................... 24 4.1 Existing Utilities and Community Facilities Conditions ............................................. 24 4.2 Utilities and Community Facilities Vision Statement ................................................. 29 4.3 Utilities and Community Facilities Goals and Objectives ........................................... 29 4.4 Utilities and Community Facilities Policies ................................................................ 30

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ELEMENT 5 - ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS .................................................. 32 5.1 Agricultural Resources Inventory ................................................................................ 32 5.2 Natural Resources Inventory ....................................................................................... 32 5.3 Cultural Resources Inventory ...................................................................................... 35 5.4 Agricultural, Natural and Cultural Resources Vision Statement ................................. 37 5.5 Environmental Resources Goals and Objectives ......................................................... 37 5.6 Environmental Resources Policies .............................................................................. 38 ELEMENT 6 - ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT .......................................................... 40 6.1 Economic Development Existing Conditions .............................................................. 40 6.2 Major Area Employers ................................................................................................ 44 6.3 New Businesses Desired by Asbury Residents ........................................................... 45 6.4 Strengths and Weaknesses for Economic Development ............................................. 45 6.5 Opportunities for Redevelopment................................................................................ 45 6.6 Regional Programs....................................................................................................... 45 6.7 State of Iowa Economic Development Programs ........................................................ 46 6.8 Economic Development Vision Statement .................................................................. 46 6.9 Economic Development Goals and Objectives ........................................................... 46 6.10 Economic Development Policies ............................................................................... 47 ELEMENT 7 - INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION .................................. 48 7.1 Elgin’s Intergovernmental Relationships .................................................................... 48 7.2 Existing or Potential Conflicts ..................................................................................... 48 7.3 Intergovernmental Cooperation Vision Statement ...................................................... 49 7.4 Intergovernmental Cooperation Goals and Objectives ................................................ 49 7.5 Intergovernmental Cooperation Policies ..................................................................... 50 ELEMENT 8 - LAND USE ............................................................................................. 51 8.1 Existing Land Use........................................................................................................ 51 8.2 Land Use Conflicts ...................................................................................................... 52 8.3 Land Use Projections ................................................................................................... 53 8.4 Recommended Land Use Plan ..................................................................................... 53 8.5 Land Use Programs...................................................................................................... 54 ELEMENT 9 - IMPLEMENTATION ........................................................................... 55 9.1 Regulatory Measures ................................................................................................... 55 9.2 Non-regulatory Measures ............................................................................................ 58 9.3 Plan Adoption, Monitoring, Amendments and Update ........................................................ 59 LIST OF TABLES Table 1.1 Age Distribution, 1990-2000 ............................................................................... 5 Table 1.2 Population Projections, 1960-2026...................................................................... 6 Table 1.3 Educational Attainment, 2000 ............................................................................. 6 Table 1.4 Workers by Industry, 2000 .................................................................................. 7 Table 1.5 Workers by Occupation, 2000 ............................................................................. 8 Table 1.6 Median Household Income, 2000 ........................................................................ 8

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Table 2.1 Comparison of Year Structure Built, 2000 ........................................................ 10 Table 2.2 Comparison of Units in Structure, 2000 ............................................................ 10 Table 2.3 Housing Values, 2000........................................................................................ 11 Table 2.4 Housing Occupancy, 2000 ................................................................................. 11 Table 2.5 Comparison of Housing Tenure, 2000 .............................................................. 12 Table 2.6 Housing Needs Projections 2005-2025 ............................................................. 14 Table 4.1 VSD Enrollment Comparisons, 2004-2009 ....................................................... 27 Table 6.1 Employment Status, 2000 .................................................................................. 40 Table 6.2 Workforce by Industry, 2000............................................................................. 41 Table 6.3 Commuting to Work, 2000 ................................................................................ 43 Table 6.4 Region 1 Occupational Projections 2000-2010 ................................................. 43 Table 6.5 Major Area Employers ...................................................................................... 44 Table 8.1 Land Cover by Use ............................................................................................ 51 Table 8.2 Changes in Housing Units, 1990-2000 .............................................................. 52 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 5.1 Average Precipitation ....................................................................................... 33 Figure 6.1 Fayette County/West Union Laborshed Area .................................................. 42 LIST OF MAPS Map 1-1 Regional Context Map 3-1 Transportation Facilities Map 3-2 Future Transportation Facilities Map 4-1 Jurisdictions Map 4-2 Community Facilities Map 4-3 Sanitary Sewer System Map 4-4 Water System Map 4-5 Storm Sewer System Map 5-1 Soils Map Map 5-2 Environmental Limitations Map 8-1 Existing Land Use Map 8-2 Future Land Use APPENDICES A. Iowa Living Roadways Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study B. State of Iowa Economic Development Programs C. City of Elgin Adoption Resolution

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Adoption & Amendments # 1.

Resolution or Ordinance Number 2010-08

Date April 5, 2010

Action Adoption by City Council

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Executive Summary INTRODUCTION Why Plan?

There are really two reasons why communities, such as Elgin, engage in the process of planning. The easiest answer is because the Iowa Code (Title IX, Chapter 414) requires cities that desire to implement zoning powers must have a comprehensive plan. Chapter 414.3 reads as follows: “The regulations [zoning code] shall be made in accordance with a comprehensive plan and designed to preserve the availability of agricultural land; to consider the protection of soil from wind and water erosion; to encourage efficient urban development patterns; to lessen congestion in the street; to secure safety from fire, flood, panic, and other dangers; to promote health and the general welfare; to provide adequate light and air; to prevent the overcrowding of land; to avoid undue concentration of population; to promote the conservation of energy resources; to promote reasonable access to solar energy; and to facilitate the adequate provision of transportation, water, sewerage, schools, parks, and other public requirements.”

While the above provide a legal foundation for the practice of comprehensive planning, the folk wisdom of baseball legend Yogi Berra provides the other reason (see inset): communities that engage in a proactive, forward-oriented planning process are simply better prepared to deal with the future on their own terms. Communities that engage in long-range planning programs on a regular basis are prepared to control their own destiny by managing the costs to provide public services based on anticipated revenues (i.e., tax base). Through the planning process, communities are able to address issues of consistency (i.e., the idea that the supply of and demand for public services are balanced) and concurrency (i.e., the idea that when growth occurs the infrastructure necessary to support it is already in place). In essence, it is the process of planning that allows communities to decide what type of place they want to be, to articulate that vision to the rest of the world, and to steer the community towards that version.

“You got to be careful if you don’t know where you’re going, because you might not get there.”

– Yogi Berra

How We See Elgin The purpose of this plan is to set the “direction” of Elgin for the next twenty years. This plan is intended to help Elgin maintain and sustain its general goal of being a high quality community where people live, learn, grow, work and play – the kind of place that people want to call “home”. Elgin wants a community that offers a range of housing opportunities so that the City can welcome new families and accommodate our older residents; we want a community that values nature and open space; we want a safe and caring community where we know our neighbors; we want high levels of services provided efficiently and cost-effectively; and we want a range of businesses and services that are conveniently located and meet our daily needs.

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SUMMARY OF THE PLAN The Iowa State University Extension Service provides a general definition of a community’s comprehensive plan as “a comprehensive long-range plan intended to guide growth and development of a community or region and one that includes analysis, recommendation, and proposal for the community’s population, economy, housing, transportation, community facilities, and land use.” This document was produced to meet and exceed this definition.

The City of Elgin Comprehensive Plan provides current baseline information; issue identification; goals and objectives formulation; and recommendations for the City of Elgin as it plans for the next two decades. This document is organized around nine basic elements – Demographics, Housing, Transportation, Utilities and Community Facilities, Environmental Conditions, Economic Development, Intergovernmental Cooperation, Land Use, and Implementation. Work on these elements was completed with the assistance of City Staff and with input from the Comprehensive Planning Committee. The Comprehensive Planning Committee consisted of the Elgin 2023 Vision Steering Committee. This group includes representatives of key stakeholder groups within the community. Conceptually, the Committee members work together as a “hub”, while providing “spokes” to the greater community.

Through formal and informal communications the Committee members serve as conduits to their respective organizations and neighbors, testing ideas and bringing results back to the table for discussion. In addition, three public events were held at key points throughout the process and the project was routinely covered in the local newspaper, The Elgin Echo and on the City’s project website: http://elgin.msa.eng.pro.

Element Guide Each element of the Elgin Comprehensive Plan includes baseline information gathered from primary (City of Elgin, Fayette County, etc.) and secondary (2000 Census, etc.) sources. In general, each element also includes a vision statement and a set of goals, objectives, and policies. For each element, a series of recommendations has been determined for action in achieving the visions and goals identified through the planning process. This section defines vision statements, goals and objectives, policies, and recommendations as follows: Vision Statement: A vision statement is a short paragraph that identifies the preferred end state, or future condition, for each element within the comprehensive plan. The statement is written in present tense and describes an ideal future condition.

Goal: A goal is a statement that describes what should happen to improve an existing condition. The statement is written in general terms and offers a desired condition.

Objective: An objective is a statement that identifies a course of action to achieve a goal. An objective states what should be done to address an issue.

Policy: A policy is a general course of action or rule of conduct that should be followed in order to achieve the goals and objectives of the plan. Policies are written as actions that can be implemented, or as general rules to be followed by decision-makers.

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Recommendations: A recommendation is a specific action step that should be taken to realize a future vision. The recommendations have been consolidated into an Action Plan (Table 9.4) located in the Implementation Element. Each recommendation is assigned a person or group responsible, and a target date, for execution of that recommendation.

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PUBLIC PROCESS Comprehensive Planning Committee Meetings A series of Comprehensive Planning Committee Meetings were held to determine implementation strategies, review draft plans and provide guidance on plan recommendations.

All meetings were adequately noticed and open to the public. Meeting agendas were included on the Elgin Comprehensive Plan Project Website, as well as in the Elgin Echo Newspaper.

Open House/Public Meetings There were two Public Meetings held during the planning process. The first was the “kick-off” meeting, held on March 19, 2009. The purpose of this meeting was to educate the public about comprehensive planning and the process the City was going to use for their Plan. This portion of the meeting included a formal presentation. In addition, a review of the previously completed visioning exercises completed by the Elgin 2023 Committee was undertaken to confirm and expand on those ideas. A “Sticky Wall” was utilized to organize thoughts and ideas through a “World Café” information gathering format.

The second public meeting was held on January 21, 2010 in an “open house” format. The purpose of an open house is to provide an informal opportunity for the community residents to view plan maps and other illustrations and talk with consultants and plan committee members about the recommended plan generally over an extended period of time. This format allows the public to attend and participate based on their personal schedules.

Public Hearings A public hearing was held on April 5, 2010 before the City Council regarding adoption of the comprehensive plan. The purpose of the hearing was to present the final plan document, entertain comments, and adopt the plan.

Other Opportunities for Public Input All residents, local business owners, and individuals concerned about the future of Elgin have had the opportunity to submit comments on the comprehensive plan at any point in time. A project website was set up to provide the public with updates, maps, meeting agendas and information on opportunities to provide additional input. Email addresses and phone numbers were provided on the project website, as well, if citizens wanted to contact project staff directly.

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Element 1

DEMOGRAPHICS 1.1 POPULATION TRENDS 1.1.1 Age Distribution The City of Elgin’s population decreased 6 percent (39 people) between 1990 and 2000. The greatest decrease in population by age cohort is for individuals 25-34 years of age with a 42 percent decrease between decades. Comparing the City and County to the State, it is evident that both see a much higher percentage of elderly than the State. However, the percent change shows that both are getting younger, with the City much further ahead than the County. The number of individuals at or below the age of 19 and those of the ages to be the parents of those individuals (35-44) has increased substantially within the City compared to both the County and State. The increase in child-rearing aged individuals is a good indicator that younger families are moving into the City. On the flip side, the number of college aged and newcomers to the workforce has substantially decreased. See Table 1.1 Table 1.1: City of Elgin Age Distribution, 1990-2000 1990 Age in Years

City of Elgin

Fayette Co.

Number Percent

Percent

Under 5 years

33

5.2%

2000 Iowa

City of Elgin

Percent Number Percent

Percent Change 1990-2000

Fayette Co.

Iowa

City of Elgin

Fayette Co.

Iowa

Percent

Percent

Change

Change

Change

6.8%

7.0%

38

5.6%

6.0%

6.4%

15.2%

-12.1%

-2.5%

5 to 9 years

39

6.1%

7.8%

7.5%

36

5.3%

7.0%

6.9%

-7.7%

-8.5%

-3.2%

10 to 14 years

34

5.3%

7.5%

7.4%

37

5.5%

7.1%

7.2%

8.8%

-5.3%

3.1%

15 to 19 years

28

4.4%

6.8%

7.2%

46

6.8%

7.7%

7.7%

64.3%

14.1%

13.5%

20 to 24 years

26

4.1%

5.4%

7.1%

19

2.8%

2.6%

7.0%

-26.9%

-52.2%

3.7%

25 to 34 years

94

14.8%

13.6%

15.4%

55

8.1%

10.3%

12.4%

-41.5%

-24.0%

-15.3%

35 to 44 years

69

10.8%

13.0%

14.2%

101

14.9%

14.7%

15.2%

46.4%

13.5%

12.6%

45 to 54 years

56

8.8%

9.9%

9.9%

72

10.7%

12.6%

13.4%

28.6%

28.2%

43.1%

55 to 59 years

31

4.9%

5.0%

4.4%

26

3.8%

5.1%

4.8%

-16.1%

3.3%

13.7%

60 to 64 years

29

4.6%

5.0%

4.6%

35

5.2%

4.7%

4.0%

20.1%

-4.2%

-7.1%

65 to 74 years

89

14.0%

10.0%

8.2%

79

11.7%

9.0%

7.2%

-11.2%

-9.0%

-6.6%

75 to 84 years

81

12.7%

6.7%

5.2%

86

12.7%

7.1%

5.4%

6.2%

7.1%

10.6%

85 years and over

28

4.4%

2.5%

2.0%

32

4.7%

2.9%

2.2%

14.3%

18.7%

17.8%

6.1%

0.8%

5.4%

Total Population

637

676

1990,2000 Census, SF-1

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1.1.2 Population Projections The following population projections are based on information from the City of Elgin Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Evaluation (2007). The projections are based on historic trends. An annual growth rate of 0.50% was determined by conservatively observing annual growth rate since 1960. By this estimation, the population will increase by 69 people for a total population of 725 people in 2026. The implications of these figures are that Elgin’s population will remain rather steady.

Table 1.2: Population Projections 2026 Year

Historical Census Population

1960

644

1970

613

Growth Rate, Percentage

Population Projections

-0.48%

1980

702

1.45%

1990

637

-0.93%

2000

676

6.1%

2006

656 (est)

-0.61% (est)

2016

0.50% (est)

690

2026

0.50% (est)

725

Source: Elgin Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Evaluation, 2007; 2006 population estimate

1.2 EDUCATION As shown in Table 1.3, 79 percent of Elgin residents over the age of 25 have an educational attainment of a high school degree or higher. Almost 13 percent have a bachelor’s degree or higher.

Table 1.3: Educational Attainment, 2000

Population 25 years and over Less than 9th grade

City of Elgin

Fayette County

Iowa

Number Percent

Percent

Percent

2.4%

5.6

443

100%

27

6.1%

9th to 12th grade, no diploma

31

7.0%

7.1%

8.3

High school graduate (includes equivalency)

159

35.9%

47.5%

36.1

Some college, no degree

110

24.8%

21.5%

21.4

Associate degree

25

5.6%

8.1%

7.4

Bachelor's degree

44

9.9%

10.9%

14.7

Graduate or professional degree

12

2.7%

4.1%

6.5

Percent high school graduate or higher

(X)

79.0%

92.1%

86.1

Percent bachelor's degree or higher

(X)

12.6%

15.0%

21.2

2000 Census, SF-3

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1.3 EMPLOYMENT AND INCOME Table 1.4 lists employed residents over age 16 by industry. Approximately 17 percent of the residents (52) are employed in the Retail Trade industry. An additional 17 percent of residents (51) are employed in the Educational, health and social services industry. Comparatively, Elgin is very different from Fayette County and the State of Iowa overall. Elgin has a much higher percentage of workers employed in the Retail and Wholesale Trade industries, as well as the Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management industries.

Table 1.4: Workers by Industry, 2000 Fayette County

Iowa

Number

City of Elgin Percent

Percent

Percent

Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining

18

5.8%

12.3%

4.4%

Construction

14

4.5%

6.3%

6.2%

Manufacturing

34

11.0%

17.6%

17.0%

Wholesale trade

30

9.7%

3.9%

3.6%

Retail trade

52

16.9%

11.4%

12.0%

Transportation and warehousing, and utilities

12

3.9%

4.5%

4.9%

Information Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services

6

1.9%

1.7%

2.8%

25

8.1%

4.5%

6.7%

37

12.0%

4.4%

6.1%

Educational, health, and social services

51

16.6%

20.5%

21.8%

Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services

11

3.6%

5.6%

6.6%

Other services (except public administration)

14

4.5%

4.1%

4.4%

Public administration

4

1.3%

3.0%

3.4%

308

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

Employed civilian population 16 years and over 2000 Census, SF-3

Table 1.5 lists employed residents over the age of 16 by occupation. The largest percentage of residents (30.5%), are employed in Sales and Office occupations. Management, Professional, and Related occupations employ 92 workers (29.9%). Elgin contains a greater percentage of sales and office workers than the County or State overall.

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Table 1.5: Workers by Occupation, 2000 City of Elgin

Fayette County

Iowa

Number Percent Percent Percent Management, professional, and related

92

29.9%

29.3%

31.3%

Services

41

13.3%

13.6%

14.8%

Sales and office

94

30.5%

23.0%

25.9%

Farming, fishing, and forestry

2

0.6%

2.7%

1.1%

Construction, extraction, and maintenance

33

10.7%

9.0%

8.9%

Production, transportation, and material moving

46

14.9%

22.4%

18.1%

308

100%

Employed civilian population 16 years and over 2000 Census, SF-3

Median household income for the City of Elgin was $28,833 in 2000. This is considerably lower than both the County and State’s median household income levels. This is likely due to the high percentage of elderly in Elgin, as they would most likely be on fixed retirement income. See Table 1.6 below.

Table 1.6: Median Household Income, 2000

Households

Elgin

Fayette County

State of Iowa

Number Percent

Percent

Percent

302

100.0%

Less than $10,000

47

15.6%

11.0%

8.2%

$10,000 to $14,999

35

11.6%

8.7%

6.7%

$15,000 to $24,999

50

16.6%

18.1%

14.4%

$25,000 to $34,999

41

13.6%

15.5%

14.7%

$35,000 to $49,999

62

20.5%

20.2%

19.0%

$50,000 to $74,999

52

17.2%

$75,000 to $99,999

9

3.0%

17.8% 4.9%

21.0% 8.8%

$100,000 to $149,999

4

1.3%

2.2%

4.9%

$150,000 to $199,999

0

0.0%

0.5%

1.1%

$200,000 or more

2

0.7%

1.1%

1.3%

$28,833

(X)

$32,453

$39,469

Median household income (dollars) 2000 Census, SF-3

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Element 2

HOUSING This element provides a baseline assessment of Elgin’s current housing stock. The housing characteristics of a community are an important element of a comprehensive plan. In Elgin, as elsewhere in the nation, housing is one of the most important elements in the community. It is the single largest purchase made by a majority of households. It not only provides shelter, but also provides a link to the neighborhood and to the larger community.

A community’s housing stock is its largest long-term capital asset. It is a major partner in the economic life of the community both as a consumer of goods and services and as a producer of dwelling units, jobs, and income. Residential development is the predominant use of urban land in most communities.

At the national and state level, as well as locally, lack of affordable housing is reaching a critical stage. Many low-to-moderate income households cannot afford adequate housing or find their incomes are insufficient to pay housing costs and buy other necessities. Many firsttime homebuyers either cannot afford the down payment or cannot qualify for a conventional loan for home purchase.

The development of a strategic housing plan is very important for communities wishing to grow. Communities without a housing plan may have difficulty meeting the housing demand, attracting workers, or creating a demand in the case of communities whose populations have stagnated.

The purpose of the housing element is to identify housing supply and demands, document existing housing conditions, and provide a guide to meet those demands and improve existing conditions.

2.1 EXISTING HOUSING CONDITIONS A 2008 windshield survey conducted by staff from Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission on behalf of the Fayette County Local Housing Trust Fund identified a little over 14% (50 of 349) of the homes in Elgin as requiring at least one major repair to the home. The survey considered a major repair as the need to replace the roof, windows, siding, or foundation.

2.1.1 Housing Stock Characteristics Table 2.1 shows a comparison of Elgin, Fayette County, and the State of Iowa for age of housing units as of March 2000. The City of Elgin has older housing stock than the State, but relatively newer housing than the County, as a whole. The majority of housing stock in the City, County and State were built prior to 1940. From 1970 to 1994, Elgin’s housing

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construction outpaced that of the County and was very similar to that of the State. Since 1994, the City has lagged behind both the County and State.

Table 2.1: Comparison of Year Structure Built, 2000 City of Elgin

Fayette County

Iowa

Number Percent

Percent

Percent

1999 to March 2000

2

0.6%

1.2%

1.9%

1995 to 1998

9

2.6%

3.3%

5.4%

1990 to 1994

23

6.7%

2.7%

5.0%

1980 to 1989

26

7.6%

5.6%

8.0%

1970 to 1979

52

15.2%

12.2%

16.8%

1960 to 1969

23

6.7%

9.8%

11.8%

1940 to 1959

57

16.7%

19.1%

19.5%

1939 or earlier

149

43.7%

46.1%

31.6%

Total housing units

341

100.0%

100.0%

100.0%

2000 Census, SF-3

Table 2.2 shows a comparison of Elgin, Fayette County, and Iowa for number of units by structure type. As indicated, the City of Elgin has a higher percentage of 1-unit detached homes (77.1%) than the State. The City also has a much higher percentage (9.1%) of mobile homes than that of either the County or State.

Table 2.2: Comparison of Units in Structure, 2000 City of Elgin

Fayette County

Iowa

Number

Percent

Percent

Percent

1-unit, detached

263

77.1%

84.0%

74.0%

1-unit, attached

--

--

0.9%

2.3%

2 units

15

4.4%

3.3%

3.2%

3 or 4 units

25

7.3%

4.1%

3.9%

5 to 9 units

7

2.1%

2.2%

3.7%

10 to 19 units

--

--

0.6%

3.1%

20 or more units

--

--

0.7%

4.6%

Mobile home

31

9.1%

4.2%

5.3%

341

100.0

Total housing units 2000 Census, SF-3

About 93% of the housing in the City falls below $100,000 in value. In 2000, the median value for a home in the City was $58,800. This compares to $82,500 for the State of Iowa during the same period. By category, most homes in Elgin range in value from $50,000 to $99,000, with almost 52 percent falling into this range. Only 2 homes were valued above $150,000. See Table 2.3 below. According to Homefinder.com, the median selling price for single-family homes in the City of Elgin was $55,000 in the calendar year 2006.

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Looking at the City of Elgin’s building permits; the average cost of new homes being constructed since 2004 is $75,000.

Table 2.3: Housing Values, 2000 Number

Percent

Less than $50,000

83

41.3%

$50,000 to $99,999

104

51.7%

$100,000 to $149,000

12

6.0%

$150,000 to $199,999

2

1.0%

0

0.0%

$200,000 or more Median (dollars)

$58,800

2000 Census, SF-3

According to the 2000 Census, the median mortgage cost for homeowners within the City of Elgin was $437 per month. This compares to $393 for Fayette County during the same period.

In terms of renting, the median gross rent for city residents was $298 per month in 2000, compared with $360 Fayette County.

2.1.2 Occupancy Characteristics According to the 2000 Census, the City of Elgin had 349 total housing units. Of these, 94% were occupied at the time of the Census. There were 22 vacant housing units. See Table 2.4.

Table 2.4: Housing Occupancy, 2000 Number Percent Total Housing Units

349

100.0

Occupied Housing Units

327

93.7%

22

6.3%

Vacant Housing Units Homeowner Vacancy rate (percent)

0.4%

Rental Vacancy rate (percent)

6.1%

2000 Census, SF-1

2.1.3 Housing Tenure The City had 327 occupied housing units in 2000. Owner-occupied units accounted for 72% and renter-occupied units for 28%. The percentage of owner-occupied is much lower for the City than the County, but very similar to the State. The average household size for owneroccupied units was 2.20 and 1.73 for renter-occupied units. See Table 2.5.

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Table 2.5: Comparison of Housing Tenure, 2000 City of Elgin Number

Percent

Occupied Housing Units

327

100.0%

Owner-occupied housing units

235

Renter-occupied housing units

92

Fayette County

Iowa

Percent

Percent

71.9%

75.7%

72.3%

28.1%

24.3%

27.7%

Average household size (owner-occupied)

2.20

2.46

2.57

Average household size (renter-occupied)

1.73

2.26

2.15

2000 Census, SF-1

2.1.4 Special Needs Housing The availability of affordable, quality housing is an important factor in a community’s ability to retain, expand, or develop a healthy economy. As a cross-section of a typical community will portray a variety of social classes, a community’s housing stock must also provide a variety of living environments from subsidized low-income units to upscale condominiums and singlefamily residences. Housing must be made available for the low-to-moderate income, the firsttime homebuyer, those wishing to progress upwards, and those wishing to enter, or retire in the community.

Elgin appears to have a large percentage of affordable homes. It also seems to have an unusually high number of renter-occupied housing units for a community the size of Elgin. In addition, the average household size in Elgin is smaller than both the County and State.

The high elderly population and small average household size may suggest the need for elderly housing, which could free up some of the larger, affordable homes within the City.

2.2 HOUSING CONSTRAINTS 2.2.1 Infrastructure Constraints Prior to any new residential development, it must be determined if the development can be serviced by the City’s infrastructure system. When utilities are not readily accessible, costs for development increase dramatically, thereby increasing lot costs.

Elgin is served by a municipal sanitary sewer system. The City is in the process of making improvements to the system, including the upgrade of its wastewater treatment facility and three lift stations. These improvements will allow for future development and will increase the City’s capacity for the growth projected for the next twenty years.

Another infrastructure constraint to development is the provision of water service. The City is served by a municipal water system. The City is currently planning improvements to the water system, including some water main looping, a new well, and replacement of small diameter mains with larger mains. This will improve the water quality, fire protection and ability to provide water service for future development.

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2.2.2 Land Availability Elgin has a large amount of open space and agricultural lands within the corporate boundary and within its two-mile extraterritorial area. Land is available for various types of development.

2.2.3 Financial Barriers There are many financial barriers to improving and expanding the existing housing stock. They include barriers to home ownership, development costs and rate of return of new subdivisions and capital to rehabilitate existing housing.

The most common financial barriers to home ownership are the lack of a down payment, credit history, personal debt level, and job stability. In the Elgin area, bank down payment requirements can generally be as low as 5% of the purchase price or appraisal price, whichever is less. Amortization schedules can be as long as 30 years, with the normal period being 20 years. Current interest rates for a 30-year fixed-rate mortgage are between 5.0% and 5.25% (spring 2009). Private mortgage insurance is required when loan to value is greater than 80%.

Currently in the Elgin area, bank denial rates on mortgages are approximately 1%. The local banks are only providing 30-year fixed-rate mortgages through the secondary market. Loans serviced locally are typically a 20-year adjustable rate mortgage and those rates are currently between 6.75% and 7.25% (spring 2009).

Lack of discretionary income is the primary financial barrier to making “major� repairs to owner and renter-occupied housing. Most households and landlords can afford to make small repairs and cosmetic improvements because they are often capable of performing the work themselves. However, the cost of hiring someone to replace a roof, update the electrical system, install new windows or install new siding is often cost prohibitive to low-to-moderate income (LMI) households.

2.2.4 Local Contractor and Developer Capacity There are a number of contractors and developers in the Elgin area. Contractor and developer capacity does not restrict the amount or expediency of development taking place in Elgin.

Right now the economy is what is holding back development.

2.3 HOUSING FORECASTS Table 2.6 shows housing projections based on population estimates from the City of Elgin Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Evaluation (2007), current estimates of total housing units, and census estimates for tenure. As indicated, the total number of housing units is expected to increase with corresponding population increases. For this forecast, the number of units required will increase proportionally to the increase in population.

Based on the population projections, over the next twenty years, Elgin is likely to grow by only 4 housing units. This equates to approximately 1 unit every 5 years if household size remains relatively constant. An estimate of total units by tenure is also provided. It should be noted

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that major land use decisions, such as annexations and subdivision approvals, could dramatically affect these projections.

Although there appear to be enough housing units for the projected population, not all of those units would be considered in good condition. Therefore, rehabilitation will be necessary to meet the housing demand.

Table 2.6: Housing Needs Projections 2005-2025 Year Total Housing Units Tenure

2005

2010

2015

2020

2025

347

348

349

350

351

Own Rent Own Rent Own Rent Own Rent Own Rent 235

92

236

92

236

93

237

93

237

94

Based on population estimates from the 2007 Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Evaluation, 2005 housing unit estimate, Census 2000 housing tenure

2.4 HOUSING VISION STATEMENT

The City has an adequate supply of housing units for all incomes and lifestyles. Older homes have been rehabilitated and vacant dilapidated homes have been demolished.

Local developers are meeting the housing demand and the City continues its support and cooperation with developers in order to provide the housing necessary to meet future population projections.

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2.5 HOUSING GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 2.5.1 Goal: Removal of Dilapidated Structures Objectives:  Identify the owners of existing dilapidated structures and contact them as to their intended use of the structure.  Work with the owner to determine an affordable means of removing the structure.

2.5.2 Goal: Implement a Housing Rehabilitation Program Objective:  Work with the Fayette County Local Housing Trust Fund.  Apply to various housing programs for grant funding to assist property owners with the rehabilitation of their housing units.  Continue and possibly expand the City’s sidewalk assistance program.

2.5.3 Goal: Continue to provide appropriate infrastructure and services to neighborhoods.

Objective:  Continue improvements in water, waste, and storm water facilities.  Continue appropriate levels of service to maintain public parks and open spaces.  Create an ongoing street maintenance program.

2.5.4 Goal: Encourage property owners to maintain their property.

Objective:  Develop programs and incentives that encourage property owners to improve the appearance and maintain the appearance of their property.

2.6 HOUSING POLICIES 2.6.1 Elgin will encourage the rehabilitation, development and adaptive reuse of appropriate levels and styles of housing.

2.7 FUNDING PROGRAMS 2.7.1 Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) Housing Fund The Housing Fund can be used for the following: Rehabilitation: The Housing Fund can be used to rehabilitate both rental and owneroccupied homes. Moderate levels of rehabilitation can be a cost-effective development strategy for maintaining a supply of affordable housing.

New Construction: New construction of rental housing is an eligible use of HOME funds in all areas of the State. Newly constructed units must remain affordable to low-income households for 20 years.

Assistance to Homebuyers: The Housing Fund can be used to assist eligible homebuyers in financing the purchase of a home. This activity can be combined with housing rehabilitation.

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Assistance to Tenants: The Housing Fund can be used to provide tenant-based rental assistance. The Tenant Assistance program must give preference to those on the waiting list of public housing. The assistance is for a maximum of two years.

Administrative Costs: The Housing Fund can be used for project administration costs.

For more information visit http://www.iowalifechanging.com/community/housing/housing.html 2.7.2 Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines – Affordable Housing Program (AHP) The AHP Program can provide grant assistance for a variety housing programs, is very similar to the Housing Fund Program, and often used in conjunction with the Housing Fund. For more information visit http://www.fhlbdm.com/ci_ahp.htm 2.7.3 Iowa Finance Authority (IFA) IFA has a number of housing programs to assist with a variety of housing needs, including: FirstHome (IFA's First-time Homebuyer Program) may be used to finance mortgages on new and existing single family homes, including condominium units, modular and manufactured homes with permanent foundations on owned land or on rented land with a long term lease. Contact a participating lender for details.

Affordable Assisted Living Program Affordable assisted living in its simplest terms is what people can afford. In Iowa, over fifty percent of the elderly cannot afford what is available on the assisted living market.

The Iowa Coming Home program is dedicated to promoting the availability of assisted living options for people at or below 50 percent of the area median income.

OurHome Rehabilitation Program Provides low-interest loans to housing organizations that can use the funds to create or supplement their own single-family rehabilitation program.

NewHome Construction Program This program makes loans available for various entities to construct new single-family homes in Iowa communities.

Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program The Tax Reform Act of 1986 created the tax credit as an incentive for Low Income Housing Tax Credit ("LIHTC") project owners to invest in the development of rental housing for individuals and families with fixed or limited incomes. The tax credit, rather than a direct federal subsidy, provides a dollar for dollar reduction (or credit) to offset an owner's federal tax liability on ordinary income. Tax credit interest may be syndicated or sold to generate equity for the developments, thus reducing the necessary mortgage financing and providing more affordable terms. The tax credit frequently provides the last critical element to ensure the financial feasibility of the project.

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State Housing Trust Fund Local Housing Trust Fund Program: The goal of this program is to provide financial assistance to local housing trust funds in order that they might provide additional affordable single family or rental housing (production or rehabilitation), infrastructure, transitional housing, homeless shelters and capacity building, or other purposes that further the goals of the Fund. The local trust fund must have a local governing board recognized by the city, county, councils of governments or regional officials, as the board responsible for coordinating local housing programs. In addition, the organization must have sufficient administrative capacity and the experience necessary to successfully plan and execute the proposed activities in a timely manner and be able to demonstrate collaboration and/or networking with and support from local private and public entities. As part of the approval process, the local housing trust fund applicant must have a Housing Assistance Plan (HAP) approved by IFA. The HAP will include such information as: geographic area, housing needs and gaps in housing needs.

Project-Based Housing Program: The goal of this program is to assist in funding the development and preservation of affordable single and multi-family housing units. Owner occupied rehabilitation is not eligible under this program. The housing must be affordable to Low-Income People. Eligible applicants are cities and counties; non-profit and for-profit housing development organizations; recognized neighborhood associations; economic development organizations; homeless services providers; transitional housing providers and domestic violence shelters that are not served by a Local Housing Trust Fund.

For more information on IFA’s housing programs visit: http://www.ifahome.com/HousingPrograms.asp 2.7.4 City of Elgin Sidewalk Program The City will assist property owners with the replacement of sidewalk through a grant up to $250.

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Element 3

TRANSPORTATION This element includes a compilation of background information, visions, goals, objectives, policies, maps, and recommendations to guide the future development and maintenance of various modes of transportation in the City of Elgin.

3.1 EXISTING TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES 3.1.1 Street Network Functional Classification Map 3-1 “Transportation Facilities” generally illustrates the City’s road system based on the National Functional Classification (NFC) scheme. The NFC represents a balanced continuum between roads that provide “access” (to land uses) and “mobility” (between land uses and communities). The NFC is maintained by the Federal Highway Administration with support from the individual states and based on input through the regional planning process. The road system in Elgin contains three major collector streets – Main Street (CTH B64), Mill Avenue (CTH W51), Cedar Road (CTH W51) and Canoe Road (CTH W51). In addition, Mill Street (CTH W55) is a minor collector street. These roads function to carry traffic to local neighborhoods and to areas outside the community. The rest of the roads within the City of Elgin are considered local roads and are primarily residential streets.

Principal arterials are at the top of the NFC hierarchical system. Principal arterials generally carry long distance, through-travel movements. They also provide access to important traffic generators, such as major airports or regional shopping centers.

EXAMPLES: Interstate and other freeways, other state routes between large cities, important surface streets in large cities.

Minor arterials are similar in function to principal arterials, except they carry trips of shorter distance and to lesser traffic generators. EXAMPLES: State routes between smaller cities, surface streets of medium importance in large cities, important surface streets in smaller cities.

Collectors tend to provide more access to property than arterials. Collectors also funnel traffic from residential or rural areas to arterials. EXAMPLES: County, farm-to-market roads, various connecting streets in large and small cities.

Local roads primarily provide access to property. EXAMPLES: Residential streets, lightly traveled county roads.

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3.1.2 Transit Service The Northeast Iowa Community Action Transit is the designated Regional Public Transit System that serves the City of Elgin. Their service territory includes the seven counties of Allamakee, Bremer, Chickasaw, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek. They have a fleet of 45 vehicles with over half being ADA Handicapped Accessible.

Transit services are available to anyone of any age who is in need of transportation. NICAC Transit provides in-town trips to meal sites, jobs, classrooms, hospitals, clinics and shopping.

For more information on services, schedules or to arrange a ride, call their toll-free number: 1-866.382.4259.

3.1.3 Rail Road Service While Elgin does not have direct rail service, there is significant access to rail freight facilities within the region. The regional system includes the Iowa, Chicago & Eastern Railroad Corporation (ICE) that currently operates the rail line along the Mississippi River from Muscatine to Minnesota and the line from Marquette to Sanborn in the western portion of the State; the Chicago, Central and Pacific Railroad Company (CC) operates the line from Illinois through Dubuque to Waterloo, and the line from Waterloo to the Minnesota border; the D&W Railroad, Inc. that operates the line from Oelwein to Waterloo; and the Iowa Northern Railway Company that has track rights on the D&W line from Oelwein to Waterloo.

The nearest Amtrak passenger rail service is located in Winona, MN along a route from the Twin Cities to Chicago. The only Amtrak service in Iowa is located near the border with Missouri running from Burlington through Council Bluffs.

3.1.4 Aviation Service The nearest General Aviation airports to Elgin are located in West Union and Elkader. The George L. Scott Municipal Airport in West Union is located approximately 15 miles to the west of Elgin and has a 4,248’ paved runway. The Elkader Airport is located approximately 15 miles to the southeast of Elgin and has a 1,705’ turf runway.

The nearest Commercial Service Airports are the Waterloo Regional Airport, located approximately an hour to the west and the Dubuque Regional Airport, located approximately an hour and a half to the southeast. Waterloo is served by Northwest Airlines and Dubuque is served by American Eagle.

3.1.5 Pedestrian and Bicycle Transportation Pedestrian travel through the City is generally accommodated on sidewalks. Bicycles are restricted to roadways in most locations and are subject to automobile signage and roadway regulations.

3.1.6 State and County Highways The City of Elgin has the benefit of direct access to the regional highway system. Three county highways; B64, which runs from Gunder to the east to West Union to the west; W51, which runs north-south from Clermont to Arlington and provides access to US Highway 18 at

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Clermont and State Highways 56 and 187 to the south; and W55, which runs from Elgin, south to State Highway 56.

3.2 STATE AND REGIONAL TRANSPORTATION PLANS 3.2.1 Iowa Transportation Plan (1997) Iowa’s statewide transportation plan was adopted as part of the Iowa in Motion initiative to address Iowa’s changing transportation needs. It is an intermodal transportation plan, which addresses the modes of aviation, bicycle and pedestrian, intermodal, pipeline, rail, transit, waterway, and highway travel. The plan includes the balance of four main touchstones: safety, preservation, economic development, and efficiency. The recommendations contained in the plan are advisory and should be reviewed periodically by Elgin officials. The Iowa Department of Transportation is currently initiating an update to this plan, Planning Ahead, and is soliciting input through the following address: Iowa.Motion@dot.iowa.gov 3.2.2 Iowa Rail System Plan The Iowa Rail System Plan details the state's role in providing and preserving adequate, safe, and efficient rail transportation services to Iowans. It is intended to serve as a guide for decision-makers. The plan provides a basis for future department policy, funding priorities, and programming decisions that affect rail transportation service in Iowa. http://www.iowadot.gov/railplan/default.htm 3.2.3 Iowa Trails 2000 Iowa Trails 2000, a Statewide Recreational Trails Plan, provides an array of resources that can be used by state agencies and local and regional governments during trail planning and implementation. Iowa Trails 2000 is a resource document designed to assist all trail developers in achieving the vision of an interconnected, multi-modal, easily accessible statewide trails system. Iowa Trails 2000:  Provides a framework for the implementation of the statewide trails vision.  Sets forth guidance for subsequent trails system planning by a variety of agencies and jurisdictions.  Offers valuable resources to trail developers, which can be used to implement either mode-specific or regional trails plans.  Provides local communities an understanding of the benefits of trails, a valuable tool for local trail planning and development efforts.  Establishes design guidelines for all trail modes, to encourage consistency in quality and design of trails statewide.  Considers the benefits of trails as both recreation and transportation amenities. http://www.iowadot.gov/iowabikes/trails/ 3.2.4 Iowa’s Mississippi River Trail Plan (MRT) The Mississippi River Trail (MRT) is a world-class bicycle trail that will follow the Mississippi River all the way from its headwaters in Minnesota to the Gulf of Mexico. The trail is partially completed; much of it is still in the planning and development stages. When complete, the MRT will link over 2,000 miles of recreational trails through 10 states, including 280 miles in Iowa. http://www.iowadot.gov/iowabikes/mrt/plan.htm

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3.3 TRANSPORTATION ISSUES RAISED DURING PLANNING PROCESS Lack of a uniform sidewalk/trail system: Because of the discontinuous nature of the sidewalk system, there are some concerns about pedestrian/bicycle accessibility and the perception of decreased safety. The idea of developing a systematic plan to connect residential areas to key pedestrian/bicycle destinations (e.g., schools, parks, commercial nodes) and regional trails was raised.

During the planning process, funding has been allocated for the creation of a new trail connecting the City of Elgin with the Valley Community Schools and the City of Clermont.

This is the first leg of a planned trail to Elkader as part of the Turkey River Recreational Corridor; which was recently designated an Iowa Great Place by the Iowa Great Places Program.

In addition, a concept for bike trails through the City was created through the Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study, which was prepared by Shive Hattery as part of the Iowa’s Living Roadways Program in conjunction with the Trees Forever Program. A copy of the study is located in Appendix A. Truck traffic on Center Street: Center Street in Elgin acts as a traditional “Main Street”, as it passes through the City’s central business district. The current configuration of Center Street and the City’s actual Main Street, is such that traffic entering the City from the east is directed onto Center Street, which brings trucks and farm equipment right through the City’s central business district. The City would like to redirect that through traffic onto Main Street, which is better suited to handle that type of traffic, while not discouraging travelers from using Center Street and thus patronize the City’s businesses.

This was also addressed in the Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study through a concept plan to realign Main Street and Center Street at their eastern intersection.

3.4 FUTURE TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES Map 3-3 “Future Transportation Facilities” identifies potential locations for improvements to the current sidewalk/trail facilities in Elgin, as well as the realignment of Main Street and Center Street.

3.5 TRANSPORTATION VISION STATEMENT

The City of Elgin will maintain a safe and efficient transportation system that accommodates multiple modes of transportation while providing a full range of accessibility through both local and regional facilities. Traffic speeds and congestion will be managed through the combination of engineering and enforcement; the trail system will provide linkages to neighborhoods, businesses, and public facilities as well as other regional trail systems; and transportation opportunities for seniors and other special needs populations

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will be improved through cooperative efforts with other local and regional entities.

3.6 TRANSPORTATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 3.6.1 Goal: Increase amount of pedestrian and bike trails within the City and provide connections to regional trail systems.

Objectives:  Support the completion of the Clermont to Elgin trail.  Support the “Turkey River Recreational Corridor” as an Iowa Great Place to help extend a trail to Elkader and establish a water trail from Clermont to Elkader.  Establish trail linkages to the Mississippi River Trail to increase recreational tourism.  Implement the trail connections within the jurisdiction as proposed in the Map 3-2 “Recreational Trail Phases.”  Coordinate with other jurisdictions and authorities, including the DNR, to determine access points to, and extensions of, existing facilities.

3.6.2 Goal: Increase the attractiveness of Center Street and the intersection of Main Street and Mill Avenue Objectives:  Implement the concept for Center Street’s streetscape and Main Street realignment found in the Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study.  Incorporate “green” design concepts in the overall reconstruction of Center Street.

Take into account the level of maintenance required for the City and property owners when choosing amenities.  Secure funding for improvements to Center Street  Explore the idea of a facade improvement program to assist property owners with façade improvements.  Incorporate the City’s theme of The Little Switzerland of Iowa: A Timeless Classic into the design.  Incorporate public art into the Center Street streetscape.

3.6.3 Goal: Increase accessibility to and knowledge of local attractions and amenities Objectives:  Develop and implement a way-finding system incorporating the City’s theme of The Little Switzerland of Iowa: A Timeless Classic into the design.

3.7 TRANSPORTATION POLICIES 3.7.1 New residential developments shall include sidewalks and shall provide connections to existing pedestrian facilities.

3.7.2 Any new development that includes an existing or planned bicycle/pedestrian trail shall incorporate that trail into the site plan.

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3.7.3 Elgin will continue to utilize an annual system of funding allocation, such as a capital improvement plan (CIP), to ensure adequate funding and programming for needed upgrades and repair.

3.7.4 Explore alternate sources of funding, especially transportation enhancement grants, to improve facilities slated for redevelopment.

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Element 4

UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES This element includes background information, visions, goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations to guide the future development of utilities and community facilities in the City of Elgin. The element describes location, use, and capacity of existing public utilities and community facilities that serve the City and includes recommendations for future utility needs and upgrades. Map 4-1 “Jurisdictions” illustrates the voting jurisdictions in the area and Map 4-2 “Community Facilities” identifies some of the primary community facilities in Elgin.

4.1 EXISTING UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES CONDITIONS 4.1.1 Sanitary Sewer System The City is currently serviced by a sanitary sewer collection system; three lift stations and a wastewater treatment facility (WWTF). The WWTF consists of an aerated lagoon with two aerated cells followed by a smaller quiescent cell. The WWTF currently discharges to a drainage ditch that eventually reaches the Turkey River. The City is unable to meet all requirements of their current NPDES permit and have had violations of exceeding ammonia and fecal coliform limits.

Three lift stations service the City; the Mill Avenue lift station, the Cedar Road lift station and the main lift station. The Mill Avenue lift station is in severe non-compliance with DNR standards and is in need of a complete renovation. The main lift station pumps all of the City’s wastewater to the WWTF and was upgraded in 1988. Even though this lift station is relatively new, the pumps are severely undersized to handle projected flows. In addition, this lift station is located on the river’s side of the City’s flood levee. When the Turkey River is high, this lift station is only accessible by boat.

Map 4-3 “Sanitary Sewer System” illustrates the City’s existing sanitary sewer system.

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The City is planning upgrades to its WWTF and all three lift stations. The main lift station will be relocated within the City’s flood levee as part of this project. Applications have been submitted to the Iowa Department of Economic Development’s Community Development Block Grant Program and Jumpstart Iowa Recovery Initiative, as well as the Department of Natural Resources State Revolving Fund, to fund these upgrades.

4.1.2 Water Supply The City of Elgin is currently supplied by water from two municipal wells. These wells yield a sufficient capacity of water; however, both wells are within 30’ of each other and drilled into the same aquifer. Because of these reasons, they are not two distinct and separate sources of water.

Twenty-seven percent of the City’s distribution system is undersized. IDNR code requires all water mains in a fire protection system to be a minimum of 6-inch diameter. Also, the system is unable to provide 500-gpm for fire protection while maintaining a residual system pressure of 20 psi.

Modifications of the above systems are required to bring them into compliance with the current design standards. The City is in the process of having the following proposed modifications designed with the intent to apply for grant funds to assist in funding:    

Construction of a 200-gpm well into the Jordan aquifer and a corresponding well house for chlorine disinfection and well control.

Abandon one of the existing wells, and make modifications to the remaining well and well controls.

Replacement of 10,300 L.F. of undersized water main with 8-inch water main.

Replacement of 14 fire hydrants and 22 valves.

Map 4-4 “Water System” illustrates the City’s water system.

4.1.3 Storm Sewer System The existing storm sewer collection system is inadequate by today’s standards. The City of Elgin is in need of a complete and established system to properly route storm water during rain events. Installing storm sewers will alleviate flooding, buildup of debris, erosion, and reduce wear on the streets. In addition, the placement of storm sewer inlets will increase the aesthetics of the City with elimination of un-maintained drainage ditches.

Very little of the storm sewer network for the City of Elgin currently is captured with inlets and conveyed in piping. Existing storm sewer in the City serves mainly Main Street and several blocks of Franklin Street. This storm sewer, in all likelihood, is a result of Main Street being a County Highway and was installed as part of roadway improvements years ago. This system consists mainly of aging concrete pipe ranging in sizes from 12-24 inches. Due to the poor condition of pavements and especially the curb and gutter, this network does not function as effectively as necessary to adequately divert runoff into the storm system and ultimately to the discharge point. Also short segments of this system are undersized due to modifications in

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drainage patterns from the west and north of the City Limits. A short portion of the network has been upgraded with 30-36 inch pipe and a new armored discharge location.

The sizing of this system is obviously inadequate as indicated by the annual flooding that occurs in the Railroad, Main Street and Switch Street areas. In addition, this system lacks the capacity to extend the storm sewer system to serve additional areas.

Further concerns involve the spacing and placement of the existing inlets. The presence of ponding at intersections during rain events shows flaws in the current network. There are other short segments of storm sewer existing along the west side of Railroad Street, south of Main.

This segment is of particular concern, due to the apparent bends in the system that do not have manhole access for maintenance and repair if clogging or deterioration begins to appear. If this section of storm sewer is impaired, runoff is likely to cause damage to several residences.

The City is currently under contract to design drainage improvements in the Railroad/Switch Street area and the downtown area. These areas are the City’s biggest concerns with the Railroad/Switch Street area being the highest priority due to annual flooding. The City intends to apply to various programs for grants and/or low-interest loans to help pay for these improvements.

Map 4-5 “Storm Sewer System” illustrates the City’s existing storm sewer system.

4.1.4 Solid Waste Disposal/Recycling Facilities Waste Management provides weekly garbage pickup on Wednesdays. There is no curbside recycling within the City. However, there are large recycling bins centrally located at Diagonal and Main Streets for citizens to place their recycling. These are then taken to the Fayette County Recycling Center for processing.

4.1.5 Post Office There is a post office facility located on Center Street in Elgin’s downtown.

4.1.6 Fire Protection The Elgin Community Fire Department is located in a new building on Mill Avenue. The Department is a volunteer non- profit organization. It is comprised of 25 volunteers. The Department operates one pumper truck, one tanker, a brush truck for off-road access and grass fires, and a rescue truck.

4.1.7 Law Enforcement The City of Elgin contracts with the Fayette County Sheriff’s Office for police protection.

4.1.8 Emergency Medical Services Emergency medical services are provided to the City by means of the Northeast Iowa Ambulance Service. The ambulance service provides paramedic advanced life support and is

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equipped with rescue equipment. There are five volunteers within the City of Elgin that serve the Northeast Iowa Ambulance Service with an ambulance housed in the City.

4.1.9 Health Care Facilities Heart of the Valley Health Care Clinic in Elgin is staffed by a Nurse Practioner and can provide a variety of health care services. The nearest full-service hospital is Palmer Lutheran Hospital located in West Union. Palmer Lutheran is a 25-bed facility.

4.1.10 Library The Elgin Kohler Public Library is located on Main Street and includes an Iowa Communication Network room, which provides videoconferencing opportunities throughout the State.

4.1.11 Schools Elgin is in the Valley Community School District. The District includes PreK-12 all in one building located 1.5 miles north of Elgin. VCSD offers a variety of programming including special education and adult education programming. A listing of enrollment numbers over the past five years is provided below. As indicated in Table 4.1, enrollments have declined over the past two school years.

In the current school year, VCSD has 17 students open enrolled from other districts; with 8 students open enrolling to another district. Parents choose to open enroll their children for a number of reasons, including convenience due to their work situation, to dissatisfaction with the school district within which they reside. No matter the reason, the fact that VCSD has more open enrollments into the district as opposed to out of the district can be taken as a positive.

Table 4.1: BUILDING ENROLLMENT & CERTIFIED ENROLLMENT COMPARISONS 2004-2009 GRADE & DESCRIPTION Pre-K & Ungraded

2008-2009

2007-2008 2006-2007 2005-2006 2004-2005

1

2

3

3

2

K

38

19

36

40

32

1

16

33

36

30

33

2

30

39

30

30

38

3

39

27

31

39

34

4

28

33

41

33

48

5

30

41

33

45

42

182

194

210

187

229

6

38

35

44

42

43

7

36

46

41

40

47

Subtotal Elementary

8

43

40

42

45

45

117

121

127

127

135

9

38

43

47

44

51

10

42

47

43

51

52

11

47

41

50

46

46

Subtotal Middle School

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12

41

48

51

47

38

Subtotal High School

168

179

191

188

187

Total PreK-12 Building Enrollment

467

493

528

502

551

There are a number of post-secondary education facilities located in close proximity to Elgin.

These include Allen College in Waterloo, Clarke College in Dubuque, Hawkeye Community College in Waterloo, Loras College in Dubuque, Luther College in Decorah, Northeast Iowa Community College in Calmar, University of Dubuque, Upper Iowa University in Fayette and Wartburg College in Waverly.

4.1.12 Child Care Facilities There are no stand-alone childcare facilities within the City of Elgin. However, there are three in-house, licensed day cares within the City.

4.1.13 Parks and Recreation Facilities The City of Elgin maintains four parks. 



    

Hidden Valley Park is located in the Hidden Valley Subdivision and has a playground, shelter and restroom.

Schori Park is located on Franklin Street.

Schori Park has a baseball diamond, basketball court, tennis courts, and a sand volleyball court. Schori Park also has a playground, restrooms, and shelter.

Boleyn Park is located on Mill Avenue and has a playground and shelter.

City Park is located on Main Street next to the library and has a shelter and band shell.

Flood Park is located along the banks of Otter Creek and the Turkey River. This park has a gazebo and a lot of open space.

Scenic Heights Park is located in the Scenic Heights Subdivision. The open space is often used for field space for various ball games.

Water Tower Park is located along Mill Avenue across from the Fire Department.

4.1.14 Electricity and Natural Gas Alliant Energy provides electric service to the Elgin community. There is no natural gas service in Elgin.

4.1.15 Telephone and Communication Services Landline telephone service is available to Elgin residents through Alpine Communications.

Alpine also provides Internet service. Mediacom provides cable services, as well as Internet access.

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4.1.16 Cemeteries There is one cemetery located within Elgin—the Elgin Cemetery located north of Switch Street and east of Railroad Street. The Cemetery is nearing its capacity, so plans need to be made for expansion or purchase of a new site.

4.1.18 Pleasant Valley Sports Golf Course The Pleasant Valley Sports Golf Course is private golf course, open to the public, located about 2 miles north of the City of Elgin that consists of nine (9)-hole layout and also includes a 20 tees driving range.

4.2 UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES VISION STATEMENT

The City of Elgin will offer sufficient utilities, including wireless Internet, and community facilities to allow for systematic growth to occur within the jurisdiction. There will also be a well-connected system of multi-use trails and other recreational facilities, and a public library to enhance civic capacity and recreation within the community.

4.3 UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 4.3.1 Goal: Improve and Maintain the City’s Wastewater Treatment Facility and Sanitary Sewer Collection System Objective:  Implement the recommendations of the Wastewater Treatment Facility Compliance Evaluation.  Perform routine maintenance and testing to ensure optimum utility provision.  Replace aging municipal sewer infrastructure on an on-going basis.  Budget for short and long-term sanitary sewer system improvements.

4.3.2 Goal: Improve and Maintain the City’s Municipal Water System Objective:  Implement the recommendations of the Water Quality and Water System Analysis.  Perform routine maintenance and testing to ensure optimum utility provision.  Replace aging municipal water main and appurtenances on an on-going basis.  Budget for short and long-term water system improvements.

4.3.3 Goal: Develop Appropriate Storm Water Facilities.

Objective:  Explore the acquisition of utility easements in locations prone to flooding to develop increased storm water infrastructure.  Promote the idea of best management practices on private properties to enhance pervious surfaces and decrease run-off.  Complete and adopt a storm water utility to pay for increased development of storm water infrastructure.

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

Implement the recommendations of the City’s Preliminary Storm Water System Study and Design Analysis.

4.3.4 Goal: Provide appropriate levels of recreation facilities for residents.

Objective:  Continue to promote and maintain existing parks and public open spaces.  Pursue the recommendations of the Iowa’s Living Roadways Final Report and Feasibility Study (see Appendix A).  Develop a Park, Outdoor Recreation and Open Space Plan to include recommendations for a linear trail system connecting area parks, community facilities, and other locales and link this trail to a future Turkey River Recreational Corridor Trail.  Prepare a feasibility study for a community center/wellness facility.

4.3.5 Goal: Maintain local emergency response facilities and resources.

Objective:  Ensure proper funding and maintenance for facilities.  Work with fire department and sheriff’s department to continue to provide sufficient community service levels.  Continue to work with contracted ambulance service providers to deliver appropriate levels of service.

4.3.6 Goal: Ensure adequate availability of recycle and waste services.

Objective:  Continue to provide waste collection activities and collections to Elgin residents.  Initiate an annual mailing campaign to disseminate information about waste and recycle collection, disposal of hazardous materials, and other related services/options.  Explore an alternative site for the recycling collection.

4.3.7 Goal: Provide state of the art communication facilities.

Objective:  Continue to support the local Iowa Communications Network site.  Complete a feasibility study to implement community wide wireless Internet 4.3.8 Goal: Maintain/Improve protection from future flooding.

Objective:  Have an assessment of the existing flood levies completed to determine their condition and implement and recommendations to improve deficiencies.

4.4 UTILITIES AND COMMUNITY FACILITIES POLICIES 4.4.1 The City will maintain and correct deficiencies in existing utilities and facilities in a timely and efficient manner.

4.4.2 The City will maintain the longevity of current community facilities until such time that development of new facilities is warranted.

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4.4.3 Elgin will encourage private property owners to engage in best management practices to limit uncontrolled stormwater runoff.

4.4.4 Elgin will provide sufficient emergency services in the most cost effective manner appropriate.

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Element 5

ENVIRONMENTAL CONDITIONS This element includes an analysis of existing agricultural, natural and cultural resources in and around the City of Elgin. The chapter presents existing conditions, visions, goals, objectives, policies and programs for the conservation and promotion of effective management of agricultural, natural and cultural resources in the City.

5.1 AGRICULTURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY 5.1.1 Active Agriculture There are several active agricultural operations within and adjacent to the city. Agricultural uses are found primarily in the northern and southern portions within the jurisdiction.

5.1.2 Productive Agricultural Soils Map 5-1 “Soils” shows soil types for the Elgin area. The majority of the soils within the City are moderately to well-drained with moderate permeability having few limitations that restrict their use.

Soils adjacent to the City’s corporate limits vary as much as the elevation varies. Those soils in the lower elevations are somewhat poorly drained and flood prone, while those in the uplands are moderately to well drained and moderately permeable with very few limitations restricting their use.

For more detailed information regarding the soils in the Elgin area, refer to the Soil Survey of Fayette County Iowa.

5.2 NATURAL RESOURCE INVENTORY 5.2.1 Topography and Slopes Elgin is moderately hilly overall, with very steep slopes (>15%) occurring primarily south of Otter Creek. Map 5-2 “Environmental Limitations” illustrates areas of Elgin that have moderate or steep slopes.

5.2.2 Climate and Rainfall Elgin typically experiences cold winters and hot summers with an annual average precipitation of 36 inches. The majority of precipitation comes in the form of rainfall during the summer

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months and the remainder as snow in the winter. August is the wettest month with 5 inches on average. See Figure 5.1.

Figure 5.1 Average Precipitation and Temperature

Source: weather.com

5.2.3 Groundwater Groundwater is the primary source of drinking water for Elgin residents. Its protection from chemical contamination is important for maintaining a safe and economical supply of drinking water. The City has a Well-head Protection Plan that was prepared by the Iowa Rural Water Association. See Map 5-3 “Well-head Protection Plan”.

5.2.4 Stream Corridors/Surface Water The City of Elgin is surrounded on three sides by stream corridors. The Turkey River flows along the north and east corporate boundaries and Otter Creek runs along the City’s southern boundary discharging into the Turkey River just south of the County Highway B64 Bridge.

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5.2.5 Floodplains The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) designates floodplain areas.

Designated areas are those that are prone to flooding during a 100-year storm event adjacent to navigable waters. Floodplains within the city are located along the north, east and southern boundaries of the City. See Map 5-1 “Environmental Limitations.”

5.2.6 Wetlands Wetlands are areas in which the water table is at, near, or above the land surface and which are characterized by both hydric soils and by the hydrophytic plants such as sedges, cattails, and other vegetation that grow in an aquatic or very wet environment. Wetlands generally occur in low-lying areas and near the bottom of slopes, particularly along lakeshores and stream banks, and on large land areas that are poorly drained. Under certain conditions wetlands may also occur in upland areas.

Wetlands accomplish important natural functions, including stabilization of lake levels and streamflows, entrapment and storage of plant nutrients in runoff (thus reducing the rate of nutrient enrichment of surface waters and associated weed and algae growth), contribution to the atmospheric oxygen and water supplies, reduction in stormwater runoff (by providing areas for floodwater impoundment and storage), protection of shorelines from erosion, entrapment of soil particles suspended in stormwater runoff (reducing stream sedimentation), provision of groundwater recharge and discharge areas, provision of habitat for a wide variety of plants and animals, and provision of educational and recreational activities.

The City of Elgin has a few wetland areas located primarily in the floodplain of the Turkey River. Various other wetland areas exist outside the city borders. See Map 5-1 “Environmental Limitations.”

5.2.7 Woodlands and Groundcover Elgin and the surrounding area possess a variety of vegetative covers. When not devoted to agriculture, much of the cover consists of trees that include maples, oaks, walnuts, basswood, ash, cottonwood, and elms. Where trees are not present, the cover usually consists of prairie/pasture land.

5.2.8 Wildlife Habitat Many species of wildlife can be found in the areas including white-tailed deer, red fox, raccoon, skunks, woodchucks, opossums, squirrels, rabbits, grouse, turkey and pheasants, as well as a variety of reptiles and amphibians.

5.2.9 Nonmetallic Mineral Resources There are no active, inactive, or planned mining activities in the City of Elgin.

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5.3 CULTURAL RESOURCES INVENTORY 5.3.1 Historic Resources The Elgin Museum located at 231 Center St. in Elgin has a large archive of photographs, historical records, furniture, Elgin memorabilia and detailed genealogy and obituary records.

An original mill stone from the Welbel Mill in Elgin that was located on Otter Creek is displayed outside of the museum next to the City Park.

5.3.2 Archaeological Resources There are six known archaeological sites in a two mile area around and east of the City of Elgin. For more information on these sites, one must request an Iowa Site File Search from the Office of the State Archaeologist. http://www.uiowa.edu/~osa/focus/information/isf.htm 5.3.3 Community Design As part of the City of Elgin’s Visioning (Iowa’s Living Roadways) a Visual Resource Analysis was developed that identified areas within the City that either lacked aesthetic purpose, or were positive features. Areas of note were significant corridor connections, gateways and Center Street, which acts as Elgin’s Main Street, as it contains the City’s central business district and is a gateway for travelers approaching from the East. Priority lists and strategies can be found in the Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study (see Appendix A).

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5.3.4 Recreational Resources The City of Elgin maintains seven parks. 

Hidden Valley Park is located in the Hidden Valley Subdivision and has a playground, shelter and restroom.



Schori Park is located on Franklin Street.

Schori Park has a baseball diamond, basketball court, tennis courts, and a sand volleyball court. Schori Park also has a playground, restrooms, and shelter.



Boleyn Park is located on Mill Avenue and has a playground and shelter.



City Park is located on Main Street next to the library and has a shelter and band shell.



Flood Park is located along the banks of Otter Creek and the Turkey River. This park has a gazebo and a lot of open space.



Scenic Heights Park is located in the Scenic Heights Subdivision. The open space is often used for field space for various ball games.



Water Tower Park is located along Mill Avenue across from the Fire Department.

5.3.5 Area Festivals and Events  Miss Elgin Contest is an annual event held in March and sponsored by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee. 

Elgin Easter Egg Hunt is an annual event sponsored and organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee. It takes place the day before Easter at the Downtown City Park.



Elgin Town & Country Market is an outdoor farmer’s market held every Thursday in May through October from 5:00 to 6:30 PM at the Elgin City Park.



Elgin Homecoming is a 3-day event organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee that is held every five years in June. The event includes a farmer’s market, children’s parade, introduction of Miss Elgin, garden tour, musical entertainment, a health walk, canoe/kayak, school reunion, inflatable games, crafts and other children’s activities.



Sweet Corn Days is an annual festival in August held by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee. The event offers free sweet corn, a variety of kid’s activities, a 5k Run/Walk, a canoe/kayak race, a sweet corn eating contest and music entertainment.

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

Shinbone Valley Rendezvous is a 3-day event organized by the Fayette County Conservation Board each August at the Gilbertson Conservation Education Area.



Elgin City Wide Cleanup Day is held annually in May and is organized by the City of Elgin.



Turkey River Run is an annual 5k run in the Turkey River, organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee that is held in October.



Children’s Halloween Party is an annual event organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee and held on the evening of Halloween at the Legion Community Building.



Christmas in the Valley is an annual event organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee that is held on the first Sunday of December at the Legion Community Building.



Elgin Holiday Business Open House, Craft, Bake Sale and Gift Drawing is sponsored and organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee and is held annually on the second Saturday of December.



Elgin Christmas Dinner Theatre is organized by the Elgin Community Betterment Committee and is held annually on the second Saturday of December at the Legion Community Building.

5.4 AGRICULTURAL, NATURAL AND CULTURAL RESOURCES VISION STATEMENT

“Elgin is ever conscious of environmental values and has transformed its physical facilities so it is aesthetically pleasing for residents and visitors.

Elgin has a re-built and beautified “Main Street”, has implemented a landscape plan for streets and parks, and has dealt imaginatively with marginal housing and building stock in the City – especially those of historic significance.”

5.5 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 5.5.1 Goal: Maintain and enhance public conservancy areas.

Objective:  Encourage preservation of privately owned natural areas.  Identify and plan for future locations for park and recreation areas.  Continue to maintain and monitor public areas.  Develop more recreational trails around natural and wetland areas to preserve and utilize these areas.  Maintain current ratio of parks and open spaces to other developed lands.

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

Provide appropriate environmentally sensitive transition areas between agrarian or natural areas and developing areas.

5.5.2 Goal: Preserve historical structures, places, and events within the City.

Objective:  Work with the State Historic Society of Iowa and local groups to identify key structures for rehabilitation or preservation.  Encourage rehabilitation of historic structures using appropriate design elements and materials.  To continue working with local organizations to ensure the longevity of local festivals, concerts, and fairs.

5.5.3 Goal: Support active agriculture in unincorporated areas.

Objective:  To encourage maintaining agricultural uses in outlying areas.  Continue to provide agricultural support and service businesses within the region for active agricultural operations.  Increase promotional efforts for the local farmer’s market.

5.5.4 Goal: Preserve natural areas in an effort to enhance storm water management.

Objective:  Investigate improvements to storm water drainage and water quality requirements for new development to maintain healthy stream corridors and help protect groundwater stores.  Determine if changes are necessary for local site development regulations to ensure storm water is not unnecessarily diverted away from developing sites.

5.5.5 Goal: Maintain green space between subdivisions.

Objective:  Require areas of green space at the perimeter of new developments to provide for preservation and a visual break between developments.

5.5.6 Goal: Strengthen the identity of the community through branding and marketing.

Objective:  Establish a program for visual branding in the City (signage, banners, consistent decorative elements) that incorporates the City’s logo, slogan and a theme of The Little Switzerland of Iowa: A Timeless Classic.  Develop a marketing campaign that conveys the City’s visual branding program.

5.6 ENVIRONMENTAL RESOURCES POLICIES 5.6.1 Elgin will act to preserve historically significant structures and locales within the jurisdiction.

5.6.2 Elgin will continue to provide a forum for local culture, the arts, and festivals.

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5.6.3 Elgin will grow the public park system with substantial population increases.

5.6.4 The City of Elgin will encourage development of agricultural enterprises in unincorporated areas.

5.6.5 Elgin will continue to increase access to natural areas and enhance recreation opportunities through further development of the Elgin trail system.

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Element 6

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The Economic Development element includes visions, goals, objectives, policies and recommendations to help guide development of economic resources within the City. This element also includes an assessment of local strengths and weaknesses in attracting and retaining businesses, and identifies possible environmentally contaminated sites.

6.1 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT EXISTING CONDITIONS 6.1.1 Labor Market Table 6.1 details the employment status for the City of Elgin, as compared to Fayette County and the State. The City has an identical percentage (63.2%) of residents in the labor force as the County, both of which are 6% below the State. Of these, there is also a lower percentage that is currently employed, about 60% in 2000 for both the City and County, compared to 66% for the State.

Table 6.1: Employment Status, 2000 Elgin

Population 16 years and over In labor force

Number

Percent

505

100%

Fayette County

State of Iowa

Percent

Percent

319

63.2%

63.2%

69.6%

Civilian labor force

319

63.2%

63.2%

69.5%

Employed

308

61.0%

60.3%

66.3%

11

2.2%

2.9%

3.1%

0

0.0%

0.0%

0.1%

186

36.8%

36.8%

30.4%

Unemployed Armed Forces Not in labor force 2000 Census, SF-3

Table 6.2 details the employment status of workers in the City as compared to Fayette County and the State. The greatest portions of local workers (16.9%) are employed in the Retail Trade industry. The Educational, health and social services industry is the second-largest employment category, comprising over 16.6% of the workforce. The percentages of workers in the Retail Trade category and Professional, scientific, management, administrative and waste management services are much higher than the County and State averages.

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Table 6.2: Workforce by Industry, 2000 City of Elgin Number Percent Agriculture, forestry, fishing and hunting, and mining

18

5.8%

Fayette County Percent 12.3%

State of Iowa Percent 4.4

Construction

14

4.5%

6.3%

6.2

Manufacturing

34

11.0%

17.6%

17.0

Wholesale trade

30

9.7%

3.9%

3.6

Retail trade

52

16.9%

11.4%

12.0

Transportation and warehousing, and utilities

12

3.9%

4.5%

4.9

Information

6

1.9%

1.7%

2.8

Finance, insurance, real estate, and rental and leasing

25

8.1%

4.5%

6.7

Professional, scientific, management, administrative, and waste management services

37

12.0%

4.4%

6.1

Educational, health, and social services Arts, entertainment, recreation, accommodation and food services

51

16.6%

20.5%

21.8

11

3.6%

5.6%

6.6

Other services (except public administration)

14

4.5%

4.1%

4.4

Public administration

4

1.3%

3.0%

3.4

308

100.0

100.0

100.0

Employed civilian population 16 years and over

Source: 2000 Census

6.1.2 Economic Vitality: Laborshed Analysis A Laborshed is defined as the area or region from which an employment center draws its commuting workers. Laborshed studies show the distribution of the workers irrespective of natural or political boundaries. Laborsheds also address underemployment, the availability and willingness of current and prospective employees to change employment within the workforce, current and desired occupations, wages, hours worked, and distance willing to commute to work.

The City of Elgin is located in the Fayette County/West Union Laborshed (Laborshed). The approximate boundaries of the Laborshed were determined by using the ZIP code listings for employees of local employers surveyed in the Laborshed Analysis. See Figure 6.1.

2008 Characteristics of Currently Employed  15.8% are working multiple jobs,  28.4% are employed in production, construction & material handling; and 27.4% are employed in professional, paraprofessional, & technical occupations;  Average work week is 42 hours;  Average age is 43 years old;

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2008 Characteristics of Currently Underemployed  Working fewer than 35 hours per week, but desire more hours;  3.2% working inadequate hours  3.7% are low income  2.0% have a mismatch of skills  7.7% total estimated underemployed (586 people) 2008 Characteristics of Currently Unemployed  Average age is 35 years old;  An estimated 685 unemployed individuals are willing to accept employment  60.0% are males, 40.0% are female;  Education: o 50.0% have an education beyond high school o 10.0% have an associate degree o 30.0% have an undergraduate degree  Estimated wage range to attract the upper 66-75% qualified hourly wage applicants is $12.00 to $13.00/hr. with a median of the lowest wage of $11.00/hr;  Willing to commute an average of 26 miles one way for the right opportunity;  80.0% expressed interest in seasonal and 60.0% in temporary employment opportunities;  50.0% are interested in working varied shifts (2nd, 3rd & split);  Would prefer to enter employment that offers the following benefits: o Health/medical insurance o Pension/retirement options  70.0% of the unemployed are seeking employment offers where the employer/employee share the cost of medical insurance premiums.

Figure 6.1: Fayette County/West Union Laborshed Area

Fayette County Economic Development Laborshed Analysis 2008

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6.1.3 Commuting to Work Information from the 2000 Census indicates that 79% (241) of workers from Elgin who commuted to work drove alone. This is higher than the County (74%) and the same as the State (79%). See Table 6.3.

Table 6.3 Commuting to Work, 2000 City of Elgin Number Percent Workers 16 years and over 305 100.0% Automobile – drove alone 241 79.0% Automobile – carpooled 33 10.8% Public Transportation 0 0.0% Bicycle 0 0.0% Walked 24 7.9% Worked at home 5 1.6%

Fayette County Percent

State of Iowa Percent

73.8% 9.72% 0.1% 0.1% 6.0% 9.3%

78.6% 10.8% 1.0% NA 4.0% 4.7%

6.1.4 Regional Occupation Projections 2000-2010 Employment forecasts are not available for local towns, municipalities, or counties. However, Iowa Workforce Development performs a decennial occupational projection by region. The City of Elgin and Fayette County are in Region 1 (Allamakee, Chickasaw, Clayton, Delaware, Dubuque, Fayette, Howard, and Winneshiek counties). Projections for Region 1 include increases in every occupational category except for Management occupations and Farming, Fishing, and Forestry occupations where there is forecast zero annual growth. Sales and related occupations are forecasted to have the greatest increase with 185 new jobs created over the decade (570 total openings by 2010).

Table 6.4: Region 1 Occupational Projections 2000-2010

SOC Code

Occupational Title

Base Year 2000

110000

Management

15,365

15,135

130000

Business and Financial Operations

2,810

3,195

385

40

55

95

150000

Computer and Mathematical

1,015

1,615

600

60

10

70

170000

Architecture and Engineering Occupations

885

,1080

195

20

20

40

190000

Life, Physical, and Social Science

250

265

15

*

*

5

210000

Community and Social Services

1,480

1,785

305

30

25

55

230000

Legal

280

290

10

*

*

5

250000

Education, Training, and Library Occupations

6,585

7,610

1,020

100

160

260

Projection 2010

Total Growth

Annual Growth

-230

0

160

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43

Table 6.4: Region 1 Occupational Projections 2000-2010

SOC Code

Occupational Title

Base Year 2000

270000

Arts, Design, Entertainment, Sports, and Media

1,990

2,215

230

25

35

60

290000

Healthcare Practioners and Technical

5,405

6,420

1,015

100

110

215

310000

Healthcare Support

2,700

3,280

580

60

40

100

330000

Protective Service

1,005

1,045

35

5

30

30

350000

Food Preparation and Serving Related

8,540

8,990

450

45

365

410

370000

Building and Grounds Cleaning and Maintenance

3,630

3,995

360

35

75

110

390000

Personal Care and Service

3,275

3,925

650

65

90

155

410000

Sales and Related

12,075

13,925

1,850

185

385

570

430000

Office and Administrative Support

15,635

16,630

995

100

340

440

450000

Farming, Fishing, and Forestry

2,405

2,265

-140

0

55

55

470000

Construction and Extraction

5,580

6,280

695

70

105

175

490000

Installation, Maintenance, and Repair

4,345

4,775

435

45

100

140

510000

Production

16,280

17,340

1,060

105

370

475

530000

Transportation and Material Moving

7,885

8,485

600

60

170

230

Projection 2010

Total Growth

Annual Growth

Annual Total Annual Replace Openings

*data suppressed (less than five annual openings)

6.2 MAJOR AREA EMPLOYERS Dura Automotive Systems is the biggest employer within the region with over 250 employees.

As a group, the schools and Upper Iowa University are large employers within the region. See Table 6.5.

Table 6.5: Major Area Employers (Fayette County/West Union) Name

Product/Service

Dura Automotive Systems (Since Closed) Automobile Parts & Supplies - Mfrs

Employment 250-499

Starmont High School

Schools

100-249

Upper Iowa University

Schools – Universities & Colleges

100-249

Lynch Livestock, Inc.

Wholesale Livestock Buyers

100-249

Wholesale Food Brokers

100-249

Good Samaritan Nursing Ctr.

Nursing & Convalescent Homes

100-249

Elgin Superintendent’s Office

Schools

50-99

Nonclassified Establishments

50-99

Schools

50-99

Schools

50-99

H&H Foodservice, Inc. (Since Closed)

Iva, Inc. Turkey Valley Community School Valley Elementary School

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Table 6.5: Major Area Employers (Fayette County/West Union) Name

Product/Service

Employment

West Central Community School

Schools

West Union Middle School

Schools

50-99

Wholesale Feed – Dealers

50-99

Dairies (Milk)

50-99

Sheet Metal Fabricators (Mfrs)

50-99

Northeast Iowa Cooperative Associated Milk Producers, Inc. Blessing Industries

50-99

Source: ALMIS Employer Database

6.3 NEW BUSINESSES DESIRED BY ELGIN RESIDENTS Elgin has a modest commercial area with some convenience and service businesses but, like most communities, would benefit from some additional business development. Residents and officials of Elgin are interested in seeing the development of businesses that support the vision of the Turkey River Recreational Corridor. These include tourism-related businesses, such as lodging and eating establishments, as well as recreational businesses supporting the areas outdoor recreational opportunities, such as biking, canoeing, fishing and hunting.

6.4 STRENGTHS AND WEAKNESSES FOR ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT Strengths: There are several existing businesses within the City that other City’s of Elgin’s size would love to have in there community. Also, there is existing space available for businesses to locate within the City.

Weaknesses: Elgin’s small population makes it difficult to support many businesses. Typically, a city the size of Elgin can only support service-type businesses that offer items that people cannot afford to travel any distance to obtain.

6.5 OPPORTUNITIES FOR REDEVELOPMENT The City’s downtown “Main Street” area, or Center Street, has existing buildings that could be redeveloped. The City’s desire to reconstruct and spruce up Center Street may provide opportunities for assistance in rehabilitating these older buildings.

6.6 Regional Programs 6.6.1 Fayette County Economic Development This regional economic development entity exists to help shape the future of the Fayette County area. This includes facilitating expansion of existing companies, attraction of new industries and collaboration with multiple organizations to help build local economic empowerment.

6.6.2 Iowa State University – Extension Center for Industrial Research and Service (CIRAS): This arm of the University Extension provides educational seminars and individualized technical assistance to Iowa’s 5,000

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manufacturers in the areas of engineering, management practices, procurement, productivity, and quality management.

Iowa Manufacturing Extension Partnership (IMEP): A statewide network that provides technical and business assistance to small and mid-sized manufacturers.

6.7 STATE OF IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS 6.7.1 Iowa Department of Economic Development A complete list of economic development programs is available in APPENDIX B.

6.8 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT VISION STATEMENT

“Elgin is an economically vital and attractive place to live. It is a camping, fishing and hunting destination; creates an average of one new small entrepreneurial business per year providing thirty or more new “living wage jobs” and many renovated buildings, houses and new homes.”

6.9 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 6.9.1 Goal: Maintain and enhance small business community.

Objective:  Utilize the Fayette County Economic Development Corporation to strengthen the appeal of Elgin for local business development.  Enhance the viability of local businesses through incentive programming and development assistance.  Encourage development of an array of local services.  Maintain a local presence on the Fayette County Economic Development Corporation board 6.9.2 Goal: Identify ways to capitalize on the Turkey River Recreational Corridor.

Objective:  Partner with the Iowa Great Places Program to assist in identifying creative ways of encouraging new development that supports the Turkey River Recreational Corridor vision.  Encourage a way-finding system for the Corridor that is consistent with what Elgin develops for the community.  Develop local identification and promotion materials.  Focus on creating further recreation development opportunities to increase visitation to Elgin.

6.9.3 Goal: Promote the area to unique restaurant and retail developers.

Objective:  Identify and prepare specific sites for retail or restaurant development.  Identify or develop funding programs for new business development.

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

Encourage development of the City’s theme with unique building features and signage.

6.9.4 Goal: Promote the area for additional lodging.

Objective:  Encourage development of bed and breakfasts, hotel/motels, condominiums, cabins and additional campgrounds.

6.10 ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT POLICIES 6.10.1 Elgin will encourage unique design characteristics for retail and commercial buildings.

6.10.2 Elgin will continue to evaluate viability of reserving funding for a revolving business loan fund, and continue to provide other economic development programming.

6.10.3 Elgin will continue to support the vision of the Turkey River Recreational Corridor.

6.10.4 Elgin will remain an active participant in the Fayette County Economic Development Corporation by maintaining representation on the board

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Element 7

INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION This element of the comprehensive plan analyzes the relationship of the City of Elgin in terms of planning and decision making to adjacent local governmental units and quasi-public, regional, state, and federal governmental entities. It looks at these governmental entities’ planning and land use control/growth management documents, agreements, and programs and how they relate to the City.

7.1 ELGIN’S INTERGOVERNMENTAL RELATIONSHIPS 7.1.1 Chapter 28E Agreements Under Chapter 28E of the Iowa Code, local governments in Iowa are granted broad authority to enter into agreements with other local governments, state or federal agencies for “joint or cooperative action”. These agreements cover a wide range of local services including public safety, public works, parks, recreation, or cultural (e.g., library) purposes.

The City of Elgin currently has 28E agreements with Highland, Marion, and Pleasant Townships for fire protection.

7.1.2 Other Agencies In addition, the City of Elgin routinely collaborates with a variety of other State and local agencies including:  Iowa Department of Natural Resources  Iowa Department of Transportation  Valley Community School District  Fayette County Landfill  Fayette County Economic Development  Fayette County Local Housing Trust Fund  Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission

7.2 EXISTING OR POTENTIAL CONFLICTS One of the more pressing issues in recent times is annexation. In Iowa, agreements can be made between cities with overlapping extraterritorial areas. These fringe-area policy agreements establish a protocol for the participating localities when development or annexation requests are filed within the overlapping portions of the two-mile extraterritorial area. Chapter 368.9 of the Iowa Code establishes the City Development Board for the purposes of reviewing voluntary and involuntary annexation proceedings. In cases where two or more local

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governments may be in conflict, the Board will make a determination as to the boundaries; however, the decisions of the Board can be appealed to the district court of the county which contains a portion of the territory to be annexed.

While the City does not have any conflicts with neighboring communities, it may be wise to look into fringe-area policies now, rather than waiting until there is an issue. This will allow both parties to look at the agreement in a more logical way, rather than one-sided because of existing issues.

7.3 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION VISION STATEMENT

The City of Elgin will work to improve communication and cooperation with the surrounding cities, share local services and distribute costs equally for community facilities. Communication with Fayette County will remain strong, as will cooperation and interaction with State agencies including the IDNR and IDOT. The City will also continue to work with local organizations, the Valley Community School District, and others to ensure a timely stream of information delivery between all parties.

7.4 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION GOALS AND OBJECTIVES 7.4.1 Goal: Increase communication with local entities.

Objective:  Explore holding periodic meetings with more local agencies and groups to discuss local activities.  Explore interest in holding quarterly, or periodic, meetings with other local jurisdictions to discuss long-term planning.

7.4.2 Goal: Work with Upper Explorerland RPC and IDOT to increase transportation connections to local communities and attractions.

Objective:  Discuss trail development along highways and other transportation corridors to connect Elgin to local attractions and neighboring communities.  Increase participation and direct communication with Upper Explorerland RPC and the IDOT on transportation issues on a periodic basis.

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7.4.3 Goal: Continue working relationships with other local governments.

Objective:  Continue emergency service response and mutual aid assistance to other local governments.  Consider a fringe-policy agreement with the City of Clermont.

7.4.4 Goal: Explore consolidation of services and equipment with the Valley Community School District.

Objective:  Continue cooperative efforts with the District to provide after school programming.  Explore consolidation of services or equipment and supplies purchasing, operation, or maintenance.

7.5 INTERGOVERNMENTAL COOPERATION POLICIES 7.5.1 Formally invite pertinent groups, agencies, or entities to public meetings where the topics discussed are of known importance to the invitee.

7.5.2 Remain active on regional committees and boards of local interest.

7.5.3 Communicate development proposal details to surrounding jurisdictions on a timely basis.

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Element 8

LAND USE This element contains visions, objectives, policies, goals, maps and programs to guide the future development and redevelopment of public and private property. The element also contains types and densities of existing land uses within the City and analyzes trends in the supply, demand and price of land, opportunities for redevelopment and existing and potential land use conflicts. The chapter also includes maps and land use projections.

8.1 EXISTING LAND USE 8.1.1 Land Cover Table 8.1 provides the breakdown of land within the City that is agricultural, commercial and residential. Of the total land area within the City, agricultural uses account for approximately 177 acres (48%), commercial uses account for 34 acres (9%), residential uses account for 135 acres (37%), and public, religious and institutional uses account for 24 acres (6%). Map 8-1 “Existing Land Use� provides a further breakdown of the land uses in Elgin.

Table 8.1: Land Cover by Use Land Use Acres Percent Agricultural

175.6 47.6%

Commercial

34.2

Residential

135.2 36.7%

Public, Religious & Inst.

23.7

Total

9.3% 6.4%

368.7 100%

8.1.2 Land Use Trends The City gained approximately 33 housing units between 1990 and 2000. As shown in Table 8.2, single-family detached housing units remained the primary residential structure over the decade. There were increases in 1-unit detached housing units and mobile homes. All other types of housing decreased in the number of units. 1-unit detached housing units increased by 11.0% and mobile homes increased by 72.2%. Between 1990 and 2000, multifamily housing units in the City decreased by 16.1%. The new units created did not significantly change land uses within the City. The majority of new 1-unit detached units are located in a new subdivision on the south side of the City that converted agricultural land to residential, but all other new construction was considered infill development.

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Table 8.2: Changes in Housing Units, 1990-2000 1990

2000

Number

Percent

Number

Percent

Percent Change 1990-2000

Total units

318

100.0%

341

100.0%

7.2%

1-unit detached

237

74.5%

263

77.1%

11.0%

1-unit attached

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0.0%

2 units

21

6.6%

15

4.4%

-28.6%

3 or 4 units

26

8.2%

25

7.3%

-3.8%

5 to 9 units

9

2.8%

7

2.1%

-22.2%

10 to 19 units

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0.0%

20 or more units

0

0.0%

0

0.0%

0.0%

Mobile home

18

5.7%

31

9.1%

72.2%

Other

7

2.2%

0

0.0%

-100%

1990,2000 Census STF-3

8.1.3 Building Permits Building permits must be acquired through the Building Official except in cases where the permit applicant is requesting a rezone. In this instance, the applicant must wait for official action by the City Council before acquiring a building permit.

8.1.4 Land Divisions / Subdivisions There is an existing subdivision ordinance within the City of Elgin Code of Ordinances (chapter 165). The ordinance requires adherence to the regulations set forth within the chapter for subdividers of land resulting in three or more parcels. These include properties located up to two miles outside the municipal boundaries of Elgin, where the City may exercise extraterritorial review. Subdividers are required to submit preliminary and final plats to the city clerk for review by the city engineer and the Council. A complete list of submission requirements is located within the chapter. The subdivider is required to install and construct all improvements required to service properties located within the subdivided area including roads, sidewalks, sewer and water, and curb and gutter.

8.1.5 Equalized Values According to the Fayette County Assessor, the total taxable value of property in the City for FY2010 is $12,431,059. This represents a 4% increase in property value from FY2009 ($11,942,787).

8.2 LAND USE CONFLICTS The planning process identified no land use conflicts between existing uses within the City. As Elgin implements its 2023 Vision and goals from this planning process and the Turkey River Recreational Corridor Great Places Program process, close attention to compatible land uses

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needs to be taken. The City does not currently have zoning, but may want to explore its implementation in an effort to ensure no future land use conflicts arise.

8.3 LAND USE PROJECTIONS The projection for new housing units through the year 2025 is four additional units. This will not create a need for change in land use, as there are available lots for single-family units and plenty of opportunity for infill development or redevelopment for other housing types.

8.4 RECOMMENDED LAND USE PLAN Map 8-2 - “Future Land Use� shows the location of desired future land use patterns for the City and the planning area outside the corporate limits. As a general planning principle, there shall be an orderly transition of uses to avoid conflicts between land uses.

8.4.1 Low Density Residential Areas designated for detached or bi-attached homes with one family.

8.4.2 Medium Density Residential Areas designated for residential structures meant for townhomes, condos, and apartment style residential development.

8.4.3 Urban Reserve Area Areas not immediately needed in the foreseeable future for development or extension of City services, but should be reserved and protected for long-term urban development. The primary land use in these areas will likely remain agricultural for the lifetime of this plan.

8.4.4 Commercial Areas designated for retail, sales, service, and office uses. Access to these developments is available by walking, biking and the automobile.

8.4.5 Light Industrial Areas designated for corporate office facilities, light manufacturing and warehousing uses.

Light Industrial properties have higher development standards, restrictions on outdoor storage, and each parcel should have a minimum size requirement. It is anticipated that additional efforts to maintain the aesthetics of a development will be required in the site planning process.

8.4.6 Parks and Green Space Public and private areas designated for passive and active recreational use, preservation of wild life areas and protection of environmentally sensitive areas.

8.4.7 Public/Quasi-Public Areas designated for governmental, educational, religious, or medical property uses. Other quasi-public organizations such as public utility facilities are included in the category.

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8.5 LAND USE PROGRAMS 8.5.1 Zoning Regulations The City of Elgin does not currently have a Zoning Ordinance. Land use is regulated through the use of a Restricted Residence District within the City’s Code of Ordinances (Chapter 155.14) that limits residential development to specific areas. It includes descriptions and requirements for yard requirements, standards for structures, etc. The code has been sufficient for current land use needs. Map 8-2 “Land Use Restrictions” displays each of the land use districts in the City.

8.5.2 Land Division/Subdivision Regulations The City has a subdivision ordinance. Specifics of this ordinance are described in Chapter 165 of the Code of Ordinances.

8.5.3 Historic Preservation Historic preservation is one of the most important land use issues for maintaining the rural character of Elgin. Adoption of a historic preservation ordinance, that encourages proper redevelopment of historic structures, including appropriate design and materials, would help maintain historic structures that help identify Elgin.

8.5.4 Extraterritorial Controls To ensure orderly development and use of land in areas adjacent to a municipality, Iowa law provides extra-territorial platting jurisdiction for areas within two miles of the corporate limits exclusive of areas that are within another municipality’s corporate limits. The extraterritorial platting jurisdiction allows municipalities to require plat approval of any subdivision within its extraterritorial jurisdiction. Also, under Iowa law, municipalities are allowed to cooperate in planning for the growth and development of the lands within the extraterritorial area. This includes the ability to establish municipal boundaries and determine in advance the provision of municipal services. The City may consider these agreements with the City of Clermont.

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Element 9

IMPLEMENTATION The implementation of the City of Elgin comprehensive plan involves decision-making by both public officials and the citizens of the community. These decisions will be measured by the concern for the welfare of the general community; the willingness to make substantial investments for improvement within the community, and the realization that certain procedures must be followed to improve and perpetuate the high quality environment currently found within the City. Suggested implementation measures include: -

The implementation and enforcement of regulatory ordinances and non-regulatory activities based on the goals and objectives identified in the Comprehensive Plan.

The development of programs and support systems that further the goals and objectives set forth by the City in this plan.

The establishment and support of a continued planning process providing for periodic review and updates to the plan and land use control measures.

The support of committees and local organizations to carry out specific community improvements as identified in the comprehensive plan.

9.1 REGULATORY MEASURES Regulatory measures used to guide development are an important means of implementing the recommendations of a comprehensive plan. Various examples, including the zoning ordinance, and subdivision regulations, comprise the principal regulatory devices used to protect existing development as well as help to guide future growth and development as identified in this comprehensive plan. The City Council officially adopts these regulatory and land use control measures as ordinances (or as revisions to the existing ordinances).

9.1.1 Zoning Ordinance Zoning is used to guide and control the use of land and structures on land. In addition, zoning establishes detailed regulations concerning the areas of lots that may be developed, including setbacks and separation for structures, the density of the development, and the height and bulk of building and other structures. The general purpose for zoning is to avoid undesirable side effects of development by segregating incompatible uses and by maintaining adequate standards for individual uses.

The establishment of zoning districts is generally conducted after careful consideration of the development patterns indicated in the comprehensive plan (in particular the future land use map). Amending zoning district boundaries has the overall effect of changing the plan (unless amendments correspond to changes within the plan) therefore; it is reasonable to assume that indiscriminate changes may result in weakening of the plan. The City Council makes the final

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decisions on the content of the zoning ordinance and the district map. These decisions are preceded by public hearings and recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

An overlay district is an additional zoning requirement that is placed on a geographic area but does not change the underlying zoning. Overlay districts have been used to impose development restrictions or special considerations on new development. For the City of Elgin, these may include design specifications and parameters for mixed-use. The overlay district must be adopted as part of the zoning code by the City Council following appropriate public hearing procedures.

Action: The City of Elgin does not currently have a zoning ordinance. The City should consider the development of a zoning ordinance.

9.1.2 Sign Regulations Local governments may adopt regulations, such as sign ordinances, to limit the height and other dimensional characteristics of advertising and identification signs. The purpose of these regulations is to promote the well-being of the community by establishing standards that assure the provision of signs adequate to meet essential communication needs while safeguarding the rights of the people in the community to a safe, healthful and attractive environment.

Action: Elgin does not currently have a sign ordinance that regulates for bulk and setback. The City should consider the development of a sign ordinance.

9.1.3 Erosion/Sedimentation Control Ordinances The purpose of an erosion and sedimentation ordinance is, to the extent possible, to alleviate harmful and damaging effects of on-site erosion and siltation on neighboring down-hill and downstream properties, and reduce or eliminate the pollution of streams and bodies of water during and after development. The ordinance seeks to accomplish these objectives by requiring adequate controls of sedimentation and erosion through permanent and temporary measures.

Such controls are to be provided by the property owner during all phases of any clearing, excavating, filling, grading, construction or other activity involving the disturbance of natural terrain or vegetative ground cover. A permit is required and would be obtained through an application process to the City.

Action: The City does not currently have an Erosion/Sedimentation Control Ordinance.

The City should consider the development of such an ordinance.

9.1.4 Historic Preservation Ordinances Under Iowa Statutes an historic preservation ordinance may be established to protect, enhance, and perpetuate buildings of special character or the special historic or aesthetic interest of districts that represent a community's cultural, social, economic, political, and architectural history. The jurisdiction’s governing body may create a landmarks commission to create historic preservation plans, designate historic properties and landmarks, establish historic districts, and review proposed changes to designated properties. In addition, the State of Iowa proactively upholds the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, including the staffing of a State Historic Preservation Office and participation in the National Register of Historic Places programs.

Currently, the City of Elgin does not have a historic preservation ordinance or commission in place, although preserving historic structures has been identified as a community goal.

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Action: Establish an Historic Preservation Commission. Periodically review the need and desire to develop of a local historic building preservation ordinance.

9.1.5 Site Plan Regulations A site plan is a detailed plan of a lot or subdivision that locates all proposed improvements.

Some communities have regulations indicating that site plans may need to be prepared by an engineer, surveyor, or architect. Additionally, site plan regulations may require specific inclusions like: General Layout, Drainage and Grading, Utilities, Erosion Control, Landscaping & Lighting, and Building Elevations. These plans are commonly required with more complicated developments, such as a Planned Unit Development.

The City of Elgin does not currently have any site plan requirements. Currently, the development review process includes a required submission of an elevation or floor plan when a building permit is required.

Action: The City should include site plan requirements with their Building Permit application and Subdivision Ordinance.

9.1.6 Building Codes The City of Elgin does not currently have an adopted building code. Therefore, they are governed by the State of Iowa Building Code.

Action: Elgin should explore the possibility of adopting a more stringent building code, such as the International Building Code.

9.1.7 Mechanical Codes The City of Elgin does not currently have an adopted mechanical code.

Action: Elgin should explore the possibility of adopting a mechanical code, such as the International Mechanical Code.

9.1.8 Electrical Codes The City of Elgin does not currently have an adopted electrical code.

Action: Elgin should explore the possibility of adopting an electrical code, such as the National Electric Code.

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9.1.9 Plumbing Codes The City of Elgin does not currently have an adopted plumbing code.

Action: Elgin should explore the possibility of adopting a plumbing code, such as the Uniform Plumbing Code.

9.1.10 Housing Codes See 9.1.6 through 9.1.9. These codes would apply to the overall development of residential structures within the City of Elgin.

Action: Elgin should explore the possibility of adopting building codes to ensure the quality of future construction.

9.1.11 Subdivision Ordinance Subdivision regulations serve as an important function by ensuring the orderly growth and development of unplatted and undeveloped land. These regulations are intended to protect the community and occupants of the proposed subdivision by setting forth reasonable regulations for public utilities, storm water drainage, lot sizes, street design, open space, and other improvements necessary to ensure that new development will be an asset to the City. The City Council makes the final decisions on the content of the subdivision ordinance. These decisions are preceded by public hearings and recommendations of the Planning and Zoning Commission.

Actions: The City of Elgin has a subdivision ordinance (Chapter 165 of the Code of Ordinances). The City should regularly review the subdivision ordinance to maintain its applicability.

9.2 NON-REGULATORY MEASURES 9.2.1 Capital Improvement Plan A capital improvement plan is an ongoing financial planning program intended to help implement the comprehensive plan through public infrastructure. The program allows local communities to plan for capital expenditures and minimize unplanned expenses. Capital improvements or expenditures are those projects that require the expenditure of public funds for the acquisition or construction of a needed physical facility.

Capital improvement programming is a listing of proposed projects according to a schedule of priorities over the next few years. It identifies needed public improvements, estimates their costs, discusses means of financing them, and establishes priorities for them over a four-to-six year programming period. Improvements or acquisitions considered a capital improvement include:      

Public buildings (i.e. – fire and police stations) Park acquisition and development Roads and highways Utility construction and wastewater treatment plants Joint school and other community development projects Fire and police protection equipment

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Actions: The City of Elgin does not currently have a capital improvement plan in place.

The City may want to consider the development of a capital improvement plan.

9.3 PLAN ADOPTION, MONITORING, AMENDMENTS AND UPDATE 9.3.1 Plan Adoption In order to implement this plan, the City Council must adopt the plan by resolution or ordinance. This action formalizes the plan document as a frame of reference for general development decisions over the next 20 years. Once formally adopted, the Plan becomes a tool for communicating the community’s land use policy and for coordinating legislative decisions.

9.3.2 Plan Use and Evaluation The City of Elgin will weigh its land use decisions, including decisions on private development proposals, public investments, regulations, incentives, and other actions, against this Plan’s goals, objectives, policies, and recommendations.

The City of Elgin can expect change in the years to come. Although this Plan has described policies and actions for future implementation, it is impossible to predict the exact future condition of the City. As such, the goals, objectives, and actions should be monitored on a regular basis to maintain concurrence with changing conditions.

The City Council should review the Plan annually to assure general familiarity; it should be evaluated at least every 5 years to ascertain general currency; and it should be fully updated at least every 10 years. The evaluation should consist of reviewing actions taken to the implement the plan visions, goals and objectives. The evaluation should also include an updated timetable of actions to help realize priority goals throughout the 20-year period ending 2030.

9.3.3 Plan Amendments The City of Elgin Comprehensive Plan 2030 may be amended at any time by the City Council following the same process as was followed when it was initially adopted (regardless of how minor the amendment or change is).

Amendments may be appropriate throughout the lifecycle of the Plan, particularly if new issues emerge or trends change. These amendments will typically be minor changes to the plan’s maps or text. Large-scale changes or frequent amendments to meet individual development proposals should be avoided or the plan loses integrity. Any proposed amendments should be submitted to the City Council for final action.

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MAPS Map 1-1 Regional Context Map 3-1 Transportation Facilities Map 3-2 Future Transportation Facilities Map 4-1 Jurisdictions Map 4-2 Community Facilities Map 4-3 Sanitary Sewer System Map 4-4 Water System Map 4-5 Storm Sewer System Map 5-1 Soils Map Map 5-2 Environmental Limitations Map 8-1 Existing Land Use Map 8-2 Future Land Use

CITY OF ELGIN - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2030

Elgin 2030 Comprehensive Plan MAP 3-1: TRANSPORTATION FACILITIES C A N OE R O

City Limits

Major Collector

E CL

Y W51

M R

Minor Collector

T AD - COUN

Road Types

To Clermont & US HWY 18 - 4 Miles

O NT R D CLERMONT ST

IO N

SUNSET ST

UN

AD B

ACORN RD - COUNTY ROAD W5

OTTER ST

CENTER ST

H 5T 21 ST

IC W AY NO RD

- CO UNT RD CED AR

To HWY 56 - 5 Miles

T

1,000

HC

500

Feet 2,000

IS GL EN

0

¨

YR OAD

W5

To West Union, HWY 150, HWY 56 & US HWY 18 - 10 Miles

RD

- CO

UNT

YR

OA D

B6

To Gunder - 8 Miles

HILL ST

WATER ST

CENTER ST

W

GOLDEN RD - COUN TY RO

FRANKLIN ST

EMILY ST

FORBES ST

ORVID ST

MAIN ST

RD

MILL AVE

ALMIRA ST

WEST ST

WASHINGTON ST

SWITCH ST

T LS A ON AG I D

MILL ST

Local Roads

AG ATE

PLEASANT ST

To Elkader & HWY 56/13 - 17 Miles

Elgin 2030 Comprehensive Plan M A P 3 . 2 : F U T U R E T R A N S P O R TAT I O N FA C I L I T I E S Current (2010) City Limits Pedestrian Crossing Enhancements

CANOE ROA

h

To Clermont & US HWY 18 - 4 Miles

Road Types

D - COUNTY

Major Collector Minor Collector

W51

Local Roads Proposed Local Roads Framework

RD

0

1,000

2,000

ORVID ST

MILL AVE

ALMIRA ST

h FRANKLIN ST

Feet 4,000

D B6

To Gunder - 8 Miles

ACORN RD - COUNTY ROAD W5

EAST ST

RD

To West Union, HWY 150, HWY 56 & US HWY 18 - 10 Miles

TY ROA - COUN D R E T AGA

h

W UNION RD

MILL AVE

OU

MAIN ST

CED AR

¨

E

-C

h

CENTER ST

- CO UNT YR OAD NO W5 RD IC W AY

LD GO

D NR

DB OA R Y NT

WASHINGTON ST

WEST ST

SWITCH ST

PLEASANT ST

MILL ST

NT

CLERMONT ST

O

WATER ST

CL ER M

Proposed Major Collector Extensions

215TH ST

To HWY 56 - 5 Miles

To Elkader & HWY 56/13 - 17 Miles

2030 Comprehensive 4-2: COMMUNITY

City Limits

Valley Community Schools

[

Roads

[

Plan FACILITIES A AVE

Elgin MAP

Community Facilities CANOE RD

City & Regional Parks

Gilbertson Park

GOLDEN RD

Boleyn Park Tower Park

Fire Station [ W UNION RD

FRANKLIN ST

Schori Park

[ Flood Park Public Library/City Hall [

AG

City Park

MILL S T

MAIN ST

A ON AG I D

CENTER ST CLERMONT ST

ORVID ST

[

MILL AVE

WASHINGTON ST

WEST ST

Medical Clinic

WATER ST

Post Office T LS

Scenic Heights Park

OTTER ST

H EC CEDAR

RD

1,500

EY

750

LL VA

0

Feet 3,000

ST

O

¨

Hidden Valley Park 215 T

HS T

ACORN RD

CENTER ST

ABBY RD

ATE

225TH ST RD

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Elgin 2030 Comprehensive Plan MAP 5-1: SOILS CANOE RD FRANKLIN ST

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SUNSET ST W UNION RD

225TH ST

RD

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L VA

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ALMIRA ST

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WEST ST

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Elgin 2030 Comprehensive Plan MAP 5-2: ENVIRONMENTAL LIMITATIONS City Limits

C A N OE R D

Less than 10% Slope 10 - 15% Slope 15% or Greater Slope

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Seasonally Flooded

ALMIRA ST

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Permanently Flooded

WASHINGTO N ST

SWITC H ST

WATER ST

PLEASANT ST

Intermittently Exposed

RD

215TH ST

ABBY RD

AA VE

Streams & Rivers

AT E

225TH ST RD

Elgin 2030 Comprehensive Plan MAP 8-1: EXISTING LAND USE Land Use Categories CANOE RD

Agriculture/Open Space Commercial/Light-Industrial Parks & Recreation Public, Religious, & Institutional Residential, Low Density

AGAT E RD

PLEASANT ST

CLERMONT ST

HILL ST

SHIN BONE DR

FORBES ST

ORVID ST

DIAMOND ST

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WEST ST

Restricted Business District

FRANKLIN ST

ST

Restricted Residence District

AG DI

L IL

MAIN ST

CENTER ST M

City Limits

T LS A ON

WATER ST

SWITCH ST

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Redisdential, Medium Density

SUNSET ST GOLDEN RD

W UNION RD

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El g in 2 0 3 0 C o m p re h e n s iv e P l a n MAP 8-2: FUTURE LAND USE Current (2010) City Limits

DCANOE ROA

Future Land Use Categories

Agriculture/Open Space

Commercial/Light-Industrial

COUNTY W51

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Public, Religious, & Insttuuonal �� Residental , Low De ns i ty�

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D TY ROA - COUN D R E T AGA

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Proposed Major Collector Extensions

AD RO Y NT OU C -

ALMIRA ST

Proposed Local Roads Framework

MILL AVE

WEST ST

Local Roads

1,000

PLEASANT ST

SWITCH ST

Minor Collector

0

RD

CLERMONT ST

Major Collector

O NT

WATER ST

CL ER M

WASHINGTON ST

Road Types

Urban Reserve Area

215TH ST

B6

Appendix A IOWA’S LIVING ROADWAYS

Elgin Community Visioning Final Report and Feasibility Study

CITY OF ELGIN - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2030

Appendix B STATE OF IOWA ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS

CITY OF ELGIN - COMPREHENSIVE PLAN 2030

IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT The State of Iowa offers a wide variety of programs and services intended to assist in the establishment and expansion of business interests and for community development purposes. Visit www.Iowalifechanging.com for more information.

DIRECT FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE www.iowalifechanging.com/business/financial_assistance.html The Iowa Values Fund (IVF) is the State's premier 10-year economic development program designed to transform Iowa's economy by creating high quality jobs through business development and expansion across Iowa. With a $35 million dollar annual appropriation for business development and marketing, the IVF assists Iowa companies to expand, as well as attract new businesses to the State. A variety of business development programs are available through the Iowa Values Fund as listed below: COMMUNITY ECONOMIC BETTERMENT ACCOUNT (CEBA) / ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT SET-ASIDE (EDSA) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/ceba_edsa.html Provides financial assistance to companies that create new quality employment opportunities and/or retain existing jobs, and make new capital investment in Iowa. The EDSA program is targeted toward low- and moderate-income individuals. Two primary investment tools administered by the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED) are the Community Economic Betterment Account and the Economic Development Set-Aside (EDSA) programs. These programs can help finance business operations; including biosciences, advanced manufacturing and information solutions/financial services.

The CEBA and EDSA programs provide financial assistance to companies that create new employment opportunities and/or retain existing jobs, and make new capital investment in Iowa. The amount of funding is based, in part, on the number of jobs to be created/retained. Funds are provided in the form of loans and forgivable loans.

CEBA and EDSA investments are used to leverage other financial support such as bank financing and private investment, as well as local community support.

The CEBA program also contains a modernization project component. This part of the program is specifically designed for business investing in machinery and equipment and/or technology upgrades to improve or maintain their competitive edge in their respective markets.

The EDSA program assistance is targeted toward business projects located in communities with populations of less than 50,000. The purpose of the program is to create/retain quality employment opportunities for low- and moderate-income individuals.

CEBA and EDSA funds may be used for a wide range of business development purposes, including:  Building construction or reconstruction

    

Land or building acquisition Equipment purchases Operating and maintenance expenses Site development: clearance, demolition and building removal Working capital

The amount of funding available on a per-project basis varies between the programs. The CEBA and EDSA programs can provide assistance up to $1 million. As an alternative, nontraditional, short-term float loans, or interim loans greater than $1 million may be available. The funding level for start-up companies varies depending upon employee wage rates. The maximum assistance available through the EDSA program is $1,000,000.

The CEBA program also contains a "Venture Project" component specifically designed for early-stage and start-up businesses. Financial assistance is provided in forms conducive to the company's stage of maturity. The Venture Project component allows for longer-term job creation and investment performance periods than otherwise offered through CEBA.      

The proposed or existing operation must be located in Iowa The business must create or retain jobs that meet CEBA/EDSA county or regional wage standards The business must make a capital investment related to the proposed project The business must demonstrate a need for the requested funds The project must not proceed prior to the funding decision Must meet wage thresholds requirements.

Projects are also Evaluated According to the Following Criteria  The quality of the created/retained jobs (i.e., employee wages and benefit packages)  The significant, positive impact the project makes on the community and the net economic gain to the State  For CEBA participation, the amount of community support to be contributed to the project  Site development: clearance, demolition and building removal  The impact of the proposed project on in-state competitors

LOAN AND CREDIT GUARANTEE FUND www.iowalifechanging.com/business/loancredit.html Designed to assist businesses that might not have access to conventional financing. The fund provides lenders with additional security, thereby encouraging greater lender activity to Iowa business.

The Iowa Loan and Credit Guarantee Fund, a program of the Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED), was created to assist businesses access the financing they need to grow. This program provides lenders with additional security, encouraging greater lender activity to businesses and promoting economic development across the State.

Eligible applicants must employ less than 200 full time employees and sell goods and services in markets where national and international competition exists. In addition, the applicant must do business in one of IDED's targeted areas — biosciences, advanced manufacturing and information solutions/financial services, value-added agriculture, or microenterprise. A microenterprise is a business providing services with five or fewer full-time equivalent employee positions, and located in a municipality with a population under fifty thousand that is not contiguous to a municipality with a population of fifty thousand or more.

Iowa Loan and Credit Guarantee assistance may be used for most business activities, such as the purchase of new equipment and machinery, working capital for operations and export transactions, research and development, marketing and other costs the department may designate.

Businesses have two ways to access the Loan and Credit Guarantee Fund:  A qualified business or targeted industry business can initiate the process. An application is made directly to IDED for a preliminary guarantee commitment which may be issued subject to the business securing a commitment for financing from a financial institution.

The application procedures specify the process by which a financial institution may obtain a final loan and credit guarantee. This process is subject to a $1,000 application fee in addition to all other applicable program fees, which are described below.  Eligible businesses can apply to their lender for conventional financing and the lender can then submit an application to IDED. The Loan and Credit Guarantee Board of Directors will consider an application once it is submitted by the lender and accompanied by supporting documentation. Once the application is thoroughly reviewed, a written notice of approval or denial will be sent to the lender within 10 business days.

Program fees:  Applications submitted by a qualified business or targeted industry business requesting preliminary approval the fee is $1,000.00. Applications submitted by a qualified financial institution the fee is $500.00.  Upon approval of a loan and credit guarantee application, the department shall charge a fee for authorization of the loan or credit guarantee. The fee shall be 2.5 percent of the amount of funds to be guaranteed under the program.  For a line of credit, the authorization fee shall be one half percent (1/2%) per year renewable annually for a period not to exceed five (5) years. The guarantee will automatically expire if the fees are not submitted upon renewal of the line of credit.

Businesses approved for assistance will be notified by a Loan and Credit Guarantee Agreement, which must be signed by IDED and the lender, along with all applicable fees and charges paid, in order to take effect. In agreeing to guarantee a business loan, the IDED assumes responsibility for up to 50 percent of a loan made by a lender should the business default or be unable make scheduled payments.

VALUE-ADDED AGRICULTURAL PRODUCTS AND PROCESSES FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (VAAPFAP) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/vaapfap.html Seeks to increase the innovative utilization of Iowa's agricultural commodities. Iowa is utilizing its vast agricultural resources to bring new products to the world’s table. Iowa is a long-standing national leader in the production of corn, pork, soybeans, eggs and beef. However, assuring that Iowa’s farm prosperity continues means thinking and moving beyond simply producing abundant commodity crops and livestock. Farm income, and the economic well-being of most of Iowa’s rural communities, depends increasingly on our ability to process those crops into new and innovative, refined, consumerready food, fiber, and fuel products.

VAAPFAP was created in 1994 by the Iowa General Assembly to provide support and business incentives to Iowa farmers and agribusiness entrepreneurs. The program is designed to speed the rate of every ag-based innovation in food and fiber products, and to encourage organization of new ventures to produce those innovations.

VAAPFAP may assist projects in these primary categories: 1. Innovative Agricultural Products and Processes – provides financial assistance for projects that use Iowa agricultural commodities to produce higher-value products that are not commonly produced in Iowa.

2. Renewable Fuels and Co-Products – provides financial assistance for development of renewable fuel production facilities such as biodiesel or ethanol facilities that yield coproducts used for livestock feed.

3. Agricultural Biotechnology Industry, Biomass and Alternative Energy – provides financial assistance to agricultural businesses that utilize scientifically enhanced plants or animals that can be raised by producers. Assistance is also available for agricultural biomass businesses that utilize commodity crops, agricultural by-products, or animal feedstock in the production of chemicals, protein products, or other similar products. Businesses involved in the production of alternate energy which could include ethanol, biodiesel, biomass, hydrogen, or the production of wind energy can also benefit from this program.

4. Organic Processing and Emerging Markets – provides assistance to businesses that add value through further processing of organic products and through emerging markets.

5. Project Creation Assistance – available for projects that may be ineligible under the regular program because of their “precommercial” status.

No single project may receive more than 25 percent of the program’s annual fund appropriation.

Financial assistance is provided to qualifying projects in the form of loans and forgivable loans.

Applications are evaluated according to criteria specified in the Code of Iowa, and include the following:  The feasibility of the existing or proposed facility to remain a viable enterprise  The degree to which the facility will increase the utilization of agricultural commodities produced in Iowa  The extent to which the existing or proposed facility is located in a rural region of the State  The proportion of private funds to be contributed to the project



The level of economic development need in the region where the value-adding facility is to be located  The degree to which the facility produces a co-product that is marketed in the same locality as the facility Program Eligibility Requirements  The proposed project must be located in Iowa  The applicant must have a business plan demonstrating a viable market and managerial and technical capabilities to execute the plan  The business should also have a third-party feasibility study confirming the viability of the proposed business  The grantee must not use funds for any activity directly related to farming  Must meet wage thresholds requirements.

HIGH QUALITY JOB CREATION PROGRAM www.iowalifechanging.com/business/highquality_jobs.html This program is designed to promote the creation of quality jobs by assisting businesses locating, expanding or modernizing their facilities in Iowa through a package of tax credits, exemptions, and/or refunds to approved businesses. As businesses change and grow, flexible programs are needed to help Iowa businesses meet the demand of providing valued-added goods on a world-economy scale.

Financial programs are available to assist companies like yours to promote growth and profitability while creating quality job opportunities for Iowans.

The High Quality Job Creation Program provides qualifying businesses tax credits to off-set the cost incurred to locate, expand or modernize an Iowa facility. To qualify for this very flexible assistance package that includes tax credits, exemptions and/ or refunds, a business must be a non-retail or nonservice business and meet at least four of the eligibility requirements.

A business must meet at least four of the following requirements:  Offer a pension or profit sharing plan for all employees.  Produce value-added goods or be in one of 11 targeted industries.  Provide medical and dental insurance and pay 80% of the premiums.  Offer child care services.  Invest at least 1% of pretax profits in research and development.  Invest at least 1% of pretax profits in worker training.  Have active productivity and worker safety improvement program(s).  Purchase and occupy a vacant building which is at least 20,000 square feet.  Must meet wage thresholds requirements.

Actual award amounts will be based on the business's level of need; the quality of the jobs; the percentage of created jobs defined as high-quality; and the economic impact of the project. Once at least four of those criterions are met, the following tax incentives may be available:

   



A local property tax exemption of up to 100% of the value added to the property to a period not to exceed 20 years.

A refund of state sales, service, or use taxes paid to contractors or subcontractors during construction.

For warehouse or distribution center projects, a refund of sales and use taxes paid on racks, shelving, and conveyor equipment.

An investment tax credit equal to a percentage of the qualifying investment, amortized over 5 years. This tax credit is earned when the corresponding asset is placed in service and can be carried forward for up to seven additional years or until depleted, whichever occurs first.

The State's refundable research activities credit may be doubled while the business is participating in the program.

Applications for this and other financial programs are taken on a first-come, first-served basis. To assure your addition/expansion can benefit from this program, businesses are encouraged to apply prior to the beginning of the project. Also, the HQJC program can be used in combination with other state programs, except for the Wage-Benefit Tax Credit (awarded by the Department of Revenue) and the Enterprise Zone Program.

ENTERPRISE ZONES www.iowalifechanging.com/business/enterprise_zones.html Enterprise Zones are economically depressed areas in which State and local tax benefits are available to businesses and developers to make new investments, creating new jobs, and building or rehabilitating housing in those areas. Businesses locating or expanding in an Enterprise Zone may receive property tax exemptions, funding for employee training, sales tax refunds and more.

Enterprise Zones are designed to stimulate development by targeting economically distressed areas in Iowa. Through State and local tax incentives, businesses and developers are encouraged to make new investments, create new jobs and build or rehabilitate housing in these areas. The goal of the program is to revitalize these areas and make them competitive with other locations throughout the State. Businesses locating or expanding in an established Enterprise Zone may be eligible to receive certain local and State tax incentives.

Eligibility Requirements  The business must make a minimum qualifying investment of $500,000 over a three year period. Qualifying investment includes the cost of land, buildings, improvements to buildings, manufacturing machinery and equipment, and/or computer hardware.  The business must create at least 10 full-time, project-related jobs over a three year period and maintain them for an additional 10 years.  The business must provide all full-time employees with a standard medical and dental insurance plan of which the business pays 80% of the premiums for employee-only coverage or provide a monetarily-equivalent benefit package.  The business must pay new employees an average starting wage which is equal to or greater than 90% of the average county or regional wage, whichever is lower. (Check with IDED for the community's current wage requirement.)



The business can not be a retail establishment or a business whose entrance is limited by coverage charge or membership  The business cannot close or relocate its operation in one area of the State and relocate substantially the same operation in the Enterprise Zone.  The local Enterprise Zone Commission and IDED must approve the business' application for Enterprise Zone program incentives prior to project initiation.  Must meet wage thresholds requirements.

Tax Incentives  A local property tax exemption of up to 100% of the value added to the property to a period not to exceed 10 years.  Additional funding for training new employees. If applicable, these funds would be in addition to those authorized under the Iowa New Jobs Training Program.  A refund of state sales, service, or use taxes paid to contractors or subcontractors during construction.  For warehouse or distribution center projects, a refund of sales and use taxes paid on racks, shelving, and conveyor equipment.  An investment tax credit of up to a maximum of 10% of the qualifying investment, amortized over 5 years. This tax credit is earned when the corresponding asset is placed in service and can be carried forward for up to seven additional years or until depleted, whichever occurs first.  The State's refundable research activities credit may be doubled while the business is participating in the program for up to a maximum of 10 years.

Individual Enterprise Zones may have additional requirements. Contact the Iowa Department of Economic Development along with relevant local organizations to determine eligibility. Businesses locating or expanding in an Enterprise Zone may apply for benefits by completing an application (download available below). Local Enterprise Zone Commissions review applications and, upon approval, forward them to the Iowa Department of Economic Development for final approval.

Tax Increment Financing (TIF) City councils or county boards of supervisors may use the property taxes resulting from the increase in taxable valuation caused by the construction of new industrial or commercial facilities to provide economic development incentives to a business or industry.

IOWA INDUSTRIAL NEW JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM (260E) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/260e.html Provides no-cost or reduced-cost job-training services to new employees of eligible businesses through Iowa's community college system. The Industrial New Jobs Training Program provides businesses, which are expanding their Iowa workforce, with new employee training. Available via Iowa's 15 community colleges, the program is financed through bonds sold by the colleges. Depending on wages paid, the business then diverts 1.5 or 3 percent of the Iowa state withholding taxes generated by the new positions to the community college to retire the bonds. Because of this structure, the training is

available at what is essentially no cost since the bonds are retired with dollars that otherwise would have been paid to the State as withholding taxes. In addition to increasing worker productivity and company profitability, businesses participating in the Iowa Industrial New Jobs Training Program may also be eligible for reimbursement up to 50 percent of the annual gross payroll costs expended for onthe-job training, as well as a corporate tax credit if Iowa employment is increased by at least 10 percent.

Business Eligibility Requirements:  Must be located in, or relocating to Iowa.  Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, warehousing, wholesaling, or conducting research and development.  Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.  Cannot have closed or substantially reduced its employment base at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the State.

To qualify for training services, employees:  Must be in newly created positions  Must pay Iowa withholding tax  Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.  Must occupy job positions that did not exist during the six months prior to the date that the business and community college agree to pursue a training project.

IOWA JOBS TRAINING PROGRAM (260F) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/260f.html Provides job training services to current employees of eligible businesses that are located in Iowa. The Iowa Jobs Training Program provides job training services to current employees of eligible businesses that are located in Iowa. Eligible businesses can work with their local Iowa community college, which will assess training needs, determine funds availability and provide training. For participating businesses, the advantages include valuable employee training at a reduced - or no - cost.

Business Eligibility Requirements:  Must be located in Iowa.  Must be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of manufacturing, processing, assembling products, warehousing, wholesaling, or conducting research and development.  Service-providing businesses must have customers outside of Iowa.  Within the 36-month period prior to the date of applying for program services, a business cannot have closed or reduced its employment base by more than 20 percent at any of its other business sites in Iowa in order to relocate substantially the same operation to another area of the State.

To qualify for training services, employees:

 

Must be currently employed by the business.

Must pay Iowa withholding tax.

ACCELERATED CAREER EDUCATION PROGRAM www.iowalifechanging.com/business/ace.html Assists Iowa's community colleges in establishing/expanding programs that train individuals in the occupations most needed by Iowa businesses. The Accelerated Career Education (ACE) program is designed to provide businesses with an enhanced skilled workforce. This innovative program assists Iowa's community colleges to either establish or expand programs that train individuals in the occupations most needed by Iowa businesses.

The program consists of two different parts: ACE dollars to fund the necessary infrastructure construction/rehabilitation needed to increase student capacity in the new or expanded classes.

Program job credits are used to help fund the additional program costs associated with establishing a new or expanding a current program.

To participate in ACE, businesses enter into an agreement with a community college to sponsor a portion or all of the positions created by the establishment or expansion of a current educational program. By sponsoring open positions in a program, a company agrees to consider the student for employment upon the completion of their respective training program. Businesses must assist with program design and provide a 20 percent match of the program costs, pro-rated by the percentage of positions sponsored.

Business Eligibility Requirements: Eligible businesses will be engaged in interstate or intrastate commerce for the purpose of:  manufacturing, processing or assembling products  construction  conduct research and development  provide services in interstate or intrastate commerce Businesses that enter into an agreement with an Iowa community college offset the costs of the program through tax benefits. These are contingent upon the number of program job credits a company accrues and are awarded based upon the number of seats they sponsor in a program. Credits can be up to 10 percent of the hiring wage (minimum wage being 200 percent of the federal poverty guideline for a family of two) that a sponsoring business would pay to an individual that completes the programs' requirements. Job credits are a diversion of a company's current State of Iowa personal income withholding tax and are paid to the community college over the life of an agreement usually five years.

NEW JOBS TAX CREDIT When businesses enter into an agreement under the Iowa New Jobs Training Program, they may qualify for this additional credit to their Iowa corporate income tax.

TARGETED SMALL BUSINESS FINANCIAL ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (TSBFAP) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/tsb_expansion.html Designed to create and expand minority- or women-owned businesses through direct loans. The TSBFAP is designed to assist in the creation and expansion of Iowa small businesses that meet all of the following criteria:  Operating for a profit  Annual gross sales of less than $3 million  At least 51% owned, operated and managed by women, minorities or persons with a disability The business must be certified as a "Targeted Small Business" by the Iowa Department of Inspections and Appeals before applying for or receiving TSB funds.

Available Assistance includes:  Low-interest loans of up to $25,000 at interest rates of 0% to 5%, to be repaid in monthly installments over a five- to seven-year period. The first installment can be deferred for three months for a start-up business and one month for an existing business.  Loan guarantees of up to $40,000. Guarantees can cover up to 75% of a loan obtained from a bank or other conventional lender. The interest rate is at the discretion of the lender.  Equity grants of up to $25,000 may, in limited cases, be used to leverage other financing (SBA or conventional).

TSBFAP funds may be used to purchase equipment, acquire inventory, provide operating capital or to leverage additional funding. Contact the Iowa Department of Economic Development to determine eligibility or to obtain information specific to your needs.

Entrepreneurial Ventures Assistance (EVA) Program www.iowalifechanging.com/business/eva.html The EVA program is designed to encourage and support the development of entrepreneurial ventures in Iowa, focusing mainly on high-growth, technology-based companies. The program provides financing to entrepreneurs for early-stage business start-up and expansion activities as well as technical assistance.

Applicants must identify a specific project and associated costs. EVA funds may be used to finance up to 50 percent of the total project costs, not to exceed the $250,000 maximum. In addition, eligible applicants must have successfully completed a recognized entrepreneurial venture development curriculum or have equivalent business experience.

SELF-EMPLOYMENT LOAN PROGRAM (SELP) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/selp.html Offers low-interest loans to low-income owners of new or expanding small businesses. The SelfEmployment Loan Program (SELP) assists in the creation and expansion of small businesses in Iowa by low-income individuals or persons with a disability.

To receive a SELP loan, applicants must have an annualized family income that does not exceed current income guidelines for the program. An applicant is automatically eligible for SELP if they receive Family Investment Plan assistance or other general assistance such as disability benefits. SELP funds are also available to applicants who are eligible under the Job Training Partnership Act or certified as having a disability under standards established by the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services. Applicants for this program must obtain a local sponsor for the application process.

SELP loans of up to $10,000 with a 5 percent interest rate are available. The loan is to be repaid in monthly installments over a five-year period, and the first payment may be deferred for three months for a start-up business.

ENTREPRENEURS WITH DISABILITIES (EWD) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/ewd.html Helps qualified individuals with disabilities establish, acquire, maintain or expand a small business by providing technical and financial assistance. The Entrepreneurs with Disabilities (EWD) program helps qualified individuals with disabilities establish, acquire, maintain or expand a small business by providing technical and financial assistance. Technical Assistance grants of up to $10,000 may be used to pay for any specific business-related consulting service, such as developing a feasibility study or business plan, or accounting and legal services.

Financial Assistance grants of up to $10,000 may be used to purchase equipment, supplies, rent or other start-up, expansion or acquisition costs identified in an approved business plan. Total financial assistance provided to an individual may not exceed 50 percent (maximum of $10,000) of the financial package. EWD financial assistance must be fully matched by funding from other sources. To be eligible for the program, applicants must be active clients of the Iowa Department of Education, Division of Vocational Rehabilitation Services, or the Iowa Department for the Blind.

ASSISTIVE DEVICE TAX CREDIT www.iowalifechanging.com/business/assistive_taxcredit.html Reduces taxes for small businesses that incur costs through making physical changes to the workplace to help employees with disabilities to get or keep their job. Iowa small businesses can reduce their taxes by buying or renting products or equipment, or by making physical changes to the workplace to help employees with disabilities get or keep a job. An assistive device is any item, piece of equipment or product system that is used to increase, maintain or improve the functional capabilities of an individual with a disability in the workplace or on the job.

To qualify for the Assistive Device Tax Credit, a business:  must be located in Iowa  must employ 14 or fewer full time employees OR have $3 million dollars or less in gross annual receipts

The credit applies to expenditures made on or after January 1, 2000, and equals one-half of the first $5,000 in qualifying expenses each tax year. Excess credits can be refunded or carried over to the next tax year.

EXPORT TRADE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (ETAP) www.iowalifechanging.com/business/export_trade.html Iowa may reimburse you for up to 75% of your international marketing efforts. ETAP provides financial assistance to eligible Iowa firms wishing to enter new markets outside the United States.

Reimbursement of up to 75% of an Iowa company's eligible direct expenses in attending a trade show/mission taking place outside of the United States, up to $2,500 per pre-approved event, up to three times per fiscal year is available.

Eligible Expenses  Booth space rental  Booth construction at show site  Booth equipment and/or furniture rental  Booth utility costs  Freight costs of equipment and/or exhibit materials to and from show  Interpreter fees at show site  Participation fees for trade missions sponsored by the Iowa Department of Economic Development, the U.S. Department of Commerce or the U.S. Department of Agriculture  Per diem (meals/lodging) for one employee for the duration of the event (Per diem rates calculated at 50% of the U.S. Dept. of State Standardized Regulations) To be eligible to participate in ETAP, applicants must meet the following criteria:  Employ fewer than 500 individuals  At least 75% of applicant's employees must be employed in Iowa  Applicant must exhibit in a trade show/mission products or services having been manufactured, processed, value-added, grown or raised in Iowa  At least one full-time employee or sales agent must participate in the event “Applicant” refers to the company name used for the Federal Tax I.D. number. If a division of a company wishes to apply for funding, the Federal Tax I.D. number must be different than the parent company's. Otherwise, the company will need to apply in the parent company name and all criteria must be met based on the parent company.

Parameters  A business may receive ETAP funds for no more than three events state fiscal year (July 1 - June 30).  A business may receive ETAP funds for no more than two participations in a given event, and funding cannot be received in consecutive fiscal years.  A business may receive ETAP funds for participation in an event in a specific country only once per state fiscal year.

COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT PROGRAMS www.iowalifechanging.com/community/ In cities and towns across Iowa, life is changing, fueled by a spirit of optimism. People in Iowa communities of all sizes are actively transforming Iowa's future. Entrepreneurs are reaching global markets from small town main streets. International corporations are breaking new ground in expanding business parks and laboratories. New recreational attractions are welcoming visitors by the busloads. The Iowa Department of Economic Development is eager to help with tools and assistance to help make your communities' vision a reality.

TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE OFFERED BY THE IOWA DEPARTMENT OF ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT www.iowalifechanging.com/community/downloads/ided_ta.doc Contact: Cali Beals, Development Specialist Iowa Department of Economic Development 200 East Grand Avenue Des Moines, Iowa 50309-1819 Email: cali.beals@iowalifechanging.com Phone: 515.242.4723 Fax: 515.242.4722 IDED Portal: www.iowalifechanging.com

ORGANIZATIONAL Asset Mapping Easy workshop that develops tools for placing valuable volunteers on the “right-fit” committees and task forces for the best results. Explores why people volunteer, what they expect, and why recognition is so important.

Board Orientation This is an interactive training that gets board members off on the right foot for development work. The agenda includes a series of self-tests, bylaw trivia, and candid discussion on the differences in board roles and staff roles. It is a must for chambers and economic development boards.

Board Planning Customized planning session coordinated to meet the needs of the organization. Groups will focus on the issues, priorities, and goals for short term success. Board orientation tools also may be included on this agenda.

Facilitation Department of Economic Development staff is available to facilitate many types of meetings.

Sometimes it takes that third party to cut to the chase and move a group to resolution. This service includes community-wide meetings to gather public input as well as organizational efforts by community leaders.

Focus Groups Customized technical assistance coordinated by IDED staff. Focus groups are conducted on a variety of issues. This is a quick method for surveying the needs of employers, employees, residents, and members.

Fundraising This customized approach helps organizations meet their financial goals. Local boards learn the correct way to raise funds based on “return on investment” strategies.

Hiring for Success Customized, confidential, technical assistance offered to groups going through the hiring process. How to develop the job description, where to advertise, how to interview, and establishing performance reviews, etc.

Leadership Development Presentations on what economic development means at the local and state level for up-andcoming leaders. Trainings range from panel discussions to all day workshops. It is informative, thought provoking, and presented in an interactive mode for discussion and reflection. Participants are challenged to get involved at the local level.

Marketing Assistance is available for the basic needs of marketing the organization, the community or the region. An inventory of the local assets and an assessment of desired goals will be facilitated in this training process.

Mission Statement Nuts and bolts of developing a mission statement. All organizations need this important statement to guide their progress. The methods used are built to reach consensus quickly.

Organizational Development Development efforts are best addressed by an organized effort at the local level. Community leaders will be assisted with basic guidelines for developing organizational documents, determining regional partnerships and planning for immediate activities and long range goals.

BUSINESS DEVELOPMENT Business and Industry Call Program The “how to” on setting up a local call program, complete with survey instruments, interview techniques, and tips for follow-up. All economic development organizations must have such a program in place to identify the needs of the business including ‘red flag’ issues and opportunities.

Commercial Call Program Taking care of existing businesses is important for any Iowa community. This training focuses on meeting the needs of commercial business by training interview teams and planning appropriate follow-up. Survey instruments are provided.

Contact Team Training This one-hour training is for anyone working with business prospects. The team is briefed on writing a proposal, meeting with a prospect, and negotiating the deal. It takes the mystery out of prospect work by identifying exactly what is expected of the local community or region. It is a must for community leaders who are marketing land and buildings for growth.

Simulated Visit Economic development happens at the local level! This half-day training focuses on giving the contact team a practice or simulation on what to do when a prospect comes to town. IDED

staff and partners role-play as the prospects for training purposes. The local contact team showcases the community, presents a proposal, negotiates, and generally sells the area.

Participants are given feedback on ways to improve to compete in the ever-changing marketplace.

TOURISM DEVELOPMENT Camera Readiness Innovation and creativity will be the guide for working with the Iowa Film Office. Technical assistance will be provided to determine the “readiness” for hosting the production of movies, documentaries, commercials and other projects in contact with the State film office for possible locations.

Simulated Traveler Visit The tourism theme “Come Be Our Guest” calls on Iowans to host travelers as individuals, in small informal or larger organized groups. This training will provide an opportunity for tourism stakeholders to showcase events and attractions to State tourism staff and other selected professionals. Ideas for marketing, additional partnerships and hospitality details will be discussed to assist the local tourism effort.

Tourism Development The local tourism stakeholders will be assisted in determining organizational needs, assessment of tourism impact, marketing efforts, inventory of tourism assets and planning. The process may involve a series of meetings depending on the interest and progress of the local participants.

The trainings and technical assistance available is not limited to this listing. Other needs identified by community leaders will be considered upon request.

COMMUNITY SERVICES www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/index.html

PUBLIC FACILITIES www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/public.html About $11 million in federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds is available to cities and counties on an annual competitive basis through the Water/Sewer Fund. Assisted activities include sanitary sewer system improvements, water system improvements, water and wastewater treatment facilities, storm sewer projects related to sanitary sewer system improvements, and rural water connections. Applications are normally due in December and award decisions are announced in March. For more information, contact cdbg@iowalifechanging.com or 515.242.4836.

COMMUNITY FACILITIES AND SERVICES FUND www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/fac&srv.html The Community Facilities and Services Fund provides grants to communities for a variety of projects and activities primarily benefiting low- and moderate-income persons, including day care facilities, senior centers, vocational workshops and other community services. Approximately $5 million in federal CDBG funds is available through an annual competition. Applications are usually due in December and award decisions are normally announced in March. For more information, contact cdbg@iowalifechanging.com or 515.242.4836.

CONTINGENCY FUND (IMMINENT THREAT) www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/imminent.html CDBG funds are also available for communities experiencing an imminent threat to public health, safety, or welfare that necessitates immediate corrective action sooner than can be accomplished through normal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) procedures or communities responding to an immediate community development opportunity that requires action sooner than can be accomplished through normal funding procedures. Requests for assistance are accepted at any time and funding decisions are made as quickly as possible. For more information, contact cdbg@iowalifechanging.com or 515.242.4836.

IOWA DOWNTOWN RESOURCE CENTER www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/downtown.html The Iowa Department of Economic Development is excited to announce the creation of the Iowa Downtown Resource Center within the Department. The Resource Center is the brain- child of Main Street Iowa, the Department's highly successful downtown revitalization program. The following is the preliminary draft of the services which will be offered through the Resource Center.

The purpose of the Center is to provide downtown development assistance to Iowa communities through:  Training opportunities  Referrals  Technical information  Statewide awareness  Technical assistance The menu of proposed services for Iowa communities includes: Fee-based Statewide Training Opportunities:  Initial Downtown Visit (a 2-3 site visit)  Iowa Downtown Conference - annual training  Occasional regional workshops on specific downtown topics such as:  Developing local incentive grant and loan programs  Good design for downtown

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Improving downtown's built environment Technology and downtown Developing a market niche for downtown Business retention practices Promoting downtown Fundraising for downtown development Board building Downtown festivals & special events Limited liability corporations for downtown development Technology for small towns Statewide Promotion  Iowa Downtown Month  Downtown Photo Contest Downtown Information Exchange  Examples  Sample contracts  One-stop shop for downtown questions  Lending Library - deposits required o Slides o Videos o Books o Self-help workbooks Consultant Exchange  Landscape architects  Retail consultants  Historic preservation consultants  Marketing consultants  Structural engineers And more is on the way, too! If you have questions about the Iowa Downtown Resource Center, contact downtown@iowalifechanging.com or call 515.242.4733

JOB CREATION, RETENTION AND ENHANCEMENT FUND - EDSA, PFSA AND CAREER LINK www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/jobfund.html Nearly $6 million in CDBG funds are reserved annually for activities that promote employment opportunities for low- and moderate-income Iowans. Three programs within the fund are the Economic Development Set-Aside (EDSA), the Public Facilities Set-Aside (PFSA) and Career Link.

Applications for these programs are accepted from cities and counties at any time. EDSA and PFSA are designed to assist businesses either through a direct or forgivable loan or through infrastructure projects. Career Link is an industry-driven training program designed to help the underemployed and working poor obtain the training and skills they need to move into available higher-skill, better-paying jobs.

For more information about EDSA or PFSA, contact setaside@iowalifechanging.com or call 515.242.4831.

For more information about Career Link, contact careerlink@iowalifechanging.com or call 515.242.4783.

TAX INCREMENT FINANCE (TIF) VARIANCE www.iowalifechanging.com/community/community/tif.html When TIF is used for housing development, a percentage of the future tax increment revenues from the project must be used to provide housing assistance to low- and moderate-income families. The percentage required varies by county, and ranges from about 30 to more than 50 percent. Iowa Department of Economic Development (IDED), through the Division, has the authority to grant variances to the required percentage for low- and moderate-income assistance. Developers or communities seeking a variance must show that the project is not feasible with the required percentage.

Requests for variance are accepted at any time. For more information, contact tif@iowalifechanging.com, or call 515.242.4853 or 515.242.4836.

IOWA RURAL DEVELOPMENT ORGANIZATION www.iowarural.org/ The Iowa Rural Development Council (IRDC) is comprised of over 70+ community-based organizations, businesses, non-profit organizations, and government agencies working together to improve our rural communities. We are part of the National Rural Development Partnership; originally established as part of the President's Initiative on Rural America beginning in 1990.

The Farm Security and Rural Investment Act of 2002 (Pub. L.107-171) ("Farm Bill") directs the Secretary of Agriculture to continue the National Rural Development Partnership (NRDP). The purpose of the NRDP is to "empower and build the capacity of States and rural communities to design flexible and innovative responses to their own special rural development needs with local determinations of progress and selection of projects and activities.

The IRDC's role is to improve the quality of life in rural areas by bringing together the State's key players in rural development, enhancing the communications among those players, and encouraging collaborative and cooperative work so that programs are delivered more effectively and efficiently in rural areas. For more information, call:. 515-471-1967, info@iowarural.org

CITY DEVELOPMENT BOARD Land Use Planning www.iowalifechanging.com/community/growthmgmt/index.html The City Development Board (CDB) consists of five gubernatorial appointees. The Board administers Chapter 368 of the Iowa Code, dealing with municipal boundary changes. The board's responsibilities include: reviewing cities' requests for boundary changes, approving or denying the requests, providing related information to local governments, and maintaining records on all city development actions. The CDB is also charged with addressing islands of unincorporated land and unincorporated secondary

roads adjacent to city boundaries. It is the Board's desire to facilitate intergovernmental cooperation and greater public awareness during the boundary change proceedings in order to avoid misunderstandings and provide equity for the involved governments and citizens.

Available Assistance  Technical assistance  Presentations regarding CDB activities  Explanation of actions taken to land owners, local governments, and media  Reviews boundary change proposals to ensure compliance with rules and regulations.

For more information regarding City Development Board activities and services, please contact cdb@iowalifechanging.com or call 515.242.4719.

VISION IOWA www.visioniowa.org Vision Iowa is a financial assistance program established by the 78th General Assembly of the Iowa legislature to fund vertical infrastructure (construction) projects related to recreation, education, entertainment and cultural activities. The legislation, known as SF 2447, was signed by Governor Vilsack on May 9, 2000, and became effective July 1, 2000. The Vision Iowa mission is as follows: The Vision Iowa board is charged by the Iowa Legislature and Governor with establishing, overseeing and providing approval of the administration of the Vision Iowa program and the Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) program of the State of Iowa. The Board will encourage and support creative projects that enhance the lives of Iowans throughout the State, will encourage and support visionary thinking in cities and towns and counties of all sizes and in all areas, and will leverage State money as heavily as possible to attract funds for these projects from other sources. The Vision Iowa board will support projects that build on Iowa’s unique assets and values, and expand the cultural, recreational, entertainment and educational opportunities in the State.

The Vision Iowa program provides financial assistance for development of major attractions costing at least $20 million. Currently, $5 million of Vision Iowa funds are available. Applications will be accepted with a deadline of October 1, 2006.

The legislation requires that eligible projects be “primarily vertical infrastructure.” The legislation defines “vertical infrastructure” as including land acquisition and construction, major renovation and major repair of buildings, all appurtenant structures, utilities, site development, and recreational trails.

Vertical infrastructure does NOT include routine, recurring maintenance or operational expenses or leasing of a building, appurtenant structure, or utility without a lease-purchase agreement. Generally, all vertical infrastructure costs of the project are eligible. Eligible expenses could include fixtures or equipment which are integral to the structure of the building. Items which are typically excluded include furniture, office equipment, or similar items that may easily be removed from the facility.

Since the legislation requires the project be “primarily” vertical infrastructure, the board may exercise some discretion in expenses deemed as eligible. Financial assistance is typically in the form of a grant.

However, financial assistance may also be in the form of: Loans, forgivable loans, pledges, or guarantees. Eligible applicants include:

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City or County (may cooperate with a school district, or several may form a 28E agreement) Public Organization (including nonprofit organizations that support community activities or tourism attractions)

The legislation requires a match of at least 50 percent of the total project cost. Other funds for the project must come from various public and private sources. Funds must be committed and documented in writing at the time of application in order to be counted as matching funds. The board intends to leverage non-state funds as much as possible in order to complete many desirable projects throughout Iowa. Applicants should NOT assume a 50 percent match is adequate. CAT awards average approximately 20 percent of the final negotiated project cost. Awards have ranged from less than 10 percent to more than 40 percent of the final cost. Applicants should strive to have as many matching funds as possible.

For Community Attraction and Tourism (CAT) and Vision Iowa inquiries and to apply for assistance, contact: Alaina Dierickx, Vision Iowa/CAT Program Manager Phone: 515.242.4827 / Fax: 515.242.4832, visioniowa@iowalifechanging.com PHYSICAL INFRASTRUCTURE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (PIAP) The PIAP is designed to financially assist capital-intensive infrastructure projects that create unique opportunities for quality, high-wage jobs and demonstrate a statewide impact. Both Iowa communities and new or existing businesses are eligible for this innovative program.

PIAP is designed to take a comprehensive approach to address a wide variety of critical infrastructure needs. This program may also be used to remediate contaminated sites that have potential development opportunities contingent on the cleanup. Assistance is provided in the form of loans, forgivable loans and cost indemnification agreements.

PUBLIC FACILITIES SET-ASIDE (PFSA) PROGRAM The PFSA program provides financial assistance to cities with less than 50,000 in population and to counties for public infrastructure improvements that enable businesses to create new job opportunities.

Projects that will create manufacturing jobs, add value to Iowa resources and/or increase out-of-state exports will be given priority.

Eligible projects include adding or improving sanitary sewer systems, water systems, streets, roads, and storm sewers.

RAIL INFRASTRUCTURE FUNDING PROGRAMS For rail projects that are key to the creation or retention of jobs, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) can provide grant funding through this program for construction or rehabilitation of rail spurs to serve new or existing industries. For specific information on rail funding, contact the DOT at 515.239.1052.

REVITALIZE IOWA’S SOUND ECONOMY (RISE) PROGRAM This program, administered by the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT), provides funding for expenditures on city and county highways to help attract new development or support growth with existing developments. Projects are evaluated on economic potential and impact. RISE funding may be

used in conjunction with other sources of federal, state, local and private financing to improve area highways and specific access to roads. Assistance is provided in the form of grants and/or loans.

IOWA INDUSTRIAL DEVELOPMENT REVENUE BOND PROGRAM Provides financing to new and expanding businesses through the sale of tax-exempt bonds.

Iowa Economic Development Loan Program Iowa Finance Authority 100 East Grand Avenue Des Moines, IA 50309 +1.515.242.4990 Fax: +1.515.242.4957 LINK INVESTMENTS FOR TOMORROW (LIFT) Assists with rural small-business transfer, horticulture and alternative agricultural crops. Contact the State Treasurer’s Office for more information.

THE STATE HISTORIC PRESERVATION TAX INCENTIVE PROGRAM www.state.ia.us/iowahistory/preservation/financial_assistance/state_tax_credit/ia_state_tax_credit.html The State Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program provides a state income tax credit for the sensitive rehabilitation of historic buildings. It ensures that character-defining features of buildings are retained and helps revitalize surrounding neighborhoods.

The State Historic Preservation Tax Incentive Program provides an income tax credit of up to 25% of qualified rehabilitation costs. Another 20% is available if the property qualifies for the Federal Rehabilitation Investment Tax Credit (for income-producing properties only).

Several types of properties are eligible for the state tax credit: o The property is listed on the National Register of Historic Places, or is determined by the staff of the State Historic Preservation Office to be eligible for listing. o The property contributes to the historic significance of a historic district that is listed, or eligible to be listed, on the National Register. o The property is a local landmark via local government action. o The property is a barn constructed prior to 1937.

Program eligibility varies depending on the type of building. For residential properties and barns built prior to 1937, the value of the work must equal at least $25,000 or 25% of the fair market value of the property, excluding the land, prior to rehabilitation, whichever is lower. For commercial properties, including multi-family housing projects, the work must be at least 50% of the fair market value, excluding the land.

Like other State Historical Society of Iowa incentive programs, the rehabilitation work must meet the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards for Rehabilitation and Guidelines for Rehabilitating Historic Buildings.

Contact Elizabeth (Beth) Foster Hill, Tax Incentive Programs Manager/National Register Coordinator, at (515) 281-4137 or Beth.Foster@iowa.gov to find out your building’s National Register status or for information about how to nominate a property to the National Register of Historic Places.

Appendix C CITY OF ELGIN ADOPTION RESOLUTION