NEWSLETTERS

ICOG Selected for 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Campaign

Iowa Association of Councils of Governments are proud to be selected once again to continue our partnership with Iowa Department of Public Health (IDPH) with the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Campaign. This campaign is focused on healthy eating and healthy choices for children. Specific sectors this campaign focuses on is childcare, K-5 school, middle and high school, healthcare and community facilities.

Councils of Governments (COGs) were chosen once again for their unique relationship in local cities and ability to help bring existing stakeholders and coalitions together to solve a need within the community. New communities selected were Manning, Mason City, Clinton Mount Ayr and Keosauqua. IDPH will also be sustaining the four pilot communities, Malvern, West Union, Mt. Pleasant and Dubuque.

IDPH in partnership with Iowa Healthiest State Initiative will continue work to increase awareness of the campaign statewide while each COG works with implementation of the program in their community. With nine communities across the state of Iowa, we hope to see a measurable change in awareness and outcomes with children’s health.

5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! Community Update

Provided by Ashley Christiansen, UERPC and Jennifer Walker, ECIA

As we continue to work through statewide strategic planning and facilitation for sustainability of the 5-2-1-0 Healthy Choices Count! campaign, a state-wide initiative to address childhood obesity, our member COGs are implementing the 5-2-1-0 strategies within pilot programs in Malvern, Mt. Pleasant, Dubuque and West Union communities. COGs are working with schools, before and after school programs and healthcare clinics to market and implement policy changes within the community. Here is a look of how the programs are taking shape in two of those communities.

West Union, Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC)

West Union, a bustling community of 2,500 residents located among the bluffs and river valleys of Northeast Iowa, is one of the four pilot communities selected to lead the 5-2-1-0 statewide push for healthier kids and families across Iowa. Community champions have been hard at work implementing 5-2-1-0 changes throughout the town. West Union’s four licensed childcare centers have added policies to limit sugary drinks and screen time. The school district’s after school program has started ‘Try-it Tuesdays’ for students to try new fruits and veggies and has added extra recess time to its list of student reward options. The local hospital is training healthcare providers on 5-2-1-0 best practices and is creating a community teaching kitchen. The library has added new board games to its shelves. Park and Rec is testing out healthier concession stand options. And this is just a snapshot (…and just the beginning!) of 5-2-1-0 happenings in West Union.

Dubuque, East Central Iowa Council of Governments (ECICOG)

Dubuque, has been working with partners at Dubuque Y Care childcare centers, Medical Associates pediatrics, and the Dubuque Community School District.

Since the Y already prohibits screen time and sugary drinks, they opted to focus more on movement and have purchased a variety of equipment ranging from balls and portable basketball hoops to a children’s kitchen cookware set to keep the children moving. The Y also took the 5-2-1-0 and added +8, because they wanted to add a focus on 8 hours of sleep to the Healthy Kid equation.

At Medical Associates, partner organization East Central Intergovernmental Association has been working with Dr. Karen Scott, who in addition to collecting important data through patient surveys, has also used 5-2-1-0 funding to implement a program to help obese children use activity trackers to monitor their daily activity. Dr. Scott used some of the funding for billboards to better educate the community. The digital billboards have been appearing all over Dubuque!

Dubuque Community School District nurse Rhonda Ramler has overseen the implementation of a food pantry at Lincoln Elementary School. A refrigerator was purchased and food was stocked for children and their families. The primary project was the purchase and installation of a greenhouse at Eleanor Roosevelt Middle School. The greenhouse has been purchased and ground-breaking was held in early June. Students will use the garden produce in school lunches, to feed the homeless and to teach students about numerous science-related projects.

Governor Establishes Empower Rural Iowa Initiative

On Wednesday, July 18, 2018, Governor Reynolds signed an executive order establishing the Empower Rural Iowa Initiative. This initiative will be in partnership with the Iowa Rural Development Council which the Iowa Association of Councils of Governments (ICOG) belongs. “I believe rural Iowa is where the heart, soul and spirit will remain in our communities,” stated Governor Reynolds. 

Governor Reynolds signed the executive order and stated there will be three main purposes of this initiative. 

1. Invest in Rural Iowa

2. Growing Rural Iowa

3. Connecting Rural Iowa

Lt. Governor Gregg then spoke on his meeting with multiple stakeholders, including ICOG, in formulating what this initiative would look like and the objectives. Each initiative will focus on 

these areas: 

• Invest in Rural Iowa – Housing crisis in Iowa

• Growing Rural Iowa – Leadership and strategic planning

• Connecting Rural Iowa – Financing communities with an emphasis in broadband access

ICOG is pleased to see and help lead the initiative on housing crisis in Iowa. Our program that partners with the Iowa Prison Industries to build affordable housing to be placed in rural areas is a great solution that helps address this issue while decreasing recidivism and increasing trained apprenticeship jobs in Iowa.

ICOG will be working with the Iowa Rural Development Council to help shape the conversation and provide real solutions to issues surrounding our rural communities. Our hope is that ICOG and our member Councils of Governments will be a transformable partner to rural Iowa.

Source Water Protection Planning

by Kevin Blanshan, INRCOG executive director and Brian Schoon, INRCOG director of development

Early in 2016 and 2017, the Cities of Gilbertville and Jesup were awarded funding from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (DNR) and the Iowa Councils of Governments to develop Source Water Protection Plans (SWP). Using information developed by the DNR, regarding water sources in the communities, the cities and INRCOG developed the plans with the assistance of key community participants. Specifically, several persons were invited to serve as a local planning team that looked at potential areas of affect around each city’s water sources, as well as to develop steps that might be taken to protect these resources.

Over the course of six months, the teams of local officials, agencies, and property owners defined goals and outlined actions that could be taken to protect their community’s drinking water sources. Proposed actions were divided into three categories: landowner, local government, and educational, marketing, and outreach projects. Thereafter, each team ranked proposed actions into high, medium, and low priorities. Finally, the teams developed brief emergency or contingency plans for inclusion in their SWPs. Specifically, the emergency element, which consisted of a list of key persons, vendors, and agencies, identified who is to be notified when any water service incidents or emergencies occur. To ensure use, the emergency elements are to be posted and utilized by city staff members.

Since initial DNR approval, the cities have been working to implement several identified action steps from their plans, and as a result, the cities have reassembled their planning teams to review and update the plans. The purpose the plan update meetings is so that the documents may be adjusted to accurately reflect what has been accomplished to date, as well as to allow any necessary amendments to be made. We should also note that the cities welcomed public participation throughout the planning and implementation phases of their SWPs. 

If you have any questions or are interested in obtaining additional information about the SWP planning process and/or implementation phases contained in the documents, please contact the INRCOG office.

2018 Sioux City Metro Bike-to-Work Day

Provided by Siouxland Interstate Metropolitan Planning Council (SIMPCO)

The SIMPCO Bicycle and Pedestrian Roundtable hosted a 5th Annual Bike-to-Work Day on May 18, 2018, in the Sioux City Metro Area. A total of 58 registered riders who collectively road 300+ one-way miles participated in the event. 

Cyclists were invited to a commuter breakfast at Albrecht Cycle Shop in downtown Sioux City. In addition, several downtown restaurants offered food and drink specials to participants.

SIMPCO has created a fun graphic to recap the success of their 2018 Bike-to-Work Day. Check it out here.