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What's
A COG?
Created
more than thirty years ago by visionary public leaders, Iowa’s
Councils of Governments (COGs) provide professional planning,
programming, and technical assistance to Iowa’s cities,
counties, businesses, community organizations and Iowans of
all ages.
COGs are indigenous organizations formed by counties, cities
and towns to serve local governments and their regional citizenry.
Their governing boards are made up of local elected officials,
business and education leaders, economic development professionals,
and individual citizens.
COGs provide regional planning and technical assistance to
local governments and the communities in their regions by:
- Providing
individualized assistance to cities, counties, businesses,
community organizations and community members (such as a
local comprehensive plan, loans to local businesses, grant-writing
assistance, and housing and workforce programs)
- Providing
planning services across multiple jurisdictions (such as
a regional comprehensive solid waste management plan or
long-range transportation plan); and
- Providing
a forum that combines the elements of transportation planning,
housing development, solid waste planning, and use planning,
workforce development, and economic development into a comprehensive
approach to regional growth and development.
To
ensure the vitality and growth of their regions, COGs actively
pursue funding opportunities from a variety of local, state,
and federal resources. They provide expertise to cities and
counties in securing competitive state and federal grants.
As Regional Planning Affiliations, COGs plan for and program
the distribution of federal transportation funds within their
regions, including highways, transit, trails, and other enhancement
programs. Most COGs also have established and administer regional
revolving loan funds targeting housing and economic development.
For more than thirty years, COGs have been growing Iowa’s
communities, Iowa’s businesses, Iowa’s leaders,
Iowa’s regions, and Iowa’s future.
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