Even though the EZ/RC programs have expired, there is still an opportunity to take advantage of the unused EZ and RC Tax Credits, but there is a limited time for businesses to seize upon this opportunity.   EZ/RC businesses can generate refund checks by amending their prior year tax returns.  As of September 2012, an EZ and RC business has less than 6 months to amend its tax return for 2009.

To learn more about this opportunity, read illustrative examples, and see contact information, click here for HUD’s full announcement (PDF).

During the “Rural Successes and Opportunities in Creating Sustainable Communities and Regions” breakout session held December 3, Troy Maggied and Karen Rogulja of the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission (SWWRPC) discussed recent accomplishments of the Grow Southwest Wisconsin initiative, including data collection, building partnerships, and public involvement efforts.

To view the Powerpoint presentation, click here.  To learn more about the Southwestern Wisconsin Regional Planning Commission, click here.

During the “Rural Successes and Opportunities in Creating Sustainable Communities and Regions” breakout session held December 3, Kate Somers, Program Manager at the Randolph County Housing Authority in Elkins, WV, presented updates about the work happening in her region, including promoting affordable housing and senior housing, as well as redevelopment efforts underway in the Highland Park neighborhood.

To view the Powerpoint presentation, click here.  To learn more about the Randolph County Housing Authority, click here.

During the “Rural Successes and Opportunities in Creating Sustainable Communities and Regions” breakout session held December 3, Christine Walker, Executive Director of the Upper Valley Lake Sunapee Regional Planning Commission (UVLSRPC), presented updates about the work her organization has been doing in New Hampshire, including food mapping, a housing needs assessment, and conducting policy and regulatory audits.

To view the Powerpoint presentation, click here.  To learn more about the UVLSRPC, click here.

The three new briefing papers showcase how a number of small communities are tackling sustainability and smart growth through asset based economic development.

Pella, Iowa has a thriving downtown with many locally owned businesses. The local businesses are supported by both the local manufacturing and tourism industries. The downtown design guidelines emphasize the city’s Dutch heritage. Photo courtesy of the city of Pella.

The first paper starts off by defining asset-based economic development and provides several case studies on industry and industrial clusters, including the city of Pella, Iowa. If that name sounds familiar it may be because you have Pella windows or doors in your home keeping the warmth in and cold out.  There are other industries that help keep this small town manufacturing cluster alive and well, and as the case study in the brieing paper notes, there is a strong public-private partnership effort to recruit and develop sectors and industries that are compatible with the community’s economic strengths.  Other communities in Colorado and Arkansas are also profiled in this first paper. Read it here.

The second briefing paper looks at natural resource strengths and working landscapes, which often provide the basis for rural economic activities.  In this paper, a case study of Killington, Vermont showcases how one community has focused its efforts to strengthen and sustainably grow its economic base, largely around tourism and recreational amenities.  Importantly, while many on the east coast think of Killington as a winter resort area, the community has worked hard to showcase Killington as a four-seasons community with outdoor, cultural and recreational amenities year round. Read it here.

Part three looks more closely at historic and cultural resources as well as existing infrastructure such as Main Streets and town squares.   Silver City, New Mexico and Lindsborg, Kansas are profiled more closely in this paper providing lessons learned for other communities considering how to benefit from their existing infrastructure and historic and cultural amenities. Read it here.

You can also access all three papers, and learn more about ICMA’s work on sustainability and smart growth issues, on ICMA’s sustainability topic page.

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This report was researched and written by ICMA, through a subcontract agreement with NADO Research Foundation. NADO Research Foundation provided overall guidance and project direction. The work that provided the basis for this publication was supported by funding under an award with the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. The substance and findings of the work are dedicated to the public. The author and publisher are solely responsible for the accuracy of the statements and interpretations contained in this publication. Such interpretations do not necessarily reflect the views of the Government. For more information, contact Tad McGalliard at ICMA at tmcgalliard@ICMA.org

Participants from NADO and NACo having a small group discussion on public-private-partnerships

On September 19, the National Association of Development Organizations (NADO) and the National Association of Counties (NACo) hosted a White House forum, “Building Blocks for Economic Development and Job Growth.” Representatives from NADO and NACo traveled to Washington, D.C. from across the country to meet with key members of the Administration including officials from the White House, U.S. Department of Transportation, U.S. Department of Commerce, U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, U.S. Department of Agriculture, U.S. Economic Development Administration, and others to discuss how federal, state, and local coordination can be improved. 

Participants also tackled issues like lessons learned from public-private partnerships to support infrastructure-led economic development, building resilient regions, connecting local communities and regions with global markets, and how to attract and retain a talented workforce.

Randy Kelley, Executive Director of the Three Rivers Planning and Development District (MS) and Kelley Deutmeyer, Executive Director of the East Central Intergovernmental Association (IA) represented NADO on the local panel and provided key insights and examples on the critical role regional development organizations play in economic development and job creation in local communities across the nation. Visit NADO’s Facebook page to see additional photos from this special event.

In an era of tightening government budgets, regional planning and development organizations need to think creatively about developing and funding initiatives that improve residents’ quality of life. Through partnerships with community foundations, both regional development organizations and foundations can leverage community and external funds, access knowledge and skills beyond their own areas of expertise, broaden their networks, and align work programs to best meet community needs.

This report explores the strategies and rewards behind eight partnerships. The East Central Iowa Council of Governments worked with a community foundation to recapitalize a small business assistance revolving loan fund, and the organizations have continued to collaborate on regional initiatives.  Similarly, the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission began an active partnership with the Community Foundation of Northeast Alabama through a successful public health program. Central Minnesota’s Region Five Development Commission has worked with several community foundations, after establishing a strong partnership with the Initiative Foundation. Virginia’s New River Valley Planning District Commission has helped the Community Foundation of the New River Valley discover community needs, while the Foundation has helped NRVPDC engage community members. In Texas and North Carolina, foundations and regional development organizations worked together on projects to provide wildfire relief and equip a business incubator, respectively. Oregon’s Mid-Columbia Economic Development District has been working with the Meyer Memorial Trust to develop a digital tool to connect foundations with community priorities, while the Northeastern Pennsylvania Alliance operates a resource center to facilitate partnerships. These stories demonstrate how foundations and regional development organizations can help each other leverage resources, expand their toolkits, broaden their networks, and align their work programs.

To read the full report, click here (PDF).

Public investment helped make Rome’s downtown attractive to residents and businesses.Over 30 years the City of Rome and Floyd County have invested in public spaces, facilities, and infrastructure like the clock tower, library, town green, and pedestrian bridge shown here. Photos: Rome DDA and Tourism.

This case study was researched and written by Parrish Bergquist, NADO Research Foundation Graduate Fellow.

In 1975, the first shopping mall in Rome, Georgia, opened. Residents flocked to the new development, beginning a story of demise common to so many of America’s downtowns. Rome’s downtown anchors lost out to strip commercial development, out-migration, and stagflation, and by 1981 the downtown vacancy rate had reached 26%. Still, with the largest Victorian-era downtown district in Georgia, Rome’s residents value their heritage. When the National Main Street Program came to Georgia in 1980, residents perked up.

In 1981 Rome received Main Street city designation and ever since has applied the National Main Street Network’s approach to historic preservation and downtown revitalization. Through the 1980s and 90s, the City of Rome and Floyd County invested in public facilities to promote downtown as a destination for residential and commercial development. In 1986, the City and downtown businesses overhauled Broad Street—downtown Rome’s main drag—by adding a median and street trees. By 1997, the City and County had accessed almost $40 million in local, Federal, State, and other funding sources to invest in public improvements including combined sewer overflow replacement, police facility, Forum civic center, and library. During the same time period, downtown Rome’s City, County, and school district tax revenues increased by 500%, from almost $200,000 to almost $1 million annually (according to a 1997 study by the Georgia Municipal Association, “Office of Downtown Development Downtown Tax Base Study”).

According to Ann Arnold from the City of Rome’s Downtown Development Authority (DDA), that public investment beginning in the ‘80s set the stage for private developers to reinvest in downtown. Arnold recalls, “The City and County really stepped up and took the lead, and then we had more private investment.”

Residential and commercial redevelopment began when Georgia’s Department of Community Affairs (DCA) launched a Downtown Development Revolving Loan Fund (DDRLF) in 2000. Through the DDRLF, the state loans up to $250,000 for a downtown redevelopment project, at below-market interest rates. This funding covers 40% of a project’s total cost, traditional bank loans finance 50%, and the owner or developer fronts 10%. Rome has received over $2.7 million in DDRLF loans.

The community has tapped into similar low-interest loan funds from the Georgia Cities Foundation, the Appalachian Regional Commission, and the DCA. By 2012, the community had leveraged nearly $6 million in low-interest loans into over $22 million in total private investment. Downtown now includes a vibrant mix of residential and commercial spaces, with 156 residential units, about 100 new businesses, and about 200,000 square feet of redeveloped space. Retailers occupy about 40% of downtown’s commercial space, while service providers occupy the remaining 60%. To protect the city’s Victorian architectural heritage, the city’s Historic Preservation Commission reviews all changes to building facades. According to Arnold, “The majority of downtown redevelopment in Rome has been a direct result of having those incentives available to us. None of this would have happened without the revolving loan funds.” Now, instead of bemoaning the downtown vacancy rate—26% in 1981—Rome’s leaders tout its occupancy rate—94% in 2012.

Rome has leveraged nearly $6 million in low-interest loans into $22 million of private investment, helping to create a vibrant downtown with a 94% occupancy rate. Photos: Rome DDA and Tourism.

In addition to the revolving loan funds, other incentives and public works have spurred revitalization. The City of Rome and Floyd County have continued investing in public facilities, and the DDA offers small grants for façade improvements. Downtown property and business owners pay into a Business Improvement District (BID), which funds programs, promotion, and improvements for the downtown district. Rome’s DDA helps developers apply for low-interest financing and prepare for historic preservation review. The DDA also serves as a conduit for DCA’s loans, since DCA does not loan funds directly to the client.

Looking to the future, Arnold reports that the DDA will focus on tapping the “huge potential for more apartments on the 2nd and 3rd floors of downtown buildings.” The City has also planned and partially completed a riverfront development project to include a public dock, plaza, parking structure, and pedestrian bridge. Leaders hope that this public investment will guide the next phase of redevelopment into the riverfront that forms the edge of Rome’s downtown. Recognized in 2003 as a Great American Main Street City, Rome has made great strides through sustained public and private investment, and its future looks bright.

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This is part of the NADO Research Foundation’s Vibrant Rural Communities series of case studies, which describes how rural regions and small towns across the country are growing local and regional economies and creating stronger communities. This series shows how communities can leverage a wide range of tools and resources to build on their assets, protect their resources, and make strategic investments that offer long-term benefits.

This project is based in part upon work supported by the Federal Highway Administration under Agreement No. DTFH61-10-C-00047. Any opinions, findings, conclusions, or recommendations expressed here are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect the views of FHWA or the NADO Research Foundation.

Otto explained the traditional roles of Vermont’s RPCs, including transportation, land use, emergency, and natural resource planning, as well as GIS mapping and analysis assistance. After Irene, the Vermont Agency of Transportation (VTrans) requested help from the RPCs to restore the state’s transportation networks. This primarily involved assisting municipalities with tasks such as mapping, data collection, resource matching, communications, and technical assistance. In Vermont, counties are not responsible for maintaining roads and the towns are small—ranging from 250 to 9,000 in population in this area, with an average of 3,000—and often lack resources and capacity. The Southern Windsor County RPC was well-suited for this task because of existing relationships with local staff and other officials, as well as strong working relationships with state agencies and the network of RPCs helping each other.

Otto also identified areas where the recovery process could have been improved. First, there was no established role for RPCs to assist VTrans in this context. Some staff members lacked the appropriate knowledge and training for the assignments requested. The large size of the task often led to conflicting messages and an inundation of information, as well as changing expectations that made it difficult to keep up with the demanding process. Despite these challenges, the RPC was able to help towns restore a large proportion of their roads that were damaged.

The RPCs’ work was discussed further in the webinar Lessons Learned from Irene: Regional Planning Commission Involvement in Recovery of Vermont’s Transportation Network, which occurred in June 2012. For more information on the Southern Windsor County RPC, click here.

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