Council approves MEPA for CDBG administration as city seeks IEDA grant for downtown housing

The council approved staff's recommendation to accept Mid Iowa Planning Alliance (MEPA) as the Community Development Block Grant administrator as the city prepares an application to the Iowa Economic Development Authority for downtown housing work.

City staff explained they received only one proposal for CDBG administrative services and recommended MEPA, with Andrew Collins identified as the lead on the project. "We only got one reply back and that was from MEPA ... Andrew Collins will kind of be our lead guy on that and help us through that process," a staff member said. Council approved Resolution 202607-613 to accept the proposal.

Staff noted that grant administration typically coordinates compliance and construction oversight and that an administrator will help navigate IEDA requirements for the proposed housing project downtown.