The Mid-Iowa Planning Alliance for Community Development (MIPA), is an organization designed to support its members. If you have questions about membership, please contact Andrew Collings, Executive Director, at acollings@midiowaplanning.org.
Background
MIPA was formed in 2021 by a group of city and county staff members, economic development professionals, and other stakeholders in the region, with the goal of having Mid-Iowa designated as an EDD and MIPA as the supporting EDD organization.
The Mid-Iowa region, consisting of Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren Counties, was federally designated Economic Development District (EDD) in 2022. An EDD is two things:
- A designation that is given by the U.S. Economic Development Administration to regions that have experienced economic distress, providing benefits such as increased funding opportunities;
- An associated entity, or EDD Organization, which serves the jurisdictions within the EDD region.
services
MIPA provides its members with professional planning and technical assistance, as well as seeks state and federal funding opportunities for local projects. As a support organization, MIPA also offers its members assistance in the writing and administration of grants, among other things. In summary, the core benefits and services of being as MIPA member include:
- Grant writing & administration
- Regional planning, i.e. Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS)
- Membership support, e.g., technical assistance, map-making, local planning
- Option to contract with MIPA for local planning, such as comprehensive plans, zoning updates, or urban renewal plans
Eligibility
MIPA membership is available to city and county governments in the Mid-Iowa region, which encompasses all of Boone, Dallas, Jasper, Marion, Polk, Story and Warren counties. This includes 89 incorporated cities, plus the seven county governments.
OTHER BENEFICIARIES
Member governments are the primary beneficiaries of MIPA — but not the only ones. There are also numerous partner organizations that work alongside cities and counties to advance the region’s goals, such as economic development organizations, chambers of commerce, affiliated government organizations, non-profits, etc. These entities will be involved in MIPA’s planning processes, and they can also work with MIPA staff on grant opportunities, for example, if they have the support of an affiliated government that is a MIPA member.
Funding and DUES
MIPA leverages federal grant dollars to help pay for its staffing costs. As an Economic Development District (EDD), MIPA will is eligible for grant funding of $70,000 annually for staffing. Called the Partnership Program, this grant requires 1-to-1 local match, which is why MIPA charges annual membership dues.
MIPA is optional to join, and jurisdictions can join at any time. There is no cost to jurisdictions that are not MIPA members.
Dues are based on jurisdictions’ population, which is determined by the decennial Census counts or annual Census estimates, whichever is most recent. For counties, only the population in the unincorporated portions of the county are counted.
The membership rate is $0.15 per capita per year for each member jurisdiction. The rate may be adjusted by the MIPA Board of Directors in the future. The annual rates will be communicated to member jurisdictions prior to the start of each fiscal year.
REPRESENTATION
MIPA is governed by a Board of Directors with representation from all member jurisdictions, while day-to-day operations overseen by an Executive Committee.
The Board of Directors has authority over key decisions, such as MIPA’s annual budget, one-time stimulus funds (if they come available), the bylaws, membership dues, and the adoption of the CEDS. The Board of Directors is comprised of one director per member jurisdiction, one representative of private business from within each county, one representative from the Greater Des Moines Partnership, and one representative each from the Des Moines Area Community College and Iowa State University. The Board of Directors meets annually and as needed.
The Executive Committee provides oversight of day-to-day operations of MIPA, including planning processes and contracts for planning services. The Executive Committee is comprised of three representatives from within each county, including two public officials and one private representative. The Executive Committee has a standing monthly meeting.
| Name | Entity | County | |
| Brenda Dryer | Ames Alliance | Story | Chair |
| Linda Murken | Story County | Story | Vice-Chair |
| Vacant | Secretary/Treasurer | ||
| Shawn Bryant | Boone County | Boone | |
| Margret Liston | City of Ogden | Boone | |
| Greg Piklapp | Ames Alliance | Boone | |
| John Cook | Dallas Center | Dallas | |
| Rachel Wacker | Dallas County | Dallas | |
| Vacant | Dallas | ||
| Craig Armstrong | Newton Development Corporation | Jasper | |
| Jeff Davidson | JEDCO | Jasper | |
| Wade Wagoner | City of Colfax | Jasper | |
| Gerald Buydos | City of Pella | Marion | |
| Dan Nieland | Marion County | Marion | |
| Christopher Watkins | City of Knoxville | Marion | |
| Aaron DeJong | City of Urbandale | Polk | |
| Stacie LoVan | GDMP | Polk | |
| Ryan Moffat | City of West Des Moines | Polk | |
| Steve Schainker | City of Ames | Story | |
| Rachel Gocken | WCEDC | Warren | |
| George Meinecke | City of Norwalk | Warren | |
| Jacob Meshke | City of Indianola | Warren |
QUESTIONS?
If you have any additional questions, please contact the office at 515.304.3524.
midiowaplanningalliance.com 