The Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission is a regional organization serving 52 cities in Northeast Iowa. We provide support through regional cooperation and collaboration between local governments, nonprofits and community members. We are an essential portal for planning and economic development expertise. We provide resources to support housing, workforce development, business development, community planning, and transportation. We do this by connecting community members to resources.
Upper Explorerland Regional Planning Commission (UERPC) was formally established in November of 1972. UERPC was created to promote regional cooperation and meet the planning and economic development needs of local governments in the five NE Iowa counties of Allamakee, Clayton, Fayette, Howard and Winneshiek.
- Providing technical assistance, information resources, and administrative services for local infrastructure projects and community facility projects to make communities a better place to live.
- Serving as the Economic Development District for the Region to stimulate economic growth through comprehensive loan programs, assisting with business plans, and financial packaging structured to meet the size and needs of individual businesses.
- Providing an extensive on-going cooperative planning effort to improve transportation needs of the area and assisting with regional transit planning to promote transit programs that further the development of the state’s public transportation systems.
- Providing training and support assistance to low-income individuals, dislocated workers, and youth through classroom, pre-employment and on-the-job training programs.
- Providing assistance to low-income families with decent, safe, and sanitary housing in the private rental market.
- Facilitating access to employment and services for Iowa job seekers with disabilities.
- Providing technical assistance on land use planning, zoning, sub-division regulations, and local government financing.
- Providing assistance in updating city ordinances and conducting requested needs assessments to determine local housing demand.
- Providing information on historic preservation, recreation planning, downtown revitalization, and urban renewal special taxation districts.
- Providing technical assistance, information resources, and administrative services for local infrastructure projects and community facility projects to make communities a better place to live.
The work accomplished by this Agency is spoken of highly by city council members, community leaders, home and business owners, and others who have received their assistance and benefited greatly from it.
For more information or a tour of the facilities, feel free to contact us at (563)-382-6171 or at (563)-864-7551.