Author: City of Decorah

We want to know what you think!

The city of Decorah is participating in Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development (CED) unit’s Rural Housing Readiness Assessment (RHRA) Program. A local housing steering committee will be participating in an educational session and a strategic planning session with CED specialists to create a vision and an action plan to address housing needs in Decorah.

Gathering your input is an important part of this process your and ideas about housing needs are valuable to the Decorah housing steering committee, so we are inviting you to take a few minutes to complete a brief online survey.

The survey is sponsored by the City of Decorah, the Iowa Finance Authority, and Iowa State University Extension and Outreach Community and Economic Development.

Questions? Contact Lorraine Borowski at mayor@decorahia.org

Click Here to start the Survey.

The City of Decorah has partnered with GroupCast Notification System to provide timely communication to residents of Decorah regarding City business such as street information, water issues, and city emergencies.

In order to enhance our ability to accurately deliver that information we kindly request that you create your own contact preference profile using GroupCast website. This allows you to control the ways in which you prefer to be contacted. It also works like a mailbox, giving you a place to review messages you have missed.

In order to utilize this feature simply follow the steps below to create an account through the secure website provided in GroupCast.

Below are the steps to set up your account:

1. Click Here to visit the GroupCast website.
2. Click the Sign Up Now link near the bottom of the page.
3. You will be taken to a screen where you will need to create an account. Enter your name and email address and create a password. Once you review and accept the terms, click Create Account at the bottom of the screen.

[Note: GroupCast has a strict privacy policy and does not sell or distribute your contact information to any 3^rd party.]

4. Check your email. There will be an Account Activation email from GroupCast (noreply@accounts.schoolmessenger.com). This email contains an activation code that is only valid for 24 hours. (If you do not receive an email, be sure to check your junk mail.) You will have to enter this code along with your user name (which is your email address) to activate your account.
5. Once your account is activated, you are ready to select your notification preferences.
6. Simply select the type(s) of notifications you wish to receive and the groups to which you belong.
7. When you are finished making selections, click Save.
8. Follow the instructions to add additional contact information, such as additional email and phone numbers, to your account.

We hope you enjoy the GroupCast system!

Decorah, IA (February 8, 2023) – The City of Decorah was recently awarded a grant from the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) for a community composting pilot project. The USDA is investing more than $9.4 million in 45 cooperative agreements that support innovative, scalable waste management plans to reduce and divert food waste from landfills. The Compost and Food Waste Reduction (CFWR) cooperative agreements, which are funded by the American Rescue Plan Act, are part of USDA’s broad support for urban agriculture through its Office of Urban Agriculture and Innovative Production (OUAIP). The projects will be implemented between 2023 and 2025.

“These Compost and Food Waste Reduction projects play important roles in building resilient, local food systems, including strong food recovery networks and food waste reduction solutions that benefit farmers and communities,” said Terry Cosby, Chief of USDA’s Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS), which houses OUAIP. “With an estimated 4% of U.S. greenhouse gas emissions attributable to uneaten food, local strategies and tools like these are important climate solutions.”

USDA prioritized projects that anticipate or demonstrate economic benefits, incorporate plans to make compost easily accessible to farmers, including community gardeners, integrate other food waste strategies, including food recovery efforts and collaborate with multiple partners. Recipients include projects in 27 states and one territory.

The City of Decorah will be receiving $106,000 for the grant, with approximately $85,000 coming from the USDA and $21,000 as a local match from the City’s Sustainability Fund. The City’s pilot project will have multiple objectives, including increasing community home composting, working to incorporate food waste into the City’s compost process, and improving the City’s compost facility to develop a higher quality compost. Project partners include the Decorah Sustainability Commission, Winneshiek County Conservation, Luther College, Oneota Community Food Co-op, and the Iowa Waste Reduction Center.

This is an official city press release.  Modifications of any kind are prohibited without express written consent of the author.  Any reprint or broadcast of this information must include this entire communication.

The City of Decorah is now accepting applications for the following:

• Telecommunication Utility Board (1)
• Civil Service Commission (1)
• Board of Appeals (5)

If you are interested in serving on one of these Commissions or Boards fill out the Application for Appointment by Clicking Here

A BIG Thank You to the MEU Task Force for all of their work.

Click Here to view the MEU Task Force Final Report.