The Regulatory and Business Assistance Team provides leadership and direction to citizens, business and communities in the increasingly complex area of regulatory compliance. Assisting clients with regulatory understanding and assistance, working through regulatory issues impacting economic development and striving to improve access to resources and best practices, the Team works directly with individuals, small, medium and large business, local units of government and community organizations. The Regulatory and Business Assistance Team provides confidential, non regulatory point of contact with information, outreach and direct technical assistance. FY '09 was a busy year with the following highlights:

Provided over 10,000 assistance contacts
Continued to streamline access to state government regulatory agencies and services by leading the Iowa Business and Regulatory Assistance Network, ensuring Business Coordinators established in regulatory agencies work with the IDED Regulatory Assistance Coordinator to promptly service small business and entrepreneurial start ups in addition to industrial expansions and new site locations.
Built an enhanced online Business License Information Center (BLIC) which provides 24/7 access and comprehensive information on compliance requirements for doing business in Iowa. BLIC provides a convenient, effective and timely system to specific information on the licenses and permits required for new and expanding businesses, community infrastructure and business professions supported by licensed occupations. Users may access information by license type, key word, business factsheets or a business wizard. Business Lifecycle Guides are available through BLIC that cover the business development cycle with planning, registering, growing and maintaining a viable business are available through BLIC.
Partnered with several Iowa regulatory agencies to establish one-stop Web portals for information and resources on frequently requested compliance areas such as environmental protection, employer obligations and administrative rules.
Hosted Iowa’s first statewide Environmental Conference with the Iowa Association of Business and Industry in September 2009. Attracting over 200 attendees from across the Midwest the one-day conference offered the opportunity to learn about new and emerging environmental and energy policies, critical air and water quality issues and many potential partnership connections. Attendees reported over a 90 percent satisfaction rate on conference surveys and expressed a strong preference to attend a similar effort in the future.
The Regulatory Assistance Coordinator helped bridged the economic, community health and regulatory concerns of citizens, business and elected officials concerned over fine particulate matter pollution by working with the Iowa Department of Natural Resources (IDNR). The Coordinator ensures outreach to communities most immediately impacted by potential nonattainment with federal EPA ambient air quality regulations was initiated.
The Small Business Environmental Liaison facilitated several efforts to assist small business and new business sectors affected by new federal hazardous air quality regulations by sponsoring outreach workshops across the state with the Iowa Waste Reduction Center’ Air Assistance Emissions Program. The Liaison also co-launched the College and University Sustainability Roundtable with the University Of Iowa Office Of Sustainability to help effectively coordinate sustainable operations efforts of over sixty universities and colleges representing both regents and private institutions.
The Water Quality Advocate continued to help make Iowa communities healthier, and more economically sustainable through efforts such as assisting unsewered communities with accessing waste water treatment infrastructure funding and expertise. In addition, the advocate provides a channel for communities to be made aware of enhanced funding opportunities available through federal stimulus funding and ensuring both private and public sector feedback was solicited and submitted for the Water Resources Coordinating Council’s Strategic Water Quality Improvement report submitted to the Governor and Iowa Legislature.
The Brownfield Site Redevelopment program provided technical and financial assistance for revitalizing abandoned or underutilized commercial or industrial sites where real or perceived contamination prevents the productive redevelopment of existing infrastructure.
Offered a number of online resources and compliance guides on topics such as business licensing and registration, environmental regulation, employer compliance obligations, construction and building code regulations.