About Us

The RPC through the Decades

CCRPC

Since its creation in 1966, each decade has resulted in numerous changes at the RPC. In its early years, it added a number of new programs, and in recent years established programs became the responsibility of the RPC. This presents some of the highlights of the RPC's first 40 years.

1970s

  • The RPC received local funds and federal ("HUD 701") planning funds that allowed for the development of a comprehensive plan for Champaign County.
  • In 1974 the RPC was recognized as a Metropolitan Planning Organization due to the fact that the commission board is comprised of chief elected officials of the larger local units of government within Champaign County.
  • The Champaign Urbana Urbanized Area Transportation Study (CUUATS) developed from the MPO designation.
  • The intergovernmental nature of the RPC allowed it to become the clearinghouse for review of all proposed state and federal funded projects originating within the county, the A-95 process. These are reviewed for duplication and adverse effects.
  • In 1974, the RPC became the administrator of the Comprehensive Employment and Training Program (CETA) for Champaign, Piatt, Ford, and Iroquois counties. CETA used Public Service Employment Funds for small construction and maintenance projects. This ran through 1976 and was then spun out as a stand alone agency, known today as the Workforce Investment Board/Champaign Consortium.
  • The RPC's work in the Community Development program area grew during the 1970s. This resulted in home rehabilitation, public facilities, and economic development projects. By 1979, this expanded into a large comprehensive infrastructure and county-wide housing rehabilitation program for low-income homeowners. This expansion to serving low-income persons opened the door to the RPC becoming a social service agency.

1980s

  • This was the era of New Federalism. Legislation enacted during this period shifted the responsibility of many social programs from the federal government to the states. This shift primarily affected health care, cash assistance and other income benefits, family structure, child care, child welfare, immigration, and long-term care.
  • This change in funding emphasis caused the East Central Illinois Criminal Justice Commission (ECICJC) to lose its funding. The RPC absorbed the Police Training aspect of the ECICJC in 1983.
  • The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) program grew out of the New Federalism legislation. This program provides monies for social services programs from the federal government to the state level. The RPC, which recently expanded its role into the social service area, was well positioned to administer CSBG funding.
  • In 1984, the RPC became the official Community Action Agency for Champaign County. This designation enhanced the RPC's ability to attract additional state and federal funding.
  • These funds increased in the late 1980s and this allowed for an expansion of direct service programs within the RPC. New funding allowed for a program providing housing assistance for homeless and near homeless persons as well as Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) clients.

1990s

  • The Champaign County Community Development Corporation (CDC) formed in 1991. It is a multi-bank CDC whose purpose is to promote small business start-up and expansion by providing debt and equity financing.
  • The RPC became the manager for several existing programs including Senior Services, Independent Service Coordination for developmentally disabled persons, Champaign County Zoning, and Daycare Network.
  • It became the grantee for its largest program, Head Start, in 1994. Early Head Start programming was added in 1997.

2000s

  • The Champaign County Geographic Information Systems (GIS) Consortium is the newest addition to the RPC. It was formed in September of 2002 in order to secure the benefits of data collection and analysis at the county-wide scale and to share the cost of implementation, maintenance, and data acquisition. Champaign County was designated as the Lead Member of the GIS Consortium and the County subsequently appointed the RPC as the Agency to house and administer the GIS Program.
  • In December 2005, the County Planning & Zoning Department, a part of the RPC, became the Zoning & Enforcement Department.