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Certified Local Government


  • Sioux City has been a Certified Local Government with the state of Iowa since 1991. The City of Sioux City has a signed agreement with the state Historical Preservation office. The advantages of being a CLG are; the city is eligible for certain grants, a Preservation Commission is created, and it opens the door further to guidance and assistance from the State Historical Society. Sioux City Municipal Code, Historic Preservation Ordinance 91/t-CO9663.
  • The 1980 amendments to the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966, as amended, provided for the establishment of a CLG program to encourage the direct participation of local governments in the identification, evaluation, registration, and preservation of historic properties within their jurisdictions and promote the integration of local preservation interests and concerns into local planning and decision-making processes. The CLG program is a partnership among local governments, the State of Iowa, and the National Park Service (NPS) which is responsible for administering the National Historic Preservation Program.
  • Any general purpose political subdivision with land-use authority is eligible to become a CLG. It is the local government that is certified, not simply the preservation commission.
  • A completed application, signed by the chief elected official of the applying local government, will be reviewed by OHP. If the applicant meets the criteria, OHP will forward the application and recommend certification to the NPS who makes the final certification decision. When the NPS is in agreement with OHP's recommendation, a certification agreement is signed by OHP and the local government, completing the certification process.

  • CLGs must comply with five basic requirements:
  • 1)Enforce appropriate state and local laws and regulations for the designation and protection of historic properties;
  • 2)Establish an historic preservation review commission by local ordinance;
  • 3)Maintain a system for the survey and inventory of historic properties;
  • 4)Provide for public participation in the local preservation program; and
  • 5)Satisfactorily perform responsibilities delegated to it by the state. Why the City of Sioux City wanted to become a Certified Local Government.

    • Credibility: When your local preservation program is consistent with federal and state standards and regulations you have the backing of programs that have stood the test of time. The National Historic Preservation Act has been around since 1966. The National Register of Historic Places and its criteria are widely recognized and they have been tested legally (reviewed, refined by adoption into regulations, tested and upheld in courts). When your local survey and designation program is consistent with the National Register and Iowa Register you know you are on safe ground. Similarly, in project review or adoption of Certificates of Appropriateness, the adoption and use of the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards provides criteria for project evaluation that, again, have stood the tests of time, reasonableness, and the courts. It insulates the local preservation program from charges of being arbitrary and capricious. Becoming a CLG provides the local program the added value of prestige and cachet.
    • Technical Assistance: A perquisite for becoming a CLG is access to a listserv hosted by the State Office of Historic Preservation. Membership to the listserv is limited to SHPO staff, CLG coordinators, members of CLG boards/commission, and other interested staff in the CLG. It is a communication tool that offers the Office of Historic Preservation and CLGs the opportunity to submit suggestions or questions to other members of the listserv. SHPO staff also uses the listserv to forward information about training opportunities, publications, grants, and a variety of technical assistance to CLGs.
    • Streamlining: The use of the National Register/Iowa Register criteria and the Secretary of the Interior Standards integrates local, state, and federal levels of review. It brings clarity to the question of what resources are significant when it comes to CEQA and Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act. Adopting the Secretary of the Interior’s Standards will allow the use of categorical exemptions under CEQA, and likely result of findings of no adverse effect under Section 106. The use of these criteria and standards make environmental review faster, more efficient, and reduces costs and delays.
    • Involvement: The CLG program brings local preservation boards and commissions into broader land use planning and project approval processes. CLGs are obligated to involve their boards/commissions in the CEQA and Section 106 review process, as well.
    • Funding: Each state is required to pass through 10% of its annual Historic Preservation Fund grant from the National Park Service to CLGs to fund their preservation activities. In Iowa, the CLG grant program is competitive for a wider variety of preservation planning activities. This funding is not a large amount, but it can support important activities including completion of a preservation element or plan, a survey, preparation of a National Register district application, or the update of an ordinance. When work is carried out under the CLG grant program, there is the assurance that the work conforms to time-tested state and federal standards.
    • Autonomy: When your local governments decide to become a CLG, it agrees to carry out the intent of the NHPA and the Secretary of the Interior's Standards. OHP's role is advisory. Recognizing that individual local governments and individuals employed by those local governments often do not have all the background, training, and skills to achieve a good balance between development and preservation, OHP reviews the structure and processes of the local preservation program, and may comment on or make suggestions about strategies a local government can use to accomplish its goals and objectives. Beyond that, neither the NPS nor OHP have any regulatory authority over local governments.
    • Neither the NPS nor OHP dictate the content of historic preservation plans or ordinances; neither the NPS nor OHP review nor is their approval needed prior to the selection and appointment of individual local preservation commissioners by local government officials. In no way is the autonomy of a local government decreased by becoming a CLG. However, a CLG may be decertified if it establishes policies or adopts practices that violate the intent of the National Historic Preservation Act.
    • Although there are no direct economic benefits to being a CLG other than the opportunity to compete for CLG grants, your CLG's commitment to historic preservation does result in multiple economic benefits. Where preservation is supported by local government policies and incentives, designation can increase property values and pride of place. Revitalization of historic downtowns and adaptive reuse of historic districts and buildings conserves resources, uses existing infrastructure, generates local jobs and purchasing, supports small business development and heritage tourism and enhances quality of life and community character.
    • For additional information, please visit

      www.nps.gov



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