MRPC News
June 1, 2005
For more information, contact:
Richard Cavender or Bonnie J. Prigge, (573) 265-2993
MRPC TO CONSIDER REQUEST FROM PULASKI COUNTY TO JOIN MERAMEC REGION
ST. JAMES-The board of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission will officially
consider a request from the Pulaski County Commission to join the regional organization
during its June meeting. The group will meet at 7:30 p.m June 9 at the MRPC's
office, 4 Industrial Drive in St. James. The meeting is open to the public.
In May, the Pulaski County Commission hand-carried its request for membership
to the MRPC board. After an informal discussion, the board asked Executive Director
Richard Cavender to research the impact the additional county would have on
MRPC and to make contact with the Lake Ozark Council of Governments, MRPC's
counterpart at Camdenton to which Pulaski County currently is a member. The
group agreed to officially consider the request at its June meeting. If the
MRPC board approves the request, the question would then be sent to the governor
for final decision on changing the RPC boundaries.
Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford,
Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps and Washington counties and their respective
cities. When initially formed, MRPC served only six counties. In November 1997,
Osage County was added to the region, after gaining the approval of the MRPC
board and then Gov. Mel Carnahan. Osage County transferred from the Mid-Missouri
Council of Governments, which was inactive at the time of the request.
A professional staff of 28, directed by the MRPC board, offers technical assistance
and services, such as grant preparation and administration, housing assistance,
transportation planning, environmental planning, ordinance codification, business
loans and other services to member communities upon request.The board meets
the second Thursday of each month, except in July when no meeting is held. MRPC's
officers are Chairman Gary Brown of Salem, Vice Chairman Bob Reed of Washington
County, Secretary Mary Heywood of Bourbon and Treasurer Laura Cyr of Rolla.
For more information, persons may call (573) 265-2993.