Meramec Regional Planning Commission
Minutes
January 11, 2007

Call to Order

Chairman Bob Reed called the January 11 meeting of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission to order at 7:30 p.m.

Welcome

The following individuals were welcomed to the meeting:

Derek Coats and Jake Otto from Sen. Christopher Bond’s office;
Cindy Hall from Sen. Claire McCaskill’s office;
Ann Kutscher from Rep. Ike Skelton’s office;
Darren Lingle from Rep. Jo Ann Emerson’s office;
Bob May – 149th District state representative;
Ray Schwartze, Maries County presiding commissioner; and
Bill Ransdall, Pulaski County presiding commissioner.

Staff Update

Jodie Branson, bookkeeper, was recently hired to work in MRPC’s fiscal department. Jodie lives at Owensville with her husband and son. She is a great addition to our organization.

Kelly Sink-Blair is leaving MRPC the end of January to join her family business. Kelly is a great grant writer and will be missed. We wish her well.

Consent Agenda

The following consent agenda items were presented for approval:

a.   .. Minutes (December)

b.  ... Contracts

........ •  Paige Eissinger, dba 2SMART CHIX  LLC

........ Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to enter into a technical assistance contract with Paige Eissinger to provide web page maintenance services for MRPC.

........ Additions to Consent Agenda

•  City of St. James

Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to enter into a  contract to provide technical assistance in the preparation of a Community Development Block Grant application for the city of St. James for industrial infrastructure.

•  IRP Loans

Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman to execute a certification of eligibility on behalf of MRPC for the following ultimate loan recipients for the Intermediary Relending Program loans:

1)  RFB Enterprises, LLC in the amount of $68,000.

2)  R & L Automotive, LLC in the amount of $43,110.

3)  Kean and Company, LLC in the amount of $104,000.

4)  Frisco’s Grill and Pub, LLC in the amount of $100,000.

Jim Schatz made a motion to approve the consent agenda with the additions; seconded by Russell Scheulen. The motion carried.

Idea Exchange

Mr. Cavender welcomed staff members from the offices of Sen. Claire McCaskill, Sen. Christopher Bond, Rep. Jo Ann Emerson and Rep. Ike Skelton and asked them to report on legislation and projects their bosses are working on.

The roundtable discussion began with Derek Coats from Sen. Bond’s  Columbia office. Mr. Coats reported on Sen. Bond’s activities as follows:

(Derek Coats)

•        Mr. Coats thanked MRPC for the excellent meal.

•        Sen. Bond is on the same committees. He still serves on the transportation committee.

•        Paul Hildebrandt, EDA’s Economic Development representative for the state of Missouri passed away last fall. EDA does not plan to fill that position. Sen. Bond believes that is an important position and is working with EDA to reverse its decision. 

 (Cindy Hall)

•        Cindy Hall from Sen. Claire McCaskill’s office did not have anything to report yet, since Sen. McCaskill has only been in office 11 days and Ms. Hall has only been in her job for three days. They are busy setting up a district office and hopes to get up to speed soon.

(Ann Kutscher)

•        Ann Kutscher from Rep. Ike Skelton’s office reported that Rep. Skelton is very involved with the military as chairman of the House Armed Services Committee.

•        Rural areas are the backbone of Rep. Skelton’s district.

•        Rep. Skelton is interested in Missouri River issues.

•        Ms. Kutscher noted that the purpose of Rep. Skelton’s office is to respond to the needs of his constituents.

(Darren Lingle)

•        Mr. Lingle congratulated MRPC for being awarded the EDA planning grant in the amount of $55,000.

•        The majority party leadership has changed in Washington, D.C. However, Rep. Emerson takes a bi-partisan role and plans to build on her experience. Tax cuts in the Senate and the minimum wage law are being worked on.

•        Rep. Emerson is pleased that expansion of Tacony, a manufacturing firm located in st. James, is in the works.

•        Rep. Emerson is concerned about the downsizing of Briggs and Stratton and possibility of its closing. The Department of Economic Development is working to help keep Briggs in Rolla.

•        Rural health care is a pet project of Rep. Emerson. Many small businesses cannot afford to provide health care for their employees. The budget of rural hospitals prevents them from keeping qualified doctors in rural areas. She is not pleased with the current prescription drug plan. However, it has been more successful than she first thought it would.

•        No Child Left Behind is up for reauthorization. Rep. Emerson cannot predict how the vote will be. It needs more time and a pilot program first.

•        The Farm Bill is also up for reauthorization. It may be extended for two more years.

•        Hopes to expand the Value Added Agriculture industry to use sawdust to produce ethanol.

•        In response to John Petersen’s question as to the status of the USGS’s future, Mr. Lingle reported that Rep. Emerson is still working on the situation and is optimistic that the Rolla USGS will be treated fairly in the bid process. She is in contact on a weekly basis.

External Relations

Laura Antolak reported as follows:

•        Ms. Antolak reported that it is the responsibility of the external relations committee to determine how many of the top priorities will be included in the report to take to the region’s legislators in Washington, DC. The external relations committee recommended that the top three of four issues of each category be included in the report. The Operations and Planning Committees were given a copy of the issues for review.

         Laura Antolak made a motion to adopt the federal priorities as recommended by the external relations committee; seconded by T.R. Dudley. The motion carried.

•        A review of the MRB bylaws by the external relations committee resulted in no recommended changes.

•        Positive comments were received from the annual dinner survey.

•        The  Missouri Department of Insurance is drafting regulations for the newly passed law affecting employers with 25 or less employees. Therefore, insurance carriers are waiting on regulations to determine how to draft proposals.

Operations Committee

In the absence of the committee chairman, Committee Vice Chairman Gary Brown reported as follows on the meeting

Financials: Gary Brown made a motion to approve MRPC’s financial statements for the period ended Dec. 31, 2006; seconded by T.R. Dudley. The motion carried.

Revised Budget: Gary Brown made a motion to approve MRPC’s revised budget and lease agreements with MRB for fiscal year ending June 30, 2007; seconded by Linda Gast. The motion carried.

The committee reviewed the federal priorities.

Planning Committee

John Petersen reported on planning committee activities as follows:

•        The committee discussed plans to have a biennial board retreat on the morning of March 8.  Staff will do procurement for a location. The retreat will take the place of the evening monthly board meeting.

•        The committee discussed federal priorities.

•        Kathy McCann was elected as vice chairman of the planning committee to replace Jim Kleffner, who is no longer in office.

•        Maria Kardon gave a report on loan activities.

Grant Update

Kelly Sink-Blair gave a grant update as follows:

Application deadlines

•        Safe Routes to Schools grants are due Jan. 31. Staff is working with Sullivan, Hermann, Crocker and Waynesville schools on applications.

Recently Submitted Applications

•        Washington Public Water Supply District #3.

•        Pulaski County Community and Economic Development.

Grant Awards

•        No announcements have been made on the Hermann Downtown Revitalization or Industrial Infrastructure grant applications.

•        MHDC - $150,000 for home repairs in the eight-county Meramec Region was awarded.

Housing Advisory

The housing advisory board meeting was rescheduled for the next month due to the lack of a quorum.

Environmental Report

Tammy Snodgrass reported on environmental activities as follows:

•        Staff is working with other planners across the state to provide input on the rules and regulations being drafted by the Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR) that will affect the solid waste districts.

•        The next meeting of the Ozark Rivers executive board is scheduled for March 13 at 10 a.m.

•        Staff met with MDNR staff and studied their different types of surveillance cameras on Jan. 10. Ozark Rivers hopes to purchase the equipment in the next few weeks and start using it in the region.

•        Staff submitted an application to USDA Rural Development for solid waste technical assistance to the Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District.

Tammy Snodgrass reported on emergency planning as follows:

•        The next meeting of the MREPC will be Jan. 17 at noon. Bob Dopp with the Missouri Emergency Response Commission will be attending that meeting to provide an update on what’s going on at the state and federal level on hazardous materials emergency planning.

•        MREPC is tentatively planning to hold a National Incident Management System (NIMS) two-hour training class for public officials. The plan is to have the training from 4 – 6 p.m. prior to the commission meeting. More details will follow.

Homeland Security

•        The next meeting of the Homeland Security Oversight Committee (HSOC) is scheduled for Jan. 18 p.m. at the MRPC office. The committee will be reviewing the final application before it is submitted to the state.

Business Loans

Tom Klebba reported on MRDC activities as follows:

•        The next meeting of the Meramec Regional Development Corporation is scheduled for Jan. 18. Items of discussion will be 2006/2007 revised budget, financial report, revised bylaws, loan servicing update on all active loans and review of one loan with modifications.

•        The business loans department is working on closing three SBA 504 loans. The IRP program is ongoing and will be closing by the end of February with USDA-Rural Development. There are four IRP loans that are in the process of closing totaling $315,000 and one EDA/RLF loan for $50,000.

•        Maria Kardon and Candace Connell met with financial institutions in Phelps County during the month of December. Marketing visits will continue as staff time is permitted to educate the Meramec Region on the loan programs that are administered by MRPC.

•        The MRDC board is still in need of two representatives—one each from Dent and Osage counties.

Workforce Development

T.R. Dudley serves as the liaison between the Workforce Investment Board and the Meramec Regional Planning Commission.

He reported that the Workforce Investment Board is working to get broad-band internet services to rural areas.

T.R. recommended that we exchange presentations at the two board meetings so that each organization would have a better idea of what the other is doing to help create jobs in the area. He asked that MRPC invite a representative from Workforce Development to speak at a future board meeting.

Director’s Report

Richard Cavender thanked board members for donating $128 toward presents for the two Christmas families MRPC staff adopted for Christmas. He added that it created a lot of joy for those families.

On Jan. 23, Richard Cavender, Bob Reed and Bonnie Prigge plan to go to Jefferson City to deliver the state legislative priorities identified by MRPC’s board. Mr. Cavender added that any board member is welcome to come along and to let us know if they wish to ride or meet us there.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 8:25 p.m.

_________________________________                  _____________________________
Bob Reed, Chairman                                                  Russell Scheulen, Secretary