Meramec Regional Planning Commission
Minutes
February 8, 2007

Call to Order

In the absence of Chairman Bob Reed, Vice Chairman Laura Antolak called the Feb. 8 meeting of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission to order at 7:35 p.m.

Welcome

The following individuals were welcomed to the meeting:

•        Ray Cassidy, Workforce Development.

•        New Staff members:

         Teri Smith, community development specialist/marketing, was introduced to the board. Teri comes to St. James from Huntsville, Alabama, to be near her family. Teri has about 20 years of experience in graphics design and proposal development, primarily in the defense industry. She will be working with Bonnie Prigge on communications and Tammy Snodgrass on environmental programs marketing.

         Amy McMillen, community development specialist, joins MRPC from UMR-Rolla where she worked for 11 years for the Alumni Association and the Regional Professional Development Center. Amy has a BS in business administration from Columbia College. She lives in St. James with her two sons.

Consent Agenda

The following consent agenda items were presented for approval:

a...... Minutes (January)

b...... Contracts

•  City of Hermann

Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to enter into a contract with the city of Hermann to provide administration of a CDBG for a Downtown Revitalization Project.

• Genesis, Waynesville, Mo.

Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to enter into a contract with Genesis, a women’s shelter in Waynesville, for grant administration of its Community Development Block Grant to construct a new building.

Additions to Consent Agenda

• Cuba Industrial Development Authority
Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to sign a contract with the Cuba Industrial Development Authority for the preparation of a state Enhanced Enterprise Zone application.

• City of Salem/Dent County
Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to enter into a contract to provide technical assistance to facilitate town hall meetings for planning process for the city of Salem/Dent County.

• MRPC/MoDOT Agreement (Ft. Leonard Wood Transit Project)
Permission was requested for MRPC’s chairman and/or executive director to sign the first amendment to the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission 5311 nonurbanized area public transportation planning assistance grant agreement, which extends the time period of the agreement to Sept. 30, 2007. (This is the Fort Leonard Wood Transit Project.)

Mary Heywood made a motion to approve the consent agenda with the additions; seconded by T.R. Dudley. The motion carried.

Pension Plan Presentation

Mark Riefer of A.G. Edwards reported that his role is an investment advisor/consultant for MRPC’s two pension accounts. MRPC has three trustees—director, assistant director and fiscal officer who meet with him to discuss investments. MRPC has been with A. G. Edwards for four years.

1) In lieu of Social Security, MRPC provides a pension fund for its employees, which is managed by A.G. Edwards. MRPC contributes 10 percent of each employee’s salary to a 457A money purchase pension plan. MRPC’s pension plan has a vesting schedule. Employees will vest at a rate of 20 percent per year and will be 100 percent vested after five years of service. If an employee leaves employment with MRPC before retirement age, that person will receive the amount of funds that has been contributed to their account according to their percent of vestment.

2) MRPC’s employees are also entitled to contribute to a 457B account, which is equivalent to a 401K in the private sector. The employee owns that account and has control over how they want their account invested.

MRPC’s money purchase pension plan has fund assets of approximately $950,000. Its main goal is to provide an investment fund, which will assist MRPC’s employees in saving for their retirement. The target return on the account is 8 percent. Currently, it has exceeded that percent. Mr. Riefer distributed a portfolio performance report, which explained why the market marched higher during the 4th quarter ending Dec. 31, 2006. He also provided a handout on MRPC’s investment policy statement.

External Relations

In the absence of the committee chairman, Mary Heywood reported on activities of the external relations committee meeting as follows:

•        The legislative prioritization process is too cumbersome. The priorities need to be weeded out or combined by the external relations committee before the survey goes to all committees. The group will work to address that issue next year.

•        The board would appreciate presentations on valuable information from staff and representatives from outside guests on pertinent topics of interest and concern to the board.

•        Teri Smith, MRPC’s new community development specialist/marketing staff person was introduced to the committee.

•        Maria Kardon made a presentation on MRPC’s loans programs.

•        Bonnie Prigge noted that MRPC markets its services through press releases, two radio programs and two web sites.

Operations

Jesse Jarvis made a motion to approve the financial statements for the period ended January 31, 2007, which included MRPC/MRDC-RLF & IRP program statements; seconded by Mary Heywood. The motion carried.

Linda Loughridge reported that MRPC is soliciting proposals for a broker/agent of record to coordinate its health insurance and ancillary products from reputable insurance carriers in order to get the desired products at the most competitive prices. In addition to mailing out specifications to 13 insurance brokers in our region, a newspaper ad was placed in each county. The bids are due by noon on February 9, 2007. To date, five bids have been received—Wallstreet, Ashby’s Covenant, Missouri Benefit, Naught & Naught and Thomas McGee.

MRPC currently offers health insurance, short-term and long-term disability and life insurance to its employees covering 100 percent of the premium cost for employees. Currently, those policies are with different agents/brokers. We learned from consortium presentations that it would more cost effective to have one broker cover all policies. If the savings is sufficient enough, MRPC would entertain proposals to provide dental insurance for its employees.

Ms. Loughridge also reported that MRPC conducts a  salary comparison every other year for all positions at MRPC. Salary information for comparable positions in the labor market area and the state will be collected from various sources. From this information, midpoint will be  developed. The midpoint will be used to determine the range for each position. The salary range for each position from the minimum salary to the maximum salary shall represent a 50 percent spread. MRPC’s positions are unique and are sometimes hard to compare to other organizations. Staff is working on the salary comparison, and it will be brought to the full board for approval at MRPC’s April 2007 board meeting.

The operations and planning committees met together to discuss future plans to hire a Information Technician to handle  computer replacement/networking, servers backup, personnel files and other issues that MRPC has.    

Planning

Connie Willman reported that the planning committee decided that March 8 was an unrealistic date to plan for MRPC’s  Strategic Advance (Retreat). The planning committee will discuss a tentative agenda to present to the full board at its March meetng.

The planning committee joined the operations committee to discuss the possibility of having an information technician on staff.

Grant Update

Connie Willman gave a grant update as follows:

•        Before Kelly Sink-Blair left, she submitted Safe Routes to Schools Grant applications for four schools—Hermann, Waynesville, Crocker and Sullivan.

•        Amy McMillen is working on two industrial infrastructure projects.

•        MoDOT enhancement grants are due May 15 District 5 and June 15 for District 9. District 5 has $2.4 million and District 9 has $1.4 million funding available.

•        Delta Regional Authority (DRA) grants are due to local development agencies such as MRPC on March 7.

•        The new cycle for the Neighborhood Assistance program begins March 1. Those interested in applying should do so soon in order to receive a 70 percent tax credit. Staff is working on four applications and reviewing a fifth one.

•        The cycle for Local Records grants begins the first of March. Funds are available for microfilming records, purchase of cabinets and shelving.

•        Bonnie Prigge reported that the cycle for firefighter grants begins the first of March and applications are due by April 4.

•        Ms. Prigge added that the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Iowa, has funds to rehabilitate senior apartments that were financed through USDA. The first round ends March 2, but there will be another summer round.  Staff is working on applications for Cuba and Leasburg senior citizens homes.

Environmental

Tammy Snodgrass reported on environmental activities as follows:

•        Staff is making contact with the five pilot schools in the chemlab cleanup program to do walk throughs. Bids have been received for a contractor to remove the unwanted chemicals. The project is being funded through EPA and Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District and will provide information and technical assistance on managing chemicals. It will also provide funds to properly dispose of unwanted materials.

•        Staff has mailed out a Request for Proposals for an environmental educator to come in and do programs in seven schools in the region. Staff hopes to schedule those programs for the fall of 2007.

•        Staff has begun working with UMR on Earth Day celebration activities, as well as the poster and trash art contest. We will be contacting county clerks offices to see if it’s still permissible for schools to drop off posters and art at the courthouses for staff to pick up in April.

•        The next meeting of the Ozark Rivers executive board is scheduled for March 13, 2007, at 10 a.m.

•        Staff met with the Missouri Department of Natural Resources staff and studied their different types of surveillance cameras in January and have ordered and received the surveillance equipment. Staff will be training on how to use the equipment this month.

•        The Missouri Recycling Association (MORA) provided 2007 calendars for distribution.

Tammy Snodgrass reported on emergency planning as follows:

•        MREPC district grants are open again. Applications are due in April.

•        The next meeting of the MREPC will be on April 25 at noon.

Homeland Security

Tammy Snodgrass reported that she had attended a Homeland Security Advisory Committee meeting in Jefferson City today (Feb. 8). She added that the state is making an effort to get local input. The next meeting will be at MRPC on April 19 at 2 p.m.

Business Loans

Tom Klebba reported on Meramec Regional Development Corporation (MRDC) activities as follows:

•        The MRDC board met on Jan. 18. Dent County Presiding Commission Darrell Skiles nominated Michael Homeyer to serve on the MRDC board.

•        The next scheduled meeting for the MRDC board is on March 15 at noon.

•        Currently, the business loan department is working on closing one more SBA 504 loan on or before the end of MRDC’s fiscal year. In January, one SBA 504 loan closed for a debenture amount of $566,000 and will fund this month. The loan review committee met on Dec. 13 to review a new SBA 504 loan in Phelps County, which was approved by the committee and will be sent to SBA for final approval.

•        MRDC’s loan with the USDA-Rural Business Cooperative Service was closed on Feb. 2, 2007. The expected turnaround time for the loan proceeds to be sent to MRPC will follow over the next few weeks.

•        There are four IRP loans that are in the process of closing totaling $315,000 and one EDA/RLF loan for $50,000.

•        MRPC will be hosting a workshop on Feb. 22. Personnel from the Small Business Administration will be present to present information to area lenders on its 7(a) and express loan programs.  MRPC’s staff will begin the workshop with an overview of the agency’s loan programs as well.

•        On Feb. 28, Maria Kardon and Candace Connell are scheduled to meet with the Phelps County Bank and its loan officers to provide information on MRDC’s loan programs.

•        The MRDC board is still in need of one representative from Dent County and one from Osage County.

Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC)

Gary Brown reported on TAC activities as follows.

•        TAC’s recently adopted bylaws provide for a co-chair from District 5 and one from District 9.  Decky Finn, the present chairman resides in District 5.  Nominations were taken from the floor, and Gary Brown was elected co-chairman of the TAC for District 9.

•        A fact sheet for Better Roads, Brighter Future was provided for TAC members. MoDOT’s goal  bringing 85 percent of Missouri’s busiest highway miles up to good condition by 2011. Another goal is 34 new or accelerated projects added into the 2007 construction program with more coming each year.

•        The committee also discussed 800 Better Bridges by 2012. This program will replace or rehabilitate 800 of MoDOT’s most worn-out bridges. A use of one team to design and build the entire project will be cost-saving and speed completion.

•        Chris Rutledge with MoDOT District 9 updated the committee on transportation legislation introduced this session , including a sales tax to improve interstates, the primary seatbelt law and school bus seatbelt law.

Workforce Development

T.R. Dudley reported on workforce activities as follows:

Mr. Dudley facilitated a forum in Columbia on Building the Next Workforce—Making Choices for your Community. He noted that a high school education is no longer enough.

A typical help-wanted ad today reads: Creative individuals with strong problem-solving skills, excellent computer skill, the flexibility to adapt to rapidly changing markets, the ability to work in a multi-disciplinary environment, and the skills needed to effectively collaborate across cultures in a global marketplace.

Work ads for tomorrow’s workforce will look decidedly different from those of the past. Just as the economy is changing, so are the skills needed for a competitive workforce.

Eighty percent of the nation’s 30 fastest growing jobs—including computer software engineers, forensic science technicians and dental hygienists—require at least some post-secondary education. Over the next ten years, some 36 percent of new jobs are expected to be filled by those with at least a bachelor’s degrees.

The Southern Growth Policies Board has designed a discussion booklet to stimulate conversation about what a community can do to build a competitive workforce in the future. For more information go to www.southern.org.

That board is a non-partisan public think tank based in Research Triangle Park, North Carolina. It was formed by the region’s governors in 1971. It is supported by 13 southern states, which includes Missouri.

Director’s Report

Richard Cavender reported as follows:

•        Jan Vaughn, director of Central Ozarks Private Industry Council, has accepted MRPC’s invitation to speak at our March 8 board meeting. This came about as the result of T.R. Dudley’s suggestion to invite her.

•        Pete Rahn, director of MoDOT, made a state of transportation report to the legislators. Mr. Cavender attended the meeting. Mr. Cavender added that Mr. Rahn is a blessing to this staff and is great to work with. There is a crisis in transportation as money for transportation is running out.

•        Mr. Cavender further reported that he, Chairman Bob Reed and Mary Heywood, at-large representative for unemployed, visited the state legislators for the Meramec Region and presented legislative priorities identified by MRPC’s board. They had a good visit and managed to talk to several of them.

•        Ms. Heywood noted that Rep. Bob May and Rep. Jason Smith are on the Rural Economic Development committee, and Sen. Frank Barnitz is minority caucus head. They all vowed to keep regional planning commissions in mind and encouraged us to keep in touch with.

•        Mr. Cavender stated that representatives from two major utility providers and a representative from the Red Cross will be on KUMR on Feb. 9 at 8:10 a.m. to discuss how they handled the severe ice storm. The topic of discussion was recommended by a staff member.

Adjourn

The meeting adjourned at 8:35 p.m.

________________________________
Bob Reed, Chairman

________________________________
Russell Scheulen, Secretary