Eight counties | 36 cities | one region

EDGAR SPRINGS­—Meramec Regional Planning Commission (MRPC) will launch its second series of Meramec Morning gatherings at 10 a.m. Nov. 28 at the Edgar Springs City Hall, 555 Broadway St. in Edgar Springs. This round of county-level gatherings will be entitled “Grants 101: Strategies for Success.”  Local elected officials, community leaders, non-profits and interested citizens are invited to attend to learn the basics of grant preparation and to discuss specific projects local leaders may be pursuing.

 “These meetings have several purposes,” MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge said. “We are able to get out into our local communities, especially some of our smaller towns, and talk with folks about projects they are working on and get a better idea of the needs in our communities. We can share ideas on what grants might be available and help them better position themselves for grants. We are also able to share information on what MRPC is and what MRPC does, and grant writing is one of MRPC’s greatest strengths and most used services.”

Last year, MRPC hosted Meramec Morning meetings in all eight counties and gathered a list of needs in each county. That information was helpful in updating the region’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which is on track for completion by Dec. 31, 2018

MRPC will be hosting a Meramec Morning in every Meramec county, starting in November and running through July 2019. Below is a list of tentative dates with locations to be announced soon.

• 30 – Maries County in Belle
• 27 – Dent County in Salem

For more information on Meramec Mornings, contact Prigge or Assistant Director Tammy Snodgrass at 573-265-2993 or via email at bprigge@meramecregion.org or tsnodgrass@meramecregion.org.

Formed in 1969, MRPC is a voluntary council of governments serving Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties and their respective cities. Washington County Presiding Commissioner Marvin Wright serves as chairman to the board. A professional staff of 25 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.

To keep up with the latest MRPC news and events, visit the MRPC website at www.meramecregion.org or on Facebook at www.facebook.com/meramecregion/.

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