MRPC News Release
April 21, 2006
For more information, contact:
Richard Cavender or Bonnie J. Prigge, (573) 265-2993
MRPC SUPPORTS COUNTY PLANNING, NEW ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT LEGISLATION
Board welcomes City of Crocker to the membership
ST. JAMES—The board of the Meramec Regional Planning Commission went on record in support of two pieces of legislation— Senate Bill 1160 that would update and clarify county planning statutes and House Bill 1782 that offers a new way to finance economic development projects without the use of blight and eminent domain. Both pieces of legislation are currently pending in the Missouri Legislature, and the board's planning committee reviewed them and recommended support.
Senate Bill 1160, sponsored by Sen. Rob Mayer of Dexter, modernizes county planning statutes that are outdated and inflexible. County planning would continue to be voluntary, and the legislation would provide those counties that are experiencing growth the necessary tools to accomplish needed planning.
Revision of the county planning statutes was a goal of the Missouri Commission on Intergovernmental Cooperation when it was chaired by MRPC Executive Director Richard Cavender. " The proposed legislation resolves inconsistencies and is sensitive to citizens concerns," Cavender said. "The bill does not mandate planning but it allows it to occur and lays out a process for accomplishing it."
House Bill 1782, sponsored by Rep. Ron Richard of Joplin, was developed in cooperation with the Missouri Economic Development Council in the event that current tax increment financing laws be drastically changed or eliminated. The new legislation would provide cities with a means of accomplishing economic development without the use of blight or eminent domain, which are the controversial provision of current TIF statutes. The proposed legislation promotes a voluntary, inclusive and collaborative process, requires participation by all affected taxing districts, does not require a finding of blight and does not allowed the use of eminent domain and allows residential development projects with the majority approval by the affected school boards.
In other business, the board:
• Welcomed the city of Crocker to the MRPC membership. Crocker is located in Pulaski County, which joined MRPC in August 2005 and in doing so enabled its cities to become members of MRPC. Present at the meeting were Crocker Mayor James Morgan and City Administrator Joyce Peterson. MRPC now serves eight counties and 31 cities;
• Approved contracts with Rolla Rural Fire Protection District, Anderson and Associates, USDA Rural Development, Genesis of Waynesville, Dixon Area Caring Center, City of Cuba and Janet Carroll Consulting;
• Heard an update on the proposed City/County Health Insurance Consortium. A request for broker services will be issued within the next two weeks, and a committee has been formed to review them;
• Learned that MRPC had been awarded a $500,000 loan from USDA Rural Development to recapitalize its business loan fund. The funds will be available for lending in two to three months, once all the loan closing documents have been completed and a loan process established; and
• Announced new mayors in the region, resulting from the April municipal elections, including Jesse Loeb of Owensville, Ed Boero of Bourbon, Terry Palmer of Steelville, Steve Gospich of Newburg, Brad Bouse of Cuba, Bill Jenks of Rolla and T.R. Dudley of Potosi. Mayors of member governments automatically serve on the MRPC board unless they appoint an alternate person to represent the city.
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. Officers are Chairman Gary Brown of Salem, Vice Chairman Bob Reed of Washington County, and Treasurer Laura Antolak of Rolla. The secretary position is currently vacant.
A professional staff of 23, 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 MRPC board will meet May 11 at its office at 4 Industrial Drive in St. James. The main item on the agenda will be election of officers. All meetings are open to the public.
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