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June 18, 2008 For more information, contact: Meramec Region Expected To Benefit From Tour of Missouri ST. JAMES—There are only three elite cycling events in the United States, and one of them will be in Missouri Sept. 9-14, and it will include three stops over three days in the Meramec Region, Scott Caron of Rolla told the board of Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Caron is the director of The Centre and is helping to coordinate the local planning effort for the race’s tour of Phelps County. “It’s going to have a tremendous impact on the Meramec Region,” Caron said. Caron is expecting 10,000 to 15,000 people to be in Rolla and St. James to see the race. In 2007, some 367,000 people saw a portion of the Tour of Missouri at some point during the six-day event. An economic impact study of the race found that Tour of Missouri visitors had a higher household income compared to other tourists and tended to spend more than other tourists—some $560 per household travel party compared to $307 for other tourists. Overall, the race brought some $26.2 million of out-of-state money to Missouri in 2007. The 2007 event consisted of 15 professional bicycle teams with eight riders per team. In 2008, the race will begin in St. Joseph and travel to Kansas City, Clinton, Springfield and Branson. Stage 4 of the race—Sept. 11—will begin in Lebanon and stop in Rolla. Stage 5 of the race on Sept. 12 will begin in St. James and go to Jefferson City. “It’s a great opportunity to extend their stay,” Caron said of the stop and start in Phelps County. Stage 6 of the race will begin in Hermann on Sept. 13 and bike to St. Charles, before ending in St. Louis on Sept. 14, the last day of the race. Rolla and St. James are working together to raise the funds to accommodate the some 500 people that are part of the race teams. The two cities must provide housing for the group for the night—some 400 rooms—and provide dinner and breakfast and set up the start point for the race in St. James. Some $60,000 to $70,000 is needed, and fund-raising efforts are currently underway. Volunteers are also needed for the local events. Persons interested in volunteering must register through the Tour of Missouri website. “The exposure this area is going to get from this event is tremendous,” Caron added. Televised 30-minute race updates are planned daily with a two-hour special will air on Versus network after the race concludes, Caron said. The 30-minute segments typically devote a few minutes to the cities hosting the events. Some streets and roads will be closed temporarily for race events, Caron said. Race coordinators are working with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri State Highway Patrol, and exact route information is expected to be finalized within a few weeks. In other business, the board: • Adopted a $1.95 million budget for Fiscal Year 2008-2009. Revenues are down some $325,000 from FY 2007-08 because some larger projects closed out and were not replaced. The budget projects a $16,159 surplus. • Approved the Meramec Region’s Regional Transportation Plan, as recommended by the Transportation Advisory Committee. • Heard a report from Alan Galindo of the Central Region Workforce Investment Board. Galindo spoke about the rapid response program that assists workers impacted by layoffs and plant closures. • Learned that MRPC’s Annual Dinner is planned Nov. 12, and proposals are being accepted for hosting the dinner. • Approved the following appointments and re-appointments to the Meramec Regional Development Corporation’s board: Larry Dearing of Cuba and Jerry Bryan of Steelville, recommended by Crawford County Presiding Commissioner Ed Worley; Kathy Schlottach of Owensville, recommended by Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Ron Jost; and Jim Marcellus of Rolla, recommended by Phelps County Presiding Commissioner Randy Verkamp; and • Extended the contract for Verkamp and Malone of Rolla to provide auditing services for MRPC and its related organizations for the next three years. 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. A professional staff of 27, 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. The MRPC board will meet at 7:30 p.m. on Aug. 14 at its office at 4 Industrial Drive in St. James. No meeting will be held in July. All meetings are open to the public. |