Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission

Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission

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The Latest News

EDAC Meeting Highlights Energy

Corey ten Bensel, Director of Member Care at Co-Mo Electric, and Lori Hoelscher, Customer Relationship Manager at Ameren, gave presentations on Missouri’s electric utility structure and partnerships, including breakdowns on energy resources, pricing, and efficiency programs.

Mr. Bensel spoke about the rural electric grid and how the Associated Electric Cooperative Inc. (AECI), which serves about 875,000 member-customers, is owned by 6 generation and transmission cooperatives (or G&Ts) that provide electricity to numerous local cooperatives for distribution across Missouri. Ms. Hoelscher highlighted that Missouri had passed legislation that will expand Ameren’s infrastructure spending in the state. She also discussed the need for economic developers to be familiar with the lingo surrounding energy generation and usage when talking to prospective businesses. And both Ms. Hoelscher and Mr Bensel spoke about the importance of the efficiency programs that AECI partners and Ameren offer to customers.

Mr. Bensel and Ms. Hoelscher described that most of the energy in Missouri is produced by coal, natural gas, and nuclear generation, and that Missouri’s energy costs are lower than the national average. However, they also both highlighted the growing importance many businesses looking to expand or locate in Missouri place on the availability of renewable and clean energy sources. Mr. Bensel outlined the expansion of cost-competitive wind generation in Northwest Missouri, while Ms. Hoelscher spoke about the expansion of Ameren’s solar and wind generation capacity.

Luncheon Discussion to Focus on Rural Transit Gaps

Doris Boeckman is the Missouri Rural Health Association Rides to Wellness Director. Boeckman runs the program, HealthTran, which started as a pilot program in West Plains and continues with remarkable success. HealthTran is designed to build seamless transportation infrastructure in rural Missouri by expanding local transportation by connecting existing transportation services and volunteer drivers. Rides to Wellness has recently updated and expanded their model to serve St. Joseph, Missouri.
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MDC and MoDOT Annual Trash Bash

The Missouri Department of Conservation (MDC) and Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT) encourage people throughout Missouri to help “bash trash” during their 16^th annual No MOre Trash! Bash April 15 through May 15.

The event focuses on “spring cleaning” the outdoors by asking people to pick up litter across Missouri from roadsides, parks, neighborhoods, rivers, streams, trails, and other places. Trash Bash activities also include various educational efforts in schools, community events, and Earth Day celebrations around the state.

For 16 years, the No MOre Trash! Bash has encouraged Missourians to help Missouri become a litter-free state. Adopt-A-Highway volunteers are a big part of the effort, collecting more than 43,000 bags last year and saving the state more than $1 million in litter removal.

Volunteers are needed across the state this year to participate in litter cleanup activities. Participants can report their cleanup efforts and will receive a No MOre Trash! thank-you pin. For more information, visit nomoretrash.org , or call 1-888-ASK-MoDOT (275-6636).

Freight the Topic of Recent EDAC Meeting

April 16, 2018 – Cheryl Ball, MoDOT Waterways and Freight Administrator, was the guest presenter at Mid-MO RPC’s Economic Development Advisory Committee. Ms. Ball presented on the Freight Enhancement Program (FRE) and current freight trends including ports and trucking.

MoDOT is currently accepting proposals for Freight Enhancement Program (FRE) funding. FRE funds are available for capital projects such as the construction of improvements or purchase of equipment that address one of the following four goals: safety, connectivity and mobility, economic development, and major maintenance. Maximum available funding for an individual project is $500,000. Applications for FRE funding are due to MoDOT by May 10th. An additional round of FRE funding may also be available in Fall 2018. Here is a link to the full FRE funding announcement from MoDOT.

Ms. Ball also discussed an innovative program that MoDOT has implemented to turn rest areas into truck parking. A lack of available parking for trucks has become an issue for the trucking industry. At the same time, existing rest areas are aging and becoming too expensive for the state to maintain in the current form. By converting these aging rest areas to truck parking, MoDOT has been able to meet trucking industry demand for parking while saving the state of Missouri millions of dollars.

Centralia Awarded $200,000 in CDBG Funding as Part of Show-Me Shortline Expansion

Show-Me Shortline, Centralia, MO.

April 9, 2018 – The City of Centralia was recently awarded $200,000 in Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funding from the Missouri Department of Economic Development for public infrastructure improvements related to the expansion of Show-Me Shortline. Show-Me Shortline is an agriculture equipment assembly company based in Centralia. The expansion includes a 13,000 sq. ft. addition to one of its current buildings and the hiring of 10 new employees.

The new road will improve Show-Me Shortline’s access to Hwy 22 and help eliminate a blind curve that is currently a major safety concern. The new road will also improve development opportunities for other lots in the area that currently have poor access to Hwy 22.

Mid-MO RPC assisted the City of Centralia with the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application and conducted the environmental review for the project. Mid-MO RPC will also be serving as the grant administrator for the project. RPC activities on the project moving forward will include procurement assistance, assistance with prevailing wage compliance and financial management assistance among other duties.