Archived Articles

Here is the link to our January edition of the Mid-MO Current which is our quarterly newsletter that highlights how the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission staff is assisting our communities. 

Rebecca Bias joined the RPC staff in December 2019.  She is responsible for all RPC financial records, processing payroll, processing invoices, preparation of monthly financial reports, and human resource responsibilities.

January 8, 2020 – The Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program is accepting proposals for Long-Term Recovery funding for projects connected to the 2019 Presidential Disaster Declaration that resulted from the tornado and extensive flooding last year. This CDBG funding can be used as the local match for both FEMA Public Assistance and FEMA Hazard Mitigation Grant Program funding.

Road and bridge repair, storm water improvements, and wastewater infrastructure impacted by the flooding are all eligible for this CDBG funding.

In order for projects to be considered for the CDBG Long-Term Recovery funding, communities must complete the brief proposal form that can be found here and submit it to the CDBG program. Communities that are interested in learning more about this funding opportunity are encouraged to call either Lincoln Brown or David Bock at Mid-MO RPC.

December 30, 2019 – Projects totaling $50 million were announced for the Governor’s Cost Share program. Two projects were awarded in the Mid-Missouri RPC region. One project for the City of Columbia seeks to create a connecting road between Discover Parkway/Route 63 interchange and the Rolling Hills Rd/New Haven intersection. The other project is in Jefferson City and adds three roundabouts along Clark Avenue corridor, Dunklin St., and ramp terminals for Route 50/63. This is the first year for the Governor’s Cost Share program.   

The Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission (Mid-MO RPC) is seeking candidates for our available Regional Planner and Procurement Officer position. This individual will serve as lead staff support for the Region F Homeland Security Oversight Committee (RHSOC) as well as perform all procurement for Mid-MO RPC associated with State Homeland Security Program funding. This individual will also serve as the hazard mitigation planner for Mid-MO RPC. A complete job description can be found at midmorpc.org. Benefits include health insurance and retirement plan.

Interested candidates are asked to submit a resume and cover letter to midmorpc@midmorpc.org by January 1, 2020.

Mid-MO RPC is an equal opportunity employer.

The Traffic Engineering Assistance Program (TEAP) funding application cycle is open. Applications will be accepted from July 26, 2019 to September 20, 2019. TEAP is open to local public agencies to apply for engineering assistance to study traffic engineering problems. These problems can include corridor safety and/or operational analysis, intersection safety analysis, speed limit review, sign inventory, bike/ped route analysis, and much more. ADA Transition Plans also fall within the lines of TEAP funding.

TEAP is an 80/20 reimbursement program through MoDOT with 80% funding for eligible projects up to $8,000 coming from MoDOT and the entity having a 20% match. Funds for projects must be spent in the year that they are awarded for. If a project costs more than $10,000 the entity can put more than the required 20% match toward completing the project. Check back for information as specific dates are released for applications.

Midwest Assistance Program (MAP) will hold a free workshop offering financial and managerial information for water and sewer systems, focused on the responsibilities of local board members and city clerks on Tuesday, August 13, from 1-4 p.m. at the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission office in Ashland, MO. 

Attendees will learn practical tips on how to more effectively conduct local government business, while better managing your community’s water and wastewater systems in a sustainable, professional manner. 

The training is free but pre-registration by August 9^th is required to insure sufficient handout materials. Refreshments will be provided, and there will be an opportunity to share information through open discussion. 

To register contact Jeff Kormann at  573.680.0682 or email  jkormann@map-inc.org. More details can be found here.

Here is the link to our July edition of the Mid-MO Current which is our quarterly newsletter that highlights how the Mid-Missouri Regional Planning Commission staff is assisting our communities. 

Mid-MO RPC staff attended the Broadband Leaders Academy hosted by the Missouri Department of Economic Development (DED) and the Department of Agriculture in partnership with the Hawthorn Foundation. Tim Arbeiter, Director of Broadband Development for DED, moderated the event.

The conference brought together broadband internet stakeholders, both public and private, to learn about the new sources of funding and technical assistance available to expand access for rural communities, and to brainstorm new ideas and discuss success stories from companies, utility cooperatives and cities that have recently expanded broadband access.

According to the FEC’s most current data, fully 20% of Missourians are unserved with no meaningful access to highspeed/broadband internet services, and as many as 50% of Missouri’s residents are underserved meaning they have connections that are slower than 10 megabits per second download speed and 1-megabit upload. In this increasingly digital age, the lack of access to broadband is a major impediment to improving the health, wealth, and wellbeing of Missourians.
Read on…

The U.S Department of Transportation’s Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), in partnership with Missouri Department of Transportation (MoDOT), is offering a free, intensive two-day training course designed to help local agencies and governments “ensure that pedestrian facilities and access routes are properly constructed and maintained for individuals of all abilities.” The course will include the following modules:

Module 1:        Laws, Regulations and Pedestrian Characteristics (which includes self-evaluations and transition plans and the DOJ-DOT Joint Technical Assistance on the Title II of the ADA Requirements to Provide Curb Ramps when Streets, Roads, or Highways are Altered through Resurfacing)
Module 2:        Pedestrian Access Route (PAR)
Module 3:        Curb Ramps and other Transitions
Module 4:        Detectable Warnings (truncated domes)
Module 5:        Pedestrian Crossings
Module 6:        Accessible Pedestrian Signals (APS)
Module 7:        Street furniture and Parking
Module 8:        Work Zones & Maintenance  

Course topics will be covered through a variety of activities including presentations, discussion groups, video demonstrations, small group problem identification, and will feature a hands-on outdoor wheelchair, low-vision goggles, and white cane exercise. The deadline to register is Monday, April 29, 2019 through the MoDOTu portal. See the attached course flyer for instructions on how to register.

Designing Pedestrian Facilities for Accessibility (DPFA)
May 6 – 7, 2019 from 8 a.m. – 5 p.m.
Harry S. Truman Building, 301 W. High St.
Rooms 490/492
Jefferson City, MO 65102