The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission and North Missouri Solid Waste Management District boards of directors met Thursday night in Trenton, agreeing to seek auditing bids and approving solid waste district funds for area recycling projects.
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The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission and North Missouri Solid Waste Management District boards of directors met Thursday night in Trenton, agreeing to seek auditing bids and approving solid waste district funds for area recycling projects.
The RPC Board agreed to send letters requesting several firms in north Missouri to submit bids to do an audit of the RPC after June 30. The board had previously discussed a need to seek a different auditor to do the auditing work for the commission and RPC Fiscal Officer Gerry Robbins contacted several firms to find out their interest in doing the type of audit that would be required for the commission to meet federal standards. Executive Director Randy Railsback presented that list to the board, which was approved. Bids will be accepted until April 11 and it is hoped a recommendation can be made to the board at its meeting later in the month.
The board approved a resolution, giving Railsback authority to sign grant administration contracts without brining each one to the board for final approval, as had been the previous practice. Railsback said that when the commission is awarded administration services for special projects not under the normal purview of the commission, those contracts would be brought to the board for approval. The action was taken by the board in an effort to streamline the grant administration process and keep projects on track.
Approval was given to a contract with the Missouri Association Council of Governments, which will assist the RPC in the administration of federal grants the commission has received for development of mitigation plans. The State Emergency Management Agency, with funds provided through the Federal Emergency Management Agency, is asking regional planning commissions in the state to help counties within their areas develop mitigation plans as part of an emergency planning process. The RPC will be working with two counties in the area and MACOG will assist with those project, receiving $1,854 from the funds the RPC will receive from SEMA.
Jackie Soptic discussed workforce development issues involving the RPC, including a chance to receive additional funding for projects currently being funded through the State Division of Workforce Development that would be moved to other agencies. Mrs. Soptic said around $400,000 is being made available to an 18-county area in north Missouri and she was to attend a meeting today to find out more information.
Mrs. Soptic also updated the board on the Dislocated Worker Program, which is serving 112 persons, including 64 from the ConAgra plant at Milan, which closed in November. She said that RPC personnel are staffing an office at Milan four days a week to provide assistance to those individuals. She said that an Economic Development Administration Grant awarded to help fund costs for this work has still not been received.
Railsback gave a report on the commission?s EDA funding status as well as its status with the Small Business Administration. Information was presented on grants available to local and rural fire departments as well as the possibility of grant funds being available to the RPC to update its mapping system..
It was decided not to hold an annual meeting in April, as has been done in the past. Railsback suggested the board wait until later in the year, perhaps later in the summer or in early fall.
The NMSWMD board approved eight projects to receive district funding of $71,248.90 for the FY2003 year. Two of those projects, which include recycling efforts in Grundy County and Brunswick, are being funded with carryover money as is a request from the region for collection of banned items. Other projects include inter-community recycling in Caldwell County, recycling at the Chula School, recycling in Livingston County, a household hazardous waste collection at Chillicothe and district plan implementation work.