HERMANN — Gasconade County benefited mightily during the past federal fiscal year from services provided by the regional planning agency aimed at obtaining funding for a variety of projects — more so than any of the other seven counties in the Meramec Region.

According to Meramec Regional Planning Commission’s (MRPC) annual report for Fiscal Year 2022-23, which ended June 30, Gasconade County governments, businesses and organizations received $4.665 million out of the total $15.43 million of pass-through funding administered by the planning agency. The agency unveiled the report at Thursday night’s annual awards dinner held at the Hermannhof Festhalle and hosted by the city of Hermann and Gasconade County.

Pass-through funding is money that goes through MRPC directly to the cities and counties within the region in the form of government grants, business loans, housing assistance and other services.

Phelps County was the second-largest recipient of funding obtained through the planning commission with a total of $3,136,228. Dent County received $2,461,428; Crawford County received $2,249,700; Pulaski County obtained $1,539,253.

Osage County received $241,471 while Maries County obtained $390,563; Washington County obtained $745,879.

Of the $15.43 million that was brought into the region, community development projects accounted for $10 million. Business loans accounted for another $2,123,884 and environmental-related projects totaled $387,386. Funds for housing-improvement projects totaled $2,909,097.

According to the report, the planning agency’s efforts are paying off in big ways. “For every dollar MRPC spent in FY 2022-23, $4.79 was brought into the region for the benefit of its residents,” the report said.

The annual report was outlined by MRPC Executive Director Bonnie Prigge.

The regional planning agency was formed in 1969, after legislation was signed into law by then-Gov. Warren E. Hearnes. The creation of planning agencies was enabled by the passage of federal legislation in 1965 — the State and Regional Planning and Community Development Act. MRPC is one of 17 planning agencies — Regional Planning Commissions (RPCs in rural areas) and Metropolitan Planning Organizations (MPOs in urban areas) — in Missouri. It is the largest regional planning agency in the state.

While much of its work involves writing grant applications and administering funding for its member cities and counties, the role of MRPC and its counterparts in local transportation development has become more pronounced. Previously, state highway departments essentially informed local government officials which road-and-bridge projects would be done, giving little say to the local governments.

That changed during the Clinton Administration when Intermodal Surface Transportation Enhancement Act (ISTEA) was approved, essentially making the road-and-bridge selection process a bottom-up process with local officials deciding what the priority needs are in their area. Planning agencies such as MRPC help local governments with the process of sending the local priorities to the state level for consideration for inclusion into the statewide transit plan. In fact, that process was recently completed in Gasconade County with the top priority items identified.

As for its grant-writing efforts, MRPC was successful in securing more than $6.2 million in grants alone during FY 22-23. Those approved for grant money were city of Owensville for two grants — $479,787 for construction of the Rock Island Trail and $313,027 for the relocation of the intersection of Industrial Drive and Springfield Road. Another local recipient was the Dierberg Educational Foundation for a new distillery campus to draw tourism to the area. Owner Jim Dierberg has developed Hermann Farm as an educational and tourism attraction on the community’s eastern edge.

The Gasconade Valley Enterprise Zone, which includes Gasconade, Osage and Maries counties, received $14,276 for the Work Keys testing in the schools in the counties as part of the Missouri Department of Higher Education and Workforce Development.

Sponsoring the MRPC awards dinner were the Hermann Area Chamber of Commerce, Hermann Regional Economic Development Corporation, Joseph Brazil and Peoples Savings Bank. Brazil is a St. Charles County councilman and is with TREMCO, a contracting firm that placed the new roof on the Gasconade County courthouse and now is performing exterior renovation work on the courthouse.

Gasconade County Associate Commissioners Jerry Lairmore and Jim Holland, along with County Treasurer Mike Feagan, represented county government while Alderman Susan Lenger, City Administrator Patricia Heaney and Tourism & Economic Development Director Tammy Bruckerhoff represented the city of Hermann in welcoming MRPC members and guests to the annual event.

Gasconade County Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte was out of town attending the Lady Bearcats’ regional volleyball game in St. Louis. Owensville was represented by Mayor John Kamler and City Administrator Randy Blaske.