Who’s on, who’s off?

Multitude of MRPC boards has county commissioners perplexed over new appointments

By Buck Collier, Special Correspondent
Posted 5/3/23

HERMANN — Two weeks ago the Gasconade County Commission appointed new Hermann City Clerk Corey Orr to the regional planning agency’s Gasconade Valley Enhanced Enterprize Zone (EEZ) Board …

This item is available in full to subscribers.

Please log in to continue

E-mail
Password
Log in

Who’s on, who’s off?

Multitude of MRPC boards has county commissioners perplexed over new appointments

Posted

HERMANN — Two weeks ago the Gasconade County Commission appointed new Hermann City Clerk Corey Orr to the regional planning agency’s Gasconade Valley Enhanced Enterprize Zone (EEZ) Board of Directors, one of more than a dozen advisory panels that have, or should have, representatives from this county.

The appointment of Orr, who a week or so earlier had been elevated by the Hermann Board of Aldermen to the full-time city clerk’s post after serving as assistant to City Administrator/City Clerk Patricia Heaney for more than a year, sparked a discussion that highlighted how perplexing it is for county administrators to stay current with the appointments and reappointments they need to make to those boards and committees.

That confusion is further illustrated when considering who Orr replaces on the EEZ board — Hermann Mayor Bruce Cox.

Cox was appointed to the board in November of 2021, but, according to Meramec Regional Planning Commission officials, had never attended a board meeting. In fact, a check of MRPC’s list of members of the various boards and committees on its website doesn’t include Cox. Rather, it shows the county’s EEZ representatives to be Owensville City Administrator Randy Blaske, Southern District Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, R-Owensville, and former Hermann City Administrator Mark Wallace.

The county’s representatives join counterparts from Osage and Maries counties on the panel. The EEZ board is a non-profit organization that oversees four enhanced enterprize zones within the three counties. Enterprize zones were created many years ago to help with business and economic development in clearly defined areas lacking such development.

The frustration of not knowing just who is on one of these boards — and whether they should be, given that elected officials and others come and go quite regularly — was evident among the county commissioners.

“They’ve just got too many boards down there,” Lairmore said, referring to the 15 advisory panels either directly under the MRPC umbrella or affiliated with the planning agency that covers the eight-county Meramec Region.

Of those 15 boards, Gasconade County is represented, or should be, on 14. The only board that does not include Gasconade County among its members is the Region 1 Homeland Security Oversight Committee. Gasconade County is a member of another region’s oversight committee.

Here are the advisory boards and the county’s representatives, as of the most recent review of MRPC’s membership list on its website:

• Ozark Rivers Solid Waste Management District: Owensville Mayor John Kamler, former Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel, R-Hermann, Northern District Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, former Hermann City Administrator Mark Wallace, Lee Medlock.

• Meramec Regional Emergency Planning Committee: Former Gasconade County Emergency Management Director Kris Bayless and Assistant Director Teresa

Bayless. The couple left the Emergency Management Agency more than two years ago. The Local Emergency Planning Committee (LEPC) is responsible for oversight of the response to hazardous materials incidents, as well as being responsible for collecting and maintaining information about hazardous materials used and stored at businesses within a county (or, in this case, within the Meramec Region).

• Gasconade County Industrial Development Authority: Roberta Berger, Dale Ridder, John Kamler, Glenn Ely and Jerry Lairmore as an ex officio member. The goal of this board, according to MRPC, is to assist Gasconade County businesses by promoting economic development.

• Community Childcare & Development Corporation: The status of this board is unclear; there was no information available about county representation.

• Gasconade Valley Enhanced Enterprize Zone: Owensville City Administrator Randy Blaske, Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore, former Hermann City Administrator Mark Wallace.

• Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy Advisory Committee: Former Gasconade County R-2 Superintendent Dr. Chuck Garner (now retired) and Mark Wallace. MRPC describes this panel as a volunteer group of public-private business leaders, government officials, workforce development personnel and higher education personnel that provides input and oversight on MRPC’s Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, which qualifies MRPC to receive Missouri Economic Development Administration funding.

• Meramec Region Rural Opioid Program: There was no information available about county membership of this board.

• Opioid Affected Youth Initiative Consortium: There are nearly three dozen members on this panel, but not one representing Gasconade County, according to the list.

• MRPC Transportation Advisory Committee (TAC): Owensville Mayor John Kamler, Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore and former Hermann Mayor Robert Koerber. Koerber has been out of office for more than two years. Owensville City Administrator Randy Blaske was named to the TAC and designated as alternates by the County Commission are Hermann City Administrator Patricia Heaney and Hermann Director of Public Works Jesse Geltz.

• Meramec Community Enhancement Corporation: Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte, R-Hermann, Associate Commissioner Jerry Lairmore and former Hermann City Administrator Mark Wallace. An MRPC-related organization, this panel is designed to assist the planning agency by providing services that increase social, economic, educational and health-related developments and recreational opportunities to residents of the Meramec Region.

• Meramec Regional Development Corporation: Kathy Schlottach, Associate Commissioner Jim Holland, R-Hermann, and a third vacant seat. This group provides funding methods, such as SBA loans, for new and expanding businesses and industries in a six-county area.

• Phelps County Public Housing Agency Advisory Board: Former Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel, R-Hermann.

• Region 1 Homeland Security Oversight Committee: Gasconade County is not a member of this group.

• Meramec Regional Community Foundation: There is a vacancy for the seat of the Gasconade County representative on this board. This organization is an affiliate of the Community Foundation of the Ozarks with a mission to improve the quality of life for Meramec Region residents through asset development, grant-making opportunities and public leadership and collaboration.

• Naturally Meramec: Colleen Murphy of Hermann. This is the organization that promotes tourism throughout the eight-county Meramec Region.

At the top of all the advisory panels is the MRPC Board of Directors, which contains a large number of members that represent the eight counties, three dozen municipalities and the business community.

The Gasconade County representatives are Presiding Commissioner Tim Schulte (although former Presiding Commissioner Larry Miskel still is listed), Bland Mayor Kenny Sullinger, Rosebud Mayor Shannon Grus, Owensville Mayor John Kamler, Ron Kraettli (at-large for-profit representative), Hermann City Administrator Patricia Heaney (representing Mayor Bruce Cox), Gasconade Mayor Debbie Green, Jason Koeningsfield (representing Morrison) and Hermann Tourism & Economic Development Director Tammy Bruckerhoff (representing the tourism industry in the county).