April 21, 2010
Regional Leaders Attend New Mississippi
River Bridge Groundbreaking Ceremony
On Monday,
April 19th government, community and civic leaders
gathered for the official groundbreaking of the New Mississippi
River Bridge (NMRB). U.S. Secretary of Transportation
Ray LaHood, Illinois Governor Pat
Quinn, U.S. Senators Dick Durbin (D-IL)
and Kit Bond (R-MO), U.S. Representatives
Jerry Costello (D, IL-12), John
Shimkus (D, IL-19), Lacy Clay (D, MO-1)
and Russ Carnahan (D, MO-3), St. Clair County
Board Chairman Mark Kern, St. Louis Mayor
Francis Slay, MoDOT Director Pete Rahn
and IDOT Secretary Gary Hannig
participated in the groundbreaking ceremony to mark the start of
the NMRB's construction.
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(from left) MoDOT Director Pete Rahn,
St. Louis Mayor Francis Slay, U.S. Rep. Russ Carnahan, U.S. Rep.
Lacy Clay, U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray LaHood, U.S. Rep.
Jerry Costello, Illinois Governor Pat Quinn, IDOT Secretary Gary
Hannig, and St. Clair County Board Chairman Mark Kern.
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The NMRB was lauded as a long-term strategic
investment in the region that will spur
economic development and create
jobs. U.S. Rep. Jerry
Costello said, "This is about
jobs. It's about
economic development.
It's about reducing congestion. It's
about
getting commerce from one coast to the
other coast in the United
States." U.S. Senator Kit
Bond (pictured right) also touted the project's
ability to spur growth, saying, "This bridge will drive economic
development in the bi-state region for years to
come." U.S. Secretary of Transportation Ray
LaHood thanked Costello and Bond for their tireless
efforts to move the project forward, and suggested that the
bridge be named in their honor. Both lawmakers are key supporters
of the NMRB and helped secure critical federal funding for the
project.
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| Rendering of
the New Mississippi River Bridge, courtesy of MoDOT.
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About the
New Mississippi River Bridge
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First new bridge in more than 40 years
between downtown St. Louis and southwestern Illinois.
1,500 foot cable-stayed bridge (third
longest in the country).
Bridge towers will be 400 feet high,
which is roughly two-thirds as high as the Arch.
Bridge will have two lanes in each
direction, and can be restriped for three lanes if future traffic
warrants.
Total project cost is $667 million.
For more information on the New
Mississippi River bridge click here.
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Regional Ports Are Also Vital to Economic
Development Efforts
The St. Louis region is home to a 70-mile
stretch of the Mississippi River, known as the Port of
Metropolitan St. Louis, which includes some 130 port
facilities. It is the nation's third largest port system in
terms of tonnage of shipments, with a historic focus on coal,
agriculture and petroleum products. Reports on this
extensive system were provided at the RCGA's Illinois
Public Affairs Committee meeting last Friday by
Dennis Wilmsmeyer, General Manager of the
Tri-City Regional Port District and Susan
Stauder, Vice President of Infrastructure for the
RCGA.
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Wilmsmeyer noted
that despite reduced shipments in 2009
due to the national recession,
last year was the "best year ever" for
Tri-City in terms of economic
development. He explained
that five new companies are now using the
port, including Abengoa Bioenergy, Airgas
Specialty Products, Arizon Companies, ARCH Air Methods
and the U.S.
Army Reserves.
The Port District also benefited recently
from a $6 million "TIGER"
grant under the federal stimulus bill,
which will enable partial development of the South Harbor
(located just north of
downtown) by constructing a rail loop and
some flood relief wells.
Wilmsmeyer also spoke about the
importance of an ongoing multi-state
effort to develop a "Marine Highway"
along the I-55 corridor between St.
Louis, Memphis and New Orleans to
increase shipping and help relieve
congestion on our roads.
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Susan Stauder talked
with IPAC about the three port
authorities on the Missouri side of the
Mississippi River, the most active of
which is the City of St. Louis.
The City's Port Authority manages leases
of city-owned waterfront
properties, and operation of its
Municipal River Terminal where an EDA
grant is helping fund $19.5 million in
work. In addition to cargo
handling, City port facilities focus on
barge fleeting and fueling,
since river tows must be broken down into
smaller configurations if they
are moving northbound, and can be
combined into larger ones to go south
from St. Louis.
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Dennis Wilmsmeyer, General Manager of the Tri-City
Regional Port Authority,
and Susan Stauder, Vice
President of Infrastructure for the RCGA
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St. Louis County is also
developing a port authority and Jefferson County
is now
conducting a feasibility study and market
analysis to explore
opportunities to create public and
private port facilities and
waterfront development. The
announcement by the Doe Run Company that
smelting and refining at Herculaneum will
be discontinued by 2017 (to be
replaced by a cleaner lead recovery
process) has created an opportunity
to repurpose activity at their waterfront
site for port development.
Herculaneum and Crystal City have emerged
out of the work done to date
as prime sites for port development in
Jefferson County.
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Missouri Senator Eric
Schmitt Speaks to RCGA Public Policy
Council;
MO Tax Credit Debate
Continues
Missouri
Senator Eric Schmitt was the keynote
speaker at
the RCGA's Public
Policy Council meeting on Friday, April
9th. Sen. Schmitt addressed the need to
increase Missouri's entrepreneurial activity to stimulate
economic development and job creation. He emphasized that
the Senate needed to leverage its assets, such as its great
research capacity, to build a stronger 21st Century
Economy.
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Tina Shannon, Legislative
Representative for
AmerenUE and Vice-Chair
of the RCGA's Public Policy
Council,
and and Missouri Senator
Eric
Schmitt.
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Senator Schmitt also discussed the current debate
on revising the State's tax credit programs. He expressed
concern that subjecting tax credits to the annual appropriations
process would concentrate too much power in the Senate
Appropriations Committee, as custom generally prevents Senators
from amending the Budget on the floor. Sen. Schmitt also
stressed the need to maintain objective criteria in administering
state tax credit programs to ensure accountability, rather than
allowing unlimited discretion for the Missouri Department of
Economic Development. (See story below for more on tax credit
debate.)
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Mike Reid of the Missouri Society of
Governmental Consultants (pictured right) also
spoke to the PPC about proposed changes to Missouri lobbying and
ethics laws. Several bills on these topics have gained
traction in the Legislature, with proposals ranging from
prohibiting committee-to-committee transfers and allowing the
Missouri Ethics Commission to conduct its own investigations, to
reinstating contribution limits and establishing restrictions on
legislators becoming lobbyists and political
consultants.
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About Missouri Senator Eric Schmitt
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Elected to Missouri
Senate in 2008
Former Glendale Alderman (2005 - 2008)
Attorney with Lathrop & Gage
Graduate of Truman State University and
St. Louis University (J.D.)
Chair of the Senate Healthy Missourians
2020 Committee
Vice-Chair of the Senate Government
Accountability and Fiscal Oversight Committee
Vice-Chair of the Senate Health, Mental
Health, Seniors and Families Committee
Member of the Senate Job Creation,
Economic Development and Local Government Committee
Represents Senate District 15, which is
located in St. Louis County
District includes parts or all of Affton,
Ballwin, Crestwood, Fenton, Glendale, Grantwood Village,
Kirkwood, Manchester, Oakland, Shrewsbury, Twin Oaks, Valley
Park, Warson Woods and Webster Groves
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Missouri Tax Credit Debate
Continues
The Senate omnibus economic development
bill (SB
895), sponsored by Senator Tom Dempsey (R-St. Charles)
continues to be held up by a small group of fiscal
conservatives who would like to force sweeping changes to current
tax credit programs in exchange for allowing the bill's
passage. The Nixon administration is also
supporting dramatic changes to existing tax credits that
would reduce authorizations by 60%, give the Department of
Economic Development discretion in allocating the incentives, and
subject a portion of the State's tax credits to the
appropriations process. The RCGA strongly opposes this
proposal, which could significantly harm the state's long-term
economic growth by reducing the effectiveness of
proven programs.
Meanwhile, several key House members have
stated that they are reluctant to pass an economic development
bill if it contains significant new restraints on proven tax
credit programs. SB 895 contains several of the RCGA's
top economic development priorities, including the Missouri
Science and Innovation Reinvestment Act (MOSIRA), Missouri
Business First, Show-Me Fund Projects, and a Proof of Concept
loan program.
In an effort to break the standoff
between the tax credit opponents and economic development
advocates, Senator Dempsey has filed an amendment that would
reduce the caps on various programs but protect their integrity
and effectiveness.
The RCGA opposes adding new constraints to proven tax credit
programs that stimulate employment and leverage private
investment, and appreciates Senator Dempsey's attempt to break
the legislative logjam so that a forward-looking economic
development bill can move toward passage.
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What's in SB 895
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MOSIRA
Captures a portion of the growth in wages
from specified science and innovation jobs to foster
entrepreneurial growth and commercialization of advanced
technologies.
Missouri Business First
Increases the cap on tax incentives for
eligible companies that have been in Missouri for 5+ years.
Show-Me Fund
Projects
Allows refundable "up front" tax credits
under the Missouri Quality Jobs and Missouri BUILD programs.
Missouri Jobs for the Future
Allows municipalities to capture a
portion of the incremental increase in state sales and income
taxes to develop designated areas.
Proof of Concept Loans
Allows the Missouri Technology
Corporation to make small business loans to high-tech
entrepreneurial companies. (Also part of the RCGA's "Grow
Me State" initiative.)
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Focus on
Illinois: IPAC Committee Discusses Levee Legislation
Rep. Tom Holbrook (D-Belleville)
talked with the RCGA's Illinois Public Affairs Committee
last Friday about the importance of legislation designed to
address defects in an Executive Order issued by former Governor
Rod Blagojevich regarding development in the state's flood
plains. The Executive Order, issued in 2006, places more
restrictions on development than FEMA regulations, yet does not
define a flood plain or take into account the existence of local
Flood Protection Districts (such as the one created by voters in
Madison, St. Clair and Monroe counties last year).
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(from left) Rep. Tom Holbrook
(D-Belleville) and Rep. Eddie
Jackson (D-East St. Louis) addressed the RCGA's IPAC meeting on
April 16th.
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Senate Bill 2556, sponsored by Sen.
Bill Haine
(D-Alton), would address these
defects and help keep economic
development moving forward in the
Columbia Bottoms area. The measure
passed the Senate on a 51-0 vote
last week, and is now headed to the House
where it will be handled by Rep.
Jay Hoffman
(D-Collinsville).
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Illinois Senator Bill Haine
(left) and Representative
Jay Hoffman are key
supporters of SB 2556.
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RCGA members
are encouraged to speak with
Illinois legislators and urge immediate
passage of SB 2556, particularly
since legislative leaders have indicated
that the session could end as
early as May 7th this year.
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St. Louis Green Business Challenge
Participants Learn to Improve Indoor Environmental Quality and
Reduce Waste
The April 14th seminar of the St.
Louis Green Business Challenge featured presentations on
improving indoor environmental quality and reducing waste at the
workplace. The St. Louis Green Business Challenge
is a part of the RCGA's Climate Prosperity Project to advance
"green savings" in the region by promoting more sustainable
business operations at area companies. Sixty-two
RCGA-member companies and institutions are engaged in the
Challenge, which encourages participants to complete a scorecard
to measure achievements in corporate outreach, energy efficiency,
waste and water reduction, indoor environment improvements and
clean transportation options.
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At the April 14th St. Louis Green Business
Challenge seminar,
Randy Lewis,
Director of Operations for Walsh & Associates
(center) receives a
$3,084 check from AmerenUE's Business Efficiency Program for
installing new energy efficiency lighting and occupancy sensors
in their
workplace. Pictured with
Randy Lewis is Mike Picker of Bell Electrical
(left) and Scott Steiner (right) of AmerenUE.
For more information on AmerenUE's energy efficiency incentives
go to www.uefficiency.com
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Richard Reilly (pictured
below), Chief Operating Officer of Trumpet
Builders, explained how companies can improve worker health
and
productivity by taking simple actions on
indoor environmental quality. Reilly emphasized
that companies should examine and measure air ventilation,
storage of cleaning and chemical products, and thermal comfort of
their workers as the first steps to improving indoor
environmental quality. To view Richard Reilly's
presentation, click on the image below.
Challenge participants learned about waste audits
from Glenda Abney, Resource Advisor to the Green Business
Challenge and Director of the EarthWays Center
(pictured below). She described
the process of a full-scale waste audit that includes manual
trash separation and a simpler audit that only requires visual
examination. Abney reminded the audience to take
the necessary safety and sanitary protections before diving into
a waste audit. For her presentation click on the
image below.
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Mike Trotter, Manager of Operating
Services at Bunge North America (pictured
below), explained how Bunge initiated a waste audit process
which lead to substantial savings and increased recycling.
In one year, Bunge increased recycling from 20% to 70%,
through employee education and inter-departmental waste reduction
competitions. The company also collected
batteries, CD, and plastic bags for recycling. Bunge has
experienced a 30% reduction in paper usage and lowered waste
hauling costs as a result of their sustainability program.
For more information, click on the presentation image below.
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Seth Teel, Sustainable Design Analyst for
HOK (pictured below) recounted how his firm
negotiated recycling requirements in their lease at the One
Metropolitan Square building in downtown St. Louis.
Multi-tenant recycling is nearly equal in cost to single tenant
recycling, because building owners can receive more money for
their recyclable material to offset the cost of additional
recycling hauls. One Metropolitan Square experienced a
substantial reduction in waste and hauling costs since
implementing building wide recycling. Teel said
that HOK has seen increased collaboration and creativity by
moving to common area recycling and waste receptacles, because it
forced people to meet each other on the way to dispose
materials. For more information on the HOK story,
click on the presentation image below.
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The seminar on waste and recycling concluded with
a presentation by Greg
Janson, Chief Executive Officer of QRS
Recycling. His company runs two
recycling facilities in the St. Louis
region and handles collects
recycling materials for businesses.
Janson said that companies need to "leverage
laziness" by implementing single-stream
recycling to simplify the waste
and recycling options. His
programs of expanding recyclable options and
locations at the workplace have proven to
reduce waste and costs for
companies (see presentation by
clicking on graphic below).
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Indoor Environmental Quality and Waste
Reduction Tips
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To improve indoor
environmental quality, measure and set policies for air
ventilation, smoking in and around the building, chemical and
cleaning products storage.
To conduct a simple waste audit,
use clear trash bags and visually inspect food, paper,
and waste content.
To increase recycling and reduce
waste, substitute recycling containers for trash bins at
every workstation and move trash receptacles to fewer central
locations.
To make recycling more convenient
for employees, implement single-stream recycling so that
paper, cardboard, plastic containers and aluminum, steel and tin cans can be collected in one
container.
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Missouri Legislative Breakfast Sponsored
by the University of Missouri
On April 14th the
University of Missouri sponsored the seventh
RCGA biweekly breakfast in Jefferson City honoring members of the
2010 Missouri General Assembly. The breakfast was hosted by
Public Policy Council member Mary Anne McCollum,
Manager of Constituent Relations for MU, Mizzou Athletics
Director Mike Alden, sports broadcaster and
Special Assistant to the Athletics Director Gary
Link, Director of MU Extension Constituent Relations
Sandy Stegall, and Director of MU Extension
Off-Campus Operations Beverly Coberly.
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(from left)
Breakfast hosts Mary Anne McCollum, Gary Link, and Mike
Alden.
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(clockwise from top
left) University of Missouri hosts Beverly Coberly, Mary
Anne McCollum and Sandy Stegall pose for a picture with
Representatives Pat Yaeger (D-South St. Louis County), Bert
Atkins (D-North St. Louis County), Ed Schieffer (D-Troy), and
Chuck Gatschenberger (R-Lake St. Louis).
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(from left)
Sandy Stegall and Mike Alden get a legislative update
from Rep. Sue Schoemehl (D-South St. Louis County).
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Tigers'
broadcaster Gary Link (center) chats
with (from left) Representatives Tony Dugger
(R-Hartville), Billy Pat Wright (R-Dexter), Charlie Denison
(R-Springfield), Darrell Pollock (R-Lebanon) and Don Wells
(R-Cabool).
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Rep. Ted
Hoskins (D-North St. Louis County) enjoyed the company of these
four lovely ladies at breakfast: (from left)
Director of Government Relations for the University of Missouri
System Molly Tallarico, Director of Government Relations for St.
Louis Children's Hospital Emmy McClelland, Senator Yvonne Wilson
(D-Kansas City), and Director of Government Affairs for St. Louis
Community College Ann Brand.
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
April 28 -
Biweekly Missouri Legislative Breakfast
Join us
for the final Missouri Legislative Breakfast of 2010, sponsored
by St. Louis County, on Wednesday, April
28th from 7:00 - 8:30 a.m. at the Doubletree
Hotel in Jefferson City. RSVP to Sherri Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
May 13 - Guest Speaker General Barry
McCaffrey
General Barry McCaffrey, USA
(Ret.), National Security and Terrorism Analyst for NBC, former
Director of
the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy and
decorated Four-star General and Desert Storm Commander,
will speak on the national security need
to modernize America's infrastructure. General
McCaffrey serves on the Board of Directors of HNTB and is
chairman of HNTB Federal Services. This free event, which is
presented by the RCGA and HNTB, is on Thursday, May
13th from 7:30 - 9:00 a.m.
at One Metropolitan Square - Suite
990. RSVP to Sherri Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
May 20 - RCGA
Energy and Environmental Council
U.S. EPA
Regional Administrator Dr. Karl Brooks
will speak to the RCGA's Energy
and Environmental Council on Thursday, May 20th.
Brooks oversees the Agency's activities in Missouri, Kansas, Iowa
and Nebraska and will speak about the U.S. EPA's priorities and
initiatives in our region. Hosted by St. Louis County Government,
this special meeting will be held at the World Trade
Center - 121 S. Meramec Avenue - Suite 1012 in Clayton from 7:30
- 9:30 a.m. In addition, St. Louis County
officials will present their environmental initiatives and their
"Green and Growing" framework for sustainability, climate
protection and development. RSVP to Sherri
Bailey at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
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