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December 2, 2009
RCGA Praises MODOT for I-64 Completion
And Addresses to Missouri Highways and Transportation
Commission
Dick Fleming, President and CEO
of the St. Louis RCGA, addressed the Missouri Highway
and Transportation Commission at their meeting
in St. Charles today and praised
MODOT's leadership, innovation and competence in completing the
I-64 reconstruction. The project was completed ahead of schedule and under
budget thanks to
the work of MODOT and the Gateway Constructors team of Granite
Construction, Fred Weber, Millstone Bangert, Parsons and
URS. MODOT paid special attention to key
regional stakeholders and kept businesses and local governments
engaged and informed throughout the construction process.
With the I-64 project completed,
regional priorities will focus on completion of the New
Mississippi River Bridge and support
for
high-speed rail between Chicago and St.
Louis. The RCGA also urged the Commission to develop a
sustainable and adequately funded multi-modal transportation
system for the St. Louis region and all of Missouri. Additional
funding for transit is urgently needed in our region, and the
RCGA has been actively involved in the Missouri Transportation
Alliance's work on the future needsof the state's transportation
network.
The RCGA and the Home Builders
Association of St. Louis and Eastern Missouri hosted a reception
in honor of the Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission
and MODOT. A special award from the RCGA was given to
MODOT Director Pete Rahn for his selection as one of
Governing Magazine's "Public Officials of the Year".
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(from left to right) Pat Sullivan, Executive
Director, Home Builders Association (HBA) of St. Louis, David
Gach, Chair, Missouri Highways and Transportation Commission,
Dick Fleming, President and CEO, St. Louis RCGA, Sean Flower,
President of Flower & Fendler, Inc, and President of the HBA
of St. Louis.
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The I-64 Project
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First MODOt project
to use the "Design-Build" method of construction
Project budget $535 million.
Rebuilt and upgraded all pavement,
bridges and interchanges between Spoede
Road in St. Louis County and
Kingshighway Blvd. in St. Louis City
New
high quality interstate-to-interstate connection between I-64 and
I-170
Addition of one lane in each direction between Spoede
Road and I-170
Increased traffic flow through better design, with
elimination of short, entrance/exit ramps and merges and
addition of dedicated exit lanes
Enhanced safety and wider
shoulders
Set to open December 7th!
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Missouri
Senate Job Creation 2020 Committee Learns More About
Entrepreneurship
The Missouri Senate Job Creation 2020 Committee
met at the University of Missouri-Columbia on November
18th, continuing their series of
educational meetings on fostering job growth in the
state.
Dr. Mike Nichols, Vice President
of Research and Economic Development at the University of
Missouri, presented on the need for additional
public-private partnerships between the state and higher
education institutions to promote technology-based economic
development. A few such partnerships already exist,
including the Discovery Ridge Research Park in Columbia, but
a "commercialization gap" still exists between university
research and the marketplace. The university system
receives $348 million in federal research funding each year, but
only a small portion of this research is
commercialized. Dr. Nichols said that the state
needs to play a more active role in fostering
commercialization and the growth of high-technology startup
companies, which is also a primary objective of the RCGA's "Grow
Me State" initiative.
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Over 300 scientists and personnel work at Analytical
Bio-Chemistry Laboratories (ABC Labs), one of the first tenants
at MU's Discovery Ridge Research Park in Columbia.
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Jason Hall, the Executive Director of the
Missouri Technology Corporation (MTC), described to the
Senate Committee the importance of entrepreneurship and
commercialization. Hall said that the MTC is in a unique
position to help the state increase its research capacity, build
strategic relationships and improve the commercialization
process. However, the MTC is running out of the one-time
funding it received from the Lewis & Clark Discovery
Initiative. Without a consistent revenue source, the MTC
will be unable to continue successful programs like the
Intellectual Property Management Fund and the SBIR Revolving
Bridge Loan program. The RCGA supports enhanced funding
for the Missouri Technology Corporation as a critical
state investment in innovation and entrepreneurial
development.
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| Focus on Illinois:
Illinois EPA Director Leads Discussion at RCGA Energy and
Environmental Council Meeting
The RCGA Energy
and Environmental Council, chaired by Steve Poplawski,
Partner at Bryan Cave, held their November 19th meeting
in Edwardsville to discuss Illinois energy and environmental
issues. Doug Scott, Director of the Illinois
Environmental Protection Agency was the featured
speaker, and described his department's priorities and the
advancement of clean energy in Illinois. Director
Scott stressed the economic and energy importance of FutureGen,
the zero-emissions, carbon sequestration power plant
under development in Matoon. With Illinois sitting
on vast reserves of coal, energy generation from clean coal
technology will not only provide a secure source of energy but
also stimulate the Southwestern Illinois economy. Scott
said Illinois must pursue as many clean energy sources as
possible, with clean coal being the top priority. Illinois is
also a leader in ethanol and biodiesel, a prime example of which
is the new Abengoa Bioenergy ethanol plant at the Tri-City Port
District in Madison County. He also reported that Illinois state
government purchases wind power for all their energy needs in
Springfield.
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Illinois EPA Director Doug Scott (right) explains
Illinois' advantages in clean energy, while Steve Poplawski,
Chair of the RCGA Energy and Environment Council looks
on.
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Sheri
Bilderback, Manager of Public Relations for Prairie State
Generating Company, described the construction of the
their energy campus in Washington County, which includes a 1600MW
power plant that will serve electricity to 2.5 million families
in nine states and the adjacent Lively Grove mine that will
provide coal for the facility. The power plant is the second
largest construction project in Illinois this decade, employing
more than 2,000 workers. When completed, the campus will provide
more than 500 permanent jobs. Bilderback explained the
state of the art technology, such as
sulfur scrubbers, selective
catalytic reductions, wet and dry electrostatic precipitators,
and low-NOx burners, that
make Prairie State's total emissions dramatically lower than the
average U.S. coal plant, with carbon dioxide emissions 15% lower
than average. To further explore the low-emissions
technology at the Prairie State Energy Campus, click here.
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Sheri Bilderback of Prairie State Energy Company
describes how the Prairie State Energy Campus will generate
electricity for 2.5 million customers across nine
states.
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Marcia Lochman, Environmental Educator for
Lewis and Clark Community College presented the
College's plans for the National
Great Rivers Research and Education Center, next to the Melvin Price Lock and Dam in
Alton. The Center, a partnership
between Lewis and Clark College and the University of Illinois
will study the ecology and
productivity of river
floodplains, watershed management, economies of river
communities, and natural resources management. Research
will focus on the 1.2 million square miles of the Mississippi,
Missouri, and Illinois Rivers which drain 41% of the continental
United States. The Center will include a sustainable field
research station with a vegetative roof, integrated renewable
energy system, and an internal recycling system. The field
research station is expected to open in 2010.
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Marcia Lochman of Lewis and Clark
College directs the Colleges' environmental education
programs.
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Rendering of the Field Station at
the National Great Rivers Research and Education
Center.
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The RCGA's Energy and Environmental Council
will meets throughout the year to discuss public policy,
sustainability, and regulatory issues concerning energy and the
environment. To participate, please contact Eric Schneider at eschneider@stlrcga.org.
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| Southwestern
Illinois Road Projects On Track
At the
November 21st RCGA Illinois Public Affairs Committee
meeting, Mary Lamie, Illinois Department of
Transportation Deputy Director, reported that the capital bill
signed earlier this year has given Southwestern Illinois a jump
start on key transportation projects. The Mississippi
River Bridge project is on track and federal stimulus money has
brought $43 million to the region for other "shovel-ready"
projects, including U.S. 67 from Godfrey to the Jersey County
Line, IL 157 in Collinsville, and IL 159 in Belleville. For
a complete list of projects in the Southwestern Illinois area, click
here.
The Illinois
Public Affairs Committee also heard from Senator Kyle
McCarter (R-O'Fallon) and Rep. Tom Holbrook
(D-Belleville) regarding the difficult challenges facing
the state budget. Senator McCarter said the State is now more
that 120 days behind in its payments to public universities, and
he criticized the State for essentially "borrowing from its
vendors". Rep. Holbrook added that the State had also been very
far behind in its payments to health care providers, but now is
using federal budget stabilization funds to stay more
current. On a more positive note, Rep. Holbrook reported
that Mid-America Airport in Mascoutah recently signed an
agreement with the largest cargo carrier in South America to
receive regular shipments of flowers.
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(from left to right) IL Senator
Kyle McCarter (R-O'Fallon) and IL
Rep. Tom Holbrook
(D-Belleville) discuss the
Illinois budget situation with the RCGA's Illinois Public Affairs
Committee.
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| RCGA's St. Charles
Advisory Board Discusses Regional Priorities
The RCGA's St.
Charles Advisory Board was established to help encourage stronger
relationships among RCGA members in St. Charles County and ensure
that the County's interests are well represented in RCGA
activities. The Board, chaired by Bernie DuBray,
Superintendant of the Fort Zumwalt School District,
receive quarterly updates on regional priorities for St. Charles
County. At their December 1st meeting
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann
described his support for the region's Midwest China Hub
project. County Executive Ehlmann is a member of the
Midwest China Hub Commission, which is working to develop a
distribution point for Chinese goods and services at
Lambert-St. Louis International Airport. This project has
the potential to bring quality jobs to the St. Louis region and
it is an important investment to further pursue this "Big Idea",
said County Executive Ehlmann.
The County
Executive also spoke about a new partnership between St. Louis
County, St. Charles County and Jefferson County on a unified
regional emergency communication system. Each of the counties
recently passed sales taxes to upgrade their systems, and the
regional cooperation on one system will both improve
communications and save money. Road construction and
relieving traffic congestion also remain high priorities for St.
Charles citizens, according to County Executive Ehlmann, for
example the County recently submitted a TIGER grant application
to the U.S. Department of Transportation to fund the 4th phase of
the Page Avenue Extension from federal stimulus funds.
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(from left to right)
St. Charles County Executive Steve Ehlmann
discusses regional priorities
with RCGA's St. Charles Advisory Board Chairman Bernie
DuBray.
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Greg Prestemon, Executive Director of the EDC of St.
Charles County, reported that the county's economy seems
to be on the road to recovery. Housing starts are rising
gradually and large employers have begun hiring workers. He added
that the EDC's incubators and loan programs are also performing
well relative to the overall market.
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UPCOMING
EVENTS
December
7th: High Performance
Building Initiative Seminar Series with keynote address by U.S.
Representative Russ Carnahan (D-Missouri), co-chair of
the Congressional High Performance Building Caucus.
Congressman Carnahan will present on federal policies to
encourage high performance building and introduce Robert
Lane, Executive Director of Green the Capitol,
to describe the U.S. Capitol's
transformation to a sustainable
building. In addition, Christine Ramsdell,
Manager of Space Planning and Design for Enterprise
Holdings, will discuss the renovation of their fleet
management center into a LEED-certified building.
The seminar, sponsored by the RCGA and the U.S. Green
Building Council - St. Louis Regional Chapter, is from
7:30 to 9:30 a.m. on December 7th at the RCGA's
Regional Collaboration Center on the 13th
floor of One Metropolitan Square (211 N. Broadway) in downtown
St. Louis.
To register for this event, contact Sherri Bailey
at sbailey@stlrcga.org.
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December 11th: RCGA Public Policy Speaker
Series with U.S. Senator Kit Bond (R-Missouri).
Senator Bond will address critical issues facing Congress at
the end of the 2009 session and discuss what lies ahead in 2010.
From 11:30 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. at the
RCGA's Regional Collaboration Center on the
13th Floor of One Metropolitan Square (211 N.
Broadway) in downtown St. Louis.
Registration starts at 11:30 a.m., with luncheon and
program from 11:45 a.m. to 1:15 p.m. The cost is
$25 for RCGA members and $40 for non-members.
To register go to the RCGA Calendar of Events page at
www.stlrcga.org/events.
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The
RCGAdvocate is published periodically to inform RCGA
members and government officials about important public policy
matters at the state, federal and local levels. It seeks to
provide timely, in-depth coverage on regional issues, and, at
times, to call RCGA members to action. We welcome your comments
and suggestions.
Richard C.D. Fleming ~ President
& CEO ~ (314) 444-1100 ~ dfleming@stlrcga.org
Chip Casteel
~ Senior V.P. of Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1107 ~ ccasteel@stlrcga.org
Susan Stauder ~ V.P.
of Infrastructure & Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1155
~ sstauder@stlrcga.org
Eric
Schneider ~ Senior Director of Public Policy Research ~ (314)
444-1148 ~ eschneider@stlrcga.org
Kevin Riggs ~ Director of Illinois
Government Affairs ~ (314) 444-1108 ~ kriggs@stlrcga.org
Christine Snively ~ Project Manager of
Public Policy ~ (314) 444-1144 ~ csnively@stlrcga.org
Sherri Bailey ~ Executive Assistant for Public Policy ~ (314)
444-1134 ~ sbailey@stlrcga.org
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