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August 12, 2020

NEMO RPC announces plans to add a Disaster Recovery Coordinator to lead economic development efforts to help battle through the COVID-19 pandemic.

Memphis, MO — 8/12/2020Date — Already an active participant in community efforts to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, the Northeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission, today gained additional assets to aid in these endeavors. The United States Economic Development Administration announced a series of CARES Act Recovery Assistance grants to Councils of Government and Regional Planning Commissions across North Missouri. The $400,000 grants will enable the agencies to assist businesses, local governments and community partners as they recover and rebuild economically from the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We are excited about the opportunity this funding will provide us to add a Disaster Recovery Coordinator, to serve our six-county region,” NEMO RPC Executive Director Derek Weber. “This new hire will allow us to expand our efforts to aid in economic development in Adair, Clark, Knox, Lewis, Schuyler and Scotland counties as we try to battle back from the recent pandemic.”

Weber indicated that he and the NEMO RPC executive board are currently considering a number of qualified applicants for the new Disaster Recovery Coordinator position and he hopes to announce the hire in coming weeks. He stated the position will meet with cities and counties to determine needs or potential projects within the region and help to organize critical community support. The coordinator will also make presentations before public bodies and community groups and work to research and secure sources of pre-development, construction and permanent financing from public and private sources, including grant applications while also working with public agency staff to assure timely public review and approval including environmental and other entitlement reviews.

As part of the Economic Development Administration’s CARES Act Recovery Assistance, EDA is providing the supplemental financial assistance award to the NEMO RPC to allow deployment of disaster recovery coordinators across the region to orchestrate the response to the pandemic. The funding can also aid in the development of an economic recovery and resiliency plan, tied to the applicant’s approved Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy, to address the economic impacts of the coronavirus pandemic. The grant can aid the NEMO RPC in the provision of technical assistance, as necessary, to local governments, businesses, and other stakeholder organizations, and can also help fund the appropriate technology and staff support for these pandemic-response activities.

The CARES Act, signed into law by President Donald J. Trump on March 27, 2020, provided EDA with $1.5 billion for economic development assistance programs to help communities prevent, prepare for, and respond to coronavirus.

“This CARES Act funding is incredibly important to the rebuilding of our economy,” said Congressman Sam Graves (MO-06), Ranking Member of the House Committee on Transportation and Infrastructure. “I’m pleased to see the Regional Planning Commissions and Councils of Government across North Missouri receive this funding and I know they will put it to good use, helping our economic recovery efforts. I’m grateful that the Trump Administration is ensuring that this money is put to good use quickly so we can fully restore our economy, while we continue fighting this virus.”

Other recipients of the $400,000 grants in North Missouri included: Mo-Kan Development, St. Joseph, Missouri; Northwest Missouri Regional Council of Governments, Maryville, Missouri; Green Hills Regional Planning Commission, Trenton, Missouri; and Mark Twain Regional Council of Governments, Perry, Missouri.

These entities, all EDA-designated Economic Development Districts (EDD), are some of the more than 850 existing, high-performing EDA EDD, University Center, Tribal, and Revolving Loan Fund (RLF) grant recipients invited to apply for supplemental funding under the Coronavirus Aid, Relief, and Economic Security (CARES) Act.

 

For more information, press only:

Derek Weber

660-465-7281 ext. 1

derekweber@nemorpc.org

For more information on NEMO RPC:

www.nemorrpc.org