State of the County 1/29/2010

Thankfully the snow stayed away and everything is set to go off as scheduled.  Turnout is very nice for such a cold morning.

We have had the invocation by John McCaherty and the national anthem by the Northwest High School Choir.  The colors were presented by Cub Scout Pack 720 from Murphy Elementary School And now we are taking a pause for breakfast.

The student council president, Alissa Eagen and vice-president, Phoebe Heibeck are welcoming everyone to Northwest High School.  They are giving a capsule history of the school district and highlighting the achievements of the Northwest District.  The district has earned awards of distinction in performance for the past seven years.  Student organizations are very active in supporting community charities and events.

Dr. Paul Ziegler, superintendent of the Northwest School District is now speaking.  Last spring the board of education was recognized with a leadership award by the state of Missouri, one of only 11 in the state.  The school board members are being recognized.  Cedar Springs Elementary was selected as a national blue ribbon school, recognizing being in the top 1% of schools nationwide.  Principal Jeff Boyer was recognized as a top principal in the state.

Now County Executive Chuck Banks is speaking.  This is my best approximation of his words.

Thank you to all the businesses that sponsored this event.  Without their support this great event wouldn't be as wonderful.

Thank you to the Northwest High school administration and students.  T.C. Powers representing Senator Carnahan.  Senator Ryan Mckenna, State Representative Sam Komo, State Representative Jeff Roorda, State Representative Michael Frank, State Representative Belinda Harris, Mayor Frank Rowland - Hillsoboro, County Executive Ed Kemp, Recorder of Deeds Marlene Castle, County Treasurer Mark Abel, County Auditor Dorothy Stafford, County Collector Beth Mahn, Public Administrator Bruce King were among the public officials acknowledged.  Jefferson County staff were also acknowledged.

The Jefferson County Growth Development Association is the voice for business.  The Board of Directors is made up of business members of the county.  It's goal is to promote and retain business.  We need to do more to get the limited dollars for development out there.  Working with State Representative Komo the JCGDA established an advisory committee to work with creating a one voice agenda to take to our legislators.  The initial report was a call to action for one plan, one voice.

These are the outcomes of that group.  Feb 11th in room 301 at Arnold Branch of Jefferson College is the first forum to discuss the goals below which resulted from the call to action.
- Better communication
- Improved infrastructure
- Business development
- Workforce development

JCGDA is a member driven organization that needs your help to succeed.  We need you to make the region succeed.

Now let's talk about the county.  Our budget is balanced, the bond rating is A.  Though revenues have been reduced the county has proposed no new taxes.  In order to balance the budget, no salary increases for the third straight year.

Jefferson county is a county in transition from commission form of government to charter government.  The charter has specific things that had to be done during the transition.  We were responsible for doing all of this.  This seemed daunting with this obligation with shrinking resources.  But our phenomenal staff rose to the challenge.

Director of Administration Steve Stoll captured 1.9 million dollars in federal stimulus money.  Plus 1.9 million in energy money will put people to work without any increased expenditures.

Martin Toma and his staff rebuilt the Code Commission and redid the Unified Development Order.  His entire department cares about the environment and the impact of development on the land.  They have developed watershed plans working with the Department of Conservation.  The planning process helped secure 850 acre donation to the MO parks system.  We have a goal of developing a plan for all watersheds in Jefferson county.

When I was elected there was a plan committee for scenic byways along highway 21.  Once the plan was drafted a series of hearings were held.  These were attended by people from other states who had bad experiences with the property restrictions of scenic byways.  Which raised valid concerns.  I am proposing that the county council drop all scenic byway issues, the new law on billboards will address the major concerns.  The scenic byway had the best of intentions but should be no more.

Animal control is protecting the public from diseased and dangerous animals.  It means responsibility for every aspect of a pet's life.  Our staff brings animals to our facilities where they are treated humanely.  Investigators are trained in evidence and tickets.  We need to do more.  There are a core group of animal supporters having an invitation only forum March 20th at Jefferson Regional Medical Center.  ADOPT is working towards a privately owned facility - they have our full support.  Having a fully funded new facility is in our capital plan.  I do not support giving public land to private use to avoid wage / building laws for public facilities.

Our emergency management staff is only two people.  They oversaw the new 12 member public safety commission.  They created the emergency plan with no cost to the public.  They used grant money to rehab a building in Herculaneum for the HazMat team.  When they clean up a spill, the person who spilled it pays for it.  The cost to the public is zero.  We are blessed to have Susan and Gina on our team.

Our municipal court has been reinvented.  They have worked to keep enforcement at the local level, where we get the fines revenue.  This has increased workload and they have risen to the challenge.

The Director of Public Works and his staff run a tight ship.  Bill moved quickly to get federal stimulus money.  Since we did so well with the first, we are in line to get money to work on completing Lions Den Rd.  There are 17 projects in line for 2010 but they will carry over into 2011.

The Parks Department operates 11 facilities on a less than 3 cent level.  They lit the fields at the Northwest sports complex and addressed flood issues.  At the end of 2009 we established park rules and brought enforcement into the courts.

The Ecomic Development Commission achieved its ratios within the HUD entitlement program,  30 families were assisted by the first time home buyers program.  50 homes were selected for rehab.  Many businesses received SBA loans.  DeSoto and Herculaneum will receive neighborhood stabilization money to rehab foreclosed homes to sell to the underprivileged.

Unemployment is near 11%.  We need to encourage home building.  We developed a one stop shop for developers but we need to also do more for the homeowner.  I am committed to finding a way to help 2nd and 3rd homebuyers buy a home in Jefferson county.

Last fall over 5800 students enrolled in Jefferson College which set attendance records.  5th consecutive period the college has received the highest accreditation possible.  The college has extended workforce training opportunities to help in these trying times.  The college will be rehabing its old building in Imperial to help address the needs with the huge growth.  Many rightfully refer to the college as the county' s crown jewel.

We are home to the largest arts and science fair in the US.  Last year 100% of our schools participated.

Comtrea is the greatest mental health agency in the county.  The Betty Seeley building opened this year and already helps 500 families.  They have continued work with the sheriff's department to address domestic violence.

Jefferson Regional Medical Center has been recognized as top 5% for patient safety.  It continues to be the largest employer in the county.  It is expanding in communities to the south.

Let's look to the future but first we must look back.  Back in 2000 JC was home to the largest polluter in the state, Doe Run.  Lead provided jobs for 200 years, lead is our state minerals.  All this production left Herculaneum contaminated.  Doe Run, the county and the state worked together on an agreement.  The citizens weren't happen and further investigation was demanded.  Doe Run purchased every house within a quarter mile of the smelter among the willing.  Doe Run invested millions of dollars in remediation.  The company has made a commitment to make sure that the yards they have access to will be clean.  They are working on a new route that will make it so the trucks won't have to go through town.  This would require a new bridge.  Doe Run is working on a new process to meet new guidelines, this may mean no production in Herculaneum.

Now they are looking for options for that site.  One of the options is a port.  Working with the Port Authority and several cities a study was done on the viability of a port in Jefferson County.  It is quite feasible to build a port with multiple sites in Jefferson County.  If completed over the next 30 years it could have billions of dollars in impact in Jefferson county.  We are proposing turning the site of the largest polluter in JC into one of the greenest most efficient transportation sites.  Each site would represent 300 million dollars in construction works.  There is a potential for 6,000 jobs.

The Crystal City mine has national impact.  The ore there is unique and only found elsewhere in China.  There will be a pipeline to deliver the ore to the processing plant and the product will move out by barge.  This will be a very green project.  The two largest cement producers in the country are in southern Jefferson county.  They have produced quality cement for over 100 years.

In these trying times, the future is in manufacturing and Jefferson County is poised to take center stage in goods and transportation.

The state of Jefferson County is solid and the future is bright.  I am so proud to be a part of it.  God bless America and Jefferson County.

Brian Mann of Chapel Hill Mortuary is introducing the entertainment.  The Northwest High School show choir is performing.

Now, they are sharing a video of the outpouring of support for the families of the five soldiers killed in action in Afghanistan from Jefferson County: Michael R. Patton, J. Habsieger, Brandon Wallace, Edward W. Forrest, William (Brian) Woods, Jr.,   The crowd gave a standing ovation to our heroes. 

Live Blog of the State of the County Address this Friday!

Join us for the third annual live blog of the State of the County Address on Friday, 1/29/10 starting at 8am.

 To attend the event in person, contact the Jefferson County Growth and Development Association, 636-282-0673.   

JCGDA Advisory Committee releases Initial Report and Call to Action

At the Legislative Reception on December 3rd, the Advisory Committee of the Jefferson County Growth and Development Association issued their initial report and call to action entitled "Creating a Vision, One Plan One Voice: creating the future of Jefferson County."  The committee conducted a county wide survey of all the local Chamber of Commerce Chapters.    

The survey results generated the following call to action which can move forward into a county vision and a comprehensive plan:

Communication

• Develop communication portal through use of technology and focus groups

Infrastructure Projects

• Support programs that fund important infrastructure projects and remove barriers to implementation.

Business Development

• Promote expansion of existing businesses while rekindling the entrepreneurial spirit through access to investment and information.

Workforce Development

• Support business growth and diversity by anticipating and meeting workforce needs

Suggested next steps include embarking on an official county wide Strategic Plan process,  presenting planning outcomes across the county, developing a business training program to grow the existing of small businesses, and developing a county wide legislative package.  

A full version of the report can be viewed at the Arnold Branch of the Jefferson County Library, 1701 Missouri State Rd, 63010.  Visit www.jcgda.org for more information about the Jefferson County Growth and Development Association.

Business and Company Resource Center now available!

Do you find yourself needing to research competitors, emerging trends or other business information? The Jefferson County Library has the resource for you!

The Business and Company Resource Center brings together a wide variety of global business information, enabling users to efficiently research business case studies, competitive intelligence, and career and investment opportunities.

You can even find out in -depth financial information on a given company - even Wal-Mart's balance sheet!

This innovative database includes millions of records covering:

 Company profiles, including corporate parent/sibling relationships

 Industry rankings

 Products and brands

 Company performance ratings

 Investment reports

 Industry statistics

 Current investment ratings

 Comprehensive financial overviews

 Pricing momentum and key ratio measures

 Financial ratios

 Coverage of major business events and trends from 1980 to the present

 Industry newsletter news and analysis

To access the Business & Company Resource Center, visit www.jeffersoncountylibrary.org and click on online resources and then choose business. You will need a valid JCL library card to access this resource.

Employers' Rights and Responsibilities and Sexual Harassment Seminar

The surveys completed by employers at the last two MEC seminars indicated a great many of you wanted information on "Employers' Rights and Responsibilities" and "How to Handle Sexual Harassment in the Workplace".

The Jefferson County MEC, the Missouri Career Center in Jefferson County, the Missouri Department of Labor and the Missouri Commission on Human Rights are very pleased to be sponsoring a seminar on these topics. The seminar will be Friday, September 11, 2009 from 8am to 11am, with breakfast served at 7:30am. The location is Frederick's, 201 East Main, Festus, MO 63028.

The cost to attend is $20 per person. Please make check payable to: Jefferson County MEC, and mail it to the Missouri Career Center, 3675 West Outer Rd, Arnold MO 63010, Attention: Dave Hermann. Please remit payment by Friday, September 04, 2009.

If you have any questions please call 1-800-292-1314 pr 636-287-8909.

Beyond Books: Libraries Lend a Hand in Recession

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Legislative Reception 5/21

The breakfast part of the festivities has begun - stay tuned for updates. Please remember that nothing is a direct quote from the legislators and that all mistakes are my own.

We're getting started early -

Chris Hagen is our emcee for today. Special thanks to Dr. Watts and best wishes for his retirement from Jefferson College. Sponsors are being thanked as well as the college for hosting the event.

This is the first legislative session under the new Governor Jay Nixon. All the legislators from Jefferson County are Democrats. Hagen is looking forward to hearing about the pork headed our way - ha ha.

Rep. Tim Meadows is speaking first. He is in his 5th year in office. Has been working for years on a law to reform the funeral industry. Couldn't get anything done in the past but was successful in the end this session. Passed a reform bill that will protect consumers and require audits on all funeral trust funds.

Filled Ray Adam's shoes originally and was assigned to his committees. Have added the transportation committee. Three pieces of legislation have been added to the omnibus bill and were passed.

It's been and honor to serve with Reps. Como and Harris. They both serve us well on the budget committee. Rep. Roorda is now the ranking member of the crime committee and has been a pleasure to work with.

CDL language was cleaned up so that we can get more federal dollars. Highway naming issues were resolved.

There were some troubles. The Republican controlled House prevented passage of legislation to restore people to Medicare rolls.

Meadows has to leave for a meeting shortly for his other job. Meadow's son is leaving shortly for Marine Corps service overseas. He'll see you all at the golf tournament.

Sen. Ryan McKenna is next -

Tim Meadows is one of the classiest people he has ever worked with and we are lucky to have him.

Got to go to DC to see President inaugurated and also got to spend some time with Elliot Davis. Greatly proud to have given the Jefferson College commencement speech this year.

End of session legislative work involves lots of late nights.

What we passed and what we didn't pass: We passed economic development bill. But we incentivize new companies sometimes to the detriment of existing businesses. Passed a $25,000 line of duty benefit for first responders - families get benefit from the state if person is killed in line of duty.

Text messaging bill passed - felt it was an important piece of public policy. Week after week people are killed by people basically "typing" in their car. Had to give concession that only 21 and under can't text. It is ridiculous because it makes it sound like good idea for adults which isn't true.

Didn't pass - Early on the House said if Senate passed economic development package then they would pass health care. Senate did their part but House didn't. Not ashamed to say "they lied." McKenna called them a "bunch of children" on Senate floor.

We were trying to get more funds for Jefferson College so they can expand programs such as nursing / law enforcement training which have long waiting lists. This bill didn't pass but there is hope because hearings will happen soon to have governor possibly call special session for health care and capital improvements.

Quit bill didn't pass. There was a lot of misinformation out there from both Ameren and opponents. McKenna was for it as a step toward reducing overall carbon footprint. Ameren has cheapest rates in the state and 7th cheapest in the nation.

Autism coverage bill didn't pass. Passed Senate twice but failed House. Insurance industry opposes this but autism affects so many that it needs to happen. The Senate is very passionate about this and it will come back next year.

Sen. McKenna thanked everyone and had to leave for another meeting.

Hagen discussed the new proposition for the Shop Jefferson County billboards to be recast as bumper stickers. 1,000 bumper stickers have been ordered and all spoken for. The stickers are going on bumpers of sheriff's vehicles, public works vehicles, school buses and more. These stickers were paid for by sponsors. The idea behind the program is that sales tax revenue needs to stay in the county.

Rep. Joe Fallert Jr. is next.

60 bills were done in the last week of the session. The economic development bill only came in on the last week. Things were hectic and somewhat unprecedented.

There were 1241 bills proposed in the House and there were 115 that made it into law.

Health Care Bill - was negotiated early in the year by the various interests. Everybody was on the same page. Hospitals were going to provide significant funds to get more people on health care. That would have generated another 93 million in federal money. The leadership in the House decided they would not expand health care - but this wasn't an expansion it was a restoration. It was disappointing that things didn't happen.

Autism bill - was involved on the House level. Lobbyists encouraged members to vote against it because the insurance industry couldn't afford it. The chairman was "pressured" to keep it from the floor.

Rep. Fallert thanked everyone and concluded.

Hagen acknowledged the officials in the room. Mayor Roland of Hillsboro and Chuck Banks of the County Commission were highlighted.

Rep. Belinda Harris was introduced.

She covers District 110 - Hillsboro down to Potosi. Serves on the committee for the full budget for state of MO. In 7th year in legislation. Also serves on appropriations for DNR and Agriculture.

Budget was very different this year. Had stabilization and stimulus money which were received from federal government into 2 separate funds. Stabilization was meant to stabilize state budget for operating money. House was reluctant to use this money for its intended purpose. Stimulus money was intended to stimulate the economy. Stimulus funds were given out in House Budget 21 - has 2.6 billion dollars. The money is incorporated into state departments and will be available through extra funds in existing grant programs. So money is going out to local government / agencies based on merit. This is the opposite of pork /earmarks where legislators can pick and choose where money goes.

We have 27 months to use the federal money. Stabilizing the budget is the biggest part. We do have to save some for use next year. There were some disagreements when this money went for some inappropriate purposes which took away money for next year.

The big education bill passed which increased physical education programs. Many students are having health / weight problems. Teachers also now can have choice between merit pay or tenure based pay. Age to stay in school has been increased to 17 to help parents have more control. 4 day school is an option for local school boards. Flexibility for making days longer to get out of school earlier or have longer breaks was added.

Violent sexual offenders bill passed. Housing these individuals is very costly because many never get out. Working with Department of Mental Health to help with housing.

Passed Amanda Cates bill. She was a Jefferson County resident working as a police officer in Bridgeton who was killed in domestic violence. October is designated as a time to expand awareness of domestic violence.

Judge Page brought to her attention that people's social security numbers are part of public record on court documents. Bill was passed to hide this - only last 4 digits will show. Full numbers will only be in closed files.

Rep. Harris thanked everyone in her conclusion.

Hagen discussed the economic downturn and the issues with predatory lending and not buying American products.

Rep. Sam Komo is next.

Health care wasn't going to cost the state a dime. Hospitals were picking up the cost.

Worked with Rep. Harris on budget committee. Her guidance was very helpful.

As of March state unemployment rate was 8.7% and Jefferson County's was 10.4%. The auto industry downturn can account for a lot of lost jobs in our area. Franklin County has 12.5% unemployment. Most likely will get worse.

12 million in funding came through for China hub at Lambert Field. Lots of other money went out but nothing is coming to Jefferson County to help with unemployment.

HB 191 passed in final hours - economic development gives tools to help current businesses grow and recruit future ones. Expanded existing programs like Quality Jobs - which has helped many businesses in Jefferson County. Placed a 4 year moratorium on user fee increases for small businesses. Have to make sure to cover needs of smaller employers since they account for 80% of business.

Also sits on International Trade Committee and Immigration. MO can truly be an international hub for trade. Jefferson County can be a part of this if we truly want to. Flights are leaving Chicago 40% full and China feels the flights will leave St. Louis full of products China needs. Many of the items coming in will need to be assembled here which leads to manufacturing jobs. We need to work together to be a part of this.

We need to work together as a county to speak with one voice and have a strategic plan so we can get what we need to move toward a future vision. This is the way to make economic development happen like it has in places like Boone County. We need to make clear that we as community can work together.

Rep. Fallert concluded and thanked everyone.

Emcee Hagen discussed the need for a Port Authority in Jefferson County. Products can be brought up on barges and then when they get to St. Louis area then they are halfway to anywhere.

Rep. Roorda is the next speaker. He acknowledged the blog!

Spoke about his pride in serving with the great legislators in JC. We are the envy of the MO House because we stick together. May not vote the same but always consult each other. Sometimes can convince each other to change based on persuasive arguments.

Thanked Sen. McKenna for his time in helping shepherd legislation through the House.

To sum up the session - called last year the year of missed opportunities, this year is year of squandered opportunities. You would think that everyone could work together with the new administration and new leadership. Bipartisanship was the promise of this session.

Governor came to legislature with agenda. Was a dialogue to move forward - not demands. Senate leaders on both sides were present from day one to work on moving MO forward. House leadership was missing from the discussion and took away many of the chances we had for success.

House passed business bill with tax credits that amounted to handouts for big business. Roorda voted against it. A leader in the Senate fought to not let the bill pass without modifications to make for more job creation and less trickle down economics. We need less Reagonomics and we need to look back into the history books back to 1932 and the WPA which is what brought the country back from disaster.

Squandered opportunity to restore 35,000 working parents back onto health care. Wouldn't have cost taxpayers a penny to help families of 4 earning less than $9000 per year. Industry would pay for it because it helps them keep their premiums low by having people have access to preventative care. They won't be using emergency rooms for primary care that they can't afford to pay which is passed on to the rest of us in higher premiums. Hospitals were willing to assess themselves higher which would lead to more access for health care dollars from the federal government. Everybody got this except for House leadership. This is a real shame because we only do as well as the least among us.

Had a chance to pass an autism bill. This horrible disease affects many families. We were just trying to compel insurance companies to offer a product to kids with autism. They fought it.

Predatory lending is a federal issue. House passed a predatory lending credit card bill last night so their is progress.

Rep. Roorda thanked everyone and concluded.

Emcee Hagen wrapped things up for tv and radio. Everyone was invited to stay for further discussion.