Plan · Economic development
Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (2022)
All 11 counties
The text of this plan
Table of Contents
Executive Summary……………………………………………………….. 1
Summary Background Population, Race and Ethnicity, Geography and Environment, Water Resources and Quality, Historic Places, Agricultural Landscape, Natural Hazards, Infrastructure, Renewable Energy, Broadband Internet……………………….. 3
Business and Industry
SWOT Analysis Stakeholder Participation Top Identified Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities & Threats….. 16
Action Plan………………………………………………………………... 17
Per Capita Personal Income Growth, Median Household Income, Labor Force, Commuting Patterns, Ag, Economic Clusters, Average Wages, Top Employers, Employment by Industry, Housing…………………………………………….. 11
Innovation Index………………………………………………………….. 15
Visions, Goals, Objective & Measurement Framework………………….. 17
Economic Resilience……………………………………………………… 21
Appendix A – Environmental Baseline Report…………………………… 22
Appendix B – Innovation Intelligence Data ...……………………………. 28 Appendix C – Top Regional Employers.…………………………………. 34
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission (GHRPC) is designated as an Economic Development District (EDD) for the 11-county region of North Central Missouri by U.S. Department of Commerce/Economic Development Administration (EDA).
The GHRPC was formed in 1967 as a multi-county planning organization headquartered in Trenton, Missouri. As the administrative arm of the EDD, the regional planning commission is authorized to receive partnership planning monies from EDA and is an eligible entity for contributing to the development and direct administration of EDA-funded projects in applicable portions of the region. Organized with 11 counties, today GHRPC serves those counties plus 74 member cities and villages and extends its services to non-profit organizations and businesses. The region includes the following counties in North Central Missouri: Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan
GHRPC’s mission is to facilitate economic growth utilizing the district’s professional staff, and local, state and federal agency partners, to ensure that the District maintains its rural heritage while enhancing development capacity, infrastructure, and opportunity for economic growth. As the mission statement reflects, the Green Hills District is dedicated to growing the diverse economy of the region. The district is pleased to again be involved in EDA’s planning grant program and to have the opportunity of going through the CEDS process to further the district’s goals. The CED’s Committee and the GHRPC Board of Directors provided most of input compiled to complete the CEDS. Jackie Soptic, Transition Director, is responsible for preparing the CEDS document and will be providing progress reports to EDA. Jackie serves as the District’s Economic Development Director and works with economic developers, communities, and counties in all aspects of their economic development initiatives. Additional District staff that will be responsible for the implementation of the CEDS includes Lisa Colson, Community Developer and Corinne Watts, Executive Director. Lisa specializes in infrastructure and community development, and Corinne provides support and overall supervision to ensure the objectives set forth in this document are addressed and reported on in a timely matter. Angela Shoultz provides NEPA approved Environmental Assessments and prepares Hazard Mitigation Plans along with other Emergency Services plans. In addition, GHRPC maintains experienced grant administration support staff that also assist with implementation of the CEDS.
Citizen input was gathered from representatives on the Board of Directors and from Town Hall meetings throughout the region.
quarterly to identify regional needs in infrastructure, public education, and safety.
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Who is GHRPC? GHRPC employs professional staff to meet the needs of our counties, cities, and non-profits. We contract with several different state organizations to provide programs and policies for the benefit of the region. Project development, administration and planning services are ongoing. Our many services include:
Hazard Mitigation Plans, required by the Disaster Mitigation Act of 2000, are created for the 11-county region to help local jurisdictions develop and adopt long-term plans to reduce or eliminate the risk to human life and property. Plans are updated by staff every 5 years.
Infrastructure needs are addressed by coordinating funding options to approach water, wastewater, and community facilities improvements in the region. Staff members develop projects, write grants, and administer several state and federal grant programs for the region.
Grundy County E 911 approached GHRPC regarding the creation of an E 911 GIS dataset for use in their upgraded mapping system. This process allowed GHRPC staff to develop capacity valuable to the region as they seek to upgrade their 911 systems.
GHRPC houses the Missouri Jobs Center. The purpose of the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act is to provide workforce activities that increase employment, retention and earning of participants which, in turn, increases the economic self-sufficiency of the region. Staff assists walk-in participants, job fairs, dislocated workers, and youth programs. Green Hills Rural Development, Inc. was formed in 1981 as a non-profit corporation as a non-bank lender providing loans to small businesses using a variety of local and regional revolving loan funds. The purpose of these fund is to promote economic development in the region. North Missouri Solid Waste Management District was formed in 1992 to reduce the amount of waste being deposited in landfills. Staff performs recycling collections, education and sponsors projects to provide access to solid waste services. GHRPC serves as the leading voice for regional transportation planning in north Missouri. The Transportation Advisory Committee meets
Staff performs Environmental Reviews and/or Assessments for all projects subject to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as well as other local, State or Federal laws related to environmental clearance. Comprehensive planning services are provided to communities in the region upon request. GHRPC encourages our region to create a vision for their communities.
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Summary Background Introduction to the Region
Population The population distribution throughout the Region is uniform, with the greatest numbers of persons living within 10 miles of U.S. Highway 36 running east/west across the Region and in and near communities along the Interstate 35 corridor. The counties within the Region are small and rural with a combined population of 93,335. The regional population decreased by 1,402 persons since 2017.
Pct. of Pct. of U.S. Total Total Total 93,335 100% 326,569,308 100% Preschool (0 to 4) 5,788 6.20% 19,650,192 6.00% School Age (5 to 17) 15,936 17.10% 53,646,546 16.40% College Age (18 to 24) 7,061 7.60% 30,435,736 9.30% Young Adult (25 to 44) 20,612 22.10% 86,831,842 26.60% Adult (45 to 64) 24,014 25.70% 83,642,175 25.60% Older Adult (65 plus) 19,924 21.30% 52,362,817 16.00% Source: U.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey, latest 5-Year Estimates Population by Age, 2020
Value
47% of the population in the region is 45 years of age and older, as referenced in the table above. Young adults ages 25-44 are the next largest category of population at 26.6%. Ages 0-17 make up 20% of the population in the region. Based on the 2017 data in the population chart below 46% of the 2017 population was 45 years of age and older.
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As the graphic above reflects, the population of the Region has not had any growth. Counties with the most population are those that boarder the Kansas City Metropolitan area: Caldwell and Daviess; and those that are dissected by US Highway 36: Livingston and Linn. Missouri’s urban and suburban counties captured most of the population increase between 2010 and 2020. Source: U.S. Census Bureau Population Estimates.
Race and Ethnicity The region has a growing Hispanic population which provides diversity in a region that is 70.4% white.
The growth in minority population is in relation to Smithfield Foods Swine Operation and Smithfield Farmland Foods workforce, both of which are located in the northeast portion of the region in the counties of Mercer and Sullivan Counties.
Educational Attainment
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52.6% of the region’s workforce has some college or higher. 20.9% of the workforce has a bachelor’s degree or advanced degree.
Geography and Environment Missouri is near the geographical center of the United States. GHRPC is in the prairie region of the Interior Plains’ Central Lowland known at the northern plains which is the portion of the state north of the Missouri River. The region is a beautiful, rolling country, with a great abundance of streams. The Green Hills Region is geographically uniform in the north, with portions of the southern counties differing from the rolling uplands and stream valleys of the northern counties. The southern counties open onto a wide expanse of floodplains meandering along the Missouri River and its tributary, the Grand River (of the North).
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Water Resources and Quality
North Missouri averages about 40 inches of precipitation annually. GHRPC is located in the drainage system of the Missouri River Basin. The Grand River is the largest watershed serving the Missouri River in Northern Missouri. * The Thompson River is the largest tributary of the Grand River in the central United States; it’s drainage basin is 1,111 square miles in Missouri.* *"Missouri Department of Conservation Grand River Watershed Inventory Assessment". Archived from the original on 2008-06-15. Retrieved 2007-02-05
*"Thompson River Basin". Missouri Watershed Information Network. Retrieved 2011-03-29. Much of the water sourced for drinking water systems in the region comes from these rivers and their drainage systems. Larger communities have constructed reservoirs as a supplemental water supply. These reservoirs also serve as camping and fishing areas to provided added revenue for tourism and recreation. F. ( ) East Locust Creek Reservoir, a 2,300-acre lake, is being built in Sullivan County as a primary source of drinking water that can supply a 10-county region. Many smaller communities and public water districts in the region are planning to utilize this reservoir as their water source. The East Locust Creek Reservoir will also provide recreation to the region. Little Otter Creek is another lake project being constructed in the region. It is located in Caldwell County and is estimated to provide a minimum 1,200,000 gallons of water per day to the county and surrounding areas.
Both reservoirs were precipitated due to severe and ongoing drought affecting the region.
E.coli contamination is becoming an issue for the Thompson, Weldon River and creeks in the area. Possible sources of contamination are improper or failing septic systems, run-off from livestock pastures, or even livestock using the rivers or creeks as a drinking water source. https://dnr.mo.gov/document/thompson-river-draft-total-maximum-daily-load-implementation-strategies
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An Environmental Baseline report is located in Appendix A.
Historic Places GHRPC has historic and cultural places which many communities utilize to hold festivals and encourage tourism in the region. Whether it is an historic person born in the area, like Calamity Jane in Princeton, Missouri or banks and jails that the Jesse James Gang visited in Daviess County; the communities of GHRPC enjoy their cultural heritage. Historic places can be found throughout the region: ● Chillicothe, Livingston County is the Home of Sliced Bread. ● General John J. Pershing’s boyhood home is an historic site in Laclede, Linn County. ● The Lewis and Clark trail followed the Missouri River and one of their encampments was in Chariton County near the village of Dalton at a cut-off of the river. Many of the communities in the region got their origin from railroad growth in the 1850’s which accounted for an era of industry and growth.
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Agricultural Landscape
GHRPC is predominantly an agricultural landscape. Missouri’s terrain and environment greatly contributes to agricultural diversity. Fertile soil and high annual precipitation is great for growing crops. Many of the farms in the region are family owned and operated. Corn, soybeans and cattle are the top commodities for farmers in the region. Smithfield, America’s largest hog producer, with regional headquarters in Mercer County, has hog production sites throughout the GHRPC region. Hundreds of thousands of hogs are grown in facilities throughout the northern counties of our region. Sullivan county is home to Smithfield’s pork processing facility.
Natural Hazards Storm systems that occur in the region can cause flooding in the southern counties of the region or those areas along rivers and streams. Due to the hilly terrain many communities have problems with storm water run-off that can affect water and wastewater systems by creating infill and infiltration of the transmission lines and treatment and collection facilities. Homes in low lying areas can become flooded and many have pumping systems in their basements. Hail, strong winds, and tornados that can occur with storm systems cause damage to homeowners and farmers in the region. Drought has affected the GHRPC region in previous years. The result of drought can lead to pasture and row crop delayed or growth stunted. River and surface water levels are low and water activity can be restricted. Extreme heat is a current risk to northern Missouri. Currently, Missouri averages 15 days a year with temperatures reaching extreme and dangerous levels. By 2050, the state is projected to see more than 60 such days a year. Source: States at Risk, America’s Preparedness Report Card 2015.
Infrastructure
The region’s infrastructure contains a network of roads, rail, airports, and waterway ports.
Roads The infrastructure assets of the region include upgraded 2-lane state highways that traverse the region and four-lane Highway 36 which runs from the Mississippi River to the Missouri and intersects two Federal interstates (I35 and I-29). Highway 65 bisects the region North to South and is a main corridor to southern Missouri. Highway 136 travels across the northern part of the region as a main route of travel between communities. Rail
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Railways in the area primarily serve as transportation of cargo and agricultural commodities. Rail-lines that traverse the region include Union Pacific, Burlington Northern and Santa Fe, Norfolk Southern, and Canadian Pacific Railway. Amtrak has expressed interest in creating a passenger rail connection in Carrollton, Carroll County along the Norfolk Southern railway. This would greatly enhance multi-modal transportation within the region. Airports Kansas City International Airport is the closest commercial airport to the region. There are 6 small general aviation or public-use airports in the region. Brookfield, Linn County; Carrollton, Carroll County and Trenton, Grundy County are performing upgrades and expansions to their airports to support regional economic development. Waterway Ports A private business in Chariton County owns the largest port on the Missouri River. This port transports agricultural commodities via barge, rail and road. City and County Infrastructure GHRPC staff constantly works to address infrastructure needs of the region. Many of the municipalities and county governments in our region do not have the financial capacity to address the major infrastructure needs surrounding water, wastewater, roads, street, and drainage improvements. GHRPC assists our region with project development, coordination and grant writing to access crucial funding streams to improve infrastructure to ensure the health and safety of our residents.
Renewable Energy Two communities in the region have created solar farms to provide power for their municipal system. ● Trenton, Grundy County has built a 15-acres solar farm. ● Chillicothe, Livingston County has built a 23-acre solar farm. Some communities have shown interest in constructing electric vehicle charging stations. This activity will be part of the CEDS Action Plan for transportation enhancement.
Broadband Internet USDA Rural Development has provided grants throughout the region to Rural Cooperatives and Internet Service Providers to connect homes, farms and businesses with high-speed internet. Providers will use funds to assist with construction costs for new broadband expansion to households with citizens on telework, students or vulnerable populations. Upon completion of these projects, much of the region should have access to broadband internet.
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Wireline or Fixed Wireless Broadband Speeds Coverage
Business and Industry
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Per Capita Personal Income Growth
1. Per Capita Personal Income, by County, 2018-2020 Per Capita Personal Income Percent change from preceding period DOLLARS Rank in State Percent change Rank in State Caldwell Carroll
37,272 42,295
38,677 46,568
41,488 50,990
3.8 10.1
7.3 9.5
Chariton
41,120
43,955
49,650
6.9
13.0
Daviess
32,190
33,941
37,380
5.4
10.1
Grundy
34,037
35,358
39,098
3.9
10.6
Harrison
34,937
36,562
41,238
4.7
12.8
Linn
38,548
39,244
42,456
1.8
8.2
Livingston
37,653
39,489
43,804
4.9
10.9
Mercer
30,926
31,725
35,358
2.6
11.5
Putnam
34,489
35,844
39,308
3.9
9.7
Sullivan
36,809
38,963
44,877
5.9
15.2
1. Per capita personal income was computed using Census Bureau midyear population estimates. Estimates reflect county population estimates available as of March 2021. Personal income estimates were impacted by the response to the spread of COVID-19, as governments issued and lifted “stay-at-home” orders. The full economic effects of the COVID-19 pandemic cannot be quantified in the local area personal income estimates, because the impacts are generally embedded in source data and cannot be separately identified. Source: U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis
What is personal income? Income that people get from wages, proprietors’ income, dividends, interest, rents, and government benefits. A person’s income is counted in the county, metropolitan statistical area, or other area where they live, even if they work elsewhere.
Per capita personal income growth rose throughout the region between 2018-2020.
Median household income The median household income for the region is $48,995. State of Missouri median household income is $57,290. Source: U.S. Census, 2020 American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates. According to the Census, household income generally is defined as the total gross income before taxes, received within a 12-month period by all members of a household above a specified age (census specifies age 15 and older).
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Labor force
As the chart above reflects; GHRPC labor force is approximately fully employed. The unemployment rate for the region is 3.9%, below the state average of 4.4%.
The labor force total for 2021 is 43,608 which reflects the regions population of persons aged 25-64. Issues the region faces is a shortage of available labor force and an aging labor force without replacements. Continuing to support existing businesses and business creation in addition to adequate housing supply are crucial items in the CEDS Action Plan and will help grow labor force in the region.
Commuting patterns
Due to the rural nature of the region, the majority of the workforce commutes to work. American Community Survey Commuting Flows data reflect much of the population travels throughout the region for work. Commuting patterns flow to economic clusters from small communities or rural areas for employment. There are some patters of outflow to other states or out of the region, but commuting patterns mainly occur within the region. There has been growth in people working from home due to the emergence of this trend during the Covid-19 pandemic.
Ag The Region’s economy has undergone extensive change in the past 50 years because of agricultural consolidation and restructuring, and to a lesser extent due to the growth of corporate farms and vertically integrated agricultural production systems. The Region still has a high percentage of residents living
outside of incorporated places. While family farms and corporate farms are not the main source of employment in the area; it supports and affects the road, rail and waterway economies of the region. Pg. 12 Agriculture activity is widely evident in the region. Based on USDA 2017 Census data there are a total of 9,103 farms in the region totaling 3,371,268 acres accounting for $76,252,000 total income from farm-related sources. The main agricultural activities are corn and soybean production, cow-calf operations, and hog production. Hog production mainly takes place in concentrated animal feeding operations owned by Smithfield Hog Production division. Smithfield is the main employer and tax base support for Mercer County. The agricultural sector also supports the transportation industry in the region, requiring seasonal transportation to market during harvest. Smithfield employs drivers as well as contracts owner/operators to transport feedstock to the hog barn locations and transport animals between locations and to the processing facilities. The need for transportation of agricultural goods and services has also led to growth in waterway shipping in the region. The port in Dewitt, Chariton County transloaded 237 barges of grain and fertilizer and was at capacity during the fertilizing season and again during harvest. The ethanol industry is also supported by corn production in the region. Show Me Ethanol (SME) located in Carrollton, Carroll County is a corn dry-mill distillery that operations 24 hours a day and produces over 70 million gallons of alcohol annually. SME’s feedstock is 20 million bushels of corn purchased from local farmers.
Economic Clusters Clusters play a fundamental role in driving regional economic competitiveness by encouraging higher rates of job growth, wage growth, new business formation, and innovation in the regions they are located Economic clusters in the region exist where manufacturing sectors, suppliers, service providers, labor force and main transportation routes have emerged and provide mutual benefit to the economy. The smaller communities in the region have minimal services and are bedroom communities and residents commute to regional employment hubs or clusters. Chillicothe, Livingston County, is the largest community in the GHRPC region and is a major center for manufacturing and retail commerce, food service and entertainment venues. It is located along Hwy 65 and Hwy 36 which is a four-lane highway. Brookfield, Linn County is located 25 miles to the east of Chillicothe along Hwy 36. In addition to offering employment in manufacturing, FedEx is building a shipping terminal in the city. Located 25 miles North of Chillicothe is the City of Trenton, Grundy County, also along Hwy 65 offers employment in manufacturing and has the supportive industries of retail and food service.
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Average Wages
County Caldwell Daviess Grundy Harrison Linn Livingston Mercer Putnam Sullivan Carroll Chariton Region Statewide
Avg. Annual Wages $40,038 $29,193 $33,808 $31,738 $37,869 $36,713 $43,945 $31,766 $50,516 $40,175 $37,118 $37,534 $54,746
Avg. Hourly Wage $17.91 $14.26 $16.30 $16.03 $17.68 $17.80 $20.31 $16.11 $23.18 $18.72 $17.16 $17.77 $25.96
Top employers
The top employers for the region are: 1. Hospitals and healthcare. 2. Schools and Government 3. Hog Production 4. Manufacturing The largest volume of workforce is located at these top employers in the economic clusters of the region. School and Government employers are evident in each county and enhance the regions annual wage rate Full list of top employers by County can be found in Appendix C.
Employment by Industry
Employment by industry 2021, greatest to least: 1.Government jobs are the largest employing industry in the region – this segment includes public education which would encompass public schools. 2.Manufacturing 3. Health Care and Food Services 4. Retail Trade 5. Construction 6. Agriculture, Forestry. Smithfield Hog Production and Pork Processing facility are the largest employers in the northern region of GHRPC. Their operations are spread throughout Mercer, Sullivan, Putnam and Daviess Counties.
Pg. 14 Grundy County is home to Nestle Corp. processing facility which employs residents throughout Grundy and Mercer Counties. Nestle is currently expanding their production line and hiring employees. The hourly rate of pay is above average for the region at $21.00 per hour. Health care services has expanded throughout the region due to local hospitals consolidating with health care conglomerates from the Kansas City area. St. Luke’s Hospitals are located in Grundy and Livingston Counties and there are several health clinics within the region.
Housing Creation of housing units is one of the most important action items to be addressed. There is a need for single family, multi-family, rental, and low-income housing in the region. Lack of housing greatly impacts the growth of the region and the ability for employers to attract workforce at all levels of employment. 21% of the single-family houses in the region were built prior to 1940 with a second surge of construction occurring between 1970-1990. 54.5% of the housing units are owner occupied, 20.1% are renter occupied and only 7.1% of the housing stock is multi-family units.
Innovation Index The Innovation Index includes both innovation inputs and outputs to measure both innovation capacity and innovation outcomes. The complete Innovation Index data is located in Appendix B. The innovation index for the region is low. Two areas that fair slightly better in the region is our business profile index regarding proprietorship. Many of the businesses in our region are family-owned or sole proprietor businesses, resulting in greater income to total wage and salary ratio. The region’s economic well-being has grown as measured by per capital personal income growth and residential internet connectivity. The areas of measure which are lower in the region are working age population growth (work force), business competitiveness, and diversity of the economic activity. The data in the Business and Industry section supports these results. GHRPC has actively worked to encourage growth in entrepreneurship, the creation of Main Street programs to develop business diversity and family-owned businesses. The focus on these areas has enhanced the innovation index of the region. The action plan will continue to focus on business development in the region and incorporate efforts to increase our workforce.
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SWOT Analysis
Stakeholder Participation Town Hall meetings were held at 5 different locations throughout the region to obtain input for the SWOT Analysis. Participants represented a cross section of community stakeholders. March 28, 2022 April 5, 2022 April 7, 2022 April 18, 2022 May 10, 2022
Bethany, Harrison County Salisbury, Chariton County Carrollton, Carroll County Gallatin, Daviess County Milan, Sullivan County
28 attendees 26 attendees 39 attendees 45 attendees 42 attendees
The CEDS was posted on the website GHRPC.org from June 1, 2022, through June 30, 2022 for public comment. One of the greatest assets of GHRPC is the longstanding relationships the district has developed over its many consistent years of service to the region. District staff partners with numerous Federal, state, local, and regional organizations and Boards. These partnerships enable staff to constantly evaluate the needs of the region and to measure the outcomes of the projects and programming. These partnerships enhance the services of the district in the areas of economic and community development, workforce development, transportation planning, hazard mitigation planning, solid waste management. Maintaining these relationships and partnerships are considered key components of the district’s service delivery to the region and feel the benefits are realized in the outstanding success of the district as it excels in meeting the needs of the region. The comments and notes collected are summarized in the SWOT table below. STRENGTHS History Medical Care Work Ethic Recreation Self-reliant Cost of living Infrastructure Nat. Resources Agriculture Leadership Education systems Local Incentives Farmers Market
WEAKNESSES Lack of capital Lack of Broadband Population Infrastructure Costs Costs of goods and labor Lack of living wage jobs Lack of housing Youth out migration Failure to communicate regionally
OPPORTUNITIES
THREATS
Entrepreneurs Location-Center of US Lakes-recreation Collaboration Tourism Distribution Centers Logistics Agriculture Use Tax-Internet Sales Taxed Technology Beef Production Growth in work-from-home jobs Regional branding Historical Buildings/Façade Improvements Improve Housing Stock
Pandemic Federal regulations Attitude Loss of transitioning businesses Population/Workforce DNR-EPA Drug use Family breakdown Loss of large manufacturers Lack of economic diversity Over regulation Internet sales Lack of Planning and Zoning/Code Enforcement
Action Plan GHRPC has identified 4 main visions that will assist in strengthening the human capacity and economic prosperity of the region. It is the mission of GHRPC to advance our rural region through comprehensive planning and development services. The top 4 issues impacting our region are: 1. Talent Supply/Workforce/ Living Wage Jobs 2. Community and Economic Development 3. Infrastructure 4. Quality of Life/Sense of Place This Action Plan was chosen to emphasize the regions strengths and opportunities while working to mitigating the weaknesses and threats.
Vision, Goals, Objectives & Evaluation Framework By defining our vision and outlining our goals, objectives, and forms of measurement to evaluate performance; GHRPC can better focus on implementing the necessary services, programs, relationships, and timeframes for the region.
1. Talent Supply/Training & Living Wage Jobs Lack of living wage jobs and attracting and retaining talent was a common theme in all discussions and surveys. The District is involved in several area organizations that involve employers and the message is loud and clear from their perspective: we can’t grow our business without the talent and skills needed to do so. Lack of available housing stock and substandard housing directly impedes talent relocating to the area and affects the
economic viability and livability of the region. Therefore, the District considers this threat and weakness to be of utmost importance to be addressed in this CEDS planning process. GOAL 1Work as a convener/facilitator to align education and workforce programs to develop the regions workforce to meet the current needs of employers while at the same time working to develop strategies for long term solutions. Objective 1.1 – Continue to operate Workforce Development programs through the Workforce Investment Act, which provides training funds, On-the-Job Training, direct job search assistance and youth training activities. Objective 1.2Continue to be involved in the Missouri Job Center system by staffing qualified Workforce Professionals in a recognized Job Center in the District’s main office. GOAL 2Continue to work with North Central Missouri College to identify and deliver short term training models designed to meet the needs of the business community. Objective 2.1-Participate in the many advisory boards of the college and communicate the current training needs of industry. GOAL 3Improve and develop housing stock throughout the region to allow population growth and a pathway to economic security and growth for low-income residents. Objective 3.1 – Create a housing assessment of the region. Objective 3.2 – Build relationships with state and federal organizations that fund housing programs and financial assistance. Objective 3.3 – Build capacity within GHRPC’s community development department to staff, educate and initiate implementation of housing activities. MEASUREMENT: Data such as unemployment rates, business retention/expansion rates, new businesses, and business closures and/or downsizing will all be factors to be considered when determining if this area is being affected positively or negatively. Improvement of housing stock can be measured by an increase in county tax assessment base.
2. Community and Economic Development Providing professional economic and community development resources to the region’s cities, counties, and regional economic development groups is considered the cornerstone of the district’s purpose and function. Through the funds provided through the District’s Planning Grant, staff is made available to provide support in this area in communities where otherwise there would be no presence of economic development. GOAL 1 – The District staff will continue to provide direct coordination support to the District’s Northwest Roundtable of Economic Developers.
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Objective 2.1 -The Northwest Roundtable will continue to provide education, training, and a network for economic development in a 18 county area. The district provides the communication and meeting coordination for the organization and emails educational and informational articles to the membership. This organization is vital to maintain the quality of economic development professionals and support agencies throughout the region. Objective 2.2The District will continue to provide direct technical assistance to the North Central Missouri Development Alliance. The organization is in its infancy and needs interim coordination due to a staff resignation. This organization is providing the retention/attraction efforts pertaining to the Conagra/Nestle plant. Objective 2.3 -The District will continue to provide support and direct assistance to communities and counties involved in economic and community development activities. Services include strategic planning, assisting with ED Boards, meeting directly with businesses leads and existing businesses and assisting businesses in ownership transition and entrepreneurial startups. MEASUREMENT: Measurement in this category will be based on observation, feedback, and District collected data rather than on state or federal data sets. Factors such as retention and capacity building of the region’s Economic Developers, progress of the North Central Business Alliance as they work to retain or attract an operator for the ConAgra facility and numbers of entrepreneurs who seek assistance are all measurements that will be retained and reported on. In addition, transitioning businesses that successfully turn their businesses over to new owners will be an important factor to measure in this category.
3. Infrastructure Throughout the SWOT process and survey responses the need for infrastructure upgrades, particularly Broadband was identified as an area keeping rural areas behind the growth curve. In response to this overreaching need throughout the region the district considers this area of work to go hand-in-hand with the region’s economic and community development needs. GOAL 1: Maintain and upgrade the districts infrastructure including roads, bridges, and water distribution and sewer systems. Objective 3.1 The District will continue to serve in a planning partner role with the Missouri Department of Transportation and the District’s Transportation Advisory Committee. This partnership coordinates the identification and communications of the region’s transportations most immediate needs as well as planning to address future transportation issues. Objective 3.2 The new governance administration in the state is applying attention and resources to the rural needs of the state. Top of their list is to provide high speed fiber and Broadband to the rural areas in Missouri. The district staff has been invited to have a seat at the table as this important work is taken on. Currently the District is serving with the Missouri Rural Development Partners, Great Northwest Missouri initiative, the Northwest/Northeast Economic Development Partnership, and the Missouri Farm Bureaus efforts as they work to bring focus, attention and solutions to this very important infrastructure issue facing rural Missouri.
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MEASUREMENT: Measurement in this area will come from a variety of methods. The district will report annually concerning the number of infrastructure projects funded and will also provide reports about the number of projects in the development/prefunded stages. The District’s Transportation infrastructure progress will be measured and reported on by the District’s Transportation Advisory Board. The district is heavily involved in both lake projects and will report on the status of those important developments. The district will provide staff dedicated to be involved in the statewide rural Broadband initiative and the improvement in that area will be measured by the amount of public/private investment made in this area as well as the number of persons able to connect to that vital last mile of infrastructure.
4. RURAL QUALITY OF LIFE -SENSE OF PLACE As previously discussed in the introductory section of this CEDS the region has embraced the value of the rural tourism attractions, uniqueness, charm, and quality of life aspects rural areas offer. That belief was clearly stated in the rural survey response to the question What are the very best things about your community…responses included: rural lifestyle, natural resources, good people, low crime rates, quality schools, and low cost of living. GOAL 1 – Provide support, technical assistance and connection opportunities to capitalize on the positive quality of life attributes celebrated in the rural areas. Objective 4.1 -Support and participate with the 2400 Miles of Arts and Culture initiative currently underway across the state. The goals of this initiative are to inventory, catalog and promote the hidden gems of interest that exist throughout the rural areas of the state. The organization is officially formed and has a Board that is working with all the districts throughout the state. Objective 4.2Continue to serve as a coordination point of the three county Stronger Economies Together (SET) region. The counties of Daviess, Grundy, and Sullivan were selected by USDA to participate in the SET planning process which was recently funded and has formed a regional tourism organization. GHRPC will continue to provide technical assistance to move the initiative forward. Objective 4.3 The District plans to develop an inventory of art organizations, individual artisans, and craftsman that are active in their trade throughout the 11-county region. The purpose of this objective is to develop an informal network and inventory of these assets and to provide coordination services for them to meet and network to expand their offerings and improve the economy of the region. Marketing, supply chain, markets, distribution educational offerings and the development of festivals and shows centered on the arts are outcomes anticipated in this Objective area. MEASUREMENT: The impact of the SET initiative will come from a variety of sources such as increased sales tax revenues, numbers of museum visitors, motel booked nights, and increase in festivals and their attendees. An increase in art/culturally based activities will be used to measure the impact of developing the resources of the arts communities throughout the district
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Economic Resilience Regional economic resilience is an area’s ability to prevent, withstand, and quickly recover from major disruptions to its economic base. These disruptions can be significant events in the national or international economy; downturns in a particular economy that directly affects the region; or an external shock that is unforeseen or unplanned. The Economic Development Administration has outlined two approaches to build economic resilience into the CEDS: Steady-state and Responsive initiatives. Steady-state is defined as planning for and implementing resilience through specific goals or actions to bolster the long-term economic durability of the region. As listed in the Executive Summary, GHRPC has established staff and programs and policies to be responsive to the region and implement steady-state initiatives:
1. Comprehensive planning efforts are undertaken at the county and community level. Hazard mitigation plans are funded by SEMA in order to prepare for environmental incidents that may occur. 2. EDA and USDA RD is accessed to fund economic diversifications efforts, leading to Main Street committees that encourage new business entrepreneurs, and infrastructure to support those businesses. 3. Missouri Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act supports job training, job seekers and business expansion. 4. Missouri Department of Transportation and Missouri Department of Economic Development is utilized to upgrade and improve the infrastructure of the region. 5. Environmental Assessments are utilized to ensure safe development practices are being developed and implemented.
Responsive is defined as establishing information networks among the various stakeholders in the region to encourage active and regular communications between the public, private, education and non-profit sectors to collaborate on existing and potential future challenges. GHRPC has established information networks in the region and performs regular communication between the private, public, education and non-profit sectors: 1. Key stakeholders are identified and belong to GHRPC’s Board of Directors whose make-up is from public and governmental entities. 2. Relationships are built with key state and federal organizations to coordinate and develop programing to enhance economic vitality and collaboration when addressing future challenges.
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Major Manufacturers and Users of Pesticides Missouri’s Pesticide Program, administered through the Missouri Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Pesticide Control ( in the Plant Industries Division) is designed to prevent unreasonable adverse effects of pesticide use on human health and the environment while helping assure the availability of pesticides needed to maintain our quality of life. The program accomplishes this by the registration and licensing of pesticide applicators and dealers, as well as performing inspections and investigations in the enforcement of the Missouri Pesticide Use Act and the Missouri Pesticide Registration Act. Environmental Elements in the Green Hills Region State and/or National parks, wildlife presences, conservation areas, or other areas of natural preservation, including any wilderness areas designated under the wilderness act. National Parks A national park is a reserve of land declared and owned by the federal government, protected from human development and pollution. There are no national parks in the Green Hills Region of Missouri. National Wildlife Refuges A national wildlife refuge is a protected area of the United States managed by the US Fish and Wildlife Service. The National wildlife refuge system is a network of lands and waters manage to protect wildlife and wildlife habitat consisting of over 500 refuges across the nation. There is one such refuge in the Green Hills Region: Swan Lake Nation Wildfire refuge, located in North West Chariton County. This area, along with nearby conservation areas and privately owned land delineated as wetlands, form an environmental corridor (See Master Map). State Parks A State Park is an area of land preserved on account of its natural beauty, historic interest, recreation, or other reason. State parks are similar to national parks, but under state rather than federal administration. In general, state parks are under the jurisdiction of the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. There are two state parks in the Green Hills Region: Crowder State Park in Grundy County and Pershing State Park in Linn County. Conservation Areas A Conservation area is a tract of land that has been awarded protected status in order to ensure that natural features, cultural heritage or biota are safeguarded. A conservation area may be a nature reserve, fish hatchery, forestry or wildlife area, land reclamation project, or river access. Unlike state parks, conservation areas are under the jurisdiction of the Missouri Department of Conservation. There are many more conservation areas in the Green Hills Region than there are state parks ranging from large conservation areas where public hunting and fishing is allowed, to wildlife preserves that are home to populations of species of concern like herons and river otters. Many are access points to Missouri creeks and streams, which are always of concern.
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Wilderness Areas Wilderness areas are areas designated under the Wilderness Act. There are no designated wilderness areas within the 11 county Green Hills Region, or in the entire State of Missouri north of I-70. Wilds and Scenic Rivers Wild and Scenic Rivers are those listed under the Wild and Scenic Rivers Act of 1968. At this time, only one river in the entire state of Missouri is listed under that program: the Eleven Point River in south Missouri. Nationwide Inventory Rivers The Nationwide Rivers Inventory (NRI) is a listing of more than 3,400 free-flowing river segments in the United States that are believe to possess one or more “outstandingly remarkable” natural or cultural value judged to be of more than local or regional significance. There are two NRI listed rivers in the Green Hills Region: Locust Creek and Marrowbone Creek. Locust creek has been described as “one of the last undisturbed landform feathers in Northern Missouri” and having “the best examples of aquatic community types in the region. Marrowbone Creek is recognized as “highly scenic for its limestone outcroppings and riffle pool arrangements, and is also known for unique fish types. Environmental Corridors Environmental corridors are areas containing especially high value natural, scenic, historic, scientific, and recreational features. In North Central Missouri they generally lie along major stream valleys and around lakes. They generally contain the best remaining woodlands and wetlands, wildlife habitats, undeveloped bank lines and flood lands. An environmental corridor is so called because it functions like any “corridor”. Corridors are places of concentrated activity, which channel movement back and forth. They link important destinations and often have adjoining areas, which are both accessed and connected by the corridor – it is the same with environmental corridors, which consist of lakes, streams, wetlands, and woodlands linked by corridors of concentrated natural resources, part of a larger functioning system. Native wildlife and vegetation, natural drainage, and even clean water are all dependent upon environmental corridors and the vital functions they perform. In addition to the environmental benefits, recreational use is enhanced by the continuous nature of such corridors; hunting and fishing, camping, hiking, biking, and tourism in general are economic elements where parkways exist. The Locust Creek Environmental Corridor (Right) The Locust Creek Environmental Corridor is the single largest expanse of protected natural habitat and interconnected wetland area in the region. Essentially, this area is named for Locust Creek, which runs through the entire region from north to south, more specifically the small portion south of Highway 36 which is listed on the National Rivers Inventory. This creek is part of a riparian corridor that connects many natural areas (the two largest being Swan Lake National Wildlife Refuge and Pershing State Park), consisting of hundreds of acres of State wildlife areas and river access points and privately owned wetlands. The corridor also encompasses two high profile historic sites; The Locust Creek covered bridge and the boyhood home of General John J. Pershing.
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The Marrowbone Creek Environmental Corridor One smaller environmental corridor is that of Marrowbone Creek in Daviess County, which is like Locus Creek listed on the Nationwide Rivers Inventory – however, it does not share Locust Creek’s trait of tying together several other (some very large) natural areas. State and Federal Threatened or Endangered Species The Green Hills Region is home to a plethora of wildlife, and not just a few species of concern. The list below is comprehensive, including both animal and plant species of concern. American Bittern American Gromwell Articulate False Foxglove Bald Eagles Barn Owl Bergia Black-Crowned Night Heron Blue Sucker Brassy Minnow Brown Creeper Cerulean Warbler
Chestnut-sided Warbler Dwarf Chinquapin Oak Eastern Mississauga Eastern Tiger Salamander Flat Floater Flathead Chub Franklin’s Ground Squirrel Garlic Mustard Great St. Johns’ Wart Greater Prairie Chicken
Prime or Unique Farmland Farmland is divided into three categories by the US Department of Agriculture: Prime Farmland, Unique Farmland, and Farmland of Statewide Importance. Prime farmland is land that has the best combination of physical and chemical characteristics for producing food, feed, forage, fiber, and oilseed crops and is also available for these uses. It has the soil quality, growing season, and moisture supply needed to produce economically sustained high yields of crops treated and manage according to acceptable farming methods, including water management. Unique farmland is farmland used to produce specific high value food or fiber crops, due to its special combination of soil quality, location, growing season, and moisture supply required suited to very specific crops. Farmland of statewide importance is land that is not classified as prime or unique farmland but is nonetheless highly productive. It is not feasible to produce an inventory or geographic representation of farmland by these classifications, as that is done by the USDA NRCS using SURRGO soils data, a massive geo-referenced database including soil types on a very small and detailed scale. The coverage exists for the entire region and state, but due to its scale is typically used to analyze individual fields, usually quarter sections. For this reason, comment is sought from NRCS on any project affecting land-use in areas outside the incorporated boundaries of any village, town, or city. They are provided with project descriptions and detailed maps to aid them in determining the presence and extent of any impact to prime or important farmland.
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Superfund / CERCLA (Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act), RCRA (Resource Conservation and Recovery Act), Leaking Underground Storage Tanks, and Brownfields CERCLA was enacted by Congress in 1980 as a trust fund (The “Superfund”) to clean up sites where a polluter could not be identified, could not or would not pay (bankruptcy or refusal) . The EPA published the first Hazard Ranking System (HRS) in 1981 and the first National Priorities List (NPL) in 1982. The Superfund Amendments and Reauthorization Act of 1986 (SARA) added minimum cleanup requirements in Section 121, and required that most cleanup agreements with polluters be entered in federal court as a consent decree subject to public comment. According to the EPA Superfund website (https://www.epa.gov/superfund/search-superfund-sites-where-you-live) there are no superfund sites in the Green Hills region. Congress enacted the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA in 1976 to address the increasing problems the nation faced from its growing volume of municipal and industrial waste. RCRA amended the Solid Waste Disposal Act of 1965. It set national goals for: • Protecting human health and the natural environment from the potential hazards of waste disposal. • Energy conservation and natural resources. • Reducing the amount of waste generated, through source reduction and recycling • Insuring the management of waste in an environmentally sound manner. The US EPA has delegated authority to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources to enforce most of the RCRA requirements in Missouri. The Missouri Hazardous Waste Management Law and the Petroleum Storage Tank Law combine those RCRA requirements with other requirements that Missouri has added. These laws address the issues of hazardous waste management, cleanup of hazardous waste and hazardous substance releases, management and removal of petroleum storage tanks, and cleanup of leaking petroleum storage tanks (See Underground Storage Tanks, below). Underground Storage Tanks (UST) The federal underground storage tanks (UST) regulations apply only to systems storing either petroleum or certain hazardous substances. There are approximately 558,000 underground storage tanks (USTs) nationwide. The greatest potential threat from a leaking UST is contamination of ground water, the source of drinking water for nearly half of all Americans. The Missouri Department of Natural Resources maintains a database of underground storage tanks in the State (http://dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/downloads/hwpet.htm). This database is queried to determine the presence of UST’s on or near the proposed sites of federally funded projects. As of June of 2017, the listing shows 417 records in the Green Hills region. Brownfields Brownfield is a term used to describe land previously used for industrial or commercial purposes with known or suspected pollution including soil contamination due to hazardous waste. The level of contamination is less severe than the levels that would justify inclusion on the Superfund National Priority List. The EPA map below (https://ofmpub.epa.gov/apex/cimc/f?p=CIMC:73::::71:P71_WELSEARCH:MO%7CState%7CMO%7C%7C% 7Ctrue%7Ctrue%7Ctrue%7Ctrue%7Ctrue%7Ctrue%7C%7C-1%7Csites%7CN%7Cbasic) below shows that there are a number of sites in the Green Hills region.
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Manufacturers, Users, and Transporters of Hazardous Chemicals According to Missouri DNR’s geographic information system: http://dnr.mo.gov/env/hwp/downloads/hwpet.htm) there are indeed a few entities in the region that manufacture, use, or transport Hazardous Chemicals.
As stated elsewhere in this document, agriculture dominates the economy across the region. From small holders to corporate farms composed of hundreds of thousands of acres, the application of pesticides and herbicides is ubiquitous. To service this widespread use, these chemicals are transported by truck and rail, are stored in trailers, train cars, and above ground tanks of every size and description where are found in every community. Single Source (Drinking Water) Aquifers There are no single source aquifers in the State of Missouri. “Non-Attainment” Areas for any Criteria Pollutants under the Clean Air Act According to the EPA Green book (https://www3.epa.gov/airquality/greenbook/anayo_mo.html) none of Missouri’s non-attainment areas are located within the Green Hills Region, Designated Flood Plain Areas There are floodplains in every county in the region, though not every county and community participate in the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP). Floodplain regulations are observed by real estate and banking institutions regardless of participation of local governments, and flood plain determinations are carried out on properties involved in real-estate transactions. Floodplain determinations are also carried out on any state or federally funded project as part of the environmental review process. Archeological, Historic, Prehistoric or Cultural Resource Sites There are numerous historical sites in the region, and analysis of any proposed project site involves a review of these listings and of the property to ensure it is not eligible for listing. In addition to the many sites publicly listed on the National Register of Historic Places (https://npgallery.nps.gov/nrhp) the Missouri State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) maintains another list, which is not for public view, of archeological sites in the State. The Green Hills RPC has a standard data-sharing Memorandum of Agreement (MOU) which allows the agency to examine potential project areas for archeological sites early in the planning stage – however, the nature of this MOU prevents the presentation of that inventory in this (or any other) document. Coastal Zone Areas There are no coastal zones in the State of Missouri.
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Appendix B Green Hills Innovation Intelligence
86.5
Human Capital and Knowledge Creation
82.4
Educational Attainment
68.5
High School Attainment
72.9
Some College Attainment
61.8
Associate's Degree Attainment
79.3
Bachelor's Degree Attainment
65.7
Graduate Degree Attainment
62.8
Knowledge Creation and Technology Diffusion
87.5
Patent Technology Diffusion
62.8
University-Based Knowledge Spillovers
112.2
STEM Education and Occupations
59.7
Technology-Based Knowledge Occupation Clusters
75.4
Average High-Tech Industry Employment Share
53.8
Average Prime Working-Age Population Growth
113.9
Business Dynamics
80.4
Establishment Formation
86.1
Establishment Births to All Establishments Ratio
N/A
Traded Sector Establishment Births to All Establishment Ratio
50.0
Jobs Attributed to Establishment Births to Total Employment Ratio
62.7
Change in Establishment Births to All Establishment Ratio
93.1
Average High-Tech, Early-in-Life-Cycle Establishment Ratio
55.9
Establishment Dynamics
74.7
Establishment Expansions to Contractions Ratio
62.4
Establishment Births to Deaths Ratio
73.9
Traded Sector Births and Expansions to Deaths and Contractions Ratio
87.8
Business Profile
73.2
Venture Capital Dollar Measures
50.0
Change in Average Venture Capital
50.0
Venture Capital Count Measures
50.0
Change in Average Venture Capital Deals
50.0
Foreign Direct Investment Attractiveness
79.0
FDI Employment Ratio, Foreign Source
50.0
FDI Investment Ratio, Foreign Source
50.0
FDI Employment Ratio, Domestic Source
104.6
FDI Investment Ratio, Domestic Source
111.4
Proprietorship
114.0
Farm Operators with Internet Access
94.5
Proprietorship Rate
129.7
Change in Proprietorship Rate
80.6
Proprietor Income to Total Wages and Salaries Ratio
151.3
Employment and Productivity
93.6
Industry Performance
75.3
Latent Innovation
86.6
Industry Diversity
64.1
Industry Cluster Performance
58.8
Industry Cluster Growth Factor
50.0
Industry Cluster Strength
67.7
GDP
129.4
Patents
116.4
Change in Average Patenting Rate
55.8
Patent Diversity
176.9
Job Growth to Population Growth Ratio
107.7
Change in Share of High-Tech Industry Employment
73.9
Economic Well-Being
102.8
Residential Internet Connectivity
70.6
Broadband Infrastructure and Adoption
68.6
Broadband Adoption Barriers
71.3
Compensation
86.5
Change in Annual Wage and Salary Earnings per Worker
96.6
Per Capita Personal Income Growth
149.2
Average Poverty Rate
100.5
Average Unemployment Rate
138.0
Government Transfers to Total Personal Income Ratio
75.4
Average Net Migration
50.0
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