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GREDF Launch 2020 Strategic Plan

GREDF Launch 2020 Strategic Plan February 2, 2017

GUIDING PRINCIPLES

The GREDF strategic plan should guide the Board of Directors, staff, committees and stakeholders for a period of three years with a goal of increasing the impact of GREDF on the region by 2020. It serves as a blueprint for Board policy decisions, guiding the organization’s investment in economic development initiatives, programs and projects. The plan also provides direction by anticipating and responding to changes in the local and national economy.

Click to View Full Copy of GREDF Strategic Plan
2020 Strategic Plan

OUR MISSION

The Great River Economic Development Foundation exists to maintain and GROW the economic vitality of the Quincy & Adams County, Illinois region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region.

OUR VISION

To preserve and enhance the business climate in the Quincy & Adams County, Illinois region through targeted and strategic economic development activities thereby maintaining and improving economic stability that has GROWTH of the regional economy as a central core for every action of the organization.

OUR VALUES

We view economic development as a collaborative process, resulting in an environment that benefits the community as well as business. To that end, we place a high value on trust, confidentiality and partnerships, and welcome the opportunity to work with businesses and organizations for the good of the entire region.

OUR FOCUS

  1. Business Retention & Expansion
  2. Workforce Development
  3. Business Attraction
  4. Marketing & Branding
  5. Entrepreneurship Development
  6. Membership & Sustainability

 

View the entire 2020 GREDF Strategic Plan including the strategies and measurements tied to each goal by clicking on the following link: GREDF 2020 Strategic Plan

Community Brand Announcement & 2016 GREDF Annual Meeting

Community Brand Announcement & 2016 GREDF Annual Meeting December 31, 2015

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Community Brand Announcement Invite

Every community has a brand reputation or identity… what people say about them when they’re not around. More than a year ago, nine community organizations decided to work together to propel the image of our community forward. We formed the Brand Quincy/Adams County Partnership with the purpose of developing a cohesive, distinct and memorable brand.

Please join:

City of Quincy, Adams County, Arts Quincy, The District, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce, Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau, Quincy Park District and the Oakley-Lindsay Center

on Wednesday, January 13, 2016, at 5:00 pm at the Oakley-Lindsay Center in Quincy as we unveil the new community brand.

Cash Bar & Networking 5:00 pm
GREDF Annual Meeting 5:45 pm
Brand Announcement 6:00 pm

Regional Economy Profile

Regional Economy Profile October 20, 2015

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Business attraction is like online dating. So what does Adams County’s profile look like? Thanks to our partners at Ameren, we now have an updated profile that’s sure to get us noticed.

aerial photoUsername: Quincy175
Location: Longitude: -91.1919, Latitude: 39.9369
Zip Code: 62301
Age: 175 years
Population: 67,188
Height: Elevation 768 feet
Body: Above Average
Prominent Features: Mississippi River, Transportation Infrastructure, Architecture, Parks, Downtown, Workforce
Education: Adams County Works – Click here for details.
Income: Average earnings in 2015 – $45,919

Interests: Manufacturing, Distribution & Logistics, Agriculture, Healthcare, Tourism, Retail

Looking for: Start-ups, businesses looking to expand, young professionals, skilled laborers, entrepreneurs, investors, developers, creative thinkers

The Adams County Regional Economy Profile provides an industrial and demographic overview for our geographic area. This comprehensive assessment is intended to provide pertinent information about the region’s economic base, competitive attributes and population trends in order to help guide local and regional development. 

By referencing historical, current and projected data, local development officials and prospective business investors can quantify the state of the region’s economy. Our thanks to the Ameren Economic Development Team for providing this profile tool.

 
Click here to see the full regional economy profile.

 

Manufacturing Day 2015

Manufacturing Day 2015 September 18, 2015

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MFD_Logo_nodate_2015_R_ColorManufacturing Day Press Conference

Great River Economic Development Foundation, John Wood Community College, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240 and the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois will hold a press conference celebrating National Manufacturing Day on Friday, September 25, 2015, at 8:00 am at Titan International Headquarters, 1120 N 28th Street (corner of 28th & Cedar) in Quincy. National Manufacturing Day is October 2, 2015.

Adams County WorksAngela Caldwell, Workforce Development/Data Management Specialist, Great River Economic Development Foundation; Kim Boccardi, Director of Marketing, Titan International, Inc.; Mark Pfleiger, Director, West Central Region Education for Employment; Blanche Shoup, Director, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois; and Mike Elbe, President, John Wood Community College, will each make brief remarks. Mayor Kyle Moore will make an official proclamation recognizing October 2, 2015, as Manufacturing Day in the City of Quincy.   

For more information contact Maggie Strong, maggies@gredf.org or 217.223.4313

WIBGREDF WCREES

JWCC to Hold Manufacturing Expo at Workforce Development Center

Robotics, 3D Prototypes, Pneumatics and Motor Controls to be on Display; 200 High School Students to Attend, Public Invited

Manufacturing-Our-FutureJohn Wood Community College will host a Manufacturing Expo Friday, September 25 at the College’s Workforce Development Center, located at 4220 Kochs Lane in Quincy. The public is invited to attend from 12 to 2 p.m. free of charge.

The event is part of National Manufacturing Month and aimed at educating the region on the new world of manufacturing. More than 17 percent of Adams County employees are in the manufacturing sector, which is full of head-of-household careers for individuals with the right skills.

During the expo, participants will learn about the new technology used in the manufacturing industry through demonstrations and interactive displays. Robots, 3D printers, virtual welding, computer numeric control machines and state-of-the art industrial maintenance technology will be featured inside the JWCC Workforce Development Center.

JWCC instructors will demonstrate how a product is taken from concept and computer animation to its 3D prototype and production using new equipment used by regional employers.

Representatives from Knapheide Manufacturing, Doyle Manufacturing, Moss Industrial Training Skills, Sheet Metal Workers Local 91, Trinity Containers LLC, Kohl Wholesale, Fastenal and Lincoln Welding will showcase products and equipment during the expo. 

Earlier in the day, approximately 200 area high school students will visit the expo as part of a regional manufacturing career exploration effort. From 8:30 a.m. to 1:45 p.m. students will visit the JWCC Workforce Development Center and tour ten manufacturing sites arranged by the Great River Economic Development Foundation. Students from QHS, QND, Pleasant Hill, Southeastern, Camp Point Central, Liberty, Payson and Western in Illinois, Highland in Missouri and Keokuk in Iowa will tour regional manufacturing companies, including Titan International, Gardner Denver, Knapheide, Manchester Tank, ADM, Hollister Whitney, Gates Air, Craig Industries and Phibro Animal Health.

Information about JWCC career and technical programs, as well as admissions and financial aid will also be available. 

The event is a collaborative effort among JWCC, Great River Economic Development Foundation, Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois and the West Central Education Regional Education for Employment System #240. For more information, contact David Hetzler at 217.641.4953 or dhetzler@jwcc.edu.    

Take the SURVEY today!

Take the SURVEY today! May 13, 2015

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Quincy and Adams County Seek Resident Feedback in Survey by June 18

Survey aims to uncover residents’ perceptions of Quincy and Adams County

BrandQuincy Ad RGB

Quincy and Adams County have launched an intensive branding program aimed to discover, define and design the area’s competitive differentiator so it can stand out in the marketplace. To aid in this effort, residents are encouraged to fill out a short online survey by June 18, 2015, at:

www.brandquincy.com 

To bring outside objectivity to the project, Quincy and Adams County have partnered with Nashville-based North Star Destination Strategies. North Star has helped develop brands for more than 200 cities, regions, communities and municipalities nationwide.

“Over the next several months, using our Community BrandPrint process we’ll be digging out Quincy and Adams County’s competitive identity that is derived from the history, the culture, the geography and the society of a place,” said Don McEachern, CEO of North Star.  “Branding the City of Quincy and Adams County will give community members the tools to effectively manage the conversation that is taking place in order to build a reputation that is fair, honest and powerful.”

The integrated process includes research, strategy and creative development. The first stage is research and comprises about 80% of the work.  “Here we determine the state of your existing brand,” said McEachern.  More than 15 pieces of qualitative and quantitative research will paint a thorough picture of where Quincy and Adams County are today.  This research includes an assessment of the environment; inquiry origin, visitor origin, demographics and psychographics of residents and visitors; perceptions of visitors, residents and stakeholders; and a review of current communications and the competition. The Community Survey is a critical key to understanding the area from the perspective of a resident or business owner. 

Using that research, North Star will develop a brand strategy that is relevant to Quincy and Adams County’s current situation but also differentiates the area to consumers. “We are seeking to capture the essence and value of our community and to develop an effective comprehensive marketing and public relations plan based on this brand,” said Maggie Strong, VP of the Great River Economic Development Foundation.

The final stage of the project will involve the development of a brand identity guide for Quincy and Adams County. “You will get suggestions for a new logo and tagline as part of this guide. But a brand is so much more than that,” said McEachern. “Your community needs to wear this new brand like a second skin. We will provide you the creative tools and ideas to make that happen.” This includes ideas for communications, signage, special events, community outreach, online initiatives, merchandising and more.

“Our identity should appreciate the heritage of the community,” said Strong. “But we also want to represent a robust vision for the future that can be embraced by the entire region.”

 Quincy and Adams County Branding Project Overview

Mid-America Intermodal Port

Mid-America Intermodal Port May 7, 2015

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Have you heard about the Mid-America Intermodal Port?

Established in 1999 by a compact between Illinois, Iowa and Missouri, the 26-county, Mid-America Port Commission was designed to be a catalyst for economic growth in the Tri-States. The developer of the first of six proposed physical Port projects is the Mid-America Intermodal Authority Port District, an Illinois Port located in the South Quincy Development District on the Mississippi River, approximately one mile below Lock and Dam 21 .

 Mid America Port Development Opportunities_Page_1

But what exactly is the Mid-America Intermodal Port? Let’s break it down:

Mid-America: The middle of America, a physical location that aligns with global business strategies and offers major market proximity.

Intermodal: The movement of freight by two or more modes of transportation. This port will have the ability to ship, receive or transload between truck, rail and barge at the South Quincy site and between truck and air at the regional airports.

Inland Port: A rail or a barge terminal that is linked by rail or inland waterway to a seaport with regular inland transport services.

 

Why should we care?

The total project cost is estimated at $70 to $80 million. That’s a huge investment for our region and translates into hundreds of jobs during the construction phase. Long-term, the Port will make the South Quincy Development District an ideal logistics location with more than 1,500 develop-able acres adjacent to the proposed Port location.

A number of companies currently located near the Port site have indicated the new Port facilities would drive significant capital investment and job creation adjacent to the new Port.

Promotion of the Mid-America Port development opportunities to prospective businesses and site consultants (such as this new brochure developed by GREDF) could lead to millions of dollars in investments by companies looking for a physical location that aligns with their global business strategies. The primary purpose and major benefit of the Port is to give regional businesses access to lower cost and best modes of transportation to help them stay globally competitive and keep jobs here.

   

Mid America Port Development Opportunities_Page_2 

In the works:

Over the past several weeks, Port and economic development officials have met one-on-one with a number of key officials, including; Paul “Chip” Jaenichen, Administrator, U.S. Maritime Administration; William Paape, Director, Gateway Inland Waterways, MARAD; Governor Bruce Rauner; Jim Schultz, Director, Illinois Department of Commerce and Economic Opportunity; Randy Blankenhorn, Secretary, Illinois Department of Transportation; and Wayne Rosenthal, Director, Illinois Department of Natural Resources to share this status update:

  • The project has been selected as part of the USDOT Build America Transportation Investment Center Program, a fast-track project program providing technical assistance on permitting, public/private partnership structure, funding and other requirements.
  • A $1.3 million grant from DCEO for permitting, design and engineering has been approved.
  • The U.S. Department of Transportation Maritime Administration (MARAD) has requested and received regular updates on the status of the project.
  • The Port District and a local engineering firm are preparing the TIGER application.

The Bottom Line:

The Mid-America Intermodal Port has the potential to pay huge dividends for decades to come, maintaining and improving the economic vitality and quality of life of the entire tri-state region.

 

Click here to see the newest marketing piece for the Mid-America Intermodal Port. Want to know more? Contact us at 217.223.4313. 

Community Branding Public Meeting

Community Branding Public Meeting April 27, 2015

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Representatives from North Star Destination Strategies, the company hired by a team of key stakeholders representing organizations within the City of Quincy and Adams County to develop a marketing brand for the City and County, will hold a Public Meeting this week in Quincy.

Community Branding PUBLIC MEETING
Tuesday, April 28
5:30 pm – 6:30 pm 
Quincy Public Library
526 Jersey Street

North Star representatives will give a brief presentation and hold a Q&A session so that the general public may learn more about the community branding process and offer feedback.

14 months ago, the Quincy and Adams County Community Branding Team was formed with the purpose of 1) establishing a marketable and recognizable brand which captures the essence and value of the community, and 2) developing an effective comprehensive marketing and public relations campaign based on this brand.

Members of the Community Branding Team include:

  • Adams County – Rick Gengenbacher and Mike McLaughlin
  • City of Quincy – Mayor Kyle Moore and Chuck Bevelheimer
  • Great River Economic Development Foundation – Marcel Wagner and Maggie Strong
  • Oakley-Lindsay Center – Rob Ebbing
  • Quincy Area Chamber of Commerce – Amy Looten
  • Quincy Area Convention and Visitors Bureau – Lori Tuttle
  • Quincy Park District – Rome Frericks
  • Quincy Society of Fine Arts – Lenny Bart
  • The District – Bruce Guthrie

Over the past year, the team developed a request for proposal, received 11 competitive responses, interviewed two finalists, raised the necessary funds for the project and entered into a partnership with North Star Destination Strategies, Inc.

“We have been impressed with North Star’s approach to the branding process because of how it combines research, strategy, creativity, action and education,” says Maggie Strong, a member of the Branding Team and Vice President of the Great River Economic Development Foundation. “The success of this process will be a direct result of pulling everyone together to speak in one voice.”

The public meeting is part of North Star’s 4-day in-market trip that will also include community tours, one-on-one stakeholder meetings and focus groups. The results of this visit and the additional qualitative and quantitative research conducted by North Star will help determine the brand “story” of Quincy and Adams County.

North Star representatives will be available to speak with the media immediately following the public meeting. Please contact Maggie Strong at maggies@gredf.org or 217.257.0721, for more details.

 

2015 Annual Meeting

2015 Annual Meeting January 5, 2015

1999_GREDF_AM_r3-01[share]

 
 
 
 
 
 
 
The Board of Directors and Staff of the Great River Economic Development Foundation
Invite you to attend our 2015 Annual Meeting
Wednesday, January 14, 2015
Oakley-Lindsay Center
300 Civic Center Plaza, Quincy, Illinois
Cash Bar 5:00 p.m.
Program 5:45 p.m.
No charge to attend. No RSVP required.

 

The Great River Economic Development Foundation’s 2015 Annual Meeting will be held on Wednesday, January 14th in Kent Hall at the Oakley-Lindsay Center, 300 Civic Center Plaza in Quincy. Doors open and a cash bar will be available at 5:00 p.m. with the meeting beginning at 5:45 p.m.

No RSVP is required and there is no charge to attend the meeting. Members of the business community and the general public are encouraged to attend.

Current Chairman of the GREDF Board, Dan Henke, will give the 2015 Annual Meeting presentation which includes highlights from the past year. This year’s theme is “Opportunities Ahead”. GREDF president Marcel Wagner, Jr. will share an update on GREDF’s Strategic Plan which was adopted by the Board of Directors last year.

Additional speakers for the evening include Mayor Kyle Moore and Les Post, Chairman of the Adams County Board.

The Great River Economic Development Foundation exists to maintain and improve the economic vitality of the Quincy and Adams County, Illinois, region through the retention and expansion of existing businesses and the attraction of new businesses to our entire region. For more information, call 217.223.4313.

Defining Work Ready

Defining Work Ready September 2, 2014

[share]Community leaders and stakeholders are making progress on a shared vision for workforce development in the Adams County region. The Adams County Workforce Initiative began in April 2013 when more than 40 area leaders gathered to discuss workforce issues and create a platform for continued collaboration. Much work has been done since that time to move workforce development forward.

Several key issues were identified during the April meeting and three teams were established to address the most critical of those issues.

  1. Career Guidance Team: Working with businesses to convey to individuals the career opportunities and earning potential available in the Adams County region
  2. Work Readiness Team: Developing work-ready citizens to become successful, productive members of the regional workforce
  3. Succession Planning Team: Ensuring that as workers retire, the knowledge of those retirees stays with local companies and within the community
2014 Essential Workplace Skills
Click to enlarge image.

All three groups have been meeting regularly and as a result of those meetings, have developed missions and goals specific to their area of workforce development.

Work Readiness Team

Activities of the Work Readiness Team include:

  • Develop and adopt a list of essential workplace skills and organize them into foundational, intermediate and advanced levels – completed
  • Partner with the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois to validate these essential skills by obtaining employer and agency endorsements – completed
  • Share the essential skills document with area agencies to ensure prospective employees are hearing the same work-ready message – ongoing
  • Identify ways for candidates to illustrate/validate their work-ready skills to employers – ongoing
  • Host a joint meeting with the Career Guidance team to present both teams’ plans to area employers

The Team unveiled its Essential Workplace Skills document during a press conference on Wednesday, August 27, 2014, as part of Illinois Workforce Development Week. It also shared a list of employers and agencies that have already endorsed the essential skills and made endorsement forms available to organizations interested in supporting the initiative. Employers or agencies interested in receiving a copy of the endorsement form may download a pdf here.

The Work Readiness Team will hold a series of workshops for agency representatives to provide a more in-depth introduction of the essential skills and how the Team will be promoting the skills, to those individuals working on the front lines of workforce placement and development. The schedule for the workshops is:

  • September 9, 9:00 am, Quincy Senior Center
  • September 17, 1:00 pm, John Wood Community College
  • September 25, 3:00 pm, Quincy Workforce Service Center 

Workshops will include resources to assist agencies when preparing job seekers, group discussion on the challenges and resources to help job seekers that often have barriers to seeking and keeping employment such as those job seekers with felonies, lack of child care, and transportation issues. For more information about these workshops, contact Howard Kirchner, Director of Workforce Development, Two Rivers Regional Council of Public Officials at 217.222.1560 x230.

The Adams County Workforce Initiative is being guided by a steering committee consisting of representatives from the Workforce Investment Board of Western Illinois, John Wood Community College, United Way of Adams County, Quincy University, West Central Region Education for Employment System #240, Quincy Public Schools, Vatterott College and the Great River Economic Development Foundation. Individuals interested in becoming a member of one of the workforce teams should contact Angela Caldwell at 217.223.4313 or caldwella@gredf.org. 

Critical Issues for the Quincy and Adams County Region

Critical Issues for the Quincy and Adams County Region August 7, 2013

Funding for Local Workforce Programs

[share]The Workforce Investment Act should be reauthorized to ensure funding is available for local workforce training.

The availability of skilled labor has become a key factor in site selection and expansion decisions, and our ability to retain and attract businesses directly impacts the well-being of our region and the ability of our families to be financially self-sufficient. In a recent survey conducted by Area Development Magazine detailing top site selection factors, labor costs and availability of skilled labor ranked number one and number three respectively. That is why funding for local workforce initiatives in part through the reauthorization of the Workforce Investment Act is critical. Local Workforce Investment Boards and funding through the Workforce Investment Act are helping dislocated workers and disadvantaged youth receive the training they need to secure family sustaining careers and help fill the local and national skills gap.

 

Tri-State Highway Priorities

Elected officials should support the increase in funding to accelerate construction of the Macomb bypass, US 67 Corridor upgrade and US 34 upgrade.

Macomb Bypass Completion

The Macomb West Bypass is an essential link that connects the Tri-State network via the Chicago-Kansas City Expressway. The CKC allows drivers to avoid the very slow and congested I-55 segment between Chicago and Joliet, and the equally difficult over-crowded piece of I-70 from St. Louis to Kansas City, both of which are on a route that has been taken by most traffic in the past. Upon completion, the CKC will be a major force for economic growth and job creation. Officials from Illinois and Missouri have agreed to work jointly across the corridor to build traffic and promote this new four-lane connection between our two major Midwest commercial centers, and to promote the communities located on the new corridor. However, it is going to be very difficult to promote the corridor prior to the completion of the Macomb Bypass. $70 million was secured in the 2009 Illinois Jobs Now capital bill to begin work on this vital project. The Tri-State Development Transportation Task Force is now working with IDOT, state lawmakers, legislative leaders, federal transportation officials and members of Congress to implement accelerated construction of the bypass. Efforts are under way to secure $32.5 million in additional state funding to complete construction of two lanes of the four-lane bypass by 2015, with the other lanes completed as funding becomes available.

US 67 Corridor Upgrade

Upgrading the US 67 Corridor from the Quad Cities south to Alton is a key priority in the region’s transportation agenda. Ultimately, US 67 south from Macomb should be connected to US 67 north of Macomb by a four-lane bypass east of the city, which also will serve as a gateway to extend Ill 336 east from Macomb to Peoria.

US 34 Upgrade

Upgrading US 34 in Illinois to four lanes from Monmouth to Burlington, and through Iowa to Des Moines to complete the Trans Iowa-Illinois Freight Corridor from Galesburg to Des Moines is of central importance. The Tri-State Summit group was successful in securing $73 million from the governor and legislature in the 2009 Illinois Jobs Now capital bill to being work on the Monmouth-Burlington segment.

 

TIGER 5 Grant and Mid America Intermodal Authority Port District

The U.S. Department of Transportation should award a TIGER 5 grant to the Mid America Intermodal Authority Port District.

Funding from a TIGER 5 grant will aid in the development of new port facilities under the Mid America Intermodal Authority Port District and will benefit the retention and expansion of existing industries, provide opportunity for new investment and job creation and establish the tri-state region as a significant Midwest transportation hub. It has been determined that the TIGER 5 grant would enable the first phase of the proposed new port facilities in Quincy to be constructed. This new facility location has tri-state support of 26 counties in Illinois, Iowa and Missouri whose representatives make up the Board of the Mid America Port Commission and will benefit the entire region.  Significant private and public investment has been made in the 5000 acre, 500 year levee district. The new facilities will increase the number of barges that can be serviced in the region, will reduce the congestion on regional highway infrastructure and will reduce shipping costs for regional companies, driving new investment and new job creation. This facility will interface with the Chicago-Kansas City Expressway and the Avenue of the Saints to improve overall regional freight movement.

The location was chosen by the US Army Corp of Engineers as the preferred site and will improve the safety and efficiency of barge traffic in the region allowing for greater volume of river freight traffic. Barge traffic is an environmentally sound way to move freight and by reducing rail and truck traffic lowers maintenance costs for land based infrastructure.

 

USDA Great Region Designation

The USDA should consider the ongoing and collaborative economic development efforts of the Tri-State Summit and officially recognize the geographical area of Northeast Missouri, Southeast Iowa and Western Illinois as a Great Region. 

In 1993, flooding on the Mississippi River wreaked havoc in the Midwest. As rising water closed bridges, highways, railways and barge traffic, the tri-state area of Northeast Missouri, Southeast Iowa and Western Illinois learned that a common partnership was critical to each of their economies. The tri-state region shares a common workforce, area educational and healthcare facilities and business community. It was with these common threads that the first Tri-State Development Summit was held in 1996 and 8 subsequent summits have followed. It is a unique partnership of 35 counties in 3 states that share the resources of the largest inland waterway in the United States.

Early in fiscal year 2011, USDA identified seven regional projects as good opportunities for USDA partnership, calling them Great Regions. USDA chose the term Great Regions to encourage these regions and their current and potential partners in the community to broaden their thinking to a regional scale. Given the long history of collaboration created by the Summit, this regional focus already exists in the tri-states. Having the 35 Summit counties designated as a Great Region would spur economic, social and environmental benefits and establish this region, with the support of the USDA, as a central hub for the Midwest.

USDA directors from Missouri and Iowa along with Illinois Director Colleen Callahan will be in Quincy this fall to meet with key representatives of the Tri-State Summit to begin the process of naming our 35-county region a USDA Great Region with the goal of having that designation announced at the May 7, 2013 Summit.

 

M-94 Corridor (Upper Mississippi Connector) Marine Highway Designation

The Upper Mississippi Connector (M-94 Corridor), stretching from St. Louis to St. Paul, should be designated a Marine Highway.

The America’s Marine Highway Program is designed to focus on the integration of Marine Highways into the nation’s surface transportation system, providing seamless transition across all modes by leveraging marine services to complement land-side surface transportation routes. The Mississippi River has demonstrated the ability to provide additional capacity to relieve congested land routes serving freight and passenger movement. Every barge that moves up and down the Mississippi River would require 70 trucks to accomplish the same freight movement. Cost savings average nearly $11 per ton.

Officials in the Quincy and Adams County region are working in partnership with Department of Transportation officials in Illinois, Iowa, Missouri, Wisconsin and Minnesota to achieve this designation. When achieved, the designation will help these states gain access to much needed funds for the maintenance and improvement of the river system. It will be an economic development tool, benefiting both business and tourism. The City of Quincy and Adams County region will see new opportunities in the retention and expansion of our existing businesses as well as the attraction of new industries.

 

Water Resources Development Act of 2013 Passage & Funding

The House of Representatives should follow the lead of the Senate and pass the 2013 WRDA bill that recommends higher investment and recapitalization of our inland waterways infrastructure. Furthermore, the amount of user fee should be increased as an investment in the future of the system. Investments in water resources infrastructure are investments in the long-term strength and security of the nation.

WRDA legislation should contain provisions that prioritize the completion of navigation projects across the entire waterways system; improve the Corps of Engineers’ project management, improve flood protection and processes to better deliver projects on time and on budget, in order to realize $8 billion in job creation; reform project cost allocations; recommend an affordable – and increased – user fee funding mechanism to meet the system’s needs; and realize a sustainable annual appropriation of $380 million, of which a significant portion is paid for by commercial users of the system.

Critical components related to the lock and dam infrastructure that need to be included in the final version of WRDA 2013:

  • Removing the Olmsted Lock & Dam project from Inland Waterways Trust Fund and move it to U.S. Treasury General Fund for completion.
  • Increase the threshold for major rehab projects from $14 million to $20 million.
  • Update prioritization and delivery process to ensure on-time and on-budget, as well as funding availability to complete projects.
  • The House of Representatives should add the 45% increase ($0.09 per gallon) fuel tax for the barge industry. This was supported by the industry if safeguards are put in place to see that the funds are used for system-wide prioritized projects (not Olmsted).

Modern lock and dam infrastructure is critical to U.S. competitiveness in the world market, to environmental protection, to energy efficiency, to sustaining well-paying American jobs and to traffic congestion relief. The Senate’s passage of a WRDA bill that contains a comprehensive package of recommendations to improve the continued vitality of the critically important inland waterways system is commendable. Now, it is the House of Representatives turn.

In addition to modern lock and dam infrastructure, developing a Levee Safety Program is important to the future of the inland waterways system and the industries it supports. Levees serve an important role in the energy industry, the petrochemical industry and the agricultural industry which represents a major component of our economy and includes such companies as Archer Daniels Midland and Prince Agri Products. The WRDA legislation should address the following issues:

  1. Support improved clarification of Federal and non-Federal roles, such that:
    • U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) project involvement is driven by Regional Economic Return (RED Benefits) for job creation and economic growth
    • Public Health and Safety, to assist with levee improvements to prevent catastrophic failures and increase factor of safety
    • Provide federal planning and technical assistance to Local Levee Districts, Counties and States with high RED and safety improvement needs, but low National Economic Return (NED)
    • State and local actors maintain plenary responsibility for landside risk reduction measures such as evacuation, land use practices, building codes and risk communications
  2. Oppose new top-down national levee safety standards and related unfunded Federal regulatory mandates.
  3. Support authorization for a one-time USACE Inventory and Inspection of non-Federal levees.
  4. Support efforts to address USACE Vegetation Management Policy that compel the agency to account for peer-reviewed scientific findings, project-specific variables and multi-purpose demands in its VFZ variance procedures.

The National Waterways Conference estimates that having robust systems on the Mississippi River and connecting waterways provide a $44 return for every dollar invested. A safe, well-maintained and enhanced water transportation system is a primary goal for our region. Passage and funding of the 2013 WRDA bill is an absolute priority for our Tri-State future.

 

Download a PDF of this document here: Critical Issues for the Quincy and Adams County, Illinois Region 

 

 

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