Welcome to the Green Hills Regional Planning Commission.

The Green Hills Regional Planning Commission is one of nineteen organizations operating as a sub-state planning and development agency serving the State of Missouri. The Commission is organized as a voluntary association of local governments, and retains a staff of professionals who work on projects intended to foster improved quality of life throughout the 11 county "Green Hills" region.

Notices:

• The 2012 Annual Report for the Green Hills RPC/ RDI is now available.
  
  
• The 2012 Updated Green Hills Regional Transit Study is now available.
  
  
• The Green Hills Regional Economic Development District's Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy is available for review at the Districts office.
  
  The document is prepared every 5 years as a requirement of the Economic Development Administration (EDA) a division of the Department of Commerce. It is also available here.
  
  

Recent News:

• Livingston County Waste Collection Event (05/28/2013)
  
  The City of Chillicothe and Livingston County in conjunction with the North Missouri Solid Waste Management District Region B is sponsoring a solid waste collection event. This is event is funded with grants funds from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. This is an opportunity for ALL residents of Livingston County to dispose of special waste items banned from landfills. ABSOLUTELY NO business or commercial drop offs, residential only.
  
  The collection event will be held at City of Chillicothe, Old Pellet Building, 200 Brunswick, Chillicothe, Missouri, between 9:00 AM and 12:00 Noon on Saturday, June 1, 2013. Click here for details.
  
  Questions or comments should be directed to Ann Hamilton, District Planner at 660-359-5636 ext 20.
  
  
  
• Carroll County Waste Collection Event (05/28/2013)
  
  The City of Carrollton and Carroll County in conjunction with the North Missouri Solid Waste Management District Region B is sponsoring a solid waste collection event. This is event is funded with grants funds from the Missouri Department of Natural Resources. This is an opportunity for ALL residents of Carroll County to dispose of special waste items banned from landfills. ABSOLUTELY NO business or commercial drop offs, residential only.
  
  The collection event will be held at the Old Places Building located at 901 South Main Street, Carrollton, between 9:00 AM and 12:00 Noon on Saturday, June 15, 2013. Click here for details.
  
  Questions or comments should be directed to Ann Hamilton, District Planner at 660-359-5636 ext 20.
  
  
  
• Annual Funds Available for Northwest Transportation Safety Programs (05/20/13)
  
  Annual grants to improve safety on our Northwest Missouri roads will soon be available for regional transportation safety programs from the Northwest Region Coalition for Roadway Safety. This is the third year the funds have been available for interested applicants to help reduce injuries and fatalities in Missouri's Northwest 20 counties.
  
  "We have had a lot of interest in various groups improving safety on our roads and these grant funds help us make a difference all over the region," says Jackie Spainhower, director of the coalition's Northwest Region. "We hope to further identify local safety efforts and needs to ensure more Missourians Arrive Alive every day."
  
  Organizations eligible to apply for these funds include schools, community groups, law enforcement, health departments, and others. Online grant applications are available at www.savemolives.com/northwest/index.html. Completed applications are due by DATE, with awards announcements in July. All awarded funds must be spent by June 15, 2014.
  
  To be eligible for the grants, programs must address at least one of the Blueprint-identified emphasis areas including serious crash types, high-risk drivers and occupants, special vehicles, vulnerable roadway users, and special roadway environments. The more widespread the impact the program has, and the longer it lasts, the better chance it has to receive some of the limited funds. Further information on these emphasis areas is available in the Blueprint for Safer Roadways available on www.savemolives.com.
  
  In the past two years, more than $50,000 has been awarded. For fiscal year 2014, approximately $68,000 will be available to award. A combination of groups applied and received the awards in past years.
  
  For more information, contact the Missouri Department of Transportation at 888-ASK MODOT (888-275-6636) or your local regional planning commission.
  
  
  
• Application submitted to CDBG for the City of Hamilton. (05/17/03)
  
  
  
• Join in MoDOT's No MOre Trash Bash (04/04/13)
  
  You can help make Missouri a cleaner, more beautiful place during April's No MOre Trash! Bash, a month-long annual event sponsored by the Missouri Department of Transportation and the Missouri Department of Conservation.
  
  No MOre Trash! began as an educational campaign aimed at youth but has expanded to a statewide initiative involving Adopt-A-Highway groups, volunteer organizations and civic groups who plan roadside clean ups, stream clean ups or educational activities. Each group's coordinator then can report the activity to MoDOT who will recognize each volunteer's work with a commemorative lapel pin.
  
  Earth Day is celebrated each year on April 22. MoDOT's Northwest District would like to encourage community groups, city betterment organizations and other volunteer groups to get involved to make this year's Bash a success and to promote cleaner roadsides and communities. If your group would like to participate, MoDOT will provide safety vests and trash bags for your clean up activity or can provide a speaker for an educational activity.
  
  Each year, MoDOT spends more than $6 million to clean litter from Missouri highways. In addition, Adopt-A-Highway volunteers provide another $1.5 million worth of litter pick up. Major types of litter found include fast-food waste, paper, aluminum and glass. During the 2012 No MOre Trash! Bash, more than 12,000 bags of litter were picked up off Northwest Missouri roadsides. Litter is a serious problem that's getting worse. It's a problem we can solve.
  
  If your group is looking for more than a one day commitment, please consider adopting a section of one of our state highways.
  
  For more information about No MOre Trash! Bash, to request a speaker or to adopt a highway, call 1-888-ASK-MODOT (888-275-6636) or visit www.modot.org/northwest.
  
  
  
  
  
• Show Me Your Seatbelt Contest (04/01/13)
  
  ST JOSEPH - Traffic crashes are the leading cause of death for people 15 to 20 years old, but it only takes a couple of seconds to buckle up and arrive alive! Besides being the safest thing to do, teens in Northwest Missouri can win great prizes now just by buckling up.
  
  "Seat belts save lives and we want to encourage teens to make the right choice and buckle up," says Jackie Spainhower, coordinator for the Northwest Region Coalition for Roadway Safety. "That one small decision can mean the difference between life and death."
  
  The Show Me Your Seat Belt contest is one way teens can show they are making the right choice and possibly win big. Teens just send a photo showing themselves wearing their seat belt and enter it online in the contest. Winners will be picked from all the photo entries received for great prizes. Teams of seat belt spotters also have been out at local high schools checking for actual seatbelt usage. If students are buckled up, they can win. So get in the habit - buckle up and arrive alive! Get more information at http://www.savemolives.com/northwest/index.html.
  
  These contests are part of the youth seat belt campaign that kicked off earlier this month. The campaign includes a combination of education and enforcement. Law enforcement has been out in full force since March 15 through the end of the month to crack down on unbelted teenage drivers.
  
  The stats on Missouri teens show the seat belt message just isn't clicking. Three out of four teens (13-19) killed in 2011 traffic crashes were not wearing a seat belt. And only 67 percent of Missouri teens wear their seat belt. Additionally, one in four 2011 Missouri traffic crashes involve a young driver (under the age of 21).
  
  Under the Graduated Driver License Law, teens are required to wear their seat belt and it's a primary offense, meaning they can be pulled over solely for not wearing their seat belt. Teen seat belt use in Missouri is only 67 percent, much lower than state (79 percent) and national (85 percent) seat belt use.
  
  Visit www.kjo1055.com or www.myqcountry.com for more contest information, or saveMOlives.com. Buckle Up and Arrive Alive.
  
  
  
  
• NOTICE OF FUNDING AVAILABILITY REGION B DISTRICT GRANTS (01/28/2012)
  
  The North Missouri Solid Waste Management District - Region B has begun the process of accepting applications for district waste reduction and recycling grant projects within the 11 county Green Hills area. Tipping fees imposed on landfills and transfer stations within each district's solid waste management region generates funds for these district grants.
  
  Grant proposals must address state and district goals, including waste reduction, reuse, education, recycling and composting projects. The District's grants committee will review and rank applications to be sent to the Missouri Department of Natural Resources for final approval.
  
  Completed application, along with any additional information about a specific project should be returned to the North Missouri Solid Waste District, 1104 Main St., Trenton, MO 64683.
  
  Applications will be accepted on an open cycle basis with ranking done quarterly. Applications may be requested by contacting the District office for an application packet at 660-359-5636 or downloaded here.
  
  Please contact Region B Project Manager Ann Hamilton for more information or assistance with project development.
  
  
  
• The North Missouri Solid Waste Management District - Region B votes unanimously to take an official position opposing Senate Bill 13 (01/17/2013)
  
  The bill, proposed by Senator Kurt Schaefer (R-Columbia) would eliminate the 20 solid waste districts in the state and reduce disposal fees at landfills by the amount that is used by waste management districts for administration and operating costs. According to the bill, that would lower fees from $2.11 to $1.71 per ton at sanitary landfills and from $1.41 to $1.20 per ton at demolition landfills.
  
  The North Missouri Solid Waste Management District (Region B) is the largest district consisting of 11 counties in north central Missouri including Caldwell, Carroll, Chariton, Daviess, Grundy, Harrison, Linn, Livingston, Mercer, Putnam, and Sullivan. Region B is a minimally-funded district receiving $95,000.00 per year. Region B uses 50% for district grants in the region and 50% for district operation, plan implementation, and hosting county collections.
  
  The Region B's Board is made up of representatives of local city and county governments. The District board believes that SB13 will have a negative impact on waste reduction and recycling, which has many environmental benefits and improves the quality of life in our state. The Region B also believes that SB 13 would reduce the growth of recycling especially in rural Missouri.
  
  With the elimination of the Districts, the local control of District funds would be eliminated and moved to Missouri Department of Natural Resources (MDNR). The local control of awarding grants to our cities, counties, non-profits and other organizations in our District would also be eliminated and moved to MDNR. With administration and plan implementation funds ($47,500.00), the District provides solid waste management planning to our 11 counties and the 75 cities and villages in our region. The district provides education and information on recycling, waste reduction, and composting; and provides technical assistance to citizens, schools, businesses, and local governments. The District also conducts recycling programs and special/banned items recycling events including household hazardous waste (paints, oils, pesticides, herbicides, cleaners, etc), tires, appliances, batteries, and electronics. "Without the Solid Waste Districts, many of these items that are collected would wind up back in our road ditches where they use to go", said Carroll County Commissioner Nelson Heil, Chairman of the District Board.
  
  Recycling has grown in Missouri because there are local districts established to implement programs tailored to meet local needs across the state. When the solid waste law was passed over 20 years ago, the intent was to place responsibility for solid waste planning and implementing of solid waste programs at the regional and local level.
  
  You can read the full text of SB13 here.
  
  The North Missouri Solid Waste Management District is available to provide any additional information needed, and is also available to discuss any of the issues presented in this response: Letter sent to Senator Schaefer Resolution 2013-1
  
  Those who wish to support the Solid Waste Management Districts and the work that they do in their local communities are urged to contact their Missouri State Senators and Representatives regarding this issue.
  
  
  
  
• FY 2013 Solid Waste District Grant Application available online
  The latest Solid Waste District Grant Application Form is now available as a pdf. Click the link to download.
  Gilman Amendment