[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 6 (Friday, January 11, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E37]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




 CONGRATULATING THE MERAMEC REGIONAL PLANNING COMMISSION ON THEIR 50TH 
                              ANNIVERSARY

                                 ______
                                 

                        HON. BLAINE LUETKEMEYER

                              of missouri

                    in the house of representatives

                        Friday, January 11, 2019

  Mr. LUETKEMEYER. Madam Speaker, I rise today to congratulate the 
Meramec Regional Planning Commission on their 50th anniversary.
  On January 23, 1969, Governor Warren E. Hearnes signed a proclamation 
establishing the Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Dent County 
Presiding Judge J.E. Bergman, Salem Mayor Jack Masters, Washington 
County Presiding Judge Jesse Essmyer, Potosi Mayor Leon Camillo, and 
Dent County Clerk Don Prewitt were all in attendance to mark the 
historic occasion. A 5,154-square mile radius of beautiful gently 
rolling hills, deep valleys, and numerous rivers make up the region. 
Thirty-six towns serve as industrial havens and are surrounded by 
countryside where the small farmer continues to prevail.
  The commission successfully serves 8 counties: Gasconade, Dent, 
Crawford, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski, and Washington. Throughout 
the commission's longstanding history, a strong reputation has been 
built with a variety of programs being offered including grant writing 
and administration, economic development, community planning, emergency 
planning, training and grand administration, hazard mitigation 
planning, solid waste planning, grant administration and program 
implementation, small business loans, HUD housing rental assistance and 
family self-sufficiency programs, promotion/administration/growth of 
community foundations, project development, and legislative advocacy. 
From these programs, many businesses have been welcomed into the small 
towns where they have been successful while enjoying Missouri's 
picturesque natural beauty and diverse cultural heritage.
  Madam Speaker, I ask you to join me in congratulating the Meramec 
Regional Planning Commission on their 50th anniversary. This milestone 
is a great testament of their commitment to the counties they serve.