A team effort for development: Talking shop with Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Commission

Over a three-decade plus career, Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of the Southeast Missouri Regional Planning Comission, has played a vital role in economic development for Southeast Missouri. He began with the commission, also known as the SEMO RPC, in 1980, as a planner and leader of a job training program. In 2004, he moved to his current position. The commission's function is to provide planning and economic development services to seven regional counties. The commission works with local governments, economic development organizations, civic groups, businesses and individuals. The services, according to the organization's website, "help enhance the livability and economic base of each county and community."

Buchheit leads a 14-member staff. He says no one person makes any good organization, and that the work done at the SEMO RPC is a team effort.

__Business Today: What are some of the most significant changes in the area of economic development in this region?__

__Chauncy Buchheit:__ A few years ago, everybody depended on grants to be able to get things done ... they thought they needed them. Now I think we've become a lot more self-reliant. There's been a lot of effort put forth in being able to use different resources. There's been a number of financings with tax incentives and tax-exempt bonds, and things like that, from the standpoint of doing some abatements for big projects. So being able to take some of the money being generated from a project itself, and redirecting it to help with the project, that's been a big thing. Also directing sales tax dollars in tax increment districts to help with things like infrastructure has been important, too. We've got several of those districts in our area; the one in Jackson is a very successful example, and one in Perryville has helped with needs in their industrial park.

__BT: Are there any recent developments in terms of taxes or regulations that are defining what industry can expect to face in the future?__

Cutline:LAURA SIMON ~ lsimon@semissourian.comCutline:Cutline:Chauncy Buchheit, executive director of SEMO Regional Planning Commission in Perryville.

__CB:__ We have been fortunate in our area that we haven't been hit with a lot of the more onerous regulations for air quality, but we think that might be changing, and we are concerned. That's something we are keeping a close watch on.

A few years ago, we put together an air quality committee made up of government officials and business owners and leaders to provide information and education about how to deal with that. A lot of good conversation and learning has come from it.

We also expect some changing rules for water, and it will be serious environmental regulation. It will especially be important to look at how we keep the rivers and streams clean, while looking at how to pay for improvements, and how to continue to grow and be able to provide services for people without bringing in too much of a financial burden.

__BT: Do you have any New Year's resolutions at the SEMO RPC?__

__CB:__ We would like to keep coming together with our members to share best practices. We also see that there is always a need for money, so one of the things we are in the process of doing is forming a new finance corporation. It will be called the Southeast & Bootheel Business Finance Corporation, or S&B, in conjunction with the Bootheel Regional Planning Commission. We will be offering loans through the SBA 504 program to assist in expansion, to fund fixed assets. The corporation will be responsible for making recommendations on those loans, which could go up to $4 million or $5 million. Bootheel Regional Planning Commission covers six counties in the Bootheel, and we have seven in Southeast Missouri. We are all political subdivisions of the state of Missouri.

__BT: What do you see coming up as important business and economic development news in 2015?__

__CB:__ I think when you look down at Cape, there's an area out there on Interstate 55, where the new Pepsi organization is going to be locating ... what a tremendous opportunity that the business park offers. It's right on the interstate with great access, and the park is developing. You've got the whole interchange, which I think you will see take off and do something huge. Pepsi is a big deal, and I think getting all that started is a very big deal.

Perryville's got a similar situation with their industrial park. They will have a new road going under construction soon from Highway 51 to 61 and that will help support being able to open up that whole business area. TG Missouri also continues to grow. The other couple things that I think are really huge are the ports. The SEMO Port is a great operation and I think there is a lot of potential there for continued growth. I think it's one of the premier river ports on the Mississippi River. Also the New Bourbon Port located south of Ste. Genevieve.