PLANNING COMMISSION RECEIVES AWARD

PERRYVILLE -- The Southeast Missouri Regional Planning and Economic Development Commission recently was selected to win an Innovation Award.

The award, given by the National Association of Development Organizations, recognized the commission's 1995 Coordinated Regional Tourism Program and recent Industrial Parks and Sites Mapping Project.

At a meeting last week, commissioners learned that their organization recently received a Caring Communities Grant for fiscal year 1996-97 from five state departments. Commission staff have signed subcontracts to provide services for Southeast Missouri State University and Cape Girardeau Public Schools.

Commission members also learned that their organization has contracted with the city of Ste. Genevieve to update the city's comprehensive plan and with the city of Cape Girardeau to administer a Community Development Block Grant. The grant money will finance a water line to serve the D&K Drug Wholesale Drug Co. warehouse.

Regional Planning Commission staff will bid on the administration of a Community Development Block Grant for Iron Mountain Lake to construct a sewer system. Another bid involves administrating a grant to St. Francois County for a water system to serve the Doe Run community.

Staff also will bid on the preparation of a tourism brochure to promote the Trail of Tears National Historic Trail automobile route.

The commission meets on the fourth Tuesday of each month in Perryville, and the meetings are open to the public.