State agencies to hold economic development conference in Cape

Representatives of 10 state and federal agencies will take part in an economic development conference in Cape Girardeau, U.S. Sen. Claire McCaskill announced.

The daylong event, billed as an "Economic Development and Grant Training Workshop," will be held from 8:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. June 29 at Dempster Hall on the Southeast Missouri State University campus. Hosted by McCaskill's office, the workshop will feature agencies that can provide information about competitive federal grants and low-interest loans for local governments, not-for-profit organizations, chambers of commerce and small businesses.

In addition, there will be agencies that deal with environmental permitting, redeveloping potentially polluted industrial sites and obtaining money from the federal stimulus program.

"It sounds like anybody who has anything to do with anything will be there," said Mitch Robinson, executive director of Cape Girardeau Area Magnet, the regional economic development agency.

Good timing

There are many new rules and a lot of money available from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, but many agencies are just figuring out how the rules have changed and how to obtain the money, Robinson said. At a workshop last week, he said, he was told that for several programs, rules are just being written.

That makes the timing and location of the workshop helpful, he said. "I am glad they are coming down here. There are a lot of people who don't have the funds or the time to travel to Jefferson City or wherever to get the training."

The agencies that will offer presentations include the State of Missouri Economic Stimulus Team, the Missouri Department of Economic Development, the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development and Farm Service agencies, the Small Business Administration, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Missouri Department of Natural Resources, the Southeast Missouri State University contract division and the Missouri Procurement Technical Assistance Center.

Infrastructure funding is the top need for local governments trying to create a climate attractive to businesses, Robinson said. Local governments and chambers of commerce also need training to understand incentive and loan programs available to prepare incentive packages to attract new industry, he said.

rkeller@semissourian.com

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