AGENDA GOVERNOR’S RURAL AFFAIRS COUNCIL THURSDAY, DECEMBER 11, 2008 413 STRATTON Welcome Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn Introductions o Update mailing list Minutes from last meeting, Norm Walzer, Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs Agenda items—each report no more than 5 minutes o Rural Consumer/Tax Payer Earned Income Tax Credit—Larry Garner, Tax Counseling Project, Center for Economic Progress Results from ‘08 Plans for ‘09 Rural Families Economic Summit—Caronina Grimble, Illinois Department of Human Services Souper Bowl of Caring/National Schools of Caring—Carolyn Brown Hodge, Office of Lt. Governor Results from ‘08 o 567 groups (544 churches, 20 school, and 3 “other”) participated and reported o In total, $290,446.83 was generated and donated to non profits throughout the State of Illinois o The total represents a 6% increase compared to 2007 o Press release from last year in packet Illinois Bankers Association Activities for Agricultural and Rural Illinois— Gary McCants, Illinois Bankers Association o Telecommunications Rural HealthNet Consortium—Ryan Croke, Office of Lt. Governor Vince Demuzio Rural Broadband Initiative—Ryan Croke, Office of Lt. Governor Laptop Initiative—Ryan Croke, Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn o Transportation Rural Public Transportation—Ed Heflin, Rural Transit Assistance Center, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, WIU o All American Energy Smart Energy Design Assistance Center—Donald Fournier, Program Manager, Smart Energy Design Assistance Center o o o o o Energy Efficiency Incentives from DCEO—Carol Kulek, Energy Division Representative, Bureau of Energy and Recycling, DCEO Illinois Clean Diesel Grant Program/Illinois Clean School Bus Program— Darwin Burkhart, Illinois EPA Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs Value-added Sustainable Development Center—Chris Merrett, Director and Fred Iutzi, Program Manager for the Value-added Sustainable Development Center, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, WIU Il. 25 X 25 Renewable Energy Alliance—Blake Roderick, Two Rivers Farm Bureau Foundation Healthcare Rural Health Task Force Report/RMED Update—Dale Flach and Matthew Hunsaker, U of I National Center for Rural Health Professions, Rockford Health Information Technology Resource Center—Kathy Maddock, Gyure & Associates Healthy Communities Partnership—Kristin Lessen, Abraham Lincoln Hosptial February is Heart Month when we will salute people making saves with AEDs—Carolyn Brown Hodge, Office of Lt. Governor Federal AED Grant/Letter asking for prompt payment of state’s bills— Alice Foss, Illinois Rural Health Association Housing Report from the Housing Task Force’s Rural/Small Cities Working Group/ The Neighborhood Stabilization Program—Alan Quick, Illinois Housing Development Authority Other Business National Animal Identification System/Premise ID—Sarah Marshall Importance of Illinois’ Livestock Industry—Bill Olthoff, Illinois Farm Bureau Illinois Local and Organic Food and Farm Task Force—Jim Braun, Illinois Farmer/Consumer Coalition Governor’s Rural Affairs County Annual Report—Norm Walzer, Director Emeritus, Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs, WIU Rural Economic Development Conference sponsored by the Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs, GRAC, and Rural Partners in March in Peoria— Norm Walzer, Illinois Institute of Rural Affairs Office of Lt. Governor Pat Quinn Annual Report Other business Next Meeting GRAC Min 6-2-08 Minutes Governor’s Rural Affairs Council June 2, 2008 1. Carolyn Brown Hodge opening the meeting in the Department of Agriculture building conference room at 10:00 a.m. and passed around a sign-up sheet for participants to check the accuracy of their information. 2. The minutes from the previous meeting were approved. 3. Looking for Lincoln Coalition—Hal Smith The LfL Coalition has received funding approval for the Abraham Lincoln Natural Heritage Area. This area will help keep history alive and build tourism in member sites. There currently are 40 Heritage Areas but this is the only one named after a president. A firm will be contracted to help prepare the management plan. This is the 150th Anniversary of the Lincoln-Douglas debates and several other important dates which will offer excellent opportunities for programming. 4. Illinois Child Care Task Force in Rural Illinois--Sheldon Keyser and Judith Hartley Rural Partners and other agencies launched a program to help communities design programs to accommodate child care in rural areas. That program still continues and was described. More than 32 organizations participate in this effort and 4 manuals have been prepared. The purpose of the efforts is to assist in building local capacity so that children have access to adequate after school care. This issue is important in attracting business. 5. Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago—Harry Pestine There have been recent changes in credit for farm operations including an increase in assets for Individual Development Accounts; assistance for beginning farmers and ranchers; microenterprise assistance programs included in the Farm Bill. There also are changes in the designations for distressed and underserved rural areas. These changes were described along with reference information about other major recent changes in federal programs. 6. Lt. Governor Quinn joined the meeting and acknowledged Doug Scott from Illinois Environmental Protection Agency and their work with environmental cleanup. 7. Illinois Environmental Protection Agency --Dick Breckenridge Several IEPA programs including work with Bio-diesel research and alternative fuels were described. Efforts are underway with SIU-C on vegetable oil processing. Several efforts including the I-RID to clean up illegal drugs and pharmaceuticals are ongoing with small county governments. Small governments often need special technical assistance because they rely heavily on volunteer efforts and management. 8. Restore Funds for UI Extension--CBH CBH described efforts by the Office of the LtG to help restore funds for the Extension Service, conservation programs, and other agencies. These programs are especially important for rural areas. 9. Employment Income Tax Credit—Glen Scoles Results from the EITC meetings held across the state were described. Participation has increased from 281 in 2001 to 535 in 2007. The program has two effects. First, it brings refund money back to Illinois. Second, it saves income tax preparation costs for participants. The program is effective and new sites such as Sterling/Rock Falls are being considered. Additional help is needed. 10. Citizen Utility Board – Holly Copeland One-day clinics at six sites were held to assist participants in stopping overcharging on phone bills. The average savings was $200 per year. Thus far, 333 people participated. The clinic is free and be presented in communities that are interested. 11. Souper Bowl of Caring – Carolyn Brown Hodge In 2008, 567 groups participated and reported more than $290 thousand generated and donated to nonprofits. This is a 6 percent increase from the previous year and assists the 8 regional food banks in Illinois. 12. Illinois Fan Club – Holly Copeland This program provides support to residents who need assistance with cooling during the summer. The DHFS provides matching funds and works with the GRAC to purchase fans which are then loaned to residents who need them. Ameren has also been part of this initiative along with the Illinois Community Action Agency. 13. Illinois Rural Health Net – CBH A $21 million grant administered by NIU will provide a high-speed communications network connecting rural hospital and medical clinics. Telemedicine and tele-health services will be delivered over this network. As many as 80 rural communities will be served through this 3-year program. 14. Vince DeMuzio Rural Broad Band Initiative – CBH This project, in Macoupin and Montgomery Counties, is designed to increase the availability of high speed Internet services to help businesses compete; improve rural health services; increase education opportunities; enable public safety organizations to provide new services; and improve the options available to residents for Internet services. The project is now entering the implementation phase. 15. $100 Laptop Initiative – Holly Copeland The intent is to place inexpensive laptops in the hands of 5th graders across the state. While the program has been popular, several difficulties in financing the purchases have been encountered by school districts. Efforts are underway to make it possible for school districts to spend textbook funds for computers. Providing laptops will increase educational opportunities for students but also will help stimulate demand for BB in rural areas. 16. Digital Main Street Initiative – Chris Merrett The Illinois Institute for Rural Affairs (WIU) is working with the McDonough Cooperative to improve Internet access to communities in McDonough County through a grant from the Office of Lt. Governor Quinn. The effort is to upgrade access to the Internet for small businesses. 17. Interagency Coordinating Committee on Transportation – Ed Heflin Sixty-two federal programs fund transportation resulting in a complex and disjointed delivery system. The ICCT was created to help organize this system and the Rural Transportation Assistance Center (IIRA) is a clearinghouse for these efforts. Counties that do not have transportation services can go through several levels of technical assistance to obtain funds for a more effective delivery system. 18. Human Services Transportation Plan – Laura Calderon Federal transportation policies require that states have a coordinated transportation planning initiative. Illinois has 11 regions and 10 have a plan and are participating in the statewide initiative. Transportation coordinators are being hired to assist in the planning effort. The ultimate aim is to better coordinate service delivery. The Human Services Transportation Plan focuses on the elderly and low income while the ICCT initiative covers everyone. However, the two initiatives work together to improve transportation services. 19. Enhancement and Green Streets Programs – Tim Milan As part of an effort to reduce greenhouse gases by planting more trees and prairie grasses, the IDOT and ENR provide grants to local governments along designated US or state highways and major streets. $5 million has been set aside for this effort in Illinois and the projects must be part of a community landscape or green space local effort. The application process will be part of the Illinois Transportation Enhancement Program. A 20 percent local match is required. 20. Effect of Corn Prices on Food – Rod Weinzierl The extent to which Ethanol has contributed to higher corn prices and therefore affects food costs may have been overstated. USDA research suggests that corn prices paid to farmers represent a small portion of the overall food costs. While farmers receive more for crops, their input costs have skyrocketed as well. The rising crude oil prices have had a significant impact throughout the economy and transportation costs contribute to higher prices as well. 21. BioFuels Research – Chris Merrett While rising energy costs adversely affect the overall economy, the rising prices of corn and bio-fuels can help rural economies significantly. The IIRA is working to determine the kinds of skill sets needed to participate in an expanded bio-fuels economy and is working with local educational institutions to design a curriculum. It also has developed a GIS tool to help determine the best sites for ethanol and other fuel related projects. This GIS program is on the Web and will be available to users anywhere. It may help avoid costly site selection problems in the past. 22. Wind Energy Site Selection – Chris Merrett Through a past grant from the Illinois Clean Energy Foundation, the IIRA set up wind monitoring towers in various locations across the state. Some of the results have been presented at various conferences and the data is being used in decision-making regarding location of wind turbines and other installations. 23. Affordable Solar Energy – Gerald Guiling Advancements in solar energy technology have generated products that are affordable and effective for home use. A Window Dam that mounts over a sliding glass door to turn it into a solar heat generator was described. This unit can be used in homes as well as commercially and provides ease of installation, is emissions free, and virtually maintenance free at low cost. Manufacture of these units can also generate local jobs. The GRAC does not endorse specific products or manufacturers but wanted to highlight new developments in the area of solar energy. 24. Illinois 25 X 25 – Blake Roderick The goal of the 25 X 25 national coalition is to produce 25 percent of the energy from renewable resources such as biofuels, wind, solar, and hydro by the 2025. Accomplishing this goal will increase farm incomes, stimulate local economies, create as many as 5 million jobs, reduce as much as 10 percent of the US projected oil consumption and reduce carbon dioxide emissions. 25. Update on the Farm Bill – Doug Wilson The Farm Bill contains several provisions that will improve access to funding for farm operations, especially in loan guarantees. In addition, the bill contains additional money for water and housing in rural areas. It will take a while to see all of the provisions in the Bill but it should bring serious money back to Illinois. 26. National Cardiopulmonary Resuscitation and AED Awareness Week – CBH The aim of this week in early June is to call attention to the need for improved access to AEDs and related services. The Office of Lt. Governor will hold a press conference on Wed. June 4th to recognize people who have saved lives with AEDs. 27. Farm Resource Center Outreach Programs – Roger Hannan There is a significant need for outreach services for troubled rural teenagers (1318 years) and the Farm Resource Center has worked with DCFS to address this need. In some instances, efforts will be made to promote adoption and otherwise provide alternative environments. The FRC needs assistance and is currently exploring needs in Western Illinois. 28. Rural Housing Activities Updates – Bill Pluta The Illinois Housing Development Agency has a variety of programs that assist homeowners and local governments in rural Illinois to provide affordable housing to residents in need. A statewide task force on housing issues in small communities has been active for several years and continues its efforts. Further information on IDHA programs can be found on the Web. 29. Alternative Agriculture Curriculum for Community Colleges –Patrick McGarry Initiatives are underway to expand opportunities to promote alternative agriculture especially in community colleges. The Lumpkin Foundation has provided grants in the past and other programs such as Culinary Arts are being developed in several community colleges. These programs can be combined with Buy Fresh, Buy Local initiatives and Farmer’s Markets in communities. 30. Illinois Association of Minorities in Government – Jerrie Blakely The IAMG advocates for fair hiring of minorities in state and local government. It has diverse members including migrant workers and wants to inform state and local public officials about the availability of minority workers when hiring needs arise. 31. National Animal Identification System/Premise ID –Sarah Marshall A discussion was held about the merits and limitations of a national animal ID program and its effectiveness was questioned by the presenter. 32. Peace Corps Fellows Program – Chris Merrett The PCF program in the IIRA has successfully placed 11-month interns in many rural communities across the state. The students major in one of six departments on campus and then spend time living in the community and leading local community or economic development efforts. The PCF program is currently seeking sponsoring communities and additional information can be obtained at 800-526-9943. 33. Farmer to Consumer Task Force – Jim Brian It is important to promote buy local programs in order to provide healthier food to Illinois residents but also to keep food dollars in Illinois. The task force has held 14 listening sessions and has 5 groups to meet to address specific needs and strategies. The aim is to promote local production/consumption rather than importing foods. 34. Annual Rural Community Development Conference – Norman Walzer The annual community and economic development conference hosted by IIRA in conjunction with Rural Partners and the GRAC was held in Peoria in early March. The program went well with an excellent group of speakers. Topics covered included entrepreneurship, housing, innovation-led development, creative communities, and alternative energy options. 35. Annual Report to the Governor and General Assembly – Norman Walzer The annual GRAC report to the Governor and the General Assembly is being prepared. The format this year involves reviewing the major issues addressed in the GRAC meetings, highlighting best practices across the state, and recommendations for future actions. 36. The next GRAC meeting will be in December, 37. The meeting adjourned at 12:05 p.m. (Minutes respectfully submitted by Norman Walzer, IIRA)