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Southwest Regional Planning Commission pitches capacity-building services to Richland County
Summary
Southwest Regional Planning Commission representatives outlined the commission—s 52-year role providing staffing, grant administration and planning support, saying local investment generates additional revenue and helps secure federal grants.
Southwest Regional Planning Commission representatives briefed the Richland County Finance and Personnel Committee on the commission—s services and recent results, emphasizing capacity-building, grant administration and return on investment.
The commission, which covers Richland and four neighboring counties, told the committee it provides auxiliary staffing and administrative support — including managing a regional revolving loan fund and state stimulus grants — to help counties stretch limited local staff capacity and capture outside revenue.
Troy Maggi, who introduced the presentation and invited Grand County chair Bob Keeney to comment, said the commission—s role is often to "add capacity" for counties and to administer programs that local governments lack staff to run. Maggi noted the commission—s work administering the Main Street Bounce Back grants and a revolving loan fund that supports Richland County businesses.
"One of the things we do is really provide auxiliary staffing and revenue from the outside," Maggi said, describing the commission as "institutional knowledge" for new local staff. He told the committee the commission—s operating model is lean and that it leverages local contributions: "we're really breathing and enabling you to get about a dollar 81 annually for every dollar that you invest in regional planning."
Keeney, introduced as Grand County chair and a member of the Southwest Regional Planning Commission, said the commission—s regional approach helps communities attract federal Economic Development Administration funding and other investments, and urged the county to remain a participant.
Committee members asked procedural questions and discussed opportunities for the commission to brief the full county board in the future. Maggi said he would make the commission—s materials available and that he welcomed a presentation to the entire county board.
Maggi and Keeney were in attendance to explain specific projects and answer questions; committee members did not take formal action on the presentation at this meeting.
The committee packet included a memo and a two-page summary that Maggi referenced during his remarks.
