The Tri-County Regional Planning Commission formed a new group that will find ways to implement recommendations from an economic consultant. Peoria Public Radio’s Alex Rusciano reports:

 

Frank Knott of Vital Economy says restructuring the Heartland Partnership and Central Illinois Economic Development Council is needed to boost efficiency. He’s also recommending merging the Planning Commission with other entities, and also merging area workforce development networks.

 

To that end a new oversight committee will meet in the coming months. The committee is led by Caterpillar Director of Corporate Public Affairs Jim Baumgartner. He says the committee will in turn form smaller groups that focus on each recommendation.

 

“Those that are on the steering committee are members of the Heartland Partnership by the organizations that they either own, run or lead,” Baumgartner says.

 

“So we have members of the CEO Roundtable and we have fellow board members like me who are board members of the EDC which is under the Heartland Partnership.”  

 

Heartland Partnership and the EDC continue to discuss the recommendations with investors. The new committee consists of about 30 business and community leaders including Peoria City Manager Patrick Urich and Mike Everett with the West Central Illinois Labor Council. The Committee has its first meeting in August.