2023 Educational Seminar
The 2023 Educational Seminar will be held on March 8 and 9,
2023, in Jefferson City. It is imperative that supervisors make themselves
available to discuss issues with their legislators not only at the seminar, but
any chance the opportunity arises.
The objective of the seminar is to get to know the members of the Missouri
General Assembly and inform them of the important and effective job soil
districts are doing in using the sales tax funds through the soil and water
conservation programs. The legislators do not always understand the
priorities required by soil and water conservation as well as the intended
use by voters of the sales tax. With so many new legislators this year, it is
essential that we take the time to educate them about our program.
There will be training again this year The training will be held on
Wednesday afternoon at the Capitol Plaza Hotel. Once the training is
determined an email will be sent to all SWCDs.
The Seminar will begin with a reception at 6:00 p.m. Wednesday, March 8,
2023, at the Capitol Plaza Hotel, 415 W. McCarty, in Jefferson City. You will
need to personally invite your Legislators to the reception. Following the
reception there will be presentations on House and Senate bills concerning
soil and water conservation and the DNR budget currently in the legislature.
The morning of March 9th will be visits with Legislators.
Each District should personally invite their Legislators to the
reception and if desired schedule an appointment on March 9th to
follow-up the evening discussion or meet with those who cannot
make it to the reception.
Information containing addresses and phone numbers of the legislators
and current bills of concern or interest will be available from the MASWCD
web page (in the near future) at www.moswcd.com and the state of Missouri
web site at www.house.mo.gov. The registration fee for the seminar will be
$25 per person attending. This will help cover the cost for the meeting
rooms and the reception.
and the registration fee by February 24th to MASWCD, P.O. Box 105981 Jefferson City,
MO 65110.
A block of rooms has been reserved at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City for the night of
March 8th for this meeting. The room rate is $96 plus tax. Each district is responsible for making
their own hotel reservations. For reservations call 800-338-8088 or 573-635-1234 or you can also
click on the following link, https://reservations.travelclick.com/13414?groupID=3769896.
Rooms need to be reserved as soon as possible. Hotel rooms are very tight in Jefferson City during January,
February and March due to the Legislative Session. The block of rooms will be held until
February 12, 2023.
The MASWCD Board of Directors will hold their board meeting on March 8th from 10:00
am to 2:00 p.m. at the Capitol Plaza Hotel in Jefferson City. If you have questions
concerning the 2023 Educational Seminar, please contact Jim Boschert at 573-298-1314,
or by e-mail at maswcd.net@gmail.com.
Because there is training on Wednesday afternoon some travel expenses for board
members and employees that attend the training can be paid with state funds. If an
individual attends the training on March 8th the following expenses can be claimed from
state funds — mileage to Jeff City on March 8th, mileage from Jefferson City on March 8th
or 9th, and meal expenses on March 8th based on 12-hour travel status policies and state
per diem. These are the only expenses that will be allowed from state funds, any overnight
hotel expenses must come from personal expense or local funds.
In closing, I cannot emphasize enough the importance of this seminar to all of Missouri’s
Soil and Water Conservation Districts. We must continue to remind the public and our
elected officials about the importance of soil and water conservation and the purpose of
the sales tax funds.
Sincerely,
MASWCD President