Some issues reach across the boundaries of individual communities. Often they can only be addressed by working together.
The Mid-America Regional Council promotes regional cooperation and develops innovative solutions. We help create a community people are proud to call home.
We provide a forum for the region to work together to advance social, economic and environmental progress.
MARC is funded by federal, state and private grants, local contributions and earned income. A major portion of our budget is passed through to local governments and other agencies for programs
and services.
What we do: our roles in the Greater Kansas City community
Leadership
Identify regional challenges and act as a problem-solving forum
Promote consensus and commitment to regional solutions
Educate and engage the public in decision-making processes
Planning
Coordinate policies that guide progress in the region
Develop regional plans for transportation, the environment, emergency response and more
Conduct research and provide technical support to local leaders
Action
Advocate for regional issues at the state and federal levels
Provide cooperative services between local governments
Allocate resources for regional systems
Program Highlights
Enhanced Response
Manage the regional 9-1-1 system, providing technical, administrative and workforce development services
Coordinate the development of interoperable communications systems among local jurisdictions
Help the region prepare for and reduce risks from disasters, both natural and man-made
Coordinate regional homeland security planning and administer grants that provide equipment, training and exercise support to emergency personnel
Assist public health agencies with public education and preparedness efforts
Support emergency medical service agencies and hospitals with coordinated communications and regional plans and protocols
Caring Communities
Ensure that the region's children have access to high-quality early learning programs that prepare them to succeed in school
Serve as the Head Start grantee for Clay, Jackson and Platte counties
Use grant funds to supplement salaries and provide professional development opportunities for early learning program staff
Serve as the Area Agency on Aging for the five Missouri counties, overseeing home-delivered
meals, congregate meals at senior centers, nursing home ombudsmen and special-needs transportation services
Provide support to caregivers for the elderly through an information and assistance line and a comprehensive database of available services
Help improve access to health care for the uninsured and underinsured
Efficient Transportation
Develop and update plans for short- and long-term regional transportation investments
Guide state and federal transportation dollars toward projects that meet long-term goals, developed through public input and evaluation processes
Administer Operation Green Light, a system to ease congestion by coordinating traffic signal timing on major roads across city boundaries
Lead efforts to implement the Smart Moves regional transit plan
Promote transportation alternatives, including bicycle and pedestrian travel, and carpooling and vanpooling through RideShare
Support Kansas City SmartPort's development of an international trade-processing center
Evaluate the impact of development and land-use patterns on the region's transportation system
Promote safe travel through the "Destination: Safe" Coalition's safety planning initiatives
Healthy Environment
Encourage action to protect the natural environment through education and outreach
Provide SkyCast, a daily forecast of air quality for the region, and develop plans for meeting national air quality standards
Work with local governments and other agencies to develop best practices for stormwater management and protection of water quality
Foster thoughtful land-use planning and resource protection using the region's Natural Resource Inventory
Award grants for waste reduction, reuse and recycling programs through the MARC Solid Waste Management District
Coordinate efforts to implement the MetroGreen plan for more than 1,100 miles of trails and greenways
Develop "green" technical and leadership skills in the region through the Academy for Sustainable Communities
Effective Government
Bring city and county administrators together through the Managers' Roundtable to find shared solutions to common problems
Support cooperative purchasing that allows governments to save money by combining buying power
Provide high-quality, cost-effective training to government employees, elected officials and nonprofit agencies through the Government Training Institute
Address unique challenges facing older communities that surround the urban core through the First Suburbs Coalition
Provide administrative, planning and informational assistance to small cities
Collect, analyze and share regional maps and data for planning and forecasting
Provide a forum for citizen engagement in regional affairs through One KC Voice
