Representatives from Warren, Lincoln and Montgomery counties voted at a quarterly meeting Monday to alter the structure of the group which helps prioritize transportation projects within the region. The 2009 TAC will likely be comprised of 17 members, including six each from Warren and Lincoln counties and five from Montgomery County. That allows for one representative from each municipality in each county with a population of 500 or more, plus an at-large representative from the county. In Warren County, those cities qualifying for a seat would include Warrenton, Wright City, Marthasville, Truesdale and Innsbrook. The previous makeup of the TAC had 21 total members, an unwieldy number which, according to past committee members, frequently failed to provide the expected representation from all interest groups within the county. It was structured to include a representative each from sectors including retail, transportation/trucking, manufacturing, emergency/education, economic development/Chamber of Commerce, special needs and private citizens. "The city of Warrenton doesn't even have a representative from the transportation area who lives within the city limits," said Warrenton Mayor Greg Costello, who led the discussion on altering the committee's membership. "The goal was to represent the entire county, but that's not what happened," he added. BRPC Executive Director Steve Etcher stressed the potential need for change in the composition of the committee. "Transportation will continue to be an increasingly important issue for this region in the future," Etcher said. "This committee has the ear of MoDOT (Missouri Department of Transportion)." The TAC confers with MoDOT to discuss prioritizing projects within the region. One of the TAC's past accomplishments was spearheading efforts to build a new bridge over the Missouri River on Route 19 at Hermann. The group also is actively backing improvements for Highway 40/61 in Lincoln County. "Interstate 70 (improvements) have always been our top priority," Etcher said, "but MoDOT has taken that off the table." Each respective county will be responsible for nominating its new representatives before Jan. 1, 2009. The new TAC committee will not meet for the first time until the spring of 2009. Population Estimates According to estimates from the Missouri Census Bureau, the latest census figures project the total population of Warren County to reach 32,377 in the year 2010. With slightly more than 30,000 residents presently, the county is on pace to match the projection based on its 2005 population estimate of 28,306. In 2015, the census predicts Warren County will have 36,410 residents and will top the 40,000 plateau in 2020 and in 2030. Long-range estimates show Warren County will have 46,241 residents. "The growth has slowed somewhat over the past year or so," said Etcher. "But it's likely to pick up again at some point." Employment Program Sparked by the success of a recent job fair, the county's career center launched a new program on Oct. 1 called the Skilled Worker Initiative. JoAnn Toerper described the program, which involves providing transportation options for local workers as "a way to allow us to get people where they need to go and where they need to be." "Transportation can sometimes be a problem for people who can and want to work," she added. The most recent numbers show unemployment in Warren County at approximately 7 percent, which is about two-tenths of a percent higher than the overall state average.