Public Participation Creates Recovery Projects 

Hundreds Attend Long-Term Recovery Meetings in Minot and Burlington

Release Date: October 6,
BISMARCK, N.D. -- More affordable housing and further shopping options, downtown redevelopment and additional green spaces, a revitalized zoo and better communications with Canada on water issues, were among the hundreds of ideas that emerged from three community open houses held Sept. 19-24 in Minot and Burlington.

More than 500 area residents attended meetings, during which they had an opportunity to quiz long-term recovery experts, view display boards on various long-term recovery topics and write comments or suggestions on yellow sticky notes about how they would like their communities to look and feel five to 15 years from now and beyond.

More than 2,300 suggestions were posted, many with multiple ideas and comments. FEMA’s Long-Term Recovery Team is currently sorting through those comments – as well as multiple interviews carried out in Minot and Ward County since July – to identify potential long-term community recovery projects.

All unedited comments are posted at three different websites: http://www.fema.gov/goodbye/goodbye.jsp?url=http://www.minotnd.org/, http://www.fema.gov/goodbye/goodbye.jsp?url=www.rallyminot.com and http://www.fema.gov/goodbye/goodbye.jsp?url=http://www.facebook.com/minotnorthdakota.

Smithville, Missipppi, Long Term Community Recovery Plan

The Smithville LTCR Recovery: http://www.smithvillems.org/docs/Smithville-Recovery-Plan08-12-11.pdf

From Smithville's website,   http://www.smithvillems.org/

Located on Hwy 25 between Amory and Fulton, Smithville was the fastest growing community in Monroe County in 2010. Fantastic schools, friendly residents, and great opportunity for business growth have contributed to this.

From our beginnings in the early 1800′s as a trading post until today, Smithville residents maintain a plucky pioneer spirit. Now, as we face rebuilding our town, this “can’t get us down” attitude will come in handy.

Smithville is moving forward. Using the devastation of the EF5 tornado as a “springboard” to the future, we are in the beginning stages of coming back.

We look forward with anticipation to the days and years ahead. Come visit us! Stay a while! We think you’ll like us. We truly offer big opportunities with home town charm.

         —Mayor Gregg Kennedy

Town consulting with developers for future businesses

SMITHVILLE, Miss. (WTVA) - Smithville is inviting developers to look at what options are available for potential businesses to come in following the April 27 tornado.

One of those developers met with town officials Wednesday.

"Smithville is a town that I picked out as being an area of high interest here because they're in the process of rebuilding," says A.G. Helton, CEO of Action Properties LLC. "I think they have good things coming down the road and think this could be a great place for opportunity."

In addition to having the mom and pop businesses that have been here in Smithville for a long time, town leaders are optimistic other businesses will open to help with the local tax base.

"We're moving forward with rebuilding our town," adds Gregg Kennedy, mayor of Smithville. "To rebuild our sales tax base, things are going to happen, but it's not going to be overnight. We don't want to forget our mom and pop stores, neither our locally owned businesses. We want to see that they thrive also."

Another step in the recovery will take place on Thursday in Amory at the Monroe County Government Complex in Amory from 5:30 p-m to 7:30 p-m.

That's when students from Mississippi State University will present their ideas pertaining to downtown, town hall and the Highway 25 project.

We Survived the Storm and We're Going to Come Back

The mayors of Cordova and Sipsey said their citizens have come a long way since April 27 during an East Walker County Chamber of Commerce meeting on Tuesday.

Sipsey Mayor Anita Sanders said the tornado destroyed between 40 and 60 homes in her town, but new ones are going up every day now.

The Restore Sipsey Co-op, a partnership between several churches and organizations, is working on several projects for uninsured residents.

Sanders said the results of the vision meeting that was held recently will be announced Thursday night. The meeting was one step in the long-term recovery process.

Sanders praised her community for coming together in a time of need and expressed hope for a brighter future in Sipsey.

“We survived the storm and we’re going to come back,” Sanders said.

Mayor Jack Scott of Cordova had a similar message.

“We’re not going anywhere,” Scott said.

Scott pointed out that two tornadoes hit his city on April 27. Approximately 150 homes were damaged, of which about 75 were total losses.

He said rebuilding the Piggly Wiggly is still a priority. City officials are trying to acquire land for a new location because the former site is in the middle of a flood plain.

Scott said it is also important to save the small town atmosphere of the downtown area, although he said the building themselves will eventually have to be demolished.

Scott said municipal offices and the senior center have now been relocated to the old National Guard Armory building, which he said the city was fortunate to have at its disposal.

Scott added that the recovery process has been a group effort.

“A good leader surrounds himself with good people. That’s what I’ve done,” Scott said.

Scott then recognized Beth Stukes, chairwoman of Cordova’s Long Term Recovery Committee.

Stukes said Cordova began planning for the future several months earlier than some other communities that were devastated on April 27.

Stukes said city officials have worked with numerous partners to develop a draft that can be used as a road map for rebuilding.

However, she said the plan won’t become a reality overnight.

“Recovery doesn’t happen in a month or a year, three or five or possibly 10 years. It is a long-term process,” Stukes said.

Both mayors admitted that finances are going to be a hurdle in the months to come.

For example, Sanders said that although sales tax from a Dollar General in the area has boosted the town’s revenues, it can’t be used to hire a new full-time police officer or fund new programs for senior citizens until recovery is complete.

“Rebuilding after a tornado costs the citizens a lot, but the town pays a pretty penny too,” Sanders said.
Read more: Daily Mountain Eagle - ‘We survived the storm and we’re going to come back’

Huntsville-based agency among five organizations receiving federal grants

Published: Friday, September 02, 2011, 11:11 AM    
HUNTSVILLE, Alabama -- The U.S. Commerce Department's Economic Development Administration is presenting grants of $100,000 each to five Alabama agencies -- including Top of Alabama Regional Council of Governments in Huntsville -- to help communities recover from the April 27 tornadoes and storms.
Gov. Robert Bentley said the grants will give local officials additional planning and technical assistance as they work to rebuild community facilities and restore their economies.
The TARCOG grant is to be used to develop an economic recovery and resiliency plan for long-term growth through coordination of resources, prioritization of rebuilding efforts and regional collaboration.
Other $100,000 grants are going to:
• The North Central Alabama Regional Council of Governments of Decatur to create a strategic recovery and resiliency plan.
• The West Alabama Regional Commission of Northport to assist local leadership and economic development professionals in hard-hit areas like Tuscaloosa with business and industry recovery.
• The Regional Planning Commission of Greater Birmingham to develop a disaster response and preparedness plan that focuses on protecting infrastructure and businesses and enabling local governments to provide assistance to their citizens.
• Northwest Alabama Council of Local Governments of Muscle Shoals to support the development of a disaster recovery plan for the towns of Hackleburg and Phil Campbell.